Still in the game
After 20 years in hip-hop, E-A-Ski remains disciplined and determined
By Steve Echeverria Jr.
Record Staff Writer
Published Friday, August 6, 2004
STOCKTON -- E-A-Ski is a hip-hop enigma.
The Oakland native has built a career creating head-bobbing tracks for E-40, Spice 1, Naughty By Nature and Jayo Felony. He's produced gold- and platinum-selling albums for the Luniz and Ice Cube.
Still, he prefers to remain a mystery. He doesn't want to reveal his real name or age because, as he sees it, that limits his options.
"If you expose too much and consumers know too much, you can't reinvent yourself," the rapper born Shon Adams said. "I let my music do the talking and then I disappear. That way, there's always a curiosity. It keeps you fresh."
E-A-Ski comes to town Sunday to headline Summer Splash at Weber Point Event Center. Presented by KWIN 97.7 FM, the hip-hop and old school bill also includes Petey Pablo, Cassidy, Ying Yang Twins, J-Kwon and Timex Social Club.
If E-A-Ski has learned anything in his two decades in the music industry, it's that consumers are fickle and record companies aren't much better. Neither has deterred him from pursuing a career based on giving listeners an accurate representation of hip-hop's West Coast sound. Last year, E-A-Ski released "Manuscript," a single exploring the bi-coastal politics at labels and radio stations.
"I had to speak my mind on ... how people felt about the current situation in these streets and the biasness," he said. "Everybody knows the East Coast is dominating the hip-hop game right now."
That game has come full circle since E-A-Ski first heard Run-DMC's 1984 self-titled debut album. The only difference is the message.
"Back then, the East Coast was on that party level but the West Coast changed the game, the whole rap game took a turn," he said.
Rappers such as Ice-T and the group NWA began speaking out on police brutality, discrimination and drug dealing. The East Coast began copying that approach because most weren't selling as well as their West Coast contemporaries. According to E-A-Ski, as soon as East Coast artists adopted California lingo and images, their sales skyrocketed.
As a result, record companies have ignored West Coast underground acts. E-A-Ski can point to his latest single, "Ride," which received extensive airplay in Northern California.
"But these labels aren't knocking at my door because the bottom line is they don't know about West Coast music and they don't care about West Coast music," he said.
Besides, it's easier for East Coast rappers to get deals because most of the major record labels are based in New York.
"They're not messing with us until we start selling thousands of units out the trunk of our cars," E-A-Ski said.
West Coast radio doesn't help matters any when it spins East Coast artists. East Coast DJs aren't spinning West Coast rappers, he said.
Another problem is that "everybody thinks they can rap or produce."
"They don't understand that rap is an art form," E-A-Ski said. "There are so many people who take advantage of this game. This takes years of practice."
E-A-Ski grew up on the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delite," but it wasn't until he listened to Run-DMC that he decided to pursue a career in music.
"That group devastated me," he said. "They were the biggest thing in my world."
E-A-Ski started working on beats and rhymes with friends in Oakland. His hobby turned into an obsession and, after working with several local artists, he began making inroads nationally.
E-A-Ski's big break came in 1992 when he produced Oakland gangsta rapper Spice-1's self-titled, major label debut. Soon he was making beats for East Coast hip-hoppers Naughty By Nature, Das EFX, and Champ MC. He also started working with California rappers Ice-T, Ice Cube, KAM and the Luniz.
E-A-Ski also got a chance to flex his lyrical skills by recording tracks for the "Friday" and "How To Be a Player" soundtracks. His rise in the industry, however, hasn't been without without setbacks.
His albums "1 Step Ahead of Ya'll" (1992) and "Earthquake" (1998) were derailed by label politics and false promises, he said. Since then, E-A-Ski has stuck to the independent route through his own label, Infrared Music Group.
"You have so much freedom when you're independent," he said. "When you're on a major you lose control of your identity. They don't give a damn about you."
Earlier this year, E-A-Ski signed Bay Area rappers Frontline. He'll release the duo's debut in September and will follow it with his own solo project, "Apply Pressure."
"Artists get so excited off one record, but to last in this game it takes more than one record," E-A-Ski said. "This game is about discipline. It's about staying hungry."
After 20 years in hip-hop, E-A-Ski remains disciplined and determined
By Steve Echeverria Jr.
Record Staff Writer
Published Friday, August 6, 2004
STOCKTON -- E-A-Ski is a hip-hop enigma.
The Oakland native has built a career creating head-bobbing tracks for E-40, Spice 1, Naughty By Nature and Jayo Felony. He's produced gold- and platinum-selling albums for the Luniz and Ice Cube.
Still, he prefers to remain a mystery. He doesn't want to reveal his real name or age because, as he sees it, that limits his options.
"If you expose too much and consumers know too much, you can't reinvent yourself," the rapper born Shon Adams said. "I let my music do the talking and then I disappear. That way, there's always a curiosity. It keeps you fresh."
E-A-Ski comes to town Sunday to headline Summer Splash at Weber Point Event Center. Presented by KWIN 97.7 FM, the hip-hop and old school bill also includes Petey Pablo, Cassidy, Ying Yang Twins, J-Kwon and Timex Social Club.
If E-A-Ski has learned anything in his two decades in the music industry, it's that consumers are fickle and record companies aren't much better. Neither has deterred him from pursuing a career based on giving listeners an accurate representation of hip-hop's West Coast sound. Last year, E-A-Ski released "Manuscript," a single exploring the bi-coastal politics at labels and radio stations.
"I had to speak my mind on ... how people felt about the current situation in these streets and the biasness," he said. "Everybody knows the East Coast is dominating the hip-hop game right now."
That game has come full circle since E-A-Ski first heard Run-DMC's 1984 self-titled debut album. The only difference is the message.
"Back then, the East Coast was on that party level but the West Coast changed the game, the whole rap game took a turn," he said.
Rappers such as Ice-T and the group NWA began speaking out on police brutality, discrimination and drug dealing. The East Coast began copying that approach because most weren't selling as well as their West Coast contemporaries. According to E-A-Ski, as soon as East Coast artists adopted California lingo and images, their sales skyrocketed.
As a result, record companies have ignored West Coast underground acts. E-A-Ski can point to his latest single, "Ride," which received extensive airplay in Northern California.
"But these labels aren't knocking at my door because the bottom line is they don't know about West Coast music and they don't care about West Coast music," he said.
Besides, it's easier for East Coast rappers to get deals because most of the major record labels are based in New York.
"They're not messing with us until we start selling thousands of units out the trunk of our cars," E-A-Ski said.
West Coast radio doesn't help matters any when it spins East Coast artists. East Coast DJs aren't spinning West Coast rappers, he said.
Another problem is that "everybody thinks they can rap or produce."
"They don't understand that rap is an art form," E-A-Ski said. "There are so many people who take advantage of this game. This takes years of practice."
E-A-Ski grew up on the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delite," but it wasn't until he listened to Run-DMC that he decided to pursue a career in music.
"That group devastated me," he said. "They were the biggest thing in my world."
E-A-Ski started working on beats and rhymes with friends in Oakland. His hobby turned into an obsession and, after working with several local artists, he began making inroads nationally.
E-A-Ski's big break came in 1992 when he produced Oakland gangsta rapper Spice-1's self-titled, major label debut. Soon he was making beats for East Coast hip-hoppers Naughty By Nature, Das EFX, and Champ MC. He also started working with California rappers Ice-T, Ice Cube, KAM and the Luniz.
E-A-Ski also got a chance to flex his lyrical skills by recording tracks for the "Friday" and "How To Be a Player" soundtracks. His rise in the industry, however, hasn't been without without setbacks.
His albums "1 Step Ahead of Ya'll" (1992) and "Earthquake" (1998) were derailed by label politics and false promises, he said. Since then, E-A-Ski has stuck to the independent route through his own label, Infrared Music Group.
"You have so much freedom when you're independent," he said. "When you're on a major you lose control of your identity. They don't give a damn about you."
Earlier this year, E-A-Ski signed Bay Area rappers Frontline. He'll release the duo's debut in September and will follow it with his own solo project, "Apply Pressure."
"Artists get so excited off one record, but to last in this game it takes more than one record," E-A-Ski said. "This game is about discipline. It's about staying hungry."