Apex: Another Reason to Vote for Curtis

A great producer is like a

diamond in the rough.  So it’s no wonder that Hip-Hop’s man

of the hour, 50 Cent, found his diamond in one of the roughest parts

of New York City-Bedstuy.  Apex has gained quite a buzz for a rookie,

due to his production of 50 Cent’s latest single “I Get Money.”

Though Apex has a long way to go, he has already been given the seal

of approval from the likes of Funkmaster Flex and Curtis himself, who

contends that ‘I Get Money” might be his biggest record to date,

next to “In Da Club.” 

Despite the pressure of putting

New York back on the map with the biggest track of the summer, quasi

producers jacking his beats, and proving to critics that he can live

up to the hype; Apex, surprisingly, remained cool, calm and collected

as he shared with AllHipHop.com his journey to the top of the charts,

his views on both 50 and Kanye Wests’ albums, and why no producer

in the game is on his level right now. 

AllHipHop.com: First let’s

talk about the concept for “I Get Money.” 

Apex: The whole motivation

for “I Get Money” is coming from poverty; you know what I’m saying? 

It’s about coming from a hood that’s poverty stricken, like Bedstuy,

which is really in a rebuilding process, much like the rest of New York.

A lot of money is being put into Bedstuy, and Brooklyn as a whole. 

Businesses are opening up. So basically, seeing that, everybody from

the hood can relate to the concept of “I Get Money.” And the best

place to sample that hook from would be Audio Two, “Top Billin’.” 

AllHipHop.com: So you didn’t

just make the beat, you’re responsible for the entire concept of the

song, the hook and all? 

Apex: Yeah, exactly. I had

the whole beat done, with the hook and everything.  Then 50 [Cent]

heard it and jumped on it.  He saw the concept and just ran with

it. 

AllHipHop.com: There has been

some speculation around the track.  Some people are making references

to its similarity to Cassidy’s “I’m a Hustler,” which Swizz

beats produced. How do you deal with all of the chit chat about your

music? 

Apex: Well, I don’t really

hear that too much.  I mean, it is what it is I guess. But as long

as somebody’s talking about the track, it’s a good thing. 

If they ain’t talking about you then you doin’ something wrong,

you know what I’m sayin’? So as far as them puttin’ my music in

the same light as Swizz Beatz, I take it as a compliment, because Swizz

Beatz is a hit-maker.  And I feel that I’m a hit-maker as well.

So I take it well.  I don’t get angry at it. 

AllHipHop.com: Speaking of

people talking… You’re career kind of started with some shady behavior. 

Not everyone knows about what went down with you and Scott Boogie, so

tell me exactly what happened. 

Apex: Basically, this clown

Scott Boogie got a hold of the beat ‘I Get Money,” and got it to

some important people over at G-Unit and represented it as his own work.

50 heard it and ran with it, and within a two week span, he recorded

the song and shot the video. And within that two week span, they found

out something was funny about dude because all of the beats he had on

the CD, along with ‘I Get Money,” he couldn’t play over in the

studio.  So they basically found out he was a fraud.  

AllHipHop.com:   Is that situation deaded now, or are you guys still

dealing with that situation? 

Apex: Oh nah. Scott Boogie

is out and I’m in.  It’s as simple as that. And I want to make

another thing clear.  As far as the name Scott Boogie, that’s

not even the real Scott Boogie. The dude who stole the “I Get Money”

beat’s real name is Scott Muso.  He’s from the Bronx. He actually

took the name of a well-known DJ/producer from Canada. Now I have to

clean up the mess that Scott Muso did on Scott Boogie’s name. So the

real Scott Boogie is in Canada. He’s a Black dude.  The fake

Scott Boogie, I don’t know who he was, but he ain’t African-American. 

AllHipHop.com: [laughs] Okay,

so now that you’re in on one of the most highly anticipated albums

of the year [Curtis], are you sticking with G-Unit for a while

on the production tip, or are you looking to branch out? 

Apex: Right now, I’m working

with anybody that calls me.  I’ve been getting a lot of calls

from Universal [Records], Atlantic [Records], and Bad Boy [Records]. 

So I’m just basically sending tracks to all those dudes, and hopefully

something will stick.  But if 50 wants to use some tracks, he knows

where I’m at, so he can always holla at me, you feel me? I gotta lot

of heat.  Like, people got me stuck on “I Get Money,” but that

beat is two years old. Wait til’ you hear the new stuff that I got.

Uncle Murda took a track from me. I gave a beat CD to Chamillionaire.

Believe it or not, I gave a couple of tracks to Steve-O from Jackass.

[laughs] He got a little situation, so I met up with him and kicked

it.  He’s a cool dude. So we are just shootin’ joints to all

the big dudes, and also I’m working with independent artists. 

I also have my own artist I’m

developing.  His name is Kevlar. You can check him out sometime

next year. So right now I’m trying to get some more placements and

build up my name as a brand, and keep some type of consistency. I don’t

want to be some one-hit wonder. I’m good, but I’m not comfortable. 

I want more. 

AllHipHop.com: That’s what’s

up. So as far as Curtis, what would you say are the three top

tracks off the album? 

Apex: Hmm. I would have to

say “I Get Money,” “Come and Go,” and “Ayo Technology.”   

AllHipHop.com: Now, top three

tracks off Kanye’s album? 

Apex: I haven’t heard all

of it, mainly the stuff that’s playing right now. But I like the “wait

til’ I get my money right” joint [“Can’t Tell me Nothin’”].

It’s like a similar concept to “I Get Money,” so I’m feeling

that one. I don’t really like “Stronger.” I know why he did that

song.  That song is a crossover song, and it worked. I just ain’t

feelin’ it.  

AllHipHop.com: Are there any

particular artists that you are really looking forward to working with

in the future? 

Apex: Dr. Dre, of course. 

That would be crazy. Snoop Dogg. Mobb Deep. I would love to get my tracks

to Keyshia Cole. You know how some dudes want to work with her because

she looks good?  It ain’t even that.  I heard her voice

before I even saw what she looks like, and her voice is crazy. So my

music, along with her voice, would make some killer tracks. Trust me.

Mariah [Carey], she got a crazy voice as well. 

AllHipHop.com: So you really

on some R&B stuff, huh? 

Apex: Like I said.  People

got me stuck on “I Get Money.”  I’m more than that, you know?

I do pop. I do R&B, urban, Hip-Hop, the gangsta stuff- whatever

it is, as long as it sounds right.  I don’t do no techno and

I don’t do no house. That ain’t my cup of tea.  

AllHipHop.com: Now, I read

that you use the MV8000.  Why that and not an MPC? 

Apex: My first MPC was actually

the MPC1000. I used to make beats on that.  I had mastered it,

but then I realized that it was holding me back, because it was limited. 

And I wanted something bigger, and I thought about going to the MPC

4000, but I did some research and felt like the 4000 wasn’t it. 

So what attracted me to the

MV8000 is that it has a VGA output for a monitor, that’s the first

thing. So after that, it was embracing you know?  Then the specs

it has with the sampling and upgrades, and the price range.  That

whole thing just pulled me in.  And I’m not the type of dude

to follow the crowd, you know? Just because I see 80,000 producers make

a platinum track, using an MPC, that doesn’t tell me that that’s

the only machine available. And yeah it’s the man behind the machine,

but the machine helps. And I’m glad I got it, because I used the MV8000

to do “I Get Money.” [laugh] AllHipHop.com: There’s been

some gossip about the remix to “I Get Money,” as far as who is going

to be featured.  You want to let me in on that? 

Apex: Honestly, they have that

classified.  I don’t know anything. It’s done though. No question

there. And I can tell you that it starts with three people, I know that. 

But that’s all I know. Same people you heard about, I heard about. 

I heard 50, Jay [Z] and Diddy were going to be on the remix, but that’s

all I heard. [laughs] 

AllHipHop.com: You’re holding

out on me, but it’s cool. So what will you be doing on September 11th? 

Apex: I’m going to be doing

a lot of running around.  Probably cookin’ up some more tracks,

and maybe a little bit of celebrating too. 

AllHipHop.com: Celebrating? 

That’s a little presumptuous, don’t you think? 

Apex:  No, I mean celebrating

the release of the album. I ain’t talkin’ about winning the world

series or nothin’. Like I said, I’m not comfortable yet.