Dubcnn: We're right here with Big Tone in the lab in Antioch, CA. We're here to talk about your new album, but first of all, for those who aren't aware of you (like myself up until recently), let us know about your movement, cause you've been around for a minute.

Big Tone: I've been doing it for a while, probably since around '03. I'm more on the underground, I don't really go out there and do too much promotion, I like to stick to my own little formula and make my tracks in my own studio and feed it to our followers. We've got a lot of loved ones and homies and homegirls that support us. Like I said I've been doing it since '03, sticking to the script, but this "From The Streetz of California" album is the first one where I'm trying to get exposed to another crowd and take it out there a little further and see what it do.

Dubcnn: What projects have we heard you on up until now?

Big Tone: The most well known one that put me on was probably what I did with my homeboy Woodie (Rest in Peace). He was doing this compilation called "Northern Exposure", a lot of people are familiar with those. He did about 6 or 7 volumes and Northern Exposure 5 was the first one he put me on and that's what started it for us. We had a really good following already, we had a distribution deal and once he put me on, it just took off from there, a lot of people caught on to what we were doing.

Dubcnn: You've got a strong and loyal following in the Latin community, doing car shows and lowrider shows and stuff like that. How did you get into that?

Big Tone: That's just the lifestyle we live, man. I grew up off of lowriding, living in an environment where there were a lot of homeboys, Northerners, whatever you want to say. That's my environment that I grew up with so that's the music I do. That's the stuff my people can relate to and it's just how we do. It's the life I live, we keep it 100 in our music and a lot of people can relate to what we're doing.

Dubcnn: On your new album "From The Streetz Of California" you said you want to broaden your sound and broaden your audience?

Big Tone: You know what, it ain't really about broadening the sound. I'm not switching up, I'm staying true to what I do. Maybe I cleaned it up a little bit more. But I'm trying to get exposed more, because I noticed that we got a lot of followers and a lot of times all it takes is for somebody to take the time to listen to it and it catches on, they like it and tell a friend who tells a friend. Like I said, we've kind of been stuck in a box because we don't really do too much promotions, I've been sticking to the same crowd, but this time I reached out to a couple of different avenues man, to see what it does. But it ain't really changing the music, I'm just trying to get out there further for more people to listen to it.

Dubcnn: You also have a couple of collaborations on the album. Who did you work with on this one?

Big Tone: On this one, I felt like I'm in a position to keep putting my own people on. I didn't really reach out to too many other well known names, I just stuck with my own team. My boy Shadow of course, he used to be one of Woodies' artists. My new artist Laced, he's got a lot of things going for him right now, people are adopting him really well. My homeboy Chingaso, my other homeboy Johnny Boy from my set, Tito B, Doonie from the Federation, my boy B-Dawg from East Co.Co records and my homegirl Priscilla Valentin, she's a vocalist and I've got her on a couple of hooks.

Dubcnn: When is the album coming out?

Big Tone: May 17th, available everywhere, iTunes, all the digital retailers. Go download it, slap it on your iPod. And if it's not in your retail store, go request it! Some of these old dudes might not know who we are and they might overlook us, so unless you go request it, they're not gonna buy it or stock it up. So go request it so it can get on the shelves!

Dubcnn: You mentioned Woodie earlier, Rest in Peace. He was the first artist from your city Antioch that I heard about. What was your relationship with him?

Big Tone: It wasn't much of a relationship until I got a little older. I was the little homie and he was with the older generation in the hood. We kind of knew each other through the streets and ran into each other a couple of times. I was more of a fan than anything, cause I used to slap his music all the time. When I decided to dabble into the music and I met my producer, we kind of just started doing it. Just like everyone else, we had hopes and dreams, a little studio, made a couple of tracks. Woodie liked it and slapped me on his Northern Exposure and from there on, we took it from there.

Dubcnn: I see you got the picture of you and him right there.

Big Tone: Anybody who listens to me knows I always acknowledge my homie. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't be where I am, he helped me get my foot in the door, off top. I never forget where I come from. All day, that's my loved one, rest in peace to him.

Dubcnn: What's your personal goal with your music, where are you trying to take your career?

Big Tone: You know, my dreams are more reality bro, I'm just trying to live good. We've been through so much drama, I lost too many friends in this game. Anybody who has lived this lifestyle knows, there's a lot of negativity that comes with it, so what I'm trying to do is make something positive for me and my team. My dreams are to live good, ball with my folks, have a good time and enjoy myself. Life's cheap, too many people are gone, but we're still ticking, the last of a dying breed. Just live a good life man, that's my goal.

Dubcnn: Before we get out of here, go ahead and promote the record one more time.

Big Tone, "From The Street of California", May 17th, go download it, iTunes and all digital retailers. Get it in your local stores, we'll be making a lot of moves up here in Northern California. So if you see me in the wind, come holler at your boy!