LIL CS  (February 2003) | Interview By: Nima

      Dubcnn.com got the chance to speak with San Diego's own Lil CS aka CS Heat about his previous two solo albums, the new Soundtrack to the DVD Movie "In The Ghetto World," his home town, thoughts on many other artists and much more! We have both the transcript and the audio for you to check and please feel free to send any feedback regarding the interview to: nima@dubcnn.com




Huge thanks to Lil CS for taking the time to speak with us and answering the questions fans wanted to know! (Interview was done by phone on the 20th February 2003)

Questions Asked By : Nima

Lil CS Gave Dubcnn.com A Shoutout! Check That Here

Lil CS Also Dropped A Verse During The Interview : Here

Full Interview In Audio : Here
 

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Nima : First off I wanna ask you a very simple question. Why did you accept doing this interview with dubcnn?

Lil CS : Why I wanna get my name out there on dubcnn? They been putting down for the Westcoast as far as the internet go, you know what I mean? So of course I gotta represent and, uh, spread my name around, show love to everybody!

Nima : What would you tell a person who says you can't rap for shit?

Lil CS : They not listenin. They not listenin, simple as that! If somebody tell me that, they hatin', know what I mean? If a muthafucka ain't feelin my shit he must be feelin his dick and smellin his hand! That's real spit!

Nima : Do you think you can still progress or have you reached your limit as far as lyrical ability and flow go?

Lil CS : Ah naw I can progress all day man! I done progressed, uh, man from 10-15 years ago I done progressed, and from the first album, to my second album, to the soundtrack I'm puttin out I done progressed wit my delivery, wordplay all that shit man!

Nima : Tell us about San Diego.

Lil CS : Oh San Diego is off the hook homie, no shit! Muthafuckas underestimating Daygo, we got some heat out here, you know, muthafuckas been on that gangsta shit out here for the longest, you know people ain't heard about Daygo that much besides Jayo but they don't really know how it is, you know what I mean? But there's been Bloods and Crips out here almost as long as L.A. had em, you know L.A. started like in the late 60's, Daygo first gangstas was prolly like 72, 73 or so, so we grew up in that shit just like they did, you know what I mean? So its hectic out here, hell yeah, theres some hustlas out here! Muthafuckas out here be on that money tip real tough!

Nima : How do you think the future of San Diego will look?

Lil CS : Oh man we got the hottest shit out right now! Man Daygo, ain't nobodies shit, thats just my opinion, fuckin' wit our shit right now as a whole! You know, everybody had their lil chance to shine and all that, you know what I mean, but our turn, when we come, we comin hard! We might be sellin' in the underground first, cause majors, right now how the game is lookin, majors ain't really lookin to sign nobody, cause the game is too faulty, bankruptcy and all that shit so the game ain't lookin' too good, but on the underground tip, we finna burn it up!!!

Nima : You released 2 solo albums and now a soundtrack along with a DVD. Is there anything you are still looking forward to do?

Lil CS : Oh yeah we doin' the Mobstaz album! That's gone come out this year, called "All Part Of The Game", the Mobstaz is me, Mic Loc, Playboy Floyd, my homie Baby Ant, Big Mar Dog. Baby Ant is still locked up but he'll be out though, when we'll start recordin' he'll be out!

Nima : What do you think of Jayo Felony?

Lil CS : Oh he's tight! That's my folks, I just talked to him the other day, we supposed to go on this lil tour in Australia, tryna iron everything out and shit, so we might be goin' over there in a couple months, tryna figure everything out. But yeah, that's my boy, I just talked to him the other day and shit he's doin' his thang!

Nima : So you're plannin' to go overseas too.

Lil CS : Oh yeah, fo sho!

Nima : Would you come to Europe?

Lil CS : Man if its right, you know what I mean? If its right, and I don't really know the locations of overseas, as far as how far is that and all that, or where its close to or nuttin' but if its right, the time is right and all that, its gone be all good! Specially next year man, cause see im still on federal parole right now, I got approval to go to Australia but next year I get off this shit, and I'll be able to go any muthafuckin' where I want to without askin' nobody, know what I mean?

Nima : Lets say I got money for one CD. But there are 5 CD's I could get. Why should I choose yours?

Lil CS : Man Dollas & Sins, the production, the lyrical, uhm, content and the lyrical
ability the lyrical skill, the realness of it. Man the versatility of it, all that man, all that! All that combined, ain't no way a muthafucka hear my shit and be like "it ain't tight" as far as I'm concerned. There's various people that have said that but I don't even think they think that. Lemme tell you somethin: If certain people don't like you, they like for not reasons based on your skills nine times out of ten, they don't like you for personal reasons. So the tighter you come, the more they gone hate, you know what I mean? I done realized that so I don't really listen to muthafuckas who don't support me, that be hatin' on a cool, I only listen to my fans, and I take their suggestions into consideration cause they the ones that actually bought my album! But as far as why they should buy mine, I'd tell them to go to the website and listen to the snippets! You know I don't want nobody to buy my shit without hearin me! Cause I don't like buyin' peoples shit without hearin them!

Nima : You were on the New West compilation along with Lil CS, Damu and more. What's up on a collaboration album with strictly Daygo rappers?

Lil CS : Oh you know, its a possibility, cause see on the soundtrack, we got a song called "San Diego Got Heat" and its spit by the Daygo all-stars, which is me Lil CS aka CS Heat, Mitchy Slick, Damu, Ecay Uno and I-Rocc, and its produced by Cricet, you know what I mean? That one out there is gone be monumental out here man. Everybody on that song came hard, and for us to all do a song together, you know what I mean, then muthafuckas gone be like "Man when ya'll gone do a album?" but, everybody doin' their own thang right now, but hopefully, you know, we get the Daygo thang rollin, its a possibilty, you know what I mean?

Nima : Cricet seems to producing for a gang of people, who else would you want to give you beats?

Lil CS : Man I only wanna fuck wit Cricet, Steve Vicious, you know what I mean, and thats it basically. My boy Ecay too but, yeah Ecay too, them three right there thats who I fuck wit but like, as far as majors, man I mean who wouldn't wanna fuck wit Dre, you know what I'm sayin? Who wouldn't wanna fuck wit Dre. That muthafucka there would blow any muthafuckin body up, you know, all you need to have the skills, and I got all the skills, you know what I'm sayin'?

Nima : Simple example is 50 Cent.

Lil CS : Yeh he's tight but, you know, he blew up a lot cause of Dre and Em, but he's tight though, he's tight, he's a real one I respect him!

Nima : 2 Million in two weeks!

Lil CS : Maaan, he's doin' it man! That dude is doin' it!! Look lemme tell you somethin' about the rap game too man, the rap game is kinda built on hype, you know what I mean? If you got that hype around you, you don't have to be the best rapper. Alotta times the best rappers don't even be a star! You know what I mean? I could name a bunch of rappers that in my book are just hella skillful but ain't superstars, cause that shits built on hype, you know what I mean? 50 went through all that drama, gettin' stabbed, gettin' shot, and all that shot right there, and all that helped him! Whoever shot him, didn't do nuttin but help him blow up when he lived through that! He should go back and thank them muthafuckas that shot him! I'm like dat! But 50's a real dude, I respect him as far as I can see, but thats what blew him up! All that controversy, you know what I'm sayin? And what's fucked up about muthafuckas like me, is that we went through, I mean I never got shot before but we went through all that drama, and all that shit, but not in front of the publics eye, you know what I'm sayin? So muthafuckas like 2Pac, 50 Cent and Shyne, all that drama they went through was in front of the whole world! All my drama was only seen in front of San Diego, you know what I mean? So by them gettin' seen by the whole world, that makes them look like, damn, them dudes is real gangstas! And they may be, you know what I'm sayin, but what muthafuckas need to learn about me, is that I'm seein it!

Nima : You had a gang of guests on your second album. How did all those
collaborations come about?

Lil CS : Well you know, most of them is like connections, you know what I mean? Jayo, you know that was gone happen eventually anyway, one was Brotha Lynch, holla at people who got Lynch, Mac Dre it was like uhm, his boy, you know my boy from Kansas City plugged me wit Mac Dre, and they was talkin and hooked up like dat, and Bad Azz, uhh, I got plugged, I who plugged me wit Bad Azz.. who else I had on there... oh thats it! Mac Dre, Bad Azz, Lynch and Jayo..

Nima : And your San Diego dudes..

Lil CS : Yeah the San Diego or course, you know? My group The Mobstaz, Mic Loc, Big Mar Dog, Playboy Floyd, I had Cricet on there, uhhh, who else, Ecay.. yeah but it was off the hook homie, but you had all the guest appearances at 17 tracks, and 11 was by myself! So I still did the damn thang you know what I'm sayin'?


Nima : Tell us about your new DVD and the soundtrack.

Lil CS : Oh man the soundtrack was off the hook I'm tellin you man! Im not exaggerating or puttin too much on it or nuttin, but the soundtrack, as far as Dago go or Westcoast go, man its one of the best albums ever man I'm tellin you! Quality all the way through, every song is heat, theres different. Theres variety on there, as far as like different artists, not like you got a song about girls or nuttin, nah nah none of that shit, its gangsta shit but the shit is hard as a muthafucka man, and the DVD, come out in uhh, the DVD come out we gone put that out May, April or May or somethin, we waitin' on this Australia thing to go through, you know what I mean? When the Australia thing go through, thats gone be the last footage we have. Then we gone put it out! But if it don't go through soon enough we just gone put it out anyway, but we got like, uhh, all my studio sessions from Dollas & Sins, we got Bad Azz on there, we got Jayo, Jayo's video shoot for True'd Up, man we got E-40, we got Yukmouth, Lil Flip, we got uhm Mac Dre, all kind of dudes on there, man! Then we got like X-Raided shit wit girls, strippers on there, bitches playin' wit their pussies, butt naked girls, man this is wild homie!! Its off the hook though!! We gone start it off like a story line, you know what I mean, cause I got footage, of when I first got out the pen when I was doin' them 8 years, and the homies met me at the bus stop, so we gone put that on there, and its a coincidence, cause its like when I first met them, I told them like look this is what we gone do, Ima start my own label, Ghetto World Records, start it off wit Ghetto Classics, and first thing you know its gone flash forward 4-5 months to when Ghetto Classics first came out! Then we gone take it from there, its off the hook!!!

Nima : When's the third album droppin' and what can you expect from it?

Lil CS : Ok well the third album, first we gone do the soundtrack, Ima try to put out the album next year, you know what I mean? And I been writin' and I got concept and everything for it already, so third album is just gone be a steady progression, you know what I'm sayin? I got some real shit on there, like I always do, like I had always put a song on each of my albums where its like, put you in that, I won't say sad, but its like you can feel it, you know what I mean? I got that typa shit on there, I got some hard shit on there though man!! Its gone be hard though! The title of the album is called "The Hardest" right now but thats tentative, I can change it, dependin' on what happens, you know what I mean? I started realizin' now that I wanna name the album after the album is done, you know what I mean? Instead of naming' em before, cause you're used to name an album is even done, but once I get the songs together, then I'll be like damn Ima call it this, so it fits the title! I don't know yet what the titles gone be though, right now its called "The Hardest" tentatively.

Nima : And how does the distribution go? Who can buy it in stores?

Lil CS : Well the albums I got out right now they were online, on my website www.GhettoWorld.com, you can get it on there through PayPal, you know I'm gettin international orders all the time, man! You can get it from there, you can get it directly from me through mail order, you can get it ordered from like online stores, cdnow.com,wherehouserecords.com, all that shit, you know what I mean? Then most of the stores had Ghetto Classics & Dollas & Sins, but the soundtrack, this is gone be basically like, for Daygo, and then my website for internet sales. We ain't shootin nuttin on distribution for this one cause its mostly for Daygo cats, so we just gone try to flip this real hard but you never know, you know what I mean?

Nima : Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Lil CS : In 10 years? Oh I'll be runnin' my company, I probably won't be rappin', I'll be runnin' my company for real, you know what I mean? I might have this company, and that company, a muthafuckin liquor store, Gas station, who knows what I'm gone have, you know what I mean? Cause I been a hustler since day one, but I'm fo sho Ghetto World gone be around though, you know what I mean, even if I gotta put other dudes out as far as youngstas and shit. But see I got that ear for good music, as far skills and shit, you know what I'm sayin, so I'ma be really picky before I put somebody out.

Nima : Did you have any role models?

Lil CS : Oh you know the role models, you know the same ol' Ghetto story man.. The role models is the older homies you know what I'm sayin, out there hustlin' and shit, I looked up to my brother Big CS tremendously, cause he's a real muthafucka, he's still locked up, bout to get out this year, but you know as far as role models, it was just the homies and shit doin' it, you know.. Growin' up a nigga was into sports, so alotta sport stars role models, but when I got high school I just started slangin' you know what I mean? So at that time I was like fuck these sports you know what I'm sayin'! So the role models was basically the older homies and shit, basically.

Nima : You post on the siccness.net forum and always answer the fans questions. Why do you take the time to do this?

Lil CS : Man I can't see nobody who wouldn't! Man look man, I'm the most humble muthafucka a muthafucka gone ever meet man. I answer any question anybody ask me on that internet, you know what I'm sayin? Cause I don't see why nobody wouldn't man! When I be out there, see we sell hand to hand and we sell through stores, we I got that hand in hand, people can't believe its me sometime when they meet me! I'm like "yea man, I'm cool dog, I ain't trippin' like that whats up?", I sign the CD, whatever! Alotta people be on that high powered shit, but that ain't me dog! I'm on that humble shit, cause I been through too much not to be humble, you know what I'm sayin? And I'm a fan typa rapper, I mean its cool, don't get me wrong I wanna be cool wit other known rappers and shit but that really ain't my thang, cause I know them ain't been through what I been through, them niggaz don't wake up for 8, 8 and a half years almost nine years straight, not just wakin' up feelin' like you dead, you know what I mean? They ain't been through what I been through so, I can't really.. I'm a fans rapper, I wanna talk to the fans! I don't give a fuck what another rappers opinion is, cause he ain't buyin no albums! My thang is to interact wit these fans man, you know what I mean? I mean goin' to all them conventions and shit is cool, it networks, but that don't generate no sales! Goin' to some convention doesn't create no sales, it might equate in hookin' up wit somebody, but it don't equate no record sales, you gotta get ahold of these fans, at the mall, all these spots you know what I mean?

Nima : What do you think of the internet and mp3's in general?

Lil CS : Well you know its hard to say man, it helps and it hurts. It really hurts them small dudes like us man, all the people burnin' our shit, it really hurts, but I'm glad that a muthafucka would spend time to burn my shit, and spread the word about me, cause the next person he tells, and he mighta burnt it, but the next person might go and buy it, you know what I mean?! Its hurtin' all the dudes like Eminem and all that, but you know, if they didn't have that, it would be more sales, it would be more sales for everybody, but you know thats all part of the game man, you gotta accept it, you gotta accept it.

Nima : How did you react when you realized you had people from Europe to Australia bumpin' your shit?

Lil CS : Oh man that felt so muthafuckin' good it don't make no sense man, you know what I mean? Because I like dealin' wit people who are honest buyers, you know what I'm sayin? People from other places, they open their ears and give you their honest opinion, you know what I'm sayin, whereas you might have people in your city, well San Diego been showin' me major love, but you know some people that might know you, like I had that song called Homie Haters, some of your homies man, they hate on you! They won't give you the proper credit. But a stranger will always tell you his honest opinion, you know what I'm sayin? So thats what I like about my shit bein' international. People are listenin', who don't know me, and give me their honest feedback, and I love that! I wanna go over there, I wanna go to all those places, I just don't wanna get on the airplane for all these hours, you know what I mean? I have to though *laughs*

Nima : You spent some time in jail, tell us about it and what consequences it had on your life.

Lil CS : Aww man, ah man, *laughs*, I was gone save it about this subject right here dog, a nigga was like straight 18, 19, sent to the Feds man, they gave a muthafucka a twelve year sentence, for dope cases, you know what I mean? You got all this time to see.. Muthafuckas get it confused, the Fedz ain't no fuckin' luxury man, its riots, ain't no conjugal visits, that's just business wit yo wife, ain't none of that in the feds!! Ain't no packages, watchin' TV in yo cell, straight none of that in the feds! I went through alot shit ma, alotta alotta shit man. Its like my sons mom, she been havin' a baby by one of my homies, you know, its alotta shit I was goin' through. And I think I expressed it real good in "Thug Tearz", people really felt that, you know what I'm sayin? I mean that shit was a muthafucka though, but I did my time though, I was in like two riots, because of this bias ass crack law that they got where they give like, if you got 50 grams of crack, you get 10 years, if you're first offender, and if you got 5 birds of soft, which is powder cocaine, you can get the same sentence! But only the blacks sold the crack! So we ended up in there wit the 20's and the 15's, and the dudes wit the real dope was endin' up wit 5 years! So we got two riots because of that, well the first riot I got into was because of that the second one was somewhere else. And then I got all around the world man I did time in Arizona, Louisianna and Oaklahoma! That's places I had never seen before in my life, you know what I mean? It was a hell of a experience. But I learned from it while I was in there, I studied the music game, I studied business, you know what I mean I took classes and all that shit, I took accounting, and all that shit! But uhm, I did what I had to do as far as like rioting in the riots, and I also educated myself. I got prepared for the streets when I touched down, I put my plan in full effect you know what I mean? The hardest problem was my son though! Knowin that when I left he was only ten months and when I got out he was 10 years!! That was the hardest part right there man. My brother he's still locked up! He gotta do like 15 years, he ain't killed nobody or nuttin' this is a drug case, and his drug case was so fucked up they didn't catch him wit no dope they got this shit called conspiracy when they ain't gotta catch you wit no dope, you know?

Nima : But you still feel that it had a positive effect on you?

Lil CS : Well everything happens for a reason man, that's how I look at it. You're not gotta dead, cause I had people out there havin contracts on me cause I was doin' the most out there, I was doin' a lil too much, I was a youngsta, and people was tryna get at me for different reasons, and so when I was in there, it kinda like cleared my head as far as, I gotta get focused, this shit ain't a muthafuckin' joke, these people gettin me all this time wit my first time, what about my second time? I'd never get out! So I had to get in there and stay focused so it definitely had a positive effect on me and like brought my lyrical content, you know what I mean? I don't just rap bout jail, you know most my songs ain't about that, but goin' through what I been through in my life, makes me have that lyrical content whereas somebody who ain't been through nuttin ain't really got nuttin' to talk about!

Nima : Do you feel racism is still present today?

Lil CS : Yeah but I don't really trip on that shit, I don't waste my energy on that shit man, I got white fans, I got mexican fans, asian, black I don't know man, I don't really trip on that shit man, cause the people that are racist are the people in power, not the everyday person you see. That's a waste of energy dog, I don't really trip on that shit, instead of dwellin' on that, I'd rather dwell, focus my energy towards bein' succesful instead of focusing it on people tryna bring me down. Fuck it ima get on my hustle man! Legally tho, you know what I mean? I don't trip on that shit!

Nima : In which ways do you wish to expand Ghetto World Records?

Lil CS : Oh well you know, just keep it on quality projects, you know, makin' money man, makin' a profit. Cause everything I done put out so far has made profit, and I know alotta dudes who ain't made their money back you know what I mean? So I'm in for the money man, I'm in it for the profit and just be respected, you know what I mean? And even if I never go platinum or nuttin' like that, the thousand people that do know about me, when I'm done, they gone think back to me like "Man, that dude Lil CS, he's one of the hardest dudes" and to the thousands that know me, thats what they gone consider me, one of they best, you know what I mean? But I'm just tryna expand it man, we started this new division called Ghetto World Films and Soundtracks, thats what the DVD and soundtrack are comin' through that company. So we plannin on puttin out more DVD, plus I wrote a movie in jail called "Homies For Life", its like based on a true story, but that one is gonna take like big budget, so we just tryna keep on movin man!

Nima : Is there anybody you got beef wit?

Lil CS : Nah, I have no beef man! I can't even understand how a muthafucka can have rap beef! You know what I mean?? Where I'm from, in Dago ain't no rap beef out here man!! Shit was street man! I mean first of all, I ain't gone say I'm no supertough guy, but I'm well respected, and at the same token I give the respect back. Its like I'm a cool as nigga man I don't be trippin' off that bullshit! If somebody got beef wit me, then that gotta be their problem, cause I'm a cool muthafucka homie, I'm tellin' you I'm so humble man, I talk to everybody wit respect, and I deserve that respect back.

Nima : Would you take shit to the streets or do you wanna keep it on wax.

Lil CS : Nah I ain't gone keep it on wax, I can't keep it on wax! If somebody disrespect me on a record, soon as I see him, 9 times out of 10 I'm gone bomb on him, you know what I mean? I don't mean shootin, we gone be fightin! Whatever happens after that, hopefully after the fight, it'll get squashed, cause I don't wanna take it to that next level, cause I know the consequences of doin' that and I got homies that's in jail for 25 to life and now they wish they wouldn't have done what they did, you know what I mean? But I can't see it just stayin' on wax man, if you disrespect all out of they name and all that then that shit ain't cool man, you know what I mean? Muthafucka wanna diss me on wax, just come and diss me in my face, before you put it on a record!

Nima : Are you a good live performer? How do you get the crowd hyped?

Lil CS : Aww man look, wait till you see the DVD! Man I'm one of the only muthafuckas man, that spit live, and you gone understand every word, just like the record, I don't use no background vocals, some dudes rap over their vocals, I never do that! I do all my shit live!! Some people when you see them perform, and they do half their line and their homie will finish the line, I rap the whole song! They can say somethin' but I will never stop, you know what I mean? You'll see it on the DVD! And how I get the crowd hyped, if they don't know my songs, I just come out there and hype it! If you're layed back, the crowd will be layed back, if you come out there hyped, and on one, then they gone be hyped and on one, you know what I mean? Ima tell you something about some hip-hop crowds, some of 'em, they just sit there and look at you. Some of 'em do, if they ain't never heard about you. But after you're do, some niggaz think that you're hard and show love to people. But after you're done, they'll come to you and be like "that shit was hella tight homie, lemme get your album", they wanna purchase it then! But uhm, as far as you'll see on the DVD man, you'll see I'm hell of a live performer!

Nima : Aight that's it man, thank you for takin' the time, I appreciate it!

Oh fo sho much love dubcnn holla at ya boy! Check out that website ghettoworld.com, pick up all them albums on that muthafucka, much love ya'l!!