• » Name: Soopa Starr
• » Location: Planet NYC
• » Member Since: 04/12/07
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Lyrical PMS

Sistas Speak: Letters to Hip-Hop

I'm posting this up for all my Hip-Hop chicks. I got it from my homegirl Tachelle Wilkes (over at femmixx.com).

SISTAS SPEAK:  LETTERS TO HIP HOP
 
Women in Hip Hop are misrepresented in mainstream media. These women are a small proportion of the women who are involved in Hip Hop whether it is as an artist, an organizer, an educator, an industry executive, or a Hip Hop connoisseur. We are looking to take a proactive stance in publicizing the unheard female voices from the multiple facets of Hip Hop culture and industry. Our goal is to allow all women to share their experiences of Hip Hop. We intend to compile the letters into a book to be published by an independent press. We invite women of all aspects of Hip Hop to contribute letters.
                                                                            
Guidelines:
 
1)Please submit a 500 – 800 word letter on one of the following issues. Bring your own unique experiences on hip hop to the letter.
 
2) Please include your full name and stage name if you have one, an e-mail and contact number.
 
3) A short bio consisting of 50 words or less. At this time, we are only accepting submissions from U.S. residents.
 
4) Please include this release with your submission:
 
I (Insert Full Name Here) give the Sistas Speak Project permission to publish my work.
 
Issues:
1.        How can hip hop embrace motherhood, fatherhood and raising children?
 
2.        What has your experience been as a female hip hop artist and how do you maintain your feminity in a positive way?
 
3.        Who are some of your role models in hip hop? Why?
 
4.        What are some ways to bring back the balance of how women are represented in hip hop?
 
5.        How do you think relationships between men and women are portrayed in hip hop and what can be dome about it?
 
6.        Often times in our communities women demean each other.  What is the root of it and how can women move to support each other?
 
7.        How do you teach young women to stand up for themselves and embrace their individuality?
 
8.        What's your best memory in hip hop and how has it affected you?
 
9.        What is it like having a love hate relationship with hip hop?
 
10.     How has hip hop inspired you to make a positive change in your community?
 
11.    What is on your mind right now concerning hip hop?
 
12.    What would happen if there were no women in hip hop?
 
13.    How do you get hip hop artists to recognize the repercussions of the lyrics and images that they put out?
 
Deadline: Please submit by November 30th, 2007 to Sarah Harris sarah@hiphopcongress.com or Tachelle Wilkes at Tachelle@femmixx.com
 
Bios:
Sarah Harris has been involved in community organizing and working with youth populations since 1999.  After volunteering with PIRGs (Public Interest Research Group) in Montana and Oregon for three years, she shifted her focus to youth empowerment and education as well as community organizing through the culture of Hip Hop.   Shortly after graduating with a Bachelor's of Arts in Sociology with an emphasis in Criminal Justice in 2002, Sarah became a member of the national grassroots organization Hip Hop Congress.   In 2006, she founded the Women's Project as a program of Hip Hop Congress to expand the presence of the female perspective in Hip Hop. She is now the interim director of the Women's Project until the position is filled and will then be refocusing her energy on Hip Hop education and youth. Sarah has worked with youth of all ages and backgrounds in Portland , Oregon ; Missoula , Montana ; and Oakland and San Francisco , California in group homes and after school programs. She also has experience as a radio DJ and was a co-producer for the legendary Sunday Morning Cultural Affairs Outreach Show on the University of California college station KALX. Sarah brings musical balance to her life by playing classical and rhythm and blues on the piano.  She currently lives and works in Oakland , California as an educational assistant and after school teacher at Berkeley Maynard Academy , an elementary charter school.
 
Tachelle "Shamash" Wilkes – Co-founder of Femmixx.com, the Home Of Female Music Producers, DJs & Emcees.  Through Femmixx.com, Tachelle directed and executive produced "Lady Beat Makers Vol. 1," a documentary on female urban producers and co-founded She's My DJ Turntablist Mix & Scratch Battlle. Tachelle has also written for Vibe, The Source, Daveyd.com, industrycosign.com, Elemental, The Ave, and One World Magazines.  As an artist she has opened for KRS-One and Doug E. Fresh and has been featured in media such as Scratch Magazine, Amsterdam Newspaper and on BBC Radio, WWRL Radio, ABC News and Hispanics Today on NBC. As a high school teacher and college professor, she is a believer in using hip-hop as a vehicle and healing infused education.  Her high school students have performed at the United Nations Conference on Healing Through the Arts and developed Flav Teen Magazine. She holds a BA  in English with a concentration in secondary education from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University and an MA in American
Literature from Brooklyn College .


 

1 Comments             

Juke Music (I need your help Chi-Town)

One thing I discovered when I went to college is how different the cultures in each part of the country really are -- espeically when it comes to black folk and our music. New York is big on dancehall/reggae, The DC Metro Area has Go-Go, Baltimore, NJ and Philly have club and house, Houston has Chopped and Screwed etc. But what's up with Juke Music!!! I heard a preview months ago when I went to a Twista album listening session and I liked it a lot, and I'm trying to set up an interview with Dude N'Em (I see you Doug at TVT) but what's really good? How long has it been poppin' in Chicago? Are there dances for it? What are some local groups who might further my interest? Holla at me!

20 Comments             

Redhead Update

 










Here's a brief update on Readhead from PG County. His video for "I Like" has been chosen by 50 Cent, Common, & Polow
Da Don as a finalist in the Youtube OnTheRISE Rap Video contest. The
Grand Prize winner receives a single deal from Interscope, $10,000 from
Guitar Center, a Roland beat machine, and a Boss multi-track digital
recorder. Voting ends on September 5th, so help him out and spread the
word if your diggin it! I thought it was pretty dope. Check it out.

http://youtube.com/contests_layout?name=ontherisevote&v=oaDXG1kLYpQ&goto=11

11 Comments             

Redhead from PG County

Redhead is an MC hailing from PG County Maryland. Originally not taking rap seriously, a chance encounter with an A&R from MCA Records (now defunct) got the wheels churning in his head. Maybe he could actually do this. But first things first —college. The recent Howard University grad chatted with me on AIM and talked about his style, his name, The Washington DC Metro Area in relation to hip-hop, and how he made history.


Starr: You didn’t take Hip-Hop seriously until an occurrence with and A&R at the now-defunct MCA records. What happened that was so influential to you trying to rap for real?
 
Redhead: The situation with MCA was that I was performing at an open mic spot in DC and they approached me about it. They asked the typical stuff like "Did you really write that?" and all that mess. I was 17 just starting college at the time. I turned them down because I refused to be one of those heads that are doing records and don't have a decent education. Plus my mother would kick my ass. Now I'm wiser, more cautious, with a Bachelors degree from a top college in the nation. I have nothing to lose.
 
S: You went to Howard right?

R: Definitely

S: a lot of good people graduate from there but speaking of your mom (kicking your ass and all)...Your background is caribbean but you live in the DC area. Did all of those cultures influence you musically? How so?

R: It wasn't that much of a difference. My mother is from Jamaica and my father is from Grenada, so they would definitely speak in their heavy accents and play reggae and soca. In DC, they have Go-Go music, which stylistically is similar due to the drums and constant bouncing rhythm. It definitely shed new perspective on how to approach things musically.

S: It's funny u mentioned that. I was going to ask you about Go-Go. Are you a fan?
 
R: More or less [laughs]...there's some that I mess with, and others not so much. "Overnight Scenario" by Rare Essence is a classic. I'm so glad that it's getting recognition outside of the city nowadays.

S: Being that different types of musical sub-cultures like say Reggaeton, Dancehall, Hip-Hop, etc eventually seem to get exploited and played out, do you think there’s a possibility that this could happen with Go-Go and the “beating your feet” dance that goes along with it?

R: Absolutely. When people like something and consider it a trend, it's going to get played out. As soon as you see a bunch of suburban kids beating their feet in a Gap commercial, it's a wrap. But knowing how DC is, I wouldn't be surprised if something brand new was to get created the following week. After all, half the dances coming out now look like beating your feet. Have you seen "walk it out?”
S: Lol, yea!  One thing about hip-hop that we can't escape is that it's regionalized. Where does the DC-Metro area fit in considering that although it's east coast, it's not exactly north, but not exactly south either?
 
R: That's the problem with the city. Because of those facts, I think there's people in the city that don't know what they are yet. At one point, I remember when people there swore that they were from New York. They were wearing fitteds with The North Face jackets and such, and today they're talking about they living in "the trap.” I feel that in order to even think about putting the city on the map, it has to have a style that represents itself effectively and distinctively. We already have Go-Go, but that's another genre. Hip-Hop is something else that needs to be taken into consideration for the city, as well as the corresponding areas like PG County, Montgomery County, and places in Virginia. It's all about distinction for good representation.

S: Who are some of your musical influences (across any genre)?

R: My favorite group has to be A Tribe Called Quest. Those dudes are legends and deserve a lot more recognition then they get. I’m also a fan of Nas and stuff from Big L. Artistically I really like Raphael Saadiq and alternative bands like Soundgarden and The Verve (especially "Bittersweet Sympony"). I listen to a lot of things, especially 80's pop from Prince and Modern English. It keeps me on my toes.

S: Has anyone ever compared you to Slick Rick? Not that you have a British accent (of coarse), but there’s something about the way you rhyme and tell a story that is sort of reminiscent to his style.
 
R: Actually, I have. Slick Rick has lots of style to him, and sometimes the accent of my parents and my DC-Metro accent kind of mesh together, so it gives a certain sound like I'm "British.” I definitely take that comparison well.

S: Cool. About your name…is your hair really red? It didn’t look like it in the pics I saw.

R: [Laughs]. Truth be told, "Redhead" has nothing to do with hair. My government name is Stephen Redhead. I decided to go by my last name because I thought that would have people pay more attention being that I'm the opposite of what one might expect. My hair is black as well as my race, [laughs].

S: Ah…makes sense. Your bio said you got blessings from Oprah Winfrey. Did she speak at your graduation from Howard or did you really meet her one-on-one?
 
R: She spoke at my graduation. I tried to talk to her personally but security was definitely on their job. One thing that I remember that she said during her speech is that all that we (the students) have to know is who we are, and that failure doesn't exist because there are several routes to success. I thought it was so fly that I sampled it in a song.

S: There was a track from your first independent EP that ended up on a mixetape called “The Next Big Thing” and was distributed throughout out the general areas of Atlanta and Texas, and you got props from Magnificent of Swisha House. How did that happen?

R: Basically when I was joking around, I had a track called "4 Da Broke & Sexy.” It was a joking type of party song. I wasn't really used to doing party records yet, but I had the track and I sent it to a friend of mine from Texas and he pressed it himself and shipped it around. Magnificent is a person that I knew for a long time. I even battled him twice. He's very talented. He's like the Big L of the South. We even did a mixtape style track before he got with Swisha House over an Alicia Keys track. I think he put it on his demo.
 
S: You made history. Please elaborate on what happened.

R: One day, my friend Opiyo Okeyo and myself decided to do a video for me. It was for a track called "I Like.” The video came out very well and it was getting a lot of attention on the Howard campus as well as the Internet and across the world. Over time, I contacted my friend in Australia. He loved the record and hustled his way into getting the song on the radio over there, which is a difficult thing to get an unsigned American to try. It turns out that he got it played on Australia Day, their biggest holiday. Now I'm the first unsigned American to get played in Australia, and on their "Independence Day" no less.
 
S: Do you see any gigs coming up in Australia soon? What about touring?
 
R: I'd love to go out there soon. They definitely have a good grasp on what hip-hop is like. They're not up on “Ay Bay Bay” yet. They're still interesting in the mid-90's era style of it. I want to tour soon, but right now I'm working on a project with my dude Versityle from Songbook Ent (Trey Songz's production company). We plan to make it with a really unique sound to attract new & old fans.
 
S: Is it going to be an LP?
 
R: I'm not particularly sure. Either an EP or LP. I definitely want it to be a full project. The majority would be done by Versityle. So far, the sound is very eclectic, yet it’s catchy. There's a lot of musical influence to it. I just hope that people would enjoy it as much as we do creating it.

S: Why should people fuck with Redhead?
R: Because Redhead is just like you. Redhead is like every guy on the block. He's not a thug but he knows about street things. He looks out for his people as well as himself. He's doing it because he loves what he does and is all about individuality. You won't see coonery coming out of that guy — none of that Pretty Ricky stuff. He's a fan first before anything else — a guy for the people.
 
S: Any last words?

R: Big shout out to Versityle, HipHopDX.com, HU, and R.I.P. to Kwasi "Misfit" Jones.
 
myspace.com/redheadpg

 

22 Comments             

Any Female Producers Out There?

MTP (Meet the Producers) is gearing up for their next all female beat battle this Sunday Aug. 26. One person dropped out so that leaves a slot open. If you're in the Newark, NJ area (or Tri-State), this might be a good look for you Miss Lady (or any Miss Lady producers you know). Peep the flyer below as well as the myspace page. Holla at them before it's too late. Serious inquiries only!



myspace.com/mtpjersey

18 Comments             

Donny Goines: Real Talk

Donny Goines, not to be confused with Donald Goines, wants to get his message out and to be heard however possible. A New York City-bred rapper who has been featured on allhiphop.com, sohh.com and other publications, he spares no one when it comes to speaking his mind.

No stranger to struggle, unlike some, his was real. Growing up with parents in and out of prison and losing his close friend and mentor Disco D, have taken a toll on him but still he rises. Steering away from the typical hood life scenario and other negative happenstances that can happen very easily, he continues to remain positive and pursue his dream of music. I caught up with him in an instant messenger interview and found out more about this talented young artist.


Starr: It’s funny you mentioned New York is going through a renaissance period.  What exactly do you mean?
 
Donny Goines: I think that with the lack of quality music these days...a lot of people are really looking for great music and with hip-hop — I noticed that things are changing  — not so much anything brand new, but more of a of resurgence of what has already past, just with a new generation; Sorta of like the Harlem Renaissance. They’re not really tearing Harlem down, just improving on what’s already there.

S: You know…I've heard a lot of NYC rappers saying that the key to improvement is unity. Remember back in the 90s when everyone had a crew? But then things fell off and everyone went for self. However, some other artists I've talked to said that they're seeing a change in that more artists are working together again (which they feel is better for the music). What's your take on this?

DG: I’ll give you an example of this...Remember that Sickamore party I mentioned from last year? I met an artist there named Skyzoo. At first I thought he was one of these cocky NY artists with a chip one his shoulder and got the wrong vibe, but then I recently saw his blogs on Hiphopgame and started to read them. I realized that he was a humble dude with the same kind of ideology that I had, and you just mentioned [so] I reached out and kept it 100 with him. I told him I made an error in judgment and I think he’s a talented artist. I went too support him at his mixtape release party and plan on doing something with him in the future now. It’s all about unit at this point. We all need to help each other and be more open to collabo’ing and working together. No one man can be king I think, but we can all be a part in the court and build a kingdom.
 
S: Speaking of building, you had a friendship/mentorship with Disco D. How did that connection happen?

DG: Via myspace (what doesn’t happen on myspace lol). You want the long version or the short?

S: Long.

DG: Okay, back in the summer of ’06 I was hustling hard but needed money to continue
so I had posted a notice on a popular forum board looking for employment in the music field. The very next day a person named Disco D had replied via myspace (I didn’t know who he was at the time) and asked if I would be interested in working as a part time runner (errands, etc.). I said “Sure,” and he invited me to his loft. The very first day, I impressed him so much he hired me on the spot, paid me, and gave me the house keys (he was just that kind of dude). My first day, I worked for 18 hours straight and the rest, as they say, became history.
 
S: How did that open up doors for you musically?

DG: Musically, in many ways...the funny thing is I never once actually sat down and worked with D on a track. We were all too busy. As time went on, I became his personal assistant so I was doing my career, helping with his, and managing a staff of interns. But one of the perks was unlimited studio time in his loft. Whenever he went to Brazil, Cali, etc., I was doing the bulk of my first recordings (which most have never been released). It was great because it’s still, to this day, the best studio I’ve ever been in and I had free reign of it — I learned a lot in that aspect as far as engineering, studio editing music etc. Another benefit came from attending meetings and sitting in on his sessions so I got the chance to actually watch high power deals being made — great artists crafting great music and a lot of things in between. He also helped to guide my career. A lot of people don’t know thins, but I actually turned down a deal from D.

S: Wow. Why?

DG: I’m just the kind of person that feels like if you can’t give me your all, I don’t want a part in it. He was being pulled in too many directions and I didn’t think it was a good idea for either of us.

S: Oh, ok. What helps you deal with his death?

DG: Music. Thats it…I just wrote something last night, as a matter of fact, and I said something to the effect of when I want to quit I know he’s looking from above and saying "Hustle Hareder," sorta like his mantra. I just let the pen bleed. That’s how I deal with all my personal problems; I let the music speak. That’s why I think a lot of people are attracted to it. It’s real and they can relate.

S: That's very true! I'm supposed to keep my opinion out of this but you
are dope.

DG: Thank you. That really means a lot to me. My last effort was kinda of a mixed pot. With this one, I’m going to really make people understand where my head is at. I might not get rich but that was never my goal to begin with.

S: When is it coming out?

DG: In a month or two. It’s very hip-hop influenced. I don’t wanna let the cat out of the bag just yet but I’m basically 80% done at this point. You’ll be one of the first to hear it though.
 
S: As an artist, you clearly and unapologetically speak your mind with songs like “I Am not a Rockstar” and “Niggas, Bitches, Hoes.” What goes on in your mind when you write and spit?

DG: Honestly, I’m all over the place mentally. The main thing that’s on my mind though, is the voices who can’t speak and feel the exact same way I do or very similar. I have always been an advocate for others (careers like healthcare, etc.), and I feel like if I don’t speak on certain things that I’m not doing my job. You see, not everybody uses the word "Bicth" to disrespect women; not everyone wants to be a rcokstar. Some people are content just being who they are, and that’s what I represent or at least try to. I don’t know any other way.
 
S: Let's talk about your name. Donald Goines was a very influential writer. How did you discover him and what inspired you so much that you decided to run with the name as a rapper?
 
DG: First off I’m an avid reader. Not just of him (actually James Patterson is my favorite author, sounds crazy right lol) but many others as well — it kind of ties into many things for me. For one, like I described earlier, I’m content with being myself my legal name is Donny, exact spelling, so I wanted to incorporate that into my stage name. Also, I’m as great of a wirter as I am an MC — that’s probably my best skill. I don’t like nicknames so I’m trying to figure out a stage name. One day my boy just blurts out "Donny Goines” and I’m like I don’t know about that one, those are big shoes to fill, but after a couple of days, I thought it was a great fit. I’m not trying to be like him, I just think it’s a great description of me as an artist so I stuck with it. His son gave me the blessing and it’s cool. I like it

S: How did growing up without your parents as they were incarcerated mold the person you are today?

DG: It affected me in several ways. To this day, my father is still in and out of jail (doing 8 years upstate now) and when I was younger, the person who I thought was my father wasn’t. I met my real father at age ten. Growing up, I had to learn things as a man on my own because even when he was around he was high or drunk most of the time. I made a lot of mistakes and I don’t care what no woman says, a boy needs his father. In some ways it made me very strong, but inside I was hurting for a long time. It comes out in the music sometimes.

S: Back to music, where's your place in hip-hop right now considering the state of the culture and the music industry?
 
DG: My place is where I make it. I could easily craft “hit” songs and follow trends, but my progression as an artist from this point to now has pulled me in a different direction.Now, I carry myself in music, as I would in life. I speak with candor, and from the heart, and I think this will lead me into the position that I am supposed to be in, wherever that takes me.

S: Aside from your album, are you working on any other projects?
 
DG: I’m all over the place right now. I’m doing whatever, whenever, however, as long as the music is good. I have many people coming at me with many different things but I’m very selective as to what I associate myself with, so everything is up in the air.

S: Who are some of your influences?

DG: Inspiration 2007. You heard it hear first.

S: That's the most non-cliché answer I've ever heard to that question.

DG: The song is even more against the grain.

S: Ok, my last question is cliché but I ask every up-and-comer this...what's your 5-year plan?
 
DG: Five years…I hope to be alive. I hope to have a larger support system (I think calling people who dig your music "fans" is corny), and I hope to have a situation where I can create great music and take care of my loved ones and myself. If I can do that in 5 years, I can consider my self a success.
 
S: Cool.  That was my last question but do you have any last words?

DG: Thank you to you for conducting this interview. Thank you to all my supporters, and please help me to do what’s in my heart. Word of mouth is the best form of promotion. God Bless.
 
Myspace.com/donnygoines
 

18 Comments             

Dehaven Exposes Jay-Z?

Peep this video where Dehaven, a name heavily shouted out by Jay-Z, speaks what he says is the truth about Jay-Z, Dame Dash and the whole Roc-a-fela empire.



Personally, I think it's way too late for this. Whether it's true or not, at this point it really doesn't matter. Jay and Dame are way too successful and it's going to take more than someone from their past putting out slanderous information to bring them down, if that's what the mission is.

56 Comments             

Superhead Tossed in Trash

Peep this video of Superhead talking reckless to some dude. He tosses her in the trash. Am I late on this one?




P.S. Why haven't these industry men learned? Sigh...

64 Comments             

I'm Black Ya'll and I'm Blickiddy Black and I'm Back

The movie CB4 will never cease to crack me up! Remember this clip...

18 Comments             

Malik 16 Says to Sign Him ASAP!

Harlem’s former biggest representatives have been Big L on the underground tip and Ma$e back in the murda days. But these days, you mention Harlem and Hip-Hop in the same sentence and images of the Chicken Noodle Soup dance and Dipset come to mind. But what happens to everyone in between? What about those who don’t fit what has become the Harlem stereotype?

They’re around and they’re doing their thing. Enter Malik 16. The Harlem native is on a mission to get signed point blank. He doesn’t pussyfoot about it and while he is from Harlem, he reps himself. A well-traveled New Yorker to the heart, and the first unsigned artist to spit in the booth on Rap City, Malik discussed his plans to get in the game hard. Check out our interesting conversation about Hip-Hop and politics all up in the mix.

Starr: Let’s start with your name. Is it Malik 16 as in you spit a hot 16 bars?

Malik 16: Yep. It got more meanings. When I first started, my name was M 16 like the gun, but I changed because I didn’t want to represent that. Plus, I added Malik because I wanted to use my real name.

Starr: You were the first unsigned artist to get on Rap City so how did that work out?

Malik 16: They had a little contest and it wasn’t highly publicized. I hadn’t watched Rap City in a long time and I decided to catch up on what’s what and they had that commercial in between. It was a Dorito’s and BET sponsored event and they were like, send in a tape and whoever has the illest freestyle gets to be in the booth and I had never heard of anything like that. I usually don’t like TV stuff that has to do with rap because there’s a stigma with it and cats who do TV rap and all that stuff don’t get the same respect, so I never usually wanted to do no contest or no rapper shows like Making the Band; not even Freestyle Friday because it would do more damage, but I thought that [the contest] was so ill because it just came on out of nowhere and still, to this day, people are like how did that happen? That’s why I didn’t. I didn’t even think much of it. I don’t even know who walks around with video cameras anymore, so I didn’t really think that many people were going to apply, but when I got there, they were like “Yo, you were the best out of 100.”

Starr: Who are some of your influences? I know Big L is one.

Malik 16: Is he? How did you get that idea?

Starr: I noticed on your myspace page that you cared enough to take a picture next to his mural, but when I listen to some of your stuff it sounds like…I could be wrong but…

Malik 16: No, that’s good. I had a Big L phase. I had a phase with everybody so I say I’m influenced by everybody because I used to think of rap a whole different way before, but as I met people from other regions…it’s to the point where anybody is an influence because I would get a D4L ad see what they did right to get them success or see what they did wrong to get them so much backlash  — everybody is an influence.

S:  You’re an 80s baby right?

M: 80s all the way. You know it [laughs]!

S: How has growing up in Harlem influenced your style?

M: When I was younger, I used to wonder why we didn’t get no recognition. This is when I was like 12/13 —

S: Is that when you started rhyming?

M: Nah, I started rhyming when I was 6. But my whole thing was to be the one to put Harlem on the map if nobody could do it. And that was before Ma$e had popped off. I think most of the pioneers of rap come from Harlem but it wasn’t in style back then to rep your hood so Rakim and them came and shouted out Long Island and then Wu-Tang and them came from Staten Island, well… everybody was repping their hood now that I think of it; KRS-One, MC Shan — but they just wasn’t doing that for Harlem. So that was my thing because everybody would get shouted out. When Wu-Tang was big, Staten Island would get a shout out before Harlem. They’d say Queensbridge, Boogie Down Bronx, but if they wanted to mix The Bronx and Harlem, they’d just say Uptown and I was like, “What is that?” But after it blew up the way it did when Diplomats — because they were really responsible for taking us to where we at — we had Big L, we had Ma$e, but nobody really took us there, and I don’t know if Diddy is from Harlem because I heard he’s from Mt. Vernon. He might have breezed through here but since it blew up, it’s hard to go against all of the stereotypes that all of the people expect because I’ve never really fit in here. In my childhood I moved everywhere. I was born and raised here, but because I’ve been so many places, I’m not the typical artist. My whole angle is just to show a different side.

S: When they think of Harlem, it’s not even about Ma$e anymore, it’s Dipset and Chicken Noodle Soup so how do you plan to break that perception?

M: We’re there, we’re covering it now but it’s still new. It’s like Nelly when he did the Midwest thing, it’s sill new and fresh. There’s still room for somebody to show you, “Oh snap, it would be dope for somebody to show you something new. You can have this side to it." The only thing I can’t change about Harlem is being fly. It’s in all of us. I’m ballin’ on a budget but I’m fly like I can afford to be. Once I’m there, I’m going to look the same [as I always have] but I’m gonna give you a different mental projection, a different personality thing when it comes to Harlem.

S: You don’t even beat around the bush, your goal is to get signed.

M: Yeah. Nobody says that but I’m like yo…flat out…sign me!

S: Does it matter whether you get signed to a major or an indie label?

M: It matters a lot that I get signed to a major because I’m not really feeling the independent route. I can do independent myself. Independents get work, but not to the extent…it has a ceiling when you do independent first. I think it’s better if you come in the game like you see Ice Cube, he’s 100% independent but he built up his career to the point where he can do that. I think everybody should do that because to come out, you want that national exposure, you want to make sure that your video gets played on BET, you want to make sure that you have that machine behind you to push that. I’m an artist. I never understood how people except a limited audience. Isn’t your whole point of making music to be heard by as many people as possible?

S: What label do you see yourself with?

M: I don’t have a preference. As long as it can do for me what I need done, then I’ll do the rest.

S: How would you describe your music? Let’s face it, someone is going to try to put you in a box.

M: Mmm hmm…I’m glad you know that but I don’t know. I mean, you heard me do my little singing [laughs] but put that on the record: I am not a singer, I am not trying to be a singer, I just think it’s quite entertaining. It’s gotta come out some way so I do it how it fits.

S: That was “Lap Dance” right?

M: Mmm hmm but you like that…

S: I do like that song.

M: It’s weird, a lot of girls like that song and I thought it sounded like poop on a stick so can you tolerate “Lap Dance” more than you can tolerate “One Wish” by Ray J?

S: Yeah [laughs].

M: Wow [laughs]. See, I got a little something. I can carry a tune but I think that…I don’t know, I’d just have to get people’s response. I put out the little tape that I did, it’s on my website because I thought it was a good representation of what my style is and I’d rather other people define it because I don’t know, it’s not conscious and it’s not gangsta obviously, It’s somewhere in the middle and I like it that way. I call it a happy medium between commercialism, lyricism, gangsta and consciousness.

S: I noticed in “Daddy’s Caddy,” you’re talking about how you had your father growing up, so how much of an impact has your father had on you compared to your peers who didn’t have their father.

M: It’s a big difference. It was one of the most noticeable differences because that’s something a kid picks up on early because you’re just such a minority when you come up like that. Where I grew up, I was one out of a few. A lot of the people I came up with; either their father was dead or it was the usual story — they had an off and on relationship with him so I thought it was something good to touch on. It’s been touched on but I think there should always be more songs. Every year there should be a daddy song; a mommy song. People always say, "Hasn’t that been done?" — the "Dear Mama" songs. How can you ever get tired of hearing a rap appreciating who gave you birth? No idea is original. All you can do is put your spin on it and make sure you make that shit your own.

S: What was your inspiration to start rhyming?

M: It was 1989. I was around so much Hip-Hop. It was so fresh but what I would do is freestyle with my cousins. They would be in the park, they’d hang out, they’d be drinking they beers...you know, doing whatever, and everywhere that shit was blasting. It was so fresh. It was Rob Base, “It Takes Two,” “The Bridge is Over,” and I remember not liking KRS One because I was like, “What’s that? Reggae” but my uncle used to DJ in the projects when we was Brooklyn and he would have that shit blasting. You couldn't speak, that’s how loud it was, he used to play the Jungle Brothers...everything; and they made my first rhyme for me. They banged it on the table, I memorized it and to this day I know it. Ever since then, for some reason I just got into it. The first rap I made was in the third grade. I was about this girl that nobody in the class liked. You know, kids are mean, and I just did it.

S: Have you toured with anyone or performed with anybody?

M: I’m tryna get there. That’s my next thing to conquer. First, I gotta put out my product because that free mixtape is just my orientation. I got multiple products coming. I mean, I have opened for artists and I might go on tour — like a short little city-to-city kind of jump off.

S: Who have you opened for?

M: The most notable was Fab (Fabolous). 

S: You have a free mixtape available but you’re going to drop an official album, right?

M: I don’t want to do that until I’m signed. There will be other projects but right now it’s mixtape mode...but I’m not trying to be a mixtape rapper because a lot of cats get stuck there at that level.

S: Where do you think your place is right now in Hip-Hop because it’s changed over the years?

M: Has it?

S: I think so but I’ll say it’s changed in terms of the media to narrow it down.

M: It’s always been youth oriented. It always kills me when ya’ll say media. You know you’re the media right?

S: [laughs] I am but I’m trying to support the underdogs.

M: Speaking of, your boy Fresh is nice.

S: Thanks!

M: Yeah, it [Fresh Daily's music] has a real underground feel to it, which is cool as long as you know your niche. I’m pretty sure Dem Franchize Boyz know their place, I don’t think they’re trying to really go anywhere else.

S: Or they could have had people in the right places with the right amount of money to push them.

M: When you got JD cosigning, that aint going nowhere, but really I think this generation is the most culturally deprived. I see the change now because everybody is talking about ’96 like it’s the old school, and I’m just like, “Wow.”

S: Word. My little cousin who is about 13 was like “Who the hell is Ice Cube?” That’s crazy.

M: I’m all for any outlets that give Old School artists another chance whether it be Flavor of Love or whatever, more power to ‘em because that brother might have been on the corner in a couple more years. That PE money aint that good. I know they tour every year like De La…but I mean Hip-Hop has always been about the youth. It’s just that kids are smarter because there’s more avenues to get to it.

S: Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

M: I knew that was coming! That’s the one journalist question [laughs].

S: [Laughs] I couldn’t resist.

M: Signed; a couple notches under my belt; getting the appreciation; and I’m gonna keep on doing this for another 5 years.

S: Why should A & Rs holla at you?

M: Because, with as many A & Rs as I talk to, they don’t do what they say. It’s sort of like when women — no offense  — but when women have that list of all the qualities of  the type of guy they like but then you see them with the opposite, it’s like “What are you doing? I’m everything that you’ve been asking for, you wanted somebody who is nice with lyrics, but also knows how to sell a record.” I’ve studied the market. I think I know what I’m talking about at this point; not to the point where I’m a premadonna but it’s not just, “Yo, I rap.”

S: You know how some rappers are known for different things like with punchlines, word play, etc? Would you say that freestyling is your thing, not saying that you can’t do anything else but basically, is that your signature?

M: In the booth [Rap City], that was not a freestyle. You can even put that down.

S: I was actually going to ask you about that. Do they tell you to write it ahead of time?

M: Nobody freestyles. I would have because I can do it but that was my one and only time on TV. Who knows when I was gonna be on TV again so I wasn’t going to mess that up on son hippity hoop-la. But my thing is tryna do it all. All in one. From my observations, I think most rappers excel in one but can’t do the other. You know who’s really good at that? I like Fab. Fab can do street stuff, girl stuff and never catch flack. Ja-Rule will do street stuff, girl stuff, and it never works out for him. Fab got punchlines, he’s getting better with storytelling. He don’t have enough conscious stuff but picture somebody who does all of that. That’s gonna be the hardest thing in trying to come out because they’re gonna to try to lean you in a direction. It’s very important what first song you come out with because I got a song about being black and if I come out with that first, I’m going to get labeled. I got a song where I’m talking about…I guess it would be called violent. I don’t promote violence but I’m not a chump but if that one came out then it’s like, “Oh, you one of those.” And I got my “I’m a gigolo” kind of song too so it’s very important that I give you all sides of me at once. But wordplay is my favorite. You can be nice in punchlines but punchlines are not as strong without wordplay. The last of the wordplay is like Common and Jay. When you can flip a word backwards, give it a different meaning, say the same word in three different styles with three different meanings, that’s wordplay, and that’s what I’m a fan of  — anything that makes you rewind.

myspace.com/maliksixteen

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Real Hip-Hop Hustlers Pt. 3

Howie McDuffie, a music industry insider greets Marvo and Creature. McDuffie owns a record label, Howie McDuffie Music
Group ─ and has done artist development for Mos Def, WU-Tang, Big Pun, etc. He admires the gumption Marvo and Creature show as independent artists.

“These guys are the truth. These guys are moving more units than probably a commercial artist like Chamillionaire,” McDuffie said. “Chamillionaire is platinum, but if him, Jay-Z, Jada Kiss, went on the corner and did this s- -t, I think fans would look at them a little different.”

McDuffie puts what artistpreneurs do in prospective by explaining that what he does for other artists for a living is something Creature, H the Great and Marvo do for themselves. He is in the process of setting up a tour with commercial artists and organizing ways for his artists to promote their merchandise that record labels agree with.

“Universal and all those guys think that what these guys do is a waste of time. I look at it like you touching the artist, touching the consumer. They get to see that you go out of your way. These guys make a lot of money out here doing what they do.”
Creature and Marvo are mum about how much they actually make, but they offer assurance that while they won’t be Hustling CDs on the streets forever, the time currently spent is well worth it.

H The Great also stays tight-lipped on revenue specifics, but with no mouths to feed but his own, he says he manages to pay all of his expenses, including his New York City rent — something that doesn’t come cheap.  Originally sellin