northwind
09-01-2004, 12:15 PM
yes, its long as hell, but he speaks on some interesting stuff.
take the time, this is real talk. enjoy.
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West coast hip-hop legend and gangsta rapper icon Mc Eiht has a new album coming out September 28th. ‘Veterans Day’ is an album that true west coast music lovers have been waiting for. With in your face lyrics and strong beats from the coast mixed with an ‘ol skool’ feel, this album is sure to make some noise in the industry.
If you’re tired of the bling and you need a little bit of west coast gangsta rap, west coast original hip-hop this is the album you have been waiting for.
Eiht comes serious and his flow, on top of Chill’s hard core beats make this album one that needs to be talked about.
I had a chance to speak with Eiht about the album and much more.
I wanted to say that MC Eiht has been making records longer than anyone on the coast. His longevity in the business is not an accident. One of the basic beliefs in hip-hop culture is ‘keeping it real’, and Eiht is as real as it gets.
With his busy schedule he took time for us and that shows he is dedicated to his fans. I got the feeling if I had questions that lasted 3 hours he would have addressed them, cause he is a real west coast Compton born and raised MC. Who values his fans and is set on a mission to bring back the west coast no matter what it takes.
This interview speaks on Veterans Day, but also Eiht addresses some things that are going on and we even cover some back in the day questions. Like I said Eiht is real and he took time for this and it isn’t like he is sitting around the crib waiting for a call. The album will prove that to you.
If you don’t know MC Eiht, just give him a listen. And if you know of Eiht well yea he’s back and it is pure g. Enjoy the interview. I enjoyed doing it, very much. Thanks to Eiht for his time and to Phyllis Pollack/Def Press for setting it all in motion.
Robert: Thanks for taking time for us, I appreciated it, I know you’re busy.
Eiht: No problem
Robert: Are you comfortable with people referring to you as a legend?
Eiht: I’m pretty comfortable with it. Seeing that I you know, when you look at rappers now days or hip hop people with all the new stuff with all the new artist, being as I came out in ‘89 I guess that people would consider that as a legend. I mean I don’t put myself in the same ranks as you know people like Chuck D or people like that, you know originators but as far as west coast hip-hop is concerned, I consider myself as a little west coast legend.
Robert: With all the success you have had; how do you remain grounded and still rep the streets instead of getting caught up in the glamour side of the rap ‘game’?
Eiht: Well because it’s a tricky aspect. Basically you have to stay true to your roots, ya know. Cause the money will come and ya know you’ll get a nice car, nice house and all that. Some of that shit will side track ya. Especially if you listen to a lot of these other rappers who glorify the financial status of being an entertainer, I guess you would call it. Ya know we got the Jay Z’s, we got the 50 cents, and we got all these other brothers who tell ya you got to have a Bentley, you got to have a platinum Rolex, or a red gold chain, or ya got ta fly in a G4, and have a chinchilla mink
And a lot of those guys started off on the same aspect as I did. Coming from the streets, projects, underprivileged, poverty stricken.
But sometimes when ya make money ya let the money take over for ya. So from where I come from; being in Compton and still being around and still dealing with niggaz who don’t have Bentleys and platinum watches, and shit like that, you gotta stay focused and grounded - because then you’d stick out like a sore thumb. Ain’t nobody riding around in Compton in Bentleys. I mean we got hustlers and shit like that, and niggaz got Hummers and Cadillac trucks and shit, but niggaz ain't pushing the streets in 200 thousand dollar cars and shit so, I stay grounded by basically just trying to stay on the same path as when I first started into the game. I just try to stick to what I know and I know brothers in the struggle and the hustle. I don’t know to many niggaz riding around in Bentleys, living in 3 million dollar mansions.
Robert: So you still live in Compton?
Eiht: Yea. Compton born and raised.
Robert: Since the days of Compton’s Most Wanted it seems your lyrics have caused some people to stress. Veterans Day seems to be no exception. Have you got much feedback on ‘Veterans Day’ yet; especially the intro ‘Vetz Day’?
Eiht: I’m getting a little feedback on it but hey ya know I’ve been known to go thru that. Like you say I’ve been known to ruffle peoples feathers since I first came out. So basically I’m not trying to cause controversy. It’s just something I feel. Coming from MC Eiht, doing 12 and 13 albums and seeing the transition of hip hop and the streets and what ever you call it. I named the record Veterans Day and I came up with the intro specially cause I wanted people to relate to what realism that goes on in the streets still.
Like I said we color coat a lot of things. We show the war in Iraq everyday and Afghanistan, and we show the Olympics and we show all that, but we still poverty stricken and grief is still right here in these streets. So I want people to know that even though this is like an anthem that I need people to understand, about how things are going on. Domestic fights and police brutality and drive by shootings and all that still exists today. It isn’t being glorified today because we got a lot of other stuff to talk about in the media but it’s still happening. So that’s why I put it out there like that.
Robert: I mean like here it’s an every day thing so it’s not news any more. It is a form of genocide really.
Eiht: Definitely.
Robert: The question about being a legend was really a two-fold question. You know when your on top of your game you will always have someone looking to fault ya.
Eiht: Right.
Robert: It seems you're coming ready and loaded for a few different people on this album. You shout out at a few, and it goes from a subtle reference to a full in your sights attack, ya know.
Eiht: Right.
Robert: First can we have a lil insight about what’s going on with you and Camron?
Eiht: The Camron issue, I just – I mean I just have a personal thing with people trying to be something they're not. And I understand that we trying to set trends and I don’t know if Camron was trying to set a trend or whatever but the pink thing didn’t hit me too good.
It’s like a phase of shit that people go thru, that they try shit. And I just don’t like it and I don’t like his lyrics. I mean he ain’t talking about nothing to me. And for him to be…You know for you to have a following to where you can turn a whole nation of people to start wearing different colors and stuff, it’s crazy how his voice and what he does. Ya know it’s not like he’s doing something like a follower of like people like Tupac had or Biggie had or something like that.
People are following this cat cause he’s wearing pink shoes, and pink rags and pink tee shirts and then when ; me from the west coast, when I can walk out my door, and ride around my neighborhood and I can see niggaz wearing pink tee shirts and pink bandannas, it’s not cool and I don’t think that that’s a trend we should have brought to hip hop.
And then it’s like one rapper to another rapper. I mean you should get your skills up. I mean you making money and you representing whatever your set whatever. I just don’t feel he representing hip-hop to the fullest because it ain’t never been about pink. It’s always been about struggle. But Camron has been on some party thing anyway so I wouldn’t expect him to know the hard struggles of hip hop and brothers struggling and going thru whatever. So I wouldn’t expect him to do that but when you got other people following out their trends to try to follow something, I got ta step up and say something bout that.
Robert: Yea, they call him the ‘Pink Panther’.
Eiht: Yea, ya know the pink Range Rover and pink drawers, pink this and pink that. That’s not cool for me.
Now I’m not one to get beef’s with niggaz and be personal about shit but the pink thing is just not happening for me.
I’m the first to say if your lyrics is tight, your lyrics is tight.
I have no beef with the east coast. I’m cool with GangStarr, Premier, Busta, Red, Meth. I have significant homies in New York. But it is just that some things have to be addressed. And I think that is an issue that I needed to address. The pinkism and all the flamboyant shit with all the hot pink, then when you listen to his lyrics he’s not talking about nothing significant in the rap game. So people like that need to be exposed.
Robert: Then there is G-Unit. I know Banks threw your name out on his album, so what’s up? What’s their problem with you?
Eiht: A lot of people have been addressing me about the Banks situation. I don’t know, I didn’t take it as a diss. But you know how people always pump things up. Because he said you don’t have to go all the way to LA to get your MC Eiht. So I didn’t take that as a diss. I took if as him trying to walk in my shoes or compare himself to a west, he’s saying he’s an east coast version of me. He’s laid back, he’s gangsta, he’s smooth, that’s the way I took it.
Now if it’s a different way other than that, then I’m pretty sure that if he’s supposed to be real gangsta and G Unit is supposed to be, ya know cause I did a song with Game cause he’s from Compton. So if they are supposed to be real G Unit niggaz and hard gorillas, ya know they Gorilla Unit, we the Gang Unit out here. That’s the controversy we got going right now. Cause they Gorilla Unit and I got a group called Gang Unit. So if they supposed to be the true hard-core street rebels that they are, I’m pretty sure that he could find a better way of trying to address me if he wanted that to be addressed like that. But I didn’t take it as a diss, so really I’m not even focusing on it.
I made a comment on one of the songs on my record saying that you don’t have to go all the way to the East to get your Gang Unit.
So it’s a little throw back but I didn’t take it as a diss. So I’m not really concentrating on it.
Really I say free advertisement for me so go right ahead.
Robert: So this ain’t no full out beef you got with these guys, you’re just putting them in check right?
Eiht: Yea, I don’t start beefs, I just voice my opinion. Everybody got an opinion, that’s my personal opinion.
Lots of people might like wearing pink. A lot of people might love Camron. I’m pretty sure they do, he sells significant units. But you know there’s a lot of people who don’t know TRUE hip hop either. So
There’s a lot of people who don’t know TRUE struggle either. So
I just had to address that. Because a lot of people were addressing me, ya know.
What do you think about niggaz rocking pink?
What do you think about this, what do you think about that?
I’m not one to hold my tongue. So I just spoke my mind. But you know we did a little couple of commercials about niggaz wearing pink on the record. Pink is for honies, and shit like that just to tease it up a little bit.
But ya know, hey if they feel that like we taking a personal shot at them, Hey get at me. That’s how it always goes. Maybe we can talk about it. One thing for a video shoot is all good but now you making it a trend. Niggaz shouldn’t be wearing pink.
Robert: Since ya got your hand on the pulse of the streets in the west – is there a reason why the west isn’t appealing?
Eiht: Well I say it to myself that the west isn’t appealing.
I mean I say all day because I don’t know what happened. The radio stations on the west coast, we play more east coast music than anything.
I mean everybody knows what the deal is with the radio programmers and all that shit. So basically that’s inevitable. But the west coast artist to me: and I’m a west coast artist, Now the reason I’m not there is because like you said sometimes people are afraid of Eiht. When people hear Eiht’s lyrics, Eiht talking his mind and doing what he want to do; people get scared of that. That’s why I tend to put my records out independently. Cause I don’t want people to be afraid whatever whatever.
Now after people jump on it and start seeing how the public is accepting it then they’ll jump on the bandwagon.
But to me west coast artist just got afraid of being blackballed. They got afraid of being true to their art form, because they wanted to keep getting the million dollar checks.
So it made niggaz change their format.
Snoop went from being a gangsta to being a pimp. Cube, he gave up the records and focused on movies.
And as far as brothers who are true; myself and WC, brothers who are in the struggle like that. We can’t get a break because majors don’t want to invest in our type of music.
But it’s funny because now ya got brothers like T.I. who’s spitting about the streets and the game.
You got 50 and G Unit spitting about the streets and the game.
You got variety but as long as it doesn’t come from the west coast its acceptable.
Coming from the west it leaves a bad taste in peoples mouth.
Ya know for the fact that we haven’t had the baton for a while. The baton has been held by New York and down south for a while. And it’s like people are scared to put their investment dollars back in west coast artist.
And for the fact that the west coast artist ain’t staying true to their craft anyway.
Because there isn’t a significant west coast artist I would even listen to right now. And I day that on my record, ‘Is there anybody on the west coast left who can represent what we do’.
That’s why I did the Veterans Day record how I did it. Cause I didn’t want to sugar coat it. I didn’t want people to go ‘Oh another west coast artist coming out, but his shit fittin to be watered down, all about shaken booties, collecting chips and riding around. I didn’t want to focus like that.
I want the focus on we struggling. Fuck this shit. Fuck this shit. I’m going blow this shit up, I’m going blow this shit up and let the chips fall where the may.
Because we got scared. Back when Easy E and Tupac were still around, we could do that. Cause that was the thing. But after them two died it’s like people got scared to touch the west. Because of what we represented. There isn’t nobody to me, I feel, significantly who’s coming out of the box to try to save the west. That’s why I’m doing it.
I mean you got new niggaz like Gorilla Black and there’s a lot of talent in the west and in Compton and LA, but nobody’s getting exposed.
The artist in the majors, brothers who got their foot in the door ya know the Cube’s, the Dre’s, ya know whatever; they don’t want ta fuck with people. They rather go fuck with somebody from another town, cause that’s how it goes to. West coast mutha fuckers got heads. Sometimes it ain’t cool to work with them.
Robert: What about some of the New Bay artist?
Eiht: Yea, I went up to the Bay. I did a record with Spice One. Me and Spice One have an album together.
Robert: You do a lot with him don’t ya?
Eiht: Yea. Now that’s one artist from the Bay that I keep in touch with, cause Spice is kinda like on my same level.
Me and Spice started out together. His direction coming from the Bay was a lot like mine. He wasn’t up in the Bay trying to spit about being high signing and flossin. He spit about the streets, niggaz getting shot up, police. Same thing I did, that’s why Spice and me always had a connection.
The Bay area is so big, them brothers up there hustle.
Now down in Southern California we trying to get our shit crackin but up in the Bay they know how to work their independent records. Cause they have doing that. They have no problem putting out independent records, not trying to fuck with majors. Southern California we looking for deals. We looking for the big money deals and that’s where we get side tracked.
I got a lot of respect for the North artist up in the Bay. Cause they hustle. They don’t give a fuck about getting an Epic, Priority or an Atlantic to sign them. They don’t care. They going go sell 5 – 6 thousand records, turn around 2 months later and put out another one, put out another one, put out another one. At the end of the year they done sold 30 – 40 thousand copies.
They don’t get a lot of recognition but I give them props for how they keep their shit spinning.
Robert: How long did it take to get ‘Veterans Day’ together?
Eiht: I started working on Veterans Day in Feb. this year. And because I already knew the direction I wanted to go, basically it wasn’t nothing but just getting into the studio and putting the beats down, Chill and me would go in the studio, come up with the beat. And as soon as he would lay the foundation, I’m in there writing the song. I ain’t one of these cats that say I got the gift of gab where I can just jump on the mic and make up songs. I mean I could do it, I could freestyle but I’m a person who likes dictate. I like to write my shit down so it will hit home better, than a nigga who’s just running off at the mouth.
So I knew what I wanted to say, I knew the direction I was going, I knew I wanted to stir up a pot of gumbo, ya know with all these other artist. Ya know the pink situation, the G Unit situation and all this other little shit that’s been happening, letting me know it’s time for you to start knocking on people’s doors. So that’s what I’ve been up to.
Robert: After listening to the album, I have to ask; which comes first – the beat or the spit? Or do you sorta know the kind of beat ya want when you write the track?
Eiht: The beats always come first. That’s what I do. The music always comes first. I’m so picky when it comes to music. That’s why half the time I listen to peoples records and I can’t believe, ya know, what would make you do a song like that.
Me, I listen to the beats. Beats always dictate to me what goes on. I get the beat down; get it to a foundation to where I got the drum track and the bass line, so now I know the direction of the song.
I know if it’s fittin to be a song to where I need to rip somebody’s head off or a song where I just need to talk to somebody and tell em about the situation. So I always got to have the music first.
Robert” So music and then ya write the track.
Eiht: I get the music. Once I got the music and usually what I do is burn it to a CD, throw it in my car and I’ll bump in on the way home from the studio to the house, just to get the feel of it in the car. Ya know with out lyrics, to see how the beat is hittin.
Then if it’s catching me and I got ta rewind it all the way till I get home, I know once I get home I got a good song. So that’s when I try to start crafting a rap to it.
http://hiphop-directory.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3665 - part 2
...continues in pt. 2
take the time, this is real talk. enjoy.
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West coast hip-hop legend and gangsta rapper icon Mc Eiht has a new album coming out September 28th. ‘Veterans Day’ is an album that true west coast music lovers have been waiting for. With in your face lyrics and strong beats from the coast mixed with an ‘ol skool’ feel, this album is sure to make some noise in the industry.
If you’re tired of the bling and you need a little bit of west coast gangsta rap, west coast original hip-hop this is the album you have been waiting for.
Eiht comes serious and his flow, on top of Chill’s hard core beats make this album one that needs to be talked about.
I had a chance to speak with Eiht about the album and much more.
I wanted to say that MC Eiht has been making records longer than anyone on the coast. His longevity in the business is not an accident. One of the basic beliefs in hip-hop culture is ‘keeping it real’, and Eiht is as real as it gets.
With his busy schedule he took time for us and that shows he is dedicated to his fans. I got the feeling if I had questions that lasted 3 hours he would have addressed them, cause he is a real west coast Compton born and raised MC. Who values his fans and is set on a mission to bring back the west coast no matter what it takes.
This interview speaks on Veterans Day, but also Eiht addresses some things that are going on and we even cover some back in the day questions. Like I said Eiht is real and he took time for this and it isn’t like he is sitting around the crib waiting for a call. The album will prove that to you.
If you don’t know MC Eiht, just give him a listen. And if you know of Eiht well yea he’s back and it is pure g. Enjoy the interview. I enjoyed doing it, very much. Thanks to Eiht for his time and to Phyllis Pollack/Def Press for setting it all in motion.
Robert: Thanks for taking time for us, I appreciated it, I know you’re busy.
Eiht: No problem
Robert: Are you comfortable with people referring to you as a legend?
Eiht: I’m pretty comfortable with it. Seeing that I you know, when you look at rappers now days or hip hop people with all the new stuff with all the new artist, being as I came out in ‘89 I guess that people would consider that as a legend. I mean I don’t put myself in the same ranks as you know people like Chuck D or people like that, you know originators but as far as west coast hip-hop is concerned, I consider myself as a little west coast legend.
Robert: With all the success you have had; how do you remain grounded and still rep the streets instead of getting caught up in the glamour side of the rap ‘game’?
Eiht: Well because it’s a tricky aspect. Basically you have to stay true to your roots, ya know. Cause the money will come and ya know you’ll get a nice car, nice house and all that. Some of that shit will side track ya. Especially if you listen to a lot of these other rappers who glorify the financial status of being an entertainer, I guess you would call it. Ya know we got the Jay Z’s, we got the 50 cents, and we got all these other brothers who tell ya you got to have a Bentley, you got to have a platinum Rolex, or a red gold chain, or ya got ta fly in a G4, and have a chinchilla mink
And a lot of those guys started off on the same aspect as I did. Coming from the streets, projects, underprivileged, poverty stricken.
But sometimes when ya make money ya let the money take over for ya. So from where I come from; being in Compton and still being around and still dealing with niggaz who don’t have Bentleys and platinum watches, and shit like that, you gotta stay focused and grounded - because then you’d stick out like a sore thumb. Ain’t nobody riding around in Compton in Bentleys. I mean we got hustlers and shit like that, and niggaz got Hummers and Cadillac trucks and shit, but niggaz ain't pushing the streets in 200 thousand dollar cars and shit so, I stay grounded by basically just trying to stay on the same path as when I first started into the game. I just try to stick to what I know and I know brothers in the struggle and the hustle. I don’t know to many niggaz riding around in Bentleys, living in 3 million dollar mansions.
Robert: So you still live in Compton?
Eiht: Yea. Compton born and raised.
Robert: Since the days of Compton’s Most Wanted it seems your lyrics have caused some people to stress. Veterans Day seems to be no exception. Have you got much feedback on ‘Veterans Day’ yet; especially the intro ‘Vetz Day’?
Eiht: I’m getting a little feedback on it but hey ya know I’ve been known to go thru that. Like you say I’ve been known to ruffle peoples feathers since I first came out. So basically I’m not trying to cause controversy. It’s just something I feel. Coming from MC Eiht, doing 12 and 13 albums and seeing the transition of hip hop and the streets and what ever you call it. I named the record Veterans Day and I came up with the intro specially cause I wanted people to relate to what realism that goes on in the streets still.
Like I said we color coat a lot of things. We show the war in Iraq everyday and Afghanistan, and we show the Olympics and we show all that, but we still poverty stricken and grief is still right here in these streets. So I want people to know that even though this is like an anthem that I need people to understand, about how things are going on. Domestic fights and police brutality and drive by shootings and all that still exists today. It isn’t being glorified today because we got a lot of other stuff to talk about in the media but it’s still happening. So that’s why I put it out there like that.
Robert: I mean like here it’s an every day thing so it’s not news any more. It is a form of genocide really.
Eiht: Definitely.
Robert: The question about being a legend was really a two-fold question. You know when your on top of your game you will always have someone looking to fault ya.
Eiht: Right.
Robert: It seems you're coming ready and loaded for a few different people on this album. You shout out at a few, and it goes from a subtle reference to a full in your sights attack, ya know.
Eiht: Right.
Robert: First can we have a lil insight about what’s going on with you and Camron?
Eiht: The Camron issue, I just – I mean I just have a personal thing with people trying to be something they're not. And I understand that we trying to set trends and I don’t know if Camron was trying to set a trend or whatever but the pink thing didn’t hit me too good.
It’s like a phase of shit that people go thru, that they try shit. And I just don’t like it and I don’t like his lyrics. I mean he ain’t talking about nothing to me. And for him to be…You know for you to have a following to where you can turn a whole nation of people to start wearing different colors and stuff, it’s crazy how his voice and what he does. Ya know it’s not like he’s doing something like a follower of like people like Tupac had or Biggie had or something like that.
People are following this cat cause he’s wearing pink shoes, and pink rags and pink tee shirts and then when ; me from the west coast, when I can walk out my door, and ride around my neighborhood and I can see niggaz wearing pink tee shirts and pink bandannas, it’s not cool and I don’t think that that’s a trend we should have brought to hip hop.
And then it’s like one rapper to another rapper. I mean you should get your skills up. I mean you making money and you representing whatever your set whatever. I just don’t feel he representing hip-hop to the fullest because it ain’t never been about pink. It’s always been about struggle. But Camron has been on some party thing anyway so I wouldn’t expect him to know the hard struggles of hip hop and brothers struggling and going thru whatever. So I wouldn’t expect him to do that but when you got other people following out their trends to try to follow something, I got ta step up and say something bout that.
Robert: Yea, they call him the ‘Pink Panther’.
Eiht: Yea, ya know the pink Range Rover and pink drawers, pink this and pink that. That’s not cool for me.
Now I’m not one to get beef’s with niggaz and be personal about shit but the pink thing is just not happening for me.
I’m the first to say if your lyrics is tight, your lyrics is tight.
I have no beef with the east coast. I’m cool with GangStarr, Premier, Busta, Red, Meth. I have significant homies in New York. But it is just that some things have to be addressed. And I think that is an issue that I needed to address. The pinkism and all the flamboyant shit with all the hot pink, then when you listen to his lyrics he’s not talking about nothing significant in the rap game. So people like that need to be exposed.
Robert: Then there is G-Unit. I know Banks threw your name out on his album, so what’s up? What’s their problem with you?
Eiht: A lot of people have been addressing me about the Banks situation. I don’t know, I didn’t take it as a diss. But you know how people always pump things up. Because he said you don’t have to go all the way to LA to get your MC Eiht. So I didn’t take that as a diss. I took if as him trying to walk in my shoes or compare himself to a west, he’s saying he’s an east coast version of me. He’s laid back, he’s gangsta, he’s smooth, that’s the way I took it.
Now if it’s a different way other than that, then I’m pretty sure that if he’s supposed to be real gangsta and G Unit is supposed to be, ya know cause I did a song with Game cause he’s from Compton. So if they are supposed to be real G Unit niggaz and hard gorillas, ya know they Gorilla Unit, we the Gang Unit out here. That’s the controversy we got going right now. Cause they Gorilla Unit and I got a group called Gang Unit. So if they supposed to be the true hard-core street rebels that they are, I’m pretty sure that he could find a better way of trying to address me if he wanted that to be addressed like that. But I didn’t take it as a diss, so really I’m not even focusing on it.
I made a comment on one of the songs on my record saying that you don’t have to go all the way to the East to get your Gang Unit.
So it’s a little throw back but I didn’t take it as a diss. So I’m not really concentrating on it.
Really I say free advertisement for me so go right ahead.
Robert: So this ain’t no full out beef you got with these guys, you’re just putting them in check right?
Eiht: Yea, I don’t start beefs, I just voice my opinion. Everybody got an opinion, that’s my personal opinion.
Lots of people might like wearing pink. A lot of people might love Camron. I’m pretty sure they do, he sells significant units. But you know there’s a lot of people who don’t know TRUE hip hop either. So
There’s a lot of people who don’t know TRUE struggle either. So
I just had to address that. Because a lot of people were addressing me, ya know.
What do you think about niggaz rocking pink?
What do you think about this, what do you think about that?
I’m not one to hold my tongue. So I just spoke my mind. But you know we did a little couple of commercials about niggaz wearing pink on the record. Pink is for honies, and shit like that just to tease it up a little bit.
But ya know, hey if they feel that like we taking a personal shot at them, Hey get at me. That’s how it always goes. Maybe we can talk about it. One thing for a video shoot is all good but now you making it a trend. Niggaz shouldn’t be wearing pink.
Robert: Since ya got your hand on the pulse of the streets in the west – is there a reason why the west isn’t appealing?
Eiht: Well I say it to myself that the west isn’t appealing.
I mean I say all day because I don’t know what happened. The radio stations on the west coast, we play more east coast music than anything.
I mean everybody knows what the deal is with the radio programmers and all that shit. So basically that’s inevitable. But the west coast artist to me: and I’m a west coast artist, Now the reason I’m not there is because like you said sometimes people are afraid of Eiht. When people hear Eiht’s lyrics, Eiht talking his mind and doing what he want to do; people get scared of that. That’s why I tend to put my records out independently. Cause I don’t want people to be afraid whatever whatever.
Now after people jump on it and start seeing how the public is accepting it then they’ll jump on the bandwagon.
But to me west coast artist just got afraid of being blackballed. They got afraid of being true to their art form, because they wanted to keep getting the million dollar checks.
So it made niggaz change their format.
Snoop went from being a gangsta to being a pimp. Cube, he gave up the records and focused on movies.
And as far as brothers who are true; myself and WC, brothers who are in the struggle like that. We can’t get a break because majors don’t want to invest in our type of music.
But it’s funny because now ya got brothers like T.I. who’s spitting about the streets and the game.
You got 50 and G Unit spitting about the streets and the game.
You got variety but as long as it doesn’t come from the west coast its acceptable.
Coming from the west it leaves a bad taste in peoples mouth.
Ya know for the fact that we haven’t had the baton for a while. The baton has been held by New York and down south for a while. And it’s like people are scared to put their investment dollars back in west coast artist.
And for the fact that the west coast artist ain’t staying true to their craft anyway.
Because there isn’t a significant west coast artist I would even listen to right now. And I day that on my record, ‘Is there anybody on the west coast left who can represent what we do’.
That’s why I did the Veterans Day record how I did it. Cause I didn’t want to sugar coat it. I didn’t want people to go ‘Oh another west coast artist coming out, but his shit fittin to be watered down, all about shaken booties, collecting chips and riding around. I didn’t want to focus like that.
I want the focus on we struggling. Fuck this shit. Fuck this shit. I’m going blow this shit up, I’m going blow this shit up and let the chips fall where the may.
Because we got scared. Back when Easy E and Tupac were still around, we could do that. Cause that was the thing. But after them two died it’s like people got scared to touch the west. Because of what we represented. There isn’t nobody to me, I feel, significantly who’s coming out of the box to try to save the west. That’s why I’m doing it.
I mean you got new niggaz like Gorilla Black and there’s a lot of talent in the west and in Compton and LA, but nobody’s getting exposed.
The artist in the majors, brothers who got their foot in the door ya know the Cube’s, the Dre’s, ya know whatever; they don’t want ta fuck with people. They rather go fuck with somebody from another town, cause that’s how it goes to. West coast mutha fuckers got heads. Sometimes it ain’t cool to work with them.
Robert: What about some of the New Bay artist?
Eiht: Yea, I went up to the Bay. I did a record with Spice One. Me and Spice One have an album together.
Robert: You do a lot with him don’t ya?
Eiht: Yea. Now that’s one artist from the Bay that I keep in touch with, cause Spice is kinda like on my same level.
Me and Spice started out together. His direction coming from the Bay was a lot like mine. He wasn’t up in the Bay trying to spit about being high signing and flossin. He spit about the streets, niggaz getting shot up, police. Same thing I did, that’s why Spice and me always had a connection.
The Bay area is so big, them brothers up there hustle.
Now down in Southern California we trying to get our shit crackin but up in the Bay they know how to work their independent records. Cause they have doing that. They have no problem putting out independent records, not trying to fuck with majors. Southern California we looking for deals. We looking for the big money deals and that’s where we get side tracked.
I got a lot of respect for the North artist up in the Bay. Cause they hustle. They don’t give a fuck about getting an Epic, Priority or an Atlantic to sign them. They don’t care. They going go sell 5 – 6 thousand records, turn around 2 months later and put out another one, put out another one, put out another one. At the end of the year they done sold 30 – 40 thousand copies.
They don’t get a lot of recognition but I give them props for how they keep their shit spinning.
Robert: How long did it take to get ‘Veterans Day’ together?
Eiht: I started working on Veterans Day in Feb. this year. And because I already knew the direction I wanted to go, basically it wasn’t nothing but just getting into the studio and putting the beats down, Chill and me would go in the studio, come up with the beat. And as soon as he would lay the foundation, I’m in there writing the song. I ain’t one of these cats that say I got the gift of gab where I can just jump on the mic and make up songs. I mean I could do it, I could freestyle but I’m a person who likes dictate. I like to write my shit down so it will hit home better, than a nigga who’s just running off at the mouth.
So I knew what I wanted to say, I knew the direction I was going, I knew I wanted to stir up a pot of gumbo, ya know with all these other artist. Ya know the pink situation, the G Unit situation and all this other little shit that’s been happening, letting me know it’s time for you to start knocking on people’s doors. So that’s what I’ve been up to.
Robert: After listening to the album, I have to ask; which comes first – the beat or the spit? Or do you sorta know the kind of beat ya want when you write the track?
Eiht: The beats always come first. That’s what I do. The music always comes first. I’m so picky when it comes to music. That’s why half the time I listen to peoples records and I can’t believe, ya know, what would make you do a song like that.
Me, I listen to the beats. Beats always dictate to me what goes on. I get the beat down; get it to a foundation to where I got the drum track and the bass line, so now I know the direction of the song.
I know if it’s fittin to be a song to where I need to rip somebody’s head off or a song where I just need to talk to somebody and tell em about the situation. So I always got to have the music first.
Robert” So music and then ya write the track.
Eiht: I get the music. Once I got the music and usually what I do is burn it to a CD, throw it in my car and I’ll bump in on the way home from the studio to the house, just to get the feel of it in the car. Ya know with out lyrics, to see how the beat is hittin.
Then if it’s catching me and I got ta rewind it all the way till I get home, I know once I get home I got a good song. So that’s when I try to start crafting a rap to it.
http://hiphop-directory.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3665 - part 2
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