BALANCE  (July 2008) | Interview By: Javon Adams

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Interview was done in July 2008

Questions Asked By: Javon Adams

Balance Interview Audio: Listen Here
 

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Dubcnn: Dubcnn, I would like to introduce you to Balance aka The Bay Area Mixtape King. How are you man?

Doing good man. What’s going on Dubcnn!


Dubcnn: Ah man we just chillin’. I’m happy and I’m glad we were able to get this set up so we could…I’m sure people know about you but to spread the word a little bit more, spread the gospel of Balance, you know what I mean?

Yeah, I appreciate it. Never can have too much of that right?


Dubcnn: I feel you but first off I wanted to go into something. I wanted to talk about the status of Bay Area hip hop. I know a couple of years ago there was a New Bay movement that you started with Mistah F.A.B, Frontline, The Team and some others. I know that started a little static with some veteran Bay Area artists but I know that was quickly resolved and got to a solution there. Then the Hyphy movement really started to gain momentum and E-40 helped make the movement national but there hasn’t been that push on Bay Area artists like the South for example. Why do you think that is, in terms of bringing the Bay Area to more of a national spotlight?

I think it’s really a lack of deals. I think the only people that have real, legitimate deals is E-40 and Too Short. And those are…I’m close with them, you know what I’m sayin’. I grew up on their music, they’ve been makin’ music for 15-20 years, they’re legends but as far as new artists it ain’t really no deals that come through man.

And without a deal there’s really no way you can get a really big video, a real big nationwide marketing plan for your single, know what I’m sayin’? So it’s kinda like…the only real person that had that big push was E-40. And you see what happened with that. He had ‘Tell Me When To Go” and had a real big push. He was down with Lil Jon, Hyphy was poppin’ and they was able to take advantage of that.

I just feel like there’s a lot of artists in the Bay that really don’t get deals, know what I’m sayin’? It was kinda like that for L.A. but I got a lot of homies from L.A. that ended up getting deals. Like Problem got a deal, Bishop (Lamont) got a deal, Glasses (Malone) got a deal, know what I’m sayin’? Jay Rock got a deal . Topic, from L.A., he from L.A. right?


Dubcnn: I think so

He got a deal. There’s at least six or seven artists that got a deal as opposed to like two artists from the Bay that got a deal. I just feel like as soon as some major labels, well it ain’t even that soon because I don’t want to make it seem like I’m begging for them or nothing like that. But as soon as we take a deal, you know what I’m sayin’? As soon as we get ourselves to the power where we get a deal its definitely going to be a major push.

But I think the lack of the push for the Bay is really because there’s been no deals for no Bay artists. Especially no new up and comers, you know.


Dubcnn: Now kind of along those lines, cuz I used to live in San Jose for about six years, do you think that the Bay Area is suffering from over saturation with too much product from too many artists whether they have recognition or not.

Definitely. I mean I think the whole game is suffering from over saturation. Me and my friends we sometimes joke and be like, ‘Where are the fans?’ *laughs* It ain’t no fans no more, it’s just everybody’s doing it. I don’t have a problem with it because I feel like anybody should do music. If you love it and you want to do it then do it. But it should be a clear distinction between those who are ‘For Real, Real’ and those who are doing it for fun.

If you’re doing it for fun that’s cool but still be a fan. I’m a fan of rap music period. I buy everything. I’m still a fan. I just think there are some artists out there who aren’t fans and they have the attitude like, ‘Man, I do that. I rap. I got songs, I got beats. I’m not interested in buying that CD because I do it. Me and my homies do it. Why I gotta buy his CD?’


Dubcnn: Exactly. Sometimes you go to a show and it seems like there’s more rappers there then people who are fans of the music.

And that’s cool but man bob your head. *laughs* If you like something don’t be too cool…like whoever said an artist can’t like other artists music? Perfect example, I remember when Glasses Malone, he was just out in the Bay last weekend and I linked up with him. Glasses is like a folks of mine, like when I go to L.A. he got me and when he go to the Bay I got him. But he came out here when he first dropped his mixtape called ‘White Lightning Sticks’, I think it was like three years ago, man I bought that CD off of the internet and I didn’t even know him. I thought it was so tight I’m playing it for all my n*ggas.

So they was playin’ it for n*ggas, they borrowin’ it, they burning it. And if I had the attitude of not being a fan I would never be able to hear new music and appreciate new music. I’m a fan of music and I’m not into no hatred sh*t. There’s enough room for everybody. I just feel like if more fans would develop…you know, it’s cool if you’re an artist but at the end of the day still be a fan. You know what I’m sayin’? If you like Balance then buy the Balance album. If you’re at a show and you rap don’t just sit there muggin’ and not applaudin’ and not giving dap. Like, whenever I run into somebody…like if you see me at a show and somebody’s rockin’ it my head is bobbing, I’m in the front row and when he come off stage I’m like, ‘Yo, man that was a good show. My names Balance.’

I don’t have no hatred. I’m still a fan of music. I think we need more people to be fans even if you are an artist, be a fan. Go support.


Dubcnn: True. You mentioned purchasing a mixtape online. I read where you said that your next mixtape will be your last. Is that because you feel the mixtape market is losing its effectiveness? What’s your thought process behind that?

I just feel like…I read a quote and it said, ‘A fool is someone who does the same thing over and over expecting different results.’ My whole thing is like I was doing the mix-cd thing before it was popular. And I wasn’t even doing mixtapes of my own, I was just freestylin’. I was one of the first cats ever to freestyle on a bay mixtape. That was me. And I got on hella Bay mixtapes then I started getting on L.A. mixtapes. Then I started getting on New York mixtapes. Then 50 blew and then everybody wanted to do it. But even then people in the Bay weren’t doing solo mixtapes. That was just me and Cellski. We were the first ones to do solo mixtapes and from there it was like…man, now cats do mixtapes more than albums.


Dubcnn: Yeah.

For me, a mixtape is never supposed to be an album. A mixtape is something you do to showcase yourself over other production either because you don’t have any producers that are tight or if you don’t have any money. Or if you want to give stuff away. I’m not just going to hand out my album for free but when I’m in L.A. I come out with 100 mixtapes and I hand those out.

I just think that cats kinda got it twisted. Like, everybody making mixtapes instead of albums. An album man, no matter what anybody says, more work goes into an album. When you make an album you’re getting it mixed and mastered. You’re not throwing sh*t together. Mixtapes were never meant to take the place of an album. Mixtapes are used to get somebody ready for your album. Or if you are an unknown artist it is to get yourself a buzz and to handout sh*t for free. That’s what a mixtape is.


Dubcnn: Right, I got you. So, you have three projects that you’re working on right now. The ‘Unsigned Legend’ mixtape, the ‘Golden State Warriors’ compilation and your next solo that has production from Midi Mafia and that’s called ‘The Day Kali Died’. And I wanted to talk about that one for a second. I read where it’s supposed to be a story. First off, how is that coming along? It seems as if it takes great thought and effort to make sure that you have that rising and falling action, the conflict and resolution, the antagonist and protagonist in the story. So how is that coming along?

Well what most cats don’t know is like, I got a degree in Screen Writing. So for me movies…and I used to like rappers who were real visual like D.O.C., Ice Cube, Nas, Scarface, you know what I mean? I like visual rappers so I think songwriting, like stories are a lost art form in hip hop. People don’t do stories anymore. Its either battle raps or f*#king bi*ches or clubbing.

I understand when you first come into the game…you know you can’t come into the game with tons of stories. When you come into the game you have to catch people’s attention so you may need to battle rap. You may need to rap about bi*ches. That’s what n*ggas like. And you may need to rap about clubbin’ because that’s what DJs like but somewhere in between in the mix stories got lost. I think there’s probably only two f*$king story songs a year. I think one of them was Lupe Fiasco’s ‘Hip Hop Saved My Life’ which was a dope story. And I think Scarface had a cold ass story on his album, Made, about his homeboy committing suicide. But other than that I didn’t hear no f*#king stories.

Dude, there’s like 3,000 rap albums that come out a year and I didn’t hear no other f*$king stories. On my first album I had one story and it was called, ‘One Night Stand’. It’s a bout a one night stand that goes wrong and I had hella people come up to me about that sh*t and say, ‘Dude, I relate to that sh*t blood cuz I was in it!’

I feel like it’s a lost art form and people don’t like to do stories no more because when you do a story it’s not a ringtone song. A story song may not sell ringtones and it may not get spun in the club. But how I’m doing this album man, its like ‘how come a story can’t get spun in the club?’ You just gotta figure out a way to do it clever and catchy over a hot beat. So, really it’s a challenge to myself. Being my second album I feel like you gotta do something different. For my second album I’m going to have a complete story from morning to night.

Like, beginning to ending and within that day you’re gonna f*ck, you’re gonna chill, you’re gonna tell some stories or get a lesson. You may come close to death but it’s just some regular sh*t. Regular everyday life. And that is really what I’m focused on right now. Just making music and stories that everyday person can relate to.


Dubcnn: I hear that. Well, I know you have your own label Ayinde. What is your vision for it?

Really, and this is some funny sh*t. I didn’t have no vision. *laughs* When I started the label it was basically like no other n*ggas was trying to sign nobody that rapped how I did or rapped how me and my n*ggas did. Nobody wanted to take a chance on new artists independently in the Bay. So I was like, ‘F*#k it man, I’m gonna create my own buzz.’ Which I did by rapping on mixtapes. So I said I’m finna go ahead and start my own label and the first artist is me.

I started my label, went and got distribution and put out my own album and it did well. Now I have a label and really my whole vision for it is to give people a chance that are tight but don’t necessarily fit the stereotype of what kind of music you’re supposed to be making. You know what I mean?

A lot of cats say, ‘You don’t sound like the Bay you sound L.A. or East Coast. You got lyrics like being from the Bay you’re not supposed to have lyrics. Or they say, ‘Man, you don’t be rappin’ over that Mobb Music.’ Well I rap over the type of sh*t I like and there are other people out there that like the sh*t I like. So, I’m really looking to deal with artists that are different than just the regular. And I’m really looking for artists, a person who can do a show, get on the radio and do a good interview. Someone that when they walk down the street and a fan walks up to him they actually shake their hand and actually talk to them. I just think that people have lost the idea of being personable and real to earth people. It’s not different than me and anybody else, I just make music.


Dubcnn: I hear you. Well kind of along those same lines as having your own independent label…being independent, it’s more challenging and demanding but you are able to react quickly to trends and take advantage of opportunities and I read you are open to the possibility of signing with a major. What would be the allure to that?

Well the only allure for a major, and it ain’t even the money to me, because money comes. Money has never been an issue because I’ve had a job ever since I was 15 years old and I still have a job while I do music. So, to me money isn’t really the issue although I’m not really into dicked, you know what I’m sayin’? That’s not going to happen but most people say I’m going to sign for the b*tches. Well, I had b*tches before rapping you know what I’m sayin’? They say, ‘I want to sign for the money.’, well I’m not really interested in that either because you could sign for the money and then you never get anymore money again. And you’d have been better off if you’d kept a job, not taken any money and just took the ‘back end’. So for me the reason to sign to a major label would be simply to have a team of people who specialize in making small things big.

For me, everything that I do comes from my hard work and its one person. So imagine, and I get a lot of help because I meet a lot of people and people want to help me cuz they see I’m grinding and they like my music. But imagine if I had a team of 30 individuals who get paid to make me hot. You understand what I’m sayin’? That would be the reason why I would sign to a major label and to get my music out to as many people as possible. And to just break the stereotype of what a rapper is, you know what I mean?

Sh*t, I graduated from college and they say, ‘How could you be a rapper and graduate from college?’ That already breaks it down. “How could you be a rapper and be articulate?” And read books and sh*t like that *laughs* There’s still a lot of stereotypes man. To this day…even among black people. When I go talk at high schools, cuz that’s one thing that I do is I talk to youth, and I go talk to high schools and after I talk the teachers say, ‘Man, we’re so shocked that you were able to speak well.’ Its just like, ‘come on, man.’ But these are the stereotypes, you know?


Dubcnn: Well, kind of along those same lines you mentioned you have a job and things that you do outside of music. What is your occupation? What do you do to pay the bills?

What I do to pay the bills is I run a retail spot in the Bay Area called Rasputin Records and I am the Urban Buyer. I’ve been doing it for a long time so sometimes people are like, ‘So, you were buying records and then you started rapping?’ No, I’ve been rapping, know what I’m saying? When I used to work I never really told people that I rapped and Mac Dre and E-40 and people would come into the store and say, ‘How come you didn’t tell me you rapped?’

I would be on mix-cds and people would be like, ‘That’s dude that works at the record store.’ And they’d be like, ‘Man, shut the f*#k up!’ They’d hear and I would meet them and they would say, ‘You tight man.’ Mac Dre told me I was dope. My whole thing is that I have been working there and from working at the record store I really learned why certain records work and why certain records don’t. I learned about pricing and positioning. I learned a lot of key things about how to break an artist because I see when a song plays on the radio people coming to the store looking for it.

When an artist delivers good performances on mix-cds people start coming in the store like, ‘Hey do you got Balance’s CD? I heard him on this mix-cd.’ So I have seen the effect of work and I have seen the failures. I have seen people who’ve pressed up an album, put it in stores, don’t do any promotion and nothing happens.


Dubcnn: True. It’s like if you build it they will come, but if they don’t know it’s there they can’t come.

Exactly. And I learned that because of my job and my job has put me one step ahead of the regular artist because I knew what I needed to do to promote my own records from working in the record store.


Dubcnn: Well that kind of leads me into something that I wanted to ask you. I always hear rappers say, I hear it too often that ‘if they weren’t rapping they’d be dead or in jail’. I always think that that’s a cop out. Obviously you said you have your degree in Screen Writing. With that being said, if you weren’t rapping and I know you are an Urban Music Buyer for Rasputins but outside of that what other type of position would best fit you?

Maybe a teacher or I would be doing something in film. To tell you the truth I was getting A’s in my Screen Writing classes at San Francisco State which is like a top film school but the music was cracking for me. And the music…I figured you can’t rap forever but I could write screen plays forever so let me devote my time to making music and then I’ll branch that into movies, you know what I mean?

But definitely, if it wasn’t rapping I definitely would not be in jail. I definitely would not be killing people or none of that sh*t. I’m so sick of hearing that but I know some people come from the bottom. And sometimes rap has saved some peoples lives.


Dubcnn: True

But at the same time lets not act like there aren’t motherfu*#ers in the hood that go to work everyday. Most people in the hood do go to work everyday or go to some kind of work and most motherf*#kers in the hood ain’t killin’ each other. People are trying to live and survive. Selling bootleg movies, bootleg CD's, sellin’ weed *laughs* so let’s not act like its either rap or kill. Cuz if you do that you’re going to end up dead.

That’s what trips me out. Motherf*#kers be like, ‘Man, if I wasn’t rappin’ I’d be in your house right now!’ Well, if you were in my house there’d be a gun waiting for you that would definitely go off. Or it would be some police that would show up soon after and you’d go to jail for a long time bruh. I mean, it’s just like suicidal…and I think one of the biggest problems is black folks. Sometimes we feel like rap is all we can do and it’s not all we can do. It’s one of the things we do. It’s our art form and it’s in our ancestry, poetry. But it’s not the only thing we can do.


Dubcnn: What’s the best piece of advice that someone has ever given you?

DJ Quik.


Dubcnn: Ok, what was that?

Balance: I met DJ Quik at the record store and DJ Quik is like an idol to me. I always talk about this story but DJ Quik is like an idol to me. I love his music and I grew up on his sh*t. And DJ Quik came in the store and n*gga that was like ‘f*#k, n*gga this is Quik!’ And so I was kinda nervous cuz I’ve been listening to this n*gga all my life! Watching his videos! I mean I am a true fan. So I got my courage together and went over to him and shook his hand and he was the coolest down to earth person. And he was in my hood not his hood. He was the most down to earth person and showed me a lot.

I told him I was doing some music and he was like, ‘You got it up in here?’ I said yeah. He didn’t ask for it for free, he went and bought the sh*t. I was in a group and he had the 12” and he would come into the store every now and then and he was like, ‘I like that song y’all did.’ We had this song called, ‘I’m So High’. He was like, “I like that man”. He gave me the cell number and I used to call him and talk to him. He played me…I think he was making the Trouble album and he would play me some of the beats over the phone. I would ask him questions like, ‘How do you get your mixes so fu*#in good?’ And he would say, ‘Man, I just had to learn on my own. I mix for the clubs and I’m constantly mixing.’ I would say that his mixes were sick.

One day I gave him my demo…and I used to make my own beats because I didn’t have any producers. And the best advice Quik told me was, ‘I like you but your beats are wack.’ And I appreciated that because if I would have never stopped making my own beats I would not be talking to you on the phone right now. *laughs* See what I’m sayin’? Straight up. Sometimes the best advice is criticism.


Dubcnn: That’s true.

If Quik didn’t tell me that it would have been it. As soon as he told me that…what do you do if the #1 producer says ‘Hey man, you're not good at beats but you’re good at this. You’re good at rapping. You’re not good at beats.’ He gave me a jewel and ever since then I put down the f*#kin’ drum machine, focused on lyrics which made me write better since I’m focused on making lyrics instead of beat and the rhyme. And I just went on a search for the hottest beats. And because of that things started happening for me. I got in Unsigned Hype and XXL came. The New Bay formed and sh*t just started cracking for me. Sometimes it’s as easy as that. Sometimes it’s as easy as someone saying ‘don’t do this, do that. Your strength is this, not that.’ Once they give you that and you go with it sh*t will start happening.


Dubcnn: Ok, so any last words for Dubcnn?

Yeah. I wanna tell Dubcnn thank you for all the support. I love the site. I come to the site daily and check up on the news because I’m a fan. I’m always listening to the new music. All I wanna say is be on the lookout for the mixtape with me and Nick Bean called Unsigned Legends. That’s coming Independence Day. I’ll definitely give Dubcnn a link or whatever to post up. It’s fire! My dopest mixtape ever and my last mixtape. Half real music and half known instrumentals. Got a compilation, Golden State Warriors and the album The Day Kali Died produced entirely by Midi Mafia and Tracklordz. It’s a fire f*#kin’ album dude. All stories, concept album kinda like Cube did Death Certificate.


Dubcnn: That’s what’s up. Thanks for your time man

Thank you bro.