WESTSIDE WAY F.K.A. CONWAY  (November 2006) | Interview By: Lil Jay

An almost forgotten talent on the West Coast is 24 year old Westside Way, who was formerly known as Conway. After getting dropped from Motown/Universal 2 years ago, the Los Angeles rapper went back in the independent game and played the background role. But he didn't let the drop stop him as he continued to hustle and record music on a non-stop basis.

Dubcnn re-introduced the Hip Hop world to Conway back in March [see: The Return Of Conway!] and we followed up with another update earlier this month with new music and info on the name change [see: New Exclusive Audio From Westside Way (aka Conway)]. As you can see, he's still at it while checking out these label deals on the table.

Dubcnn chopped it up with The Way to talk about his days on Motown, his unreleased album "How The West Was Won", leaving the label, his reaction after the drop, working on new projects, and much more. Hit the link to read the interview and to check out some exclusive tracks from Conway. Also be on the look out for an exclusive studio footage coming soon on Dubcnn.

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Related Media (Mentioned in/relating to the interview):

From Conway's Demo Tape (Pre-Universal):

Conway - Coneasy The Great

Conway - Haters

Conway - One Night


From his days on Motown/Universal

Conway - Nutcracka (Produced by Jonathan "J.R." Rotem)

Conway - Monsta Flow

Conway - Struggle (Produced by Jonathan "J.R." Rotem)

Conway Feat. Damizza - Best Of Me (Produced by Damizza)


After Motown/Universal:

Conway - Ba Dunk

Conway - I Stay High


Visit myspace.com/itsconway for more info

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Dubcnn: So it's been a minute since people heard of Conway. What happened to you?

Conway: Ultimately I got dropped from my label which was Motown/Universal. I got caught up in that whole major label thing and I was just one of them cats that was in the middle of his project and then when another person comes in they sweap off all the dust. You know how it goes.


Dubcnn: People still know you from the "Nutcracka" song. How big of an impact did that song have on your career back then?

Conway: Oh it was a big impact personally for me. Cause me coming from the streets and then going on the radio, that was life changing. That gave me hope. And it also made me believe that I can make the shit pop, they shouldn't have did that, they shouldn't have put me on the radio cause now I ain't gonna stop.


Dubcnn: Obviously it was more work than just that one song. How was the grind behind the scenes?

Conway: It was a hell of a grind. It wasn't believable to me before I got that deal. But it happened really fast, I was blessed I must say cause I ain't been doing it for this long. I'm only 24 now, I got signed when I was 21. I started taking rap seriously when I first got out of high school. So 3 years, and some people do this shit their whole life. And it was a personal grind that people didn't see. I mean I wasn't out there selling my mixtapes like a 50,000, but I was grinding in the studio non stop. Sometimes I didn't sleep for days at a time. So I feel like I put in my work. I'm not old enough to say I've been in for a decade, but it was a hard time grindin.


Dubcnn: I still got that demo you recorded which contained songs like "One Night" and "Coneasy the Great". That must have been 4 or 5 years ago.

Conway: Yeah, yeah! That was my first time in the studio. That was like one of my first 5 songs I've ever recorded. It was in my homeboy's garage. So that was like one of my first hits. I'm surprised you you know about that man! How you know about that?


Dubcnn: I think it was one of your people who put us on it. He was bigging you up and we did a write-up. We got our ear to the streets!

Conway: That's crazy cause that's too familiar right there. You pulled that one out the bag!


Dubcnn: I liked the songs though. They were hot, considering that it was your first time in the studio.

Conway: Yeah that was my first mixtape before the big label and everything, that's when it started. Done all out of my pocket.


Dubcnn: Your first big song was "Nutcracka". There were some people saying Dr. Dre produced it. How did that rumor get started?

Conway: Yeah that was my big radio hit, that's what I got signed to Motown/Universal for. But as for that Dre rumor, I don't even know how that started. It was some controversy going on. But J.R. did the beat. I don't know how the controversy started, but it kinda messed me up because Dr. Dre didn't do it. I don't know how he felt about that situation.


Dubcnn: They even spread that wrong information on Los Angeles radio stations.

Conway: Yeah, they were saying that. But you know, it is what it is. A lack of communication or what that was. But after that I followed up with my second single "Monsta Flow". And that was right around when the turmoil started. They were talking about artists leaving and that's when shit started to fall apart on Motown. They weren't really pushing me, but that's where the turmoil really started. But I don't think "Monsta Flow" should have been the second single. I couldn't win either way. And they should have gave me a video, cause visual counts. And that's what I haven't got yet. As of now I don't have a video. The feedback for "Monsta Flow" was good, but compared to "Nutcracka", it was nowhere near. "Nutcracka" is what we should have pushed. And there should have been a marketing move to have a video for that, because I was number one on Power 106 in Southern California, which is my home, all day. But we used bad marketing and a bad strategy, but I've learned from that and I know what it takes to make it in this game now.


Dubcnn: What's amazing to me is that so many people in California heard your song on the radio and still know it when they hear it, but when it comes to the visual, you're still new to most of them cause you're not really out there. So it's only the radio.

Conway: Right, but I feel like that can be a good thing, being that nobody seen me and I came out of nowhere. And to have that impact with your voice, to be able to have your whole region know you for that beat. I can put that beat on right now and people will know it and bang to that, but they never seen my face. So that right there in itself I think is a gift that shouldn't be not looked upon. Not to take nothing away from other artists, but others came in with a lot of co-signings. I came in the game with not one co-signing. And still no visual to this day. It's cool, I think it will be even better when I get my visual. Right now I'm in the process of getting a deal, I'm wrapping up my demo to shop around to the big labels. Plus I got this mixtape dropping called "Gramercy Gumbo".


Dubcnn: Do you think there is a negative side to it too when people only know your voice?

Conway: It can be a negative thing, but I think it was a unfinished thing. I look at it as a good thing, because most people can get a visual and talk, and they still don't get the impact. But I feel like I got both sides of the game cracking. I think it was a bad thing for them not to give me a visual, but it's a good thing knowing that people know me just of my voice. So they respect the talent, and originally Hip Hop is about rap. It shouldn't have nothing to do with a visual, it has to do with the words that you hear. So I feel like that's an accomplishment if anything else.


Dubcnn: What happened to the material that you recorded for the "How The West Was Won" album?

Conway: Well we recorded it but it never released, so I think Motown/Universal still got the rights to that material. They have that album, I don't know what they're gonna do with that. They might release it, they might not. But moving forward, I got hotter music and I'm a free agent. I'm about to go get a deal and make sense! I'm in the studio right now putting the finishing touches on this demo.


Dubcnn: You got anything on the table right now?

Conway: Ain't nobody throwing anything to me right now, but I got a situation with Capitol, I'ma see Def Jam, J Records. I'ma hit them all over the head and see what they wanna do. But I feel like I'm in the driver seat, I got my foot in the door. People know me opposed to somebody just coming off the street. I'll see how this works. And if that doesn't work, I can go independent too! The thing about these big labels, I mean I been on the label before so I feel like I've learned, you can be on the biggest label ever, but if they're not working for you it's like you're on the street anyway. I'm not too fixed with the prestige of these labels. I need somebody that has my same vision and be behind me. They have to work for me.


Dubcnn: Now that you're independent again, how has the process of recording changed?

Conway: When I was on my Motown/Universal deal, they never messed with my creative process. That's one thing I can say about Motown/Universal, they let me do my thing. It was the other part of the game that they probably feel short on, like the videos, the marketing strategies which was kinda lackluster. But on that particular level they let me do my thing and that was cool. Because it brings the best out of you when you're able to do it yourself and you're not being told what to do.


Dubcnn: A lot of times artists are in a messed up situation after they get dropped from a label. How did things go with you?

Conway: It was a cool drop, it was no bad blood. It is what it is, at the end of the day it still is a business. So I deal with the trials and tribulations of it. But it was cool, I'm not trippin.


Dubcnn: So from your experiences through these years, what's like the worst part of this music industry to you?

Conway: See, the worst part of the music industry is the way... I would say it like this: People tend to like hype. They like what everybody else like. You need a co-signing almost to do your thing on a grand scale in this game right now. It's so commercial, so watered down that you need to know somebody to get there. In the perfect world it wouldn't need that, it would be strictly about talent. So that's the only thing missing in the game, if you got talent you should be able to make it happen. Regardless of who you coming up with or who's your executive producer and all the things that really shouldn't matter.


Dubcnn: I mean you got on the radio with a number one hit without the big machine behind you. Not too many people are able to pull that off.

Conway: Yeah I pulled it off, so that's saying something man!


Dubcnn: How do you see a new artist's future in West Coast rap? Should new cats rely on the help from the vets in the game?

Conway: I mean everybody got their story, I'm Conway. I feel with my ability I can do it without anybody. Not to say that if this person does it with somebody just as a co-signing, that's cool man. Do your thing. Everybody has their own story. I say get your money and get there the best way you can do it. And I feel that I can do it with people or without. Some people don't need certain people to make it happen. But get it how you live, that's how you gotta do it. And just make good music too, don't lose that!


Dubcnn: As far as getting with other people, what's your track record so far? You did a song with Damizza.

Conway: Yeah I had a track with Damizza and I did a joint together with Butch Cassidy. But I pretty much didn't really do any features. That was my main thing on my "How The West Was Won" album, to give people more a personality of myself. A lot of these cats albums are flooded with features and they almost make it a compilation. My album should be personal, like "Who is this cat?". So from track 1 to track 15, after the last song they know who I am. So I wanted to have that feel, and that was the main reason why I didn't have too many features on it. You really have to be saying something for the listener to not be bored, and you have to be versatile too.


Dubcnn: So what kind of projects are you working on now?

Conway: I got the "Gramercy Gumbo" coming. It's like the average mixtape, 20-25 tracks with me over other people's beats. And I'm also working on my new album called "History In The Making". I'm in the process of making that now. And whatever big label I go to, we just gonna break bread and gonna make sense. So I'm just staying in the studio working!


Dubcnn: Who are some of the people you are networking with for your project?

Conway: I'm working with a producer named Sean Konnery, he did the "Ba Dunk" beat. I'm working with The Trendsetters, I worked with a singer named Mike Anthony, and another cat named Amadeus. As far as features, I'm gonna break that down. I feel like you gotta be someone with versatility and someone that I'm really feeling. It can't be just someone like "Hey, you're the top guy going, let's get it poppin". That's cool, but I wanna really feel the person to make good music. That's my first thing. So yeah, it will be features on there.