MAC MALL(April 2012) | Interview By:
Nima Etminan
DubCNN spoke to Bay Area legend Mac Mall just in time for the
release of his new album "The Rebellion Against All There Is", which dropped
on April 17th 2012. This album represents his reunion with producer Khayree,
who provided the entire musical backdrop for the record.
In his interview, Mac tells us about the making of the album, the chemistry
with Khayree and the thought provoking lead single with Ray Luv. We also go
back in time to talk about some of the classics, Mall's relationship with
2Pac as well as his thoughts on current Bay Area artists.
Read on and enjoy. As always feel free to hit upnima@dubcnn.comwith
questions or comments.
Dubcnn: We're here with Mac Mall in the Bay Area. Let's talk about the new
album that just came out. You hooked back up with Khayree for this one, let
us know what it's called.
Mac Mall: The name of the record is "The Rebellion Against All There Is",
produced entirely by Khayree. Khayree is the producer who produced what some
call a Hip-Hop classical, "Illegal Business", which is my first record.
10-11 years later, we hooked back and did what I feel is going to be a real
strong record, "The Rebellion Against All There Is". We're rebelling against
all this fake shit.
Dubcnn: A lot of people know your history with Khayree, how did you guys
reconnect and did you notice a difference compared to the work you did in
the 90's?
Mac Mall: When we first started working together, I was only 16 years old.
So it was like a big brother-little brother type of situation. On this one,
we connected as men seeing eye to eye. Shout out to Khayree, because he
actually plugged me to where I own 50% or 100% of every one of my records
that I ever put out. So while we was talking business, we realized that we
don't have any ill will against each other so why wouldn't we get it
cracking?
So that's what we did. The record took a minute because me and dude both
have strong personalities and it was a pull and push situation, going back
and forth. But from all the pressure, we made a diamond.
Dubcnn: When you compare the chemistry in the studio and the way you guys
recorded now in 2011-2012, compared to the process back in the day, what
would you say were the main differences?
Mac Mall: "Illegal Business" was my first record, so I was really just
following his lead. I trusted him so much, because Khayree had put out Mac
Dre, he put out Ray Luv, Young Lay. He has his finger on the pulse of 707
Bay Area music. I trust dude. So we got back together and we would just sit
in the studio and talk for two hours, before we even fucked with the music.
We would talk about current events, the president and all of this. From
those conversations, we were able to make some dope songs.
Dubcnn: Did you guys take it back to the 90's as far as the sound of the
album?
Mac Mall: It was just the way me and dude rock together. His beats is taylor
made for my game. Did we go back to '93? As far as him being a producer and
making real music instead of jut making a beat, then yeah we did that. We
kept it mobbing like we did back then. But we also tried to grow and get it
bigger. It's not '93, you feel me? We just gave it our flavor. I let him do
what he do best and he let me do what I do best. The outcome is something
fly.
Dubcnn: Any guest appearances on the album?
Mac Mall: Yeah I got Ray Luv on the record, I got Shima, I got Latoya Love
on the record, of course Khayree. Real family thang, I'm not one of those
rappers that does a record and only has three songs by themselves. I don't
need that much help.
Dubcnn: Ray Luv is on the single right?
Mac Mall: Yeah, Ray Luv is on the single. Me and him got a dope video man, I
want ya'll to check it out. The video really just set the pace for the
record and let you know how we're coming. We're on some Mutulu Shakur time,
fighting the system, straight up. Rebel riders, you know what I mean? It's
basically a mini-movie, we're getting down, on some Heat shit. Definitely
check it out, it basically let's you know how we come for the rest of the
record, on April 17th 2012 on iTunes and in the stores everywhere.
Dubcnn: I do wanna go back in time for a minute to speak about the song Sic
Wit This and its creation.
Mac Mall: Straight up! Shouts out to Furr, he's Khayree's production partner
and he shot me that beat. I didn't really have to put too much effort into
it, because with Mac Mall, you're going to get me - good and bad. At that
time, I was 15-16, and that was exactly how I was feeling. He gave me the
beat and it just came together. I never knew that it was going to be a song
that I was gonna do for the rest of my life *laughs* But it's a blessing
though that I could even touch people like that. A lot of these rappers take
Hip-Hop for granted, I don't. I love it for real, for real. My girl knows,
it's Hip-Hop and then her - or let's say they're both side by side because
she's sitting right there *laughs* But yeah I love it and I feel like a lot
of cats nowadays don't care. So with every song, I got to give it my all.
Dubcnn: When I was watching the new video, it reminded me of how back in the
day each video used to have a real story and a concept. I was reading back
on some shit and saw that 2Pac actually directed one of your videos back in
the day?
Mac Mall: Yeah! "Ghetto Theme" was the first video that he ever directed!
All I had to do was pay for the video. Shout out to 2Pac and the whole
Shakur family. Dude basically was the biggest rapper in the world and I met
him at E-40's video shoot for "Practice Looking Hard". I saw him and I
didn't wanna be like no dickrider, but I loved that dude. I'm from the Crest
and we had funk with the Jungle back in the day, I had seen 'Pac ride, I had
seen him in the middle of it. So when I saw him, I was like "Man I gotta
holler at him." Then, and now, when I meet a new person, I don't expect you
to know me. I'll give you my pedigree like "What's up man, my name is Mac
Mall, I'm from the V, I rap, this is what I do etc".
So there was a line to get to him, I waited my time and then when I was in
front of him I said "What up Pac, my name is Mac Mall, this is my manager
Leila Steinberg, Ray Luv is my partner, I just wanna say thank you for what
you doing, keep it lit!" He was just like "HUH? WHAT!" in the way that Pac
would: "What! YOU MAC MALL? Oh, I LOVE YO SHIT! Me and all my partners
banging that shit!" I'm sitting there just like "Fuck, I can't believe he's
doing this!" He started naming off my songs: "My Opinion" etc. He was like
"Man I wanna direct a video. You in Vallejo? I'ma be out there in two
weeks."
Two weeks later he came to Vallejo to the YBB studios and ever since then,
we were true friends. I was in high school at the time telling everybody
"Man, 2Pac finna do my video!" Then he messed around and went to jail, so
cats was like "Yeah, right, you ain't doing no video!" Just imagine though,
a little kid coming to school saying "I'm finna do a video with 2Pac!" Ain't
nobody gonna believe you! But when he got out of jail, he came, hollered at
me, had all my family, my mother and everybody there. My mother was always
nervous about our relationship, because all she ever really saw was news
clippings, with Pac spitting on cameras, doing all this stuff."
But when we actually got there with my mother, hella Crest dudes, cats from
the city, and when my mom really got to kick it with Pac, she saw that dude
was one of the most loving people you'd ever want to meet. He was doing the
video while he was on the phone, had court cases everywhere and you could
just see the stress on him. But he would never let you know. He really
looked out for me and I will always keep him close to my heart and never
cheapen our relationship but trying to blow up off that. That's my real
friend.
Dubcnn: I appreciate that story. You said you came into the game as a high
school kid. Now, you're considered a veteran, a OG from the Bay. How do you
feel looking the younger cats coming up and bringing in a new movement to
get the Bay cracking?
Mac Mall: I mean, as long as it ain't whack, do it! One thing about music
now compared to when I started, is that we used to all be the Bay but were
still individuals. Vallejo cats didn't sound like Richmond cats and Richmond
cats didn't sound like Frisco or Oakland cats, Sacramento sounded totally
different. Now it feels like it ain't no innovators, just copycats.
Everybody sounds the same.
It's some people out there that I dig, like Erk Tha Jerk is doing a great
job reaping it, he's in his lane, he ain't doing a whack Mac Dre imitation
like a lot of these muthafuckas is doing *laughs* But do your thing. Bay
Area is always on the tip of thangs, just be original that's one thing I'll
tell them. Stick to your guns.
Dubcnn: So we got the album dropping April 17th and I also see you got a
skateboard on you here?
Mac Mall: Yeah! This is from my last record, my Mac To The Future
skateboards and we'll be doing new ones for The Rebellion Against All There
Is. I also got a book that's going to come out a little bit after the record
called "My Opinion". I'm self-publishing it and it's going to be available
real soon. Me and Khayree are trying to do a new album with me and Ray Luv
and even Young Lay.
Dubcnn: Where's Young Lay been?
Mac Mall: Lay was locked up. But like I said, I'm a Hip-Hop fan, I'm
listening, watching TV, peeping it and all I hear is people complaining.
Hip-Hop now is so corporate and on this album, I just decided that I'm tired
of the complaining, it's time that I do something about it. That's what The
Rebellion Against All There Is is about.
