Nothing looks sweeter on a Technics 1200 platter than the classic yellow felt Nervous Records slipmats. Depending on your lifestyle, you might go with the Wrecked or Weeded variation, but these mats were a staple in chill-spots for my growing up, and my awakening to Hip-Hop. The Nervous logo and company manifesto has never changed.

However, it’s been a number of years since the independent label has made a 12” plate to drop on the mats that had the magnitude of Black Moon or Smif-N-Wessun’s debut albums. Nobody knows that more than Founder, Mike Weiss. But what people may be unaware of, is that Mike Weiss and Nervous Records have remained committed to Hip-Hop through the decade. These days, it is Nervous that puts out singles and albums from iconic figures like Busy Bee and PMD. Mike Weiss is a B-Boy’s executive, all the way.

AllHipHop.com wanted to check in with Mike, to see how the leading independent Hip-Hop label of the early 90’s is staying edgy and fresh. With a new group on the way, Weiss looks back on his history and his future with realism and optimism alike.

AllHipHop.com: First off, coming from a DJ background… Nervous has one of the most popular slipmats because your logos are classic. Nervous, Weeded, etc. How did that logo come to be, and what does it mean to you?

Mike Weiss: I came up with the Nervous logo in 1991. Back then, the hot labels weren’t doing cartoon logos, so I thought the cartoon would set us off from other labels at the time. I got inspired one day when I was at Vinylmania Records. The place was crowded, and somebody wanted to get a copy of a record off the wall rack in the back. So one of the guys working there grabbed the record off the rack and threw it to the guy up front, but he didn’t catch it – and it him in the head. As far as the word “Nervous,” before I started Nervous, I reactivated my father’s old Disco label, Sam Records, and turned it to a Hip-Hop label. I was promoting records to Chuck Chillout up at WBLS, and I was pushing him hard to play my records. He started calling me, “Captain Nervous,” and the word just had a good ring to it.

AllHipHop.com: This summer you’re releasing a Busy Bee 12″. Truthfully, it doesn’t get more Hip-Hop than that. Tell me why you’re doing that, perhaps at a time when people are interested in tomorrow’s stars, not yesteryear’s…

Mike Weiss: It seems real hard to make an impression in the stores and clubs right now, especially if you cannot come with a six-figure video. So I’m just looking for artists that at least have some recognition. I had some success with the EPMD “Danger Zone” single last Fall. Busy Bee is a known entity, and still actively doing shows. So it seemed like a fresh concept to have him release a single. A lot of mixers around the country are feeling it.

AllHipHop.com: Another big moment this past year was the Hit Squad record. Parrish Smith is one of the most seasoned veterans still capable of accomplishing his best record… did the project meet your expectations?

Mike Weiss: We were hoping to sell 10,000 CD’s. While we didn’t quite hit that number, we got CD’s into all the right spots, and did a nice lil’ tour that was able to bring some awareness to both Nervous and to PMD.

AllHipHop.com: As the vinyl-buying culture has declined, how has your business-plan and day-to-day operations changed? Nervous has always seemed to do more for the DJ than the CD-buying culture. How has your attitude changed with the times?

Mike Weiss: The vinyl market is suffering. The core spots in the East Coast like Rock N’ Soul in New York City, Beat Street in Brooklyn, Sound of Market in Philly, they aren’t moving nearly the numbers they used to. We can’t fight the digital movement. The big sites like iTunes and Napster are giving nice exposure to underground Hip-Hop, but I think they will always be known for the commercial sounds. We need a great digital download site to emerge that will really be geared towards [underground Hip-Hop] sales, similar to what Sandbox and HipHopSite are for mail-order.

AllHipHop.com: We can’t ignore Black Moon, the greatest Hip-Hop act that Nervous was a part of. Buckshot at times, has criticized your early dealings. I’m curious to hear your side. Some fans argued that Duck Down’s sound was watered down at Priority…

Mike Weiss: There’s no question that we had a good formula when Black Moon and Smif-N-Wessun were signed to Nervous, and when Dru-Ha was working here. With respect to Buckshot’s criticizing those early dealings, I’m not going to get into a war of words over anything. Everybody has their own take on what went down. Bottom line is this: I gave Black Moon, Smif-N-Wessun, and Dru-Ha their first gigs in the business. They were able to take that experience and move in the business. Do I think we all would have been better off if we had stayed together? Absolutely, yes. But it wasn’t meant to be. I’m still proud of those guys. They have been able to hold their camp together, which is a real tough thing to do in the current state of Hip-Hop. I am real proud of those two albums, Enta Da Stage and Dah Shinin’ are essential items for any Hip-Hop fan.

AllHipHop.com: Most indies can only dream to be a Nervous Records. What advice would you give today’s Indie entrepeneur? People group label heads together. Suge Knight always stressed reading your own mail. Russell Simmons used to be available to his artists at any time…

Mike Weiss: An independent label is an extension of the person who is behind it. So if you want to blow up your music, you got to market yourself and your brand along with it. In my case, I was never really one to blow up the club scene, so I made a made a logo that would give us a presence. And along with that, we made 1,000’s of Nervous shirts that kept the awareness out there. Some indie label-heads are DJ’s. If that’s you, then you should try to play out seven days a week and constantly promote and play your music. Some people are just gonna be hustlers.

AllHipHop.com: I liked Kenny Parker and D-Nice. But Mad Lion remains my favorite KRS-endorsed artist, ever. As we see Sean Paul and Beenie Man make smooth transitions into Hip-Hop today, why was Mad Lion unable to cross over?

Mike Weiss: A hit like “Take It Easy” happens, and the artist behind it, which in this case was Mad Lion, has a nice run. But a repeat is really tough. I don’t think anything really went wrong. For Mad Lion to continue to make records like “Take It Easy” would have been a beautiful thing. His rugged voice sounded cool with the beat. We tried to do it with the second album, but it just wasn’t there.

AllHipHop.com: What is your greatest business regret?

Mike Weiss: Back in ’92, before Loud [Records] was even on the map, RZA was looking for a deal for Wu-Tang, and Nervous was the hottest New York street label at the that time. I was content with what I had going on at the time between Black Moon, Smif-N-Wessun, Mad Lion and Funkmaster Flex. But in looking back, it would have been really smart to bring Wu-Tang to Nervous.

AllHipHop.com: Hip-Hop needs homes. D&D Studios, Fat Beats, the 40/40 Club, this can be looked at as homes within New York Hip-Hop. I think Nervous, with the logo and history, is a Hip-Hop home. How do you intend to keep this up going into your 15th year?

Mike Weiss: Nervous has always been about New York talent. Right now, the heat is definitely not on New York. I’m hoping it can come back. The big project I’m working on now is A-Alikes. They were brought to Nervous by Nervous’ VP, Big Kas. They got the classic gritty, East Coast style. Plus, the energy that the MC’s, Ness and Karaam have, reminds me, somewhat, of the energy that Buckshot and Big Five had when they first came out in ’92. Buck was always the charismatic, talkative type – while Five was the strong, silent partner. Ness and Karaam have a similar energy. They’re in the studio right now. We’re trying to get the album out in October ’05.

AllHipHop.com: What’s your favorite record in your own catalog?

Mike Weiss: My favorites are the ones that could blow up the spot in a club. I would say, “Sound Bwoy Bureill” by Smif-N-Wessun and “Shoot To Kill” by Mad Lion.

While keeping it gangsta isn’t a priority on Merlino’s agenda, he’d probably find it a lot easier than many of his Hip-Hop peers. His family had involvement with La Costra Nostra, one of history’s most notorious organized crime families. The Merlino legacy goes beyond Philadelphia street stories—the Merlinos are documented in The Last Gangster: A Documentary About Mobster-Turned-FBI Informant Ron Previte by Philadelphia Inquirer reporter George Anastasia’s

Merlino would rather go down in hip-hop history books. His Whodini cover, “I’m A Hoe,” is making a buzz throughout Philly, and his Tommy Boy-distributed debut, Done Deal, boasts high-profile collaborators such as Carl Thomas, Roscoe P. Coldchain, and fellow Philadelphian, Cassidy. But similar to his individuality from the family business, Merlino wants to establish his own reputation. In a candid interview with AllHipHop.com, Merlino remembers old school Hip-Hop, compares commercialized and true life organized crime, and forges his own path.

AllHipHop.com: You covered Whodini with your first single, “I’m A Hoe.” What made you decide to use this sample?

Merlino: We did a bunch of tracks, and that was one of them. When we took it to Tommy Boy, the dude that breaks videos—he’s broke a lot of shock artists, he broke Lil’ Jon, Gucci Mane, and he broke Run-DMC when they first came out—he was saying that the South is winning right now. “I’m A Hoe” was something old that everybody used to rock to. The way that we did it, it’s catchy and it’s got a South feeling to it, but it’s something that everybody should know, whether they’re old or new school. My publicist has me hooking up with Whodini, we’re doing a show in Connecticut. I’m looking forward to that. They’re confirming it right now as we speak. He’s doing the original, and I’m going to come out while he’s onstage and do my version of it. It’s something that’s controversial, and it’s something that’ll stick in peoples’ heads, no matter how they take it. They can take it the wrong way, or the way that I’m trying to get it across. I’m not trying to use “I’m A Hoe” dissing females; you have to really understand where I’m coming from with the song.

AllHipHop.com: From where is that?

Merlino: I’m letting them know, “I’m a hoe too.” Guys can be hoes too. If you’re after the hype, after that money, if you’re chasing a s### – you’re a hoe, bottom line. You don’t have to go sleep with somebody, or f**k that b*tch, or that dude, or whatever you’ve got to do. If you’re after the hype regardless, you’re a hoe—and that’s the point I’m trying to get across in the song.

AllHipHop.com: Now let’s get into your family history a little bit. What does the name “Merlino” mean to Philly?

Merlino: “Merlino” has been around since the early 80’s, since my grandfather and my uncle. It is what it is. It’s real. There’s no fiction involved—you’ve got the old school gangstas, and you’ve got my cousin Joey, who’s my uncle Sonny’s son, who was in the 90’s up through the 2000’s—he got locked up in ’99, he got a 14-year joint. Every Thanksgiving, we were in the big trucks all around Philly giving out turkeys and dinners to the people who couldn’t afford Thanksgiving dinners. We’d be in the freezing cold every Thanksgiving, and we put together something for the kids with Allen Iverson every Christmas, giving out gifts. People know him for that. Philly’s got a lot of love for the name period, so that’s why I’m sticking with it. I’m also sticking with it because their involvement with the mob and with La Costra Nostra hurt the legitimate side of the family. Every family’s got a legit side, and a side that does their dirt. And it still is hurting—it’s hurting them when they try to get jobs, it’s hurting them when they try to get work. I don’t need to be a gangsta to prove to somebody who I am. That’s what they got into, that’s my family. They’re all still alive, but that’s not me. I just make feel-good music for the people so they know who I am, but at the same time, let them know my story and my past, just like everybody else. My Rap name’s not Gotti, and it’s not Capone—that’s not me. I am who I am, and I’m talking about what the family was about, and that was that.

AllHipHop.com: How old were you when all of this was going down?

Merlino: It’s been going on my whole life until I was about 13. Some of it is still going on today, because there are still numbers of it that were involved with my family that aren’t in jail, still doing what they do. So the name is still floating around. My uncle Sunny has been in jail since ’84, he’s about to get out. He was the one who was really sick with it. So when gets out, it’s not ‘gon be nice. It’s a real story to tell. I’m like, “Here’s my story: tell me what you think.” Here’s what I did for the people, I always try to help.

AllHipHop.com: How do you think all of what you went through compares to the gangster movies that are so loved and praised by Hip-Hop heads?

Merlino: The Sopranos is something we always watch as a family. We laugh because we like it, and because it’s fiction, it’s a script that somebody wrote. We could really have a real script about the life [of the Merlino family] from here to now, and people would watch it. It’s the direction that I’m going to take it. I’m not trying to give people the wrong impression, or make people feel like they have to back away. I’m just letting people know that this is real, it’s not that TV s**t.

AllHipHop.com: Capone from C-N-N told us that he believes that the Hip-Hop police exist because since the actual Italian mafia has declined, that the police go after modern-day “mafiosos,” like rappers. Having seen both sides, how would you respond to that?

Merlino: I definitely feel that. The mob nowadays is more flashy and into fashion than it was old school. People aren’t going to be like Gotti no more, or my grandfather, when they were just keeping it gangsta. They were getting their money, and they were into being low-key. They didn’t want to be seen, they didn’t want people to know who they were. Now, people want to be seen. As soon as they get the money, they do this, they do that. They aren’t worried about that as much, because there’s not as much of that going on right now. There aren’t crime families going into that s**t like they used to, they’re just living it up. The cops ain’t got nothing to do. I feel Capone on that. I think that’s where they generated the Hip-Hop police.

AllHipHop.com: You’re a descendent in a mob family trying to rap. Growing Up Gotti comes to mind. How do you feel about that?

Merlino: It seems too fake to me. Not saying that they’re fake, but they could go about doing the show better. It’s not telling a story—it’s showing that they have this nice house, and their last name’s Gotti. Nobody’s going to the Genoviche family trying to find their grandkids, and they’re bigger than the Gotti’s.

AllHipHop.com: Going back to Philly, Cassidy got arrested recently. How do you feel about that?

Merlino: It’s tough, that’s my man. I have a relationship with him. I knew his manager, I knew the whole circle, and it was tough because they were looking out for me with a lot of stuff. And Cass himself is a cool dude. And it’s tough, because you’re in a bubble. Your second album is about to drop, you’ve got a crazy single on the streets, you’re getting crazy airplay, and it’s like, what the hell happened, dog? It hurts your heart more than your mind, it’s like, what’s the point? I don’t know if he was involved or not, I just know that I’m supporting him, I’m behind him. I know his family, his cousins and a lot of his close friends.

AllHipHop.com: So what can we expect from Done Deal?

Merlino: I tried to make every song a single. Now, my album is so well-rounded, with doing it so well with nobody helping me, I really think I’m going to earn a lot of respect off of it. Just from being Italian, and doing it with a little budget behind me, as far as getting decent producers and a couple artists on there, it’s a really well-rounded album. As far as A-list artists, I’m trying to hook up with Trina right now, I want her to do the remix with me for “I’m A Hoe.” I know how Trina gets down, and she knows a couple of my partners, so they’re hooking that up right now. As we speak, I’ve got a song produced by Redhead Kingpin. As far as songs done already, I did a joint with Cassidy, a joint with Roscoe P. Coldchain, I just did a joint last month with Carl Thomas, my man Big Bub hooked me up with him, we went to Jersey and went to his crib. The song was crack. I’m working with people and filling everybody out, but I don’t want people to think that I need all these A-list artists on my album. I don’t need that.

AllHipHop.com: What’s it like to be restoring Tommy Boy, who has such an eclectic history with Hip-Hop?

Merlino: It feels good, because Tom Silverman loves Hip-Hop. He’s a Jewish dude, but he knows about the entertainment business, he’s been in it for years. He’s expanding Tommy Boy, and he doesn’t just look at me as an artist, he looks at me as an all-around entertainer. I can take you to the movies, I can do the TV series like I said. I was like, “Tom, I don’t want to just do an album, I want to do all of this. I’ma do it on my own eventually, but if you want to be a part of it, let’s rock.” He started throwing ideas at me, and we came together with everything. I’ve got a straight distribution deal with Tommy Boy, so they’re putting it everywhere in North America, and we’re trying to take it to the next level.

As the precursor for his long awaited and highly anticipated next release, Trauma serves as an ample title for the soon to be released mixtape from one of the West coasts most enigmatic pioneers. Typically trauma is a catalyst for some type of change, and with hip-hop arguably in a state of emergency, Quik aims to bring about a dramatic change. Since 1991 when he introduced himself with Quik is the Name, DJ Quik’s albums have been the soundtracks to the trauma being played out in his personal life. After an auspicious entry, the Compton born entertainer quickly found out what strange bedfellows the business of being gangsta played in music. From poorly negotiated contracts, street rivalries, internal conflict and personal and professional betrayals, the trauma of it all is enough to drive anyone to the brink of insanity; instead DJ Quik got mad, mad science to be more precise. As one who has had a roller coaster ride of a career, the peaks and the valleys of Quik’s career have played an integral part in the fabric of west coast hip-hop, but for the musician who believes what he does so much deeper than what people see on the surface, Trauma is the next chapter. Two traumatic experiences in particular played major roles in a change of perspective on his role in music and life in general and how he deals with people and music.

Fifteen years later, get to know an often misconstrued DJ Quik, and read about his appreciation for New York, to his skepticism for Snoop’s Peace Treaty, and his view on The Black Album.

AllHipHop.com: As one of the West Coast pioneers, I have to ask you about your feelings on the Peace Conference held by Snoop a while back…

DJ Quik: I didn’t go. I was locked into a three-day studio session, so I just sent my regards through my folks. Anytime people are trying to get together to settle differences though, it’s always alright with me. That will always get my blessings and my energy toward it. But it seemed kinda weird to me that Suge wasn’t there. Like, if it was a real treaty and Suge was in agreement, and he would’ve been there, then that would’ve impressed me.

AllHipHop.com: But wasn’t the invitation extended?

DJ Quik: Well I’m hearing mixed things. Like I read The Source article and I’ve heard things from people who were there, and he didn’t show. But supposedly, he called and was on speakerphone. It just seems from some of the things that Snoopy was saying on these mixtapes about Suge, I don’t really understand how Suge can just be like, “Okay, cool,” and let everything go and come up there and be all a part of it, unless there’s something about Snoop and Suge’s relationship that I don’t know.

AllHipHop.com: Do you think that Suge and Snoop can ever be amicable?

AllHipHop.com: I’m sure they could but the fact that Suge didn’t go makes me think, you know. I don’t know because all eyes are still on Suge and it just didn’t seem real to me, sorry for saying that. I’m not one to cast judgment or throw stones, because I’ve always been a team-player only to turn around and get s**t kicked back in my face and get mud slung on me but from being a team-player and a loyal but neutral player who doesn’t try to pick sides, I call a s#### a s####, but it just seems to me like the agenda for the whole meeting was kinda unclear, especially considering who was there. Like Suga Free and Xzibit, and no disrespect to either of them but in the big scheme of things who are they when it comes down to Snoop and Suge? If you wanna impress me bring Dr. Dre to that [meeting] bring the greats like Ice-T, King T, all the OG’s.

AllHipHop.com: Now, as a legendary producer, why were you DJ’ing for Game?

DJ Quik: Because they asked me to. Kevin Black asked me to and I said yes. I want to see him win. To see somebody for Compton, I cheer for the home-team because Compton opens up the local news here for real. It’s like if there’s not a story on Compton, people just aren’t inclined to watch. First thing you see is Compton at the bottom of the screen and the White guy with his hair blowing looking all pensive. That makes for good TV watching, so it’s good to see something exciting coming from Compton as opposed to seeing Blacks and Mexicans killing each other or somebody smoking sherm sticks and getting shot at 100 times by the police. I’m tired of that, so I championed Game, I love to see him reppin’ Compton.

AllHipHop.com: “Dollaz + Sense” was one of the first records to use your Blood affiliation in terms of bragging what you could do to somebody [then, MC Eiht]. Do you assume responsibility for the way artists like The Game are using it as a tool today?

DJ Quik: I’ll tell you like this: if I brag about being in a gang, if I say Blood on a record, if you see me throwing up gang signs on stage, then I’m going to jail for four years. I’m a convicted gang member and it’s so ironic because I never really ever joined a gang, I just happened to grow up in a neighborhood called Tree Top [home of the Tree Top Piru Gang] and being from there, you become a product of your environment and for that that’s the one I gave up. Because up until two years ago, I had a flawless criminal record and I got in trouble behind trying to keep gangs from infiltrating [me] and to me that was worth it, and I’d do it again.

AllHipHop.com: Okay, let’s talk about your music, first do you think you’ve received your just due as a producer?

DJ Quik: No, I don’t ever feel like I’ve gotten the recognition I deserve as a trendsetter or a pioneer but it’s still hard to stay ahead of the curve it’s crazy hard.

AllHipHop.com: You’ve written your own lyrics, why don’t you think your held in the same regard as Dre for instance?

DJ Quik: To tell the truth when I first got into the business I was green and I signed a deal that was a kin to signing my soul away and I had to fight for years to get my soul back, so to speak. But it seemed like when things got really violent here, I felt like there was really nothing I could do about it and it also seemed like it just didn’t feel right and I just started to drop outta the light you know? I started going thru my own personal stuff with my family and stuff because outside of my career I have a personal life too. Now it’s easier for me to balance them ‘cause I’m focused and awake. Back then when I was trying to be a star and ready to ride for why people didn’t like me I New York or why people didn’t like me abroad, I was young and hot headed and wild and I didn’t approach that situation right I lashed out and took the crazy approach you know the keep it hood approach and that ended up coming back to bite me in the ass and I don’t like being bit in the ass, know what I mean?

AllHipHop.com: Since we’re on the topic of different music, I heard you don’t like Crunk music, why’s that?

DJ Quik: What! Who said I don’t like Crunk music?

AllHipHop.com: Before you moved to Capitol, Warner Brothers issued a song, “What They Think About You” with Nate Dogg. I thought it was criticizing the music from the South…

DJ Quik: That’s Hatin! Man I’m always getting misquoted, it’s like DJ Quik is always the scapegoat. No, I love Crunk music. Crunk music reminds me of the music we used to listen to back in the day that we grew up with like Rodney-O and Joe Cooley and early N.W.A. stuff. I even did a remix on a Lil Scrappy record with Lil Jon, and I rapped on it. I understand Crunk music, I understand all music but for someone to say that, “DJ Quik doesn’t like Crunk,” is setting himself up for failure. I love all music. If we can’t dance together, if music isn’t all one music then what am I doing this for?

AllHipHop.com: I guess we should talk about what you are doing right now in the studio…

DJ Quik: I’ve been in the studio with Jodeci helping them on their new sounds. I understand Devante. He’s a wizard.

AllHipHop.com: Battlecat recently told us that Jay-Z brought you out perfectly on “Justify My Thug.” How do you feel about that statement and where do you draw from when your creating?

DJ Quik: Battlecat is right in a sense, because that was something that was totally different for me and not to just throw him a back a bone, but ‘Cat is one of the people who inspired me to go more toward the midi-made sound like even way back in the day. He was a gadget boy, [and] one of the best DJ’s ever. I would just be sitting there looking at the s**t, marveling. “Justify My Thug” was not funky like in the sense of DJ Quik West Coast melodic funky, it wasn’t like that it was just like a crazy driving kind of track that was mixed to sound like a Rock & Roll track. When I used to listen to it in comparison to records on the album like “Encore” and that, it was kinda like a square peg in a round hole kind of a record. But then when you listen to the whole Black Album, from beginning to end, it does make sense – because Jay-Z was cathartic on it. Jay-Z did bring something out of me for even appreciating that track and it motivated me to go in another direction.

AllHipHop.com: How so?

DJ Quik: Because it was weird that it’s not something that I groove to, and I did it for the sport more-so than for Jay-Z, or anything else. I did it because it seemed like it mad sense like it was the right thing to do.

AllHipHop.com: I’ve heard you’re spending more time in New York…

DJ Quik: I’ve actually been spending a lot more time in New York than I’ve ever spent, and I’ve been getting a New York education. New York to m,e is like the center of the earth from from fashion to everything, and I was going up there when it really mattered. F**k music, I was there on some humanitarian type mission like after the [twin] towers fell and that right there will let you know what your purpose is or if you have one at all. That was a defining for me to see those towers like that and smell that smell.

Since 1992, the Pharcyde has been lacing Hip-Hop heads with a conscious and alternative sound. When Delicious Vinyl dropped their debut The Bizarre Ride II, the Pharcyde established themselves as a pivotal force in Hip-Hop gaining support from not only fans but fellow artists as well although was not completely felt by critics. But it was their sophomore album Labcabincalifornia that truly established their presence in Hip-Hop.

By the third album, there were not only problems at the label and their album being delayed due to lack of funds, there were also creative differences starting to surface between the members. The once smooth ride had started to turn into a downward spiral and no one had control.

After five years of success, it’s taken five years for the Pharcyde’s condensed version to rebound from the shortcomings. AllHipHop.com got a chance to talk with the remaining Bizarre MC’s, Imani and Booty Brown about the launching of their new label, Chapter 1 and the release of their fourth studio album Humboldt Beginnings, fasten your seatbelts as we take a ride to the Pharcyde.

AllHipHop.com: My first question is what really happened with the departure of Tre and Fatlip?

Imani: Well, the situation with Fatlip was that he was doing his own thing. He wasn’t coming to shows and he was really playing it like he was a solo artist and that was causing conflict between him and the group. But out of all of us, he and Tre were fighting the most, so we decided to remove Fatlip because we thought Tre was the one who was really down with what we were trying to do. Then all of a sudden, before the release of Plain Rap, Tre decided that he wanted to do his solo thing and just left, if we would have known that was going to happen we would have just kept Fatlip because we really let him go because of Tre.

AllHipHop.com: Is there still animosity between you two and Tre?

Imani: No. He will always be my boy and no matter what goes on with this music stuff, we were friends first, that’s why the way he left hurt me so much because we were friends before all this.

AllHipHop.com: Is there any hopes of a reunion with Tre and Fatlip?

Imani: I don’t think so right now, Brown and I are out doing our thing making sure that the legacy of Pharcyde goes strong, but I won’t rule it out.

AllHipHop.com: Your new album, Humboldt Beginnings is released under Chapter One, which is your label, what made you start your own label and do you have any artists signed?

Imani: We decided to start our own label because we really wanted to control what we put out, so we got together and created Chapter One. We signed one other group, The Pitch Hitters and then there is our collective group with Hieroglyphics and The Souls of Mischief, The Almighty Pythons. So we are really working on getting our artists out there and concentrating on making as much music as we can.

AllHipHop.com: Aside from being Californians after a similar cause, how did you link up with Hieroglyphics and the Souls of Mischief?

Brown: We linked up with them like around ’94 when we were on tour, we all vibed and the relationships just grew from there, but we knew we were going to work together even then because we each liked what the other was putting out.

AllHipHop.com: You guys have been out since 1991, even before that is you want to count your days as b-boys, how has Hip-Hop changed in your eyes since your initial debut?

Imani: We haven’t been out that long [laughs], we came out in like 1993. That’s journalist talk for saying we are old. [laughs]. Naw, but I mean to me it’s changed for the better, it’s continued to grow and evolve into something new and fresh.

Brown: For all those people out there that say Hip-Hop is dead and they are MC’s, they sound stupid because what are they making then? I think Hip-Hop is alive and it’s a reflection of the youth.

AllHipHop.com: With only two members remaining, you guys have still managed to keep the traditional Pharcyde sound. For those who haven’t picked up Humboldt Beginnings what can they expect?

Imani: First off, I would have to say that anyone who listens to it has to listen unbiased, because it is a real creative album. But just expect an experience, I mean a lot of people don’t like it at first, but after a few listens it grows on you. [laughs]

Brown: Honestly, with this album we aren’t really didn’t set out to make an album to be received by them masses. When we made the album, we made an album to stay true to ourselves and our fans because they are really all that matter.

AllHipHop.com: What laid the groundwork for “The Pharcyde sound” twelve years ago?

Imani: I think that coming up as dancers affected our music at that time. We used to go to the underground spots, big clubs and trendy spots to hear all different types of music and see how the people would react along with ourselves. We wanted to incorporate all these musical emotions to our records and that’s still what we do today. We fuse different types of music that influences us together to make a sound of our own.

AllHipHop.com: Why do you think so many people sleep on your albums initially, because a lot of people slept on Labcabincalifornia and that was a great album?

Brown: I don’t think it’s that they slept on it, they were just expecting a sound like Bizarre [Ride II] and we came out with something different. But after people actually listened, they felt it and vibed to it and now it’s considered a classic.

Imani: I think with all of our albums some hate it and some love it, but being creative is all about taking risks and that’s what we strived to do with each album, take risks and be different and I think that’s what’s made us stand out this long.

AllHipHop.com: Last but not least what do you want to say to the fans?

Imani: Keep learning everyday no matter what it is, because once you stop learning you stop being creative.

Brown: Thanks to all of the fans who have been down with the Pharcyde since the beginning and we will continue to make music for you. Look out for upcoming projects because we have more to come.