From the Bronx, New York emerges an extremely talented emcee with the cadence and presence to take the music world by storm.  He dropped a free for download LP/mixtape entitled “Heaven’s Fallout,” on his Myspace page with opening songs such as “Vietnam” and heart-wrenching songs such as “There’s Nothing Left.” This cat proves that a hip-hop emcee is eclectic in the music they listen to and also the music they make.  Freestyling over electronic bands such as Royksopp and the Prodigy and even Fueled by Ramen’s Fall Out Boy, this Bronx-raised emcee shines on his song choice.  Who else could I be talking about?  Who else rocks Supras and spit a clean freestyle for the mainstream masses on BET’s “Rap City” a month ago? Mickey Factz, people; if you don’t know who he is, you will by the end of this interview.  I sat down with Mickey Factz to get more incite on who he is, and what drives him to make music. 

First and foremost, man I would like to thank you for thanking the time out of your busy schedule to do this interview with me.  I wanted to ask you man, why did you pick the name “Mickey Factz?”  Is there any significance behind the name? 

Mickey:

The name Mickey comes from Natural Born Killers. He was a ruthless killer who loved Mallory Knox to death. Mallory is Hip Hop to me. Facts are all I talk about in my music, but since I have an edge to me, the 'z' is added. 

Do you feel any stress on your shoulders being an emcee from the birthplace of hip-hop, Bronx, New York?  Who were and are some of the emcee’s from New York that you grew up on and look up today? 

Mickey:

No stress at all. I feel honored to be from this borough. I grew up on Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Biggie, KRS-One, Big Pun, Big L etc. Any lyricists who could tear you apart in a cipher [as well]. 

Is “Heaven’s Fallout” an album or a mixtape?   

Mickey:

It’s a conceptualized album. It’s my 3rd actually. The first one was “In Search of the N.E.R.D.” The second was “Flashback” 
 
How would you define your music?   

Mickey:

My music is the fork in the road to greatness. Everybody usually makes the right when you get to the fork. But if you want to be daring and feel like you’re REALLY getting somewhere, make that left and experience something life changing. 
 
The internet is a powerful tool man for independent artists, and I can say that I would not even know who you were if it wasn’t for the ‘net.  How do you feel about using the internet to promote and market yourself?   

Mickey:

It’s a blessing for me. I have access to tons of people who surf the net and go on to blogs to find some of the hottest talent out. I use it to my advantage because I'm thinking outside the box when it comes to marketing and promotion. 
 
When you were featured on BET’s “Rap City,” how did that feel to know that you were gaining more exposure to a grander and more mainstream audience? 

Mickey:

It was amazing because the goal is to be seen by everyone's eyes. I can't wait for the next installment. 

Brah, I can hella relate to “There’s Nothing Left” on the “Heaven’s Fallout” release; I wanted to ask you if that was all truthful accounts of what happened to you? 

Mickey:

Yes. That was one of the realest songs I ever wrote. Every word is the truth. It’s one of my more favorite songs on “Heaven’s Fallout.” Really touching…. 
 

I had no idea what Supras were until I heard your song, “I Love Your Supra’s.” I had to go cop a pair after I seen them.  Are you sponsored by Supra and how would you define your style of dress? 

Mickey:

Supra and GFCnewyork have a continuous growing relationship. They understand the direction I'm going towards, and they support it 100%. My style of dress is definitely one to admire. Quite frankly, I'd call it breath taking. 

I know that the Bronx is your hometown, but do you have any other place or city that you can call your second home? 

Mickey:   
The studio. [Laughs]. Homesweet home. 

You are the only emcee that I have heard to use rock and electronic bands instrumentals to freestyle over.  A lot of cats do not realize that hip-hop is a gumbo pot and is mixed of different types of music to make hip-hop.  What bands do you listen to? 

Mickey:

Currently it’s diverse. Vampire Weekend, Janelle Monae, Chester French, Aerosmith, Daft Punk, Telepopmusik etc. I try to broaden the sound that I listen to on a daily basis.

If you could work with any artist, band or composer (dead or alive), who would you want to do a project with? 

Mickey:

I'd work with Jimi Hendrix. [He’s an] absolute monster when it comes to letting music embody him. 
 

Are you touring this summer?  How do you feel about the line-up for Rock the Bells?  Man…I know you’re going, right? 
 

Mickey:

Yeah, I’ll be doing a couple shows here and there. Keep your eyes open. I'll make a surprise appearance at Rock the Bells as well. 
 

Are there any last words that you would like to leave with the HipHopRemix.com heads? 

Mickey:

”The Leak” is available every week for free on my Myspace page at www.myspace.com/itzmickey. 
 
”The Achievement” LP will be due out at the end of the year as well. 

Mickey Factz has all of the charisma and talent to push him into the high-level plateau that he is destined for.  Thanks, Mickey for taking the time out of your schedule to do this interview with me; “Heaven’s Fallout” is a free download on Mickey Factz’ Myspace page.  Make sure you go download it and support this cat. 

Hip-hop in the nature of the threat of capitalism is a problem that is not new to the culture.  Venture capitalists such as Viacom, MTV, and BET have come into the hip hop culture and turned it into a cash cow.  What a lot of people do not seem to realize about hip-hop is that it is much more than music, it is a culture.  Break dancing, graffiti, and turntablism are the 3 other corresponding elements of the hip-hop culture that are often forgotten and misinterpreted.  It has always been a truly interesting thing to me to see how conglomerate companies like Viacom could take a culture as raw as the day it was birthed in the streets of New York City, and strip down the music into a minstrel entertainment ground for the current generation that are now in there growing teenage and elementary years.  But, the so-called genre of hip-hop that is portrayed through the mediums of radio and TV airwaves to the youth is what I like to call “hip-pop.” The whole message in the music has been lost; you now can turn on your television set to MTV or BET (both owned by the same conglomerate, Viacom) and see the 21st  This diamond-laden jewelry that these cats worship and exalt so highly looks like an iced-out noose and shackles to me.  The overly-gaudy clothing that these cats rock shuckin’ and juvin’ on the television sets looks like the stereotype of the Zip Coon here to entertain the middle-class white kids that consume 70 percent of hip-pop albums. century minstrel show for yourself.

Viacom has stripped down the true hidden message of upbringing, pride, and self-awareness that was birthed and installed into the true essence of hip-hop music.  Since Viacom and Clear Channel damn near own all of the television and radio stations in this country, they control the mainstream music market.  Why would they distribute hip-hop music with a higher message and purpose when they can keep the youth in disarray and brainwashed with the minstrel show rappers out now?  Exactly; it’s a huge cash cow to them.  What sense does it make to be a “hip-pop” artist when you do not have the control over what can be placed on your album?  The more ignorant the music gets, the more ignorant the youth become.  Hip-hop music is a huge influence on people’s lives (our youth’s especially); as long as hip-hop artists still allow themselves and their talent to be stripped down and glittered up in the ridiculous jewelry, hip-hop will forever in Nasir Jones’ words be dead.  But, to me, it will never be dead; it’s just on life support.  Support the independent hip-hop music movement.

Being from the Bay Area where recently the Northern California region’s local hip-hop scene has been slated with the moniker of “hyphy,” there is a truly exceptional producer hailing from Alameda (an island just off the coast of Oakland).  He has made a solid name for himself by remixing songs such as “Tell Me When To Go” by E-40, “Never Be The Same Again” by Ghostface Killah, and even Jill Scott’s “Golden”. Trackademicks might not be a household name yet, but he has the talent from production to do great things in the music world.  I seen Trackademicks at a show he had with Zion I in January here in San Francisco, and I was really blown away by his production and live set!  After meeting DJ Tap 10 (his DJ) and talking to him for a bit, Tap handed me Trackademicks’ “[RE]mixtape Volume 1.” From the first listen of this mixtape, I knew right then and there that Trackademicks would become a producer that I would be looking forward to hearing new material from on a regular basis.  I got the opportunity to talk to Trackademicks about his latest release, “The [RE]mixtape Volume 2,” his formula for remixing, etc:

Being from the San Francisco Bay Area, what local bands, rappers, etc. have been influences on you in the way you formulate your production?  What equipment do you use for making your beats, and do you play live instruments?

The Bay is so prolific when it comes to music. In terms of artists from the Bay that have directly influenced my style, Raphael Saadiq, Hieroglyphics, and the Khayree’s production have all been very important. I think the most important thing I’ve taken from the region is the overall laid back feeling in the music, the classic overarching theme and elements of cool and chill in the music. Khayree’s productions for Ray Luv, Mac Dre, and Mac Mall were what made me fall in love with lead synth lines and beat switch ups in a Mobb music format. Hiero did hip-hop that was so quintessentially west coast that I fell in love with everything from the way the samples were flipped to the enunciation in their raps.  Raphael Saadiq is just amazing. His work everyone from the Roots to Kelis has been important to the soul aesthetic in my music. In my opinion, he’s the best producer out of the Bay…

As far as my weapons of choice, I learned to make beats on an Ensoniq ASR-88. That has remained the centerpiece of my production process. I also use Roland Juno 60, a Nord Lead, a Seil DK 600, Reason, Pro Tools and a gang of records. I played the saxophone from the fourth through the twelfth grade. All that time spent in the school band was extremely important for my development as a producer, as it gave me a background in music theory.

What is the group, Honor Roll?  How did all of you guys come together to create this group?  How did you meet DJ Tap 10?

Most of us came up together.  I’m a proponent of crews getting together organically as we did. There are seven of us in the crew: DJ Tap.10 (DJ/A&R), Mike Baker the Bike Maker (MC), Spank Pops (MC), Moxmore (MC), 1 O.A.K. (Artist/Producer), Josie Stingray (MC), and myself (Artist/Producer). I went to high school with Mike Baker and Moxmore. We joined Youth Radio, a Berkeley based youth organization, and met DJ Tap.10.  1 O.A.K. was also part of Youth Radio. Spank Pops and Josie came to be part of the crew through a close friend. We were all into the same music and understood the importance of making well-informed music for the Fre$h generation to bridge gap between old and the new, infusing it with artistic influences from all genres.  The Honor Roll is here to turn the ideal into reality. 

Your latest release, “The [RE] mixtape Volume 2” had hella songs on it that I was feeling!  My favorite song on there was with Little Brother’s Phonte, “Halfway.” Which songs on the mixtape are your favorites?

“Halfway” is a great song. Phonte is an amazing artist. I hooked up with him after doin’ the Windimoto Remix (he’s the vocalist on the song).  I shot him a few beats and he banged this out with Carlitta Durand. As far as my favorites, I have to say that I love the whole project.  The whole reason I make music is for my own listening pleasure.  I hate to say it, but you might catch me slappin’ my own project on more than one occasion. This love I have for my own music is what keeps me making more. It’s about drive, not vanity.

Growing up, what genres of music were you exposed to that you now can say has helped mold your production style?

Before I was even into hip-hop I was into 80’s pop like Wham! and Tears For Fears, CTI Jazz like Grover Washington and Bob James, and R&B like Cherrelle and Bobby Brown. I would say that my musical sensibility is very rooted in the 80’s, with the prominence of synth-driven soundscapes.  In high school, I really got into electronic music across the board, from deep house, to soulful drum & bass, to trip-hop, to broken beat. I love to mix rhythmic, melodic, and textural differences between all of these genres to create a new hybrid music. I’m biracial, Filipino and Black. I strive to make music how my parents made me… Mix it all up!

You have a very unique sound to your beats, man.  I would describe it as ambient club lounge music or even chill-out at the crib music.  How would you describe your music in your own words?

I usually let the music speak for itself instead of trying to describe it for artistic reasons.

However, taking a cue from the BEST group in hip-hop, Outkast, I call my brand of music “WesternSlapademickTenderSmobbinCosmicMusic”. The music is just that; Super-Sonic-Sensual-Soulectronic- Futuristic-Vintage-Synthetic-Classically-Intellectual-Slap! [This is] the soundtrack from the Fres$hcoast from the Fre$h Generation.

Are you currently working on any projects for anyone else or even yourself right now?  What artists can music heads expect to hear that you have worked with in the near future?

Right now I have a lot on my plate.  I have a 12” coming out on Fool’s Gold Records for “Enjoy What You Do”/”Topsidin’”. I did a couple beats and I am featured on Lyrics Born’s album that just dropped. I also did a song on Kid Sister’s upcoming debut album.  On the remix tip, I just got commissioned to do a remix for Platinum Pied Piper’s first single off their upcoming release.  I’m working with everyone in the Honor Roll on their respective projects. I am also finishing up my album and shopping it as we speak. We takin’these habitual truants back to class!

Are there new up and coming artists currently that you are feeling?  I saw that you did a remix for the Carps’ song “The Tumultuous Adventures of JJ Iscariot & the Insatiable Booty Fanatic.” That shit was hot!

The Carps are the homies!  As far as new artists, there are a couple that I’m feeling. I’ve been on Janelle Monae for a minute. She’s out of Atlanta and just got signed to Bad Boy. She’s about to make a crazy impact.  Santogold is also a monster. I’m feeling her project real tough right now. I’m also anticipating J*Davey’s upcoming project.

Lately, hip-hop has been labeled by media heads as this being the “age of ringtone rap.”  How do you feel about this?  How do you feel about the whole playing field of hip-hop as a whole right now?  Do you believe that your influence can be a great impact on the music world?

It’s funny because the very term “Ringtone Rap” is telling of where the game is. In its current inception, mainstream hip-hop is largely dictated by commerce and not art. Much of the music that surfaces is a reaction to what is popular, an attempt by labels with artists and producers (read “indentured servants”) trying to jump on the bandwagon (which is now sitting on 24”s, of course!). That sounds harsh considering I like some of this “ringtone rap”.  I feel that music production tools have become more cost effective and user friendly.

Now aspiring beatmakers can make music cheap and fast. I think this is a good competitive environment because it forces the cream to rise to the top. The only issue I have with the current state of hip-hop is the lack of importance placed on originality and musical legacy. It seems that newcomers are just making music, disregarding unspoken rules because they haven’t been educated on the game. I believe that this is my primary function. I believe any  sound has the ability to make an impact;  its all about it being relevant to the audience. I chose to lead by example. I make music for people like me. People who love all kinds of food and aren’t scared when it touches on the plate. Funny thing is, I’m finding a whole lot of people who have the appetite and just need a suggestion on where to dine.

What are your top five favorite producers of all-time; who are your top five favorite bands and who are your top five favorite bands?

This is a super hard question… My answers change from week to week, with the same revolving casts and players… There are just too many strong frontrunners to name…

In no particular order:

Top Producers: The Neptunes, Dilla, DJ Quik, James Murphy, The Soulquarians…

Top five Artists: Outkast, N.E.R.D., Sade, Prince, Tears for Fears

If you could work with any musical band or artist (dead or alive), who would you want to work with? 

This is a hard one… Stevie Wonder, Raphael Saadiq, Todd Rundgren, Dilla, Big L, Stereolab…

 “The [RE]mixtape Vol.2” is a free download on Trackademicks’ Myspace page and it is definitely the most complete release I have heard this year so far.  He remixes artists such as Snoop Dogg and Pharrell to even bands such as the Editors.  Make sure to look out for any production slated by Track; it’s sure to keep your ass dancin’ and your head noddin’ the whole musical experience.  Thanks, Track for the opportunity, brah.  You have one hell of a bright future ahead of you. 

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{mosimage}The Maryland/ Washington DC area has never truly been known as a hotbed for producing hip-hop emcees on a national scale, but after attending a CunninLynguists show and seeing this young cat, Substantial (hailing from Prince George’s County, Maryland) I realized that I could not have been more wrong.  I went to college out in Maryland and I had never even heard of this cat Substantial from any of my peers from the Mid-Atlantic region.  In fact, the first time I had heard of Substantial was on Nujabes’ “Metaphorical Music” LP; Nujabes remixed Sub’s “Blessing It” and “Think Different.” On his latest solo release, ‘Sacrifice” Substantial displays the essential elements of extreme cadence and epic production within the 16 songs on the LP.  You can catch Substantial’s two videos for the songs, “It’s You (I Think)” and “Resurrection of the House Party” on YouTube.  He sat behind a merch table at the CunninLynguists show when I walked in and seemed like a truly humble dude.  Substantial and I talk about his latest album, “Sacrifice,” his collaborations with Nujabes, and what he views the plateau of hip-hop at this present time.

First and foremost, I would like to thank you Substantial for taking time away from your busy schedule with your touring with CunninLynguists to conduct this interview with me.  First things, first.  Tell the readers why Substantial is bringing true substance to the hip-hop game.

The substance I bring comes from my everyday experiences.  I am constantly trying to be the best “me”.  So as long as I stay true to myself, I’ll always have a somewhat unique perspective because there’s only one me.

Being from the Mid-Atlantic region of Maryland/DC, a lot of our readers do not know too many rappers/emcees from the region.  Frankly, man, the only hip-hop cats I can name from the area are Wale, Spank Rock, Kev Brown, and you.  Who are some of the big names in the Maryland/DC area that most of the readers might not have heard of? 

My man Oddisee has been doing the damn thing for a minute.  He’s down with Kev Brown, who you mentioned before.  Then of course, there’s Ken Starr who’s also down with them.  There’s folks like Asheru, Storm the Unpredictable, Kokayi but a lot of times around here, we’re overshadowed by the local Go-Go bands.  It’s all love though.

Are you working on any projects right now?  What is keeping Substantial busy nowadays?  Are you apart of any hip-hop groups or crews?  What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I’m mainly promoting my album, “Sacrifice ” right now, but I’m trying to wrap up this EP with a producer named Burns from Pittsburgh.   It’s gonna be a 6 song project and [going to] keep the listeners wanting more.

I’m apart of Extended Famm, [With]The Joe Brothers and The Plague so of course, my pen gets little to no rest.

In my spare time I do graphic design, martial arts, and watch movies.

I met you touring with the CunninLynguists cats in San Francisco; what other artists have you toured with?  How is it going touring with CunninLynguists?  What city has been the most hype crowd so far on this tour, and what city do you most like performing in front of?

I have also toured with other members of QN5 Music (Mr. SOS, Pack FM, Session, & Tonedeff) and Nujabes.  Most of the time when I’ve toured, it’s been solo.

The tour with CL has been great.  They are some of the coolest folks you’ll ever meet and very professional.  The city that was the most hype was definitely Eugene, OR.  When I saw our tour schedule, I did not expect them to be that hype. But, they were pretty damn “awesome” (That was our official tour word).  The city I had the most fun performing for was tied between Victoria, Canada and Bend, OR.  All of the shows were a lot of fun, but it’s rare to see crowds so hyped about an artist they’ve never heard of.

Are there any other genres of music that you draw you’re musical influences from? 

Although I listen to everything, I tend to draw most of my influences from Jazz & Soul Music.

How did you end up with being on QN5 Music with the likes of hip-hop cats such as Tonedeff and CunninLynguists?

I’ve known a lot of the artists on QN5 Music for years and had been featured on a lot of their releases. It was only a matter of time I guess.  Once I was close to finishing “Sacrifice”, Tonedeff offered to help finish and release it.  We’ve been labelmates ever since.

How did you end up with working with the Japanese producer, Nujabes?  That song “Think Different” on his Metaphorical Music LP was hot!

Thanks bro.  I met Nujabes through my friend, Sphere of Influence.  The next thing I know, I’m in Japan recording my first full length LP.                      

I heard you mention that you were cool with Kool Herc.  How did you end up meeting him and have you ever worked with him on any songs, parties, or shows?  How does it feel to be acquainted with a hip-hop giant?

I met Herc through my wife’s college professor and not too long after that he ended up spinning at my wedding.  We’ve worked together a few times.  While I was working on “Sacrifice,” I recorded him and used his vocals for the hidden track on my album and I also do fliers for his parties occasionally.  He’s a truly great brother.  It’s rare that people get to meet the person who had a hand in creating what you’re passionate about, so I know it’s a blessing to be able to call him a friend.

On the song “A PG Boy,” you talk about growing up in Prince George’s County, Maryland.  For the cats that are reading this right now, can you please explain to them a little more about your area?  From growing up in Maryland, is the local go-go music a big influence in what you listen to?  I know you got some Backyard Band and CCB songs in your iPod, man.

Ok surprise #1, I do not own an iPod.  Surprise #2, I don’t listen to Go-Go that much.  [I] gotta keep it all the way real with y’all.  I still fool with Chuck Brown and I used to listen to a lot of Rare Essence and Northeast Groovers when I was younger, but I haven’t been following it as much these days.  I do mess with a few of the new bands like LISSEN, UCB, and Mambo Sauce though. 

As far as what it’s like around here… it’s everything.  Wild sometimes but laid back.  A lot of minorities are doing really well for themselves out here, but the hoods here are nothing to sleep on.

You had a real smooth, jazzy tone to your latest LP, “Sacrifice.” Did you produce anything on the LP?  Who else produced on the album?

I didn’t handle any production on the record.  I left it to folks like Kno & Deacon (CunninLynguists), Tonedeff, Fero Navi, Burns, Von Johnson, Donnan Links, Studio Steve Wallace, Final, Definition and my man Algorythm.  Algorythm handled the most production on the project.

Since the title of your current album is “Sacrifice,” what do you feel like you had to sacrifice to get to where you are today?  What would be the ultimate goal that you would like to accomplish in your lifetime?

I sacrificed a lot of rest, money and time with my family. The ultimate goal would be to raise and support a healthy family while doing what I love.

I was watching your video for the song “It’s You (I Think)” and I wanted to know if there was a female that was inspiration for the song.  Was there a muse in the female form that made you decide to write the song?  It was a great song by the way man, and if you haven’t checked out the video, readers…go do so on YouTube!

Thanks again.  There were actually 3 females that inspired the song.  Each verse is about a different girl I dated when I was younger.

I was looking on your Myspace page and seen that you were coming out with a clothing line.  Where do you get inspiration for your fashion designs?  I heard you say that you did graff (graffiti); do some of your designs come from this?  What’s the name of the fashion line?

Well I used to really want to have my own clothing line, but I don’t really think about it as much anymore.  I do have my shirts and hoodies that I push to promote my name, but that’s pretty much it for now.  Yeah I still do graff (in my black book) here and there and I definitely use some my graff skilsl in some of my designs.  I had a few different names I threw around back in the day, but nothing official right now.

If you could do a collaboration with any bands, artists, producers, or composers (dead or alive), who would they be with?

Wow, we could be here all day with that one. 

OK, well for those still with us:

Amy Winehouse, Common, De La Soul, Dr. Dre, Dungeon Family, Elzhi, Erykah Badu, Guilty Simpson, Jill Scott, Kanye, Lord Have Mercy, Lupe, Mint Condition, Neptunes, Pharoah Monch, Portishead, Radiohead, Sean Price, Stevie Wonder, The Roots, and Timbaland (Just off the top of my head)

For those that have past:

J Dilla, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Stan Getz (This is my short list because I could turn this into some marathon shit easily.)

I would like to thank you Substantial for taking the time to help me put this interview together so the hip-hop heads can get to know you better as a person and emcee.  Are there any other things that you would like to say to the readers? 

Thanks.  And to the readers… Buy my album!

Substantial is a hella humble cat with extremely tremendous potential; go do yourself a favor and buy his latest LP entitled “Sacrifice.” You will not be disappointed.  Make sure to check out Substantial on his Myspace page (http://www.myspace.com/substantial).  Defining Substantial in a short synopsis: Substantial brings the raw aspects of a true emcee to life in a hip-hop landscape currently that is infused with cliché acts.  Sub, thanks for the time!

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lease forgive the mass mail. It is not often that I find it so unequivocally necessary to write everyone on my personal mailing lists and express the words that we often think and wish we could vocalize but that remain inaudible.

Recently, someone inquired about what they thought were a series of blogs that I released on myspace and on other websites. At first I was confused until it dawned on me that I have never explained to anyone how I keep a journal, almost a book's worth I would say, of personal stories that detail events in my life. These stories are written without the anger, pain, sadness or bitterness that often clouded my vision at the time that these things happen. I usually only release the politically charged ones to the public, because I am not in the habit of sharing personal stories about my life, unless it is with my inner circle that gets a chance to read some of the entries at times… However, the events of the past week have provided a reason for me to bring up a story about my youth. I pray that those who I am just as close to in mind, heart, spirit and Revolutionary cause may be able to understand and hopefully identify with.

I grew up in Harlem during a time when the Apollo had underground Rap acts performing there every weekend, when Morningside park wasn't a place where you wanted to be without a weapon, and where they used to fight pitbulls on the steps after dark. I can remember when to the West, Grant's Tomb used to throw huge Jazz festivals, and they would incorporate upcoming Hip Hop acts as well. This was all during the era of struggling Black businesses, the sunset of redline district ratings, and what would become known as the golden age of Hip Hop. New York City was not the police state that it is now, and while some see the city's past as a lawless criminal haven, there was a balance in the fact that there was more culture rather than a contrived tourist attraction that nets corporations money, but that threatens to remove much of the current population. All that said, I think it would naïve to think that just because all this is true, that the old New York was better. Because I couldn't say that to someone who lost their child to gang violence, drug addiction, murder, or a bevy of other issues that used to claim so many more lives than they do now. However the problems haven't gone away. They've simply been masked in many areas and increasing the prison population hasn't resolved the fundamental problems of social imbalance that are the root cause of many of these issues.

I was very young and unable to articulate what I can now but I remember everything. As God has blessed me with one of the best memories out of the people I know. To remember things in detail is difficult for some people but when thoughts are ingrained into my mind, they can be recounted effortlessly. Even more so often I guess because I often wrote them down in detail as a child. As all children when I was young I got into my fair share of trouble, but much more so as a teen and a young adult than as an adolescent who was more concerned with just playing stickball, arcade games (remember those?), Street Football, and talking to girls in the neighborhood.

Behind the tomb of the 18th President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant, on 122nd Street in what is now gentrified West Harlem, there is a small park. The park extends from what would be 123rd street all the way to 125th where it ends and a bridge carries the remaining road parallel alongside the Westside Highway and above what was once was the empty meat market district. The park is has a paved path with a row of benches on its side leading up to a playground where for as long as I can remember a large diverse community of people gathered over the summer. Blacks, and Latinos, including Mexican's, Puerto Rican's and Dominican's from the Harlem and the Washington Heights Community have traditionally set up BBQ's and family picnics there. The entire area was then, and still is, littered during warmer days with people who allow their children to play together in the jungle gym and swing area. I remember watching people of all ethnicities having a good time there when I was young.

Across the street from the park there is a strip of sidewalk that follows the scene I just described towards a Bridge. Like a lonely admirer, the street never joins with the park but rather continues on it's own as a path as it proceeds over the bridge up to 135th street.

On a summer day when I was about 13 years old, I was walking down this exact same path with three of the kids from around the way, Jay, Angel, and Mark. We were walking through the park, laughing, making jokes and just basically having fun. We we're drunk or high or scheming on anyone, we didn't harass any females, or spit on someone we thought looked at us wrong. We brought no cause to even notice us besides the faint laughter heard from a distance as we cracked jokes on one another. Usually we just walked through the picnic area to see if there were girls there or played stickball with one of our other homies Dominican Chris (RIP) who I shouted out on the "One Remix" at the end of Revolutionary Vol.2. On this one occasion we thought we'd walk back down the path opposite the park and go down a street called Tiemann to get to 125th. I saw the long open road that followed the park, turned to the fellas, and bet that I could beat any of them to the end of the road in a race. We went back and forth, talking shit for a minute, until finally, betting a quarter water and some 25 cent cookies on the winner of the race, we all took our mark and then we ripped down the street. Just some innocent kids enjoying a summer day running through a park. I remember seeing my lead come and go as the other competitors struggled to obtain lead and excel.

As we finished the race, (Angel beat us all), we slowed our run to a jog and then stopped to rest in front of a row of steps. But no sooner had we stopped running when another competitor who had obviously been watching our race very carefully joined our group. The police cruiser pulled up right next to us in what can only be described as an unhealthy speed to try and stop a car in front of anyone let alone children. It slightly came onto the curb but didn't jump it completely. The cops barked for us to all "FREEZE!" I can remember feeling nervous at first and then all that fear subsiding because I knew I hadn't done anything wrong at all. The cops then ordered us all to come to the car, and we all did so quietly and reluctantly, all of us except Angel. He backed away from them towards a set of stairs that led down to another street. The cops immediately asked us who we had robbed, they asked us what we took and where we had hidden it. "I didn't steal anything," I answered back and was told to shut up. "The only reason niggers and spics run is when they've stole something" was the response the cop in the patrol car.

I had seen the cops rough people up before. There is a deli near my old apartment that for many years during the 90's was a famous coke spot that everyone from college students, junkies and business people frequented. But those were drug dealers from the hood. In Hip Hop we glamorize the drug trade sometimes, but I always understood the harsh reality of that world. I saw cops rob drug dealers before and they beat down a few drunk people on the street who were talking reckless, but I hadn't seen them talk to children like that. They came to my elementary school once, only a few years earlier, to talk to us abut safety and drugs. So while it wasn't the first time I had seen or heard the police get physical or confrontational with people, it was the first time it was directed at me personally. There they were calling me a nigger and a spic and accusing me of stealing something when all we had done was what their kids did in their all white community 15 miles out of New York or in a Queens suburb, race each other in a fuckin' park.

But that was just the half of it. When Angel came back, away from the steps they all of a sudden seemed interested more in him than of the rest of us. "What the fuck did you step back from us for?" they asked. "Why'd you run away?"

They ordered him to come towards the car. When he obeyed, the cop who was riding shotgun grabbed him by the neck and yanked him halfway inside the vehicle, leaving his little feet dangling in the air. The cop driving slapped him in the face and growled "what the fuck are you running for? What the fuck did you steal?"

We all watched in disgust and horror at the sight of our friend being mangled by these grown men with the power of life and death over us. They asked us how old we were and I clearly remember that we each went down the line saying, "13, 12, 14, 13" and I think back on it now, noting how small we must have really been in comparison to these police officers. He then asked Angel to give him his mother's phone number to find out where he lived, he asked him over and over, and then one of them yelled at him "don't lie to us!" He didn't pose any threat to them in any way shape or form, and yet they felt the need to keep hitting him. They even pulled out the top of their nightstick and banged it against his head. We all started yelling about how we didn't do anything and again they told us all to shut up. Finally, they then let him go and told us that if we didn't steal anything and we weren't guilty than we didn't have anything to fear from the police.

We walked back to our block silently, but there was a quiet attitude in Angel that I hadn't seen before, he was not just left without words, he seemed to be silent inside. He wasn't as badly bruised as I thought he'd be. He had a few marks and his face was red but there was something behind his face looked like it was broken…

I am going to leave that story at this point for now, and not go far into detail about explaining to my father how useless it was to look for their badge numbers or about how this was just beginning of my abusive relationship with NYPD, who only 3 years later pulled guns on me outside of an 86th street train station because they claimed my green jacket matched the description of a robbery suspect. I could really tell a whole chapter of these stories. Almost getting killed by cops, but by then I was already a criminal, which coincidentally doesn't mean that a summary execution of me was in order.

Scooter Libby is a criminal, he broke the law, and so did Oliver North. But I'm sure if someone shot them both tomorrow that person wouldn't be exempt of the charges because of the victim's status. I watch people often implant these ideas in our mind to justify what happens to drug dealers, to thieves, to people that come from a community that is persecuted or to people whose politics are adverse to our own. We are media-trained to see ourselves as a threat, rather than the system as one. Perhaps that's why even when the cops are of color they feel more threatened by a Black or Latino person. They feel like they're less concerned with the consequences of doing this is in our communities vs. other places where they'd be more accountable for their actions by the governing council. Who all need to be voted out by the way, immediately!

When I went to school the next day I talked to my classmates about my crazy weekend and I found shock and disbelief from some of the white students, those who came from a more affluent background but the few Black and Latino kids were more understanding and we even shared stories of their own with each other, but not with the rest of the class, we felt like they thought the police were their friends. Imagine that… Sharing stories about police brutality in 7th grade.

I know that it's been a horrible week for anyone out there that was looking for some sort of justice in New York. Some of us hate marching. We're tired of it. And many others wanted us to riot, as if destroying our own neighborhoods would do anything for us. Others talked about destroying other neighborhoods, rich white neighborhoods, as if that wouldn't bring about the wholesale slaughter of our people. Some say that this would at least highlight the difference in the way police deal with people of color from the inner city vs. other communities. Some said blood needed to be shed, and that we must expect to incur losses, and we shouldn't be squeamish and look ahead. But these are the same "hardcore activists" that have never seen bloodshed or violence the way I have. And if we are all for sacrificing lives on the altar of Revolution then the question to be asked is, if there was only one life to sacrifice to bring attention to this police state, and it was your son, or daughter or husband who was father to them both, would you give them up? I can guarantee that while the Bell family is happy to receive the love and support from the community and the help of so many organizations to expose police corruption and seek justice, that they would trade it all to have Sean Bell back… If I was them… I would too.

Sean Bell's murder isn't just about race. Although it is important to point out that that the idea that one cannot be prejudice against their own race is just ridiculous because there are glaring examples of it present in our everyday lives all the time. But I firmly believe this is much more about power. The power of a growing authoritarian state who will protect it's praetorian guard at all costs, a city who values some lives over others, that doesn't mind paying out as long as the PBA can spin the issues and use whatever legal maneuvering with a retiring judge to make the decisions it finds favorable. It is about the power of a government to torture or kill a human being and not have to answer to the people that its supposed to represent. If our only claim to democracy is the vote we somewhat take part in as a nation 25 times every century, and not the foundation of it's institutions, then are we not truly a democracy in name only? But I am not here to preach to the choir, I actually presented this old journal entry of mine because I want to hear YOU SPEAK… We NEED to hear you speak.

I wanted to take this opportunity to make this an open forum for people from all walks of life, all races, sexes, religions, persuasions and ethnicities to speak on their experiences with police abuse. In response to the Sean Bell killing and various other issues facing this nation Other Revolutionaries and I are working on coming up with more proactive solutions to the problem s our communities are facing. Telling these stories is a way to communicate more with one another. Marches are good to show solidarity and display the numbers of a community but they are just one tool in the arsenal that we have available to us as a people. Communication is another, and as we search for non-traditional ways to battle the system, to take it beyond complaining and press conferences, as we take it beyond the predictable means of typical protest, a greater network is necessary to establish. We are not defenseless, we are not sheep, and we will not be placated "civilians" whose diversified skills and ability to structure ourselves with military organization will be allowed to go to waste. Networking is key.

Please feel free to post a personal account from you or your family's experience with Police brutality, whether you are in NY, LA, Seattle, Toronto, Russia, China, Japan, The Middle East,Chicago, Jersey, Atlanta, Miami, The West Bank, Europe, Australia, Asia, Africa, or somewhere off in Latin America, in the 3rd World, where the police are the military and they are 10 times worse towards the people. Write us here from everywhere…

While we keep fighting, I and other Rebels of all walks of life make moves. So I want to hear from you, to hear your experiences so that we can learn from them, speak to one another, and form a stronger alliance. People know me as a Rapper but I see that as I always have only piece of what I am, music is really just a small part of my life, it is only the beginning of what I have begun working on. Communication is an essential component in all types of warfare, releasing this piece of my journal and asking for you to speak on stories of your own is part of a much larger action planned to increase Communications all while moving our other projects ahead…

R.I.P. Sean Bell.

But remember, that he will only Rest In Peace when we bring those that murdered him and the state which basically sanctioned his execution, to justice. We must be well- trained, disciplined, sober, vigilant and ready for action when it comes. We remember the many that fell before Sean, and those that are still to come because this will never stop unless we take action to stop it. We are taking action this is just the first step.

We are the people. We are the Revolution.

Respectfully Submitted,

Immortal
Technique

Taken from myspace blog  

For those that don’t know but should,  who is “Dame Grease?”

DG: I’m a producer who has produced for almost everyone.  DMX, Nas, Jay-Z, Freeway, Mary J. Blige, Kelis, Cam’ron, Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, the LOX, Nore, Scarface, Yukmouth, LL Cool J, T.I., Juelz Santana, etc.

You are a multi platinum selling producer, what inspired you to get where you are today?

DG: My surroundings as a youth, everything I’ve put into my music and production is something I’ve experienced so that is really what influenced me.

How difficult was it to break into the mainstream hip hop scene?

DG: It was hard but everyone has to pay their dues.  Once I established myself working with the LOX and DMX I was able to break out.

Who was the first artist to give you that chance?

DG: Probably the LOX, working with them in 96/97 is really what first established my buzz as a producer.

You produced the LOX's dedication to Biggie Smalls “We'll Always Love Big Poppa’” and the DMX track "Get At Me Dog" did you expect both singles to go so well?

DG: The Biggie song we didn’t really expect to do as much as it did.  It was a really sensitive time, but when they let Puff hear the song he was crying. They actually thanked us and said it really helped.  It also inspired them to do “Missing You” which was the A-side to the tribute single. “Get At Me Dog” was crazy because I actually produced “If You Think I’m Jiggy” for the LOX, which was the last big song of what people described as the jiggy era.  Then I produced “Get At Me Dog” which set off that whole new era of Hip Hop, it was definitely a risk at the time but it paid off.

At what stage of recording a track do you realise it’s a hit?

DG: It’s crazy because sometimes you know it as soon as you think of the concept for the song.  Sometimes it’s just that strong that you know what the concept is capable of doing. From there all you have to do is put the song together and physically bring the idea together.

Your name is appearing in credits all over at the moment with the likes of Jay–Z, and Nas. How important is it for you to keep you’re name known?

DG: To keep it real with you, I wasn’t as concerned with it as much during the early part of my career. But now it’s everything because it represents credibility, good business, and solid hits.  At the end of the day all you really have is your name and credibility.

It has been rumoured that you will be stepping back into the studio to record a new album as an artist.

DG: The new album I have coming out is called “Goon Muzik,” it’s actually done and will be dropping May 27th on Babygrande and my label Vacant Lot.  On this one I’m on a lot of the songs, but I don’t consider what I do rapping. I look at it as hood narrating, almost like the narrator of a story.

Your mixtape on myspace has created quite a buzz is it going as well as you first anticipated?

DG: I knew the Respect the Producer instrumental mixtape would be big because everyone from fans to artists have been asking me for it for at least the past five years. Because when you look at it as a whole each song is like a piece of the puzzle that describes my career. There’s hits I’ve had on there from 1998 all the way up to this year.  To give you an example, I gave Max B a copy when he was at the studio and he was telling me that he’s gotta go in on all of these joints *laughs*.

Could you speak a little more on you’re project hiphopworld.tv?

DG: All I can really say is that I have my own separate site HipHopBrain.com that will be launching soon.

What else have you got planned for 2008?

DG: Other than Goon Muzik on May 27th, hopefully I will have my other album Sour Diesel out by summer.  Sour Diesel is more of a compilation with artists over my production.  I also have Max B’s mixtape coming soon, Meeno’s new single dropping, and mixtapes across the board from my artists at Vacant Lot.

Before you go is there anything you’d like to add?

DG: Be on the look out for the Dame Grease brand.

If you haven't heard already Alicia Keys was recently interviewed by Blender Magazine and decided to share some rather interesting thoughts on "gangsta rap"

‘Gangsta rap’ was a ploy to convince black people to kill each other. ‘Gangsta rap’ didn’t exist.’

Keys, 27, said she’s read several Black Panther autobiographies and wears a gold AK-47 pendant around her neck ‘to symbolize strength, power and killing ’em dead,’ according to an interview in the magazine’s May issue, on newsstands Tuesday.

Another of her theories: That the bicoastal feud between slain rappers Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. was fueled ‘by the government and the media, to stop another great black leader from existing.’”

Online the rumours of her Mel Gibson's "Conspiracy Theory" have been running rampid. Although while seemingly off point I don't she's crazy as a lot of bloggers are thinking.  The best way to describe it would be the way Jay Smooth did:

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So, question to you all…has she gone off the deep end or does wifey have a good point (just misunderstood as it is)?

As the bridge of brick called underground hiphop keeps crumbling, every year around this time artists like myself that are trying to find a foothold take this time to reflect. I spend a lot of my day emailing and calling promoters only to have them not respond and there are certain points in my day when I say "the hell with this" and go do something else more productive. Right now it's got me reminiscing on what got me here.

First of all where is here? I'm not even sure. I read some reviews and write ups about me and people use descriptions like "Philadelphia legend" or "underground staple" and then I go elsewhere and read things that are much less flattering.

I honestly can't answer that one for you but I can tell you I've lived a lot of my dreams getting to this point. I've also taken a lot of risks and thought outside of the box to get myself here. One of my most talked about but never disclosed risks was the Greyhound Ameripass scandal.

From discoverypass.com:

"See the USA and Canada by Greyhound. Travel both countries with a name you can trust. It's one of the most economical ways you'll ever find to discover the sights and attractions on both sides of the U.S./Canada border. With attractively affordable pricing, Greyhound's North America Discovery Passes encourage you to travel far and wide. And with unlimited travel and unlimited stopovers, there is no need to restrict the distance you travel or the length of time you stay in one place."

Sounds like their pitching to overseas heads that don't know how awful the "Devil's Chariot" actually is.

Towards the end of 2004 my homey Ceschi told me he had a hook up for the Greyhound Ameripass and he was using it to go to North Carolina to visit his girl all the time and I think he even took a bus to Los Angeles (Sidebar: Dos and Verbs wanted to put money up for me to go all the way there and all the way back to Philly without stopping or showering) so I was like hell yeah let's hit up your connect and get that done.

Ceschi being one of my best friends was like yeah sure I got you and he emailed me a Word document. I was thinking we'd go to the bus station and someone would hook me up. Nope! He showed me how to edit, print, cut and laminate this document. It was literally just a white piece of paper with some printing in a font similar to Courier New. Ceschi cut it on a paper cutter in my house. It wasn't even a perfect rectangle more like an unexaggerated rhombus. He laminated it on one of those small travel laminators. There was nothing on the back of the paper. Needless to say I was very leery…thinking to myself "there is NO WAY this is gonna work." He told me to put it in a check book holder and put my license in the other side and kinda just flip it open like a police badge.

I can't remember the first place I went with it. Oh I think it was from Richmond, VA to Philly after a show I did with Pumpkinhead at the Nanci Raygun. I remember standing in the line thinking this will never work but fuck it if I get caught there's a lot of places to run. I'm very much a "no risk no reward" type. So I waited and waited until it was my turn to board the devil's chariot. To my utter amazement the driver barely even glanced at my counterfeit Ameripass. I boarded the bus and it was not so smooth riding from there. (whoa unrelated flashback…i.b.i-fly)

I remember calling Ceschi and talking about how ridiculous it was and how the dude barely checked the pass and this and that and he explained to me how many times he'd done it and how it was always like that.

After a few more rides up and down the east coast that went just like that. Even times the pass was scrutinized closer it wasn't that much a check. The driver would point at it and move his lips as though he was deciphering it. Some drivers were bewildered as though it was something that only existed in theory. Others asked me what I did that I traveled so much. I made up a new story everytime, just for fun I guess…HAHA! Greyhound became my car. I'd go back and forth between Philly and Connecticut just because I was bored.

Let me reinforce that Greyhound is awful!!! It is THE worst way to travel in North America. At least on the east coast. In the midwest I would find out they have much newer and cleaner buses and stations. (what part of the game is that?!) I once saw a station in Tennessee that was like a shed and the Greyhound sign was on a trash can. Greyhound attracts people that think they are too poor to fly with prices that are not much different than a flight if you plan in advance. It's oftentimes a mobile halfway house. A lot of fat women wit all their possessions in garbage bags. A lot of dudes who just got out of prison and have on dress shirts and mismatch shoes that got nothing but a bus ticket.

It's also never on time. Any amount of people can have a ticket to go to a destination and if there are too many people they MAY bring another bus but also they may not.

Dealing with all these things I took solace in knowing that I didn't pay for it.

I remember the first time I showed Dos-Noun the golden ticket. It was at a Beautiful/Decay release party that he was supposed to perform at. I remember showing him and he was even more skeptical than I was. By that time I had already toured with Hangar18 and had even gone to Canada for free so the pass felt as though it was real. I looked it over and basically said "yeah go head wit that…"

…and then there was my trip to Ottawa, Ontario on the Hangar18/OneBeLo tour. On the way there I was detained for 30 minutes at the border. I had to convince them I was going to see Hangar18 because they weren't performing in my city and the vinyl that was in my bag was "just because I didn't get a chance to go home before the bus left." When the border guy looked at my pass I was mortified. He kept turning it over and over. Ultimately he wasn't all that concerned with it but I felt like it was wayyyy too much of a close call. So eventually I told them to look at the def jux site and they were convinced that that's what I was doing. So me and my 15 copies of the IndieInBurns 12" made our way across the border. I popped them all off at the show and on the way back I had to go through another set of self-sonning explaining to the US customs heads that I'm just the biggest Hangar18 fan in the world. I remember the guy seeing the amount of flyers I had from the show and saying "wow you must really love these guys!" after that he told me how I should get a job. To add insult to injury I came back with the illest cold ever.

I skipped a couple buses home because they were different bus companies and I wasn't ready to push my luck just yet.

And then I perfected it the pass. I'm such a perfectionist in everything I do.

One day I bought an actual greyhound ticket, the cheapest I could find and I recreated the back of it and then printed a pass with the back on it.

That's when everything got real!

To be continued….

-iCON

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