What's up Loki, what's crackin in 2005?
Loki: Whut up, I've joined up with X-Raided in forming a new record company, Bloc Star Entertainment. We are working on our first record right now, I've been in the studio these last 2 weeks and it's shaping up to be a monster record. All new material from myself, from X-Raided himself and all our affiliates.
What about your next solo project?
Loki: My next solo project for 2005 is a mixtape. On this is a bunch of material that only got regional release as well as a bunch of new material. It's a way for me to look back at the last ten years, assess them, comment on em, polish up those diamonds that never got the shine they deserved & move onto a new era.
When will it drop, what's the title, who's on it?
Loki: By the end of the year. It's called "The Bastard: Remixed & Remastered". Features to look for: X-Raided, Lynch, Droop, Dubb Sak, P-Folks, Devious & Trauma Unit to name a few.
What's up with X-Raided, how's he doin?
Loki: He's good. Being transferred through the system right now so communications is low. He's real positive about the new label and we are working on getting him out of there. Which can be done and we will do it.
The project with X-Raided, what can we expect?
Loki: The new project will reflect the future of West Coast Hip Hop, for starters. We are thinking globally and it reflects in our music. The first record is about clearing the air and then from there on it's crackin. You can expect a never before heard X-Raided, new X-Raided, and all our friends and affiliates getting down.
When you both decided to do this project?
Loki: We'd been corresponding for a while now and it just made sense. We agree on a lot of things philosophially and we share a similiar vision of where the music needs to go and where we as artists need to take it.
Can you tell when it's droppin and who else is takin part on that one?
Loki: You've seen a lot independant labels promise street dates and break em. We don't want to do that so I will not yet promise a street date until I know it's solid. We are looking to drop it this summer, though. No Love is on there, T-Nutty, D-Dubb, G-Macc, Lynch, Trauma Unit, T.A., that's a few of the higlights on it.
What sound can we expect there with both of your individual styles combined?
Loki: Well you can expect the classic sound we got. Real talk and a ton of bricks.
Can you describe the process of producin a track with X-Raided as long he's still locked up?
Loki: Yes and no. You may have heard how he did it in the past, but we got some new angles in the works and this time they are legal. Nuff said.
What about C-Way, can we expect anything in the future?
Loki: You can expect a lot from C-Way. They are Bloc Star, just with their own infrastructure.
What about your own label AnyGhetto?
Loki: AnyGhetto is Bloc Star as well you know. Bloc Star is the umbrella, AnyGhetto will still be developed along for other more niche specific projects.
Are there artists you'll support on your label already?
Loki: Right now Bloc Star is about establishing X-Raided and myself. Once we've established ourselves and the X-Raided is released from prison, then it's over: the pitbull is in the chicken coop. It's no stoppin what Bloc Star will do. We have a few artists we want to develop but we can't feed others until we got a roof over our heads.
What's the story behind the name "AnyGhetto"?
Loki: I wanted a label that spoke to everybody. There's that old war song, "the world is a ghetto", and we may not agree with that as much in America, but it's true. AnyGhetto is a reflection of that.
Since when do you produce tracks on your own?
Loki: Since my new record "21 gun salute". I helped in production on "Illegitimati" but as a producer I'm just now really seriously getting into that. There's a few cuts I've produced on the new Bloc Star record that y'all will hear.
What equipment do you work with?
Loki: The mp3, Reason, Recycle, the Triton. The mp3 has made a comeback in my circle of producers. Programs like Reason have enabled a lot of freedom in manipulating sound. Any old keyboard will do, connected to Reason. It's a simple workstation we got set up.
What inspires you to write rhymes and do tracks?
Loki: Life and death. It's something I will always return to, no matter what else I get involved with.
Can you tell a lil bit about your musical influences? When did you know the rap game is where you wanna be?
Loki: Influences are B.D.P., N.W.A, Public Enemy, Above the Law, Kool G Rap, Brand Nubian, Scarface, Geto Boys, Led Zeppelin, Tool, Bob Marley, Parliament, James Brown, War, Curtis Mayfield. I was a pop-locker waaaaay back in the day, I got seriously into mcing in the early nineties. Fell in with Lynch and the rest was history.
So let's do a little history lesson, where have you met Lynch?
Loki: I met Lynch at a studio session. We clicked right awawy. Started hangin out, doing more than just the music. Started up a click that eventually became the nucleus for Siccmade Muzicc.
What was the most important step in the beginng of your career?
Loki: Just deciding to take it seriously. And the gold plaque for "Dat'z what I said", on Master P's West Coast Bad Boyz II.
What about racism in the rap game. Do you think it's easier to be accepted and get respect being a white MC nowadays than when you started?
Loki: Well there's not been as much hate as you'd think. I was pretty much accepted from the get-go, but Sacramento's like that. It certainly contributes and takes away from my career at times. The point is to be the best, regardless your color. Pay attention to that, the rest will follow.
Why took it so long til the release of Illegitimati?
Loki: It was my first record. That and being a kid who didn't give a fuck and had no counsel on how the history works you know, lol.
Would you agree that "21 gun salute" is more Loki than "Illegitimati"?
Loki: Absolutely. It's much closer to me than the first record. And the new material is even closer to the truth.
Do you have any all time favorite track of yours?
Loki: More than one, "None to die for", "Plug nickel", "Fuck it then", "John Does & ho-cakes", "Good riddance" and "The memorial".
Can you give us some more info on your favorite tracks? What it means for you, the story behind the track, the studio session? Let's start with "None to die for".
Loki: This is just a real clean, radio friendly song and I'm proud of it. It didn't get it's proper due, back when it came out but I intend to change that. It's one of those tracks where I was able to diversify my sound and content and came off how I wanted it to. Lynch and D.E. only helped it too, with their hot contributions.
"Plug nickel"
Loki: One of that raw gritty songs that goes somewhere with it. I love the beat, its intensity, and it's some of my best lyrics from that period, period.
"Fuck it then"
Loki: I wanted to wrote an anthem and this is it. The hook just got re-worked for the remix, which is only an improvement, you can look for that on the mixtape. What else can I say? I had some shit on my mind and needed to ventilate.
"John Does & ho-cakes"
Loki: A diss track with all the ingredients, I wanted to serve so ruthlessly I even said fuck it and didn't put no catchy hook in there. It's really just 3 verses of venom on a few folks who needed to get stung. I'm not into industry beef so I put all that funk into this one track and let the rest of "21 gun salute" be about the music.
Loki: Whut up, I've joined up with X-Raided in forming a new record company, Bloc Star Entertainment. We are working on our first record right now, I've been in the studio these last 2 weeks and it's shaping up to be a monster record. All new material from myself, from X-Raided himself and all our affiliates.
What about your next solo project?
Loki: My next solo project for 2005 is a mixtape. On this is a bunch of material that only got regional release as well as a bunch of new material. It's a way for me to look back at the last ten years, assess them, comment on em, polish up those diamonds that never got the shine they deserved & move onto a new era.
When will it drop, what's the title, who's on it?
Loki: By the end of the year. It's called "The Bastard: Remixed & Remastered". Features to look for: X-Raided, Lynch, Droop, Dubb Sak, P-Folks, Devious & Trauma Unit to name a few.
What's up with X-Raided, how's he doin?
Loki: He's good. Being transferred through the system right now so communications is low. He's real positive about the new label and we are working on getting him out of there. Which can be done and we will do it.
The project with X-Raided, what can we expect?
Loki: The new project will reflect the future of West Coast Hip Hop, for starters. We are thinking globally and it reflects in our music. The first record is about clearing the air and then from there on it's crackin. You can expect a never before heard X-Raided, new X-Raided, and all our friends and affiliates getting down.
When you both decided to do this project?
Loki: We'd been corresponding for a while now and it just made sense. We agree on a lot of things philosophially and we share a similiar vision of where the music needs to go and where we as artists need to take it.
Can you tell when it's droppin and who else is takin part on that one?
Loki: You've seen a lot independant labels promise street dates and break em. We don't want to do that so I will not yet promise a street date until I know it's solid. We are looking to drop it this summer, though. No Love is on there, T-Nutty, D-Dubb, G-Macc, Lynch, Trauma Unit, T.A., that's a few of the higlights on it.
What sound can we expect there with both of your individual styles combined?
Loki: Well you can expect the classic sound we got. Real talk and a ton of bricks.
Can you describe the process of producin a track with X-Raided as long he's still locked up?
Loki: Yes and no. You may have heard how he did it in the past, but we got some new angles in the works and this time they are legal. Nuff said.
What about C-Way, can we expect anything in the future?
Loki: You can expect a lot from C-Way. They are Bloc Star, just with their own infrastructure.
What about your own label AnyGhetto?
Loki: AnyGhetto is Bloc Star as well you know. Bloc Star is the umbrella, AnyGhetto will still be developed along for other more niche specific projects.
Are there artists you'll support on your label already?
Loki: Right now Bloc Star is about establishing X-Raided and myself. Once we've established ourselves and the X-Raided is released from prison, then it's over: the pitbull is in the chicken coop. It's no stoppin what Bloc Star will do. We have a few artists we want to develop but we can't feed others until we got a roof over our heads.
What's the story behind the name "AnyGhetto"?
Loki: I wanted a label that spoke to everybody. There's that old war song, "the world is a ghetto", and we may not agree with that as much in America, but it's true. AnyGhetto is a reflection of that.
Since when do you produce tracks on your own?
Loki: Since my new record "21 gun salute". I helped in production on "Illegitimati" but as a producer I'm just now really seriously getting into that. There's a few cuts I've produced on the new Bloc Star record that y'all will hear.
What equipment do you work with?
Loki: The mp3, Reason, Recycle, the Triton. The mp3 has made a comeback in my circle of producers. Programs like Reason have enabled a lot of freedom in manipulating sound. Any old keyboard will do, connected to Reason. It's a simple workstation we got set up.
What inspires you to write rhymes and do tracks?
Loki: Life and death. It's something I will always return to, no matter what else I get involved with.
Can you tell a lil bit about your musical influences? When did you know the rap game is where you wanna be?
Loki: Influences are B.D.P., N.W.A, Public Enemy, Above the Law, Kool G Rap, Brand Nubian, Scarface, Geto Boys, Led Zeppelin, Tool, Bob Marley, Parliament, James Brown, War, Curtis Mayfield. I was a pop-locker waaaaay back in the day, I got seriously into mcing in the early nineties. Fell in with Lynch and the rest was history.
So let's do a little history lesson, where have you met Lynch?
Loki: I met Lynch at a studio session. We clicked right awawy. Started hangin out, doing more than just the music. Started up a click that eventually became the nucleus for Siccmade Muzicc.
What was the most important step in the beginng of your career?
Loki: Just deciding to take it seriously. And the gold plaque for "Dat'z what I said", on Master P's West Coast Bad Boyz II.
What about racism in the rap game. Do you think it's easier to be accepted and get respect being a white MC nowadays than when you started?
Loki: Well there's not been as much hate as you'd think. I was pretty much accepted from the get-go, but Sacramento's like that. It certainly contributes and takes away from my career at times. The point is to be the best, regardless your color. Pay attention to that, the rest will follow.
Why took it so long til the release of Illegitimati?
Loki: It was my first record. That and being a kid who didn't give a fuck and had no counsel on how the history works you know, lol.
Would you agree that "21 gun salute" is more Loki than "Illegitimati"?
Loki: Absolutely. It's much closer to me than the first record. And the new material is even closer to the truth.
Do you have any all time favorite track of yours?
Loki: More than one, "None to die for", "Plug nickel", "Fuck it then", "John Does & ho-cakes", "Good riddance" and "The memorial".
Can you give us some more info on your favorite tracks? What it means for you, the story behind the track, the studio session? Let's start with "None to die for".
Loki: This is just a real clean, radio friendly song and I'm proud of it. It didn't get it's proper due, back when it came out but I intend to change that. It's one of those tracks where I was able to diversify my sound and content and came off how I wanted it to. Lynch and D.E. only helped it too, with their hot contributions.
"Plug nickel"
Loki: One of that raw gritty songs that goes somewhere with it. I love the beat, its intensity, and it's some of my best lyrics from that period, period.
"Fuck it then"
Loki: I wanted to wrote an anthem and this is it. The hook just got re-worked for the remix, which is only an improvement, you can look for that on the mixtape. What else can I say? I had some shit on my mind and needed to ventilate.
"John Does & ho-cakes"
Loki: A diss track with all the ingredients, I wanted to serve so ruthlessly I even said fuck it and didn't put no catchy hook in there. It's really just 3 verses of venom on a few folks who needed to get stung. I'm not into industry beef so I put all that funk into this one track and let the rest of "21 gun salute" be about the music.
