http://www.ballerstatus.com/article/features/2008/09/5517/
Brotha Lynch Hung (Photo: Murder Dog)
Sacramento serves as the capital of California, as well as one of the burgeoning melting pots for underground West Coast music. The Valley is replete with stockpiles of feverish MCs that are infected with such creativity that corporate hip-hop has become horrified with them. Brotha Lynch Hung, teeming with diseased thoughts, is the more social, outgoing side of Kevin D. Mann. The innate love for his craft has forged a fruitful marriage to his sometime ominous music. He is the antithesis to the popular fallacy that hip-hop's creativity is extinct. Refusing to reduce himself to a silly shrink-wrapped skeleton of a rapper, he rejects this notion. Before selling his soul to the entity that's possessing hip-hop, he would hang it from his tattered noose.
We catch up with the demented gangster rapper for a brief discussion about some of his history, his motivations, his dream collabo, and what he has on deck.
BallerStatus.com: Too Short, E-40 and even Mac Dre are some of the imminent ambassadors of The Bay. Why has mainstream media shied away from The Valley, this sister of The Bay. Do ya'll project an image/awareness that's contrary to what the masses want to hear?
Brotha Lynch Hung: I'm from the valley, and I feel the Bay have gotten their props, but when things swung to down south, we all got left out.
BallerStatus.com: How long have you been in the game and how did you get started?
Brotha Lynch Hung: [I've] been writing seen I was 13, but my first album came out in 92.
BallerStatus.com: How would you describe the feeling you got the first time you heard your voice on wax?
Brotha Lynch Hung: It made me want to do this for real.
BallerStatus.com: Have you been able to replicate that feeling?
Brotha Lynch Hung: I do all the time 'cause of my love for music.
BallerStatus.com: Would retiring from hip-hop ever be a possibility for you?
Brotha Lynch Hung: I won't ever retire. Artists don't retire, [that is who] they are.
BallerStatus.com: Have you ever been intimidated/discouraged with the task of getting your music to the masses?
Brotha Lynch Hung: When I finally came out, I never really had problems getting my music out there.
BallerStatus.com: How have your view on music changed from the beginning of your career until now?
Brotha Lynch Hung: Well, the internet and free downloads [have] changed a lot. [And] also what kind of music you can get away with putting out these days [is] not the business.
BallerStatus.com: You've contributed over 25 full-length albums to the hip-hop community. Are you a workaholic? How do you prevent yourself from sounding redundant?
Brotha Lynch Hung: I don't release every year, I don't release 'til my album is done and different than anything out.
BallerStatus.com: Who/what inspires you to continue to create music?
Brotha Lynch Hung: I inspire myself, just the love of music.
BallerStatus.com: To date, what's been your most personal track?
Brotha Lynch Hung: "I Went From," my sister died while that song was brand new. It reminds me of her.
BallerStatus.com: How have you been able to achieve longevity? How have you been able to instill loyalty to your fan base?
Brotha Lynch Hung: Like I said before, I don't release every year because I want to give the fans something different.
BallerStatus.com: Let's discuss underground versus mainstream hip-hop. What are the main differences? In which arena does the artist have to be more credible and why?
Brotha Lynch Hung: I like the underground because you have more flexibility in what you can say and create. Big labels are afraid of creativity.
BallerStatus.com: Would you consider yourself to be a pessimist or a realist?
Brotha Lynch Hung: I consider my self a movie writer. I also have four movies I'm writing that are on the lines of my style.
BallerStatus.com: What projects are you currently working on?
Brotha Lynch Hung: I'm working on my album Dinner and a Movie, and my artist's albums.
BallerStatus.com: Who'd you like to work with that you haven't thus far. Who has been your favorite collabo?
Brotha Lynch Hung: Eminem. Me and Tech [N9ne] have done some tight collabos.
BallerStatus.com: Tell me about your endeavors into film making.
Brotha Lynch Hung: I have a kids movie called "Now Eat" and the four movies that I'm writing.
BallerStatus.com: What advice would you give to hungry MCs?
Brotha Lynch Hung: Love the music, work hard, and do what you [need to] do, and not to sound like anybody else.
BallerStatus.com: What are your thoughts on Obama securing the presidency?
Brotha Lynch Hung: I like change, that would be BIG.
BallerStatus.com: Besides music, what are you passionate about?
Brotha Lynch Hung: I'm about family and teaching my kids to live in the future because it's gonna get harder.
BallerStatus.com: Is there anything else you'd like to expound upon?
Brotha Lynch Hung: The game needs to get more LYRICAL, more creative [MCs] right now.
BallerStatus.com: Do you have any closing comments?
Brotha Lynch Hung: Look out for Madesicc Muzicc.
Brotha Lynch Hung (Photo: Murder Dog)
Sacramento serves as the capital of California, as well as one of the burgeoning melting pots for underground West Coast music. The Valley is replete with stockpiles of feverish MCs that are infected with such creativity that corporate hip-hop has become horrified with them. Brotha Lynch Hung, teeming with diseased thoughts, is the more social, outgoing side of Kevin D. Mann. The innate love for his craft has forged a fruitful marriage to his sometime ominous music. He is the antithesis to the popular fallacy that hip-hop's creativity is extinct. Refusing to reduce himself to a silly shrink-wrapped skeleton of a rapper, he rejects this notion. Before selling his soul to the entity that's possessing hip-hop, he would hang it from his tattered noose.
We catch up with the demented gangster rapper for a brief discussion about some of his history, his motivations, his dream collabo, and what he has on deck.
BallerStatus.com: Too Short, E-40 and even Mac Dre are some of the imminent ambassadors of The Bay. Why has mainstream media shied away from The Valley, this sister of The Bay. Do ya'll project an image/awareness that's contrary to what the masses want to hear?
Brotha Lynch Hung: I'm from the valley, and I feel the Bay have gotten their props, but when things swung to down south, we all got left out.
BallerStatus.com: How long have you been in the game and how did you get started?
Brotha Lynch Hung: [I've] been writing seen I was 13, but my first album came out in 92.
BallerStatus.com: How would you describe the feeling you got the first time you heard your voice on wax?
Brotha Lynch Hung: It made me want to do this for real.
BallerStatus.com: Have you been able to replicate that feeling?
Brotha Lynch Hung: I do all the time 'cause of my love for music.
BallerStatus.com: Would retiring from hip-hop ever be a possibility for you?
Brotha Lynch Hung: I won't ever retire. Artists don't retire, [that is who] they are.
BallerStatus.com: Have you ever been intimidated/discouraged with the task of getting your music to the masses?
Brotha Lynch Hung: When I finally came out, I never really had problems getting my music out there.
BallerStatus.com: How have your view on music changed from the beginning of your career until now?
Brotha Lynch Hung: Well, the internet and free downloads [have] changed a lot. [And] also what kind of music you can get away with putting out these days [is] not the business.
BallerStatus.com: You've contributed over 25 full-length albums to the hip-hop community. Are you a workaholic? How do you prevent yourself from sounding redundant?
Brotha Lynch Hung: I don't release every year, I don't release 'til my album is done and different than anything out.
BallerStatus.com: Who/what inspires you to continue to create music?
Brotha Lynch Hung: I inspire myself, just the love of music.
BallerStatus.com: To date, what's been your most personal track?
Brotha Lynch Hung: "I Went From," my sister died while that song was brand new. It reminds me of her.
BallerStatus.com: How have you been able to achieve longevity? How have you been able to instill loyalty to your fan base?
Brotha Lynch Hung: Like I said before, I don't release every year because I want to give the fans something different.
BallerStatus.com: Let's discuss underground versus mainstream hip-hop. What are the main differences? In which arena does the artist have to be more credible and why?
Brotha Lynch Hung: I like the underground because you have more flexibility in what you can say and create. Big labels are afraid of creativity.
BallerStatus.com: Would you consider yourself to be a pessimist or a realist?
Brotha Lynch Hung: I consider my self a movie writer. I also have four movies I'm writing that are on the lines of my style.
BallerStatus.com: What projects are you currently working on?
Brotha Lynch Hung: I'm working on my album Dinner and a Movie, and my artist's albums.
BallerStatus.com: Who'd you like to work with that you haven't thus far. Who has been your favorite collabo?
Brotha Lynch Hung: Eminem. Me and Tech [N9ne] have done some tight collabos.
BallerStatus.com: Tell me about your endeavors into film making.
Brotha Lynch Hung: I have a kids movie called "Now Eat" and the four movies that I'm writing.
BallerStatus.com: What advice would you give to hungry MCs?
Brotha Lynch Hung: Love the music, work hard, and do what you [need to] do, and not to sound like anybody else.
BallerStatus.com: What are your thoughts on Obama securing the presidency?
Brotha Lynch Hung: I like change, that would be BIG.
BallerStatus.com: Besides music, what are you passionate about?
Brotha Lynch Hung: I'm about family and teaching my kids to live in the future because it's gonna get harder.
BallerStatus.com: Is there anything else you'd like to expound upon?
Brotha Lynch Hung: The game needs to get more LYRICAL, more creative [MCs] right now.
BallerStatus.com: Do you have any closing comments?
Brotha Lynch Hung: Look out for Madesicc Muzicc.
