Hardcore Soul

Philadelphia is a melting pot for talent. The catch 22 is that there have only been a handful of artists that have made it out of Philly to worldwide notoriety. That reality has made the competition fierce. Not to mention that every rapper there wants the title of “King of Philly.”  

Despite the hype, not everyone is fazed by the rivalry among the rappers. Chinko Da Great is one of those individuals. He has made the decision to focus on the art of rap rather than arguing over titles. Influenced by Nas and Kool G Rap, Chinko wants to bring the old school soul back to rap. Fresh from YouTube right to your TV on Rap City, and smoking the streets up with the Soul inspired, "Do My Thing," and featured on the Peedi Crakk song called “High Caliber,” here is Chinko Da Great.

AllHipHop.com:  When did you first start rapping?

Chinko Da Great: I been rapping for about ten years.

AllHipHop.com: How did you get started?

Chinko Da Great: I was always around music, listening to my Uncles. But back then I used to hear songs on the radio and I would try to make my own version to see if I could out do the radio song. I kept doing it.

AllHipHop.com: What got you to the point where you wanted to rap professionally?

Chinko Da Great: When I first rapped in front of a big crowd. There were a whole a lot of people. The response that they gave me was like they were checking for me a little bit. Everybody came to me and told me to go with that afterwards. You got talent.

AllHipHop.com: Were you battle rapping?

Chinko Da Great: It started off just free styling. I didn’t start off battling I was just rapping in ciphers and open mics. Once we got into that then that’s how’s the battle would start.

AllHipHop.com: You were recently on Rap City?

Chinko Da Great: Yeah.

AllHipHop.com: How did that come about?

Chinko Da Great: This guy who works for Rap City. He interns there. He gave my boy who works for Power 99 a call. When my boy spoke of my name he had already heard of me. After I found out he was checking for me, turns out he knew me but not as Chinko he knew me as my government name Jamar. When he found out it was me he was happy. He was like oh that was you so he got me on.

AllHipHop.com: All of the legends have been on Rap City. What was that like?

Chinko Da Great: It was shocking. I didn’t expect it. When he told me that he was checking around Philly and my name came up. I was like wow that work I’m putting in is paying off.  It gave me the drive to start doing more. I started going crazy at it.

AllHipHop.com: In Philadelphia the competition seems thick. You have Cassidy, Gillie Da Kid, Beans, and everybody wants to be “King of Philly.” Is there a lot of comradory there in your opinion despite this?

Chinko Da Great: There isn’t. I believe there is too much ego going on. Guys don’t want to let bygones be bygones. Little stuff that guys go through and it get turned into something big. It really isn’t anything unless it is about money. If you from one side of Philly, and somebody from another side may snitch. It is little stuff like that. It really has nothing to do with music or real industry thing. They just let the street stuff cross over into the music. They really have no problems for real. I just think they need to be men. They are making it like wrestling, a bunch of fakes and phonies. First they gotta put the ego down.

AllHipHop.com: By it being so competitive in Philly, you are already being hated on pretty heavy, even on You Tube. How are you dealing with that?

Chinko Da Great: I’m just glad they talking about me. If they not talking about me then I’m not doing something right.

AllHipHop.com: Do you think that part of the reason why there is not a lot of comradory coming out of Philly is because there has yet to be a lot of successful rap artists making it into mainstream Hip-Hop? I can only think of about 5 or 6 right now versus some places like New York.

Chinko Da Great: I think we do have a stigma. Not saying most but some do give us a bad name. Which makes some of the people who could do something for us not want to touch us. Things that happen with Philly artist and how they go about doing things. I think that is part of the problem. All we known for is battling and shooting at each other and coming at each other’s hood. I don’t want to be known for that.

AllHipHop.com: How did you get your name?

Chinko Da Great: It started as China Black. My eyes are chinky and I’m very dark skinned. As I kept rapping I bumped into this girl and her name was China Black. Then I bumped into China Doll and China Man, and I was just running into all of these China’s. My street name was Chink. So I just put the greatest behind it. I seen a couple of people on YouTube said Chinko means penis or something like that. I don’t know nothing about that though. I’ma ride with that.

AllHipHop.com: Your song "Check My Temperature" on Myspace is getting a lot of plays.  Did you expect that reaction?

Chinko Da Great: It makes me think that people are looking at me. So, now I have to think about the things I do and say. I’m happy that I am getting a shot and people are checking out my style of music. I think my style of music gets looked over now. When they play it on the radio they are like that’s real Hip-Hop right there.

AllHipHop.com: Why do you consider your style of music to be real Hip-Hop?

Chinko Da Great: I feel as though I have a more soulful feeling. Almost like I am not from the microwave area more so from the put it in the oven era and let it cook and take a while. I’m from the Big Daddy Kane and the Nas, Kool G Rap era. I think they have a soulful edge to their music. This era is champagne and cars and money and girls. I don’t focus on that.

AllHipHop.com: Who are your influences in rap? I know you mentioned Nas and Big Daddy Kane. Who else?

Chinko Da Great: Those are the main ones. I like guys like that. They had staying power. I gotta believe that I have as much drive and talent as they do. Other music upsets me.

AllHipHop.com: What upsets you in particular?

Chinko Da Great: Catchy music. Catchy hooks.

AllHipHop.com: You weren’t doing the Superman and two stepping?

Chinko Da Great: Nah, I’m from the East. We let them do them and we do us. That “Yah Trick Yah.” That’s not the music I listen to. I feel like rap is dying.

AllHipHop.com: Where would you like to see rap at?

Chinko Da Great: Having good songs but not just about record sales. It should be about the music and not involving people’s personal lives in their music. What he do in his leisure has nothing to do with his rhymes.

AllHipHop.com: What projects are you working on right now?

Chinko Da Great: I have a DVD coming out at the end of May that I’m hosting called “The Move Out Gang.” We have some foundation things coming as far Floyd Mayweather and their group. We are working on a movie script. I’m going to be on the soundtrack of Floyd MayWeather’s new movie.

AllHipHop.com: Anything else we can expect from you?

Chinko Da Great: Expect a lot from me because I’m not gonna stop.

Visit Chinko Da Great’s MySpace at  www.myspace.com/chinkodagreat