Edan: I ain’t trying shit.  My hair growing is a result of NOT trying.  Haircuts are a result of motherfuckers exerting effort, taking scissors to their shit.

HHS: Most fans probably don’t know this, but your father was involved with booking artists back in the days when the MCI Center in D.C was known as the Capital Center, did this in anyway spurn your future choice of profession?

Edan: Your facts are distorted, bro.  My pops never booked anybody.  He more or less worked security.  Because of his connects though, I once helped build one of those blimps that flew around the arena during Wrestlemania or some shit.  Seeing dudes like Ultimate Warrior, or somebody behind-the-scenes all done up with the tassels, but then talking about some regular-ass shit like hamburgers or highway traffic is a surreal experience…

HHS: There are so many styles and different musical elements purveying throughout Beauty And The Beat and it’s not an easy task to cohesively commingle such a wide array of musical elements and samples, how long did it take you to complete this LP?

Edan: In a general sense, this LP is a composite of my experiences starting from day one, some twenty-odd years ago.  More specifically though, it took about two and a half years on and off.; definitely a slow-cooked meal.  I do this shit when I feel some inspiration…I can no longer squeeze out a bunch of songs, or whatever, just to meet some quota.  On the real, I might take a 17- year hiatus between albums, go off to the mountains and study chess if my heart beckons, come back in the year 2022 and drop a new project like nothing happened.  I might decide to build mobiles, or some shit like Alexander Calder…

HHS: You and Insight seemed to have formed a very obvious chemistry, which you again display on “Funky Voltron” & “The Science Of The Two.”  Can u pinpoint the science of that chemistry?  What makes it click?

Edan: We both view hip-hop as a limitless art form.  That’s the glue, son.  Plus we’re both triple threats.  We both build entire albums from the ground up.  We’ll come at you on the rhymes, beats and the cuts too!  We’ll do all that and collect a check three times the size of the emcee in your crew.  Comparisons don’t really apply to those who just do one or the other.  Some cats might not like my beats but they like the rhymes, or they like the mixtapes or all three.  Its all good…come to the live show.   You’ll have to respect at least one aspect of how we get down, unless you’re a bitter,
cynical asshole.

HHS: On “Smile” you chronicle the story of an artist who on the surface appears to have it all, but behind the stage persona, their lies a completely different facade, one that is mired in depression and angst.  Was this track written about someone you have come into contact with or prior knowledge of?

Edan: Well, throughout life, I’ve come across some people that have some genius to them. And it often seems like a blessing and a curse at the same time.  Their imaginations are just as likely to tread those dark places as they are the fertile, self-empowering regions of the mind…I, personally, am no genius, but I have been in situations where I’m expected to perform, or to love music and be in top form, even while suffering through a depression, for instance.  The “Smile” track sort of acknowledges the dual-mind of the artist, or the clown-entertainer crying on the inside– if you will.

HHS: On “Rock And Roll” you throw a jab at Lenny Kravitz.  Besides, making a career out of borrowing other peoples styles to sell millions of records, boning an endless array of models and actresses and making Gap Commercials, what’s Lenny done to you?

Edan: Actually, I don’t really mind Lenny Kravitz personally; that was more of a symbolic lyric on the record.  You know what?  Actually, It’d be interesting to see what would happen to Lenny Kravitz’s career if he were to get like a really fucked-up case of acne for like three years or so…

HHS: Not too get overly abstract here, but you say the underlying message of Beauty And The Beat is to paraphrase “imagination and its power can overcome all that is perilous with positivity and love.”  In these days and times when war is so prevalent and so highly debated, that’s a heavy statement you’re making there, can you get any deeper and really clarify what you mean with that?

Edan: It’s simply time to use our potential and overpower all this negative shit.  Love can be the source of all things for you.  Enough with the greed, enough racism.  Stop being a little bitch that needs a force field of machismo, starting fights at dingy-ass clubs.   Be kind to people.  Respect the earth and the universe and all of its principles.  Realize that we are all kin.  The same energy that birthed the plants, animals and elements, gave you YOUR existence.  Check it, your mind is fertile soil, your thoughts are seeds and your actions are the sunlight and water that can bring all things into fruition.  Plant that positive seed; think the most glorious thoughts that you can possibly imagine.  Your next instinct will be to see if you can make those thoughts reality.  For example, if dudes keep saying that the world is going to end, then people start to believe it and then it slowly becomes reality.  But if we all start saying that the human race will thrive and harmonize, then that’ll soon become the consensus and the next step will be to act on it and make it happen.  I’m just saying, your thoughts are powerful seeds, so try to plant some good ones in there before you go and do some bullshit.

HHS: The music you create is widely respected by peers and critics alike and it seems as if you would be a perfect fit on a more branded label (a few come immediately to mind), have you gotten overtures from more established labels?  Word is that a few of the major Indy labels have made overtures to express there interest in working with you, why you have relented so far?

Edan: I’ve had offers from two of the biggest Indy labels in the U.S.  I just know that right now, I’m trying to establish my own niche before getting swept up under somebody else’s umbrella.  The heads of any of these respected Indy labels all exerted crazy time and effort to cultivate their brand into something respectable and unique.  I’m just trying to do the same shit for myself.  After Lewis Recordings, I’ll probably start selling shit MORE independently.  Who knows?  I might even cut out distro and retailers fuck it; I’ve got the live show hustle.  We’ve got internet and shit like Paypal now.   It’s time to cut out the middle men.  That way, even if I only sell 10,000 units, I’m still getting over.  Having said all that, I’m always down to experiment with like-minded individuals whether it be on the art side or the business end.

HHS: You’re very multi-dimensional, a DJ, producer and an emcee.  Is there any one facet that you get more personal satisfaction from at this juncture?  One that is more rewarding to you, or one that you feel you’re more advanced in right now?

Edan: It’s all one continuous uphill climb.  One aspect influences the other.  I might pull out a record like G Rap “Road To The Riches” and the rhymes’ll be crazy enough to make a dude want to write his own shit, then you’ll have the beat Marley cooked up behind that shit, with ‘Stiletto’ in there, next thing you know, I’ll be cutting up copies of ‘Stiletto’ or ‘Assembly Line’ or some shit…whatever…it all comes around 360 degrees.

HHS: Being an artist as well as a fan, from your perspective, aside from being more accessible and a part of our everyday culture now, what’s the biggest difference between the Hiphop that was released a decade ago and what is prevalently heard today?

Edan: I know you’ve heard it before, but the magnitude of the pay-off is the biggest difference today and it affects this shit sonically.  Cats today see this as a business hustle FIRST.  They used to idealize the artistic aspects a bit more and THEN try to ensure that their business was correct to top it off.  The idea of “art” is a well-publicized joke now.  Cats today are all about rhyming lazy while playing “the game” attentively and they’re playin’ that shit, but they’re doing it atop crumbling foundations.  They don’t really give a shit if their aura or artistic approach is sharp/innovative.  A lot of these cats just wanna hit lotto.  There’s a bunch of starving motherfuckers who are waiting in line to show their asses any way that the company man wants them to.  And even the so-called rebellious youth, who usually don’t go for that shit, are emulating and embracing the sleaze shit that’s beingperpetuated, because that’s all they have to choose from.  If we continue to place more value on the dollar then on our own legacy, our own spiritual and imaginative power, then you’re just gonna end up seeing a bunch of shiny cars and shit next to a bunch of ugly, cold-hearted motherfuckers, not smiling.  Our potential is much, much greater than that.  Capitalism, in theory, is supposed to bring out the best in society through competitive survival, but right now, we’re seeing some lame-ass side effects of this capitalism shit.

HHS: After you drop Beauty And The Beat on us, what’s next for Edan?  What’s the next step in your evolution as an artist?

Edan: At this point, artistically, my mind is an open book with no specific literature within its pages.  I’m open to anything that this life wishes to show me.  I know for certain that I will never rush something that I’m involved in.  If a project takes three years, then it takes three years.  Right now, I need to travel, do the shows, meet the people, etc.  When all of that starts to die down, then I’ll have to live a little, collect my thoughts, get upset, get inspired, splash some paint around and prepare to climb Mount Everest all over again…

HHS: What’s the best damn Indy rap record of all time?

Mighty Mi: Wu-Tang Clan’s “Protect your Neck” (original 12″)

Vast Aire: “The Best Damn Rap Show”

HHS: Who’s the best damn emcee of all time?

Mighty Mi: Golden Era= KRS-One, Modern Era= Jay-Z

Vast Aire: There are too many dope emcees to say “he or she is the best” but I like Redman and Ghostface.

HHS: Who’s the best damn producer of all time?

Mighty Mi: Dr. Dre

Vast Aire: Again, there are too good dope producers to just single out one, but right now I’m feeling Just Blaze, Kanye West and RZA.

HHS: What’s the best damn thing about being independent?

Mighty Mi: Making whatever music you feel like making

Vast Aire: Nothing (laughter), there is nothing great about being an Independent artist.  It’s allot of hard work.

HHS: What’s the worst damn thing about being independent?

Mighty Mi: Being so DAMN broke all the time.

Vast Aire: People think their the shit with their little fan base, it all means nothing; half of them will hate you in two years for getting a larger fan base. It’s like they don’t like you because other people know about you?  It’s crazy!

HHS: What’s the best damn rap concert/show you’ve ever seen?

Mighty Mi: LL Cool J – Radio Tour in 1987, Stetasonic, Whodini, Eric B & Rakim, Jazzy Jeff, B.D.P. and LL.

Vast Aire: Nice And Smooth, I saw them do “Hip Hop Junkies,” it was dope they had to do the song twice.  Black Sheep too, it changed my life.

HHS: What’s the best damn song on The Best Damn Rap Show?

Mighty Mi: “Taboo”

Vast Aire: “Vintage,” “Taboo,” or “What Goes Up.”

HHS: What’s the best damn song ever on Eastern Conference Records?

Mighty Mi: EC ALL Stars Posse Cut

Vast Aire: “The Beam Up”

HHS: What’s the best damn song either of you have been affiliated with?

Mighty Mi: “Bomb Beach” by the Nighthawks & “GOD PT III” (remix) by Mobb Deep

Vast Aire: “Big Game” with Diverse

HHS: Who’s the best damn player in the NBA?

Mighty Mi: Lebron James

Vast Aire: There’s so much talent, but Lebron James or Carmelo Anthony

HHS: What’s the best damn web site on the net (excluding HipHopSite.com)?

Mighty Mi: Pickyourshoes.com

Vast Aire: (Laughter) I really have no idea?

HHS: What’s the best damn year for hip hop ever?

Mighty Mi: 1987, with an honorable mention for 1994

Vast Aire: That’s easy, 1988, the year Hiphop broke loose

HHS: Who the best damn female emcee ever?

Mighty Mi: MC Lyte

Vast Aire: MC Lyte

HHS: What’s the best damn story you can tell from tour experiences (Keep it PG-13)?

Mighty Mi: Being on tour with Eminem and having McDonald’s shut down for us to eat
there.

Vast Aire: One time, a friend of mine lost $8000.00, he left it in a hotel room.  The joke was “there’s some crazy maid living it up with my mans cake.”

HHS: What’s the best damn sneaker ever?

Mighty Mi: Adidas Forum

Vast Aire: The Nike Uptown or the Nike Dunks

HHS: What’s the best damn Ultramagnetic song ever?

Mighty Mi: “Moe Luv’s Theme”

Vast Aire: “Critical Beatdown”

HHS: What’s the best damn movie ever?

Mighty Mi: “The Dead Zone”

Vast Aire: A Shaw Brother flick called the “8th Diagram Pole Fighter”

HHS: What’s the best damn book ever?

Mighty Mi: Lord Of The Flizies (Fly’s for the slang impaired)

Vast Aire: Kama Sutra (laughter)

HHS: What’s the best damn candy ever?

Mighty Mi: The Red Chuckle

Vast Aire: M & M’s

HHS: Saving the best for last, what’s the best damn album ever?

Mighty Mi: Ice Cube “Amerikkka’s Most Wanted.”

Vast Aire: Slick Rick’s “Great Adventures Of Slick Rick”

Nottz: It’s gotta be!  Some of the best backdrops for the biggest Hiphop and R&B artists come from right here in Virginia!

HHS: Your name is definitely on the rise, you’re getting accolades from fellow artists and more mainstream Print Magazine coverage, do you feel you’re finally starting to get the recognition you deserve?

Nottz: Hell no, because I have to be changing my shit up because of a new cat trying to soun like me or others in the game!  They will take your shirt, add some of their shit too it, call it there’s and get rich off of it.

HHS: We also hear you were recently named one of Urb Magazine’s “Hot 100″ artists for 2005, that’s a good look no?

Nottz: Hell yeah, that’s a great look!

HHS: You have worked with a slew of veritable hip-hop heavyweights, but what is more rewarding for you, working with someone like Ghostface, or working with that next dude that everyone is going to be hyped for?

Nottz: Definitely the “next dude,” its fresh meat for the wolves; everyone’s likes that new shit!

HHS: What producers, past and current, have had an influence on you?

Nottz:PETE ROCK, DIAMOND D, NEPTUNES,LORD FINESSE,EASY MO BEE, DR.DRE, BATTLE CAT, Q.TIP, PREMO, DA BEATMINERS, KANYE,JUST BLAZE, DJ SCRATCH, ALCHEMIST,JAY DEE ,ETC.! The list could go on for day’s dawg!

HHS: There is a lot of talk about the lab 9th Wonder and Little Brother have setup in North Carolina as a place artists can go to get busy and really focus on working, but we’ve heard your work ethic is ridiculous and you have a similar coziness to your lab, how many beats tracks would you say bang out a week?

Nottz:  I’ll mash out about three to four tracks a day, you do the math on that (laughter).  I stay grinding!!

HHS: When you get into that creative mode, do you sit down and specifically cater beats to certain artists, or do you just go with what you feel?

Nottz: I do what I feel.  The one thing I hate is for an artist to tell me he wants a track like this and that.  Get off the next man dick ya know!  Get your own identity.  After all, who’s to say you’ll sell like him (next man) anyway?

HHS: Being that you’re all from Virginia, we’d love to hear Pusha T and Malice (The Clipse) on one of your tracks, any chance of that happening in the future?

Nottz: They already have already gotten on one of my tracks before.  I did a joint for a lava spitting ni**a from Texas named K.Ruger (Jay-Z signed him to Def Jam), he’ll be dropping soon.  The song is crazy, everybody did their thing!

HHS: Your about to release a mixtape/LP with D.M.P. on 3-22-05, can you break down the project for us and tell us how long you’ve been working together and what drew you together for this project?

Nottz: Well, the mixtape is coming out via Koch and is really on some hood shit.  Some of the songs we already had in the stash; we work everyday so you can imagine how many songs we already have!  We got a few nice features (Royce, Canibus, Petey Pablo, Krumbsnatcha, FamLay) on it as well.

HHS: You guys really flip the script on New Edition’s “Mr. Telephone Man” (“Mr. Smif N Wesson Man”) how did that idea come about?

Nottz: Dawg, I always loved that shit homey!  I was always singing that shit around the crib and studio to myself!  One day I was in the lab cooking up a track, I laid a hook to it, D.M.P. heard it, wanted to fuck with it and baam—-it’s a wrap!

HHS: Besides the D.M.P. project, you’re also working on two highly-anticipated releases with Royce 5’9 and Canibus.  How are those projects shaping up?

Nottz: First, both are incredible emcees!  But one of the albums is turning into a mixtape (Canibus) because someone is leaking songs.  Royce’s LP is coming along CRAZZZEE!  Trust me, you’ll all see and hear!

HHS: No one questions Royce and Canibus’ lyrical skills, but at this point both of their Achilles Heels have been their inability to generate a commercial accessible single, has that been discussed internally as something they’d like to remedy with you?

Nottz:  All they needed were the right tracks, they got em now!!

HHS: A lot of producers are throwing their hat into the emcee arena, do you have similar plans, or are you content producing?

Nottz: Nah man, I’m sticking to the music.  I’ll put in a verse or two here and there, but no long term shit.

HHS: Were hearing murmurs that you will be involved in some capacity working on Dr. Dre’s Detox LP, would you like to confirm or deny those rumors?

Nottz: Yeah MAANNN!  I gotta joint on it!  Right now, it’s the first song on the LP; if everything goes as planned!

HHS: What else should we keep our ears on in regard to who you’re working with this year?  And any parting comments?

Nottz:  Well, there are allot of joints I got my imprint on; Corey Gunz, Royce, Canibus, Kardinal Offishal, D.M.P., Cee-Lo, Busta Rhymes, Lloyd Banks, Bilal, Stimuli a few soundtracks etc.  Just keep your ears open people!  Oh yeah, too all of the aspiring artists out there, do yourself a favor and get yourself a book or two before you jump in this hip-hop game dawg!

C.Sparks: I would attribute it to little sleep, time management and having good people around you who believe in your vision and share the same work ethic.

HHS: Speaking of your gig on Em’s Sirius station how did that deal come about?  You’ve know Em for quite sometime now no?

C.Sparks: Before Interscope, Aftermath and Dr. Dre, when Eminem was on the underground scene, he and his manager (Paul Rosenberg) came to my home studio where I was broadcasting an internet radio show, and I just maintained a good relationship with Paul and Em. So when they started Shade 45, Paul reached out and told me that he wanted me to be involved. Now we have Smashtime radio every Wednesday live from NYC 8PM-12AM eastern standard time.

HHS: What’s your take on the difference between DJ’s of the past to the DJ of today, would you agree that there are a few individuals merely collecting and assembling freestyles and tracks and calling themselves DJ’s?  What does the term “DJ” mean to you?

C.Sparks: Yes, I think there are a lot of people putting DJ in front of there name that have no business doing so, but who am I to condemn somebody’s hustle? People nowadays just want the new hot shit regardless of how it’s presented, where somebody like me will present music differently than someone else. At the end of the day people just want the hot shit! The term DJ to me means creativity, talent, skill, timing and knowing how to rock a party or make an artists show better.

HHS: Would you agree that the rapid ascension of mixtapes and how quickly artists are able to flood the streets with them has decreased the amount of Major/Indy label mixtape projects that we’ve seen in the past?  We don’t see the Funkmaster Flex, Kay Slay, Enuff and Tony Touch projects dropping like they did 3-4 years ago.

C.Sparks: Not really, because its coming full-circle again. My man Kay slay is about to drop his third album in May, Green Lantern is dropping an album, I got an album dropping; one on March 22nd & another in the fall on Koch records.

HHS: With that said, do you feel your debut, Maybe You Been Brainwashed, fits more into the classic mixtape of the past?

C.Sparks: I am producing my entire albums exclusively, so that would be one major difference, as far as a classic mixtape? That would be for the people to determine once it drops.

HHS: How did you go about picking and choosing the artists that appear on Maybe You Been Brainwashed, as you have assembled a slew of major names (P. Diddy, Mobb Deep, Lil Flip, Busta Rhymes, Fabolous, Beanie Sigel, Freeway, Clipse).

C.Sparks: It was really about whoever I would run into, or who I would get vocals from. Some of the artist I have relationships with so I would just need to make a phone call. Realistically speaking, if a guy who is on a gang of radio stations and constantly supports your projects, out of respect, it would only make sense to return the favor by at least doing a record. And there are a lot of artist who I have heavily supported on all my stations.

HHS: The tracklisting is very diverse on Maybe You Been Brainwashed, did you pay special attention to ensuring you were creating a project that included artists from every region, or did it just end up as such?

C.Sparks: I definitely am aware of the different regions doing radio shows in multiple markets, so I have to be conscience of what I’m playing on radio so that I do not alienate anyone.  Same goes for the clubs. I might do a classy upscale club in Toronto, to a young crowd in Hong Kong, to a grimy thugged out club in Boston; so you have to be attentive to your crowd.  Creating an album is similar. You want cats from all over to feel what you’re about and even more so let them know you feel what they’re about.

HHS: You also just hosted the recent Clipse (We Got It For Cheap) and Miri Ben-Ari mixtapes and they appear on your mixtape, so there is obviously a mutual respect there, what is it like working with Clipse?

C.Sparks: Pusha & Malice are real cool dudes. They got on a record I produced a couple years back and we’ve just maintained a good relationship ever since. I was one of the 1st DJs to really go strong on their records. Miri Ben-Ari was a guest on my Shade 45 show, we just hit it off and on the air I said we should do mixtape together and it just became official right then. She’s is very cool and down to earth, if you haven’t seen her perform live….. You need to GET FAMILIAR!

HHS: You recently inked a deal with Def Jam for their new ringtone endeavor, name branding and cross promotions is an important aspect in any artists’ development, but would you say it’s even more essential for a DJ?

C.Sparks: I think its imperative for anyone that’s trying to be successful. Even though I am mostly because I DJ, if you notice I don’t put “DJ” in front of my name because I am branding “Clinton Sparks,” anything that will distract you from that is not a good thing. I don’t want to be regarded as just that (“DJ”) because I do so much more.

HHS: In 2004, you took home radio’s highest honor, “DJ Of The Year” and were awarded that at the recent Mixshow Power Summit in Puerto Rico, which had to be a very gratifying experience for you.

C.Sparks: Yes, it is always great when your peers acknowledge your efforts. I work so much and I stay in the studio so much that I’m not able to be out and about as much as Id like to be to hear people’s feedback on things I put out. So to be recognized for the work I put in is very gratifying.

HHS: Though you have previously produced tracks for O.D.B., State Property, Noreaga, Kweli and Memphis Bleek, Maybe You Been Brainwashed is the first project that really highlights you as a producer, how would you describe your style?

C.Sparks: I don’t know if I have a “style” per say that stands out, some people say when they hear a track I did they knew I did it but, I wouldn’t say I have a specific style. I just do whatever I’m feeling when I turn on the board.

HHS: How were you able to procure a verse from B.I.G on “I Like”?  We also hear you have a few more B.I.G. verses stashed away as well?

C.Sparks: It’s ALL about relationships, that’s all I’ll say for now!!

HHS: In a recent interview you said Teddy Riley has had the most influence on your production, I found that somewhat surprising, what is it about his production that has influenced you so much?

C.Sparks: His creativity, its just good music! He’s one of those producers that can make you just love music. The keys, the drum kits, the vocal box. He is a genius!

HHS: What’s next for Clinton Sparks?

C.Sparks: Aside from the Maybe You Been Brainwashed Mixtape/LP, I am also working on my debut album Get Familiar Vol 1., which is due out this fall on Koch Records. I am also working with Jerry Bruckheimer’s production company on developing a new Hiphop television show. My company Mixunit.com is ready for re-launch in a couple of months and it will be revolutionary. I am developing scratchtones for Def Jam mobile which is manipulating records to say different things when your phone rings if your familiar with my mixtape “Intro’s” that’s what I’m talking about. I have an R&B group who write, produce, sing, and rap called XL. They are four 19-year old cats from Boston. Although my Smashtime radio program is on six stations, I am in negotiations to have it distributed by a major syndication company. Working on Bad Boy Reloaded PT II mixtape with Dirty Harry as well as Kill Yourself PT II with Kay Slay also the second installment to the Clipse mix-CD and everything in between—Smashtime blend CD’s etc.  I’m working on continually making my other site smashwax.com the ultimate site for all your DJ needs & continually SMASHING down clubs. We have tours set up in the U.K., Asia, Australia, Canada as well as here in the states. Log onto clintonsparks.com & GET FAMILIAR!!!

Earatik: The Group is made up of two emcees Abstruse & C-Low & DJ Rude One (of Single Minded Pros) is the resident DJ.  We have been doing it in Chicago for a minute now as far as releasing 12″, but this (Feelin’ Earatik) is our first full length album.

HHS: What can people expect from the album? What should people expect from Earatik who may have never heard your tracks before?

Earatik: People can expect a solid album from start to finish.  This record really has a little bit for everyone.  Check it out and you won’t be disappointed!  We have solid tracks, solid lyrics which results in solid songs.  One thing about us is that we don’t really sound like anyone else.

HHS: On your debut album, Feelin’ Earatik, you hooked up with several legendary Hiphop artists such as Kool Keith, EDo.G, K-Solo and Diamond D, as well as underground favorites like Pacewon, Akrobatik, and Rise & Shine. How did you connect with such a strong lineup of collaborators?

Earatik: We connected with people in many different ways. Some cats we toured with like Pacewon, some artists we met through different cats and some we just ran into.  Thanks to everyone who did help make our collabos happen like DJ Rude1, and Black Silver, who’s a friend of ours who linked us with Kool Keith.  DJ Rude One linked us to Akrobatik, Pace & EdO.  Emmaculate of Conglomerate Music who produced a track on the record linked us with K-Solo.

HHS: What were some of the collaborations and studio sessions that stuck out in your mind?  Any personal favorites?

Earatik:  We had a lot of fun recording with Pace. He is one of our personal favorites.  We also had an opportunity to tour some of Europe with him in 2004 around the same time we recorded joints with him, so that was cool.  Also Edo.G is a legend to us and definitely one of the most talented cats in the Industry.

HHS: As a group that’s getting ready to drop its debut LP, what was it like being in the studio and working with some of the artists who have influenced you?

Earatik: It was definitely a lot of fun working with all of these cats. Ed.o & Diamond influenced us early on and they still do for that matter. So working with them was a blessing. We actually went to Diamonds crib twice & communicated with Ed quite a bit. We did another joint with Ed that will be on The Gravel Pit, which is the production album by Kaz 1 of Gravel Records.

HHS: You work with several different Chicago producers on the record and they display a lot of versatility and style. Who did you hook up with from Chicago, and how important was it for the group to connect with a range of Chicago producers?

Earatik: Our deejay Rude One is one-half of Single Minded Pro’s and the other half, Doc West, is pretty much a member of Earatik. So working with them was easy because we’re always around each other anyway. Rude also did all the scratches on the record.  We worked with His-Panik from The Molemen.  We always liked his shit and he blessed us. He is a true professional!!  The Opus did 4 tracks “Evil Is Timeless”, “Smile”, “Getta Grip” & “Still Got It”.  I’m very happy we got down with the Opus.  They added a lot of diversity to the album with their style of beats.   We actually put out a scorching 12″ with them in 2000 entitled “Hot Lava” B/W “Natural Disaster” featuring Thawfor.  Overall everyone from Chicago we worked with we knew and kick it with so it was easy to get down.

HHS: What’s the group’s song-writing process?  And what role does your deejay, Rude1 (of Single Minded Pros); play when deciding on concepts and ideas for tracks?

Earatik: Honestly, we both write differently. C-Low always writes in advance and comes prepared ready to spit, except for the EdO.G song that we all wrote on the spot.  Early on in the recording process I (Abtruse) wrote in advance.  After the first two songs or so I started writing in the studio.  We are about to start recording the second record once we get back from touring in late April & Rude will be executive producing that record, which will be a little more conceptual than this one.  On this record, we touch on a lot of things, which we think is dope because their are songs for everyone.  Their are some concept songs like “Evil Is Timeless” and “Smile” to some straight ill shit like “Illstatik” & “Still Got It,” to some introspective shit like “Keep Rockin”.  The next record will be different sounds but more driven on one concept, maybe even a story.

HHS: Let’s talk about some specific tracks. What’s the concept behind your single “Evil Is Timeless”?

Earatik: “Evil Is Timeless” is basically speaking on a lot of things that one may deal with in inner city life.  It touches on everything from crooked cops, to violence and narcotics, to jail and different aspects of known evil forces of power that are in positions to alter your focus or life.

HHS: Earatik has recently been getting some good burn on video shows throughout the country with the video for “Evil is Timeless”. How was the shoot?

Earatik: The Video is a pretty straight forward.  We linked with our guy, Video Director Charles Guant, and came up with the idea to just stick to the basics on some early 90′s ‘Yo MTV Raps’ shit.  Just us in the city spitting!!  The feedback has been pretty good.  The video is currently featured on www.Heavy.com alongside new videos from De La Soul and the Beastie Boys so were very happy. Respect to Charles Guant, who made it work with probably the smallest video budget in history.

HHS: Do you have any tour plans?

Earatik: Yes, we will be touring from March 9th to April 9th with Tableek from MasPyke. The tour, “Video Trapped: The Rapper Tour” will take us from goes from Burlington, Vermont to San Antonio.

HHS: Any last words?

Earatik: Make sure you cop Feelin’ Earatik. It is the kind of CD you can listen to all the way through and gets a little better every time ya hear it.  Check us out at www.earatik.net or www.gravelhiphop.com

Tame One: It’s going real well!!  Brycon, Dusted Dons and I have been tearing spots down; the crowds have really been feeling us.

HHS: After a brief hiatus in between your Artifacts split and solo-debut (When Rappers Attack), you’ve really been on the grind lately, first the collaborative project (Waterworld) with Cage and now not even six-months later you’re releasing your second solo-LP, OG Bobby Johnson, your really putting in work!

Tame One: I never really stopped recording.  I’ve been experimenting with different producers and over time compiled a strong body of work in the process.

HHS: Gauging by the title of your LP, you’re obviously a fan of the movie South Central?

Tame One: It’s a “hood” classic, right up there with the Menace 2 Society, Boyz In The Hood.  I used O.G. Bobby Johnson as a personal comparison of my status in the industry to that characters hood status.  He did all kinds of dirt early in life, but changed for the better (and he didn’t die in the end).

HHS: Your solo-debut had a bunch of high profile names attached to it from the production end (RJD2, J Zone, Mighty Mi, Reef), but with OG Bobby Johnson, sans Mighty Mi, your working with relatively obscure beat makers, what prompted the switch?

Tame One: In my never ending search for “the perfect beat” (shouts to ZuluNation) I don’t care WHOSE name is on it, for me it aint about “famous” producers it’s about whose music I feel.  Boom Skwad, Face Valyoo and The Dusted Dons literally GAVE me music for this LP!  I was trying to reflect my “DIRTY-JERSEY-ness” to the fullest.

HHS: You bring a classical element of style to the hip-hop culture (graffiti/bombing roots included) that few artists can rival, in your own opinion, do you feel that you are one of the best emcees putting it down?

Tame One: Thank you for your opinion.  And yes, I do think I’m one of the best (as every lyricist should)!

HHS: The Waterworld LP with Cage was very well-received, but even though it was a conceptual LP, did you have any apprehension of releasing a CD that contained so many drug references?  I mean there’s getting wet and there’s getting “wet”?

Tame One: Some….  But Cage and I know our listeners aren’t slow or stupid.  As The LeakBros, we lyrically painted pictures of situations, emotions and experiences.  We agreed from the beginning of the project if we were going to run with the concept we weren’t going to stray away from the original idea; basically for those that know. But make it equally entertaining enough for the perfectly sober as well.

HHS: Your last three projects have been released on Eastern Conference Records and it seems like a good fit for you, will you continue working with them?

Tame One: I’m currently weighing my options….

HHS: The Hiphop industry has changed considerably since you entered the game and there are an entirely different set of rules now.  Would you agree that the younger Hiphop fan becomes blinded by what they hear on the radio and does not recognize the attributes that makeup a dope emcee?

Tame One: 100%, unequivocally the answer to that question is—YEESSS!

HipHopSite: You’ve never bitten your tongue for anyone, with that said, would you consider someone who calls themselves a writer, or a critic, who is not necessarily as well-versed in Hiphop’s past as they should be and the contributions artists like yourself have made too be irresponsible?

Tame One: Not exactly, I’ve almost bitten my tongue clean off so many times its ridiculous (laughter).  But no, I personally can’t blame someone’s lack of knowledge on my lack of exposure; various generations in HipHop each hold their perspective era’s as sacred.  When I first made it to wax it was an ill time in HipHop; Redman, Naughty By Nature, Lords Of The Underground were all doing it for Jersey.  Black Moon was out strong, Wu dropped and Stretch & Bobbito’s radio show was feeding heads that starve for “that shit”.  It was a special time!!

HHS: OK, but do you feel that this leads to a lack of wide spread coverage and interest in projects from artists who deserve to be heard, but don’t have the machine behind them?

Tame One: As an end result, unfortunately, yes!

HHS: Here is an interesting quote lifted from the new LP “In order to be an Artifact/something has to be dead and buried/apparently no one told Tame One that.”  Can you delve further into that and break that down for us?

Tame One: It’s just a little reminder for those who only heard about Tame One “from Artifacts,” but might not have actually heard my music.  It’s merely saying I’m still at it!!

HHS: I know you’re tired of fielding Artifacts/El Da Sensei questions, but you mention El on track from the upcoming LP, how is the relationship between you both now?

Tame One: Haven’t seen him…

HHS: I know the break-up was hard, and you have moved on with your solo-career, but is it not somewhat gratifying to know that fans are still interested in what you did in the past?

Tame One: Of course, very gratifying, I’m super proud of my past recordings!  I just want to top whatever I’ve already done and show progress and add on to my song catalog.

HHS: What’s next for Tame One after OG Bobby Johnson?

Tame One:  The Spazmatic LP, which is produced by DJs Xing n Fox.  The Slow Suicide Stimulus collabo LP with The Dusted Dons, Weathermen collaborations and a long over-due Boom Skwad LP.

CHOPS: I’d say probably Raekwon was the most unique, he’s one of the bigger names but he was real open to experimenting, trying different shit, and was cool about input or thoughts I might have.  For some of the album, due to budget constraints and stuff, I didn’t get as much one-on-one time as I would have liked in the creative process.  But with Rae it was pretty much constructing it from ground zero.  I like doing it like that because then what you end up with is really a collaboration or interactive joint.  Plus you get to build and whatnot, and get the sense of who you’re working with.  To me that’s key because then you know what fits the artist.  Like for instance, you can go get a suit from any store, put it on, and it might be ok for like birthdays and bar mitzvahs and stuff.  But you go to a tailor for a suit, and they will hook you the fuck up.  That’s what I do best.  My shits tailor-made.

HHS: How does an underground production staple like yourself that has yet to have a major label hit get the hottest artist/producer in the game right now (Kanye West) spit something for his album?

CHOPS: What happened with that was Kanye had linked up with Big E, at my label, to talk some business.  And while they were hanging out at the studio, E had been playing a CD of my beats.  And Kanye was diggin it and got the urge to jump in the booth.  Which to me was crazy because his beats are bonkers, he’s one of my favorites.  To get that kind of respect from somebody I got so much respect for and who’s achieved so much meant a lot to me.  He’s somebody I look to for inspiration, he’s real creative but at the same time got a good handle on what makes for success and you gotta have that combination to really win.  That’s a definite goal for me.

HHS: With this record I am already seeing you are getting your first dose of getting on major mixtapes.  How did that happen?

CHOPS: Well, back when we were coming out with my group’s first record (Mountain Brothers), I met these two dudes who were at a college radio station, and they helped out a lot with promoting our record, helping it get airplay and whatnot.  We didn’t know shit about any of that kind of stuff, so we were pretty much grateful for that.  So anyway one of them, Mike Baxter, is now my manager and the other one is DJ Lt. Dan who’s like burning up the mixtape scene now.  So they’ve been like family since way back, and now it’s about to be everybody’s time.

HHS: Is your approach different when you are working an Indy artist like say a Bahamadia, than it is when you are working with somebody like a Snoop or somebody that sells allot more records and is on a major?

CHOPS: I’m just starting to get bigger stuff but my approach is basically the same for every project I take on: Put the artist in the best light I can.  Make that suit fit how it should.  Give them something to work with, that suits their skills, their market, and plus satisfies whoever’s paying the bill, whether it be a label, a sponsor or an ad agency or whoever.  A producer is supposed to be the link between art and commerce.  Even with an underground record, you want to reach people and move some units, so I try and write tracks that are catchy and stick in your head.  And artists know me for that.  As a beatmaker I definitely work to make sure the track hits the mark, and I’ll add little touches and stuff, or have certain things drop out here and there to bring out and highlight the performance of who’s rhyming or singing or whatnot.  I think I got a good knack for that since I rhyme too.  But overall, mostly going off of vibe and gut has worked so far.   If you’re aiming for a certain target audience, my goal is to make sure your shot murk’s that whole audience.

HHS: You have been doing alot of instrumental work as of late, is that something that you like doing more or less than working with MC’s?

CHOPS: I like making music period.  It’s all fun.  MC’s, singers, instrumental stuff… I feel like if you have the ability to do different things, why not go ahead and do it.  Sometimes you want to write a banger, sometimes a story beat, sometimes a song about being lonely or whatever for a singer, or sometimes just music just for the sake of itself.  Being able to switch it up keeps things from getting boring or routine.

HHS: When if ever can we look for a CHOPS solo record as far as an MC?

CHOPS: Getting started on that now, I been meaning to do a solo project for some time but I’d been focusing on the producer record, plus I spent the past year moving and building my new studio space.  So now that the studio’s set up, it’s no excuses.  I never had a chance to really focus on rhymes yet so I feel like I can surprise some people, whether they know my shit so far, or not.

HHS: As an MC would you ever work with other producers? And if so who?

CHOPS: Sure I would.  That’s a good question though.  There are a lot of producers that I dig, but at the same time making the beats is a big part of the fun for me.  You know what would be fun is to do some shit with other producers that also rhyme.  A lot of my favorite producers rhyme too.  Like say Pete Rock, Lord Finesse, Large Professor, Diamond D, Jay Dee, Kanye are some of my favorites.  Actually my taste though is broader than you might think.  I mess with like, Dre, DJ Quik, Timbaland, all kinds of stuff.  But yeah, a lot of your better producers, rhyme or sing too (laughter).  That’s how they know how to make you sound good when you’re front and center.

HHS: Twista has the #1 LP in the country right now.  I had heard at one time you were doing some stuff with Twista what ever happened to that material?

CHOPS: At one time I did some remix stuff for a few artists on Atlantic, which was thru a contact I had there.  But dude jetted and now that stuff is not to be, as far as on the official tip.  You never know if that kind of thing might pop up on like a mixtape or whatnot though.  It was good training for me, like remixing bigger records you get a better sense of what makes a bigger record, a bigger record.  I remix joints all the time, either as a paid gig or even just for training purposes and as demos to let motherfuckers know what I can do.

HHS: It seems that through the years on the Mountain Brothers records, all the way up to “Virtuosity” that you have allot of top notch DJs doing their thing on your records. Is that something that just happens out of habit or is it part of your formula?

CHOPS: Well, I wouldn’t say I had a formula but I got a deep respect for DJs man.  Not only in the sense of cuts on a record, like with scratch hooks and intro’s and outro’s and stuff, but in the sense that they bring you to the people.  Ultimately the listener makes an artist successful, but how does the listener ever even find out an artist exists?  Most times it’s a DJ.  A DJ works as like a taste filter for the average motherfucker.  The people rely on the DJ to have taste.

HHS: What can we expect out of CHOPS for the rest of the year? And where do you see yourself in five or ten years?

CHOPS: The rest of the year you’re gonna see constant grind, basically.  Expect to see my name on more credits, expect to see me networking and building the track record more.  Plus musical advancement, both under and overground.  Expect to see my name starting to pop up places you would have never thought before.  Maybe even with stuff that’s not strictly hip-hop, like say film music or TV or ad music.  I like surprising people.  And basically expect that not to stop until I’m old, decrepit and in a hospital.  And by then, maybe they’ll invent something where you can be like, in a coma and still make music.   Best believe I’ll have whatever that shit is. Also thanks for the interview and check www.chopsmusic.com

While Bis has yet to find the essential synergy that marries beats with rhymes, or the sought-after chemistry with any particular producer (his most noteworthy results can be traced to Salaam “The Chameleon” Remi) this enigmatic emcee is simply too talented too discount.  And because of that, fans have impatiently copped a long squat and waited for someone to appear in the form of a cure-all; enter Jedi Mind Tricks’ resident beat-maestro Stoupe.  With Stoupe firmly entrenched, Rip The Jacker, is being billed as the LP all Canibus fans have waited for and their union, at least on paper, lends some credence to that claim.

Though Stoupe has displayed a niche for offering a diverse palette of sounds for Jus Allah and Vinnie Paz during his stint with Jedi Mind Tricks, his task on Rip The Jacker is a more daunting one, as he is being paired with an emcee whose lyrical output is virtually unparalleled (and whether or not he realizes it, Stoupe is also being unfairly entrusted with revitalizing Canibus’ stalling career).   And too Stoupe’s credit, he does implement an emotive element to Bis’ mechanical demeanor; whether it’s the plush backdrops and operatic chanting that’s implemented on both “Genabis” & “Levitibus,” or the middle-eastern scented “Spartibus” where Stoupe’s array of European strings subtly enhances Bis’ brainy vocals “the royal semen of Caesar frozen in a cyro freezer/on sale for seven-figures per milliliter/lethally illegal/I speak to the people in the form of an eagle/on top of the thieves cathedral.”

When Stoupe enwraps Bis’ intense battle rhymes with operatic strings and dramatic flourishes the results are breathtaking, as Bis weaves in and out of cymbal crashes and horn bursts with the precision of a European sports car on the frenetic “Cemantics” and is punctuated by the indelible (at least the first 180 seconds, before the bridge spirals into mediocrity) “Poet Laureate II”, where Bis throws the “100 Bars” format out the window and delivers a 7 minute lyrical exercise (can you say 200 bars) over Stoupe’s fluctuating synthesized strings.  However, when Stoupe instills a soft beat change during the bridge it strips the track of its immediacy, until snapping back into shape at the six-minute mark for one final blitzkrieg “I’m convinced now that more then the truth is at stake/when people create language that pretends to communicate/euphemisms are misunderstood as mistakes/but it’s a byproduct of the ghetto music we make/from an extroverted point of view I think its too late/Hiphop has never been the same since 88.”

Though ambitious, Stoupe’s deviation from the script (keep it rough, rugged and raw) results in a few style clashes, as the sped-up vocal samples on “Indisible” and the reggae flavored “No Return” are experiments gone array.  Further, the shuffling beat shifts on “M-Sea-Cresy” are disconcerting and the more festive Spanglish vibe of “Showtime At The Gallows” makes you wonder if Canibus’ lyrics were even listened too when formulating the backing acoustics?  And while these wrinkles are a detriment here, it’s hard to really knock Stoupe, as his beats generate a steady head nod and would have probably worked with any emcee not named Canibus. 

There is no disputing that when it comes to pure lyrical output, Canibus has earned his rightful spot among hip-hop’s elite.  Yet, there is a difference between emcee (means move the crowd) and lyricist and Bis certainly falls into the latter category, as he continues to treat each studio session as his own private sparring session and he has yet to really grasp the finer nuances of songwriting.  On “Levitibus” Canibus proclaims “even my worst album was sublime.”  While Rip The Jacker finds a comfortable medium between 2000. B.C. and Mic Club, it does make you wonder if Bis has heard C True Hollywood Stories?  

But that was then, and This Is Now, and after assembling a diverse team of aural assassins (DJ Premier, Alchemist, Rockwilder, Large Professor, Nottz, Beatminerz, and Marley Marl) and closing down the hallowed D&D recording studio, the man who once made his name “Droppin’ Science” emerges from the lab for the first time in over a decade with what he hopes will result in a Craig G renaissance. From the outset, Craig reemphasizes that battling is still his forte, asserting on a freestyle cut “You heard the battle rhymes that I wrote in 8 Mile/I’ll crush you in that similar rap style” and captures the quintessential D&D sound with DJ Premier on “Ready, Set, Begin” where Primo’s crisp snares smack your face incessantly like a Roy Jones jab.

While Craig does attempt to stretch his repertoire with This Is Now, these treks result in the occasional yawner, exemplified by the tepid “Damn This Day” an over ambitious club reach with Mr. Cheeks, “Now That’s What’s Up” and “Wrong Chick” where a muscular Alchemist track is wasted with a corny narrative.  Yet, when notions of mass appeal are eschewed, This Is Now takes off running.  Labelmate Krumb Snatcha joins Craig to roast Da Beatminerz’s spacey chirps on “Make You Say Yes” and a pair of stellar throwback efforts with Queens’s vets Large Professor (“Love Is Love”) and Marley Marl (“Let’s Get Up”) which transports you back to the days of Latin Quarters.

Craig G has already woven his thread into hip-hop’s fabric with an uncanny ability to spontaneously shoot the gift.  But he’s still fighting an uphill battle to dispel the theory that freestylers cannot make proper studio LP’s.  Yet, with This Is Now Craig may finally break popular perception.  Battle?  Craig G would love too!