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June 2004

news HipHop Gets The 3rd Degree - June 29, 2004 By : Nima

The Pedestrian is walkin’ it like he talks it on this hookladen, jeep ready album slated for release by Blak Ice Records. Third Degree, who hails from South Central Los Angeles, grew up living right around the corner from Dub C of Westside Connection. “I went to Hiphop High,” says Third. “Washington High School was where I came up. A lot of hiphop people have gone there, like Dub C, Crazy Tunes from The Maad Circle, YoYo, DJ Alladin, and Sir Jinx, who DJ’s for Xzibit, and more. Crenshaw High may have had the sports people locked up, but Washington has had the music people.” Third Degree is destined to be the next hiphop alumni to speak with authority.
With rhymes constantly flowing out of every pore of his being, Third is definitely at no loss for words. The album, which is largely produced by the musically eloquent Yabie, is tightly packed with 21 serious tracks, including the runaway single “Do My Thang.” This quotable album is consistent all the way through, with no fillers or throwaway tracks. “I like real writers who have subjects and topics,” he professes. “I’m a purist kind of guy.” Third points out that Yabie’s work “sounded like music, it didn’t just sound like beats. He had a whole band of people available to play guitar, bass, all that. He thinks in a very musical way.” In this manner, he compares Yabie to DJ Quik. “He’s got a unique style. I can’t quite figure out his formula.” The single, "Do My Thang," will be out soon.
The battle-ready rapper’s name came his basketball days. “We called ourselves the Burn Unit,” he says. “We had names like Thermostat, Third Degree and Lava Rock.” Third’s government name is Wayne Guillory. “Like guillotine. It’s French,” he explains. “All my people come from Louisiana.” Either way, the world is his. It’s Wayne’s world, as he’s young, gifted and black, and prolific to an extreme.
His father was a coach, who lost his life to cancer. “My mom was real concerned about me after he died. That year, she asked me what I wanted for Christmas, and I told her. Had my father lived, I would have definitely not gotten those turntables!” he reminisces, shaking his head with a smile. Third became obsessed with hiphop with gospel-like devotion, and he began interpreting the world through the mind of a rhymesman. It seemed that every event in life was suddenly transformed into a searing rhyme by the verbal prodigy.
The prolific Third notes, “The single “Do My Thang” is a way to introduce me to people. I felt it was representative of where I was coming from. It lets people know a couple things about me, and I feel it describes me,” explains Third.
“My raps give people another view of Los Angeles. People who don’t live here think it’s all either gangbanging or Hollywood. L.A. is not all about being a gangsta. I just wanted to make this record about the regular person in L.A,” he concedes. Third believes there’s a lot of pressure to rap about banging, because some of the earlier great L.A. rappers before them. “People who don’t even gangbang,” he points out. “I think rappers should talk about what they do. If you gangbang and you rap, talk about gangbangin’ in your rap. If you sell crack all day, talk about selling crack all day. Whatever it is that is you. That’s what “Do My Thang” is all about. Just be yourself. If it’s you, do it. If not, don’t do it.” He adds, “Some of my best friends bang. But that’s them. It just never occurred to me to do that.”
As far as his home front, Third’s neighborhood is well-known for being Crips territory. “NHC, Neighborhood Crips. Them and Watergate Crips. They’re kind of borderline,” he observes. “Slip from Comptons Most Wanted, he stayed in the Watergate for a while. As far as the NHC, Dub C, Cube and Crazy Tunes stayed there.” He comments that there’s just one little street that separates everybody.
The intersection on the album’s cover is the nearby corner of Imperial and Western. However, in many ways, Third’s songs reflect corners all over the country, so his rhymes hit home with those who are both near and far.
Jay Z and Ice-T may have “99 Problems,” but Third says he has “Problems” of his own. “The reason I wrote the song “Problems” is that for some reason, people always come talk to me about things they need to get off their chest. So I listen a lot. One day I was arguing with my mother, and that was one of the things that came out. I’m not saying don’t talk to me about your problems. I’m just saying come back in a while, because I have mine to figure out.” Some of Third’s own deepest, personal predicaments are revealed in the song, including the fact he has a handicapped brother.
The inspired “Stylistic” is one of Third’s favorite tracks on the album. “I was listening to “Betcha By Golly Wow,” and I like to make up words to songs, so that’s how that came about. It’s basically telling people I have a new style here in L.A.,” says Third. “I studied niggas’ style and found what not to do, it’s the total opposite, I rock it better than you, whoever you are niggas bite and get trophies, a Grammy for their best Tupac on Karaoke.”
“Hit This 40” is a party song, and it’s also an anti-gold diggers song. Its 40 proof melody came about much in the same way, but it comes from a Chaka Khan song called “Night In Tunisia,” which Third used that part for the song’s chorus. Going even deeper, he explains, “It’s actually a remake of a Coltrane song or something like that she was doing.”
Observes Third, “The culture of Los Angeles is gangs, and people get influenced by it a lot, like the white t-shirts and all, so it definitely isn’t all hip hop here. However, I can take you to places here that are definitely hiphop. But yes, a lot of it is gang culture here. People in the parks out here aren’t breaking and rapping against each other; it’s probably drinking and smoking weed, and a fight is going to break out any minute. But still, there is definitely a hiphop community in this city.” The disc’s determined track “The One” is Third’s way of saying, “I’m entirely here for hiphop.”
With “Favorite Shade Of Brown,” it’s all good, and love comes in all shades to Third.
“Eye Candy” features Pupa Don, one of the illest West Coast dancehall cats.
There are a slew of other radio driven songs on the album, and the Pedestrian is no doubt, walking tall. You’re now at that intersection of hiphop beats and masterful rhymes, as the Pedestrian is making his way through your speakers.