|
Sup sup sup,
Thought this might interest some people. This is an interview I did for Ozone Magazine with NARC from Do or Die on my radio show recently....
Rohit: So tell me are you guys starting your own label?
NARC: Well right now we’re concentrating on the album, the forthcoming album coming out February 1st. Right now we got Kanye West who just produced our first single “Higher” which was just on the radio so that what we focusing in on now.
Tell us about the album. Guest appearances, producers, and so forth.
Well Kanye also did another joint on the album. Then you got DJ Quik who did something for the West Coast, we got my man Scott Storch who did the “Lean Back”, we got the legendary Traxter, we got Sasha, Bounty Killer, we got everyone on the album. It’s off the chain. You know right now we closing it off with Twista so you know they’re gonna be some heat on the album.
This sounds like its going to be a different sounding album. Is that what we can expect?
It’s not different it’s just another level, with experience we’re taking it to a new height. It’s more commercial but we know we got the streets covered. Can’t leave without the streets because that’s where Do or Die came from.
Tell us about the first single and how you hooked up with Kanye.
The first single you know is called “higher”. We hooked up with Kanye cuz he used to live out on the south side where I live. We did some work previously with Kanye but it was never out in the public but we came up with this joint with Kanye, flew out to LA, we walked into the studio and he was like “Yo I got the perfect single for y’all” and he was like “let’s make this happen”. Then we took it and ran with it. Good success.
Do you have a video for the single?
Well the video is out on BET, MTV2, it’s off to the radios. We want everybody to call BET and support it. The concept behind the video is just showing the people that Do or Die is taking it to another level. I mean we doing the same thing but we about to give them something on the club side. And we just wanted to let the people feel Do or Die back.
There’s no denying that Do or Die is not getting all the credit you all deserve. How do you plan to make up for that now?
It’s like they say that the cream soon rises to the top. You can’t hide the cream cuz the cream start at the bottom but at the end it rise to the top and that’s when its gonna be all over. I don’t mind not getting my just due cuz it’s just due now.
How many albums does that make for DOD now?
I think this is like our seventh album. We had five with Rap-A-Lot, then a greatest hits, that makes this our seventh.
How do you stay fresh and passionate after seven albums?
Love in the game. We also keep God first but we have to keep the love for the music, stay aggressive with it. What it’s about most is how peoples is doing what we were doing, doing our style and stuff like that and we like naw they ain’t getting away with that so we’re coming back. We appreciate them keeping the music game warm for us but we’re back.
What do you think of Kanye and Twista’s success in a short period of time compared to you while you were left behind?
We weren’t so much left behind, we was just in the lab while they were doing their own thing. We respect Twista and Kanye for doing what they’re doing cuz they’re keeping attention on Chicago and we don’t have attention on Chicago like that especially not in the rap game so we trying to cling on with Kanye and Twista in keeping Chicago out there and seen.
Lots of aspiring artists idolize you, especially in Chicago. What words of wisdom do you have for them?
Man I’ma tell you something, first things first Do or Die are pioneers cuz they recognize that all over the world, Jay Z and all them give us big ups and say “man these guys are pioneers”. So us as pioneers we tell our peoples to stay ahead and keep their business right. And first things first don’t never quit cuz Do or Die never quit, even though it may not be your music it may be your business so you have to get your music and your business together for something to really happen for you.
Your business situation has too. How is it working with Legion Records?
Well it’s different cuz we came in on a fifty, fifty deal. It’s something like you know you got Do or Die with like fifteen years of experience in the music game, we really known, we can politic with anyone so we came in with Rudy, the CEO of Legion records. Rudy was doing real estate and he was like I wanna do music so he met me up on 87th at one of the clubs and I was like let’s make it happen. Then we were like this is our dream let’s go.
Do you plan to sign other artists?
Yeah. Do or Die is coming up with a new label so we want everyone to keep their ears glued close to the radio stations because we will soon be looking for the artists of Chicago to help keep Chicago on.
What’s keeping Chicago in the limelight right now?
Well you looking at ‘em you know what I’m saying (laughs). What’s keeping us in the limelight is us keeping on putting out the hot music. The Kanyes and Twistas keeping us out there, then we got R Kelly keeping us out there he’s the main man. He was saying he wants to start working with Do or Die and other artists in Chicago. That’s gonna start a trend and keep the artists in Chicago hot. So they keeping Chicago in the limelight.
How do you think hip hops changed since you got in it.
The hip hop game changed cuz its more of a beat and a hook now than rather listen to what I gotta say. The south has really taken a sound and made it like this is the south world now and Kanye and Twista have taken a sound and made it like the Chicago world so it’s kind of up and down right now with the south and the Midwest.
You gonna have any southern tracks on this album or you staying away from that?
You gotta know that he south was Do or Die’s biggest selling area. We went gold alone in the south without the Midwest. That’s kind of something where we should have gone gold in the Midwest without the south. Right now we got a lot of things catering to the south, the west, the Midwest, and the east coast. So the albums off the chains.
Do you have a specific market you’re counting on. The Midwest? The South?
Well we just rehitting the markets. The same ones as the old albums that we were getting big sales from.
Do you look back on Po Pimp and find more pressure on yourself to match the classics that you have put out before?
Naw not at all cuz what we do is we try to be creative. We know we can master that Po Pimp track. But what we try to do is try to get more creative and not to stick to one sound but try that one too. Going down the line we might come back with something similar like we came back with Back to the Game and then Pimpin and Dead so we came back with the Do or Die formula on those two albums and this album here is on a whole new level right here.
Are there any particular DJs that have helped push this single?
Man all the DJs, from the south, the east, the west, and the north. Everyone’s kinda helped us to really kinda push this song and this song had over 1500 spins. It was one of our biggest songs right now. So what we doing right now is working on the R Kelly song and the Twista song so we can keep the fire going.
Do you have the second single in mind yet?
Not In mind yet, but guaranteed the single coming out, everyone’s gonna love it.
Who were your musical influences?
I used to be in love with the New York cats: Rakim, Kool G Rap. Later then Scarface and my main man Dr. Dre. Lots of those cats influenced in well. Tupac and Biggie as well. They helped keep the music game a new trend.
Anything else for your fans?
To all the fans Do or Die love you. Keep us in your mind and we will help uplift the entire Chicago area. We love ya.
_________________
|
Anmelden
FAQ
Suche
Aber mir persönlich gefallen die Trackz mit Johnny P sehr gut, fast alle 
