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n May 23rd, Lake and Cormega are releasing a collaborative album. Two Queensbridge street legends converge at different stages in their rap careers: one, a “hood platinum” Hip-Hop veteran, the other, a talented rapper out to prove his lyrical worth. Normally, the table would be set for an interesting conversation piece.

But like his Thanksgiving Day charity, Suge Knight dropped a turkey on that table when he signed Lake to Death Row Records East. Read as Lake addresses his signing, prospects of a Nas beef, Queens production, and why Death Row East failed the first time ‘round. If his “revolution is as real as Bobby Seale’s,” consider this the beginning.

AllHipHop.com: Since you announced signing with Death Row with Kay Slay last month, how has your life and your career changed?

Lake: The main thing was just having inspiration to look forward to the things that I know lie ahead of me. Before then, it was pretty much, there was no ray of hope. I had hope in myself. I knew I had what I needed to get it done, but it wasn’t really visual. Now, I wake up in the morning and know I got a bright future ahead of me. Forget the money and all of that.

AllHipHop.com: Before, you could have released an album anytime you wanted to. Now, Death Row has released one active-artist album since 1999 in Kurupt’s Against Tha Grain. Are you concerned that you can’t have artistic freedom?

Lake: Nah. Doin’ it with Suge, I have creative control. Whenever I want to put the album out, I’ll put the album out. If I want it out next month, it’ll be next month. I’m not stagnated in no way. That’s why this situation is really a good one for me.

AllHipHop.com: About a year ago, there were news releases that Tha Row was gonna work with Domination and Bang ‘Em Smurf for an East Coast link. Do you have any idea what happened with that?

Lake: I didn’t know nothin’ about that situation.

AllHipHop.com: How were you approached then, to sign?

Lake: I had people over in California, that had lines to get in contact with Suge. With that, I sent music to them, to get in contact with him. They got in contact with it. After that, it was on. I let him know what we wanted to do, how we wanted to come out, and it was the combination. It was a win-win.

AllHipHop.com: You’re a Queens dude first. Queens loves to see its own make big moves, but they tend to resent it when hometown dudes move away. Is your time in California, or releasing a freestyle about California, detrimental to your audience thus far?

Lake: It’s always gonna be relevant, what I’m sayin’. It’s a universal struggle that we goin’ through. The same thing we go through in Cali, we go through in New York. Everything I been through – gettin’ shot, gettin’ incarcerated and facin’ life in prison – all of that happened in Queensbridge. All my struggles and adversities went through there. So when I speak, it comes from there. I’m always gonna be Queens. Now, because of my travels, I have more to talk about – to give the streets somethin’ to think about.

AllHipHop.com: Historically, whenever Death Row has signed an established artist, that artist is always in turmoil with another big artist. You released “Why Nas?” on mixtapes recently. Nas and Mobb Deep are projected to be two of the biggest acts in 2006. Where do your allegiances lie, and where are you attacking?

Lake: Me and Cormega, that’s my boy. We got an album coming out on May 23rd. That’s before my [Death Row] album. We are back. [Queens] is gonna get more attention from the world from what I’m doing. Whatever I do, I’m bringing it to the people. With other artists, I don’t have anything against ‘em. It’s encouragement for me to get here and focus my attention. But to go at them for what they didn’t do – that’s not really where I’m at. I’m counting my blessings, and I’m not looking at them. Right now, I’ve got bigger fish to fry than to worry about dudes from Queensbridge. They know what it is.

AllHipHop.com: On your “Gutta Block King” mixtape, you had record, “The Kid from QB.” On it, you said, “Lost my youth, called a truth with my nemesis / When I finally realized what I was up against.” What does that mean to you?

Lake: To come back to the streets and cause harm to somebody, that’s not really my thing. I would rather bring people together. I expect people who’ve been through what I’ve been through to understand that. I’m blessed to be here. I few years ago, I was facin’ 100 years in prison. I beat in trial. I recognize my real foes. That’s what that line said.

AllHipHop.com: In 2001, you released the 41st Side compilation. Critically, the album did quite well. To some people who may only know you off of the Nas appearance, tell them about your Hip-Hop background…

Lake: 41st Side had all the artists from Queens – Nas, Cormega, Nature, Noreaga, Tragedy, – everybody. That was my whole goal – to bring everybody together. It really wasn’t done in that light. For me, that was a great achievement. After that, I was with Nas. I gave him a lot of pointers on working on his album. I’m from the street, and I had a lot of fresh ideas – not that Nas needed me for that, but I had it. Songs, concepts, hooks, I was on every session when he was makin’ his albums. I was there. I was on God’s Son – “Revolutionary Warfare.” It was good for me, and it was good for him at the time. There was a lot of artist development for me to be on the road with an artist of the level. For him, because of I who am, and who I am on the street, he profited from it too. I was promoting shows. I was grindin’ my way – no handouts. Me and him was supposed to start Ill Will [Records] together, but that never materialized. The time wasted [hurt] a lot of people. That’s why I [made “Why Nas?”] and express how I feel. I moved on and got with Suge three, four months later. That record wasn’t made for me to get a deal. That was the end of me, like, “S**t, I may not even be here next week. These my last rites – my last rhyme.” But, it didn’t turn out like that. A lot of people might say, “Well, what does this have to do with Hip-Hop?” But I need to express myself if certain individuals are representin’ somethin’ they not. There’s gonna be a lot more of me expressing myself, ‘cause it’s all real. You gonna respect it, whether you like it or not.

AllHipHop.com: I can’t ignore the fact that you two did “One Never Knows” – a brilliant collaboration you had together. You talk about unifying, but then expressing yourself. Is peace the greater goal?

Lake: Yeah, I would love it. But if we were to do that, it would have to be on the right terms. Me and a lot of individuals not gonna click, ‘cause we don’t have the same values. I’m really for my people. I’m goin’ to see my [locked up] dudes. I’m in the courtroom. I’m in a position to provide opportunities. It’s not gonna be peace ‘cause it’s beneficial to you. You don’t have to worry ‘bout me, that’s easy for you. I’m not gonna make you feel comfortable ‘cause you a fraud. Half of these dudes gettin’ money are portraying something they not. I don’t respect that.

AllHipHop.com: How’s the development going in acquiring Shyne to Death Row East?

Lake: Shyne is my man. I go see Shyne on a visit [often]. That’s my comrade, regardless of what he do [as far as signing]. I do whatever I can for dude. Before I signed with Suge, I was goin’ to see Shyne. Shyne was actually in a situation where he was tryin’ to get me a deal. He was tryin’ to put me on Gang Land, with him. Then, they shut down the company after the lawsuit. We was lined up for the first weekend in January, last year. Suge had good attorneys, so we gonna help him get out.

AllHipHop.com: Ten years ago, there were press releases created of trying to start a Death Row East. Sam Sneed, K-Solo, and rumors that everybody from Eric B. to Craig Mack to Big Daddy Kane were signing. It never panned. Knowing the history, are you cautious?

Lake: Nah. Even with discrepancies that the East Coast and West Coast had in ’95 and ’96, that’s what makes this so monumental – to bring East Coast and West Coast together, it be love. This is somethin’ that never happened in Hip-Hop history. Everybody knew Suge’s history with certain dudes over here, and the respect wasn’t there – because of the individuals that were over here at the time. That’s why it got to the height that it got to. With him, and his history, to deal with me over here, I take that as an honor. I know a lot of people look at it, and they don’t understand it, not knowin’ the history. This is a monumental move. For me, to be strong on the East and strong on the West, ain’t no artist out had that kind of love. I don’t mind any obstacles. I just needed an opportunity to come out. That’s all I wanted. All my problems now, are good problems.

AllHipHop.com: Since Dre, Daz, Quik, even Big Hutch have left Death Row, they’ve been heavily criticized for their lack of quality production. You’re from Queens – home of Marley Marl, Large Professor, and Havoc. How can you get beats on point?

Lake: This is Hip-Hop at its purest form. It’s gonna be street, hard, bouncy – great music. Suge got a whole roster of producers on West Coast, the “Death Row Hittaz.” Me, I’m from Queensbridge. I’ve worked with Alchemist, and Havoc – they from the East Coast. I’m working with C-4, who did Akinyele’s “Put it in Your Mouth.” I’m working with Uno Dos too. Suge has a lot of beats that never came out in the catalogs. For me to go to Paramount Studios and be doin’ that, it’s monumental for me. I’ve got some of that earlier production that Suge had over there.

AllHipHop.com: Are names we might know behind some of those beats?

Lake: Nah. I ain’t gonna put none of the names out. That’s another situation. [laughs]

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ne rapper who seemingly has lived up to his name is La the Darkman. After moving 300,000 units independently on his Heist of the Century debut, La vanished because of personal conflicts. In 1998’s freshmen class, a lot of La’s peers are no longer making music. Quite probably, many of them took day-jobs.

La hasn’t. While mostly unseen and unheard, he has taken on duties with the management side of The Aphiliates – one of the top DJ and production crews in the country – linking Crown Heights with the “A,” in a whole new way.

In honor of his recent immergence on J-Love’s “Return of the Darkman” mixtape, AllHipHop.com spoke to La about his new enterprises, his past whereabouts, and why he considers himself to a worthy suitor of the next 50 or Jay-Z story. Welcome back.

AllHipHop.com: La, you’ve got one tape out now with J-Love. But you’re doing another with DJ Drama and Don Cannon. Tell me why you’re bumping these so close together, and how they’re different?

La the Darkman: They’re two completely different tapes, man. I did the one with J-Love, ‘cause dude is a different type of DJ. He’s hard, and grimy, and to the core, which I am too. On some 2006, my s**t is a little more fly with it [too]. I wanted everybody to know I still do [what I’ve always done]. I’m durable. That J-Love mixtape is the first mixtape I’ve ever done.

AllHipHop.com: I thought that. A lot’s happened since 1998. You’ve done features and whatnot. But why are you coming so strong in 2006?

La the Darkman: I been studying. I went through some personal issues – droppin’ the album, dealing with fame – I wasn’t really famous, I was just street credible. I was recognized. I’ve never been on Rap City, never had a commercial. I’m still a new face. Locally and nationwide, I was respected in the street. I caught a couple situations with violence in different states. I went through personal stuff from ’98 to 2003. Then, I had a little legal issue, and got over that. Everything was a learning process. We were independent, and we wanted to be like how Master P and [No Limit] was doin’ it. I grew up. I started makin’ music again in 2003 and 2004. My life comes first.

AllHipHop.com: Heist of the Century sold just under 300,000 copies. That’s incredible – and independently.

La the Darkman: Independently! My credentials and my resume links me to be one of the next Diddy or Jay. Sayin’ that means a lot. But I want to put the work in. I want to be nationwide – not a regional thing.

AllHipHop.com: Is that why you aligned with The Aphiliates?

La the Darkman: Those are my partners. People startin’ to know about them more. We’re gonna do The Aphiliates Music.

AllHipHop.com: Between Atlanta and New York, where’s home now?

La the Darkman: I be back and forth from ATL to Crown Heights, [Brooklyn]. We got two offices. It’s growin’. I do most of the managerial work with [The Aphiliates].

AllHipHop.com: Most often, rappers need a deal, financially, so they’re often at the whim of the label. From what I know, you’re good financially. So how do you go about getting a deal? Is it hard to be wealthy and hungry for a comeback?

La the Darkman: Hell no. First off, it’ll never hurt the music. I am hungry, but I’m not thirsty. I’m hungry like I come from Hungaria, but I’m a businessman, and I’m not gonna take a non-leverage deal. I got the leverage. I’ve got real estate ventures. I did that off the first album. My first deal was for 750 thousand, with Navarre. I did an Atlantic deal before that which was for 450 [thousand dollars]. We took that money, released a buzz record, then went indie. I understood what it meant to be indie.

AllHipHop.com: Was it difficult to break away from a major after a big check and one year?

La the Darkman: Not when you got high-powered lawyers. Not when you respected as a man, first. I always wanna make the best music – regardless of if I’m getting one dollar, a million dollars, or nothing at all. I want my music to be bangin’.

AllHipHop.com: Let me ask you this then. You did a song with Vanilla Ice and Insane Clown Posse. I understand you spent some time in Michigan, but was “Unbreakable” something you genuinely wanted to do? A lot of people scratch their heads.

La the Darkman: I know they scratch their heads. I did that song in 2002. Nah, I did that song ‘cause it’s a whole ‘nother market. I respected Insane Clown Posse as businessmen, to have a catalog like they have, independently. Vanilla Ice sold 10 million records, had Taco Bell commercials, I wanted to mix the lines. I got paid good too. We was vibin’. I’m a student of this whole thing. I’m tryin’ to be Kobe Bryant in this thing. I got a ring before – 300,000 records. I’m ready to get rings without Shaq now.

AllHipHop.com: “Shaq” could be perceived as Wu-Tang Clan. What’s your status like with them now?

La the Darkman: I talked to RZA the other day. I got beats from RZA, I got Meth on a joint. They my brothers. I’m ‘bout to build another clan. We gonna be like Great Britain and America. Love is love. But I’m ready to go score 81 and be second in history to Wilt Chamberlain. The Clan, they always around! I was a teenager when I dropped Heist of the Century, now I’m a grown-ass man.

AllHipHop.com: A teenage millionaire. That must’ve been crazy.

La the Darkman: Yeah, yeah. But you gotta know how to control it.

AllHipHop.com: You’re a late 90’s rapper trying to make it to the top. That sounds like the 50 Cent story. Why did you choose to put him on the mixtape with “Fast Lane”? That verse was on Guess Who’s Back? so why’d you do it?

La the Darkman: Me and 50 got the same lawyers. They blessed me with that. I got mad respect for them G-Unit n***as. Me and 50 actually did shows and parties together. To come out, go away, then come back out, and do it right – that same story goes for Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, DMX, RZA, and GZA [too]. You’ve been here before. What’s nice about me is – my first record had way more success than any of those people [whom] I just named first records.

AllHipHop.com: We recently spoke to Raekwon about this too. New York is really buzzing off of “cocaine rap” right now. You’ve got a new song, “1000 Grams.” Do you think it’s dangerous to show young minds that life?

La the Darkman: It’s dangerous, but it’s reality. My aunt’s 52 years old. She asked me that same question. And she asked, “Is what you sayin’ true?” I said, “Yeah.” And she said, “Do what your heart say do.” I did. It’s reality. It’s like CNN promoting the war – showing the bombs dropping, the buildings exploding – it’s reality. It’s dangerous to show the kids the war, but the war is real. I’m a realist. I’m not an idealist. I combat that song with other songs that tell the children, “Do your math. Do your studies.”

AllHipHop.com: Speaking of this, it always amazed me that you wrote, as a teenager, so extensively about love. You had “Lovin’ You,” “A Letter,” or “Love.”

La the Darkman: I’m not a boy or insecure with myself. I don’t have to question what somebody else thinks. That don’t mean nothin’ to me. [laughs] I’m like G.W. Call me La W. Darkman, like G.W. Bush. That’s gangsta ‘cause then I was making “Love,” I got certain criticism too…think I listened to it? I’m everything. I’m the epitome of new rap ‘cause I’m just not cocaine rap, love rap, materialistic rap, spiritual rap – I’m everything that Hip-Hop was made of in the beginning. I’m everything that we need to lead this new generation.

AllHipHop.com: You’ve got this joint, “Survive” on the J-Love mixtape. On there, you say, “I do the best thing I know how, ‘cause my life now, is my life as a child.” What does that mean to you?

La the Darkman: Everything to me, bro. That line right there means everything. When I go in the car and I drive by myself, I just drive – sometimes a nice whip, sometimes whatever. I have been able to obtain and elevate every year. I come from poverty. I come from a single-parent. I come from public housing. I come from free cheese. For me to start off with nothin’ but a good-loving mother, and my aunts and uncles, we had love – to see myself now as co-exec of corporations that generate six [million] grossed. I have to thank the Lord. That’s what that means.

AllHipHop.com: What’s the timetable like for an album?

La the Darkman: What I’m really goin’ for is new distribution. I want to strengthen my distribution. I had Navarre the first time, which is a computer software company. We still sold 300,000 records with a computer software company with [no knowledge] of Hip-Hop. I’m looking to attach my machine to a stronger machine. I’m right for the time.

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ueens, New York native J-Love brings a whole different flavor to the mixtape game. Rather than chase what’s hot, J-Love frequently pays homage to past greats and living legends. Most recently, J-Love linked up with artist, La the Darkman for “Return of the Darkman.” Though an unlikely decision to some, this furthers J-Love’s reputation for taking chances, promoting the Hip-Hop he loves, and taking chances on counter-culture trends.

Currently, the DJ is on tour with Ghostface Killah, an artist who J-Love gained notoriety with, after doing “Hidden Darts” several years back. AllHipHop.com caught up with the man as he was packing his bags, to discuss La the Darkman, real Hip-Hop, and what’s in Large Professor’s carry-on luggage. If you’re unimpressed with today’s tapemasters, turn over to J-Love.

AllHipHop.com: For your side of things, what let you know that it was the right time to do a La the Darkman mixtape, and how did it happen?

J-Love: It’s not so much timing. It was about gettin’ everything together – the right music. La’s been ready for the longest. He’s one of them artists who did it independently, so he doesn’t have to be assed out and label dependent. He’s bringin’ an element that the streets is missin’. So, let’s do it, you know?

AllHipHop.com: Did you know each other before this?

J-Love: I got at La ‘cause I was workin’ on a compilation album in like ’97. I got a production deal. I wanted him on my project. For whatever reason, the situation didn’t work out with the label I was on it. But me and La just kept in tune. We just always built. We always seen things eye-to-eye, and I was always checkin’ for him.

AllHipHop.com: I know one of your more famous tapes was with Masta Killa before his album. But how difficult is it to do a tape with an artist who’s been unheard for so long?

J-Love: I know the artists themselves and their foundation. I know all the work they’ve done previously. I make the best CD I can possibly make out of what’s given to me, and whatever else I have. I approach it from the street level of, “This guy’s hot. I know I’d check for his album when it comes out.” At the same time, I want a good reflection on me – like, “Yo, he only f**ks with the right s**t, the real Hip-Hop!”

AllHipHop.com: Have you ever done a tape on or hosted by anybody that’s not from New York or New Jersey?

J-Love: Nah, not so much outta state. It’s really been the tri-state for me.

AllHipHop.com: There’s a lot of mixtape DJ’s that boast production skills. You’ve done work with Cormega, Guru, and Large Professor. Tell me a little bit about your history beyond just the tapes…

J-Love: I think I’m like the best-kept secret. I’m not an industry ass-shaker. I just do it how I wanna do it. A lot of people, they don’t like that. They want everything conformed to their style. I try to keep it on the essence of real Hip-Hop. For instance, with the mixtapes, I don’t just make CD’s ‘cause Jay-Z’s hot at the time. When I did the first Ghostface “Hidden Darts” tape, Ghost wasn’t even hot. But I felt Ghost. I felt like the streets needed that at the time. That’s why I’m not big on the club scene. I’m not into the Down South movement and all that. I’m from the ’93, ’94 era of Hip-Hop, where you had to have a certain quality of music to bring forth. Now, it’s an era of a catchy-hook and a beat that somebody used before, you can sell millions.

AllHipHop.com: Cormega has spoken very highly of you. Tell me how your bond started?

J-Love: Cormega, I got him his deal. To me, Cormega and La [the Darkman] are both kinda in the same situation. They both financially stable. Their life does not depend on gettin’ a record deal. They also had the attitude like, “F**k it, they gotta come to me.” I’m like, “Nah, you gotta push yourself out there. You gotta bring it to the streets and let the streets decide.” When Cormega was on Landspeed [Records], it wasn’t the ideal situation for him. But getting the record out there was the main objective. I brought him to Landspeed, and they wasn’t even feelin’ him hard at the time. Sure enough, 150,000 copies later. On The Realness, I was there everyday helpin’ him pick the beats, hands-on.

AllHipHop.com: You’ve done A&R work for labels. That said, from a label side, how does it look when an artist approaches them, but doesn’t necessarily need the money?

J-Love: It depends on the label. Mostly with labels, they don’t really care if the artist is talented. It’s mostly if the buzz is there. Understand, 50 [Cent] is not the greatest rapper. But his buzz was so incredible that everybody wanted him. But there was a period when nobody wanted him. No artist is getting signed on their skills nowadays. There’s plenty of talented artists or cats who put out bangin’ albums in the past who can’t even get a meeting.

AllHipHop.com: I’ve seen it all too often, myself…

J-Love: That’s why I always try to support those artists. Even in DJ markets, they don’t support the real Hip-Hop. At one point, everybody was sweatin’ Raekwon. “Raekwon! Raekwon!” Then he did an album that wasn’t the s**t, and everybody [ignored him]. Now that he’s talkin’ about Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2, everybody’s jumpin’ on the bandwagon again. I just find that s**t fake. Maybe not all the music is right, but there’s somethin’ on there.

AllHipHop.com: Right, right.

J-Love: Some artists are getting overlooked. Look at [Kool] G Rap, a veteran. Where does he fit in this game now? He fore-fathered a lot of these rappers, but they’re not accepting him unless he does it like this? You gotta sound like 50 to get accepted? It’s crazy. That’s why I tell a lot of them n***as, “Nah, give it to me. I’ll get it out there.” I got a satellite position, I got the mixtape game. There’s definitely fans that’s still checkin’. I came up on these artists and it just feels good to be in a position of even dealin’ with ‘em.

AllHipHop.com: I feel the same way you do in my line of work. Outside of New York, where are your tapes really knockin’?

J-Love: Japan. Australia. I’ve even had customers in Africa. I would never think. I feel like my s**t is different from a lot of the other DJ’s. You can be a nobody artists – somebody like Killa Sha, to Jay-Z, it’s all mixed in. You can see the difference in Big Mike, Whoo Kid, and all of them.

AllHipHop.com: You’ve worked a lot with Large Professor, who is historically a very solitary dude. How did you earn his trust, and what was it like to work with him?

J-Love: It’s not so much business. I could just call a n***a and be like, “Happy birthday, Merry Christmas,” you know? That’s how I carry myself. In Large’s case, that’s how we got cool. When I was doing my album, the first single, “Rhyme Mania.” I produced that. That s**t was real hot at the time. Back then, he had just lost his deal with Geffen, and he was really out of it, depressed, turned off of music. “Nah man, come on. Let’s get it.” Then he got his lil’ situation, and it came to him. Large is funny too. ‘Cause he’s a dude with so many beats, that he’ll give his best s**t to other people. Sometimes they don’t return it. Like he’ll go all out for Nas, but Nas won’t go all out for him. You gotta weigh the skills.

AllHipHop.com: Being so close to dude – I gotta ask. What’s in the briefcase he’s always carrying?

J-Love: That’s the laptop. All the music files, beat disks. Large is one of the producers that’s up to date and up to speed with all the things that’s going on in the Hip-Hop world. He put me onto iTunes like five, six years ago. He’s advanced in music, digital stuff, everything. He’s another one that gets shunned on. He’s not part of the Dipset or G-Unit or whatever. Most kids only know him ‘cause of the Nas affiliation. It’s sad.

AllHipHop.com: Your logo, what is it actually, and what’s it mean?

J-Love: I got a big heart. But it’s got a black side. You turn on me, I could be ruthless. I’m from the streets first. I got the dark side and the good side. Like half and half, don’t ever get it confused.

AllHipHop.com: When you yank an exclusive, are you getting calls in the middle of the night and papers?

J-Love: In the beginning, it used to be like that. Not so much now. They used to ask me, and I wouldn’t answer. They’d ask me how I got it, “Don’t worry about it, it went over your head,” or something. I got a little arrogance to me. Now, the industry’s centered around that. Even with an artist like La, without me putting them on the tapes, I’m not sure they’d get checked for. I mean, nobody’s playin’ La’s records on the radio – not in New York. Same for Large Professor. I mean, maybe a little bit in the “knapsack” crowd, but not on the mainstream. I’m filling those voids. At the same time though, if Large Pro makes a wack record, I’m not gonna play it. But if it’s a hot record, “Let’s go!” That could be anybody – that could be Grand Daddy IU. To me, if the record’s right, play it.

AllHipHop.com: What’s coming up on your forefront?

J-Love: I got [Ghostface’s] “Hidden Darts III.” I’m going on tour with Ghost. I’m gonna do a M.O.P CD, a Cormega CD, another volume of Mobb Deep. I look at my CD’s as a catalog. “Damn, I need that one too.”

AllHipHop.com: What’s the tour gig like?

J-Love: Mathematics used to DJ for him. I guess he can’t do every tour right now. So I’m just trying to bring the energy out. I know Ghost is about to get real hot right now, the album is nuts. It’s a mutual respect. I’m trying to bring the hottest show to the forefront?

AllHipHop.com: Did you have to practice to get the routines down with Ghost?

J-Love: Nah. Ghost is Ghost. [laughs] That’s the best way I can explain it.

J-Love mixtapes can be purchased at www.j-loveonline.com.

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o you wanna be a major label emcee? You want the big money, fast woman and fancy cars. You want to live the life you see depicted by every emcee with a video on BET. Unfortunately, its not that easy, just ask Apathy. As a member of the underground super group The Demigodz, Apathy has been one of the most revered indy emcees in the game. Through his various 12-inch singles, guest appearances and work on the Demigodz EP, Apathy quickly built a name for himself as one of the sickest battle emcees. With a strong buzz in the underground it was only a matter of time until major labels started coming his way. While Interscope Records showed interest, Apathy decided to sign with Atlantic Records. As a major victory for the underground circuit, fans were giddy at the prospect of Apathy receiving a major label push.

However, that was three years ago. Since then Apathy has learned about the pitfalls of the industry of the hard way. With no album in sight, many wonder if Ap will ever drop his major label debut. In order to hold fans over, Apathy is dropping his new indy album Eastern Philosophy through Babygrande Records. While fans will finally get some new material from the MC, the questions still remain regarding his deal with Atlantic. Here to squash all the rumors and set the record straight, Apathy holds no punches in an honest discussion about the reality of being signed to a major label.

AllHipHop.com: Underground fans have been waiting for Eastern Philosophy and talking about it for what seems like years now. So is there any strategic reasoning to releasing it now?

Apathy: There wasn’t a strategic reason – it was more based on content. I have wanted to do Eastern Philosophy for the longest time and we have recorded so many songs that were supposed to be for the album, but something never felt right to me. So in the end, I’m very happy that I waited until now. The album would have been corny if I released it before and the formula wasn’t right. Something just didn’t sit right with me. We recorded it so many different times, but I had to take a step back from it.

AllHipHop.com: So all of this material was recorded the past year?

Apathy: It was recorded in the last year and a half. We just kept adding to it and I really sat down and put myself in the mind frame of what I wanted my album to sound like. I sat down and liked to nothing but Illmatic, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, the first two Organized Konfusion albums, Pete Rock & CL Smooth….I’m not saying my album is supposed to be like those, but that was the mind frame I was trying to set myself in. That’s the mood I wanted to set and I literally only listened to those albums. I didn’t listen to any new s**t during that time. I wanted to make an album that produces that feeling I used to get while listening to those albums.

AllHipHop.com: Yeah, the album does remind me of like a snowy day in New York City in ’96, or something like that.

Apathy: That’s exactly what I was trying to go for. That is the exact feel!

AllHipHop.com: You stated the earlier material you recorded for the album was “corny,” so what was wrong with it?

Apathy: It was just a lot of happy-go-lucky battle s**t. There is nothing wrong with that, but my fans have been hearing that from me for a long time. I’ve done the whole thing where we did the Demigodz EP and the underground 12-inches and all of that is cool and great, but I wanted to have something with a little more substance to it. I wanted to have an album that had replay value.

AllHipHop.com: Some people who may have not followed you throughout your career may categorize you as a battle rapper. But on this album, the thing that really sticks out is the amount of conceptual tracks. Can you run down some of the concepts and issues you are touching on Eastern Philosophy?

Apathy: The first concept that I go through that sets off the whole album is the title track “Eastern Philosophy.” I’m basically going through the key points of growing up in the East. How our summers are disgustingly hot and humid and our winters are bitter and cold. I touch on all the feelings of the East. Then I have the battle and s**t-talking joints here and there, but then I got a song called “All About Crime.” When I did that I didn’t want to just do hustlers and gangstas – its been done to death. I wanted to talk about crime from the molecular level. Everything from crime back at the beginning of time to blue/white collar crime. I touch upon all of it. Then I got “9 To 5,” where I talk about how I can’t go back to working a regular job anymore. This is my lifestyle now and I’m trying to do something different.

AllHipHop.com: On “9 To 5” you have the classic Jay sample, but what was the worse job you ever had?

Apathy: There is probably two of them. My father and uncle had a painting business and that was some of the hardest f**king work I have ever done in my life. We would be out in the summer painting houses and industrial complexes. It was physically exhausting and it required crazy hours. But the most annoying was working in a Radio Shack where I was treated like s**t and I was beefing with the manager. I also worked third shift at a casino – that s**t was hell. I was a slot attendant who paid out jackpots. So I’ve had my fair share of crazy jobs.

AllHipHop.com: With you being on Atlantic the past couple of years working on your album, what does your daily grind consist of?

Apathy: I just try to do whatever I can. Everyday I am trying to do something and I don’t stop. I don’t get up and say, “I’m gonna write a major label song today.” I get up and I’ll either write what I feel or make some moves interpedently and underground. I’m working on projects with my other Demigodz crew members. I’ll try to make moves doing the Atlantic thing. I’m also working with Celph Titled. My daily grind is just trying to get whatever done I can. I usually have a list of things and I try to multitask as best as I can.

AllHipHop.com: How are you continually providing an income while waiting for your album to drop? Is it through your indie releases and touring?

Apathy: Yeah, through indy releases, touring, licensing….I’ve had some songs licensed in video games and TV. I haven’t had a day job since ’99 and I’ve been doing alright. It’s a constant hustle and grind though. I don’t recommend it right away. [Laughter] It’s crazy.

AllHipHop.com: I know you probably got this question 100 times today, but why the long wait for the album? Can you run down the process and everything you have had to go through?

Apathy: That is the hardest question to really answer because I really don’t f**king know. It’s so weird how much time has passed and how we can’t get on the same page. That gets me real frustrated and I’ll go a long time without talking or dealing with them. Then eventually we will start to work again together. All my misconceptions about labels before are gone now. When you are younger you think you get signed and they whisk you away, put you in a studio with the biggest producers and you make an album. I really thought that was how s### jumped off. But that’s not the way it is – especially nowadays with technology. They will have you two-track s**t to death until you find the proper hit. So everything I thought about majors before was just dead wrong. Being signed is cool, its an amazing thing and I’m happy for the opportunity, but all that glitters is not gold. There are other things too. I was just talking to Little Brother because we are doing some tour dates with them – they are the coolest, most humble cats – and I was telling them, “I’m so envious of you guys because you got signed to Atlantic and were allowed to do the album you wanted to do.” But with me, I keep submitting songs to my A&R and he’s like, “Uhh, yeah, it’s cool, keep recording.”

AllHipHop.com: Does it worry you that Little Brother dropped a good album that got critical acclaim from everywhere, but they still didn’t sell anything and struggled to even get their video on BET. Does that worry you that when you come out you may see the same results?

Apathy: Hell yeah, it worries me! The f**ked up thing is, nowadays kids aren’t used to buying albums. It’s not engrained in their psyche. Back in the day that is how we got our music. We were used to going into the store, tearing off the CD plastic and reading the inside. Nowadays that’s not happening. Kids are used to downloading everything now. It worries me when I heard that BET wouldn’t play De La Soul and Beatnut’s new videos. BET will break all these new artists out of nowhere, but they won’t put a De La Soul video on? What is that going to do? Is that going to hurt something if De La gets played a couple times on TV? I really don’t get it.

AllHipHop.com: I remember about four years ago the underground scene was really booming. I’m not gonna name any names, but you had tons of groups and artists releasing amazing material. And maybe its just me, but it seems as if that movement has really died down the past two years and the quality of underground releases isn’t the same. Do you think this is true and if so, why?

Apathy: It’s so true. I love that you say it because if I sit here and say, “Kids that drop s**t nowadays are wack,” it sounds like I’m a hater, which is not the case. But nowadays everybody puts s**t out, and the market is oversaturated. Anyone can press up a record today. And the funny thing is – back in the day there were wack rappers. Why do you think the term exists? Some people just don’t have skill. But nowadays, everybody feels it’s their god given right to have a shot. Anyone feels they can be an emcee and they are entitled to it.

When I came up listening to Kool G. Rap, Gang Starr, EPMD…these were dudes with dope voices and who had hard beats. Now dudes have the softest accents, the softest voices, the corniest subject matter and they are just feeling themselves! That s**t is f**king corny. Just because you do some conscious s**t doesn’t mean you got a flow like Brother J or Chuck D.

AllHipHop.com: Overall, tell us your vision for the future?

Apathy: I’m just really optimistic. I’m a relentless person, so no matter what, I’m just gonna work. My worth ethic is crazy. I’m gonna work and make something happen, so I can only hope for the best. I’m gonna try and do the biggest thing possible and try to do whatever I can to release major label albums. I’m gonna continue to push Demigodz as a project. I’m gonna keep doing what I do. There is nothing more I can do than Hip-Hop and there is nothing more I wanna do. Its what I love and it’s how I live.

P

rozack Turner knows how quickly things can change. When DreamWorks Records signed the Bay area native in 2002, he seemed destined for success. A generous advance and recording budget allowed him to bounce across the country to work with Pete Rock, Organized Noize, J Dilla, and the Alchemist. The production Dream Team helped Prozack craft Death, Taxes and Prozack, the album he thought would make him a star.

Prozack’s star suddenly dimmed when DreamWorks pulled an EPMD and put up an Out of Business sign in 2003. The label was sold to Universal Music Group, who declined to release Prozack’s album, leaving him broke and unemployed. Bills stacked so high, he used a fake voice to tell collectors, “Zack is dead.” In a matter of months, he went from being marked as the next big thing to being another casualty of the recording industry.

Things are changing once again now that Prozack is preparing to release his new album, Bangathon. He describes the project as soulful and honest, recorded in Ireland amid a haze of studio sessions and Guinness bottles. Prozack spoke with AllHipHop.com about Bangathon, why he left America to record it, and what it’s like to dedicate a song to a p### star.

AllHipHop.com: You say on “Wonderful Life” that you used to steal a lot as a kid. What led to that?

Prozack Turner: I grew up in San Jose, California and we were just bored a lot of the time. My mom was at work quite a bit, and it’s a hard job for a mom to raise three boys. We were always on the loose getting into trouble just trying to have an interesting life. But I was a horrible criminal because I didn’t do it for the money; I would boost stuff because it was fun.

AllHipHop.com: Was having fun kind of what drew you to Hip-Hop?

Prozack Turner: Oh, completely. That’s the main thing with Hip-Hop – I like doing it. God knows that the money is not good at this level. It’s like a marriage because it’s a constant struggle, but it’s fulfilling if you stick with it. Not to be cliché, but I feel married to the music. Even though it’s hard, it’s definitely gratifying when you make a song that touches people.

AllHipHop.com: So what was it like to go through that struggle and get signed?

Prozack Turner: It’s crazy, ‘cause one year you’re working with your homies rapping in the shower in your boy’s home-rigged studio set-up, and then a year later, you’re in Battery Studios looking through the glass at Pete Rock. It’s unbelievable. Maybe to some cats in the game, that’s no big deal, but to me, that was really special. Or like with Jay Dee, R.I.P. I’m so honored that I got to work with the dude. People don’t realize that your life is so precious and you have to cherish everything in it. Life hurts, but embrace that pain and learn from it so you appreciate the sunny days.

AllHipHop.com: Things obviously weren’t so sunny for you when DreamWorks shut down.

Prozack Turner: That was really difficult because I had worked so hard on my album. I swung for the fence and was really confident with the project. [After DreamWorks shut down], I couldn’t afford to get the masters back because they put money into it. They were saying, “If you want the record back, you have to pay us for recording costs.” That was in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. I was depressed for a while, but I’m a resilient person. I did my best and made a good record. I got to establish relationships with people I really respect in the music industry and never would have dreamed of meeting. It was awesome and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

AllHipHop.com: So you’re not disappointed that Death, Taxes and Prozack was never released?

Prozack Turner: Somebody bootlegged it, so it’s out there. People have heard it, but nobody ever did ads for it or released a real single. I’m just glad my A&R signed me and somebody even believed in me enough to make a record. I could be mad, but that doesn’t get you anywhere in life.

AllHipHop.com: That album had a song called “Dear Old Dad” dealing with your regrets about the relationship with your late father. Do you still feel that way?

Prozack Turner: No, not at all. I had written that song prior to my Dad passing, and I was almost scared to let him hear it because it was real scathing. I loved the dude and I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. I was blessed to even have a dad who loved me or spent time with me when he had the time. My mother was moving around quite a bit and I didn’t realize it at the time, but my dad couldn’t just pack up and move every time his ex-wife moved. I wish that he and I had ironed stuff out and I didn’t have to write a song to get over it, but I feel like that song helped me squash it. After my dad died, I forgave him about a lot of stuff. He loved me but wasn’t good at expressing it like a lot of men aren’t. He’s from the old school, you know? They didn’t have Dr. Phil.

AllHipHop.com: What have you been doing since the DreamWorks deal fell through?

Prozack Turner: I have just been studying the indie market, working on my production skills. I moved to Los Angeles to be where the money is. I have no interest in signing to a major again. That’s just a sinking ship, and there are only so many life preservers. I’m trying to make some gourmet cuisine and the majors are only interested in fast food artists.

AllHipHop.com: Now you’re getting set to release Bangathon. How do you compare yourself to when you first came into the game?

Prozack Turner: I’m a little bit more seasoned as far as understanding the business side of the music industry. In a sense, [being dropped] made me better because I had it all and lost it. Now I have that fire again and I’m hungrier than ever. With this new album, you see that you’re not guaranteed anything. It’s like in Rocky where dude lost but is saying, “I almost knocked him out. If the fight would have gone another round, I’d be champ.” So Bangathon to me feels like Rocky II, because I’m coming back and I know I can make this happen.

AllHipHop.com: What made you travel to Ireland to record Bangathon?

Prozack Turner: My family is of Irish descent, and I’ve always had an affinity for Ireland. I had a break-up with my girlfriend and I was kind of depressed. We lived in Oakland and it’s a small town, so I was running into my ex all the time. I just had to get out of town to regroup my thoughts and come back fresh. I bounced out to Ireland with some beat CD’s from producers I know, stayed with some family and friends, and before I knew it, I had this album done.

AllHipHop.com: Oh No produced the most songs on the album. How did you end up working with him?

Prozack Turner: Through Madlib. I heard Oh No’s beats on Cali Wild, and I just wanted to work with him. He’s a real forward thinking cat and I love that. A lot of cats just make beats, but he has a sound. I like producers who have a particular sound because it makes the difference on the track not just going all over the place.

AllHipHop.com: On a less serious tip, what drove you to write “The Ballad of Adriana Sage”?

Prozack Turner: [Laughing] Marc Stretch referenced her in a song we did for our group, Foreign Legion. I never heard of her, so I went on the Internet to look her up and she was beautiful, freaky, and everything you’d want in a girl. So, I sent that Foreign Legion album to Adriana and said, “You might get a kick out this because we mention you on this song.” She ended up e-mailing me back saying it was dope and I started talking to her on e-mail fairly frequently. I wasn’t trying to holler or anything, just small talk. One day I looked at her website and I’m like, whoa! This is a human being that I had conversations with, not just some p### star. I was blunted and wrote the song about wanting to be with her.

AllHipHop.com: Has she heard it yet?

Prozack Turner: Yeah, she digs it. After I sent it to her, I was hoping I didn’t hurt her feelings because I say in the song, “I’m not judging you, but aren’t you tired of having guys all up in you/Just f88king you and never really loving you?” I wasn’t trying to offend her, you know? It was like a love song saying she should come be with me, but the song was a total joke. She sent me an e-mail saying how she listens to it in her car all the time, so it’s cool.

AllHipHop.com: Foreign Legion was known for unique on-stage antics like you rapping in a sac on Marc Stretch’s back. What made the group go that route?

Prozack Turner: It’s funny because we’re known for that, but we only did it for like three months. We started doing shows in the Bay in ’99 and the Hip-Hop scene at the time was really amazing. Zion I, Hiero, Jurassic 5 and Dilated Peoples were all doing the same shows, so we’d be on a bill with seven groups. We did crazy things sort of as a publicity stunt so people would remember us. They’d drive home and say, “Who the hell were those dudes dressed up like the Flintstones?” So it worked, but I felt like people started coming to the show just to see our stupid gimmicks. I didn’t want to turn into the Village People, so we cut that s**t out. It’s fun to do silly s**t, but it’s more gratifying when people come to your show and just like the music.

AllHipHop.com: What’s the creation process like now without Foreign Legion?

Prozack Turner: It’s not as fun, man. When I think of Foreign Legion making Playtight or Kidnapper Van, I have great memories to attribute to those albums: drinking beer, eating Indian food, and just laughing. Plus, I was in Dublin recording this album with an Irish engineer in a cold ass studio and I didn’t have someone to turn to and ask, “Is this cool? Is this corny?” You have to trust yourself more when you’re doing it all alone.

AllHipHop.com: You say on “Bangathon” that “hip-hop ain’t dead.” What do you think it needs to live a better life?

Prozack Turner: I think it’s already happening on its own. I hear people talk about the golden age of Hip-Hop and how it all used to be so good, but I remember when A Tribe Called Quest dropped “Award Tour” and Vanilla Ice was dominating the radio. There’s always been garbage music out, so don’t look to radio to tell you where Hip-Hop is going. It’s all about who can grind the hardest and make good music, and I could do this s**t forever.