GANGSTA REESE INTERVIEW

[BIG REESE LOC1]

This is an interview I did for some German hip-hop website. The interview took place like 2 weeks ago. Enjoy.

Reese

What's up Gangsta Reese, let them folks out there know where you from and
what you represent!

Sup wit it yall? I can cover alot of ground with this question right here, but I'm gonna put it out there short as possible. I was born in Compton, CA., but at a young age moved up to East San Jose. So I'm reppin that E408 Life, East San Jose to the fullest Checkers Drive b.k.a. C-Blocc to be exact. The Bay Areas most hated city. Certified Hittaz. I'm currently residing in South Sacramento, been here since late 1999.

Tell us lil bit about San Jose, describe the city thru your eyes.
Where can I start? The city is unique in its own right. Very diverse. Alot of different races/nationalties make up the city as a whole. People out there is about gettin they money right, despite all the hatin that may go on, when folks hit Northern Cali, most do and want to stop in San Jose. It is the biggest city in the bay area. It has it's share of busta ass muthafuccas, as well as it's share of riders, gangstas or whatever you wanna call them just as every other city does, aint no different. I grew up on the East Side, Mckee & Checkers Drive. Lived in apartments all my life, single mom raising me, you know how the story goes. So since it was just moms doing her best to raise a man, my father became them streets. I started hustlin, gang-bangin, all that. If you can be in the game husltin in San Jo, that make you you sharp to the point you cpould pretty much go wherever and get your money, San Jo makes you stay on your toes, makes you stay sharp. Santa Clara Co is the leading county in the state that sends folks up on that 3 strikes shit, so like I said, if you husltin out here, you know what you facing, and you gotta stay sharper then others any and all the time. In San Jo, I seen and felt pain, life and death, good times as well as bad times. Went through the system. Betrayals by bitch made cats, and fools that stood tall and remained solid even when the D.A. was trying to break us off hella time. With all that I have been through and seen, I wouldnt trade it for shit tho. Cause it made me who I am today.


When did you start to rap? What are your influences?

Dam, thats a good question. My earliest memories of rap are Doug E. Fresh and Ricky D (Slick Rick) I remember I knew all the words to "La-Di-Da-Di" and "The Show". L.A. Dream Team was out back then too, and Toddy Tee came out with that cut "Batter Ram". I think I really started trying to rap like in like 1987-88. I can remember I used to be sittin on the steps in front of one of the homies' apartments with the homies and they would be tellin me to rap. I would just come off the top of the head with some crazy ass shit. Rappin about silly shit back then, ya know? It would just flow out tho. Fools was thinking it was hard, but back then I really wasnt trippin. I had a homie named Alvin McCoy who grew up with me in my neighborhood that used to D.J. we used to be in his bedroom with a Numark mixer, two technic turntables, and a pair of walkman headphones that he had hooked up for a mic. he would throw on instrumentals of like Heavy D "Mr Big Stuff", some MC Shy D, and other rap songs that were out in the 80's and I would write my lyrics get in there and start flowin. That shit was comedy back then. You couldnt tell us shit tho, cause we was dead serious. We had a crew called Uzi Patrol (influenced by a lyric from an EPMD song) then I think we switched up to Cold Chillin Crew. We added the homie Ali (aka Roc) and we did the group thing. Rappin and shit all the time. It was cool. Back then the influences were mostly East Coast rap cause thats all that was out. Eric B. & Rakim, Boogie Down Productions, Tribe Called Quest, Just Ice, Marky Fresh, Out West you had Ice T pretty much holdin it down for us, but then a group called N.W.A. came out and set shit right for us on the left coast. I'm still influenced by real lyricists. I hear rap on the radio now and its become so saturated. Anybody can make an album full of bullshit. back in the day, you really had to rap. There would'nt be this commercial shit we got going on today. 90% of the rappers you hear on the radio and are in the game right now, couldnt have made it in rap back in 1986-87-88-89, etc... I like muthafuccas that can really spit ya know? Like Ras Kass, Mos Def, KRS, Rakim, and bringin it closer to home I think that Cellski outta Frisco can flow, Yuk got flows, X-Raided, the homie Silence Loc got flows, Convic, and a few others. I aint feelin everybody tho, I hope that dont make me out to be hatin. (LOL) To be real, I dont even listen to rap. I be late on whats on the radio cause my raido stays on the oldie station. The way I hear new shit is if I happen to see the video when I'm flippin through channels or if someone wants me to hear some new song. I have very few rap CDs, I listen to oldies, some new wave, some rock, alot of reggae, but mostly r&b oldies. I gotta say musically that music is my biggest influence. Curtis Mayfield, Willie Hutch, The Originals, The Escorts, The Mad Lads, Ralphi Pagan, Bloodstone, Smokey, I can go on and on but I think yall get the picture.
What's up with Taz, will you do some music again?

You know, I dont know wassup with Taz. So Taz, if you out there reading this, get in contact with me. I would love to work with you again. Those times when we did do some work was under some stressful situations, punk shit that was going on around us, and deadlines that had to be met. Now tho, it would be more relaxed, with less bitch shit on others parts involved. I feel we could do some trend setting shit if we got back together in the studio. It would be a beautiful thang.
What's your all time favorite rap albums?
I have thought about this alot, but have never been asked until now. So I'll put them out there in no paticular order:
Boogie Down Productions "Criminal Minded & By All Means Necessary"
Ice Cube "Death Certificate"
Eric B. and Rakim "Paid In Full"
Ice T "Rhyme Pays & Power"
Snoop Dogg "Doggystyle"
Public Enemy "Yo! Bumrush the show & It takes a Nation of Millions to Hold us back"
Above the Law "Uncle Sams' Curse"
Big Daddy Kane "It a Big daddy Thang"
2Pac "Me against the World"
X-Raided "Psycho Active, Unforgiven, & the third one he put out"
Too Short "Short Dogs In the House"
The albums that I listed are all ones that I feel I can listen to the whole thing without skippin tracks. There are some albums that may have 19 tracks on there but I only bump 10, so that dont make it on this list, it gotta be some shit that 95% of the album gets play, ya know?
What are your experiences in the music business so far?
Its a cut-throat, shady game. Its not for the weak hearted. Lots of suckas that hide behind names in this shit. Hide behind images in this business. No stripes on the streets, but on these records, they the biggest crip/blood/player/pimp/mack/hustler/dope deala that ever walked the earth so they think, and so they rap. That whole shit be all in they head, but when some shit go down in real life, people start gettin killed, muthafuccas start gettin hit, you see the bitch come up out of them. The game is over saturated. All you need is a computer, a music making program, and a mic and now you got muthafuccas cranking out low quality albums like 3 albums a week!! floodin the market with bullshit. Then they ask why the Nor. Cali rap scene is stagnated. You got fools that basically ride on nutsacks to get into whatever position they in. I aint about that. There is a difference between networking, and ridin on another mans nuts. From my observation, there are many in the game today, especially the Nor. Cal scene that ride on nuts to get somewhere. I believe in doing for self. If not being cool with whoever is gonna block me from a show, a feature spot, a comp, then so be it. I wanna earn it on my own anyway, not being around someone I aint feeling trying to tolerate they poodle ways so that I can be on some fake ass show somewhere local. I dont mean to sond negative, but I'm givin you the real straight laced with no chaser. It all comes down to being a solid muthafucca man. Not only just in the music buisness, but you should be solid in life period. All you got is your word, and your word shall be bond, and before your word should fail, you should give your life. The positive side in my experience is that you get to meet some reall straight folks. Some who know the ins' and outs of this game. Some who watch out and also steer clear of the bitches I spoke of earlier in this response. To be in the music buisness you have to have a very strong work ethic. It will pretty much take up all your free time. If you got children and are a real father/mother to them, you can count on not being around like you was before the music shit. It not that you puttin them on the back burner, but its so much that comes along with the tilte of artist/CEO, or whatever you wanna call yourself, that your time is pretty much taken. Alot of buisness is done at night, studios, clubs, whatever. Alot of wicked shit going on. I can speak for days on this, but all in all, you gotta have your mind right. You really need to find a balance in this shit. Its a hard job. Its easy for them cats that live with they parents and have to pay lil to no rent. They can rap and fuck off all day. Speaking for me, with children and a mortgage, I cant sit around rappin all day, so I'm in this part time. I do what I can, when I can, but it doesnt take priority to me. My priority are my children and my life.

 

[BIG REESE LOC1]

Pt. 2

Give us a short overview on your releases, there are Eastside Stories Pt.1,
Full Metal Jackets, Full Clip Who'z ridin, and Full Clip the 2nd chamber,
anything else?
All good, here we go. They are in order of release:
Full Clip "Who'z Ridin?" - Classic Album out of Northern California. Very Slept on. Recording started in mid-1997, release date was feb. 1998. We made it when we was hungry, prodution form EZ CUTT and G-Rocc. I always say the first album from any rap group/artist is always his best, cause they put they all into it, they did it when they were hungry. They did it when they didnt have nothing, no recognition and shit, they had to go out there and take what was thiers, get they respect. This album was done right around the time when Full Clip went from being a 3 man group, to a two man group (We and Jaz had a parting of ways) It was good times. Gotta keep my word bond from up out the county jail for my homie Young 211. So you hear him on the album.
Full Clip "The 2nd Chamber"- This album was made around the same time we recorded "Who'z Ridin?" We were so much on a role that we just started recording a new album. Recording started in 1998. With the new things that were going on, my cousin Vell had took some time away from the group and that is why you hear Young 211 as the second rider on the majority of the songs. As we neared completion, Vell came back in the mix, and we got down on a few tracks. It sat on the shelf for awhile, and started to become dated, so I would go in every now and then and put a new song on it to try to keep some newness on it. I signed a deal with Rush Records and they released this album June 2002.

Gangsta Reese "Full Metal Jacket"- The word I like to use to describe this April 2002 release is "rushed". We pretty much rushed through this shit trying to meet deadlines and all that. Alot of it was written right at the studio. Most notably "Bacc Seat Riderz" was written in the car right outside of Larry K's studio where we recorded at. And 10 days was written on the train when I was on my way to San Jose from Sac to record the actual song. It was cool, but if I could do it all over again, I would take my time with it, and would have put more songs on it.

East Side Stories Vol. 1- This was somewhat of a compilation of different things I have had a part in. Like an album of different appearences that I have had on other folks albums/compilations. I added like 3 or 4 brand new songs on there tho. It came out cool, alot of folks was feelin it. I took the whole East Side Stories oldies feel as my influence on this. I went through Ninesixteen Graphics who did my photo shoot and basically the whole cover, as well as the promo that went along wit it. They took my vision and what you see is the finished product.

What do you consider your best album so far?
I like them all to a certain extent. I'm an artist, so what may be the favorite of the masses may not be for me. I critique my work at a higher standard. I always wanna out do my self with each new thing that I do. I take this shit as an art form, and a form of pushing myself to be the very best and do the very best. I dont want to get put in the box of local, it aint about trying to have a harder CD then the muthafucca across the street from you, its about if your shit can stand up to anything out. I like keepin it underground/independent. Get my money and be cool, ya know? If I did have to pick a favorite tho, I would go with Who'z Ridin? due to the fact it was first, and it set the standard for all that came after it in the 408.
What are your favorite tracks you've done so far?
I like "Hustle N Ball" off of East Side Stories, and, well I dont know, again I say I am my own worst critic. Oh, and I like the into song off of East Side Stories, and 10 Days off Full Metal Jacket.
You got a tattoo with "What can make you laugh can make you cry", tell us
about that and what it means for you.

Self-explanatory. Shit we find funny and laugh at, karma has a way of bringin it around to you and your life, if it is due, ya know? Same thing that will make you laugh, will make you cry. So I try not to laugh at others misfortune, or sickness, or physical defects, cause you never know when its gonna come around to you, your family, or affect someone you love. Thats just a saying that helps me, and hopefully helps others to keep things in perspective.
The EastSide is where you from, but what it means beside being the place you
from to you?

It means identifying with others and having that identity with you no matter where you may go in life. No matter what city, state, country I may be in, East San Jose will be represented through me. It dont matter where you from, cause wherever you go you will bring a piece of where you are from with you, just in your total being, your whole get-down, ya know? The East Side is a collective of both the negative and the positive. Some may be from South Sac, West Los Angeles, East Oakland, or wherever else, but when I say East San Jose, I stand out in my own right as an individual, as well as those from those other spots that I mentioned. It comes down to now that we all established where we are from, how we gonna make whatever project or task that faces us come together.

 

[BIG REESE LOC1]

Pt. 3

Being a crip, what's your opinion on young folks killin each other over
colors and territory and all that gang issues?
I think we need to wake up. I think these so-called OG's thats gettin up out the penn and the ones that are on the streets and who got the ears of these youngstas need to start to lead them in the right direction. Genocide is a cold thing. Killin each other off, is a form of stopping our reproduction. A plan to eliminate us. You gotta love and respect your people. What you want for yourself, you should want for them. So I have learned to bury the hatchett in a sense on alot of past issues I have had with people, not that they wont get an ass whoopin and what not if they step outta line, but I aint actively pursuing them. In the Nation we say "How can you love a God whom you've never seen, but hate your brother whom you see everyday?" meaning we were made in the image of God, read it for yourself Gen. 1:26. We need to stop allowing others to dictate how we get down. Who said we gotta hate each other? You know that they have papers you can look up on the net that show that the CIA sent agents among inner city gangs to infiltrate and create discord among them? Same thing they did with the Black Panthers, the Nation of Islam, and other factions. They have done it with the Crips and Bloods, the nortenos and surenos. If you notice its black on black and brown on brown and black & brown violence. Look at whats happenin in Los Angeles, with the mysterious letter that was so-called sent from folks in the prison giving an order to kill 1000 blacks on the streets of L.A. Sneaky ass under handed shit. They want us to kill ourselves. So I'm going to go on the record right here and right now, I have no problems, issues , or any beefs with any other Crips, Bloods, Pirus, Nortenos, Surenos, Asians. Only problems we may have will be on some other shit, but not cause I'm a Crip and you not. I wanna see our people in unity, not at each others throats. That is the message that these OG's and not just the OG's cause some of these young dudes thats really out there doin it got some say so in this shit. Dont let our young people go thru what we had to go thru while growing up. If we can do anything to change they reality, lets do it. Like the folks that came before us made it a lil easier for us to get thru, lets do that for our lil homies. Also if you 25 and over it too late to get in the gang bang life. Please stop it. I see cats that aint banged all they life and now that they 27, they startin to Crip or Blood. Stop that silly shit, take your clean, no criminal record havin asses and do somthing productive. Again I say when the real shit start to go down, you see the bitch come out of folks. I live in Sac which has got to be Blood Capitol of Northern California, and I have Crip tattoos all up my arms, on my stomach & chest. I survive and do it movin tho cause i aint with that silly shit. i got stripes from way back so I aint gotta be out there active flaggin and doing whatever else. I do my thang, and respect others, but if you cross me or cross patterns with me, then its all bad. It would really have to get to a point where there are no other options to resolve the issue other then going on a mission on you. I gang-banged when I was a boy, but as a man I do responsible man things. Like taking care of my children and my buisness. I aint never forgot where and what I have come from, but at the same time it aint all you will see when you do see me, if you can understand that. And to all these "gangstas" if you so hard, go get a Crip/Blood/Sur/or Norte tattoo on your neck or any other place you cant cover it up at. Fools talk the talk, but dont wanna walk the walk.
What's goin on in San Jose beside Full Clip, what artists can you feel?
Well, as far as music in San Jose. I know my boy 211 is finna drop his album on Hafway House, and my homie Silence is working on droppin some of his shit. I like they shit. I think Silence is gonna be big, real big. I like Crazy Times, and my folks over there at Rush Records is doin they thing. I've heard of others comin out, but again I say some of that is due to saturation of the rap game.
Tell us about the tight collaboration with Big Oso Loc, how you came in
touch?
Well, he sent me the track and we went out there in Stockton and made it happen. It was cool. He is a professional and I respect that. Buisness is buisness, and I like muthafuccas that be about buisness in the studio, cause time is money.
Can you imagine doin more shit with Oso Loc?

Yea, I'm open. I aint trippin, if we can make it happen then cool. And if Oso is reading this, I still aint got my copy of your album, wassup with that?!
Who else would you like to record with?

I wanna do some shit with DJ Quik. I think that fool is the hardest on beats, and the boy can flow. I like his whole style. I would love to do a whole project with him. I like Jayo Felony, and I would do some shit with Soopafly. Big Daddy Kane, Rakim Allah. Too many to list. Locally I gotta say SIC, Scoot Dogg, and Shake outta EPA, Cellski outta Frisco, whoever I aint worked with already outta San Jo, and few others I cant think of right now.
What's in your deck right now?Brenton Woods' 18 Greatest, RnB's Lost and Found rare Oldies, and the soundtrack to the movie Sparkle by Aretha Franklin.

What's up next from you, any new projects? Solo or another Full Clip album?
Title, release date so far?
Well me and the homie Convic is sposed to be working on a group album. The group is called Enemigos. Right now we looking for some production. I may be droppin a new solo on the Crazy Times Label, me and Crazy Times are sposed to be sittin down and speaking on a few things sometime soon. Either the Enemigos or my new solo will carry the title of "Agony & Ecstacy" Also I was thinking about doing East Side Stories Vol. 2, but this time I would be accepting tracks from folks because it would be a compilation. So whoever got some hard shit, and you willing to get down, holla at me.

Can you tell who's takin part on that, who's on the beats?

As I said it will be just close homies, except for the comp, in which I will be accepting tracks from all over. As far as production, whoever wanna get down we can make it happen. So far on deck I got my boy Kunt, and this cat outta Oakland named Filthy Rich. Maybe EZ Cutt can come down and get down like we used to do, and if taz ever come up outta seclusion, we can do the thing too.
What about an Eastside stories Part 2?
Again this will be a compilation, so if you trying to fuck with it, submit a track to :
C-Blocc Ent.
c/o REESE LOC
POB 231952
Sac, CA. 95823


Tell us about C-Blocc Entertainment, who's on there, are you runnin things
on your own?

Basically thats all me. I'm runnin it, and all buisness is handled through me. If you need a better understanding refer to the Full Metal Jacket album on a track called "Independents Day". The shit is comedy cause I see other companies that are just one person and they speak like in the thrid person aspect. I'm gonna keep it real, all you see from CB Ent. is from my footwork, my sacrifice.
Any shout outs at last?
To all the homies I wanna say wassup. Wassup to my babies, Daddy loves you all. To my comrades in the prisons, keep ya heads up. And thank you for this interview, anytime, its all good.

 

[KillaKali]

good shit homie. nice interview and he spoke on sum real shit yall. dont sleep on em. hardest rapper comin out frum that muthafuckin e/s of san jo along wit jaz. yall continue to do yall thang homie.