Boston Rap Icon and Radio Personality Akrobatik Gives Raptalk.net An Exclusive Interview In Which He Discusses His Current Gig On The Morning Show At JAMN 94.5, His Rap Career, His Group The Perceptionists With Mr Lif, Benzino And Boston Sports, You Won't Want To Miss It.
Fuckery: What’s up Akro, thanks for taking the time out of your schedule and granting us at raptalk.net this interview, it's appreciated. If you don't mind, start of by telling us where you are from, and how you got your start in the rap game.
Akrobatik: Anytime, fam. I'm born and raised in Boston. I grew up in the Codman Square area of Dorchester and lived there for the first 25 years of my life. I moved around a little bit, going as far as New York and Philly before I ended up back here, primarily for business reasons. I got started in the rap game with the help of my man Pete "The Gov" Bazile, who started Detonator Records, the first label to officially drop an Akro release. He brought me in for the now legendary "Newbury Freestyle" session, which also included cats like Mr. Lif, KT, RipShop, Esoteric, Virtuoso, T-Max, and a bunch of other Boston cats that still make music to this day.
Once this happened, Pete decided he wanted to me to be the artist to start off his independent label venture. Very soon after that we dropped my first single, "Ruff Enuff" b/w "Woman", and it's been forward motion since then. Man that was 1998, it's been almost a decade in the game!
Fuckery: I'm feeling good about the talent in the new england scene right now, I think with a little more unity the scene could take it to the next level. What are your feelings on the rap scene in new england? Do you think you get the respect you deserve as a true Boston pioneer and innovator?
Akrobatik: I think the scene in New England is ever-changing. Right now it seems as though EVERYONE raps, and most rappers all rap about the same thing. That worries me, because it seems like the days of emcees having their own unique flair are dying. However, there are tons of talented cats from around here; it's just becoming harder and harder to find the ones who break the mold.
I'm really appreciative of the respect and love I get from my fans all over Boston and the New England area. I think that a lot of the upcoming rappers might try to overlook my accomplishments because they tryin' to get on themselves, but that doesn't get in the way of the overwhelming positive response that I get on the daily, whether it be fans hitting me up on the net, or talkin' to me after shows, etc. And any of the artists in the game that are actually dropping records, all of those cats have shown me nothing but love. It's also a really good feeling when one of the young bucks lets me know that my grind or my music has been inspiring to them. It's all a blessing, and I feel like I have definitely gotten the respect I deserve here in Boston. I hope it never ends.
Fuckery: What up and coming artists are you feeling?
Akrobatik: My favorite up and coming cats from Boston right now have to be Letia Larok, Session, Golden Brown, Jake the Snake, Project Move, Cyrus the Great, and Kode Knox, to name a few.
Fuckery: For those that aren't from New England and don't know, you recently joined the jam'n 94.5 morning show, and you actually rap the sports highlights from the night before, which is crazy and everyone is feeling. How did you land that gig? Was it your idea to rap the sports highlights?
Akrobatik: Well, it wasn't totally my idea. I have always thrown sports references in my rhymes, so when Ramiro and DJ Geespin decided they wanted to spice up the sports report with a hip-hop flavor, I was naturally the man for the job so they called me up. It's been a great marketing tool for me, and my fan base has grown exponentially since I started doing it back in December. It's a really good look because it allows people who wouldn't normally get to hear me rap on the radio to hear me every day.
Fuckery: Do you have any solo releases coming up and what's the status of the perceptionists, your group with fellow Boston legend Mr Lif?
Akrobatik: I have two solo releases coming out this year. The first is on my new label, Playaktion Recordings. The album is a collection of some of my best past work, and it's called Essential Akrobatik, Volume 1. I'm droppin' this to give my label more visibility, as well as to serve as a nice lead-in to my new full-length, Absolute Value, which will drop on Fat Beats late summer/early fall this year. I'm amped about this shit!
As far as the Perceptionists, Lif and I are always talking about when we should drop our next swhit. I think he wants to do one more solo before we go hard at it, so that's the plan. We are doing some touring together this year, and that's when we usually write. I would tell fans to definitely listen out for new Perceptionists material early in '08.
Fuckery: What do you think about the Patriots recent signings, and the Red Sox chances this year? What about the celtics current state of affairs?
Akrobatik: The Patriots are about to be BEASTS, nuff said. Cats got their pride hurt in the AFC Championship, and just stacked their chips for next season higher than any team in the league, and they were already one of the sickest.. The Colts, on the other hand, have done absolutely nothing.
The Sox got this. This is going to be a great year in Boston sports. Once again we have a World Series contender, a Super Bowl contender, and we will be bringing in one the tope college basketball players in the country. I'm hoping it's Oden. He's only 18, and could be a fixture in the middle for 15 years on this team. Kevin Durant would just be adding more of what we already have that doesn't seem to be helping much. But, we'll see.
Fuckery: I’m sure you heard about Ainge getting fined, what do you think of him sitting w/ Durant's fam?
Akrobatik: I think he got exactly what he deserved. He should have been sitting with Greg Oden's family!
Fuckery: Hahahaha, real talk, man I hope we win that lottery. Benzino announced he may be running for public office, care to speak on that?
Akrobatik: I don't really know what to say about that. The media will definitely be all over him. But if he's doing it in order to make positive change in the city, I can't knock it. I'm down for anyone who makes moves with positive intentions in mind. I don't know Benzino personally, so from my perspective I would just watch and see what happens.
Fuckery: What do you think of West Coast rap?
Akrobatik: I mean, one of my favorite all-time groups is Cypress Hill, I love what Snoop has been doing recently, Dre is a god in this rap shit, and the list goes on and on. I don't like to generalize, because there is good and bad in every genre and sub-genre. I can definitely find hot West Coast shit to vibe to. Plus, I'll ride for my man Shock G. and Digital Underground to the death. I got to tour with Shock, as well as record with him. I'm not sure he knows this, but his personality and approach to the rap game, as well as how he carries himself... I learned more from him than possibly anyone else that I have come into contact with in rap.
Fuckery: Of the top of your head, name any artists you want to get on a track with
Akrobatik: I mean, where do I start. I know - Jill Scott! I think she is the best artist out there right now and I would love to work with her some day, if she deemed me worthy. Also, you got people like the Neptunes (my favorite producers), Premier, Nas, MF Doom, Black Thought... There's a lot of greats out there that I think I share some common ground with. Those are just a few.
Fuckery: Do you play any instruments or do any producing?
Akrobatik: Eh, I won a guitar but that shit was tough on the fingers. I might pick it up again at some point. I also want to learn the drums. I can bang out a crazy kick/snare combo, but I have to learn how to freak the hi-hat... So, to answer the question, no haha... But I have made plenty of beats over the years, and that's something I definitely want to get back into once time permits.
Fuckery: Thanks again for taking this time Akro, do you have any last thought, plugs or shout outs?
Akrobatik: Be on the lookout for my new label, PlayAktion Records, which has distribution through Caroline/EMI. I will be releasing Essential Akrobatik, Vol. 1, which is a compilation of my "greatest hits" as well as rare and hard-to-find joints. Also, I am putting together a New England area artist compilation. And of course, my new solo album will be on Fat Beats later this year, and I'm really excited about it. The album features Bumpy Knuckles, Little Brother, Talib Kweli, Mr. Lif, Chuck D, B-Real, the Alias Brothers, and has beats fromm Illmind, Da Beatminerz, J-Zone and a bunch of other talents as well.
Let it be known this is my year! I couldn't do it without my fans, so many thanks for the continued support, and I will try my best to continue to make you proud!
