KHAYREE
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YOUNG BLACK BROTHA'S KHAYREE CHOPPED IT UP WITH ************** AND GAVE US AN UPDATE ON WHAT HE'S BEEN UP TO THESE DAYS. KHAYREE DISCUSSES NEW ARTISTS ON YBB, WORKING WITH MAC MALL, DUBEE AND PAST YBB RAPPERS, HIS UPCOMING DVD PROJECTS AND MORE.
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INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY: NANDO
KHAYREE INTERVIEW AUDIO (14:26)
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**************.com: This is nando with **************.com, today I'm here with legendary producer and CEO of Young Black Brotha Records. How you doin Khayree?
Khayree: I'm doin beautiful man, how you doin?
**************.com: I'm good, I'm good.
Khayree: That's too much of a build up though man. Yeah I haven't lived enough to be legendary really. People use the phrase but, you know what I mean??
**************.com: Yeah to alot of people out here think your pretty much like a legendary producer, all them golden hits that you released with Young Lay, Mac Mall, Dubee, all that stuff. Like you said on your website, it was like the golden era of Bay Area rap. So I think you were a huge part of that...
Khayree: Yeah, yeah.
**************.com: So basically I wanted to ask, which new artists are you working with at the moment?
Khayree: I'm working with anybody new right now man. But I'm wide open, like Mall and Shima. [laughs] My energy been primarily toward film making and writing for the last few years. That and smellin' the roses and just living in general. Not really trippin' too much on music. Though I still make music. But I guess in the last, maybe six months or so, I have had an intensified desire to musically put my foot in some peoples ass. [laughs] Nah... to really do music again man. To make it for people. As opposed to just doing it and not putting it out.
**************.com: We saw you release the album from Problem Child. Are you still working with him and are there any other artists under the Young Black Brotha umbrella?
Khayree: Right now, three rap artists I'm doing albums on for Young Black Brotha. It's Problem Child, Jabari who is my first cousin, and a young cat from Vallejo named Chance. He also hails from Country Club Crest. He's the son of one of my best friends, David Cooke, from Moviezine (moviezine.net). He has a DVD magazine. So his son Chance is a rap artist. I'm sure you guys are familliar with him. He got his start with Renald Powers from Strictly Business Records. That's where Chance put his first record out. I think he was 13. He was very very young. He's been rapping since he was like 8 years old. He's 20 now. So he's very gifted. I'm doing albums on the three of them.
I'm also doing 2 Blackalations. Blackalation 2 and Blackalation 3. Currently the title is Blackalation: Medicine For Your Soul. The title might change, I'm not really trippin' off the title but it will be the Blackalation. Essentially a compilation of just talented individuals. With my production and direction. The concept of the album will always be inspirational, because for me, more than anything else, when it's all said and done; I wanna do something to inspire you to know that even though your car ain't runnin', your money ain't right, your woman or boyfriend is trippin, or whatever the situation that an individual is going through, my music is here and what I represent is here to tell people "don't give up, what you desire you can achieve, and nothing can stop you if you continue to focus on that." So I was just kidding earlier when I said put my foot musically into some people's ass. But it is a competitive nature out there and there's alot of individuals out there that I like and admire here in the Bay Area that are doing good music. And throughout the country I think the level of production has stepped up. Lyrically sometimes, because of the corporate influence in hip hop, we prostituted ourselves. And I include myself in that to a certain degree, for a dollar. Whether it's stripping in videos, or just making mindless, meaningless, whole albums. But also, to the flipside of that, there's alot of individuals that I find inspiration from, and there's some real good music coming from all over the country. So, I wanna say that. My desire right now is to open myself up to a worldwide audience. I wanna say that everybody that's in reach of my voice right now, that from the bottom of my heart, I'm happy to be here.
I been doing this for 23 years. Essentially since 1983 as a producer when my first record "Hubbahead" from a group called Khayree and the Lova Twins. To be here in 2005 still breathin' with many of my loved ones who I started with no longer here, it's a whole 'nother level of it now man. You get to see that it's not even about the fame, the money, it's just about what I'm gonna leave when it's all said and done. Cause you don't know when that moment gon' come. So the music is starting to come back through me. You can do it and if you not feeling it because you just do it to make money, or you doing it because... For me it's always the love, the passion, that's when the best music comes. I been saying I was gonna do the Blackalation 2 for a while, and I hadn't did it because that inspiration wasn't there. I've also been inspired to do my own album. I'mma do an album. I think I'mma call it Khayree: The Heart Of An Artist. Where I rap, sing, tap dance, play banjo, beat on plastic jugs, [laughs], congas. All these instruments, or whatever it is I do. Because I don't wanna leave and then say, you know what, I didn't express my thoughts and my feelings on various topics. There's so much going on right now. I have alot of questions and I'm sure everbody listening does.
[clicks over]
Khayree: I just got a call and they said "Man these niggas can't fuck with you man!" I said man, I'm doing an interview right now. I think he listening to something I did. But yeah man. Don't put that part in, they gonna be like, oh he egotistical. It's cool. Nah leave it, fuck it. We gonna keep it all right there what it is. I guess we all got an ego.
And I do want recognition, for what it is capable of doing. And right now I wanna work with alot of different people. I think in the past I didn't make myself available and didn't really say that I wanna work with alot of different people. I kept myself in a certain realm with just my artists. It's a different time now. That's about it, hit me with a few more questions and I'mma get back to some music in the studio.
**************.com: Can we expect you working with some of the past Young Black Brotha artists? Mac Mall....the usual lineup.
Khayree: I don't know what the future holds man. I'm hoping though. Mall and myself is always a done deal. Period. That's a no brainer. Part of my music is Mall, I think part of what he does, I'm there. Even when I'm not there. I'm open. I think more so then doing an album with Mall, if Mall and myself didn't do anymore albums together, though I know we will at least do music, songs, we did it. Gimmie some new shit is what I'm sayin. Theres some new cats out there, some new young cats that got fire. So I'm open to that too. But Mall and myself is a done deal. Any other artists, I'd like to work with Lay again too.
**************.com: You just dropped the Dubee "Why Change Now" album, what really made you release that, since it was stuff from back in 1996.
Khayree: Two things made me release it. Number one, it was songs we did recorded in 95 and 96. They're very good songs. It's the last of the songs we recorded and they're just sittin' there. The second thing of course is to be able to make money from music that you spent time and energy paying for and doing. So him and myself talked before releasing that and we worked out a situation where I'm giving him 5 new songs, for whatever he wants to do. Three with hooks, two with me signing em. And a certain percentage from every sale on that record. So those are the two motivating factors why I put it out. But it's just sittin there, so there it is. It's not anything new on there, that's why we put "1996 Heat Extreme" on there. [laughs] And Dubee wanted that on there. To let em know these songs come from this era right here. That's that.
**************.com: Well that gives people something to look forward to, some fresh new stuff, Khayree and Dubee also.
Khayree: Those 5 songs yeah, that he puts on whatever record he does. Yeah. So I wanna say... go ahead and ask your questions man, I got my feet kicked back on the MPC 3000 right now leaning back in the chair. [laughs] Just in the talkin mode, and you got me here now.
**************.com: That's fine! Talk away man. We trying to give the people Khayree's thoughts.
Khayree: Where I am right now is, we been working on "Who is Khayree: The Young Black Brotha Story". If you pick up the YBB Video Collection DVD, which we just released. The trailer for that film is on that DVD. Of course this can be found on YoungBlackBrotha.com. All of this. That Dubee album and the collection, so that's where my energy has been. It's been a challenge because, well not a challege but it's been fun. And it has been a challenge because even in the trailer you can listen, I'm scoring. It's not just taking a piece of music from a song I did, the instrumental, and just putting it behind the film. It's actual scoring going on. I been enjoying that. So it's opened me, and it's opened me up to another level. In my musical abilities.
**************.com: So you been really widening your musical abilities...
Khayree: What I been doing is learning Stevie Wonder songs on the piano, for example. Can you hear that?
_____________________________________________
YOUNG BLACK BROTHA'S KHAYREE CHOPPED IT UP WITH ************** AND GAVE US AN UPDATE ON WHAT HE'S BEEN UP TO THESE DAYS. KHAYREE DISCUSSES NEW ARTISTS ON YBB, WORKING WITH MAC MALL, DUBEE AND PAST YBB RAPPERS, HIS UPCOMING DVD PROJECTS AND MORE.
_____________________________________________
INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY: NANDO
KHAYREE INTERVIEW AUDIO (14:26)
_____________________________________________
**************.com: This is nando with **************.com, today I'm here with legendary producer and CEO of Young Black Brotha Records. How you doin Khayree?
Khayree: I'm doin beautiful man, how you doin?
**************.com: I'm good, I'm good.
Khayree: That's too much of a build up though man. Yeah I haven't lived enough to be legendary really. People use the phrase but, you know what I mean??
**************.com: Yeah to alot of people out here think your pretty much like a legendary producer, all them golden hits that you released with Young Lay, Mac Mall, Dubee, all that stuff. Like you said on your website, it was like the golden era of Bay Area rap. So I think you were a huge part of that...
Khayree: Yeah, yeah.
**************.com: So basically I wanted to ask, which new artists are you working with at the moment?
Khayree: I'm working with anybody new right now man. But I'm wide open, like Mall and Shima. [laughs] My energy been primarily toward film making and writing for the last few years. That and smellin' the roses and just living in general. Not really trippin' too much on music. Though I still make music. But I guess in the last, maybe six months or so, I have had an intensified desire to musically put my foot in some peoples ass. [laughs] Nah... to really do music again man. To make it for people. As opposed to just doing it and not putting it out.
**************.com: We saw you release the album from Problem Child. Are you still working with him and are there any other artists under the Young Black Brotha umbrella?
Khayree: Right now, three rap artists I'm doing albums on for Young Black Brotha. It's Problem Child, Jabari who is my first cousin, and a young cat from Vallejo named Chance. He also hails from Country Club Crest. He's the son of one of my best friends, David Cooke, from Moviezine (moviezine.net). He has a DVD magazine. So his son Chance is a rap artist. I'm sure you guys are familliar with him. He got his start with Renald Powers from Strictly Business Records. That's where Chance put his first record out. I think he was 13. He was very very young. He's been rapping since he was like 8 years old. He's 20 now. So he's very gifted. I'm doing albums on the three of them.
I'm also doing 2 Blackalations. Blackalation 2 and Blackalation 3. Currently the title is Blackalation: Medicine For Your Soul. The title might change, I'm not really trippin' off the title but it will be the Blackalation. Essentially a compilation of just talented individuals. With my production and direction. The concept of the album will always be inspirational, because for me, more than anything else, when it's all said and done; I wanna do something to inspire you to know that even though your car ain't runnin', your money ain't right, your woman or boyfriend is trippin, or whatever the situation that an individual is going through, my music is here and what I represent is here to tell people "don't give up, what you desire you can achieve, and nothing can stop you if you continue to focus on that." So I was just kidding earlier when I said put my foot musically into some people's ass. But it is a competitive nature out there and there's alot of individuals out there that I like and admire here in the Bay Area that are doing good music. And throughout the country I think the level of production has stepped up. Lyrically sometimes, because of the corporate influence in hip hop, we prostituted ourselves. And I include myself in that to a certain degree, for a dollar. Whether it's stripping in videos, or just making mindless, meaningless, whole albums. But also, to the flipside of that, there's alot of individuals that I find inspiration from, and there's some real good music coming from all over the country. So, I wanna say that. My desire right now is to open myself up to a worldwide audience. I wanna say that everybody that's in reach of my voice right now, that from the bottom of my heart, I'm happy to be here.
I been doing this for 23 years. Essentially since 1983 as a producer when my first record "Hubbahead" from a group called Khayree and the Lova Twins. To be here in 2005 still breathin' with many of my loved ones who I started with no longer here, it's a whole 'nother level of it now man. You get to see that it's not even about the fame, the money, it's just about what I'm gonna leave when it's all said and done. Cause you don't know when that moment gon' come. So the music is starting to come back through me. You can do it and if you not feeling it because you just do it to make money, or you doing it because... For me it's always the love, the passion, that's when the best music comes. I been saying I was gonna do the Blackalation 2 for a while, and I hadn't did it because that inspiration wasn't there. I've also been inspired to do my own album. I'mma do an album. I think I'mma call it Khayree: The Heart Of An Artist. Where I rap, sing, tap dance, play banjo, beat on plastic jugs, [laughs], congas. All these instruments, or whatever it is I do. Because I don't wanna leave and then say, you know what, I didn't express my thoughts and my feelings on various topics. There's so much going on right now. I have alot of questions and I'm sure everbody listening does.
[clicks over]
Khayree: I just got a call and they said "Man these niggas can't fuck with you man!" I said man, I'm doing an interview right now. I think he listening to something I did. But yeah man. Don't put that part in, they gonna be like, oh he egotistical. It's cool. Nah leave it, fuck it. We gonna keep it all right there what it is. I guess we all got an ego.
And I do want recognition, for what it is capable of doing. And right now I wanna work with alot of different people. I think in the past I didn't make myself available and didn't really say that I wanna work with alot of different people. I kept myself in a certain realm with just my artists. It's a different time now. That's about it, hit me with a few more questions and I'mma get back to some music in the studio.
**************.com: Can we expect you working with some of the past Young Black Brotha artists? Mac Mall....the usual lineup.
Khayree: I don't know what the future holds man. I'm hoping though. Mall and myself is always a done deal. Period. That's a no brainer. Part of my music is Mall, I think part of what he does, I'm there. Even when I'm not there. I'm open. I think more so then doing an album with Mall, if Mall and myself didn't do anymore albums together, though I know we will at least do music, songs, we did it. Gimmie some new shit is what I'm sayin. Theres some new cats out there, some new young cats that got fire. So I'm open to that too. But Mall and myself is a done deal. Any other artists, I'd like to work with Lay again too.
**************.com: You just dropped the Dubee "Why Change Now" album, what really made you release that, since it was stuff from back in 1996.
Khayree: Two things made me release it. Number one, it was songs we did recorded in 95 and 96. They're very good songs. It's the last of the songs we recorded and they're just sittin' there. The second thing of course is to be able to make money from music that you spent time and energy paying for and doing. So him and myself talked before releasing that and we worked out a situation where I'm giving him 5 new songs, for whatever he wants to do. Three with hooks, two with me signing em. And a certain percentage from every sale on that record. So those are the two motivating factors why I put it out. But it's just sittin there, so there it is. It's not anything new on there, that's why we put "1996 Heat Extreme" on there. [laughs] And Dubee wanted that on there. To let em know these songs come from this era right here. That's that.
**************.com: Well that gives people something to look forward to, some fresh new stuff, Khayree and Dubee also.
Khayree: Those 5 songs yeah, that he puts on whatever record he does. Yeah. So I wanna say... go ahead and ask your questions man, I got my feet kicked back on the MPC 3000 right now leaning back in the chair. [laughs] Just in the talkin mode, and you got me here now.
**************.com: That's fine! Talk away man. We trying to give the people Khayree's thoughts.
Khayree: Where I am right now is, we been working on "Who is Khayree: The Young Black Brotha Story". If you pick up the YBB Video Collection DVD, which we just released. The trailer for that film is on that DVD. Of course this can be found on YoungBlackBrotha.com. All of this. That Dubee album and the collection, so that's where my energy has been. It's been a challenge because, well not a challege but it's been fun. And it has been a challenge because even in the trailer you can listen, I'm scoring. It's not just taking a piece of music from a song I did, the instrumental, and just putting it behind the film. It's actual scoring going on. I been enjoying that. So it's opened me, and it's opened me up to another level. In my musical abilities.
**************.com: So you been really widening your musical abilities...
Khayree: What I been doing is learning Stevie Wonder songs on the piano, for example. Can you hear that?
