FLIXX  (November 2006) | Interview By: Inspire

      

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Interview was done by phone in October 2006.

Questions Asked By: Inspire

Flixx gave Dubcnn a shoutout! Check That Here

Full Interview in Audio: Here

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Dubcnn: Many readers may remember you from last year, but for those who don’t, can you tell us about yourself and about who you are and what you are doing right now?

Well, I’m from Gardena, California – that’s pretty close to Compton, Watts and Inglewood. Everything is pretty close out there, for those who live in L.A. But me being from Gardena, I’m really trying to put my city on the map as being one of the major players on the coast that is contributing to what is going on out there. Compton’s done held it down for a long time, with N.W.A and Eazy, and Inglewood with Mack 10 and with Watts with Spider Loc and G-Unit, Gardena was kind of left out in the whole scene of things, we wasn’t getting shouted out on the radio either, you know so – I had to talk about Gardena and Gardena lifestyle, its all about us!


Dubcnn: And how did you come up with the name, “Flixx”?

Flixx? *laughs* That name was given to me in the 8th grade when I was going to Henry Clay Junior High School, by a close friend of mine, we were always into the magazines, like the Playboys, the hustlers always had one on me, so Flixx is actually short for Porno Flixx.


Dubcnn: *laughs* Cool. Okay, last year you released your debut album, “Politics and Pimpin’”, how did you feel that it was received, locally and online?

Well, locally it was received, it was huge locally, my city really gave me love for the song “The Hood”, I shot my video in the right there at Riley Park, which is right across the street from where I grew up at, so a lot of guys turned up for that, and on the internet, along with Dubcnn’s support, man, Westcoast2k.net, everybody, from putting me out like that – I got a lot of positive feedback, and that gave me more motivation to keep it moving and move on to the next project, so I was satisfied by the outcome of it, you know? Getting that name out there and I think folks know I’m here thanks to you guys and I really appreciate it and all the support I got out there on those forums.


Dubcnn: Yea and you shot a video for “The Hood”, what pushed you to make the video?

Well you know, I wanted to do something different, I know a lot of guys are coming out with a lot of Mix tapes and a lot of albums, I figured that if I wanted to set myself aside from all the guys who have major deals or doing things larger than what I thought I was, I had to shoot a video and get a visual about how I was doing it, how it was going on and I had to take every step possible and had to make this project as entertaining as possible. And as a matter of fact I just shot another video for “Ride Nigga’s”, you know what I’m saying? So I’ll be shooting that to you guys soon!


Dubcnn: You released the smash single, “The Dub”, which was produced by J. Well’s, how did that relationship come about?

Well I’ve known J. Well’s for a long time, i've always believed in his production and always believed that he was one of the hottest producers on the west coast, and got a lot of cats sleeping on and I see big things coming from. I met him through an associate of mine, my folks D.E.X who put me in to this game and took me out there and showed me what it was all about, going out of the trunk of your car, selling your records and getting your name out there and getting your street buzz going on. I met J. Well’s in the studio with him, I got familiar with his beats and went out there on one of J. Well’s earlier projects, Huh, Huh, all the CD’s he had back in the day and I was a real big supporter of his and when it finally came time for me to finally grab a mic, he blessed me with a track man, I sat up all night and came up with some fire for it and the city of Gardena.


Dubcnn: Was it because of him that you released an album rather than a mix tape? Because we know a lot of artists tend to release mix tapes rather than albums, or was that your own decision?

Well it’s the upbringing I had in the business, my cuzz DEX, I figured that I’m trying to set myself aside from the normal, I figure if I’m going to have any kind of name and really achieve this plan I have of putting the city on the map, I have to drop an album officially, drop an album – try to do it like Too $hort, you know? Ten CD’s plus – I have to let these guys know im serious and keep giving it to them, and giving and giving until they cant get no more. I featured a lot of my friends on my first album because I have a label, “Infirmary Records”, that’s me, my brother and my lawyer, we run the label together. “Bobby Bang”, my main man “Young Ant”, “Q-Ball”, my brothers from Gardena, “J. Capone”, “Spliff”, my Alkaholik homie “Stylistic Jones”, I got him on the record, I’m just putting out a lot of fire out there to let them know how many people I’m out there really touching.


Dubcnn: Yeah, so are you going to put out a mix tape or is it strictly albums in the future?

Oh yea! I will definitely put out a mix tape, matter of fact right before I put out my next album I was intending to put out a mix tape to pump up the album, “More Politikz and More Pimpin’”, that’s whats coming. There is a lot of beats out there that I want to play with, that i'm really a fan of – but i'm really more so believe in dropping an album and be original


Dubcnn: Yeah, because the mix tape scene at the moment is pretty played out..

Yeah.


Dubcnn: In your eyes, was the album a success?

Oh definitely the album was a success, I put everything I had in to it, that was my brain child, it started out as an idea on a piece of paper, I worked hard everyday, at the end of the day with Dubcnn, just throwing that single out there and giving me some fans, that made my whole year and with that I was able to make a lot of moves, I closed a distribution deal for the album and got it out there nationally, I got a couple of songs on some compilations that are coming out this year, “The best of the south”, I went on tour throughout the South off that album “Politiks and Pimpin’”, got “The Dub” on another compilation coming out called “Best of the West”, in January – a three disk CD set, so most definitely, I’m definitely eating off Politiks and Pimpin’, it was a start and gave me a big push to continue doing what I’m doing, I’m also out starting my down South section of my label, Infirmary Records South, and I got my artist Tyme Bomb, and I’m able to give this guy an opportunity out here, because I got this distribution deal going on independently so the album was a definitely a success, all day long – I didn’t have very much money to start off with and make this thing happen, I took everything I had an invested in to it so at the end of the day it’s a success, fo’ sho.


Dubcnn: Okay, and since the album has dropped what have you been working on? Trying to get the label off the ground?

Oh definitely trying to get the label off the ground, just got off tour, while I was on tour I was recording joints for More Politiks and Pimpin’, I hooked back up with J. Wells and got him to do some productions for the album again, I met a lot of new cats, Organised Noise, you know? Shout out to my man Kurupt, he’s like a big time mentor of mine, gives me a lot of good advice on what I need to do to keep this ball rolling, my boy Roscoe. So there are a lot of things going on that’s positive, so getting the label off the ground and getting the new album out probably the beginning of next year, and keep this thing pushing.


Dubcnn: Tight. We're aware that you’ve been working with southern artists; can you tell us any information on this?

Fo’ Sho, all throughout the state of Alabama you know, that’s where my family is originally from, my parents moved to L.A in late 1960’s, and that’s where I was born and raised, but the majority of my family live in Alabama, so when I was out there I hooked up with the artist “Tyme Bomb”, I hooked up with a lot of local artists,  “Dirty”, he was to Universal for a while – currently with Rap-A-Lot, “Deuce Conrad’s”, “Small Time Ballers”, in Huntsville, Alabama my boys VSOP, shouts out to them – they were on tour with me, out here in Atlanta, Georgia, “Trill Town Mafia”, they hooked up with Rap-A-Lot and hooked up with my boys out there in Mack Town, Georgia, “Southern Chaos” – that’s my homeboys, I was on tour with them, so I worked with so many guys here down South, I knew I forgot some guys because there’s so many people out here putting it down and showing me dirty South love you know? I just want everybody to know that I’m showing some love and I appreciate it, because I’ma damn sure bring it back to the West and represent for them.


Dubcnn: Yeah. We know you said still got a relationship with J. Wells, will you be on his next album, “Digital Smoke”?

Well right now were still working on that, were going to see what we can do, there’s a good possibility, because he already pretty much had finished it while I was on tour, so I’m still going to try and get something cracking, but if not you can look forward to “More Politikz, More Pimpin’”, were always going to be doing something together and keeping it cracking, but I want to be out there promoting just the same man, I got his back 110%.


Dubcnn: Okay, and who else have you been working with lately in the game, in or around the studio?

Oh I’ve been hooked up with so many folks man, L.A Zuu, out there in L.A, I got my man ?? from ?? supporting me out there, showing me love – looking to work with him. The gangsta from The Conrad’s, Big Wy from The Relatives, looking to work with him – a lot of cats out there making noise. Bishop Lamont, shouts out to my boy – looking forward to his album coming out, looking forward to working with him, we have some things in the works. Sytlistic Jones, Liquid Crew representing, looking to work with him and do some things with him. J. Capone, my Gardena brother, always. Were going to keep this thing popping!


Dubcnn: Cool, and will you be on any projects being released in the near future?

Oh yeah, all this stuff I’ve been doing down South on this little ambassador I’ve been on, I’ve got so many projects I’m going to be on out here, my boy Southern Chaos out there in Georgia, on their project and they got a DVD out there that’s coming out called “Heavyweights”, so look out for that real soon, that’s coming out through a label of his I believe and ill be on that, this album called “Best of the West” I told you about, I’m going to have a couple of tracks on that, along with “the dub”, that’s in January right there. Really I’m just working hard on getting More Politikz, more Pimpin’ done, I dropped that [Politikz & Pimpin’] in January ’05, so im going to give them a new record A.S.A.P.


Dubcnn: Okay and has there been any interest in any major label deals in the past 12 months or are you focusing on your own?

Well me, I really haven’t been going out of my way to shop my music to the majors just yet, im really just trying to take my time with the independent part of it first, build up my label and get some albums under my belt, get some things done. I really want to get some things done before I present myself to the world, but probably when I put out this album [More Politikz, more Pimpin’], I’m probably going to want to do a little bit more with this one than I did with the last one, because I had a couple of albums and the first one was part of a group I worked in called “Hostile Zone”, me and my partner C.E.S had an album called “Westcoastin’” that we put together, then I went solo and did this album “Politikz, more Pimpin’”, he got his record coming out real soon too, and we got to get back and work on that, and hostile zone will probably be doing another album soon too because we got a high demand and homies are hitting us up saying do another record, so there’s a lot of things going on – but you cant forget about the Hostile Zone, the Hostile Zone is still poppin’, its still West Coastin’ all day.


Dubcnn: Okay, and how has the internet helped you with your development and promotion as a new artist would you say?

Oh it’s definitely helped me man! Dubcnn.com! I’m a major supporter of the website, i've seen it grow over the years to being a major player in the game of putting people out there like that, and I will always hit you up and try to holla at you guys and get my peers to promote their music with you. Being able to go on the forums and discuss on what you think about other folks music, being able to link up and find out where you can go and purchase the product, it’s all so lovely for people like me who are not being solicited by a major to go out and do your thing anyway, and prove yourself, do your damned thing, being able to run your business without all the set-backs on being signed to a major can bring, so it’s really a help with all the ring tones, myspace, all this stuff that’s going on now – it’s a beautiful thing!


Dubcnn: What made you approach Dubcnn last year to promote your materials?

Oh man, I was a lifelong fan: number one – from day one I’ve always sent Dubcnn E-Mails, I didn’t know who I was talking to but I would always talk to somebody and let them know I was out there! And finally one day I got a hit back when I sent “The Dub” in, you know? My man was like, “dog, look for it! I’ma post you up!”, I woke up the next morning and looked and there it was – my city was jumping like immediately after that. You guys gave me a major push, and I appreciate that.


Dubcnn: Cool. Where do you see yourself in ten years time?

Ten years time?! Man hopefully, 50 million records sold! Gardena on the map – all day long, and if all the guys out there are supporting me and all the albums were working on have the same success as the rest of them, because it’s a movement, its not just me. I’m not really feeling this whole idea, like the New West thing they’ve got going on right now because there’s so many people who get left out when you say something like that.


Dubcnn: Yeah. Okay, do you have any last words for the fans? A website or a Myspace they can visit?

Oh, most definitely – myspace.com/pflixx – I got my videos posted up there, I’m going to post my “Ride Niggaz” video up there, and send the video your way. I appreciate everybody out there showing me love on the dub, the hood and bullshit. Shouts out to [inaudible] my other producer who shows me love on his tracks, your going to see him on the next record – Dogg Pound, Alkaholikz, Wolfpack, my main man Q-Ball all day, they holding me down, D.E.X, the whole West Coast – Dubcnn.com, it’s all ready – you know!