nice new Masta Ace interview from ILLHILLeast.com

[Oklin]

Exclusive ILLHILLeast.com Masta Ace Interview
Interview by Kenneth Wilder - September, 2006

A living legend. It still sounds like an understatement when one
is discussing Masta Ace, once a part of the legendary Juice Crew.
Solo he amazed fans with classic albums and songs and now he's back! We spoke to Ace about his new group and his thoughts about Hip-Hop...

(ILLHILLeast.com)
With yourself being widely considered a legend,
what is a Legend to Masta Ace?

(Masta Ace)
Somebody who set it down for enough years consistently
with quality music.. I'm thinking like at least 10 years,
and representing Hip-Hop to its fullest.
And that it's had an impact on masses of people and in
people's eyes, because of all jeopardy of their career,
they put them in that category.

(ILLHILLeast.com)
"eMC," how did this group come about?

(Masta Ace)
It came about back in 2001, I went on tour to promote my
album "Disposable Arts" and on that tour I travel with Strick.
Strick was from Milwaukee. Where we found Tommyboy at the time.
And I also travel with Punch-N-Words.
We ride on the road for about a month or so, we really just
got to liking each other and over the course of the last 5 years
we collaborated together on a lot of different records.
You know, whether it be me and Strick or me and Words.
Or Words and Strick. Or Punch and Me. We just done so many
different collaborations. I mean probably some in the area of
20 different records. That one, or two, or three of us had been
on together. That one of us has been on a record that they done
with me on my album and it just seems like the right thing to do.
Also like some of the fan-sites it was kinda being spoken about
before it was actually a reality. It became like a rumor.
People was just like "Yo" and started putting it in the chatrooms
that we was forming a group and at the time it wasn't even true
and then we started talking about "yo, maybe this is a good idea,
let's think about it." That's how it came about.

(ILLHILLeast.com)
So when will an eMC album be released?

(Masta Ace)
Probably early 2007. We was going to drop it this year.
Through the time constraint we're gonna get a couple more records
in a can. We're going to drop it next year.

(ILLHILLeast.com)
So, what songs do you keep on rotation, New School and Ol' School?

(Masta Ace)
Wow, it really varies a lot. I play a lot of different things.
It's really depending on the mood. I might be in a Mobb Deep mood.
I play a whole bunch of Mobb Deep. I might be in a Nas mood.
I might be in a Stevie mood one day. Then I might be in a Big Daddy
Kane mood or a Biz Markie mood one day and play those albums.
It just really depends on the mood. I'm a fan on Hip-Hop, so I like
a lot of different types of Hip Hop. I like a lot of different types
of artist. Anything where an artist is doing something great lyrically
gets me excited.

(ILLHILLeast.com)
Out of all the Juice Crew members, who's the one you keep
in touch with most nowadays?

(Masta Ace)
Probably Big Daddy Kane. I spoke to him a couple weeks ago.
He had a show a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately I was out of town
so I couldn't attend. He was calling me because he was performing at
this event. Even Craig G was there. He was calling me to see if I was
there and if I wanted to do "The Symphony," but I told him I was out
of town. I don't know if they wound up doing it.
I stay in touch with him. I see Craig, every couple years I bump into
Biz some where. But those are probably some of the main guys.

(ILLHILLeast.com)
Do you feel you need to drop another album for Hip-Hop's sake?

(Masta Ace)
I just want to express myself other ways lyrically, otherways in
collaborations, This eMC album that we spoke about. Those are the
type of projects that I'm going to do. I'm not oppose to doing a
project with a producer, say me and Premier get in the studio and
do 10 songs. Like them type of projects I'm down to do.



(ILLHILLeast.com)
What do you think is your top two favorite songs that you made?

(Masta Ace)
I say it can change day to day, but hey, now "No Regrets" and
"Beautiful."

(ILLHILLeast.com)
Can you tell the people the difference between a Rapper and an MC?

(Masta Ace)
I don't really differentiate that difference right there.
Other people have decided to separate those two things and make
them two different things. Like Hip Hop and Rap.
Like if you go back to the original meaning of those words,
there's no difference between an MC and a Rapper.
These new definitions are brand new.
I came up in the early 80's rhyming and what happened was you
were an MC and what you did as an MC was you rapped.
So you also was a Rapper because you rapped.
When "Rapper's Delight" dropped that kinda coined that phrase of
rapper and with "Rapper's Delight" what they was doing was rapping.
That actually gave you the lead right there.
"What you hear is not a test, I'm rapping to the beat."
So they coined that right there right from the gate.
They defined that. So rapping is what you do.
MC is what you are. That's basically what it comes down to,
but you can be a rapper too. They both mean the same thing.

(ILLHILLeast.com)
Never Heard it broken down like that before...

(Masta Ace)
I'm the older style. I can hit you with the words and how it
all started out. Just like the phrase "freestyle."
Everybody says freestyle is rhyming off the top of the dome,
rhyming off the head or you write it down and memorize it then
you spit it. Somewhere around the way the meaning of freestyle
kinda got twisted, same with the Rapper vs. the MC thing.

(ILLHILLeast.com)
So you do have the label M3 Records.
What made you want to start your own label?

(Masta Ace)
The main thing that made me do this is that I wanted more creative
control on the music I put out and I knew that from experience that
being signed to a major or just being signed to a label period,
where you would have to deal with an A&R type of person, or another
person's opinion, or what kind of music you should be doing,
I knew that I didn't want to be in that situation again.
And the last two albums that I put together, "Disposable Arts"
and "Long Hot Summer" those where 100% what I wanted to do.
From beginning to end. Every track, every rhyme, every chorus,
every feature, every aspect of those two albums was me and me alone.
What I wanted to do. So I can't complain about one thing on that
album "Oh, I didn't like one thing, or I didn't like that thing or
I didn't like that particular beat, or these guys made me use that
beat, or I didn't want that person on my album to rhyme but they said
I should collab with that person." Those are the type of sacrifices
you have to make when you sign with a person's label.
When you sign to your own label you can do what you want.
And we had a great time having that freedom, having that creative
freedom. In the studio taking our time, putting the record together
we want to put together.

(ILLHILLeast.com)
When you sign artist like Wordsworth and Punchline,
what does Masta Ace look for?

(Masta Ace)
They don't sign to M3 like that. That's like family and we're doing
this project together, eMC, and in terms in formal contract or record
deal we haven't done that. But to answer your question, I look for
dudes that are clever with it. That can put words together.
Different ways and patterns with humor with it.
Not all about the "Rah Rah ," gun shooting and all that.
Artists that are more versatile, that can do a variety of different
songs. I like beat rhyming, rhymes with stories, I like charisma...
And most importantly, I like guys that have that have character when
the mic is turned off. What I mean by that is not jerks or assholes
when you're behind the scenes. I'm just not into the prima donna
attitude. Like, somebody like Kanye West I could never get along with
because he's like real big with the ego thing cause he's the greatest
and everything like that. I don't like to be around those type of
people. I think if you're the greatest you prove it by the music you
put down. You prove it by the lyrics you write. You spit it on the
record and let everybody else tell you that you're the greatest.
It's not up for you to say that. That's how I connected with Punch
and with Words and with Stricklin, cause those guys are real humble.
They're talented, but they don't beat you over the head with it.
They just do their thing. You can see it.

(ILLHILLeast.com)
Any Shoutouts you wanna give?

(Masta Ace)
Stone Quote, Punch, Words, Stricklin. My man Filthy Rich over at M3.
My DJ Rob, over at M3. DJ A.Vee who back me up on all the songs.
We coming out to ya'll this summer. To a show near you.
Check the website to see where we're going to be touching down next.