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Huge thanks to Bishop Lamont for taking time out to answer the
questions fans wanted to know!
(Interview was done by phone in October of 2004)
Questions Asked By : Nima
Bishop Lamont Gave Dubcnn.com A Shoutout! Check That
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Bishop Lamont Dropped A Verse! Check That
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Full Interview In Audio :
Here
(*right click on the link and then select Save As*)
dubcnn.com : The first time I really heard
you was on the True Crime soundtrack... Where are you from and How
long have you been rapping?
Oh man I'm from Carson, California, really born in Inglewood, I've
been all over the place. I've really been rapping since the age 12
or 13 man!
dubcnn.com : Who were your main influences?
Aw shit man, it's so many! I mean it came from all sides.. Starting
with The D.O.C., the Ice Cubes, Snoop Dogg, DJ Quik, MC Eiht, Big
Daddy Kane, Kool Moe Dee, Special Ed, Rakim, you name it! Biggie,
Pac, you know, it was all kinds of influences! I mean I still got
influences to this day, so it's just the mixture of all kind of dope
cats, you know what I mean?
dubcnn.com : How did you hook up to get on True Crime?
My boy Spencer, he hooked me up with Brian O'Reilly, who was on the
True Crime situation, and we just chopped it up over the phone, they
had heard about me and just gave me the shot! Came to the studio,
and you know, the rest is history as they say! That's how it went
down man, basically, came to the studio, heard some beats, and then
you had that lil commercial, and then I had a couple joints on the
video game! Much love to everybody over there for showin' me that
love!
dubcnn.com : Tell us about your label situation, are you
independent.. trying to get signed?
Independent. We got our own label called Vatican Records cause it's chuuch! We
doin' it independent, we got some labels buzzin', you know we got
the streets and the radio locked, and we just doin' it the right
way! That's the hardest way to do it but we doin' it how God wanted
us to do it which is the right way, so we just in these streets man!
dubcnn.com : Everybody these days seems to drop their own
mixtape... What about you?
Definitely, I've been doin' that! "Who I Gotta Kill To Get A Record
Deal?", hosted by DJ Rampage, it's been in the streets since last
year, it's got alotta buzz, got us alotta love out there, if you
ain't got it yet you can get it at indastreets.net! We got alot of
mixtapes man, whoever want me on a mixtape I'm on it so we just
knockin' mixtapes out, it's definitely helpin' to build up that
buzz, and toughen up your skills!
dubcnn.com : How would you describe yourself as a MC? How
would you definte your style?
Uhm, I mean it's the evolution of Hip-Hop and MC'ing, because it's
not like oh Bishop is a West Coast dude, or he's a East Coast dude,
it's just the fundamentals of having banging ass beats, I come from
the West Coast, you know, the street-edge, the rawness, the front,
but at the same time, it's the lyrical skill from the East Coast, be
able to kill it wit large words, or crazy styles, it's the best of
both worlds right here man! You got to be lyrical, East Coast
respect that, and West Coast niggaz respect it the same. That's me!
Everything inbetween!
dubcnn.com : What about a solo album, when are you trying to
release your debut?
Oh yeah man it's gonna be called "The Reformation", we just trying
to get this money right! But we looking at definitely next year man,
maybe the summer. I don't really wanna say too much, cause you know
the business is so crazy.. But definitely, it's coming, Bishop
Lamont, "The Reformation", it's about this West Coast movement, and
not just that, it's about this Hip Hop Movement, it's the New West
Order, it's the New World Order when it comes to this HipHop! So we
just gonna be doin' that and take it to the next level!
dubcnn.com : Which producers have you been or will be you be
working with on your record?
Oh same ones I've been workin' with now, of course Battlecat, DJ
Quik, Diverse, J. Wells, who did the "It's Bishop" record, Denaun
Porter, Hi-Tek, who else man.. This is all family, I put niggaz on
there that show me love, definitely Pete Rock, Swoop, Caviar, it's
gonna be alotta dudes on there! I'm definitely gonna fuck wit Mario
Winans, Timbaland, it's alotta dudes man. But it's just cats that I
respect and I got love for, that I wanna fuck wit! Blaqthoven,
alotta new producers too. It's gonna be hot dogg, I'm not really
into names, but I'm lookin' for niggaz that's right for me, so
that's alotta family right there! And it's alot that I can't think
of off hand, but it's gonna be dope.
dubcnn.com : Will you have any guest appearances on there?
You know what? That's a good question! Probably the only thing you
gonna see on there is my own crew, and maybe a people that I really
respect and admire in the game. Other than that, we just gonna keep
it me cause that's what people wanna see! If you want a compilation
album, then go make a compilation album. People wanna see a cat stay
on his own. Do your own hook, you can have somebody sing a hook here
and there, but they want niggaz to go from them, so primarily it's
gonna be me, and my crew WarDoggs, and whatever lil guest
appearances is on there, but basically it's gonna be me!
dubcnn.com : You're very confident on the mic, what do you
feel makes you stand out compared to other up and coming MC's?
That's a very good question dogg. It ain't confidence so much, it's
just that, I'm tellin' the truth man! It's nothin' else! It's just
me, I'm not trying to be nobody else, I'm just being me. I'm being
Bishop Lamont and I'm speaking from my heart, and I'm speaking what
I'm feeling, like it or not! You shouldn't appologize about the
truth, you should appologize about lies, but that's just me. And I
can't really compare myself to other artists because other artists
is gone do what they do, I don't know if they shit is actual facts
or not. But I can say that I'm about truth and I'm speaking from my
heart and I'm taking it from there. And I ain't scared of the
politics of the game and all this bullshit, cause that's just how we
do it! I'ma tell you the truth. I'm too humble to give niggaz
fantasies, and pump niggaz up on some fake shit, so I guess that's
the difference. You gonna hear alot of shit, but I'm gonna tell you
the truth. Straight up.
dubcnn.com : It's really hard to make it in this game,
specially on the West Coast. You got alot of independent artists
sellin' their lil 20,000-30,000 records making their paper but
nobody really major, on a major level. How do you think you're going
to make it? To get outside of Cali?
That's a very good question! It starts with.. It's like "Yo, Jay-Z,
is a universal artist" it's not like "Yo, you know he's from the
East Coast!". It's not just East Coast music, it's universal music.
The first step is not to regionalize ourselves. Yeah I'm from the
West Coast, but what I be kickin' on them records is for everybody!
So that's just the first step. Secondly, you gotta understand the
politics and the work ethics that's necessary to bring it up. And
the first one is that niggaz don't wanna fuck wit the West Coast.
Niggaz is shittin' on teh West Coast left and right. But at the same
time, niggaz is usin' our styles! Niggaz wanna gang bang, niggaz got
the lo-lo's, niggaz want the funk beats. Before, niggaz wasn't doin'
it like we was doin' it! Wit the fly beats, where shit was clean and
digitized. Now niggaz shit is polished, they got the nice videos,
they shop at the Beverly Center! So to understand that, you gotta
have the Best Of Both Worlds to take it to the next level. The game
requires more than just what they've always heard from the West
Coast, because gangbanging is not only exclusive to us anymore, pro
clubs, and converse, and whatever you wanna say, the chronic,
everybody can get that! So now you gotta come up on a whole new
level, than what you were comin' wit on the mic, or on the
productions. So it's a good thing, and I think that's what we workin'
on, we still perfectin' that, and that's what's gonna make us stand
apart, that we not just trying to sell right here in California,
right there in Seatlle, or wherever. We trying to go over the world,
you know what I"m sayin! On that universal level. And I think that's
what artists have to take into consideration. Stop thinking about
just your block, realize that just the block ain't gonna make you
platinum. Realize, one state ain't gonna make you platinum! It's
gonna take alot more cities alot more states. Straight up!
dubcnn.com : The internet is becoming a bigger and bigger
outlet for artists to promote themselves... what's your take on the
whole internet situation?
I love it! It's like this, I always have this conversation.
Everybody always talkin' bout the downsides, with everybody
downloadin' and bootleggin' and all that. It's a double edged sword.
And it's like "yo, artists out there, who got their Cd's for
$14-15,99 a CD..." $15 for kids who's parents are strugglin', is
alot. They can't give they kids money like that all the time to buy
these records, so it's beautiful how the internet started bootleggin'
shit, and niggaz can get it! Cause most of the time, if they like
it, they gonna try to buy it! I'm the same way, I'll still go buy a
CD I like. But if I don't I'll keep the money in my pocket cause
shit is so goddamn expensive!
On the flip side, the positive side, which is both sides is positive
to me, is that you can get so many more places! Cats is in Germany,
cats is in Japan, cats is in Greece, whereever the fuck, places I've
never been! But yet, my music reaches all over there, to these
individuals, who find out about me over the internet. You can build
a fan base here and abroad. It's a beautiful thing man, you can
connect with so many different people! I mean like, for example us!
Without the internet we wouldn't have this shit pop right now! SO
it's a blessing man! It's a gift and it's a curse, but for those who
understand how to use it it's a gift. I'm very keen on that, so this
is all to my advantage!
dubcnn.com : It looks like The Game will be the first artist
from the West to really get exposure in a long time, what do you
think of him?
Game is a cool cat! I know him pretty good now, he's a good dude.
He's got alot of pressure on his back, trying to do his thing out
there, much love to Black Wall Street! My boy Glasses Malone.. But
Game, he's doin' his thing, he's got alot of pressure on his back,
alot of high expectations, but I always say, just remember that he's
not the only cat on the West Coast! Don't put all that pressure on
his back! He's one dude, who's part of this movement. One man can't
speak for a movement by himself. He's one voice between plenty of
voices. Now give this dude a chance to rock and do his thing, and
we'll see what it does! I'm proud, he's one of the only dudes from
the West Coast with a major label deal and with a big buzz right
now, so all the cats on the West Coast and abroad, give dude a
chance to do what he does best, and we'll see what it is! And him
blowing, gives the rest of us an opportunity to get record deals,
just like my boy Guerilla Black, alotta niggaz are doing they thing.
You might not like it, you might like it. But if you wanna look at
it from a selfish stand point, if they blow, you have an opportunity
to blow! If they don't blow, there's no deals poppin' on the West
Coast! So I appreciate what they doin', givin' the West Coast
another chance, to bring the eyes back over here! So to the other
niggaz that might be bitter because they ain't got that, take that
as a signal, and go make your shit pop when the light is back over
here! And get your shine too!
dubcnn.com : Until your album comes out, what projects will
we be able to hear you on? Any feature spots?
Definitely! It's so many mixtapes man, I can't really say all the
names and stuff until it's final, because in this business, alotta
niggaz don't wanna pay you, and they be like fuck that, that shit
ain't comin' out. *laughs* Thayod Ausar doin' his thing, they the
cats who did "Buddy" and "Warrior" and alotta G-Unit stuff.. Xzibit,
he got a comilation comin' out and we on there, uhm, it's alotta
mixtapes, just did a joint for Havoc, it's alotta stuff, you can
always catch us on the mixtpaes poppin! Lotta songs... I just be
grindin' man! I don't wanna say anything before it happens! I wanna
give niggaz the truth and nothing but, you know what I mean? Believe
it!
dubcnn.com : I know you're cool with Mykestro, Battlecat's
lil brother, will you be working with him?
Oh of course! He's from the WarDoggs man, Battlecat, Mykestro, it's
so many cats that's all family! What we doin' on the West Coast is
unifyin' everybody! And those are the soldiers. I don't gotta fuck
wit a nigga cause I think he's dope, I'll fuck wit niggaz cause it's
family! That's what it's about. All we do all day long is keep
pushin' this West Coast thing. I mean it's niggaz from the East
Coast, South, alotta niggaz you gone see! Let me do what I do, I'm
puttin' on alotta niggaz!
dubcnn.com : Tell us abit about Crash & Indastreets.net,
since that's ya boy!
Yeah! It's all cats from Carson! I started rappin' wit him man, we
came together, he like the Master P of the hood in Carson! Cause it
ain't nothin' he ain't doin', you know what I'm sayin'? DVD's, you can get the albums, computers, whatever you trying to
do he can get it! That's my man, he's doin' it for years. He's been
doin' it forever, that's my right hand man right there! And he's
definitely doin' his thing and his shit is poppin'! I'm just happy
to see all my folks come up. Everybody that you seein' from the West
Coast know each other! Niggaz either went to High School together,
hang around the same muthafuckin' friends, or got the same bitches,
something like that! But it's all family! It's just my peers, and
it's bubblin'!
dubcnn.com : We appreciate you taking the time to answer our
questions, do you have any last words for the readers, anything you
wanna let them know?
Oh definitely man. From the bottom of my heart I appreciate all the
love and support that cats be givin' me, and lovin' the music, put
my name out there, comin' to the shows, it's just a blessing!
Secondly, it's alot more to see, don't ge it twisted and think that
that's all the West Coast got to offer, is one kind of genre of
music. It's alot of fly artists, it's alot of fly R&B, its alot of
fly Jazz, its alot of dope MC's. You gotta start brightening your
horizons, when it's comes to West Coast music. It's not just funk
and low-low's and switches, it's alot more fly shit out there
besides that! So you gone see, but just know that it's a new West
Coast movement, this shit is gonna be crazy. And I'm runnin' for
President, so vote for me! That's what's up!
Dubcnn.com Shoutout :
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Bishop Lamont Dropped A Verse! Check That
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Bishop Lamont
