Woodie Interview i came across Part 1

Interviewer: How long you been rappin’?

Woodie: I first started rappin’ around the time of like Whodini and Run DMC, but as far as me writing my own lyrics, I started around 15 or 16.

Interviewer: What do you think of the rappers that’s comin’ outta Antioch right now, or outta this area like Antioch & Pittsburg?....lets see who’s comin’ out now like Sideways etc?

Woodie: Outta Antioch, personally the only real muthafuckas that put it down to me is my folks. You know what I’m sayin’, if you from the Yoc, and you’re really from the Yoc and you know what the Yocs about from back in like 9-fuckin-1 before shit really started crackin’. A lot of these muthafuckas just jumped on it now. As far as Sideways, don’t act like you got AK’s in the trunk when you don’t, and don’t act like you’re a hardcore muthafucka. Don’t call your block 007 Block when you live on East 7th street, which is about 150 feet long and ain’t no dirt ever been done on that block. You know what I’m sayin’ like its a major block, you know what I’m sayin’ like my click were from West Twomp and West 11th and its some major work that’s been put in there, fools is gone for it, and fools is runnin’ around like 007 Block, that ain’t shit, we from the town, we know. Just stick to what you do, look at Will Smith he don’t rap about that gangsta’ shit, and he’s a millionaire. So why the fuck you gon rap about gangster shit if you really ain’t. Just be real about it. A lot of these fools ain’t doin’ what they hollerin’, or ain’t done what they hollerin’. They never seen it or even felt it or what comes down, they ain’t got no dead homies behind it, no homies locked up behind it. You know, it just kills me, it kills me, these motherfuckers are hollerin’ the same town as me and how people gon compare me to them.

Interviewer: Ay man I can feel you totally though man, I’m fuckin’, I’m 21 years old man, I been here all my life, I ain’t never called nowhere else home. Got all these muthafuckas that look at me crazy when I tell em I ain’t never lived nowhere else, so I totally feel you on that though.

Woodie: You know what I’m sayin’ I’m from the Yoc, but I moved here from San Leandro when I was 10. There’s all these young muthafuckas, and I’m like whatchu just get done watchin’ Boyz N The Hood or somethin’, you know what I’m sayin’, they got shit all mixed up. Now there’s hellaaa young Nortes, every town I go to there’s hella young Northerners. Some of ‘em... most of ‘em ain’t even got no stripes behind it. When I was growin’ up we had to put in hella work to get our stripes cuz there was so many scraps. You could always catch me deep, flaired up, that ain’t shit. It got watered down almost, like everybody wanna be a Norteno, but they ain’t gotta earn the stripes to get there, its like they just automatically, you know what I’m sayin’, got their respect. Fuck that. Earn your stripes playa. I was just tellin’ muthafuckas they hate on me now cuz I’m in the rap game.

Interviewer: Tell me about some of these projects you got comin’ up.

Woodie: I got Northern Expozure Vol. 2, it’s done and mastered. The covers almost fuckin’...designed and everything. Were debatin’ whether too....

Interviewer: Now is that gonna be on the national label or just....?

Woodie: Its East Co. Co. fa sho’, but its most likely gonna have a distribution deal with Koch Records, because I’m all over it and I’m signed to them as an independent artist. So umm....their probably gonna wanna get their hands in it so it’ll be nationwide. If not well do an exclusive like with BaySide, City Hall whatever cuz I ain’t fuckin’ with Music People no more. The only thing they’re good for, they are good for the cats that ain’t got no name, if you can get orders they’ll fuckin’ take your ass and distribute you, but other than that don’t rely on them for payin’ you on time or nothin’.

Interviewer: But most likely Koch gonna have their hands on this one.

Woodie: Not completely, but a distribution deal. And then uh.. Take My Soul, my next album called Take My Soul I got 9 songs completed right now, and then I’m goin’ to Nashville to record a song...to record a couple with Haystak. At first I just knew he was signed to the same label as me, but then I listened to his song on the Blood & Tears Compilation. I got a song on there, and I didn’t even know, I guess he got a song on there too, and I listened to that song and just peeped his lyrics n shit. I was feelin’ him, it was from a whole different side n shit, but it was cool, so I was like fa sho I’ll go to Nashville and record with him. So then so umm...were gonna go out there and probably get about 3 tracks done by this cat named Sonny that produced Haystaks album. Well probably do 1 or 2 songs with Haystak, well see. I’m bringin’ my boy B-Dogg under my label out there, maybe Lil’ Los.

Interviewer: Who’s some of the artists that’s on Northern Expozure 2?

Woodie: For Northern Expozure 2 we got, ok we got Lil Los, Shadow, we got Young A.Z. again, and uh High Yella Black with Still Mob Livin, which is Mob Livin Part II. We got Jacka from the Mob Figaz

Interviewer: Yeah I heard about that....

Woodie: Yeah that songs hella cool. XO, Young Droop, Hollow Tip, Young Ridah. We got this new cat out here, this dudes only like 17. He’s a youngster and he raps like Bone, he’s only a 17 year old cat, his name is Ammunition. We got a cat named Avalon that’s featured on it, then we got a couple new singers that’s doin’ hooks, then we got this one cat from New Orleans that’s movin’ back named Rylo. Then we got this one female thats been down for hella long, we was in the studio one night, she got on the mic and it came out cool, and it made it. We got this girl Morgan too, shit we got more rappers too, shit I don’t know....

Interviewer: Yeah I hear you, who’s handlin’ the production?

Woodie: I did production tracks 1 through 14 are produced by me. Track 15 is produced by a cat named Drama, I did all the production minus the 2 bonus tracks.

Interviewer: Well give me some info on your Take My Soul album.

Woodie: It’s gonna be cool bro. When they listen to mine it’s gonna be more on that just straight Yoc Influenced feel. The majority is some deep ass emotions, I be goin’ through it writin’ lyrics.

Interviewer: Yeah people are waitin’ for you to come back man...

Woodie: Yeah its still gonna be some of them deep ass lyrics, you know what I’m sayin’, you know when you’re on the latenight just sittin’ there and your boys ain’t around, you talk to yourself or whatever it is the fuck you talk to, thinkin’ about what’s gonna happen when I fuckin’ die type shit. Some of that you know. Its 12 tracks, it’s got Shadow on it, Lil Los on it, its got B-Dogg on it, I think that’s about it for right now, oh yeah XO. Umm, Lil Los....Lou E Lou...uhh... We did a song with B-Legit but that didn’t work out.

Interviewer: Yeah I heard about that, some stuff with Studio Ton?

Woodie: Yeah they was tryin’ to charge too much, it was nothin’ personal between me and him, it just had to do with record label type shit you know. It was cool he gave us a shot, it just didn’t work out bro, I think were on separate wavelengths, mine be just a little bit different. So its cool everything worked out, I still got the copies but I’m not gonna release it....

Interviewer: Yeah I saw when people first found out you were gonna do a track with B-Legit, people was like uhh....they didn’t really know what to think you know, when they found out you were gonna work with Studio Ton, they were kinda like I don’t know, Ill just have to wait and hear it cuz everybody’s so used to your sound.

Woodie: Yeah yeah, so I wanted to leave it like that, I got the copies n shit, Ill probably let a couple people hear em.

Interviewer: Ok, so you’re handlin’ all the production on your album?

Woodie: Yeah.....oh no no no, I’m gonna do 9 songs, and then there’ll be the one by the guy in Nashville, so 80% of the production is done by me.

Interviewer: So whats some other projects we can look forward to from East Co. Co. comin’ up?

Woodie: Well tell the fans first of all, my apologies for the inside of the first, of Northern Expozure saying Young A.Z. and Lou E Lou, Lil Los albums was coming soon. At first that’s what we intended on, at first we intended that, but with Lou E Lou back in and outta fuckin’ jail or ... and Young A.Z. out in Frisco. Shit got hectic with the police, I had to move again, so now the studios hella far away. So most likely it’s whoever is hungriest. The next project after Woodie Take My Soul, its up in the air bro, it could be any one of my artists, it could be me, it could be Northern Expozure Vol. 4, cuz we skippin' 3.

Interviewer: It seemed like the ones you were workin with the most were Lil Los and Shadow so everybody was waitin’ on there’s.

Woodie: Shadow got hella shit goin’ on in his life, in the meantime you know, rappers that aint been paid like rappers you know like big time rappers, they gotta make their ends meet, and they gotta keep food on their tables first. So that’s why Shadows always rapped, Lil’ Los got shit to handle to make his ends meet you know what I’m sayin’? Its just like that until I get it to the point where I can get the spot that’s back down here closer to more artists where they can come through everyday and record shit. Don’t plan on shit bro, we plan on droppin’ Northern Expozure Vol. 2 and then my solo.

As long as you can kick back and drink a 40, as long as we got a roof over our heads, we chillin’, we ain’t rushin’ back out there and cheatin’ the people like OK lets give em 4 good songs and well make a bunch of crappy songs just to put somethin’ out. You know what I’m sayin’, I listen to every song, me personally, I make sure every song, we personally sell it. I might not personally sell it, but if we can personally feel it, fuck it the whole album we know well the next cat could feel at least half of it, so Ill leave it at that.

Interviewer: Yeah I remember when you first dropped that shit (Yoc Influenced) and it was just on tape....

Woodie: YEAH! (laughing)

Interviewer: And everybody was like who the fuck is this cat, this white dude from Antioch? And now its like you got cats nationwide that’s like wassup with Woodie, when he droppin’ somethin’ else?

Woodie: Yeah yeah I know (laughing) that shit be funny. Fools getting’ up on it in other states, that shit be silly. I knew it, I ain’t conceded or nothin’, but I knew when I put this out my first from Yoc Influenced, if I could stick with this and keep my ass out of jail and keep doin’ this, its gonna crack, because I swear to God, this shit that I got right here is, its better than 50% of the shit out there. I fuckin’ took it back to like 95s rap game, Bay Area Rap. When RBL first came out, you know, all them cats, when they first ...came... out.., you know what I’m sayin’, and its just got so commercial too. Since like 96 on its got hella commercial, it ain’t, you know, the Bays been gone, everybody’s talkin’ about playa/balla. Fuck all that you know what I’m sayin’, we ain’t into that, people buyin’ the music cant relate to that shit.

Interviewer: If you’re really from the Bay, then you know what we’re about.

Woodie: Yeah exactly, so I just wanted to, I just keep it on that level. I remember back then I’d have that Cold World and bump the whole muthafucka through. I love them muffuckas, they’re dope. You know what I’m sayin’, like Mac Dre’s first 3 albums, dope as fuck, I don’t really like his new shit. I liked his young shit, he just had that voice to him, you know just hella energetic, then he went to the pen and got out and really got harder, but I wasn’t used to that type of Mac Dre I was used to Mac Dre (imitating.) Totally Insane, their tight as fuck too, from East Palo Alto.

Interviewer: What’s some of the artists that you respect that’s out right now, or who do you look up to?

Woodie: Shit of the ones that are out right now? Not too many that are out right now personally, I don’t umm... I don’t buy rap no more. I don’t buy Rap, I still listen to like, the fuckin’ Gap Band, and the muthafuckin old school soul shit like that, or like I said some old 90 to 96 rap shit. You know what I’m sayin’ but from Brotha Lynch 24 Deep to Cold World Hustlers Cold Streets to muthafuckin 415 you know what I’m sayin’ with Richie Rich. I know, I used to bump all that shit.

Interviewer: Well you’re talkin’ about all this old music, what’s some of the artists that you used to look up to, that really made you want to get in this game?

Woodie: Umm well it started not specifically with rap, I listened to rap since I was 6 years old. I listened to Run DMC, I listened to Whodini, you know all them old school groups. Whodini was the shit, I like Whodini more than I like Run DMC, they had too many guitars n shit. I mean I remember MC Shy-D, you know what I’m sayin’ all those motherfuckers, I grew up on rap. Then when it got to the point of people puttin’ it out from where I’m from, livin’ the same kinda life, like Mac Dre came out with Too Hard For The Fuckin’ Radio. I remember Cold World, Cold Streets, uhh...aww man The Governor, The Gov. I remember a guy named...shh....bro there was so many different artists comin’ out.

See that’s what the outsiders don’t know, they dont know what we’ve done here in the Bay. Yeah like when you had RBL came out, Too $hort was already out there, he was already nationwide. I listened to Too $hort the same time I listened to Eric B. & Rakim, Eric B. & Rakim was out Paid In Full. Too $hort had an album out nationwide, I remember I found Too $hort in fucking K-Mart, back in 198-fucking uh-7. Born To Mack, the first one that went nationwide after Players and Don’t Stop Rappin. So its like...you know.. my rap history, I know all the rap, I remember all that shit, I might not remember it off the top of my head but I was there for it.

Interviewer: I hear you bro that’s good, that shows that you got the background...

Woodie: You gotta know where that shit comes from.

Interviewer: That you ain’t no fly by night muffucka tryin’ to get in the game just to get some money real quick...

Woodie: Oh no, no, no. I used to break dance. In San Leandro at a place called East Bay Breakers. Yeah bro I was little, I was 8 years old, they used to lift me up over their heads and make me do back flips and all kinds of shit.

Then I moved out here and I used to wear courdoroys, and Nike Cortez and all that you know fuckin’ when I was like 10 years old, they didn’t know what that shit was in Antioch. I used to break dance out in the school yard, next thing you know I had the whole fuckin’ school tryin’ to break dance, it was off the hook, I used to bring my boombox on talent show days. I might not be in the talent show but I’d be out there breakin’. Then as you get older and you start getting’ into that gangster shit, and you’re not no innocent no more once you hit 12 or 13.

Interviewer: So who’s some of the artists that you would wanna work with that you haven’t got to yet?

Woodie: I’m satisfied with all the artists I got in my camp right now. Yeah, there’s other artists out there, but my main concern is to take care of those that are closest to me right now. I really, I’m not disrespecting anyone, but I could give a shit about working with anyone else, except the artists in my camp.

Interviewer: So there’s not really like a big name artist that you would wanna work with, that you look up to, or somebody that you have always wanted to work with?

Woodie: Na, cuz most of the artists that I do like you know the most, never made it to be a big name. They’d be independent, and you know what I’m sayin’ the major industry didn’t pick em up. So there ain’t no major motherfuckers out there that I really can give a shit about to work with.

Interviewer: So what can we hear you on that’s coming up, or that’s out right now?

Woodie: Minority Malitia 2 got a verse with me on it. Northern Expozure 2, Blood & Tears I said that one...Oh, the Race Riot Compilation, I did a song for them. It’s kinda off the hook but I’m puttin’ down for Nothern Cal., I ain’t even got a copy of that CD, I don’t know who’s on it. I haven’t heard it or anything. I know I’m on it, they paid me for it. I don’t know, I don’t jump on too many albums, but then I’m also always down like when like Darkroom, fuckin’ Ghetto Line, or Black N Brown or Lowdown, if they call me and wanna get something crackin’, its on the strength, I’ll just slide through and put a verse down for em cuz they fellow Northerners you know what I’m sayin’ and they’re tryin’ to do the same thing. And if I call them, I hope, that they return the favor, everybody be deep like that. It’s deeper than this rap game, if you a Northerner, you know, I ain’t down with shootin’ another Northerner. A lot of Northerners wanna ride on each other, but we so outnumbered cuz of them others, so I’m always down to put it down for them and just to show up, do a verse n shit. Other than that, I don’t give a shit about getting’ on no ones album, I really don’t. As long as there’s a roof over my head, my mom is eatin’, know what I’m sayin’, and my homies are doing half way decent, fuck it I’m gonna do my rap thing.

Interviewer: That’s real cool, that’s deep, that’s real cool, you seem like you got your head on straight. Most muffuckas are in the game for the wrong reasons...

Woodie: Yeah you know...

Interviewer: Well uhh...shit, can you give up any details on your deal? On your deal with Koch?

Woodie: On my Koch deal? I did a 1 album, 3 option album deal, which means if they like what they see on the first album, if I deliver, they can keep me for 3 more albums. I’m allowed to be a featured artist at any time courtesy of East Co. Co. Records, but I can’t just go and fuckin’ drop 7 complete solo songs. And they broke me off...let’s just say they broke me off 5 figures for a recording advancement on the first album. You know what I’m sayin’ it could be 5 figures in the middle or 5 figures on the higher price range, but then 5 figures don’t go too far when you’re handin’ it to a muffucker that really ain’t seen no money in his life. You got a lot of bills to catch up on, you’re handlin’ 5 figures, it don’t go too far. You know I’m OK, I got food in my mouth, but I got a lot more way to make before I can, before I get my homies where I want them to settle at. You know, it’s nice to see that much money at once. (laughing)

Interviewer: But what’s your ultimate goals in this game?

Woodie: My goals? My goal, my first and utmost goal is to raise and get enough money to through this music industry to get my homeboy Snoop out of prison. He’s falsely accused. They built the new police station, and the local citizens were mad because they couldn’t solve a crime, they didn’t know why they couldn’t solve a murder with all this new high technology. Them motherfuckers just did that to make it look like they solved the crime. Then my second goal is just to make sure my family and my homies are always eating well and got a roof over their heads and uhh...my homies out of West Twomp stay well forever out of Black Bird, in the name of Black Bird, and that someday people will recognize the truth behind that, it ain’t what the police said, it goes a lot deeper with when the F.B.I. came and SWAT team and all that shit, it was, it was off the hook. Shit wasn’t right. That’s about it. Fuck that, I want my muthafuckin set, I want a roof over my head, and I want Snoop out of jail. I’m just parlayin’. All this fuckin’ shit we been through and all this other shit, just to have a good 5 to 10 years of just solid kick back no worries in our lives for once.

Interviewer: So you’re not really trippin’ off of what a lot of other fools are trippin’ on in this game like goin’ Platinum and all that.

Woodie: Awww....shiiit....whatever...you know what I’m sayin’? Keep me comfortable; make sure my homies are alright, everything should be cool. I could give a fuck about all that....diamonds up on the album cover, gold plated mack 11s, that’s rediculous. As long as I know the real muthafuckas are buyin’ my shit and not whatever the fuck cats buy, this Master P shit, fuckin’ Cash Money shit, followers get into that shit and think that’s the way to go, but there’s no loyalty. I’m down for loyalty, loyalty above all laws, that’s my slogan.

Interviewer: What advice would you give to some youngsters that are trying to get in this game?

Woodie: It’s hard as fuck...and uhh...if you gon get anywhere, you gotta put 114% into it, you know what I’m sayin’, seriously you do. I remember when I was on probation I had a part time job, I quit that part time job and put everything I had into this. And don’t come with no bullshit, you ever have somebody tell you your music sucks......you ain’t gon make it bud. Know what I’m sayin’ I mean you gotta really have talent, really a knack for this shit first of all, and you never know cuz Master P’s shit sucks and he made it. It just depends, there’s different ways of making it. You just gotta figure out is this really what you wanna do, are you really gonna put 114% into this?, and if you are, you got a 50/50 shot.

Interviewer: I guess that’s about it, what do you have to say to your fans and to your listeners?

Woodie: Umm, much love for all the support n shit. Don’t worry were gonna be taking this further you know, on a nationwide level. We know that shit’s hard to get in different stores, but recognize the independent labels. Were out there puttin’ it down everyday dealin’ with normal shit that motherfuckers deal with in the streets and at the same time tryin’ to run a fuckin’ legit record label. So that’s why at this point we aren’t ran like a professional Jive Records or something like that. Just hang in there with us, were gonna keep doin’ what we do and as long as y’all keep buyin’ our shit, were gonna keep puttin’ out good music. Keep the fans happy. Much love to all my fellow Northerners, and quit killing each other, quit killing each other homies, were already out numbered.

hella long but its coo!

I've actually heard the b-legit song. I got it on
My comp somewhere. Don't know about the haystack tracks though..
I'll look for that song

i just realized- on that woodie,Lil Coner and Never - "pistoleros" cd- that b-legit and Woodie song is on there. "Its The Game" is the name. they fucked up on iTunes though and its all mixed up. so on iTunes its actually titled "wanted".. hate it when they do that shit

best song on that cd was "what you know about me" though... that song is so real~~