This interview is done by finnish website Redrum-187.com.
Redrum-187: What's up Yuk, How are you doing man?
Yukmouth: I'm good... can't complain. Whut’s up
Redrum-187: Tell us something about the projects that u are working on at the moment? Whats the next thing coming out from Yukmouth?
Yukmouth: I'm working on my solo album (Million Dollar Mouth Piece). Doing the last final touches & getting a couple more features. Also the Thug Lordz album which is me, C-Bo & We added Spice-1... Then I’m putting out United Ghettos Of America Vol.3 DVD & Soundtrack... Then The Regime album. So I’m busy.
Redrum-187: What about your long awaited album Million Dollar Mouthpiece, when is that coming out? What's the situation with that?
Yukmouth: Million Dollar Mouth Piece will be in stores Oct.21st. Just been getting samples cleared & artist cleared. You know the industry politics & bullshit... But it’s finally coming in October.
Redrum-187: Who is working on the production of the album?
Yukmouth: So far i got Mike Dean, Mr. Lee, Traxamillion, Young-L, P-Killer tracks, Droop-E, 1500 beats, Slappboyz, NanDogg, Baby C-Style & Enigma.
Redrum-187: What about guest appearances?
Yukmouth: Too Short, Sean Paul, Pimp-C, Bun-B, Glasses Malone, Bump-J, UTP, Big Gipp, Devin The Dude, Crooked-I, The Regime, C-Bo, The Team, Richie Rich, Dru Down, The Delinquents, Beeda Weeda, Souls Of Mischif, Kafani, Young Berg & MC Hammer.
Redrum-187: Can you say something about the style of the upcoming album? Is it more classic Bay sound or more hyphy? Or both mixed up?
Yukmouth: I got couple hyphy joints for the youngstas on there, but mostly it’s me doing my style. That thugged out street shit. So every song is different subjects with hot beats & catchy hooks. So it’s hot.
Redrum-187: We have seen many mixtapes coming out from you, and at the same time the album has been pushed back many times. Is there a particular reason for that?
Yukmouth: Yeah... I was ironing out a few wrinkles in my contract. So now me & the label are cool on the contract. Now I turn in the album. It’s business. That’s all.
Redrum-187: Tell about the Regime. What's the current state of the group? Any new releases coming up?
Yukmouth: Yeah the dragon gang is good. Everybody focused on their solo projects, then when everybody done, we hoppin in the studio to work on the Regime Life album... So we focused on that right now.
Redrum-187: The local rap scene must have changed a lot since the early Luniz days, in your opinion, has it changed to better or worse?
Yukmouth: It changed for the worst. Nobody is sellin albums like back in the Biggie & 2Pac days. No more 5 X platinum & 10Xplatinum. Bootleggin & internet downloading caused the industry to decrease record sales for everybody including the big heads. Going gold now a days is like going platinum cuzz records aren’t selling no more. The industry is fucked up right now.
Redrum-187: Who did you look up to in your early rap days?
Yukmouth: Of course the local town artist like MC Hammer, Too Short, 2Pac, Digital Underground, Richie Rich & The 415 Crew. Then I look up to the gangsta rappers like Scarface, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, Kool G. Rap, THE D.O.C & N.W.A.
Redrum-187: Who do you look up to these days?
Yukmouth: I look up to people like Jay-Z & Puffy Combs cuz they mastered the rap game & made the most money in the rap game... So I try to follow their footsteps to succes.
Redrum-187: Is there any upcoming local cats we should be aware of?
Yukmouth: Mistah F.A.B, The Taam, J-Stylin, Kafani, The Pack, Eddie Prodjex & Young Al. Watch out for dem Bay local cats.
Redrum-187: It seems that even the great Bay albums don't sell as good as they should in national or international level. In your perspective what's the main problem with the local releases and marketing in 2007?
Yukmouth: Local acts aren't sellin becuzz they make music only for their markets. They need to make national music & they will get national sales.
Redrum-187: What was the main reason(s) the first Luniz record did so good in 1995? Did you had a big promotion behind the group or was it more like mouth-to-mouth promotion on the streets? Even in Finland Operation Stackola was everywhere and almost everyone who listened rap had that album.
Yukmouth: It was good promotion & marketing from Virgin Records & we had a hit single (I got 5 on it)... so that was the fuel of the album sales.
Redrum-187: Do you believe that some new Bay artists/groups/albums could blow up like Operation Stackola in the future?
Yukmouth: Yeah.. I think it’s some new cats coming out the bay that could be as good but won't get the platinum record sales cuzz albums aren't going gold & platinum as easy no more. So I think a new cat can get as many spins, but not the sales.
Redrum-187: The South has been huge for a while now; When will the Bay take over the charts and what does it take to reach the goal?
Yukmouth: It takes unity. The south is winning right now cause of unity & catchy hooks with hot tracks. So we need to unify in the bay, then we can take shit over... until then, we gone stay were we are...
Redrum-187: What's the deal with the movie business? Any new Yukmouth related movies coming up?
Yukmouth: Yeah I just played a hitman in this straight 2 dvd movie called (5k10). That's the penal code for snitching. Its a movie about a snitch who brought down a drug empire by ratting. I play the hitman blasten snitches & cops all thru the movie..
Redrum-187: Your nickname was/is "smoke-a-lot", for real, how much do you smoke on the daily basis?
Yukmouth: About 2 ounces a day...but by myself at lease a ounce a day of kush!!!
Redrum-187: Any last words to our readers in Finland?
Yukmouth: Yeah yall pick up that (Million Dollar Mouthpiece) album in October & hit me up on myspace for tour dates & album releases.
www.myspace.com/yukmouth
www.smokealotrecords.com
Redrum-187: What's up Yuk, How are you doing man?
Yukmouth: I'm good... can't complain. Whut’s up
Redrum-187: Tell us something about the projects that u are working on at the moment? Whats the next thing coming out from Yukmouth?
Yukmouth: I'm working on my solo album (Million Dollar Mouth Piece). Doing the last final touches & getting a couple more features. Also the Thug Lordz album which is me, C-Bo & We added Spice-1... Then I’m putting out United Ghettos Of America Vol.3 DVD & Soundtrack... Then The Regime album. So I’m busy.
Redrum-187: What about your long awaited album Million Dollar Mouthpiece, when is that coming out? What's the situation with that?
Yukmouth: Million Dollar Mouth Piece will be in stores Oct.21st. Just been getting samples cleared & artist cleared. You know the industry politics & bullshit... But it’s finally coming in October.
Redrum-187: Who is working on the production of the album?
Yukmouth: So far i got Mike Dean, Mr. Lee, Traxamillion, Young-L, P-Killer tracks, Droop-E, 1500 beats, Slappboyz, NanDogg, Baby C-Style & Enigma.
Redrum-187: What about guest appearances?
Yukmouth: Too Short, Sean Paul, Pimp-C, Bun-B, Glasses Malone, Bump-J, UTP, Big Gipp, Devin The Dude, Crooked-I, The Regime, C-Bo, The Team, Richie Rich, Dru Down, The Delinquents, Beeda Weeda, Souls Of Mischif, Kafani, Young Berg & MC Hammer.
Redrum-187: Can you say something about the style of the upcoming album? Is it more classic Bay sound or more hyphy? Or both mixed up?
Yukmouth: I got couple hyphy joints for the youngstas on there, but mostly it’s me doing my style. That thugged out street shit. So every song is different subjects with hot beats & catchy hooks. So it’s hot.
Redrum-187: We have seen many mixtapes coming out from you, and at the same time the album has been pushed back many times. Is there a particular reason for that?
Yukmouth: Yeah... I was ironing out a few wrinkles in my contract. So now me & the label are cool on the contract. Now I turn in the album. It’s business. That’s all.
Redrum-187: Tell about the Regime. What's the current state of the group? Any new releases coming up?
Yukmouth: Yeah the dragon gang is good. Everybody focused on their solo projects, then when everybody done, we hoppin in the studio to work on the Regime Life album... So we focused on that right now.
Redrum-187: The local rap scene must have changed a lot since the early Luniz days, in your opinion, has it changed to better or worse?
Yukmouth: It changed for the worst. Nobody is sellin albums like back in the Biggie & 2Pac days. No more 5 X platinum & 10Xplatinum. Bootleggin & internet downloading caused the industry to decrease record sales for everybody including the big heads. Going gold now a days is like going platinum cuzz records aren’t selling no more. The industry is fucked up right now.
Redrum-187: Who did you look up to in your early rap days?
Yukmouth: Of course the local town artist like MC Hammer, Too Short, 2Pac, Digital Underground, Richie Rich & The 415 Crew. Then I look up to the gangsta rappers like Scarface, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, Kool G. Rap, THE D.O.C & N.W.A.
Redrum-187: Who do you look up to these days?
Yukmouth: I look up to people like Jay-Z & Puffy Combs cuz they mastered the rap game & made the most money in the rap game... So I try to follow their footsteps to succes.
Redrum-187: Is there any upcoming local cats we should be aware of?
Yukmouth: Mistah F.A.B, The Taam, J-Stylin, Kafani, The Pack, Eddie Prodjex & Young Al. Watch out for dem Bay local cats.
Redrum-187: It seems that even the great Bay albums don't sell as good as they should in national or international level. In your perspective what's the main problem with the local releases and marketing in 2007?
Yukmouth: Local acts aren't sellin becuzz they make music only for their markets. They need to make national music & they will get national sales.
Redrum-187: What was the main reason(s) the first Luniz record did so good in 1995? Did you had a big promotion behind the group or was it more like mouth-to-mouth promotion on the streets? Even in Finland Operation Stackola was everywhere and almost everyone who listened rap had that album.
Yukmouth: It was good promotion & marketing from Virgin Records & we had a hit single (I got 5 on it)... so that was the fuel of the album sales.
Redrum-187: Do you believe that some new Bay artists/groups/albums could blow up like Operation Stackola in the future?
Yukmouth: Yeah.. I think it’s some new cats coming out the bay that could be as good but won't get the platinum record sales cuzz albums aren't going gold & platinum as easy no more. So I think a new cat can get as many spins, but not the sales.
Redrum-187: The South has been huge for a while now; When will the Bay take over the charts and what does it take to reach the goal?
Yukmouth: It takes unity. The south is winning right now cause of unity & catchy hooks with hot tracks. So we need to unify in the bay, then we can take shit over... until then, we gone stay were we are...
Redrum-187: What's the deal with the movie business? Any new Yukmouth related movies coming up?
Yukmouth: Yeah I just played a hitman in this straight 2 dvd movie called (5k10). That's the penal code for snitching. Its a movie about a snitch who brought down a drug empire by ratting. I play the hitman blasten snitches & cops all thru the movie..
Redrum-187: Your nickname was/is "smoke-a-lot", for real, how much do you smoke on the daily basis?
Yukmouth: About 2 ounces a day...but by myself at lease a ounce a day of kush!!!
Redrum-187: Any last words to our readers in Finland?
Yukmouth: Yeah yall pick up that (Million Dollar Mouthpiece) album in October & hit me up on myspace for tour dates & album releases.
www.myspace.com/yukmouth
www.smokealotrecords.com
