HOT ROD (October 2006) | Interview By: Nima

       Dubcnn spoke to WestCoast raised, Phoenix representer, Hot Rod - the latest addition to the G-Unit Roster. We talk about how he has developed over the years, what led him to sign with G-Unit, his debut album, working within a collective of Hip-Hop superstars, the people that influenced him and much more in this interview.

As always we have the transcript and the audio for you to check and please feel free to send any feedback regarding the interview to: nima@dubcnn.com



Interview was done by phone in September 2006


Questions Asked By : Nima


Hot Rod Gave Dubcnn.com A Shoutout! Check That Here (Audio)

Full Hot Rod Interview : Here

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Dubcnn: We're here with Young Hot Rod of G-Unit. You represent Phoenix, but I heard you're actually from the West Coast?

Yeah man West Coast, born and raised in Sac! Sacramento, California.


Dubcnn: How long did you live there?

I lived there for about 18 years.


Dubcnn: You've been presented as a Phoenix artist..

I'm representing both man, Arizona is West Coast! It is West Coast. If you ever heard me talk about where I'm from, I'll tell you straight up I was born and raised in Sac, 916, and currently in Arizona. But it's all West Coast.


Dubcnn: Have you planned to collaborate with anybody from Sac-Town?

Nah no Sac-Town artists, I did most of my grinding in the AZ. I was born and raised in Sac, but then everything came together when I went to Phoenix.


Dubcnn: Cause it's some heavy hitters out there like C-Bo, Brotha Lynch Hung, a lot of cats that have been putting it down for a long time.

Oh yeah fo sho, actually C-Bo lives in Scottsdale, I've linked up with him. I got his contact. I've been chopping it up with him!


Dubcnn: I know he's had some problems with G-Unit before but I heard it's all squashed now.

Yeah it's all good, he linked up with Spider and talked it out. He's been at all of our video shoots and we've basically been chopping it up! It's definitely all good.


Dubcnn: What was your path in the rap game before hooking up with G-Unit?

I started out producing, and then I eventually moved on to rapping. I started rapping in high school, doing little shows and what not, I was doing battle raps, battling for money and all that type of stuff. Then eventually I moved into doing it more seriously with recording, trying to get my album. Then when I moved out to Arizona, that's when I was really recording and doing it real heavy. I networked with producers, artists, and I was recording my LP that was distributed independently, locally in Phoenix. But while I was doing that, I was also trying to get my music shopped, I was in the middle of doing that, and while all of that was going on, I just happened to send my demo out to G-Unit.

Then that's when I pretty much got the call. Actually how it really got in there, the dude's name was Tore Scott, he's from Arizona, and he worked as an engineer with G-Unit. There was an online site called 602streets.com, he posted up on there that he was accepting demos. A lot of people thought he was lying, but I sent him the demo, he got it in the hands of Sha Money, and then somehow it got in the hands of 50 Cent inside of his beat package and he listened to it on accident. He heard it, and thought it was hot! He gave me a call and that's how I got on! All of this happened like late January. I sent them my demo early December of '05.


Dubcnn: Who were your influences when you were coming up?

When I was coming up man, when I was in Sac I really got into beats and I was experimenting with rapping, and I was influenced by a lot of Bay Area artists like E-40, Mac Dre, Mac Mall, RBL, 3X Krazy... As time went on, I was getting influenced by Jay-Z, of course 50 Cent when he came out with "How To Rob", and Biggie, Pac... Basically all of the legends.


Dubcnn: How did you come up with the name Hot Rod?

I was Young Rod when I first started out, then when I got signed, I came to the mansion and we were talking about it, and we came to the agreement that there were too many "Young"'s. Young Joc, Young Buck, you know, everybody. So Fif' threw it out there, he was like "What you think about Hot Rod?" I thought it was kinda hot, cause I like exotic cars, fast cars and all that, so it tied it real well! Then we ended up calling the album "Fast Lane", because the content on my album it's like living in the fast lane. I know you heard that term before. It kinda all tied it.


Dubcnn: G-Unit is flooded with new artists right now, and there are a lot of albums dropping in near future. What do you think can make you stand out?

What's going to make me stand out is the content on my album. I'm not a traditional G-Unit rapper, I'm not talking about shooting nobody's head off, I'm not talking about slinging crack in the hood or this and that, cause I didn't have to go through that, I didn't have to experience that, that lifestyle. So when you hear my album, I'm kind of like the little brother of the group. I'm like the one that's running around, talking about funny things, making jokes, talking about girls all day, partying, fast cars, all that good stuff. I'm the young cat, the energy. That's what's really gonna make me stand out.


Dubcnn: So you're not on the gangsta gangsta tip.

Exactly.


Dubcnn: Your first single features Mary J Blige and is called "Be Easy". How was it to record with a legend like Mary J. on your first single on a major label?

It was crazy cause it was the first song that I recorded when he flew me out! Olivia originally wrote it, and she had performed it. Then I wrote the two verses, it came out real hot! Then later on, Fif' was like "What you think of getting Mary J. Blige on there?" I was like "whoo! Let's make it happen!" He played it for her, she thought it was hot, and she definitely wanted to get on it. It was an honor, me being a new cat in the game and being able to have a single with Mary J. Blige is definitely a honor man.


Dubcnn: You know when it first came out, a lot of people were saying it was produced by Dr. Dre. What's up with that?

Yeah it's like... It was already in the computer when I came in there. It was like Dre/Jake One who did it. I guess it was like co-produced by Jake One. A cat out of Seattle. That's what I heard. A lot of people were saying it's Dre, I didn't put that out there. I don't even know who did it, to tell you the truth. Everybody else was calling me saying "It's Dre! It's Dre!" I'm like "Whoo, you serious?" Then I was hearing it was Jake One. So it's different stories behind it, but I didn't pick it, I wasn't in the studio when they did the beat. So I'm just going to say it's Dre/Jake One, so whoever really did it is getting the credit.


Dubcnn: How has the reception of the single been so far?

Oh it's good, we've been working it, and we're up to 400 spins a week and the video is about to drop this week. It's getting spins, the video is getting premiered this Wednesday on Sucka Free on MTV2, Direct Effect. I'ma be on 106&Park this Friday to pop the video off. We're going to do an interview, and it's gonna be a real good look when the video comes out. Cause I know everyone knows the name Hot Rod, but visually they can't really make the connection, so me being out there on MTV2 and 106&Park is definitely gonna bring it all together and make it happen.


Dubcnn: Tell us about your upcoming album "Fast Lane". Who produced on it?

I brought some of my producers with me man, that I networked with. I got a dude from H-Town his name is Lab Ox, up and coming producer. I got a cat named M-Rell, up and coming producer I worked with a whole lot. Also, cats named Soundsquad, I did a track with them. I got Rockwilder on the record, then I got Caddice and Shawn, they did the second single actually, they're some up and coming cats. The song is called "Chase The Cat", featuring 50 Cent. If you follow G-Unit's projects man, we always make names. We go for up and coming producers, we don't wanna stick to that tradition sound of the game. Everyone always runs to the big name producers, but we actually go through CD's and listen for just hot beats. So it's gonna be a lot of new cats you're going to see on the album, it's gonna be real hot.


Dubcnn: What about guest appearances?

I kept it to the Unit man, and Mary J. Blige. We got 50 on there, we got Olivia, Buck, Banks, and I got my artists from Arizona, Willie Northpole, Cinque, and my man Carnegie. I'm trying to get them introduced to the game. I'm just really trying to get my people out there too, when I explode I got my people they can explode with me, producers and artists.


Dubcnn: That's good to hear, cause a lot of people were saying that when you sign to G-Unit, you have no control over your guest appearances. Like Game dropped and he didn't have anybody from his camp, or Mobb Deep dropped and they didn't have their old people on there. But you're saying you're bringing your own people with you?

Oh yeah man. I stay focused man, and I was working on tracks with them, and I really pushed to get them on the album. Because when I drop, I got people coming after me man. It's gonna be similar to how 50 Cent came and he had Banks, Buck and Yayo. It's gonna be the same situation that's gonna happen right here. I push for that man, and on top of that, the cats I've been with they're just so hot! They got the streets on lock in the Az and it's a real good look. It only made sense to have them on my intro project. It's going to be a whole other movement coming, and I'm real excited about it.


Dubcnn: Have you had a chance to work with other new G-Unit artists such as 40 Glocc or Spider Loc yet?

Nah, I'm actually hop on something on their mixtapes! I didn't get to work with them on my project, but we definitely in the studio! We got a couple of tracks, trying to make it happen. I'ma be on 40 Glocc's next tape, and I'm definitely working with Spider, he's coming down to the mansion in a few days!


Dubcnn: Traditionally, G-Unit artists released a mixtape with DJ Whoo Kid right before the album dropped. Are we going to see the same with you?

Yeah I'm working on a tape right now. It's not even necessary, but I'm definitely working on a tape right now. I'm not sure when it's going to drop, but I'm also all over the G-Unit Radio 22. We trying to see what we got in store for number 23, I'm working on it with Whoo Kid right now, and it will definitely be out there.


Dubcnn: Are you planning to get involved in any on-going rap beefs that G-Unit is involved with? Or do you just do your thing?

I'm just doing my thang man. Right now G-Unit as a team is not focusing on beefing with everybody. Of course, unless cats come at us crazy. All that beef, like the Game beef and all that, that's old man. It's kind of played out. Me myself I'm just trying to focus on establishing myself as an artist and making money. I'm not trying to get sidetracks and put my energy towards some haters and all that stuff. Fif' told me himself "Since you're coming in, you're not personally inheriting all the beef. You don't have to feel like you have to go to the studio and think about diss tracks and all that." He said "Focus on your album, focus on how you're going to perform and focus on how you're going to be successful." So right now, I'm not even putting my energy towards the whole beef situation.


Dubcnn: Sounds like you got your head on straight!

Oh yeah, fo sho man.


Dubcnn: G-Unit has had insane success since the release of "Get Rich Or Die Tryin", but the last releases have went down sales wise. Does that worry you?

Nah man, it doesn't worry me. Cause if you look at it, Yayo went Gold. And if you look at all the releases that come out from other artists on other labels, a lot of people can't even go gold! But just because of the standards...


Dubcnn: I guess it's the expectations that kill you!

Yeah. Yeah, it's the expectations. You being on top, people wanna see you fail. So they look at gold and they make a big deal out of it. "Oh he only went gold and everybody else went platinum! G-Unit is falling off!" Sometimes you have some wins and sometimes you have some losses. It's a record company. If you pointed out all the losses on Capitol Records, or Def Jam or this and that, you could go on for days! But all that just comes when you're on top. But all of that is not worrying me, I got a lot of confidence in my project, I think I'ma do real well. I know I'ma go platinum, but I really wanna go two or three times. That would satisfy me and I think it's real possible with my situation.


Dubcnn: Is there anything else you would like to let everybody know?

Yeah, my label coming out, 150 Ent. I got that coming, with my artists, Willie Northpole, I got Cinque, I got J. Treez, and Mr. Meez. I got them all coming out. The album is coming out at the top of the year, early January, so just get ready for it! My MySpace too, myspace.com/rodt! Shouts out to my sister, Taneesha!

 

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