GLC  (August 2006) | Interview By: Inspire

      

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Interview was done by phone in July 2006.

Questions Asked By: Inspire

GLC gave Dubcnn a shoutout! Check That Here

Full Interview in Audio: Here

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Dubcnn: Just to get started off could you introduce yourself to the fans that might not be familiar with your work, tell them where you're from and what the name GLC stands for?

What’s up y'all, my name's GLC, I was featured on both of Kanye West's albums, I was on the College Dropout Album on a record called "Spaceship". I was on the Late Registration album on a record called "Drive Slow." GLC that's me man I'm the Gangsta L Crisis, it's just my story, my life and who I am all wrapped up into one. GLC I give it to you on the raw, Aight?


Dubcnn: How did you first hook up with Kanye West?

Man I hooked up with Kanye back in '93 through a mutual friend we both know the same dude, he went to my school at first then he transferred to Kanye's school, they went to elementary school together and then we hooked up through this guy that we both knew


Dubcnn: Why do you think Kanye West has been so successful?

I feel like Kanye's been so successful because he's been on his business, he was born to do what he's doing, he was making beats back when he was like 12. He really applied himself at a young age. I remember when we used to go out and hit the mall and Kanye would just at the crib making beats.


Dubcnn: So you have been lifelong friends with Kanye then?

Yeah just about.


Dubcnn: What would you say that sets you apart from other artists?

What sets me apart from other artists is I'm exposing you to the goal that you somehow failed to see and when I said the goal, I'm speaking of Chicago. I'm on the Southside 87, I was raised under different principles, laws and politics than other rappers. I'm a man that did all the street shit that everybody talk about, I did all that but I still speak from my heart and I still confess my love for god and my love for the people at the same time.


Dubcnn: What do you think sets the G.O.O.D music label apart from all the other labels around and why do you think you're not looked upon as just another music label?

We go against the grain man because we bring something new to the table, we got new personalities, we got new style, we got a new image It’s just new, it's just good. The name of our label is G.O.O.D Music - "Getting Out Our Dreams Music" and when people hear our music we make them feel like
they can get out their dreams as well. It's just relational at the same time.


Dubcnn: Do you think people relate to the type of music you're doing rather than gangsta rap that I know a lot of other people are doing right now?

Well you know what? It depends on where you grew up at, a lot of people still do relate to gangsta rap. Man I relate to it from where I came from so I'm not trying to say gangsta rap is bad, I love it it's entertaining and the music that G.O.O.D Music is putting out for the most part is uplifting and it almost has like a spiritual feel to it. It just makes you feel good, if you're feeling down, if you're on your way to work and you feel mad at your boss, you can put on "Spaceship" and that shit might make you feel better.


Dubcnn: You put out a mixtape called "Drive Slow" with DJ A-Trak earlier this year. Did you create a big buzz with that or do you feel it will benefit you with your new upcoming album?


Oh man you know what? It is benefiting me it's building up my fanbase. You go to myspace.com, you go to my page GLC (http://www.myspace.com/mrglc87) you will see what my fans are saying about that mixtape, people love it, I've been getting really good reviews of the mixtape and I think it opened up a lot of doors for me because certain articles they were saying that it shows I wasn't a one or two verse wonder, that I had a whole arsenal to back that up.


Dubcnn: I know a lot of people from everywhere are feeling the mixtape actually, even on the Westcoast.

Yeah man it just feels really good though because you know A-Trak is a five-time world champion, a legend, he won his first title when he was 15 and this was the first mixtape he ever did and he chose to do it with me. That gotta tell you something (Laughs) That was something special about this thing that we did.


Dubcnn: Is the main focus now putting out another mixtape or an album?

Right now I'm working on two mixtapes. I'm working on a Midwest Gangsta mixtape with a DJ by the name of Sean Mack? and I'm also working on "Drive Slow 2" with A-Trak, so I'm working on both of those. The album is coming. The "Drive Slow" video is on TV right now, It's on MTV, BET. Kanye West, Paul Wall, Myself and T.I and Tony Williams on the vocals and the Drive Slow Remix. I got that mixtape and now I'm going to hit them with maybe like 2-3 more mixtapes because I want to give the people what they want. I gotta fill this void.


Dubcnn: When can we expect the solo album to be released? Is there a set date or are you not sure yet?

I'll tell you this, I don't like to set dates because you know how this music industry goes because they give you a date and then you get pushed back then pushed back. I'm just gonna tell you it's coming soon. Just embrace the thought of that and whoever who don't got the "Drive Slow" mixtape, I want you all to go and buy it or go online and download it for any of your friends, just burn it, I don't care, I just want you to have it and hear it and see what's really going on. What we're doing right now is like legacy music, like when I die I just don't want to leave memories, I want to leave a legacy,
my legacy is really going to be brought to the forefront through my music.


Dubcnn: Is there a name for the album? So people know what to look out for?

Yes It's "Welcome to Hatersville" and the reason that I chose that title is because no matter where you go, no matter what country, no matter what state, no matter what city, wherever you're at, there is always a place called Hatersville where people gonna look at you, just like when you're doing
what you're doing, they're gonna look at you like "he think he the shit, he writes for a magazine or he do this etc."

Anytime when you do something that is away from the norm, even if you're in the hood where it's all gangstas and drug dealers and killers and this and that and you decide to go to college, they gonna hate on you and shit, or even if you're a dude who didn't finish college and you're working hard as hell but you're hustling in the streets to provide for your family, you might be doing better than someone who go a college degree, they gonna hate on you so nobody is exempt from it, so we can expose all this haterism and shit, maybe we can change it, it's gonna be a gradual process it ain't gonna happen overnight but at the end of the day I just really want to stop kids from killing kids especially where i'm from there is a lot of black on black crime and I think that shit is wack, it's played out.


Dubcnn: How deep is Kanye involved in the album?

Kanye is the executive producer of my album but the thing is on G.O.O.D Music, he allows all of us to do our own albums, we do all our own albums then bring our music to him, we play it for him and he be like "I love that one, I love that one, ok this joint here you might need to do this or that" He gives his advice and his input but the whole making the album process is strictly on the artists, he gives us that freedom because we all got our own sounds.


Dubcnn: So he like just oversees the project?

Yes sir.


Dubcnn: Do you think it is difficult to switch from doing mixtape tracks to album tracks?

Not at all because in one of the magazines they said that if mixtapes were like my mixtapes like if they had exclusives like GLC's Hatersville or Chi State of Mind then you probably wouldn't even need albums so when I did my mixtape I went into album mode I felt like I had to give the people something that was gonna set me apart from all the other mixtapes so I gave them that, it's just like I'm warming up now, I'm in the pre-season right now, i'm balling real hard getting a lot of notoriety and I just pray to god it continues to go in a positive manner and I continue to gain prosperity, be blessed and be able to spread the love amongst my peers.


Dubcnn: We know you've rapped with Kanye on several different songs on his albums and you've also worked with Jay-z. How was it working with some of Hip-Hop's Heavyweights?

Oh man, it's amazing, I was on Jay-Z's album, the "Encore" album that was me on there I was the one who was like "It's Star time, this man is mean he's killing all y'all jive turkeys? Y'all want more of the Jigga Man?" that was me on there that made everyone say Hova that was before I had even been heard as a rapper that's how hungry I was and how bad I just wanted to be heard, they needed that for that record I did it and Jay told me that I had everybody saying "Hova, Hova, Hova" he was just laughing and telling me I did a good job then he got to see me perform when I did "Spaceship" down in Tampa and he was like "damn I didn't even know that was you, Yo you hot" like he didn't even know, it was kinda crazy, I got to work with 3'6 Mafia for my album that was like some of the coldest realest shit that I've ever did, I was down there in Memphis and them boys had me down there feeling like I was in Chicago, they had me straight up feeling like I was at home, it was a beautiful feeling.

They would be like 3'6 Mafia they gonna be down there wyling out, man there wasn't none of that, they were very civilised ,very cool and they speak like idols and shit that's why you idolise them, they've been in the game for like sixteen years but that was a beautiful thing and when we did "Drive Slow" to work with Paul Wall and T.I, we had them both on the record, that made me real good
to be amongst Kanye West, Paul Wall and T.I and still be up there like that without nobody saying "Who's this dude?" they were like I love your verse too so that made me feel good, they had to let the people know whoever was like for me was like "Dude might have something here, he might be something special" It's just a beautiful feeling, on the real.


Dubcnn: Can we expect to see any of them on your album?

Oh Yeah, 3'6 Mafia is definitely on my album already, Kanye West is definitely on my album already. I've talked to a few other heavyweights who have accepted my offer to be down but I don't want to expose them right now, I want to give you a lil bit something to grow on, that's all i'm really trying to do I'm out here to try and grow and develop and I want the people and the fans to grow and develop with me because right now it's a cold world out here so with me out being a rapper and shit i'm also put out another pair of pants as far as like a leader, that's something that we really need right now, we need somebody to lead us out of this negativity, all this killing and all this bullshit, we gotta try put an end to this genocide so it's a big ass pair of pants and a big ass pair of shoes that i'm gonna put on but i'm finna walk in them , hopefully I can make my belt fit tight enough so that my pants don't fall off my ass.


Dubcnn: We interviewed Diego Redd a while back who said he worked with you, how was working with him?

Aww yeah, I did a track with Diego Redd man – that boy is talented. That boys going to put Fresno on the map man, he's got it and he's got that spirit man – he really works hard and he's got a hell of a manager, his manager is cold as hell too. His manager is actually a producer, an engineer, a PR person and all that shit, he does everything. And Diego got the talent to back it up, so he's going to be alright man because he's rolling with my man Hectik, he’s going to be alright!


Dubcnn: Is there anyone else other than Kanye West that is working on your album as far as producers?

Oh yea man, I got Three 6 Mafia, DJ Paul & Juicy J, I got my man Bangin’ Music, he did Certified Gangsta’s for Jim Jones, Game and Cam’ron. I got my man Keys L Kane, he did this record called ‘Preserve the sexy’, for LL [Cool J], and he just did a joint on the Alkaholiks latest album and a joint on Carlese last album, so he’s an upcoming star. I got some shit from XL, he did the “Get some head” beat for Shana, I got my man Manna; he did the “Haterville” beat for me you know what I’m saying? I got like a gang of not really known producers out of Chicago who I’ve just been fuckin’ with for a long time. Yeah man, its going to be alright at the end of the day!


Dubcnn: Any producers that you would want to work with in the future?

Oh yea! Also I’ve got to say Mike Dean, I’m working with Mike Dean too man. Mike Dean is a legendary producer man – he did the majority of Scarface albums back in the day. I’ve got a session coming up with him soon, so that’s one dude that I’d love to work with in the future, but I would also love to work with Dr. Dre, I think that dude right there is just outstanding; I would also love to work with Outkast, Andre 3000 and Big Boi. There’s a few cats man, maybe one day I would also like to hook up with like Nitty; he’s cold and the dude who did that Young Jock record, I think he's cold too. Theres a few producers out there that I would like to fuck with, but my whole thing is – I’m not one of those artists who wants his whole album to be to sell because of who I’ve got producing; I want to hit you with the unexpected.


Dubcnn: Yeah. What artists have inspired you as a music artist?

Man, “The Untouchablez” by Scarface, “Southernplayalisticcadillac Music” by Outkast, “Riding Dirty” and “Dirty Money” by UGK, “Me Against the World” by Tupac, “[Chronic] 2001” by Dr. Dre, “Doggystyle” by Snoop Dogg, “The Unbreakablez” by Three 6 Mafia, “Coming Out Hard” by 8ball and MJG, “Heads or Tails” by Do or Die. They are some albums that really made me want to get on my shit, and I’m telling you all this because these are some artists that I am naming because at the time when they came out, they didn’t sound like what was coming out – you feeling me? They didn’t sound like what was out, they didn’t sound like what was normal. Like it was groups like Psychodrama out of Chicago, “Crucial Conflict”, when artists came out of my city and did their thing and didn’t sound like the rest of the world – man, that shit was really impressive to me man, because they were speaking for the city. So when I come out, I want to be speaking for the city.


Dubcnn: So that’s what you’re trying to do with your album, put something out that nobody has ever heard before?

Definitely.


Dubcnn: Okay. The verse that you did for “Spaceship” on Kanye West’s album was the verse that has given you the most exposure to date, but when you look back on it do you believe that the quality of the verse was equal to the exposure you got, or do you think that you could put out a much better verse, knowing that you have evolved a lot as an artist?

Man, you know what? This is what I’m going to say; when I sat down and did that verse, that wasn’t something where I sat down like “awh man! I’m finna exercise my skills and show everybody that I can really rap!” I was just on that record speaking from my heart, so I don’t know if I can go in the studio and still be like how I was feeling at that time, but I try to duplicate that ?? from me. So I gave it to you in the raw when I gave you “Spaceship”, that wasn’t a verse where I was wanting ?? to be coming up quoting my raps and this and that, that was something like, I’ve got to let people know who I am and where I come from, and I’m speaking from my heart; and if your coming from the same place that I’m coming from then your going to feel me, if not, then you ain’t and this probably ain’t for you, but I just thank God that a lot of people come up to me and be like “Man, that was my favourite verse!”, like “Wow, that verse right there man, you said ‘Lost my momma, lost my mind’, that helped me get through losing my mom or losing a relative”.


Dubcnn: Yeah. Do you feel that you created a bigger buzz on “Drive Slow”, rather than “Spaceship”?

I feel like I just elevated it, because “Spaceship”, that right there is a classic. Everybody said that it should have been the single, and I mean there is nothing that we can do about the past, but it was like an amazing record but I feel like on “Drive Slow”, that I didn’t let the people down. Because now I’m on MTV and BET rapping “Drive Slow” and people are loving it!


Dubcnn: Is there any beats in the past that you wished that you’d snapped up before the artist who finally did?

Well shit, any beats.. I love the one beat that Common had, *singing* “Baby let me testify, you accuse me! You accuse me!” I love that beat that Kanye did for Common, I love that beat. The “Dreams” beat that Kanye did for Game, I love that beat. That Young Jock beat, that shit is cold! Man there is a lot of beats out here that I feel are just really really good and rappers did really good on that I wish I could have had something to do with. It’d be unfair for me just to name a few!


Dubcnn: What would you say was the hardest part for you, coming up in the rap game?

Living in Chicago and trying to be a rapper, where there was no industry set up, where we were just there working hard as hell and there was so much talent, and we were up there chasing these dreams – a lot of us probably didn’t have the drive and didn’t have the get-up-and-go, you feel what I’m saying? We were confined to this little area of the world and just living there and was cool with that and shit, and we were just thinking that were going to get discovered and this and that, but it really didn’t go like that, its kind of like if you want to be the best car maker for Ford, then your going to move to Detroit where the plant is, now they’ve got New York, where the labels are set up, L.A where the labels are set up, Atlanta where the labels are set up, but they didn’t have that in Chicago – so in order for me to get on, I had to get up off my ass and go and get it man, I had to use that state of mind, exercise my go-get in life.


Dubcnn: Ok, what advice can you give to people who are trying to become a successful MC?

Man, anytime that you ain’t working – somebody is working man, you’ve got to please try your best to not rap like other rappers, why would anyone sign you if you rap like Jay-Z or if you like Kanye or rap like me or rap like whoever if they can just go out and buy the real thing? That’s what a lot of rappers fail to see, and its like man – all you’ve got to do is just like, do you! Do you. Whatever it is, when you talk to people, when you converse and just kick it or whatever, if there’s anything about you that makes people think “Damn, that dudes cool!” or “Man, this motherfucker, that’s that dude!”, and this and that – try to put that in your music, don’t be coming totally different when you rap, because people see through that.


Dubcnn: Yeah. In all honesty, can you tell us what you think is lacking in the music industry right now and do you think that you could help fix this problem?

Oh yeah man! Because my whole thing is, history, not glorification. And when I say history I mean, in order to know where were going as a people, we’ve got to know where we came from, we come from pain and struggling and defeat. And now its time for us to win man, its time for us to win. So my music kind of going to make you feel how you felt when you listened to Marvin Gaye back in the day and shit, it has a purpose and not for people to just be like “Oh yea, I like that record”. I want you to get something from what I’m saying. He’s in the voice and he’s in the lessons that I’m finna lay down to you, I ain’t out here on no bullshit and I ain’t out here trying to glorify nothing that can bring you down and nothing that can fuck you up, I just want to see you win. So I’m trying to show you how to exercise your “G” in you, and how you can get to the top and get to where you belong.


Dubcnn: What are your plans for the future?

My plan for the future is to drop these mix tapes, I’m working on a cartoon right now called “Welcome To Haterville”, I just did all those adds for LRG, I just got called and they’re loving me, so you may see me in more adds, I’m just trying to get my career to where it needs to be man and become a household name and be in the public eye, you feel me? And go ahead and carry this torch that our fore-fathers had before us, like all the lessons in rap and shit, like I grew up listening to N.W.A, OutKast, UGK, Scarface, Getoboys, even Tupac and Biggie – the legends you know what I’m saying? So once I get into this arena man, there’s a lot of pressure and a lot of weight on my shoulders, like I’m carrying a Chevy on my shoulders.. and there’s people in it! *laughs*


Dubcnn: Ok, well that’s just about it for the questions – have you got any last words for the fans?

Man, my last words for the fans is, thank ya’ll for the love man. Thank ya’ll for even giving a fuck about who I am, all I’m trying to do is exercise my G, I’m trying to grow and develop. Just let me grow with you ya’ll, were going to do this together and I’m sorry, I really want to apologise if ya’ll didn’t get the “Drive Slow” mix tape because its definitely a classic, please don’t deprive yourself and get it! I feel like I owe that to ya’ll, love!