Candyman 187(August 2011) | Interview By:
Javon Adams Candyman 187 stands on his talent
and his ability to tap into the emotions that we all go through: hope,
hopelessness, happiness and pain. Dubcnn.com sat down with the up and coming
West Coast rhyme spitter to talk about the impact he hopes to make on all
that listen to his music, enjoying the process as he works towards his goal
and the redundant questions that he has to answer in each interview. Yes, we
talk about his connection to the legendary 2Pac but Candyman 187 sets the
record straight once and for all.
One thing is for certain, Candyman 187 is not here because of who he was
fortunate enough to have met. He is here as a result of his love of music,
hard work and dedication. Period.
Take a few minutes to learn about this
gentleman and for those would be emcees pay careful attention to the end of
the interview as there is an opportunity to
win $3,000 in conjunction with Dubcnn!
Dubcnn: Dubcnn: Javon, with Dubcnn.com. I have the pleasure of hooking up
with a gentleman…having a conversation with Candyman 187. What’s going on
with you man?
Chilling my brotha. How are y’all doing?
Dubcnn: Man, I’m doing cool. I was looking forward to chopping it up
with you a little bit because its always cool to catch up with somebody that
is really starting to build some momentum and more awareness being raised
about them. One of the things that I came across when I was doing my little
research on you man is that you said you want your music to make an impact.
What does having an impact really mean to you? Can you talk about that?
Man, basically its music that everybody can feel…make an impact as far as
going through something good or bad or negative, you know good days or bad
days it doesn’t matter. Let them feel like they are a part of something and
like things will be ok for a second. Or just let them disappear in their own
head with the music and kinda just vibe to it and figure out whatever it is
that they are going through whether it is heartbreak, emotional problems or
problems with your parents or problems in life…you know, or if it’s just
some street sh*t. Whatever it is, I just want to make music that connects to
people and makes people want to get up and do something.
As far as making an impact, just better themselves and better those around
them. Just better their situation in general no matter what it is. No matter
where you’re at in your life you can always do better and that is what I
hope to get across with the music is to stop settling for what you got.
Strive for something better. Strive for more. And no matter how much people
think that you can’t do it there is always a way to do it. There is always a
possibility and I’m hoping that people, through my music can see the
possibility of the possibility of them doing something to better themselves.
Dubcnn: Ok. Now, I want you to think back a little bit…back in the
day or just when you listen to an album and you would wonder, ‘Wow, what is
the concept of this album? Why did they come up with those things?’ (When
you would ask yourself) what is the sound and what makes an album something
that you would play over and over again. So, as you are thinking about that
I want you to think what is your sound. The reason I ask that is because
when I was sampling a couple of your songs when I was going to youtube and
some other things I heard some songs that had a harder edge to it and some
songs, like the one that has Snoop Dogg that has more of a techno/electro
type of feel to it. So what is Candyman’s sound?
Man, well it’s very versatile. To be honest with you when I approached this
album I felt it was a lot different then what a lot of artists approach
their albums as. And it is one of the reasons it took me so long to be in
this position to put the music out and get the buzz I’m getting and get the
label supporting things like that. The reason being is because I kind of
approached it from a ‘This is Me’ perspective.
I don’t wake up everyday thinking that it’s a beautiful day but on the same
hand I don’t wake up thinking that it’s a bad day. I’ve always said this,
when people talk about the hood you always hear one extreme or the other.
You either hear about the thugism or the gangster sh*t and you know killing
people or you hear about the gangbanging…or you’ll hear that in the hood
we’re so close. But it’s a little bit of everything because growing up in
the hood there was some good to it and some bad to it. I was talking to my
homeboy about this earlier and I said, ‘Man, you remember them sugar syrup
sandwiches?’ Because we would put sugar in sandwiches and put syrup in
them…but it’s those little things, like your neighbors and the whole family
environment and all those things. For me, all of that is a part of me and I
wanted the album to express that to you. So, like you said you’ll see songs
that have a harder edge to them and other songs that are very laid back and
very smooth. There are songs that are about change, songs about trying to
better myself and those around me and then there are songs that I say ‘f*%k
everybody’ and that…and I always said I wanted to be one of the most
vulnerable artists out there as far as with my audience.
I want my audience to feel that they can relate to me and not say, ‘Oh my
god that’s Candyman, I want to take a flick.’ I’d rather them say, ‘Let’s
smoke a square and talk about life and what’s going on.’ And that’s how I’ve
always felt. Even at my shows…when I do a show I jump off stage and hang
with the audience afterwards. I don’t go back to the green room. I hang out
and drink and kick it with everyone that is there because I feel that these
are my people so how can I be scared to kick it with my people. And that is
really how I put the album out…I’m a very bi-polar individual to a certain
extent. I have a few sides to me and I’m almost schizo and you see all sides
of me on the album. You deal with the good and the bad, the ups and the
downs of my whole life. The past 15+ years are put into this album and you
are in for a roller coaster ride with a whole lot of turns but its fun.
One of the songs I even start off with, ‘Come follow me through the mind of
a madman…’ and that is kinda what it is. I feel like it’s a journey through
my mind’s eye. It’s very honest and its very real and at times I have people
look at me and ask if I really want to put that on a track and I say, ‘Why
not?’ I’d rather people see the real me instead of all this media faked out
about who I could be type of image.
Dubcnn: I hear you. When you were answering that question it made me
think…I’m re-reading a book called ‘Do You’ by Russell Simmons and one of
the things he talks about is focusing on the process and enjoying the
process instead of just looking at the goal. So as your starting to get more
notoriety are you enjoying the process? Are you taking time to enjoy what
you’re doing like the interviews and the shows and all of these things as
your getting closer to your end goal?
You know, I was taught at a very young age to make the best of what you got
and enjoy it. I was told to live the best life you could and that is what
I’m trying to do. I may not always be happy and I may not always be ecstatic
about what’s going on and at times I may be real happy but I try to live
life for the moment and live it as best I can. I try to do what I can for
the moment…I mean, I’m making music and that is what I wanted to do with my
whole life. I mean I can’t complain too much because it’s better than
hustlin’. I kinda had A and B and I’m going with B now and I’m happy about
it.
Dubcnn: I hear you. Now, we were kind of off the record earlier and
having a conversation about some of the things and questions that you have
to endure as you continue to raise awareness and spread the word about
yourself. Now, do you ever feel that because of some of your connections
that unrealistic expectations are placed upon you? Or how do you feel about
that? How do you handle it? How do you refrain from yelling and saying,
‘Stop asking me those damn questions!’ Talk about that.
Well, basically it’s no secret that Pac was family to me. He and Khadafi
raised me. It gets to a point where every interview I do comes down to, ‘You
and 2Pac! You and 2Pac this, you and 2Pac that’.
Dubcnn: Right
And what I feel like when I do these interviews…and even the interviewers,
you gotta do your job so you have to take what you feel is the most
entertaining or relevant part of the interview. At this part of my career it
seems to be the Pac story. And what happens is you keep doing these
interviews and it’s just, ‘Pac, Pac, Pac’ and then fans start saying that
I’m trying to ride off of Pac’s name. They think I’m trying to make a living
off of Pac. And people who really know me will tell you the exact opposite.
Me and 2Pac and Khadafi had our relationship and that’s what it is. That was
our relationship. Those are like brothers to me and I would die for them
just as they would have for me. Not a moment goes by that I don’t miss that.
Not a moment goes by where I don’t wish that I could bring him back. I’d
give all of this up in a heartbeat if I could but I can’t.
I feel like sitting there and talking about it constantly doesn’t help the
situation. So it puts me in a situation where (they ask questions like) ‘How
did you meet him? What did y’all do?’ And I’m thinking, ‘Didn’t you read the
past 15 interviews?’ because they all ask the same questions
*laughs*
I’ll even tell the journalist sometimes…I’ll say, ‘Man, do you really want
to be another one of the 20 interviews that’s out that ask the same
questions?’
Dubcnn: Exactly
But media is the media and they are going to run with what they like. But to
answer your question about how I deal with it…I just let it be. As you said,
usually off the record I will have a conversation with the person
interviewing me and let them know that I would like to avoid those questions
and how that would be awesome and to avoid the typical interview. Sometimes
they will (respect my request) like you are and some say they’ll avoid them
and then the whole interview will be about Pac.
And I’m going to clarify with you and probably the last time I will do so in
an interview…it’s not that I don’t want to take pride in who Pac was to me.
It’s not that I don’t want to talk about my connection to them. I want
people to know who Candyman 187 is. I want people to know who I am and what
I stand for. Like, until they get to know that (I feel) that all that extra
sh*t doesn’t matter. Because once they get to know me and the person I am
they are going to know that.
The way I feel, I would rather somebody pick up my record and they really
felt what I was doing and then (realize later) that I happened to be around
Pac. Not the other way around. I don’t want to be that dude and I don’t feel
that he (Pac) would want me to be that dude.
Dubcnn: I hear you. And I didn’t even expect you to go into that
great of detail because I was trying to respect your wishes. *laughs* So
speaking of that, let’s put the spotlight back on you man…let folks know
when they can expect the album, what’s going on and how they can stay in
touch with Candyman 187 so you can continue to build your fanbase. The floor
is yours.
I appreciate it. Well, the album…we’re looking at a September drop. As of
now, we are in the studio as we speak. I actually just took a break from
that to do the interview. I have Meech Wells, SoulMechanix, Skip Taylor,
Shock G and a couple of big people producing on the album. It’s a really
dope album…I’m doing a double album. And the reason for that…everybody is
asking me why I would do a double album as my first album because it is
risky. But I tell people that I’m not meant to be here. (Given all the stuff
I went through) I wasn’t supposed to be here. All of the stupid things I did
in my life…God blessed me to be standing here today. My whole life has been
a risk so why stop now? Let’s make the best of it. Like you said earlier, am
I having fun and really living it up? To me, this is living it up. Going out
and putting out a double album of beautiful music that they can relate to
and still go to the club and dance then come home a listen and really feel
and be in tune with is what I want to do.
The album is looking like a first or second week of September drop. We are
basically locking ourselves in the studio for the next 2 ½ to 3 weeks and
knocking out 24 songs. Then get it mixed and mastered and out there. The
title, as of now is ‘If Tomorrow Never Comes’. I came up with that after
talking to my mom and she told me that all of us boys lived a life like
there was no tomorrow and I told her that tomorrow was never promised to us
so we have to do the best for today. So if tomorrow never comes…that’s what
I feel like our youth is going through. We are all so busy chasing the pain
but we are all dealing with it whether its through drugs, drinking, music or
whatever your outlet may be. Everybody is trying to get away or get to the
pain. That’s an underlying concept of my album: hope, hopelessness,
happiness and pain. I feel like those are four concepts like love and
heartbreak that everybody deals with.