LIFESTYLE (January 2006) | Interview By: Inspire

      

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Huge thanks to Bing & H.I.T. of Lifestyle  for taking the time out to answer the questions fans wanted to know! (Interview was done by phone in December 2005)


Questions Asked By : Inspire

Bing Gave Dubcnn.com A Shoutout! Check That Here

H.I.T. Gave Dubcnn.com A Shoutout! Check That Here

Full Lifestyle Interview In Audio : Here

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Dubcnn: How would you describe yourself as MC's, how would you define your style?

Bada-Bing:
I say we're more universal man, we've got a universal sound, we could touch every base of Hip-Hop from different angles. The lyricist, we've got a little gangsta in us, all of the above.

Dubcnn: What rappers influenced you?

Bada-Bing:
I'd say Outkast, alot of guys with different characters and different types of music, you know what I mean? Just Outkast, Snoop - Alot of different music, not just rap. From Marvin Gaye to alot of different music.

Dubcnn: So what other genre's of music are you into?

H.I.T:
Well, Hip-Hop, Soul, we've even got a Gospel background, as far as we were raised by our mom's, like O-Town, Motown back in the days - stuff like that.

Dubcnn: This ones for Bing. How was it, growing up as the brother of Snoop Dogg?

Bada-Bing:
Ahh man, it was fun when you were a kid, but it comes with it's territory, I call it the gift and the curse because at the same time people don't want to deal with you because of certain things and certain reasons, so it's a two-headed sword, you know what I mean?

Dubcnn: Yeah. Do you think being the brother of Snoop Dogg is a help to you in the music industry?

Bada-Bing:
I think I can, because I'm my own person and I do my own thing. People have to realise and recognise that we're brothers, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to be like him, walk like him and talk like him. I'm a whole different person, so of course I think I can make it. I'ma do what I do the best way that I can.

Dubcnn: Okay, how many tracks will Daz be producing on the Lifestyle album and will the tracks be similar to "All I Need" ?

H.I.T:
Man, we vary, every track sounds different, every track comes from a different perspective of Hip-Hop and just the way we we're raised, so when you hear the Lifestyle album, it's more on some Off The Wall type. Everything on there to me, is a classic. When you hear all fifteen tracks, nothing is going to sound the same, there is going to be a different vibe for every song you hear.

Dubcnn: Alright. Is the video for the "All I Need" track by Daz still coming?

Bada-Bing:
We did a video, it's coming out around january [2006], so everybody keep your eye's open because it's coming!

H.I.T:
Christian Strickland, he did the video, he does a lot of videos, he did "Gimme That" by Lil Webbie and Bun B. He's hot, he's hot in the game right now.

Dubcnn: Unity is a subject of controversy in the West Coast, the East is better at it and the South is cliqued with little issues between them, what does the West get so wrong, is the ego's or is it more deep rooted?

Bada-Bing:
Do you wanna answer that, or do you want me to answer that?

H.I.T:
We both can answer that! Man, West Coast rappers don't get behind West Coast rappers, you know what I'm sayin? And that's just what it is, everybody wants to be on top, but nobody wants to climb together to get to the top. The way we work, if I ever get on top, my mentality is to pull everybody up who I see from my coast that needs to be heard. The older cats in the game don't feel that way. They feel like, well I'm going to stay on top till my run is completaly over. That's why the West Coast is dead, because nobody is putting any faith in these new cat's, you look at Jay-Z and Nas, Jay-Z and Nas together and P. Diddy was at the concert and Kanye West was there and they were just doing it together. I rarely see a concert where your going to see Snoop, Mack 10 and Ice Cube together unless Dre is doing it, and without Dre you arn't going to get that and that's the cold part about the West Coast rap game, nobody looks out for each other. Knowing that we could be the biggest, if you look at Game or any West Coast artist that's really come out and made an impact, he do bigger than probably any other rapper. He be like the biggest rapper, selling like fourty five million records, and then you get people like Kanye West. He's good, but he only sells two or three million. But he had the same impact as Snoop Dogg or the Game. There's just something about West Coast rap that people just grab on easily too and love.

Dubcnn: Yeah Definately. So tell us about your new Lifestyle album.

Bada-Bing:
Lubrication baby, you've got to keep them always on, keep it lubricated, condoms - Keep it safe protected baby. We've got a beautiful album, it's going to be a monster, we've got Bun-B on it, of course Lifestyle, The Clipse, AMG, Domino, Devin The Dude. We've got some heat on it man, it's going to be a nice album, everybody just keep they eyes open.

Dubcnn: Alright. What will be the first single off the album?

Bada-Bing:
Well you know, thats the thing - we've got so many hot songs on there there, that I guess we're just gunna let the people go with it. "All I Need" is a hot song, did you hear "All I Need"?

Dubcnn: Yeah, yeah.

Bada-Bing:
"All I Need" is a hot song, we've got a couple of other ones were going to push to market, see what the people gravitate too, you know what I mean?

H.I.T:
Number nine with Bun-B, that's blazin the streets. We did a song with Butch Cassidy called "Lubrication", that one is hot too. There is a lot of hot songs on that album man, I think it's going to be the hottest album to come out next year [2006] to tell you the truth.

Dubcnn: Cool, Has there been any videos shot for any of the songs?

Bada-Bing:
Just for "All I Need". That's the only video we've shot right now, we're waiting for the new year [2006], just to see how it plays and we're going to roll with it, you know?

Dubcnn: Yeah, Will the distribution of the album be local, nationwide or worldwide?

Bada-Bing:
It should be nationwide, make sure we have distibution and all that taken care of, we're still in discussion on a big deal, our money talk right now, you know what I mean? *laughs*

H.I.T:
What do you think the state of Hip-Hop is for the West Coast right now?

Dubcnn: Well I think the West is getting more coverage and stuff like that after the Game's album, but I still think the East and South are getting more coverage. There just needs to be more unity on the West I think, because the West is bringing out better music in my opinion.

Bada-Bing:
It's just like you said, there's no unity and it's a pride thing too 'cause everybody don't wanna deal with everybody and it's the gang still, it's the little petty stuff that doesn't make no sense. There's not enough avenue's on the West that I can think of, on the South or the East they have avenue's, you can be a B-rapper and put any rapper on, out here you've got to be either an A-rapper. There's only two avenues you're going for Snoop or Dre, if you ain't going for that you ain't getting in - it's going to be a hard fight for you.

H.I.T:
If you look at the West Coast, you can look at any rapper as far as Pac that really made it. Everybody came from Dr. Dre, nobody really did good without Dr. Dre. Just like Jigga said, Dre get's his prop's and that's where it stops, you know what I'm sayin? It's like if Dre ain't doing your album, I don't know why it's like that but cat's seem to shy you off, like I'm not going to listen to this guy because Dre ain't had nothing to do with it.

Dubcnn: Yeah, definately.

H.I.T:
There's a lot of MC's that are coming up and they're finna bite muthafuckas in the ass, And we're starting with Lifestyle and especially Longbeach, Longbeach is stronger than ever, and we're about to unite and take over the whole rap game. I'm sorry but we are *laughs* Don't mean to be cocky but we can go toe to toe with any rapper.

Dubcnn: Alright, which producers will you have or will you be working with on the album?

H.I.T:
We've got a track with Jelly Roll, he's on the album, we've got one with Mr. Lee, Slim Thugg and all those other cats, we've got Moscoe - Moscoe produced on the album.

Bada-Bing:
We've got a lot of new-comers on there as well, just to spark it up, we don't want all the name named cat's, we wanna bring some new cat's in as well, you know?

Dubcnn: Alright that's cool. Will you have any guest appearences on there, obviously you mentioned the ones from before, but any others?

H.I.T:
Yeah, Snoop is on the album, Bun-B, U.G.K, The Clipse, Nate, Devin The Dude, Cassidy, Domino, you know the Ghetto Jam - we had to go and get the veteran and put him on there, so yeah - it's a well rounded album.

Dubcnn: Alright. What makes you think you stand out from other MC's on the West Coast?

Bada-Bing:
As far as our music, you can't pin-point it and that's whats going to change us over 'cause we sound like we're from the West Coast, but we can flip to any type of style or any type of form we can do, and that's the difference between us and and between them. We're going to do whatever it takes to make it in this game and that's what we're going to do, we gone smash for the cause, you know what I'm talkin' about?

H.I.T:
Our album sounds very well-rounded like from the East to the South to the West to where you guy's are at, you guy's are going to be able to appreciate something on that album

Dubcnn: Okay. Until the album comes out, will we be able to hear you on any other upcoming projects?

Bada-Bing:
Well we're dropping a mixtape, that's going to be first, you know what I mean? We're dropping a mixtape coming January [2006], and be on the look out because we've got a gang of other projects, we've been putting in form right now so we're putting it together right this minute.

H.I.T:
So-Hood Family, thats the Frat House, you know - we finna hit em! We're going to terrorise the streets, we're hooking up with Warrior and getting ready to do something with DJ Skee, all these hottest DJ's on the streets and really terrorise the streets.

Dubcnn: Are you going to release solo albums, seperate albums for both of you?

Bada-Bing:
Well we've been thinking about it because there is more money out there, but we've got to focus on this and get this done, and when we get this done - definately. It's going to be the same project anyway, so it would make no sense not to do it, know what I mean?

Dubcnn: What other than the album release does 2006 hold for you?

Bada-Bing:
We're taking over the world like pinky the brain! *laughs*

H.I.T:
We coming man, everybody just needs to watch out 'cause Lifestyle is coming man, we've got something to say. Remember when OutKast got on stage and said "We've got something to say!", we've got something to say, and thats for everybody that didn't believe that the West Coast could do it, that's for everybody who said that good music disappeared, we're doing it for them. Sometimes we're like the underdogs but when people look at us and then overlook us because of the Snoop situation, they think we're supposed to sound like Snoop or Quik or whoever. We sound like us, and that's what's going to change the whole situation because were bringing a whole new sound to the West Coast, and it's not what your used to hearing. It's going to sound familiar, but with a twist.

Dubcnn: Alright, that's just about it for the questions. Thank you both for spending the time out to answer these questions!