Infinite looks back on his previous albums in new interview by Mekkan Refugee

[TraceOneInfinite Flat Earther 96']

Mekkan Refugee:  Before we get into your 4th internet album, let's first take a quick look back at your first three, starting with "The Birth".  An album you put out in close relations with cats on the dubcc, back in the keystyle battlin era at the forum, during the Sept. 11th era of world history....

Infinite:  Yeah, well first off let me just say that I've only made a total of about $13 dollars from my entire rap career.  That was from my protege' Yatz and I freestyle buskin' out in St. Louis and some folks passed by and dropped a little change in our jar.  So when your not making any real money, these albums are all about personal growth, both as an artist and also as a human being.  So looking back on my previous albums I judge them by how much I grew.  I can't remember who said it but I just remember reading an article in the Source, I think it was De La Soul, and one of them was talking about their new album and they said... "I'm puttin my life together through this album".  That really struck me.  Especially for a cat like me making zero dollars off rapping.

Mekkan Refugee:  Yeah.. that's peace... so from that perspective how do you feel about your first album, The Birth.

Infinite:  Well the dubcc forum was really at it's peak at that time.  So I really have to give thanks and props to the dubcc cats for that album.  Even though many have changed and are totally different to this day, I will always appreciate those cats for whatever they were in 02'.  It was a good era in hip-hop with Dre and Xzibit bringing back the West, and Eminem still leading the way world wide, you had a lot of cats getting into hip-hop at the time, and getting into it for the right reasons.  Also, the events of Sept. 11th had a lot of people thinking politically and conscious, so there was plenty to talk about and draw from for inspiration.  I mean this was during the era that Nas was dropping albums like Stillmatic and God's Son.  So that was the kind of wavelength hip-hop was on at the time.

Mekkan Refugee:  Then flash forward to 2010, and after 10 years you finally came out with your Meditations album.  First what was the reason for the 8 year lapse in between?

Infinite:  I had gotten pretty deep into Islam after a move to California and a trip to Hajj in early 03'.  I had basically gone into trying to obliterate myself, my own thoughts and emotions, and just make myself a reflection of the Qu'ran.  If you go to long denying yourself and your own thoughts and emotions eventually you are going to experience some sort of Spiritual Breakdown—and that's what happened to me.  I was in over my head, and in 07' I finally started recognizing, respecting, and expressing myself again.

Mekkan Refugee:  And so then now with your album Meditations you really expressed that, with tracks like "Spiritual Breakdown" you spoke on what you went through in that period, including a failed trip to the Arab Gulf in places like Oman, Dubia, and other Emirates.

Infinite:  Yes, I certainly experienced my breakdown while I was in the Emirates in early 07'.  I just remember sitting at the airport before I came back, just crying, and people were looking at me thinking I was crying maybe because I was leaving friends or family, but really I was crying just thinking about how I had messed up my life and even the life of others, when all I'd been trying to do was be a good person.  It made me realize that if you try to be "better" then you really are then one day you may not be able to measure up to the expectations you've created and end up letting a lot of people down.  It's more important to be yourself and accept yourself for who you are.  That way you don't let yourself down or let down others.

Mekkan Refugee:  Okay, so then you started rapping yourself and expressing again and what came out of it?

Infinite:  I spent some time reflecting on failures of the past, but it was with a renewed spirit.  I was still a Muslim, but I started structuring my life in the way that I wanted, and taking from Islam what I wanted, and then it all became a benefit.  I started doing the things that I wanted to do, even if they looked strange to others.  As long as they were in harmony with who I was.  I took 3 amazing journeys to Africa, and those provided the inspiration for songs such as "The Journey" and "Finding Home".

Mekkan Refugee:  And then your 3rd album, the duo album you did with your protege' Yatz...

Check out "Afterlife" http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=12399602 and "Unbeatables"— off the Angry Meetz Crazy album by Yatz and Infinite  http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=12399602

Infinite:  Yeah, I really wasn't totally interested in making an album then.  But I was very keen on working with my lil homie Yatz.  It was such a joy bringing him in the game and teaching him whatever I knew about hip-hop and having him appreciate learning.  We ended up doing a whole album together and it came out great.  It was also during that time that I started battle rappin around my way, and I encourage anybody to check out my battle with Kooleo.  

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/EGKEjpJVYPg?version=3&amp;amp;hl=en_US" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/EGKEjpJVYPg?version=3&amp;amp;hl=en_US</a>