As a staple in Houston’s forever flourishing, refreshingly independent Hip-Hop scene, Slim Thug has enjoyed worldwide success while remaining true to his deeply rooted Houston heritage. With his sophomore record on the horizon and a brand record label gracing his CD’s, Slim Thug took his show and his new artists on the road for a nationwide press tour, eventually landing in the backyard and woods of Kentucky. After nearly an hour long detour and many missed turns and phone calls later, TSS Crew’s Landon A. sat down with the Boss of all bosses to discuss everything from Houston to codeine cultures, his newly signed artists and his forthcoming album, all over a few drinks and a fish sandwich.

TSS: Slim Thugga! What’s good? It’s been a while since you’ve been in the spotlight, it was about 2005 when you dropped Already Platinum, what have you been up to?

Slim Thug: Aw man, trying to put my team on man put my other artists on my Boss Hogg Outlaw label out. You know, build up the brand and all that. And at the same time go from one label to another; go from a major back to an independent. That’s what’s been taking up my time.

TSS: How’s the game changed since then?

Slim Thug: Man it’s changed a lot; you know a lot of people don’t hardly sell no records hardly no more you know what I’m saying? That’s definitely changed, which influenced me from leaving a major label. People always tell me “you crazy, you over there at Interscope, there’s no way I would have left” but if I’m at Interscope and I ain’t making no money then what am I over there for? They’re a big record label and can do a lot but if they ain’t doing it then I’d rather be at a smaller company where I get more attention and can make more money off of each CD.

TSS: Is it more important to you to focus on the target audience the label’s trying to push your record to or the people who’ve been riding with you since your Swishahouse days?

Slim Thug: Man that’s a good one, but honestly I don’t try to really cater to nobody. I kind of just do what I want to do man and that’s just me. If a person tells me they want me to rap a certain kind of way, naaah. I mean I’ll definitely listen and try to give them what they want, but at the same time I want to satisfy them and myself and show that I can do a little more than just that type of music. So I definitely don’t go in there with a mind frame of let me do it like this, I just go in there and do what I do and hopefully  you’ll like it. That’s how I do it every time. Read the rest of this entry »

Words by Khalid StricklandCamerawork by Clayton Donnelley

I grind hard most of the time, but I’m a lazy b*stard at heart. If I don’t have to sit in front of a computer and transcribe a long-*ss interview, that’s fine with me. Lately, I’ve been having my homie Big Clay videotape my interviews. He’s an ex-bouncer who used to smack people Read the rest of this entry »

You’ve heard all the speculation, rumours, assumptions…and so did he. After what seemed to be the longest three-year-span in history, February 2nd saw the mystery of Cam’ron’s disappearance completely dismantled as he debuted a new song and video and cleared the air with Miss Info.

Currently undergoing an all-encompassing media frenzy, the Dipset founder took time out to answer any question regarding all the unturned stones from recent interviews with TSS Crew’s TC.

This spring, Killa Season returns.

TSS: So it seems you can’t do an interview without being asked about Jim Jones and vice versa. Does the fact that people rather see ya’ll together motivate you to bridge the gap? No homo…

Cam’ron: (Laughs!!!) That’s actually funny.

TSS: (Laughs) I’m saying is there anything you can do on your end for reconciliation.

Cam’ron: Well you know it’s not in my near future. I don’t never wanna say never but I got a lot going on this year. With two movies, two soundtracks and two albums, my year’s pretty filled up so it’s definitely not gonna happen this year. Never say never though!

TSS: So you guys had whatever riff in the relationship but there’s no bad blood between you guys right? I just want to get that ironed out for everybody to see. Read the rest of this entry »

2005 saw the rebirth of the Houston Hip-Hop renaissance. Local heroes Mike Jones and Chamillionaire rose to platinum prominence while familiar faces such as U.G.K. and Lil’ Flip rode the wave as well to make that Lone Star impression across the entire game. One rapper in particular, with his trademark custom mouthpieces and penchant for endless similes in his lyrics were among those most successful. Calling himself The Peoples Champ, Paul Wall indeed represented the masses with as he hit the million mark with his sales and collaborated with several big names outside of his regional sector.

Fast forward to 2009 and things have cooled down a bit for the H-Town All-Stars. But as Paul Wall explains “there’s no need for a comeback,” for he’s in one of the most comfortable positions of his life. Read along as the Iceman details his latest endeavors which include his latest LP entitled Fast Life and his continuing success in the jewelry biz. The man uses “grindin’” as a regular part of his vocabulary. Days off are for Ferris Bueller, not Paul Wall.

‘TSS, What It Do?’

TSS: So how’s Paul Wall these days?

Paul Wall: Well you know, just grindin’. Just came off the road and getting back in the studio preparing these mixtapes as my new album’s getting ready to drop on March 24th. It’s called Fast Life.

TSS: Your last album [Get Money, Stay True] dropped in ’07, but what were you up to in 2008?

Paul Wall: Really just grindin’. I had did a tour with my boy Tech N9ne and I did a tour by myself; just on the road, hittin’ the road, getting thangs poppin’. I started a clothing line as well called Expensive Taste and the website is I Got Expensive Taste and we kicked that off last year too.

TSS: Is that in conjunction with Travis Barker and Skinhead Rob?

Paul Wall: Yeah, fa’sho.

TSS: Even with all that, do you feel the urge that you need to make a comeback with Fast Life. Do you think you were too low key last year?

Paul Wall: Oh, naw. I feel like I’ve been on the scene because I’ve been in the face of people doing these tours from city to city so I’ve been puttin’ it down. All last year, nonstop grindin’ so hard in the streets so we ready to come hard with this one.

TSS: So what’s your angle this time around? What do you feel you’re bringing to the people?

Paul Wall: Well the Fast Life, the whole theme of the album is just the life we live of a grinder; a go-getter. When you grind 25/8 — 25 hours a day, 8 days a week, that’s how hard you grind and you ain’t stopping. From 9:01 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., that’s how you grind. And that’s just how it is. That’s what the album’s about: grindin’, gettin’ it and everything that goes along with it. Read the rest of this entry »

Killing time at the Highline Ballroom in NYC, I had just completed the interview portion of a Wale assignment. Surprisingly on-schedule, Scott Mescudi, better known by his stage name KiD CuDi, strides in with his crew for soundcheck. Just as I imagined a member of G.O.O.D. Music would be adorned, the “Day N Nite” rapper is dressed in a bright red ski vest, matching red Ushanka, slim denims and black/red Jordan IV’s.

I anticipate pretension, but needing a short quote or two to prop up the Wale piece, I saunter over to Plain Pat with a request to quickly speak to CuDi. He obliges and the protege & I head over to a table at a quiet corner of the venue to conduct an impromptu interview. Speed-typing away on his phone as we begin, I initially sense disinterest. Revealing his mastery of multitasking, he keeps both convos going strong, unrestrained as he opens up. Just as I imagine how his mentor Kanye was back in the day, CuDi’s simply a cool, regular-ass nigga.

TSS: You’ve said that you had the vision for your album Man on the Moon: The Guardian for some time. What exactly is that vision?

KiD CuDi: Well, I always wanted to make an album that was cinematic in nature as far as how it feels. When you go to the movies, and you watch like a drama or something, you can just close your eyes and feel the music—feel the movie—just through the emotion in the orchestra and the score of the film. And I want to bring that same emotion and same power into my music. I want it to be like you’re listening to a movie but without watching it. I’m trying to bring that same intensity so I’ve always had the vision to do a very cinematic album in nature since day one because I feel like no one has ever done that before. People have attempted and there have been hints of film references in music but to really effectively execute it, that hasn’t been done yet and I really wanna execute it properly.

TSS: So in reference to that, what’s the story behind the title?

KiD CuDi: It’s my birth and growing up, realizing my destiny, my journey, and internal issues that I deal with. A lot of self-conflict on the album. It’s a storyline but not so much. I think if you give the listener too much of a guideline, it doesn’t leave room for imagination. I want to leave it somewhat vague but at the same time keep it on track with the mood of each song.

TSS: T.I. and Luda are superstars and they had their album release parties here [at the Highline Ballroom] in NY, not ATL. Does NY still have to be won over?

KiD CuDi: Well, I feel like you have to win over everybody. It’s not just this town or that town, you gotta win over everyone and that’s what it’s all about. And in order to win over those people, you gotta win them over on a natural level,the organic level, because—I tell people this all the time—the kids are smarter nowadays. They know when some bullshit is gettin’ fed to them and they know when it’s organic.

TSS: How would you characterize this new wave of emcees coming into the game? Read the rest of this entry »

“I am most conscious about my moods. Sometimes you have to be careful what type of mood and what type of lyrics you put in your songs.” – B.O.B.

B.O.B. is a fresh breath, not just in Hip-Hop but for music period. His lyrics are deep and thorough. He has the ability of painting a vivid picture in your head with verses bound to take you on a rollercoaster ride.

In 2006 his first record, “Cloud 9,” garnered the attention of industry taste-maker TJ Chapman of TJ’s DJs, who agreed to co-manage the young artist. It’s been nothing but notches on B.O.B’s belt ever since.

In 2007 he signed with Rebel Rock/Atlantic, and Grand Hustle was recently added to the mix as well. He appeared on city billboards as the face of LRG, his recent single “Created A Monster” was featured in the latest Nintendo DS commercial and he’s preparing to release his debut album The Adventures Of Bobby Ray in summer 2009. His portfolio is impressive for an artist with no album in stores and no major singles on air.

Conquering his fans with countless YouTube videos of performances, studio sessions, and behind the scenes clips, B.O.B. is pure entertainment. His songs are stories and his charisma is enchanting. I had a chance to catch up with B.O.B. for a thorough phone interview a few days before his fantastic Unplugged show at Sugarhill in Atlanta. Check out what Bobby Ray had to say about his adventures in music so far. You won’t be disappointed.

TSS: Let me just rewind back to when you were younger before talking about the now. Even though your popularity grew exponentially in the past year, you are not a new artist. You have been making music…your own music since you were younger. Matter of fact you sold a beat when you were 14 years old. Why did it take so long for you to breakthrough? Or was it just about timing?

B.o.B.: It took so long for me to break through because I’m not really a conformist type of person. I’m not really looking to perform or fit in. It wasn’t that I was trying to be different, but over the years I have been slowly what I could be. It’s crazy because I used to be an engineer and people used to come over the house and record. The hype would be all about them and then eventually people starting taking more and more notice of the music I was making. Then I set out to just be B.O.B. and I performed at an open mic one night, slowly branding myself. People got to know me more and not just what I do in the industry.

TSS: What is your brand? Is there another way to describe you…besides exceptional?

B.o.B.: (Laughing) I leave the door open so that I can do a lot of things. Like with the “AutoTune” video. I want to do different things; whether it’s comical or serious or whatever it may be. I just want to be me, and I don’t want to limit it to just music.

TSS: In your latest song “I’ll Be In The Sky” you say “Nowadays folk would rather rap than go to school/cause they feel that if they black they gotta have it too.” It’s a real quote. A lot of people start rapping because of the stereotype of what rappers should be. How did you know rapping or making music was more for you than school or any other profession?

B.o.B.: School is not designed for the thinking…Wait, let me rephrase that. I just knew what i wanted to do…(both laughing) and I just knew that school was definitely not the road I wanted to go down in order to do that. I express myself…my intelligence creatively. I could have done math and algebra; I understood it well, but it was boring as hell to me. I couldn’t see myself spending the rest of my life with numbers. I’m going so deep in life in doing music and understanding the art of it all. I got to a fork in the road where I had to decide between music and school, and didn’t hesitate to chose music.

TSS: “I’ll Be In The Sky” makes reference to committing suicide in order to cope with things, thinking that will make it better. When i first heard the song, it reminded me a lot of a Billy Talent song called “There’s Nothing To Lose” where they talk about a similar concept. Music is a way of expression, but also relation, because people can relate to what you say. How do you think lyrics as honest as these affect young kids who are often put in those situations? Read the rest of this entry »

As one of the most trusted voices of subconsciousness for Hip-Hop artists, Anthony Hamilton still holds rank as one of the most consistent developers of the rhythm and blues circuit. Gearing up for his sixth solo album titled The Point Of All, Mr. Hamilton shows why his outlook on life allows him to be the best musician, husband, and overall human being possible.

But akin to the album’s first single with David Banner and the President-elect Barack Obama, he just plays it “Cool.”

TSS: So the name Point Of It All sounds pretty serious. Has Anthony Hamilton reached his breaking point?

Anthony Hamilton: The Point Of It All is me getting to a place where I’m starting to realize, not only am I in a relationship and been going through things but the WHY? of it all. Why am I going through it, what made me tick, what made me mess up, what made me do good. You know, what made her change, what makes love: love. All these things, raise curiosity. But we’re doing it to a different tempo this album. You don’t always have to be contemplating things to a slow groove. So we’re picking up the pace with this one. Just like the first single “Cool.” It’s very important to me for people to enjoy Anthony Hamilton and get the best of what I’m saying.

I’d say it’s like one of those Kanye West Graduation albums. You know like the same but different all the well. Not saying that was my intention but now that I’m thinking of it that’s what it is.

TSS: So will fans of the “soulful” Anthony Hamilton be disappointed? You’re not completely flipping out on them are you?

Anthony Hamilton: Aw naw! They gonna be extremely pleased with this one.

TSS: So what made you up and decide to work with David Banner?

Anthony Hamilton: Oh you know, that’s my nig. We both country as corn with polyester and polyurethane draped around it. We had been talking about collaborating forever and we finally made it happen. Read the rest of this entry »

Real talk…I didn’t know how my interview with Krispy Kream and Rah Almillio, the siblings collectively known as The Knux, was going to go. Usually, an artist’s music is indicative of their personality (or lack thereof). But musically, the duo from New Orleans is refreshingly unpredictable. For many Hip-Hop interviews, I chug a shot of espresso and brace myself for yet another drug kingpin-turned-rapper background story.

Not so with The Knux. Their self-produced debut album, Remind Me In 3 Days, is in stores now (courtesy of Interscope Records) and it’s just as colorful as my Q & A session with them turned out to be. Growing up in the gritty hood of N’awlins, The Knux listened to a diverse mix of rappers like Nas, Mobb Deep, Wu Tang, A Tribe Called Quest, Geto Boys and 8-Ball & MJG. To lure them away from the ever-influential streets, Krispy and Al’s mom enrolled them in their middle school’s marching band where they learned how to play instruments. The young brothers may not have stayed out of trouble, but they did hone musical abilities that would prove invaluable later on. Live guitars, bass, keys and drums play a heavy role in The Knux’s funky and futuristic beats; a perfect backdrop for their inventive lyrics.

So here’s the chat that I, Khalid Strickland of the Almighty TSS Crew, recently conducted with The Knux, who have earned a spot in my coveted, tough-to-crack MP3 rotation.

TSS: What would you like to accomplish with Remind Me In 3 Days?

Rah Almillio: Hopefully some more artists behind us will have the courage to do what they want to do with their music and not have no outside influences changing their shit; whether it’s the label or cats you hang with or whatever it may be. Basically, open the lane for more creative artists who want to do what they want to do. If we got to bear the burden for that…if we got to sacrifice album sales, you know what I mean? That’s basically what we want this album to be. Just that bridge for Hip-Hop cats and other genres. We have such a large buffet of different sounds on this album.

TSS: What can the uninitiated expect to hear on this album?

Rah Almillio: Really, you can’t expect nothin’ but what you could know is it’s gonna be some original shit. It’s some shit that’s going to bend your mind a little bit. It’s going to be some hard, hard, hard; our rhymes are something serious on there. We like…jump in the stars on our rhymes, you know what I mean? And you can find some very heavy production; not the beats, but like, production on a whole…some good songwriting. This album in particular is going to be the soundtrack of two hood motherfuckers from New Orleans being in Hollywood and adapting to the Hollywood atmosphere, so that’s what the album is about.

TSS: When did you guys start playing live instruments and what inspired you to do so?

Rah Almillio: Real, real young…as fuckin’ kids in middle school. And our mom started us playing these instruments because…In New Orleans, let me explain this to you, if your kids don’t really have nothing to do, they’re going to probably wind up selling drugs or fuckin’ shooting somebody. That’s just real and that ain’t even me over-exaggerating that. So my mom, she comes straight from the projects.

My mom is a good, good hood motherfucker so she knows she never wanted her children to be like the motherfuckers she knew when she was coming up, you know? So she put us in that shit early; in a marching band in middle school to keep us out of trouble and shit. It ain’t really work, but she tried the best she could to keep us out of trouble. So it was our mother who basically got us into playing instruments and shit like that. Playing in a jazz band and stuff like that, it’s not really a big deal in New Orleans because it’s a known thing. You got cats in the hood all day that’s like crazy on trumpet and all types of instruments. It’s like the norm in New Orleans to play an instrument.

TSS: Since Black folks pretty much invented and pioneered Rock & Roll, why don’t we acknowledge it the way we should? Why do niggas act like they’re scared of guitars? They see somebody pull a guitar out and they start buggin’. Read the rest of this entry »

On an unseasonably warm Lexington, Kentucky, afternoon Motown’s resident bad guy, Trick Trick, and about ten of his boys rolled up to the front door of UK’s campus radio station. Trick Trick was on a promotional tour for his new album The Villain and was hitting all major college radio outlets in the mid-west, which is what brought the caravan of murdered-out Escalades into the University of Kentucky student center parking lot and what eventually led to one of the most interesting interviews I’ve done to date. Read the rest of this entry »

The Wire has rapidly become my cultural litmus test for people I meet.

If you’re into it, I’m with you. If you’re not, I’ll convert you. And if, heaven forbid, you’ve seen it and you’re not into it, you’re my sworn enemy. Sworn enemy. Forever, forever ever, forever ever © Andre Benjamin.

So when I learned that I would be able to interview Andre Royo, I was ecstatic. Royo’s portrayal of a drug addict named Bubbles was one of the most unidealized and haunting in any medium. To get the chance to pick his brain was a special privilege. We spoke about everything, ranging from The Wire to rap, race to poverty and politics to Omar Little. Read the rest of this entry »

“This dude asked me ‘What’s the answer to this Hip-Hop cancer?/ I’m so hungry for this real shit it feels like I’m fastin…’”

Today Black Milk releases his third solo effort, TRONIC — an album so dense with material it feels like it could push beyond your ears and into the other senses. It would smell like that funk. Be both sweet and savory on the pallet. Have that cool burn of acid to the touch. Visually dissolve Soul atoms into protons, neutrons and — especially — electrons.

Each track is different than the next and slides on single synth-based samples into multiple beats, giving further evidence of Black’s ability as a producer. He deviates from the listeners expectations, but never leaves them mentally marooned. His rhymes are tighter and his growth as a lyricist is clear. TRONIC is a cohesive collection that has the potential to stick in iPods, stereos and memories longer than most any other album this year. With the city of Detroit backing him and cosigns from as high on the totem pole as Dr. Dre; Black Milk could fill a prescription with TRONIC — an anecdote to a Hip-Hop cancer.

But with a widening divide between radio and subterranean music, the question remains when or if artists like Black can bridge the gap and remain true to a progressive sound. TSS Crew member LC Weber spoke with Black about TRONIC, the progression of his style and whether the industry is ready to catch up.

TSS: We talked to Elzhi a couple months ago and asked him whether people ever tell him he raps too much or that he’s too weird for them…

Black Milk: (laughs) Yeah.

TSS: Do you ever feel like you’re put in a similar box as a producer? Like do people just want you to be or think you are just a soul-sample producer?

Black Milk: Not really. I’ve heard or seen a couple people critique the music, especially when we leaked a couple tracks for the new album – “Give The Drummer Sum” and “The Matrix” – the response was a good response. I’ve still seen one guy was like, “Man, I’m really gonna miss the Soul samples,” so people still expect me to stay there. But I think after awhile people are going to grow musically just like me. Their ears and minds are going to be open to new sounds, and new styles, and new ideas to approaching music.

You definitely don’t want to stay in one box as an artist. Some criticisms is going to come and people are going to want you to stay in that same lane. But I try and please the majority of the people – as many people as I can – and that’s why I still have a couple Soul tracks on the new album and try and steer away from anything that’s too far left.

TSS: So you don’t alienate your fans…

Black Milk: Yeah.

TSS: When you were putting this album together what kind of records were you digging for or what were you interested in?

Black Milk: Well a lot of the albums I was listening to for this new project, I was already kind of into those artists and chopping up those records, but a lot of those beats had never made other records. But I was listening to stuff like Stereolab and Gary Newman and stuff like Tomita and just like a lot of really weird records and a lot of weird artists people might not be familiar with, but I was just getting in that vibe. And Hip-Hop wise, I was listening to Slum Village’s Trinity, and J Dilla’s Welcome 2 Detroit album – stuff like that that had a different variety of music on it. It wasn’t just in one lane.

The Trinity album was like the main one. I was like, ‘You know what? That’s when Slum went kind of far left,’ and I don’t think people was ready for it. It was all over the place and people were kind of used to them being soulful with a certain kind of Dilla beat. I think now people are ready for that futuristic type of sound, but it just shows you back then how far ahead Slum really was, with people just now getting up on [that sound.]

I think with TRONIC, it’s Electronic, but it’s still soulful because I’m bringing in a lot of instrumentation and different things like that – live musicians to fill out the track, my recording techniques was different for recording drums, and how I recorded the track in general to give it a different feel.

TSS: Do you think people aren’t ready for it? You were talking about Trinity, but do you think people aren’t ready for TRONIC? Read the rest of this entry »

Few players in the game are able to maintain underground credibility and major league success like Jake One. Producing for everyone from 50 Cent to MF DOOM, Jake has crafted a sound all his own that artists and fans on both sides of the track seem to be eating up. With the recent release of his debut album, White Van Music, Jake has successfully straddled the line between underground and mainstream, putting Freeway and Brother Ali on the same track and chopping it up with both Young Buck and Plug One on the same record. With a busy year ahead of him as G-Unit’s in house producer as well as one of the premier beat makers of our generation, Jake phoned in to cut it up with the Crew’s Landon A. to see what’s really good.

TSS: What’s going on Jake?

Jake One: Shit, just been doing interviews all day.

TSS: Oh yeah, how’s that been?

Jake One: It’s been going cool.

TSS: Where you at right now?

Jake One: I’m back home in Seattle. Just got back from Minnesota on Tuesday.

TSS: Where at in Seattle? My folks just moved out to Kirkland.

Jake One: Oh really? I’m right by Broadway in Capitol Hill.

TSS: What’s the Hip-Hop scene like out there?

Jake One: There’s been a lot of stuff going on but for whatever reason it doesn’t get out of the city for the most part. I would say there’s a couple of guys worth listening to, there’s a kid D. Black who’s on my album, whose album is pretty good. Then the other kids Spaceman and Pinder, those are like two other artists I’m working with too, so I’m trying to get them going and get people to care about them.

TSS: What about Boom Bap Project, I know you’ve done some stuff with them.

Jake One: Man they don’t even live here anymore. Like Karim’s in San Francisco and Dom’s in Portland; they’re talking about working on a new record though. Read the rest of this entry »

“No Smoking” signs are posted up outside of most rooms at the Marriot Marquis in Times Square. Just not the top floor, where, of course, Curren$y happens to be staying. It’s coincidental, though, so the unaware Spitta is hard at work trying to securely hotbox the room. Equipped with only packing tape and bed sheets, Curren$y and his crew—no Fly Society today, just two dudes he met at a skate demo only a week prior—are determined to keep the peace while blowing back.

And their Macgyverian efforts have paid off. Upon my arrival, no scent lingers beyond the front door—until they open up and are forced to take down the 100% cotton wall that covered the entire doorframe.

Pass the tape, please.

TSS: How did you get into rap?

Curren$y: I always used to fuck around with it, but I ain’t take it serious ‘til I got out of high school.

TSS: What made you take it serious then?

Curren$y: Just seeing a couple people who I knew like Mr. Marcelo and Soulja Slim get deals and poppin’ up on shit and I felt like I should have also.

TSS: What was your relationship with Slim like? Read the rest of this entry »

The album cover might be a lost art in these days of consumers who don’t make the trip to their local record shops to purchase physical copies. For many of us, album covers & liner notes have always been part of the experience of the album, an essential part. Hip-Hop has had it’s fair share of great album covers to go along with some not-so-great ones as well.

Needless to say, when we first saw Big Kuntry King’s album cover for his Grand Hustle debut, My Turn To Eat, there were mixed emotions. On one hand, we “got it”…but at the same time we had to think “who the fuck greenlighted this shit?”

So before we wrote it off, we decided to reach out to Kuntry to get some of the backstory & an explanation on the cover. And what follows are his words as told to the Crew’s D. Chanda regarding the thousand dollar burger that any fast food employee would be envious of.

One thing’s for sure — We can’t make this type of shit up on our own.

TSS: Let’s talk about the album cover.

Kuntry: (Laughs) Aww shit. You liked it?

TSS: I thought it was hilarious. Was that the intention?

K: You see, me, I’m a practical joker. I talk shit and have fun but I’m for real. So I said, ‘Well, do I wanna be a rapper showing my gangsta lean with my chain on? Nah, I don’t wanna do that same old shit.’ So what I did was put the money in the burger to represent my turn to eat so you can see the sense of humor about it but then say, ‘That’s what I want.’ When you see that burger, everybody wants a burger like that. I want that. That’s a lot of money in that burger. Almost damn six or seven thousand dollars in that burger. So it represents the hustle, period. You know, if we had light bulbs or question marks come on the top of your head, when we hustle, that’s what we should see: that burger with that money. Now let’s get it. It’s our turn to eat.

TSS: So the intention was to be both out-of-box and comical? Read the rest of this entry »

If you listen to rap music, chances are you’ve fallen in love with a Nate Dogg chorus. Even if you hardly ever listen to rap, you’ve probably found yourself signing along with the legendary West Coast crooner at some point in your life. His impact on modern music has been profound as he has shared the recording booth with everyone from Pac to Mos Def. Despite countless classic hooks and guest spots as well as some strong solo material, no DJ has ever tackled a best of Nate mixtape…until now.

Read on as The Crew’s DJ Sorce-1 gets the lowdown on the making of DJ Steve1der’s Nate In ’08, the first ever, all Nate Dogg mix.

TSS: Before we get things started, well done on the Nate in ’08 mix. I’ve had the idea to do a tape like that for a while, but you beat me to the punch. I’m a little bit jealous.

DJ Steve1der: (Laughs) That’s funny because it was on my plate for a minute and I finally had the time and piece of mind to do it recently. I’m glad I was finally able to finish it.

TSS: When I first listened to the mix, I was expecting it to be focused on his radio hits and guest spots. I like how you kept a balance between his recognizable stuff and his more obscure material. You were able to pull it off without the quality of the music hurting.

DJ Steve1der: I definitely wanted to make the mix his best work but at the same time make it interesting. I’m not up on all of his material, especially his solo stuff. Luckily I have some friends who put me up on some of his lesser known joints that were featured on the mix. I was glad to get a full CD worth of quality material and have it mostly be him and not too many of the other artists that he has worked with.

TSS: Do you own any of Nate’s solo albums?

DJ Steve1der: I have the 213 album The Hard Way, which is really slept on. It didn’t get much credit in the mainstream. I have some of the singles off of his Music and Me album, but I never really got into the album itself.

TSS: What equipment did you use to put the tape together? Read the rest of this entry »