Written by Drew Ricketts

Black Milk first made a splash producing one of the sleeper beats of the past summer – “Let’s Go” feat. Pharaohe Monch. Although his list of credentials has only grown since adding Slum Village production to his repertoire, and the Dilla comparisons were in full force even after his untimely passing, the boy Black was less known for his all-encompassing artistry.

However with Kanye’s arrogant holier-than-music attitude reaching its nadir, and a dearth of producers who can double as emcees (no Scott Storch), Black dared to show us a new path to the Milky Way. The kid has flows, put simply. Among his Detroit-style caterwauling synths and bass lines, are the flourishes of wordplay unseen since Kanyeezy. And better than that, if you can believe it. Premature prediction from Gottyâ„¢? We’ll be hearing much more from him and in ways we can’t yet know.

On Thursday night, TSS crew rep Drew Ricketts will be attending his New York pre-release party. Stay tuned for the follow-up review of that.

TSS: The mixtape we reviewed on TSS was called Pressure. Talk about Pressure, ‘cause I feel like you are getting it from many angles. From dubbing you a prodigy and your unique blend of youth and experience to people expecting you to fill J. Dilla’s shoes.

Black Milk: The mixtape just included a bunch of songs I’ve produced over the past few years, and we put it together to keep the buzz going and to let people know what to expect. As far as pressure, I don’t really let that get to me. I’ve been doing it for this long, so I feel confident that I can bring more to the game. I’m always coming with new ideas and creativity musically. Not to sound cocky, but I don’t see too much competition. There’s only a few artists I see out here that are really pushing me.

As far as Dilla, I mean he’s a producer/emcee from the D, and he had the reputation that he never put out a wack beat on nothin, so the only pressure I put on myself is to never come wack. As long as I can be consistent, I should be fine.

TSS: What production equipment do you use/instruments do you play?

Black: My main piece of the equipment is the MPC 2000 XL, and other trinkets like the microKORG, the Moog, an Ensoniq keyboard, and of course old records and Protools. I’m kinda coordinated on the drums.

TSS: The best producers have little tips they like to harbor. What’s one for any producers reading?

Black: The drums are always the backbone of the beat. If you don’t have good drums, it all falls apart. Chop the drums, EQ the drums, all that. Figure out a formula to add that snap in the snare and the punch in the kick. Sometimes you can even turn a weak sample into a good beat if the drums is hitting hard…

TSS: Barak Records is prolly the most well known local hip hop label in Detroit. Was leaving Barak part of positioning yourself for something more national?

Black: I was never signed to Barak. I only worked with their artists like Slum Village and Phat Kat, and on the BR Gunna shit. I went elsewhere because of creative differences and business differences.

TSS: What’s Slum Village up to and are you working on anything with them?

Black: We’re working on a new SV record. We’re about 5 or 6 songs deep. We’re trying to record as much as we can so that we can get the record out this year…hopefully by the third quarter.

TSS: What’s up with the Sean P./Guilty Simpson album?

Black: It’s in the works. Guilt just wanted Sean P. on his album, and Sean P. was feelin’ Guilt so much that he just wanted them to do a whole album together with Black Milk on the beats. We’re a few tracks deep and we’re hoping to have it out by this summer.

TSS: What sort of creative advantages are there to being an MC and producer?

Black: The stuff that producers keep for themselves is usually stuff that emcees can’t rap over and it’s, you know, the real creative shit. The good thing about being both an emcee and a producer is because you can rap over your favorite shit…

TSS: You seem to make an effort both on wax and off to separate yourself from the backpack label. Where did the label come from and talk about the political positioning artists have to deal with when being labeled.

Black: I don’t know where it came from or how they started using it with me. Me personally, if someone considers me that, I don’t take too much offense to it, but I feel like it’s my job to let people know what really goes on in my life. People get it confused or get it twisted when they see you’re working with certain artists or whatever. People consider it underground, but whatever. I like nice things like everybody else. I mess with the broads like everyone else. I’m a regular nigga like everyone else. I don’t wanna be stuck in a box, and that’s why I address it sometimes on record.

TSS: I read that Popular Demand was recorded, mixed, and mastered in your crib. Is that true and doesn’t it get claustrophobic to never leave home?

Black: The majority of the album was recorded and mixed at the crib. It wasn’t mastered at home. I got my own setup here, I’m always here. I don’t need to go and pay for someone else’s studio. I’m in my own vibe, my own lane. I know a lot of producers that are the same way and are in a creative zone at home. As long as the beat’s hittin’ and it’s loud and it’s bangin’, I’m fine doin’ it at home.

TSS: A lot of people were exposed to you on the Saints Row video game. What is at the intersection of hip hop and video games?

Black: Man. I haven’t even heard my song on that game. I think it’s dope that people are getting exposure on video games, because those obviously sell a lot of copies, and it’s dope when people get that opportunity. Hopefully it helped me out as far as people checking for me. I don’t know how many people heard my shit on there, but it’s cool regardless.

TSS: Who directed the video (“Sound The Alarm”) and where did the concept come from?

Black: Anthony Garth from Avalon Films directed the video. We basically wanted it on some live energetic hip hop music shit. There’s so much energy in the song that we wanted to make sure that there was energy in the video, you know, that there was a lot goin’ on. As far as the helicopters and all that crazy shit, all the credit for that goes to Anthony Garth. I had no idea it was gonna look that good…

TSS: Did you have a sense of something you were looking for and what is your approach to videos?

Black: This is technically my first video on the solo tip, so I just wanted to make sure that the visual caught people’s attention. I didn’t want it to look like a regular hip hop video on MTV and BET. That’s all I asked Anthony to do, just to capture a different look, and I was definitely satisfied with it.

TSS: Tigers, Lions or Pistons?

Black: Pistons. We’re the only Detroit team to win the championship in a while. The Tigers are comin up, though…

TSS: Fill in the blank – If I had to compare myself to any athlete, I would be….

Black: Lebron James. He was the new face in the game and he came in just destroying everybody. I feel like I can come into hip hop and do the same things to the veterans.

TSS: There’s no place like the D because….

Black: We’re not gonna sugar-coat nothing. We keep it 100 with everyone. You can’t get away with nothing here. If it’s good or if it’s wack, we’re gonna let you know.

TSS: Three things you don’t leave the house without/gadgets that are always within arm distance…

Black: My cell phone. My wallet. A box of Magnums.

TSS: Before bringing a girl to the crib, you have to make sure that….

Black: She’s fine as hell.

The album, Popular Demand, in stores 3.13.07.

Visit www.myspace.com/blackmk for more info. Troop over to FatBeats.com to download the free mixtape, Pressure.