Don’t call him Britney’s hubby or Moesha’s friend’s baby daddy, Kevin Federline – known beyond the tabloids for his movements to Hip-Hop music – is in the works for releasing his debut rap album. The dancer turned Hollywood fixture, has spent the past few years in a life resembling the Truman Show. While previously dancing in Britney’s shadow, Kevin has managed to hold his own with a fan base and website that sees two million pairs of eyes regularly.
One of the few truthful rumors circulating about Kevin Federline is the spring release of his album – title pending. While he’s window shopping labels currently, his need for the major label politics is questionable. His debut single “PopoZâo” is doing astronomically well in cyberspace. Curiosity has yet to kill this cat. AllHipHop.com spoke with the busiest husband in show business to talk about his newly conceived rap career. So does
the man envied by many men think he’s got the skills to pay the bills, or is he just another pretty face? Read on.
AllHipHop.com: How did you come into the understanding of the phrase “PopoZâo”?
Kevin Federline: Actually it was the producer I was working with at the time. He is engaged to a girl that lives over there in Sao Paolo; so he spends a lot of time out there. When he comes out, he’s always playing me these like new Brazilian dance tracks, and I kinda like over time just started picking up the language from their mannerisms when him and his wife are talking and stuff. I asked him one day when I heard the beat for “PopoZâo,” “How do you say big butt in Portuguese?” and he was like “PopoZâo.” So I’m like alright well how do you say “get your ass over here and shake it on the floor for me?” So we did this little thang in Portuguese and we ran with it.
AllHipHop.com: Did you reach out to Disco D or did he reach out to you?
Kevin Federline: I reached out to Disco.
AllHipHop.com: Well Disco D said you’re a pretty gifted freestyler; who were your influences growing up?
Kevin Federline: Man, I listened to a lot of Bay Area stuff like E-40 and Dru Down, even like Cypress Hill was big to me back then. Even before that, Kool Moe Dee and NWA; just so much Hip-Hop on my agenda when I was like 13 or 14 years old. It was crazy.
AllHipHop.com: If you had to pick a crew to join- could be from any point in Hip-Hop history- which crew would it be?
Kevin Federline: Back in the day, I would’ve probably rolled with Digital Underground. Nowadays, I don’t know, there are so many people on fire right now so I don’t even know. It would be a privilege to go over to Interscope with their crews like G-Unit and Dre. Then again, it would be real cool to go over to the East Coast and go with Jay’s crew, who’s really hot right now. Both crews are hot. Then you’ve got the South; you’ve got Jermaine. God, it’s just so diverse, I wouldn’t know which way to go. So I’ll have to do it by myself to make me feel better.
AllHipHop.com: Would you see yourself collaborating with any of them?
Kevin Federline: Oh yeah, definitely. I’d love to do a joint with the Game or even Missy or Ludacris – people from out there.
AllHipHop.com: Let’s talk about the album. Being that your life is always in the public eye, how personal will the album be?
Kevin Federline: It gets pretty personal, you know. I talk about certain situations from when I was younger. I talk quite a bit about the media and how I feel about it. The album’s pretty personal to me. There’s a lot of dance records on there, but the stuff aside from the dance records is giving people a chance to really know who I am and what I went through.
AllHipHop.com: What’s your favorite track on the album?
Kevin Federline: Wow. I’ve got a track on the album called “Down South,” and that’s probably my favorite track right now. It’s real gritty like that Bonecrusher [shouts] “I ain’t neva scared!!!” Really, really, really gritty like that.
AllHipHop.com: Who did the production on that?
Kevin Federline: My man Note. He’s the next Timbaland man, the next big thing. People aren’t ready for this guy.
AllHipHop.com: Since you have both, which weighs more in music: looks or skills?
Kevin Federline: I think the skills are really gonna work out on this. And the fact that everything I’m doing or saying on my album is real. There’s no fake agenda about it. It’s really me. Most of my blood, sweat, and tears were put into this album.
AllHipHop.com: There are a couple of titles for the album floating around. What’s the official title?
Kevin Federline: The title? I haven’t done that yet. I’m still working on the album too. It’ll probably come out around late April. The name has yet to be revealed, it’s not The Truth or any other name that was floating around. That’s all tabloid rumors.
AllHipHop.com: You’ve been doing pretty well with the number of hits online for your single. How do you feel the internet has played a role in your career?
Kevin Federline: Man, I think it’s huge. I think it’s actually been helping me out so much. We opened my website like December 15th or 16th and within a week we had like 2 million hits. The internet is like the way of the future for music right now.
AllHipHop.com: If you weren’t here, where would you be?
Kevin Federline: On Mars [laughs].