C-BO(June 2012) | Interview By:
Javon Adams
C-Bo is legendary on the Left Coast for his ability to spit well
crafted reality rhymes. Dubcnn recently caught up with the critically
acclaimed veteran most recently hailed for his guest appearance on E-40’s
Block Brochure project.
C-Bo talks about his approach to recording, how the Block Brochure
opportunity came about and whether or not folks every try to put him to the
test while he is onstage at a show. Orca is the project that C-Bo talks
about and how he plans on remaining in your eardrums for the foreseeable
future. Take a few minutes to get to know C-Bo.
Dubcnn: Yo, Javon here with…legend…I’m not going to say West Coast legend,
we’re just going to say legend in the world of rap and Hip Hop. It’s the one
and only C-Bo. How are you doing?
C-Bo: I’m doing good man. I’m alright.
Dubcnn: I wanted to start off the conversation and ask you…I told a
couple of my potnas that I was going to be talking to you and they starting
listing all of your older stuff. I’m talking about Gas Chamber and ‘Till the
Casket Drops…and I wanted to ask you, the first time that you ever sold a CD
or the first time you sold out a show or starting getting hit up for
features…talk about that feeling. Talk about from back then and in terms of
now. Talk about that feeling of your music being appreciated.
C-Bo: Well, it was a great thing. It was good that I was accepted as a new
artist that did good music. As soon as I was able to get to the city all the
cars riding down the street would be playing my music. So it put me in a
position where I dreamed to be. You know what I mean?
Dubcnn: Along the way, often times when you are trying to make a
dream come true sometimes there are stumbling blocks. The type of music that
you do is more hardcore or more reality rap. Do you ever find that you’re
onstage and you are just trying to perform your music and people try to
cross over and test you in certain ways? To try to see if you are really
what you say you are all about. Do you find that people try to cross that
line during the course of your career and try to test you?
C-Bo: There’s been a few times and I always try to see if it’s real or not.
But I’ve had a few situations and I’ve always come out victorious. *laughs*
Dubcnn: I hear you.
C-Bo: I ain’t frontin’ either. They know what’s going on with me.
Dubcnn: And when I say this…I do a radio show on Dubcnn called
Microphone Masters and my co-host and I talk about this…do you find the
opportunity to just relax and just be C-Bo and not always having to be ‘on’
and an entertainer…and I’m not trying to say that you are fake by any means.
I’m not saying that but the difference when you are entertaining and onstage
to relaxing and chillin’ with your boys…do you find that you always have to
be ‘on’ so to speak. Like if you run into a fan and they say, ‘Yo, I
remember you from this and you have to get into that entertainer mode.
C-Bo: Well, I’m just myself and I’m always myself. I’m a mellow
dude. I don’t really talk a lot. I’ve been through a lot so it’s not like I
jump back into an entertainer because I just do me. I respect everybody
until I feel that you don’t deserve my respect. So I talk to anybody. I talk
to everybody. I treat people how I want to be treated.
Dubcnn: I hear you. Now speaking of being respected, you are on that
new E-40 Block Brochure. I know you are on Hittin’ A Lick but I forget which
disc. I wanna say 3…the song stands out and I have been hearing people that
really love your verse. How did that guest appearance come about? And talk
about the reception that you are getting from that high profile feature on
40’s album.
C-Bo: Well, you now 40 is like my cousin and he said, ‘I need you on a
record.’ So he sent it and I blessed it. I’ve been hearing a lot of good
response and they liked how I got down on there. But I’m gonna do me. I’m
gonna do me every time.
Dubcnn: I wanted to ask you this…as talented as you are, and I want
to talk about projects that you have upcoming but an opportunity like this
when you have even more awareness raised for you does that put any pressure
on you to put out a project quicker than you anticipated because of the good
reception that you are getting? Or do you just continue as you said and
just, ‘Do You’ and let things happen in their natural way?
C-Bo: Yeah, exactly. I’m gonna…I’m raised in the streets so that’s all I
know. And that’s all I can give ‘em. I do me…I try to switch up a little
bit. I went to the South and messed around out there with Pimp C and got my
swag, you know what I’m sayin’?
*laughs*
C-Bo: But, you know it’s all West. That what we are really getting back to,
the basics. Everybody is trying to copy styles so you gotta switch up and
stay ahead of these dudes or they’ll all sound like you.
Dubcnn: That’s true. So you have been doing the independent thing
for awhile. Talk about what people should be expecting and what is on the
radar for fans of C-Bo and ones that are just introduced to C-Bo. What do
you have upcoming and what do you have out now that people can be expecting
to check out?
C-Bo: Well, I got the new album called Orca: The Killer Whale of the Hood. I
got a lot of features on there like MC Eiht, WC, Paul Wall and a lot of
people…I gotta get my list *laughs*. But I got a lot of people on there like
my regulars Killa Tay, Marvaless, Lunasic, Dre’s artist Slim the Mobster. He
blessed a track for me. It’s a nice record…and it’s street, you know what
I’m saying?
Dubcnn: When you go in…your recording process are you always
recording? Or is it that you say, “Now I’m going to go in and start
recording and figure out the process.” What is that like for C-Bo?
C-Bo: Can you repeat that?
Dubcnn: When you go in to record a project do you start from scratch
to figure out what you are going to do or are you just always recording and
pull things together and say this fits the idea that I have in mind?
C-Bo: I start from scratch a lot. Sometimes I’m just in there
recording and I might have some stuff from when I was not even working on a
record. You know? I’m just in there working.
Dubcnn: So, you’ve been in the game for awhile…and when I ask this
question I’m not trying to tell you to exit at all. But do you see yourself
doing this for awhile or taking more of a background approach? Is there an
exit strategy or will we be hearing C-Bo for many years to come?
C-Bo: Yeah, you’ll be seeing me for a minute. You know, me and Brian Hicks
just shot a movie. It’s called Corruption and its in editing (stage) so we
are working on that and trying to get that out there. I’m trying to get into
this movie thing to and I’m also really finding some artists that can follow
in my footsteps.
Dubcnn: The movie game compared to the rap game…are there some
different obstacles to overcome to get things accomplished on the movie
side? What type of challenges are there when you compare?
C-Bo: Well, you know it’s different…I’m writing my lyrics so I know them but
somebody else is writing the script and I gotta learn that. *laughs* But
making a movie is fun. It’s a fun thing to be in and I’m going to be in that
for a minute. That’s where I’m headed. Get everything locked down in the
movies, man.
Dubcnn: I like that. So let the folks know…I know you’re active on
Twitter and everything so let folks know how they can stay in touch with
what’s going on with C-Bo. Any last words for Dubcnn.com?
C-Bo: They can follow me on
Twitter my facebook is my real name, Sean Thomas. If you put my
name in you’ll see the C-Bo thang. We’re just staying active. I’m going to
stay active for a minute. It’s the new beginning man.
Dubcnn: I like that. As a matter of fact we are going to do a part
two to this in the near future so I’m going to hold you to that.
