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Hip-Hop Battles Today: Alchemist's Take on Kendrick vs. Drake Drama! | SWAY’S UNIVERSE
Apr 25, 2024
Dive into the heart of hip-hop's transformation with Alchemist & Oh No as they expose the raw and often unspoken realities of the genre's evolution in "Alchemist & Oh No Reveal: The Ugly Truth About Hip-Hop's Evolution!" 🎤💥 Discover the deep roots and influential figures shaping hip-hop, from Nas to Kendrick Lamar, and hear why tradition remains crucial amidst rapid change. Don't miss this compelling discussion that challenges the norms and celebrates the spirit of true musical artistry. Hit subscribe for more explosive content and insights from the legends themselves. #HipHopEvolution #Alchemist #OhNo #MusicCulture
#VideoGameProduction #VideoGameMusic #HiphopClassics #HiphopCulture #HiphopPioneers
CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Alchemist’s Impact on Hip-Hop
2:39 - Oh No’s Impact on Hip-Hop
4:37 - Oh No’s Musical Family
5:38 - Oh No’s Early Performances
7:29 - The Wake Up Show vs. The Valley of the Hyenas
9:11 - Do Artists Still Get Nervous Before Performing
12:32 - Alchemist & Havoc on the Importance of the First Take
13:48 - Alchemist on Producing for Video Games
19:27 - Alchemist & Havoc on Scoring Grand Theft Auto V
21:20 - Making Beats and Rhymes
22:54 - Making Heads I Win Tails You Lose
25:37 - Why Lyrics Matter
28:32 - Cool G Rap
31:10 - Alchemist on the current rap beefs
34:30 - Alchemist gets some gifts from Ebro
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0:00
this man to me is very important part of
0:02
our community and Hip-Hop culture as you
0:06
know we're hearing a lot of discourse
0:07
and along the way as the culture evolves
0:09
you know there's a lot of things that
0:12
should remain um solid and what they
0:14
stand for some of the fundamentals that
0:17
a lot of us argue for that people try to
0:19
dismiss is what he personifies so that's
0:22
what makes him so important not just as
0:24
a producer but also a MC and allaround
0:27
creative um all the people he R to their
0:30
success whether it's mob deep Nas
0:32
Kendrick Lamar Prodigy Dilated Peoples
0:35
all of these different people I could
0:37
keep naming names that he's contributed
0:39
to um he deserves to be honored and
0:42
anytime I'm available or we got space we
0:45
always going to make sure that he has
0:47
space when he's available this is a
0:50
brother Sway and King Tech in our Legacy
0:52
and DJ Revolution we all are cut from
0:54
the similar cloth so we have to stand
0:56
next to each other support each other um
0:59
but he does needed man the world knows
1:01
how great he is I want to welcome him
1:03
back to the show give it up for The One
1:05
and Only The Alchemist is here alist
1:07
thank you man thank you man alist that's
1:10
amazing man appreciate it sway I got to
1:13
tell you cuz I know the thing is when I
1:15
know when y'all look at me me and keing
1:17
Tech was a little older right um uh had
1:21
been established and y'all were coming
1:22
up so I I I feel like I'm like a big
1:24
brother to you always you know and so as
1:27
your big brother I want to make sure I
1:29
let people know what we thought were
1:30
great even back when before people knew
1:33
who you were yeah to how what makes you
1:36
great today you saw me as a kid so I
1:38
hope that in this whole path I didn't
1:40
let you down you know what I mean cuz
1:42
like all the greats that's what I always
1:45
like aspired to do like all the ones I
1:47
look up to I like I don't want to let
1:49
them down like I want to carry the
1:51
tradition and like you know do what's in
1:53
my heart but that was always a thing so
1:55
for you to say that that's better than
1:57
any award or anything like that to get
1:59
the up validation of your ogs I think
2:02
you have validation from your peers as
2:04
well because you know you know my
2:06
husband you know who else y'all spend
2:07
time together as well but he feels the
2:09
same way about you every day I'm like
2:11
he's like who's on the show today and
2:13
I'll tell him and he's like yo tell Al
2:15
what up that's my guy and so he doesn't
2:17
say that for everybody but you know what
2:19
I mean hard anybody yeah well but no
2:22
it's kind of like a gauge cuz that means
2:24
that that when horse says that that's
2:26
beyond business yeah that's that's like
2:28
yo sendi genuine love
2:30
Al no I said what up that's a true
2:31
friend too like I spent time at horse
2:33
that's my guy like yeah tell him I said
2:35
what's up same thing absolutely
2:37
Alchemist is in the building but he
2:39
didn't come alone he didn't come as
2:41
Alchemist today he came as Gang Green
2:44
today and the other member of that crew
2:46
goes way back man he goes way back yeah
2:51
I known this young man coming out of
2:53
Oxnard uh met really met him through um
2:57
cornbread of C cornbread cornbread
3:01
cornbread myo that's my bro that's my
3:04
night yeah that's my bro and the younger
3:07
brother mad Li that's my other bro
3:09
that's his other brother and we just had
3:11
mad Li on here wow big bro now remember
3:14
we had his big brother on and we were
3:16
talking about when they first started
3:18
and we used to have them on the wakeup
3:20
show and they used to be nervous as hell
3:23
and um and Jay Duce yep big shouts to J
3:27
Duce J Duce was a member of Cali wild
3:30
and I know they used to get so nervous
3:32
they would try to do things to make calm
3:34
their nerves and I used to yell at J
3:36
Duce and Cornbread about man don't be
3:38
smoking when you come up here yeah y yep
3:41
yep days Remember come on man Luke pack
3:45
yeah um um one of those early groups out
3:48
of Oxnard to Cali wild yeah um Stones
3:52
Throw you did a gun bunch of projects
3:54
with Stones Throw um not only is he an
3:57
amazing MC but he's an amazing producer
4:01
as well so I know you done De La Soul
4:05
right you you produced for you've been
4:07
doing um Grand Theft Auto yeah right
4:10
what's the other thing Blaze what is it
4:12
uh Blaze BL blaze blue he been producer
4:14
for for video games I mean this man
4:17
these dudes making money man give it up
4:19
for the one and only old no
4:22
man walking in your purpose walking in
4:25
his purpose produced for Ms yeah oh wow
4:29
yeah yeah man Street Fighter 2 Street
4:31
Fighter to I'm clowning did you that
4:34
yeah I I did some okay cool oh no man is
4:37
here man how many your whole family is
4:39
musically yeah right ordained the whole
4:42
everybody who who else your uncle was a
4:45
a jazz yeah uh John fattis uh yeah my my
4:49
pops uh Otis Jackson my mom's a singer
4:53
uh my grandparents they play guitar and
4:56
all kinds of stuff so it was like
4:58
singing dancing rapping everything uhuh
5:02
yeah and so that it was like it was like
5:03
a mtown type of home like so we had to
5:06
do all that kind of stuff like
5:08
everything in in Oxnard yeah so Oxnard
5:11
is a place I don't even know how to
5:13
describe where is at and in in
5:15
geographical terms it's it's like an
5:17
hour north of LA and it's like um it's
5:20
like a it's a boxing town it's a boxing
5:23
Town boxers good
5:25
description a lot of boxers come from
5:28
Oxnard yeah like uh Fernando Vargas and
5:31
Victor Ortiz and oh wow tough yeah there
5:34
a bunch there's a bunch of people out
5:36
there yeah hey uh so growing up oh no um
5:39
did y'all used to have to perform at the
5:41
holiday parties and stuff yeah that man
5:45
yeah stand up and do something for the
5:46
family yeah yeah yeah definitely had to
5:50
do that and U yeah at every every event
5:53
uhhuh every event if they had if they
5:56
had work events we was over there
5:57
dancing at them events dancing rapping
6:00
doing there was can you like tell me
6:02
about that Toyota commercial there was
6:04
like a loot pack toyot they this up
6:08
later when you have time on YouTube okay
6:10
they definitely did a Toyota commercial
6:11
like a local car dealership in oxnar my
6:14
pops was my pops was like a super super
6:17
hustle like you got to you got to do
6:19
everything you got to do everything so
6:21
he was definitely pushing us on
6:23
everything like everything so wow Lop
6:26
pack Matt Li that was who was in Loop
6:27
pack everybody in lopack
6:30
DJ RS M and that was the three right and
6:33
who was all in C wild that was cornbread
6:36
J Deuce me and my man Sean bigs Sean
6:39
bigs AKA SAA s shout out to me and Rox C
6:43
too Rox C was now Ro that's that's
6:46
that's team get him right there big
6:48
shouts to Roxy Roxy working on the album
6:51
right now he got a couple albums with my
6:52
man can kick too so rock was incredible
6:56
I know the y'all might not maybe you
6:58
know these names if you really in
7:00
know incredible MCS man that still
7:03
amazing these are dudes who kind of help
7:05
made the Wake Up Show kind of criteria
7:09
they were some of the main characters it
7:11
was Barber Shop used to come to Barber
7:14
Shop the agony and as kids we used to
7:17
sit up and wait for those moments like
7:19
that was [ __ ] was so exciting growing up
7:21
in La being able to hear you guys show
7:24
and like you know the intensity of like
7:26
whoever was on the show always had I
7:28
mean you basically do the same still
7:30
right here yeah right it's really you
7:31
really continued the same like tradition
7:33
it's crazy but it was that same
7:35
intensity of of whoever was coming up it
7:37
was always like pressure like oh and
7:39
they would always bring it cuz it was
7:41
like you know you knew King te yeah
7:43
everybody listening everyone listen well
7:46
you know it's funny and I always tell
7:47
see Alchemist get and Heather knows that
7:50
that what the real code is for this show
7:52
is really the is the a different
7:54
iteration of the Wake Up Show right true
7:56
okay but with a it's it's expanded in
7:59
the sense that I'll do stuff here that I
8:00
wouldn't have never done on the Wake Up
8:02
Show and Cornbread was talking to me
8:04
last night and I said he said he really
8:06
loved the feeling when he came to the
8:08
show in LA because now the feeling is
8:11
it's a it's a really positive loving
8:13
family you know we want people to feel
8:16
better when they walk out than they did
8:17
when they walked in the wakeup show a
8:21
little different was the original Valley
8:23
of
8:25
the it was exciting but it was scary it
8:28
was scary playoffs it was like the
8:30
playoffs like you had to Great you can't
8:33
you can't mess around you show up it was
8:35
like oh so how come Al said it you
8:37
understand I've been trying to tell him
8:39
this Al for a minute like you let people
8:41
come up here and play this is the ivy
8:43
league and they have to you got to
8:45
perform at a different level it's
8:47
important we still have that you know in
8:49
this culture like to have this Outlet
8:51
where you know if you come up here and
8:53
you do your thing like the last time it
8:54
was off the cuff when I did the Ryme
8:56
with Larry and I got so much response
8:58
from it me it was just me feeling the
9:00
old energy of like that pressure of like
9:03
all right do I know this rhyme I want to
9:06
mess it up you know what I mean but it
9:07
was like it was so fun that it was like
9:09
it reminded me of those old times do you
9:11
think it's good that artists still have
9:12
that nervous energy when they do sit
9:15
down in with in in conversations or when
9:17
they do still walk up on stage as a
9:19
producer do you I I I nag PR all the
9:23
time about that shout out to Primo shout
9:24
out to NAS you
9:27
know drop and much much love to them for
9:30
that but do you still have a nervous
9:32
energy as a as an artist yourself
9:35
producer when you get into the studio
9:37
with somebody who you've been dying to
9:38
work with or wanting to put something
9:40
together sometimes but you always work
9:42
through it you know as far as producing
9:44
because you wanted to get to like a
9:45
comfort zone where you be able to
9:46
communicate with them and not like there
9:48
was one artist I worked with recently I
9:50
don't want to say cuz I don't want to
9:51
mess up a big artist and I was a little
9:52
nervous it reminded me when I was young
9:55
I did a session at DND D with uh Big
9:58
Daddy Kane yeah and then I remember I
10:00
remember it was like rest in peace Mr C
10:02
he he helped connect it this is like
10:04
early 2000s when I was just coming up
10:06
and u i remember I did the session and
10:09
then uh it wasn't exactly I was so
10:11
afraid to say what I it was Big Daddy
10:13
Kane so I was kind of church mouse in
10:15
the studio for the session song came out
10:18
okay the next day I saw Premiere he said
10:20
how did that thing go with big daddy
10:22
kind I said it was good but I felt like
10:24
he could have done something different
10:25
and he said did you say something I said
10:27
nah and he got mad at me wow he scolded
10:30
me and was like yo Al you got to stop
10:32
that [ __ ] like if they're in the
10:34
studio with you they want you you got to
10:36
be able to speak up and we went back and
10:38
fixed it and it came out great wow yeah
10:41
and I learned a good lesson on that but
10:43
really when I really get nervous now
10:45
it's funny as if I have to record a
10:47
verse like if I have to do a rap I'm
10:50
like 6:00 a.m. in the studio by myself
10:52
pacing as if like there's a crowd
10:55
outside cuz I feel like recording is
10:57
like it's kind of spiritual cuz you're
11:00
going to catch this one you're going to
11:01
catch this one take that's going to live
11:03
forever you know what I mean so you got
11:05
to like I get nervous nobody in the
11:07
studio and I'm over there like we always
11:09
well I ask artists that a lot because I
11:11
think it's a process that some artists
11:13
don't want to talk about but you write
11:16
or you don't however people do it they
11:17
write then you have to record it then
11:20
you have to perform it and it is truly
11:23
separate stages of all of it and I don't
11:25
think people realize sometimes the best
11:27
moment captured was when you actually
11:29
went to that Booth I think so and some
11:32
people never get the opportunity to do
11:34
that take ever again especially not in
11:37
live shows that doesn't happen again so
11:40
enjoy the process and and respect it and
11:43
cherish it because you don't always get
11:45
that second take that that moment in the
11:47
booth is gone the first takes are
11:50
usually the ones like and you know I
11:52
agree even when you write on a paper
11:54
it's like a temporary pit stop for your
11:57
thoughts it's not those words are not
11:59
meant to be on that paper like they
12:00
should be there long enough until you
12:02
can get to the booth to deliver them
12:03
it's like a pit stop for your thoughts
12:05
like the ones who write in their heads
12:06
they're really they're just eliminating
12:08
the paper but they're just scripting in
12:11
their like Jay kind of started it maybe
12:13
it was big but you know I was working
12:16
with two chains recently and he was
12:17
doing the same thing Benny does the same
12:19
thing Benny The Butcher Benny's lyrics
12:21
he does that off the top no pen man cuz
12:24
your brain is a muscle like if you start
12:26
working it out You' be surprised you get
12:28
stronger and stronger learn four
12:30
remember eight you know how
12:32
so Mike Muse go ahead you want to some
12:35
real esoteric interesting conversation
12:38
I'm here for this part right here I find
12:40
this fascinating now so with that being
12:41
said I'm curious then and Heather be
12:43
time into as well as an artist as a
12:46
producer when you're watching it do you
12:48
see a difference in the output of the
12:51
artist of those who write versus those
12:54
who go off the
12:56
Dome I think it's a different style
12:59
but um there's some Freedom about when
13:02
you don't write like if if you have to
13:04
get a thought you have a thought on your
13:05
mind you spend some time I think that's
13:07
a good thing but there's some something
13:08
to be said about the artists who go in
13:10
the booth and they kind of like piece
13:13
the rhyme together on the spot cuz you
13:14
can turn left and right in a way that
13:17
you wouldn't when you write I feel like
13:19
sometimes when you write you get caught
13:20
in a in a format a flow and you're like
13:23
all right and you sticking to it
13:25
sometimes when you're just in the booth
13:26
you can it's like you're listening to it
13:27
more you're like oh I need to turn left
13:29
here and I I notice when artists don't
13:31
write you get a really a cool uh
13:35
different uh product and it's I don't
13:37
know which is better but uh I do love
13:40
when someone writes like when you if you
13:42
take your time and you're like let me
13:43
take this beat home and uh perfect and
13:46
work with it yeah oh no's here too man
13:49
you know family very talented family you
13:52
guys have um especially when it comes to
13:55
producing and um I'm just curious to
13:59
your process you know as we talking
14:01
about how Al you know spits his bars and
14:03
writes what about you producing video
14:06
games you know that's different from
14:09
producing Ms or DEA or the people you
14:12
produced talk about that approach like
14:15
what did you learn about oh I got to
14:16
maybe change the frequency on these low
14:19
ends or what what did you have to learn
14:21
about sonically and how to produce for
14:23
video games um for video games I feel
14:26
like uh it's it's basically your scoring
14:30
you're scoring a feeling of a time that
14:33
they're in like some kind of Whatever
14:35
Whatever life it is or whatever kind of
14:37
if it's some gangster stuff on some GTA
14:40
or if it's some uh like a fighting game
14:44
or whatever it could be a DJ game
14:46
whatever but I feel
14:48
like it's it's basically just
14:51
scoring like life music like so you
14:54
could just go out in the street and like
14:55
hear stuff and then it's literally the
14:58
same thing and you take those you take
15:01
the lows and the highs and it's it's
15:05
literally the same thing it's just it's
15:06
just art imitating life art imitating
15:09
life um how does the uh the payout now
15:12
I'm not asking you how much you made but
15:14
how does the payout differ from the
15:16
payout from songs regly um I think uh
15:20
video games is where it's at okay
15:22
personally I think you know um it's a
15:24
different medium it's a it's a bigger
15:28
medium
15:29
like I I grew up on games and a lot of
15:32
people that I know grew up on the games
15:34
as well and those game those games have
15:38
franchises that just kept going they
15:40
keep going they're they're going for 40
15:42
50 years like they so it's same same
15:46
like the the the 50 Years of Hip Hop
15:48
there's 50 years of games a great point
15:51
and uh yeah it's yo yeah it's out there
15:54
that's dope right he just said that you
15:56
got to see what he has at his house what
15:58
do you mean like equipment it's like a
16:00
museum of every he is like well known in
16:04
the video game world like not only is he
16:06
scoring the music he designs games he
16:08
has every console ever he's like aam
16:13
video he's a video game I make games
16:15
make arcades make controllers he's nuts
16:18
like a good at programing you make games
16:21
dog what's some of the games you make
16:23
nothing that's out like I I just like
16:25
beats it's it's it's just like beats so
16:28
I'll make a bunch of games and I'll just
16:31
play them until I'm done I don't thinker
16:34
not it's not it's not for everybody it's
16:36
not for everybody although I do do stuff
16:38
for like different companies like Red
16:40
Bull and stuff like that but it's
16:41
literally like yo yeah he has a virtual
16:44
reality setup in his crib where you sit
16:46
on it and you play the game or you watch
16:48
something and the smells come out like
16:50
if you watching something it's like m
16:53
sensor it's like an amusement park he's
16:55
on some other [ __ ] I did some I promise
16:57
yeah I did some scent stuff like modest
16:59
like 15 years ago where where you could
17:01
like play a game and like s would shoot
17:04
out during certain things like if you
17:06
pass a tree and driving game you know
17:08
you'll smell the tree or the the engine
17:10
and all that stuff and like I started
17:11
doing like roller coaster stuff and
17:13
making seats move and I got at your
17:16
house yes what you what's I got where
17:19
you live I'm coming over like Street you
17:22
I got about a video game I got like
17:25
eight nine different simulators like
17:27
simulator seats that do different things
17:29
like I do all the flying stuff the
17:31
driving stuff or do you plan to put it
17:34
to Market or you just do it cuz I just I
17:37
just do it out of love like are you a
17:38
dad yeah I feel like you're probably the
17:40
best pops of the year of all creation
17:42
yeah of course of course of course like
17:44
you know we all we all we all be
17:47
battling in in all the crazy racing
17:49
games it's I had never thought about the
17:51
50 years in the growth of video games
17:54
I'm from that era where it was like Miss
17:56
Pac-Man Atari 52
18:01
we
18:02
used you make
18:05
it and then to see it you're right I
18:09
watch my nephews play and it's just a
18:11
movie now compared to the the Dig you
18:13
know the digital things that we had back
18:15
then is so different now than to listen
18:18
to someone I never thought about the
18:20
evolution of it yeah and the Commerce
18:22
like the money that is generated like
18:24
you know that's why also I think it was
18:25
such a big deal of course for me but for
18:27
my brothers when we connected with
18:28
Rockstar Games we did the Grand we
18:30
scored Grand Theft Auto 5 together oh my
18:34
I feel like for him it was like they
18:36
found their Golden Goose like since then
18:40
he's and I you know I encouraged it like
18:44
stay he stays doing stuff with them
18:46
different things the other side of that
18:48
we just had Gabriel Gabrielle Dennis
18:51
here an actress and she talked about the
18:53
audition process yeah you guys don't
18:55
know how many auditions I've been on for
18:57
Grand Theft Auto
18:59
really yo I'mma pull a curtain back like
19:02
they bring in Sag Union actors and
19:06
actresses to AUD I see a lot the voices
19:09
to audition not to do them to audition
19:11
for for them because it's a full
19:13
production this is not like oh get
19:16
somebody nah it's huge yeah it's a huge
19:19
production real talk it it's it's crazy
19:21
that you brought that up but it it's a
19:23
real thing with budgets yeah with budget
19:26
budgets I'm sorry so like I've played
19:29
Grand Theft Auto before right so like
19:32
when you get in a car and there's the
19:33
different radio stations you guys scor
19:35
the music that plays on these radio
19:37
stations or the music that's in the
19:39
actual like game in the background we
19:41
did the radio station and the music in
19:43
the
19:45
background them and the theme yeah like
19:48
when the game starts you know when you
19:49
start the game that first song that
19:50
comes on Oho did that that's like his
19:53
it's like an iconic record what's it
19:55
called Welcome to Los Santos welcome to
19:56
Los Santos you did that oh no produc
19:58
yeah crazy it's hey dude who was the
20:00
first person to ever put you on radio oh
20:02
you come on
20:03
[Music]
20:07
now okay goad go ahead I'm sorry refle
20:10
yeah
20:11
okay know the Wake Up Show going to be
20:13
on Grand the
20:16
aut my auditions pay offo Mike go for it
20:20
you're owner you're a genius bro it's a
20:23
real genius literally like especially
20:25
for you to be I have a question but for
20:27
you comment first but for you to be able
20:29
to put sentory and smells into your
20:30
video game is crazy like those are the
20:32
biggest successful rides at Disney world
20:35
is those that has a smell um wow so I
20:39
was ripping those rides too I was like
20:41
ripping them off YouTube I was ripping
20:43
all kinds of rides off YouTube like
20:45
modifying them to the seat hey putting
20:47
the little the the the the virtual stuff
20:49
on and you feel all you feel all the
20:51
wind I got heat you can feel heat
20:53
sensories hey the it's does your stomach
20:57
dip when you go down yeah y a seat lose
21:00
your stomach
21:02
yo it's it's crazy you you feel
21:05
full-blown turbulence like you it's
21:07
crazy and then he makes Beats and Rhymes
21:09
yeah I understand and then he finds time
21:11
makes Beats and Rhymes that's you need
21:13
to do something with that like just
21:15
legit you should really try and sell
21:17
that but I'm happy to be a spokesperson
21:19
though legit my favorite Disney World is
21:21
saurin because it's the a the Avatar
21:23
ride they do exactly that the smells the
21:25
Mist question for you though is because
21:28
you know how to design the video games
21:30
do you feel that informs your ability to
21:32
make the music much better and you can
21:35
create more of the soundtrack that
21:36
colani is talking about yeah I mean I
21:39
play a lot of games too so like just
21:41
being that I played from the Atari 2600
21:46
days you know what I'm saying all the
21:48
way up like it just stayed with me so
21:50
like the joy it's just it's just natural
21:53
like it's just natural it's what about
21:55
the Commodore 64 oh yeah all that got a
21:59
can you fully enjoy a game that you
22:02
didn't create though because I wonder
22:04
with your type of brain if you're always
22:05
figuring out ways it could be improved
22:07
or enhanced that's why no game is out
22:10
because I'm always like I I think it's
22:14
it's just like beats it's like I'll make
22:15
a beat and I move on and I'll make a
22:18
game or I'll have a idea and I'll start
22:21
I'll write it down and I'll just make it
22:23
like right away like I don't really wait
22:25
and
22:26
then I just have a million so do you
22:29
know why we had to blow in those
22:31
cartridges like what was happening why
22:32
we just had to down get down to the
22:36
real why we blowing in those cartridges
22:39
thinking they was going to work they
22:42
work work another hour it was Dusty it
22:46
was Dusty just like vinyl vinyl vinyl
22:48
gets dusty games get Dusty Dusty I love
22:51
your analogies yeah they're on point so
22:54
when y'all approach uh like say this
22:56
album heads I win tails you lose
22:59
y'all not doing this like regular no
23:01
like y'all not approaching music like
23:03
the traditional conventional way right
23:06
why would we why would you what do y'all
23:08
do y'all go to like a panoramic you know
23:12
theater and he sets up his video games
23:15
the smells you know mean you got [ __ ]
23:17
hanging from the ceilings now monitors
23:20
what do y what do y'all do with like for
23:22
this album how did y'all why did y'all
23:23
do it it's been it's been a while yeah
23:25
it was a long time I mean it's been like
23:27
eight years we made albums in the past
23:29
this was all through Deon which turned
23:31
into Mass Appeal and so it's been a
23:33
while and we've just we always that's my
23:35
brother we keep in touch but I felt like
23:38
I started maybe five or six years ago
23:40
with the label with my own label and
23:42
then I felt like it took a minute to
23:43
work out the Kinks but now I was at a
23:45
spot where I was like comfortable enough
23:47
to hit my brother up and say yo I think
23:49
we could run a play and and do a new
23:51
record and you know we keep in touch
23:53
we'll we'll do joints every now and then
23:55
but then I I kind of told them you know
23:57
let's go in for real and he the way he
23:59
works it's not fair like he'll send me
24:01
three or four joints in one or two
24:03
nights oh wow like and he's so fast you
24:06
got think he's a video game guy so it's
24:08
always about like efficiency he makes
24:10
Beats like you play a video game like
24:13
what does that mean like he'll knock
24:15
[ __ ] out quick like he might send me
24:17
four or five beats in a day that he just
24:18
made so it's like it always kept me on
24:21
my toes and um I feel like we kind of
24:24
created a sound I don't know how we
24:26
landed on a sound that I feel like is
24:27
like like I could make a beat sometimes
24:30
and be like oh this is like a gang Green
24:31
beat and I don't know how to describe it
24:33
but after like three albums we kind of
24:36
developed this sound it's kind of
24:37
aggressive it's real more adrenaline
24:40
like the Larry June album last year was
24:42
smooth that was very I love doing that
24:44
this is like the opposite Sonic like
24:46
musically it's like back to that like I
24:49
don't know that I just was missing some
24:50
of that adrenaline some more drums you
24:52
know we've been keeping the drums out a
24:54
lot bring back some drums like and and
24:55
it was like what's that about like uh
24:58
somebody was talking about a lot of
24:59
people dropping drums now what is that
25:01
the thing what was that just a different
25:04
style of Flex for a minute I think some
25:06
people were responsible Rock Marcy for
25:08
sure first not really no drums just not
25:11
like adding a big extra drum maybe the
25:14
drum is in the loop or whatever but um a
25:16
minimal style of production I love it I
25:19
just let it breathe you got to let it
25:20
breathe let the loop breathe and that
25:22
style is for like a good MC you got to
25:24
be a great MC it's butt naked you're out
25:26
there just you know there's no candy to
25:29
save you so it's like just a bed of
25:30
music and you so but yeah I mean the
25:33
timing I felt was good and it started
25:35
happening quick and yeah it was like it
25:38
was on listening to the album like I and
25:40
I told you this outside I I'm a I'm a
25:42
former chess player wow why former I
25:46
haven't played in a long time last time
25:48
I played I played King Tech's dad who
25:51
was a real great chess player and Tech
25:54
was like yeah you got to play my dad I
25:56
don't want to play your dad why not
25:58
because when I beat people the energy
26:02
changes so you beat his father
26:06
father didn't want to play his dad so
26:08
and then you retired or what I just
26:10
stopped playing cuz I was losing
26:13
relationships that good got to get your
26:16
priori but but here's the thing I find
26:19
my that outlet I like chess cuz the way
26:21
it works my mind my mental it's the same
26:24
way I listen to rap there's artists who
26:28
are not going to work my mind I've heard
26:30
a lot I've seen a lot done a lot but
26:32
that's okay I'll party with them right
26:34
right but then there's artists that I
26:36
got to sit down and go oh [ __ ] let me
26:38
run that again let me run that again
26:40
there's projects that like that we had
26:42
Ruben Vincent here recently he's dope
26:45
he's very dope come on yeah sh KNE you
26:48
know what I mean and so this project
26:51
brought me so much joy you know I her
26:53
evidence you know all of these and
26:56
listening to you rap listening to to
26:58
y'all go man it just brought me so much
27:00
joy because every bar is a bar mhm you
27:05
know and um some folks I Remember lyrics
27:08
doesn't matter was a thing you know
27:11
where people were saying lyrics doesn't
27:12
they don't matter that wasn't a thing
27:15
yes that was I don't know people were
27:17
saying a best the vibe I've heard people
27:19
say I've heard a kid say before that he
27:22
doesn't like actual words yeah like he
27:24
actually prefers Mumble because he said
27:26
that it makes him feel like he's at
27:27
school are doing work he said I like
27:29
music for a Vibe so it's the words if I
27:32
have to hear words it's making me kind
27:35
of like ASMR and then you got to wonder
27:37
what type of drugs he might have been as
27:40
well cuz maybe for the certain things
27:43
that works yeah like it's a it's a
27:45
lifestyle right uh that that um it was
27:49
more than just the music the lifestyle
27:51
went went with the music as well but I
27:53
like that I mean look man we've had
27:55
these arguments since the late 80s early
27:57
9
27:59
even back then right yeah it was the
28:00
same thing but I will say at growing up
28:03
like what made us like Ro Kim or Kane or
28:07
was their Rhymes more than anything
28:09
their lyrics was what uh attracted us to
28:12
them what they were saying the way they
28:14
were saying it so it was like if you're
28:16
an MC that was everything fact like even
28:18
more than the hook or anything it was
28:20
like most rappers are like let me get my
28:21
verse off that's all like you know
28:25
sometimes even hook writing was like a
28:26
chore to certain MC's because it was
28:28
like like if I get my verse off and it's
28:30
right I'm good I did what I had to do
28:32
you know it's like so you got a uh a a
28:36
um chill Rob G first verse in court is
28:39
now in session is a verse at always
28:42
that's one of those things you memorize
28:44
never feeling significant I can't make a
28:47
difference you need an example use this
28:49
as a for instance Jersey City come on
28:50
you know voice was so unique give me a
28:53
verse that that stuck to you as a kid or
28:57
even now yeah in general we were just
29:00
talking about downstairs was cool G Rap
29:01
On The Realest oh my gosh the GS caps
29:05
get ped his literally was like a
29:07
Flawless chiseled rap and it was funny
29:10
because he did it on the spot I'll never
29:11
foret what do you mean he did it on the
29:13
spot I had just started working with mob
29:16
deep at the time I didn't know him very
29:17
well I'm proud you called me and was
29:18
like come to the studio there's that
29:20
beat we want to use I knew what be he
29:22
was because I had played it for him like
29:23
a week earlier and he didn't tell me
29:25
anything else I went over to soundtrack
29:27
Studios it's like 9:00 at night with my
29:29
ASR packed a big ass ASR like little
29:32
briefcase and show walked in and Co G
29:35
Rap just sitting there you know for me
29:38
[ __ ] it on yourself are you kidding
29:40
like that's like the Godfather you know
29:43
so so I was just first like wow and then
29:45
he was like yeah we're going to do this
29:46
song load the beat up and I just plugged
29:48
the machine up told the engineer plugg
29:51
me in I didn't call manager I didn't do
29:53
I was like yes yes done and then G
29:57
that's why his vers is is first he wrote
29:58
that in like less than an hour you
30:00
watched him right he wrote it and said
30:02
I'm ready and he went in the booth and
30:04
everybody in the room was like floored
30:06
only other time I saw that was when uh
30:08
the first verse of we gonna make it when
30:11
J what the whole room lost it when he
30:14
was like they're going to weigh the
30:15
scales you got to use a scale they weigh
30:17
the wh everybody in the room was like
30:20
it's already over cuz I had to leave I
30:21
was walking out the studio I had to go
30:23
to do another session and I just heard
30:24
the first four bars and was
30:26
like and then you walk
30:29
I had to go do another session nor oh my
30:32
God this is your life it was like I
30:35
always say like I was blessed to be in
30:37
New York at like this moment when it was
30:39
still like a golden time I moved out in
30:42
95 so I still caught the tunnel yeah I
30:45
caught 40 Deuce when it was still a 42nd
30:48
Street like yeah two years later it
30:50
turned into Disneyland you know what I
30:52
mean but I caught the early so I felt so
30:55
blessed to have U working be able to
30:57
work with artist like mob deep CNN Nas
31:00
and a time when like the records they
31:02
were making the locks they were like the
31:04
[ __ ] it was like wasn't underground
31:06
these were big records yeah so um yeah I
31:08
feel lucky you know yeah man you're
31:10
definitely very blessed man that's The
31:12
Alchemist right there we got to wrap
31:13
this up but uh I need I need to have a
31:16
uh just a real hip-hop convers well
31:18
we're having that but I need to come
31:20
back man come back man come hang out
31:22
love y man it's always good to see yo
31:25
bro check it a lot of times I'll be
31:26
having to do stuff you come co-host he
31:28
them would love it I would love to I
31:29
would love to man come on a lot of times
31:31
I have to do
31:33
stuff yeah man how you getting in their
31:35
party or
31:37
tomorrow oh yeah the party
31:39
tomorrow I'm good I'm just going to walk
31:42
up right of course you are thank you man
31:44
anywhere you go see that face you crazy
31:46
thank you man I appreciate it man that's
31:48
the lady say too Al um a
31:51
man made yeah WAP wrap up oh no okay
31:54
real quick man what what do you what
31:57
what is your take on this this back and
31:59
forth
32:00
battle oh which which one are we talking
32:02
about well I don't know anymore so many
32:06
Kendrick sparked a whole yeah Kendrick
32:09
sparked a whole new move yes right we we
32:12
heard what we believe is Drake comeback
32:14
and we heard Ricky Ros and then this and
32:17
we heard you know jcole did his response
32:20
and then he took it down and he
32:22
apologized um but so what is your take
32:24
on all this is it is it fun for you is
32:27
it interesting do it does it remind you
32:28
of any other battle times I mean it's
32:31
definitely interesting you know what I'm
32:32
saying I'm tuned in I like to see what
32:34
it is but it's pretty crazy now it's
32:37
like they want blood everybody wants
32:40
blood it's like it reminds me of
32:41
Gladiators you know what I'm saying it's
32:43
like if I was the artist I might feel
32:45
like the way everybody's like turned
32:47
over an hourglass on
32:49
Kendrick it's like I when I if I
32:52
remember back the Nas and Jay thing I
32:54
think Nas took like a couple months
32:57
before took near a year before it was it
33:01
was mons I don't remember it being this
33:04
like hourglass or like it's been three
33:06
days it's been four days imagine you're
33:08
the artist now you got to run there and
33:11
to appease an internet of people who
33:13
they after you do it go that's trash or
33:16
okay let's see what's next it's this
33:18
constant Gladiator like you know they
33:20
want more so I'm listen I'm watching I'm
33:23
tuned in but as long as you know we get
33:25
some good music at it God bless was
33:28
laughing man it's just funny to me why
33:30
why it's just funny to me the whole the
33:32
whole thing is funny to but I'm with it
33:35
okay I'm with it go for it I like that
33:38
the the Rick Ross joint was crazy you
33:40
like that one yeah that one was kind of
33:41
crazy okay right so just yeah I'm all
33:43
for the battle Absolut of course yeah
33:45
man I listen that's you know I'm all
33:47
it's just the battle battle rapping
33:49
that's I'm for battle rapping I'm not
33:50
for the [ __ ] that happens outside of it
33:52
of course but it's nothing wrong with
33:55
you know uh I don't know uh Serena going
33:59
against the number one or the number one
34:01
or Contender going against the you know
34:03
the best player I don't I I I like that
34:06
it's competition every day really you
34:08
know it's always a competitive that's
34:09
what P said it's not rap it's Blood
34:11
Sport like it's always been that so it's
34:14
like all right you know if you want to
34:16
name a name or if you just want to be
34:18
better what it's always competition so
34:20
you know respectfully you know I think
34:22
all these guys you wouldn't wouldn't
34:23
have opponent that you don't are not
34:25
worthy to respect so at least we know
34:28
that's there so right see where it goes
34:30
Alchemist give them a round of applause
34:32
the new album is heads I win tells you
34:34
lose yes sir The Alchemist oh no Gang
34:38
Green is the group The Project is
34:42
magical hold on I have something for you
34:44
you got something for me I have a pack
34:46
of gang green playe cards they're
34:48
vandalized oh my God every card is
34:50
vandalized let me see can I should I
34:51
open it open it up and I also have no
34:54
I'm a poker player brother okay I might
34:56
have one more thing for you here in my
34:57
pocket all right a a commemorative coin
35:00
because it is heads I win tails you lose
35:03
oh oh that's doe that's wow that's and I
35:06
I'm I'm Lo I'm so upset that I didn't
35:08
bring more I will send one for everybody
35:11
I promise you I
35:12
promise my bad yeah just some cool stuff
35:15
we're doing for around the album
35:17
appreciate it man I'm going to keep this
35:18
in my pocket all the time so it's going
35:19
to be a good luck charm right here and
35:21
I'm going get to these cars right here
35:23
yeah uh cornbread had a CO coin too
35:25
right he did have a right
35:29
natural selection that's right
#Arts & Entertainment