T
he gods over at Google must invest in irony, because upon searching for the Georgian group Field Mob, the description lists them as artists from New York. Surely anyone with even an earlobe to the street knows of the current situation regarding the Albany, Georgia natives and their take on the New York Hip-Hop scene. Field Mob was reportedly misrepresented mimicking New York rappers in both gesture and slang on tape. In the midst of misquoting, edited video clips, and proverbial middle fingers to the media, Field Mob has without a doubt expressed an undeniable truth that the South is a major player in Hip-Hop today.
Formerly known as Kalage and Boondox Blax, the duo resurrected as Shawn Jay and Smoke, inking a deal with Ludacris’ DTP by-way-of Geffen. Hailed as artists on the rise with two albums under their belt, Field Mob’s goal this time around with Light Poles and Pine Trees is to inform the world that the South is on fire; and they’re holding the matches. The group surfaced last fall to dismiss any assumptions that their place in the music is strictly for comedy. Although their sound has clearly evolved, the group has definitely maintained their sense of humor mixed with catchy wordplay. While their single “So What” featuring Ciara currently spins on both radio and video, Field Mob is gearing for their third release.
Speaking with Shawn Jay and Smoke, the duo lightheartedly explains their take on regional Hip-Hop, their issues with AllHipHop.com [yes, us], and their unfortunate negative portrayal as media minstrels.
AllHipHop.com: Smoke, why’d you switch names to Chevy-P?
Smoke: Maturity, grew older. I felt like it.
AllHipHop.com: How do you feel you’ve changed in addition to the names?
Shawn J: We’ve both got beautiful daughters. The maturity level changed. The priority list has been rearranged. We’re finally gettin’ to the right position that we should be [in]. Everything’s different now. We understand how to make music. We understand how to politic, which is the s**t that got us f**ked out the game last time. We understand all that… it’s…we know! We know what’s up now.
AllHipHop.com: Will the backing from Disturbing Tha Peace change the reach or awareness for Field Mob?
Smoke: Yup.
Shawn J: I think it was a great move. We wanted to move, and we had been playin’ with ‘Cris [Ludacris] for a long time. We’re more friends than business-partners, I would like to say.
Smoke: Yeah.
AllHipHop.com: A lot was made of being allegedly misquoted over your comments about New York Hip-Hop. After all that, do you think that New York MCs take themselves too seriously?
Shawn J: I ain’t got nothin’ to say, whether they take themselves too seriously or not!
Smoke: I ain’t sayin’ nothin’ ‘bout ‘em, ‘cause the critics take it…they too sensitive. We ain’t got no problem with nobody, but, at the same time, freedom of sp–…we wasn’t dissin’ them then. We out in Cali now with Cali people jokin’ ‘bout how they be sayin’ “mark,” but it’s cool ‘cause we deal with these people – we f**k with these people. When you hear us talk, you’d be like, “Them mothaf**kas is country as hell!” We ain’t sensitive like that though. We understand [that] it just is that way.
Shawn J: I’m not talkin’ ‘bout New York. [Some] of them don’t like us, anyway. All they need is an excuse. [But] the people that do love us, the G-Units, [and] everybody [else]… I ain’t mad. It’s all the mothaf**kin’ broke mothaf**kas that’s mad! I got people out there that I like, man. I f**k wit’ ‘em. Then there’s some newcomers out there that want to start a beef. They can’t [succeed] with talent, so they need some controversy.
AllHipHop.com: It’s pretty obvious that the South has the majority—
Shawn J: We run s**t! We run s**t! No, we run s**t, say that s**t right, man.
Smoke: I wanna give a shout out to Scarface, MJG and 8Ball, U.G.K., and all the people that made this possible.
Shawn J: Don’t be mad at us. We runnin’, and we got the torch.
AllHipHop.com: In your opinion, what do the other coasts, like New York, have to do to get it back?
Shawn J: I don’t know what you need to do! I don’t know baby, I’m just sayin’ so.
Smoke: Everybody got they time. It’s just our time. You never gonna go back to the second grade again. Times change.
Shawn J: Look at Busta [Rhymes]. Busta Rhymes still makin’ hits, he ain’t complainin’. It’s a game. Look at the [Chicago] Bulls. The Bulls’ll never be what they was.
Smoke: They had they time. They had Jordan! Now it’s Lakers, and the Heat.
Shawn J: Know what I hate though? When they had it, they didn’t share it. Now, the West Coast, I love the West Coast, but they didn’t share it. And I ain’t mad at them for that.
Smoke: ‘Cause they went through what we went through.
Shawn J: I don’t blame them, but we share it. Look, you got the Hyphy s**t at the same time as the South doin’ it. You got G-Unit poppin’, Dipset poppin’, you got Nelly!
Smoke: See, we share the game! And we gonna forever have it, ‘cause we reap the benefits of sharin’ it.
Shawn J: Look at Mike Jones! I heard Mike Jones rap a million times. Mike Jones got a Platinum plaque, man. Thank ya Mike, you gave the South more legs. Thank ya Paul [Wall]! It’s our time. That’s why Field Mob sound so good to you right now, ‘cause it’s our time! You was sleepin’, we been around! We been [doing] this for a minute.
AllHipHop.com: In addition to the misquote, you had some comments in Ozone magazine about AllHipHop.com. With both of these issues, what’s your opinion of the media?
Smoke: I hate the media! That’s the reason why everything is the way it is. If y’all were to keep it more one-hundred, cut-and-dry, [instead, everybody] is tryin’ to get a scoop of dirt on some s**t. They take the news, every lil’ thing, and they promote the drama, the beefs, and the bulls**t way more than you promote albums. AllHipHop.com, I love y’all, but if some s**t go wrong, y’all will put it on the front page. You’ll put ‘em on the front page ‘cause of a fist-fight. You won’t put ‘em on the front page ‘cause they album’s gonna come out today. No, that’s under the controversy. You’ve got the Rumors section – all that blah, blah, blah. Just look at yourself. Don’t blame us. I can’t call out everybody like that. Look at how the media made it look like we was tryin’ to diss New York. That’s the media.
AllHipHop.com: You both had some run-ins with the law. Did the media do too much to promote that?
Smoke: AllHipHop.com! You made us look bad. You lied. You found us when you needed an interview, but why the f**k didn’t y’all find us when we had our brush with the law? Get the real stories.
Shawn J: Controversy sells.
Smoke: [It felt like] “F**k Field Mob,” then come back and try to be cool with [our] ass.
AllHipHop.com: Let’s get back to the music…
[Hearty laughter]
AllHipHop.com: What can we expect from this album?
Shawn J: A great album.
Smoke: The same thing we been giving you the last two albums – a hot album. We plannin’ to go triple [Platinum] this time, I mean, we gotta. I know everybody plans to go triple and they…do they thing. But we really plan do plan on goin’ triple.
Shawn J: High hopes this time!
AllHipHop.com: You had spoken about not wanting to be portrayed as comedians. With this album, is the tone overtly serious?
Shawn J: We still havin’ fun now. Put it like this: I don’t think [the media] understood us the last two [albums]. I understand that some people think we’re stupid. They see the single and the video, “Oh they stupid!” [It took them] to get the whole CD to say, “They not stupid, I got ‘em.” We not doin’ that this time. I can’t have pigs and all that in the videos this time, ‘cause y’all don’t know how to take it. I have pigs and s**t as a visual, I’m sorry. They gonna love me up-top [New York], and the gonna love me out West, and they gonna love me in god damned Iceland.
AllHipHop.com: You’ve got children with you now. As fathers, would you let your kids listen to your music?
Smoke: [to daughter] Do you listen to your daddy’s music? Do you like it?
Daughter: Yeah.
Smoke: Hear that! [laughs] She loves her daddy’s music. She knows what’s goin’ on.
AllHipHop.com: If not here, where would you be?
Smoke: [whistles] Damn! I don’t know about that one.
Shawn J: The penitentiary.
Smoke: Comin’ in your backdoor. [laughs]
Shawn J: In the hood.
Smoke: Lookin’ for a jux!
