BIGG STEELE  (April 2007) | Interview By: Lil Jay

..........................................................................................

Interview was done in April 2007

Questions Asked By: Lil Jay

Bigg Steele Gave Dubcnn A Shoutout! Check That Here

Full Audio Interview Here

..........................................................................................

Dubcnn: Alright, so let everyone know what you’ve been up to.

Bigg Steele: Oh man, I’ve been just basically laying low, plotting my strategy. I’ve been touring out in Japan, and different spots around the world, you know, basically just recording this album. I’ve got Bobcat, DJ Bobcat, producing on there, I’ve got Polarbear, I’ve got Soundwave, and my dude Mr. Mixx, he did a track on there called “Federal”, its real sick, and we’ve got Ice Cube on that.



Dubcnn: You’re about to drop this new record next month. Can you give us a detailed insight on the album?

Bigg Steele: Oh man, pretty much I have worked with Polarbear, that’s my man right there. But outside of Polarbear, I got DJ Bobcat, I got Inertia, I got this cat Soundwave out of Top Dawg Entertainment’s camp, I got features from Ne-Yo, I got my boy Jay Rock on there, I got Q-Unique from the The Arsonists out of Brooklyn, Trae, of course I got Big Syke. That’s the usual people I work with. And you know, it’s just real cool. I’ve got my boy Punch on there out of the Top Dawg camp, you know, Jay Rock’s new camp. Just basically trying to do it big. I’m working on some real big features right now. I’m trying to get Ice Cube on this “Federal” record, which may work because of his relationship with Bobcat. And I’m trying to get some other cats like Mack 10 and dudes like that.



Dubcnn: So the song with Ice Cube, do you already know what it’s gonna be about, or is it already laid down?

Bigg Steele: Oh you know basically, when they did the record, they sampled the record “Niggaz For Life”. You know when they did the N.W.A. reunion album, they had everybody doin’ they thing, and Ice Cube, at the end of his verse, was going, “Niggaz ain’t federal, niggaz ain’t federal”. That sample is in the hook already, and Bobcat’s working on trying to get at Cube to do a verse, and I’m pretty sure he can make that happen, but it’s on Cube’s schedule.



Dubcnn: OK, cause you know, Cube always be on some political shit.

Bigg Steele: Yeah, but you know, this song right here, it’s a song that’s called “Federal”, but its basically about snitchin’. You know, niggaz ain’t federal, you know what I’m saying? We not givin’ our paperwork. It’s just dealing with issues of paperwork, ‘cause you know, that’s the whole thing, because when people look at paperwork in the neighborhood, they can pretty much tell who’s telling or who’s snitchin, you know, I mean, who cooperating with the Feds.



Dubcnn: So, what’s the album title?

Bigg Steele: The Kunta Kine Theory.



Dubcnn: And what happened to “Cereal And Water”?

Bigg Steele: Oh, “Cereal And Water” gonna drop on a major label. “Cereal And Water” is like my big album. You know, everybody got that big album, like they perfect album. Like how Nas had “Illmatic”, you know what I mean? Then he had “Stillmatic” and he had this new one he did. Like everyone got their top album. Like how Jay had “The Black Album”. “Cereal And Water” is like my “Black Album”, but it’s like almost smaller.



Dubcnn: So is that one already completed?

Bigg Steele: Yeah that one’s finished. I’ve got a few things I’m trying to do on there. I’ve got a few samples that I’m trying to get cleared, they’re some real big samples, but that’s pretty much finished. On “Cereal And Water” I’m looking to do some work with some legendary people on there so that’s all I’m doing, and that’s gonna take me being on a major, just because of the vision with it.

Oh, and I can’t forget my boy Spit Fiya, he’s on “Kunta Kinte” too. He’s on there too. I’ve got Juice, you know, MC Juice, not the one from Black Wall Street, Juice from Chicago. I’ve got my boys Dirty Birdy and Dr. Stank on there, you know.



Dubcnn: It’s cool people still recognize Juice from Chicago, cause everybody’s talking about the Juice from Black Wall Street right now.

Bigg Steele: Yeah, you know, the Juice from Chicago is a legendary guy. I don’t really know the Juice from Black Wall Street, but much respect to him.



Dubcnn: So, by the time you’re gonna drop “Cereal And Water”, is it not gonna sound outdated to you? Because it’s gonna be like 12 more months until you drop it.

Bigg Steele: Yeah, man, but you know, the thing about the time of this album, it will never sound old. Like, when you listen to DJ Quik’s “Safe And Sound”, it don’t sound old. You understand what I mean? When you make classic music, man, when you’ve got a classic song, it’ll never get outdated. Like you know, some songs are timeless. When you listen to Pete Rock and CL Smooth “They Reminisce Over You”, it still sound good, you know what I mean?



Dubcnn: So, do you compare “Cereal And Water” to Pete Rock, or something Quik did?

Bigg Steele: You know what man, “Cereal And Water” man is a real soulful album, I would say. You know my style done changed up so much from the last album. I don’t even listen to it because there’s so much party shit on there, and I’m just in a whole different place in my life and my career right now. To where I can talk about some different stuff, you know, when I made “Size Duz Matter”, I hadn’t really, I had been places, but I hadn’t been around the world. I gotta think, I’ve been about everywhere in the world just about now. I’ve been to Europe, I’ve been to Japan, I’ve experienced different cultures and different things of life, you know.



Dubcnn: I loved the “Cereal And Water” song that you leaked last year. It’s kind of soulful, so I loved that one. But how come you let that one out so early?

Bigg Steele: You know what, sometimes you’ve got to do that Jay, cause this music thing is how I make my living, this is my job. But, on the same token man, music is what I love, so its like when you do something, like when you do a painting, you’ve got to share it with people sometimes, you know what I mean? And this wasn’t no big leak on it, you know it was just enough. People wasn’t even able to download it, you know what I mean, I don’t even think you was able to download that track. But you know some people probably found a way to do it anyway, all the people hitting me up on my Myspace about that track, you know.

Because if you think about it dude, the people that do honest music, that’s why people loved 2Pac so much, and he touched so many people just because he was honest. You know what I’m saying, when you do honest stuff, honest material, it just makes everything that much more better. Instead of me being on some formula stuff, everything you get from me musically is pretty much me and how I really feel.



Dubcnn: You said “Cereal And Water” is gonna be on a big label, and you went to meetings with a lot of different labels. What’s the status, as of today?

Bigg Steele: Man, you know what, to be real, that’s why I’m dropping “The Kunta Kinte” one, because I did big numbers up the country, a lot of people don’t know. Like for example, I see y’all [Dubcnn] had the “Best of mixtapes” [of the year]. You saw the charts, Jay, I don’t know nobody who charted with a mixtape, outside of me.



Dubcnn: Yeah.

Bigg Steele: You know, I charted in two different countries, so, you know.



Dubcnn: Which ones?

Bigg Steele: UK and Ireland. You saw the charts, Jay, you know.



Dubcnn: Yeah, I saw it.

Bigg Steele: You know, it’s like I done had two top 20 albums, you know what I mean? And those were considered mixtapes, you know, street albums. And I was kind of offended when I wasn’t even mentioned, you know what I mean, its like the people don’t know. I think that’s the thing about me not doing a lot of stuff in America, and me choosing not to do a lot of stuff in America, sometimes I think sometimes I’m just underrated, you know. Because people just don’t know, you know I don’t go out bragging about what I’m doin’, and this and that, you know?



Dubcnn: Right. So what labels are we talking about, as far as “Cereal And Water”?

Bigg Steele: Man, you know what, “Cereal And Water” is most likely gonna be coming out on Jive. Those were the people that were like real receptive to my thing. But right now, what I’m doin’, I’m puttin’ “Kunta Kinte” out basically to get me some numbers up in America. You know what I mean?



Dubcnn: OK. So how do you feel you’ve progressed since the last album musically and business wise?

Bigg Steele: Oh man, you’ve heard the new stuff, I know I’m a way better lyricist. You know, when you’ve got more stuff to talk about, man, it’s like the last album was just about “Booty this, booty that”, you know what I mean? It’s just like I’m way more advanced lyrically, you know what I mean? You know, I can hold my own with anybody. Y’all gone see on this one, some surprise records with some major artists that’s coming up in the next few months. I can hold my own with anybody, you know?

And so it’s like, with the “Cereal And Water” album, that could be coming out like on any number of sources, because with me being with my homeboy Bobcat. And when I say he’s friends with Steve Rifkind, I mean he friends with Steve Rifkind. He can call him on the phone, so you know that’s what I’ve been missing, that power. Because a lot of dudes out here been getting deals based on they affiliation, and who they know, its not really based on their musical talent.



Dubcnn: Yeah, so to you is that a good or a bad thing, when people can get a deal like based on people they know?

Bigg Steele: Man, I ain’t no hater man, anytime a minority can change they whole family’s living situation, I’m with it man. I don’t care how they did it as long as they do it, you know? I’m proud of anybody, especially, you know, I’m proud of anybody man that can come from the ghetto and become just like this mega superstar or whatever man. I ain’t no hater, I believe everything is in timing too, you know everybody got their season, and everybody got their time, some peoples’ time just happen before others.



Dubcnn: Right, you know ‘cause some people say that it’s gonna kill their chances of getting a label deal. But then again some other people think that it’s gonna open new doors for them if people like The Game get a deal based on other people they know.

Bigg Steele: Yeah, well you know what though? I think that’s the thing. I think it helps everybody in the end, because it brings the spotlight to a region, you know what I mean? When Glasses got that big deal he got, it put the spotlight on Watts, you know what I mean? So, a whole bunch of people started getting deals out of there, you know, ‘cause all these A&Rs, man, basically is groupies. If they see this person is hanging around with this person they assume, you know what I mean, “Oh, we gonna be able to get some of his fans if we sign him” you know what I mean? So they basically on some groupie shit, but its all good though man, however you gotta get it. Because the media having relationships with certain people is about to work in my favor, you know?



Dubcnn: Right.

Bigg Steele: You know, like Bobcat, he‘s only doing a couple of tracks on there, but he's telling me which tracks not to use, which tracks to use. You know, this dude done sold.... he got more platinum plaques than any producer in California, and don’t nobody ever really talk about him. You know, this dude was like, an integral part of Eazy-E, MC Ren, Ice Cube, 2Pac’s career, you know what I mean? He done been on a lot of stuff. He got a big legacy, you know, so even if he stopped making music today, his legacy would be sealed, you know what I mean? He got songs that were made 20 years ago that are still getting radio play today. So, you know what I mean, you can’t sleep on that dude, and I listen to his opinion very closely.



Dubcnn: Much respect to him. You’ve got some big features on the album, how did you go about selecting them? Did you choose them ‘cause you liked the music, or maybe because they’ll help you reach a new audience?

Bigg Steele: Oh man, you know what, basically Ne-Yo was a no brainer, I think he’s a talented cat, you know what I mean? You know, I break down each feature. Ne-Yo was like, you know, an incredible singer and a lyricist man, so you know what I mean, that was a no brainer. Big Syke is my homeboy. Big Syke is very underrated to me. You know, the dude was with one of the biggest rappers, he was with the Black Elvis, you know what I mean? You know, Syke just got this real ill vocal tone, you know that’s my dude, we got good chemistry when we do stuff together. My boy Spit Fiya, that’s my homeboy, he’s about to be the next big thing. He over on Interscope doing his thing, that’s like my little brother, you know?



Dubcnn: But he’s kinda on the low, because when people name their next-up rappers from the West Coast, I never hear people say Spit.

Bigg Steele: Man, you know what though, because that next up shit is a bunch of bullshit. People on them forums don’t know what the fuck they’re talking about half the time. I’m just being real, you know, they can say this because they see this person, or wonder what this person is doing. But don’t nobody know who the next dude is gonna be. If they wanna figure something out, and make some projections, tell them to give me the winning lottery numbers for next week. Don’t nobody know because stuff does change, you know what I mean? You don’t know who’s gonna be popping next year, you don’t know. I could fuck around and be the man by the end of 2007. You know what I mean? And it’s like, man, Spit Fiya is kinda like me, me and him run in the same circles, we from the same camp kinda. He’s like me, he don’t advertise everything he doin’. Because when you advertise stuff, sometimes you look like an asshole when it don’t go through. Trust me, he got the biggest producers in the game on his album. And he got some big features. He gonna have the biggest album of the year in 07.



Dubcnn: Yeah, yeah, so go back to the features you mentioned on the album and why you selected them.

Bigg Steele: Yeah you said, why I picked them. You know, Spit, because of course he’s incredible lyrically, and you know he’s my homeboy. And Juice is just a lyrical dude, Juice is probably the most underrated rapper in the world. And the same with Dirty Birdy. Dirty Birdy is my homeboy, that’s my cuddy right there, that’s family, that’s Homeless Nation right there. You know I’m from Homeless Nation? Anyways, but that’s my homeboy, and I think Bird is just an incredible dude, same with Dr. Stank, he’s family. You know anybody who do features with me man, outside of Ne-Yo because I don’t really know Ne-Yo, but anyobody that’s on my album, they’ve got a good nature with me. We homeboys, like I just don’t go out and rap with anybody. I don’t even go do songs with people cause they hot or whatever, beause with my having a relationship with Bobcat, I could get a whole bunch of features on the album. But that doesn’t mean it’s gonna be good. I think you kinda have to make your own lane. I don’t want my album to sound like a compilation either.

It’s like, a lot of people talk about what they doing in they records. I live in Downey, CA, and that’s one of the most expensive areas in Southern California. I got two or three cars, so it’s like the money ain’t really the issue with it. It’s just me knowing that I wanna use this music thing to go in different business ventures. Not about me being on a major, because that would make me more visible and be exposed to more people. Cause my main thing is that I wanna get more into films.



Dubcnn: Why do you think that back in the days rappers put out what they wanted as their first single, but nowadays it has to sound appropriate to what’s hot at the moment?

Bigg Steele: Well you know what man, it’s these record companies, cause whenever you want a record deal, you got people spending their money on you project. So in essence it ain’t really your project, it’s their project. You might have somebody at this record company tell you that they want you to come out with a single like this or that. You gotta understand that them people at record companies don’t know what the fuck is going on. You got a whole bunch of 50 year old white folks up there, no offense to white people. I ain’t crazy or nothing, but you somebody your momma’s age up there, you know what I mean (laughs)? Would you let your mom executive produce the album?



Dubcnn: No, but maybe yours?

Bigg Steele: Hell no! I wouldn’t let my momma executive produce my album. I wouldn’t let her be in charge of my label, cause she don’t know, that’s not her area. She’s not a product of the Hip Hop generation. We gotta start getting more people from that generation, it’s a shame. We gotta get cats like Hi-C, Ice-T, Candyman, Sir Mix A Lot, or whoever. Them the cats that should have the A&R jobs. You got a lot of people that’s from Beverly Hills running big major cooperations. But that’s based all on some groupie stuff, they don’t know.

Instead of people using common sense on records, people are trying to use too much science with it. This is not science, this is Hip Hop. People are trying to use too many formulas, a lot of stuff is getting played out. See, people are scared to change. They want you to talk about the same old shit all the time, they don’t want people to grow. Rappers in the game, they gonna do different shit, they should be doing different shit. You can’t do the shit you were doing 10 years ago. Music changes too much.



Dubcnn: How come your mixtapes dont get promoted like that in the United States?

Bigg Steele: You know what man, the truth about is that I’m not clicked up with nobody. I run with my friends, I’m not no groupie dude. I’m not about to go look for people to join their entourage. And at the end of the day, it’s a money thing too. If I can go to Europe and really sell 15 to 20 thousand copies of a mixtape, why would I be over here giving it away for free? And with me, my sales are verifiable. I can show people invoices, I can show people bank statements. Ask them dudes that be talking about these things on records to show you a bank statement. They ain’t got no money.

I’m all about making my money, but then again that might have been my curse, cause I never really promoted myself out here.



Dubcnn: How do you manage to sell so many copies overseas? Is it hard to reach that market?

Bigg Steele: Man I was over there to tour!



Dubcnn: Why do more rappers not follow your footsteps and do the same by going international?

Bigg Steele: They might have to, because in about three year this market is gonna be dead. People done heard everything that is to hear, it’s overcrowded out here. People bombarded with so much different shit. It’s hard to where even if you put a couple 300,000 up for marketing, it will get swallowed up, cause while you’re putting up 300,000, somebody else will put up 2 million. So it’s almost like throwing money in the fireplace.



Dubcnn: So is it easy to cater to different types of audiences?

Bigg Steele: Yeah, because I talk about real stuff. It’s like, when you talk about certain stuff, people might not be able to relate to it. Everybody can relate to going through a struggle though. A rich person goes through a struggle, it’s a different struggle than what the poor man might go through, but they still go through struggles. My main thing is just to talk about real stuff. A lot of cats don’t talk about real stuff, a lot of cats is on some fantasy shit. You gotta make stuff that people can relate to, you gotta create music as the soundtrack to somebody’s life. Even Scarface, one of my favorite rappers, even though he’s a gangsta rapper, he can take you there with words that are believeable. A lot of this shit nowadays is just not believeable man. If that’s what you really feel in your heart, that you’re a serial killer or a murderer, that’s what you can talk about. But if you’re really a Powder Puff, don’t talk about gangsta stuff.



Dubcnn: You also toured a lot of countries overseas. How is the reception out there?

Bigg Steele: Man you know what, in Japan, all six shows we did were packed, sold out. I got it on tape. When I did the clubs tour in the UK, packed, top to bottom. The reception has always been good. See, sometimes I might go do a club that only holds 400 people, but it’s gonna be wall to wall 400 people. Even if I go in there and it’s a spot that holds 5 people, I’ma go in there and rock the show! When I do my shows I don’t have 50 people on stage with where people can’t tell who I am. That’s wack. It’s only me and my DJ Coke-E, we’re the only two people on stage.



Dubcnn: You said it’s only you and Coke-E on stage, but next time you’re coming out, you gonna have me on stage, right?

Bigg Steele: Yeah, you can be my hypeman! You gotta learn my lyrics so you can be my hypeman.



Dubcnn: OK, I’m cool with that. A popular question in interviews with West Coast artists is to ask for their opinion about the state of the West. What’s your view on the state?

Bigg Steele: I think the West Coast is healthy now, I don’t have negative thoughts about it. I just think the West Coast has the syndrome where you gotta be so connected to get on. Everything is still from the N.W.A family tree, which ain’t wrong. But I think it’s time for some new cats. I think Bishop and Glasses are gonna do good, Jay Rock is gonna do good, I think Spit Fiya is gonna do good. You gonna see a whole bunch of new cats shining this year. I think it’s gonna be some surprise flops out here too. But anytime I see somebody get a deal, I’m always happy for them. I was happy when Damani got his deal, I was happy when Glasses and Spit Fiya got their situation. So it’s always a blessing when you see new people from your turf getting on, cause I know all them cats. Like Damani, a lot of people act like it was an overnight thing. That dude been grinding since like ’98. So it’s really motivating when you see somebody getting on. At the same token, there’s a lot of cats that I feel ain’t put in no work to deserve no video.



Dubcnn: Are you happy with radio stations and how they support their own scene?

Bigg Steele: Oh hell no. I’ma tell you like this, you got cats from radio stations that are not even from this area, they will tell you “Oh well, you gotta come with some shit, we won’t play the record if we see 300 spins on the record from every other station”. But they will bring some shit from Atlanta out here, and they won’t play us on the station. You got cats that got a lot of personal interest in projects. They not really helping to break the records. If you’re a West Coast artist and you go to radio, out here, they might play your record. Say Power 106 they play my record, DJ E-Man is a real good dude. But E-Man only gonna do so much, he’s not the program director. The DJ’s like Reflex, Coke-E, they’re all good dudes.

But the good thing about it is that there is so many other outlets to get your shit played. You ain’t really gotta fuck with radio to sell records no more. You got the internet, you got satellite radio. I ain’t gonna front, having radio helps you, but you ain’t gotta have it to make a living. I ain’t know about a C-Bo record on the radio, he always made a living. Too Short just started getting played on the radio, like in the past three or four years. And he’s been around for 20 something years! So as far as the radio, you got certain personalities that are dynamic. But they really need to have someone that’s into the local music, and not just everything else. Cause when you’re at a radio station you’re not supposed to be playing what you like, or what records you produced, or what you get a cut from. You’re supposed to play the hottest record, whether you like it or not!