Chronic Vacation sits down with one of the most promising artists on the West Coast for our first exclusive interview. Omar Cruz will tell you about filming the video to his latest single “To The Top” with Frankie J, his new MTV3 show “Pimpeando,” and some exciting details about his debut album “Sign Of The Cruz.” Continue on to read the interview..
CV.Com: How are you Omar?
Omar Cruz: I’m doing well, how are you?
CV.Com: I’m well, thanks. To start things off and to give the fans a look into your life, what is the first thing Omar Cruz does when he wakes up in the morning?
Omar Cruz: I thank God that I woke up to see another day.
CV.Com: Tell us about your focus and the mind state you’re in when heading to the studio.
Omar Cruz: I’m focusing on my album, “The Sign of the Cruz,” and making a record that not only the West Coast will be proud of, but a record that will change the way people look at Latinos in hip-hop. I worked with everyone from J.R. Rotem, Hi-Tek, and Cool & Dre, to cats in my own camp like Rome, Julian Bunneta, and Javie Lopez. The album is crazy and also features The Game, Frankie J, and more.
It’s an epic album which is bringing back that aura of the golden era in Hip-Hop when you could play an album from 2Pac or Ice Cube and you knew what that man was going through in his life at that time and you understood more about that person and his struggles. It’s not like putting out an album for a ringtone; I don’t make ringtone music.
CV.Com: The production definitely sounds hot. You mentioned having Frankie J on the album. Tell us about your new single with Frankie, “To the Top.”
Omar Cruz: “To the Top” is a record produced by Julian Bunneta that I did about a year ago. It’s a struggle record and a celebration of the contrast of it all being the dream which became reality. It sounds like a feel good record but the lyrics don’t include bullshit. I’m talking about what I had to go through in my life.
The video was directed by Wilmer Valderrama and is taking off on MTV. The contrast between my last video, “Hang with My Doggz,” where I was just with my homies, this new video is showing growth. It’s giving the opportunity for people to see me in a different light. Tupac’s brother was even at the video shoot! Shouts out to Mopreme.
A lot of motherfuckers don’t mention me when talking about the top 5 MC’s on the West Coast, but I don’t give a fuck. I am going to do what I do and they will feel me at the end of it all.
CV.Com: Tell us about getting Wilmer Valderrama to direct the video.
Omar Cruz: I’ve been in Hollywood for a minute and LuLu, who has a background in movie and television production, worked with Wilmer on a film. I got one of my homeboys to teach that motherfucker (Wilmer Valderrama) how to be a thug. (Laughs) Wilmer and I grew close and he loved that record. He approached me about directing the video. The song bubbled and the rest is history.
CV.Com: We’re talking about the album a whole lot. What’s going on with it at this time?
Omar Cruz: The album is 95% done. We were going to release it this year, but MTV hollered at Interscope for me to host this show titled “Pimpeando” and I accepted it. We decided to postpone the album because this TV show can reach millions of new fans. The show has been a success and is doing well on MTV. We’re gearing up to release the album in ’09.
CV.Com: Tell us about your relationship with MTV and the new car show.
Omar Cruz: I wasn’t crazy about hosting a show at first because I’m an MC, I don’t host TV shows. You can kind of call it a spin-off of “Pimp My Ride” minus the fact that I don’t go to people’s houses, knock on their doors and put a fish tank in their Civic. It’s more about pulling up in a Benz. I bring [the guests] into the world of drifting, low-riding and so on. It’s a lifestyle show. I’m grateful to be apart of the MTV family.
CV.Com: How do you think this will help you gain new fans while keeping your core audience happy?
Omar Cruz: My core audience will always be there. When Eddie was at Dub (Dubcnn) he was one of the first motherfuckers to show me love. A lot of motherfuckers that have been showing me love will be proud of what I‘m doing. All my previous mixtapes have lead to this point. It’s a movement with BYI and Interscope. I know what I’m doing because in the grand scheme of things, I’m trying to etch my name in hip-hop.
Look at Lil’ Wayne. He did everything he could do to get that million sold in his first week. I’m doing what I have to do to reach my peoples. What better way to do that then to reach millions every week through MTV?
CV.Com: In case the fans are curious, what is your favorite meal?
Omar Cruz: My favorite meal would have to consist of seafood. I like lobster and shrimp with a nice beer to wash it down with. If I can eat period, I’m grateful. I know a lot of people out there which are starving.
CV.Com: Since “The Sign Of The Cruz” is coming out in ’09, have you started thinking about what the next single may be?
Omar Cruz: This one record I just finished a couple of days ago is potentially the next single. I can’t really talk about it, but best believe Chronic Vacation might be one of the first places to get it.
CV.Com: How are you Omar?
Omar Cruz: I’m doing well, how are you?
CV.Com: I’m well, thanks. To start things off and to give the fans a look into your life, what is the first thing Omar Cruz does when he wakes up in the morning?
Omar Cruz: I thank God that I woke up to see another day.
CV.Com: Tell us about your focus and the mind state you’re in when heading to the studio.
Omar Cruz: I’m focusing on my album, “The Sign of the Cruz,” and making a record that not only the West Coast will be proud of, but a record that will change the way people look at Latinos in hip-hop. I worked with everyone from J.R. Rotem, Hi-Tek, and Cool & Dre, to cats in my own camp like Rome, Julian Bunneta, and Javie Lopez. The album is crazy and also features The Game, Frankie J, and more.
It’s an epic album which is bringing back that aura of the golden era in Hip-Hop when you could play an album from 2Pac or Ice Cube and you knew what that man was going through in his life at that time and you understood more about that person and his struggles. It’s not like putting out an album for a ringtone; I don’t make ringtone music.
CV.Com: The production definitely sounds hot. You mentioned having Frankie J on the album. Tell us about your new single with Frankie, “To the Top.”
Omar Cruz: “To the Top” is a record produced by Julian Bunneta that I did about a year ago. It’s a struggle record and a celebration of the contrast of it all being the dream which became reality. It sounds like a feel good record but the lyrics don’t include bullshit. I’m talking about what I had to go through in my life.
The video was directed by Wilmer Valderrama and is taking off on MTV. The contrast between my last video, “Hang with My Doggz,” where I was just with my homies, this new video is showing growth. It’s giving the opportunity for people to see me in a different light. Tupac’s brother was even at the video shoot! Shouts out to Mopreme.
A lot of motherfuckers don’t mention me when talking about the top 5 MC’s on the West Coast, but I don’t give a fuck. I am going to do what I do and they will feel me at the end of it all.
CV.Com: Tell us about getting Wilmer Valderrama to direct the video.
Omar Cruz: I’ve been in Hollywood for a minute and LuLu, who has a background in movie and television production, worked with Wilmer on a film. I got one of my homeboys to teach that motherfucker (Wilmer Valderrama) how to be a thug. (Laughs) Wilmer and I grew close and he loved that record. He approached me about directing the video. The song bubbled and the rest is history.
CV.Com: We’re talking about the album a whole lot. What’s going on with it at this time?
Omar Cruz: The album is 95% done. We were going to release it this year, but MTV hollered at Interscope for me to host this show titled “Pimpeando” and I accepted it. We decided to postpone the album because this TV show can reach millions of new fans. The show has been a success and is doing well on MTV. We’re gearing up to release the album in ’09.
CV.Com: Tell us about your relationship with MTV and the new car show.
Omar Cruz: I wasn’t crazy about hosting a show at first because I’m an MC, I don’t host TV shows. You can kind of call it a spin-off of “Pimp My Ride” minus the fact that I don’t go to people’s houses, knock on their doors and put a fish tank in their Civic. It’s more about pulling up in a Benz. I bring [the guests] into the world of drifting, low-riding and so on. It’s a lifestyle show. I’m grateful to be apart of the MTV family.
CV.Com: How do you think this will help you gain new fans while keeping your core audience happy?
Omar Cruz: My core audience will always be there. When Eddie was at Dub (Dubcnn) he was one of the first motherfuckers to show me love. A lot of motherfuckers that have been showing me love will be proud of what I‘m doing. All my previous mixtapes have lead to this point. It’s a movement with BYI and Interscope. I know what I’m doing because in the grand scheme of things, I’m trying to etch my name in hip-hop.
Look at Lil’ Wayne. He did everything he could do to get that million sold in his first week. I’m doing what I have to do to reach my peoples. What better way to do that then to reach millions every week through MTV?
CV.Com: In case the fans are curious, what is your favorite meal?
Omar Cruz: My favorite meal would have to consist of seafood. I like lobster and shrimp with a nice beer to wash it down with. If I can eat period, I’m grateful. I know a lot of people out there which are starving.
CV.Com: Since “The Sign Of The Cruz” is coming out in ’09, have you started thinking about what the next single may be?
Omar Cruz: This one record I just finished a couple of days ago is potentially the next single. I can’t really talk about it, but best believe Chronic Vacation might be one of the first places to get it.