REKA THE SAINT (January 2008) | Interview By: Conan Milne

       Dubcnn recently had the opportunity to talk to rising Queens, New York MC, Reka The Saint. In this interview, the savvy lyricist speaks on growing up during the crack epidemic in NYC; the mentality that motivated him to pursue music; and whether or not being White has affected him as a Hip-Hop artist. The Saint also shares a lot of exciting information about his flourishing music career; talks about linking up with the legendary MC Shan; and what makes Big Pun "the best rapper" of all time.

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

 

Interview was done in January 2008.

Questions Asked By : Conan Milne

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Dubcnn: Firstly, what was your upbringing like?

New York was a very different place when I was growing up. I went to school during the height of the crack epidemic in NYC. Also, I was raised when there was still a lot of clear and present racism. I went to a lot of schools because I always got thrown out. I got thrown out of I.S. 227 (Luis Armstrong, in Corona) for attacking and spitting on my dean. Then they sent me to 119 in Glendale. They didn't have room for me in normal classes so they put me in a Special Ed class. It was really just a class for bad kids. Then I got thrown out of that school for assaulting a student with a pencil - I think I was listening to too much N.W.A.! I was enlisted in High School but never went really. I could write a book about my upbringing, but that's just a few things that come to mind.

Dubcnn: Why did you choose to start rapping?

I don't know why I started rapping. I think nowadays people "decide" to "start rapping." I was just hanging out all over Queens in the street and that's what my friends did. It came just as natuarally as anything else you just do. Keep in mind that at that time rap music was not "socially acceptable" to the masses. Rappers didn't have Ferarri's and million dollar videos. It wasn't like I wanted to rap for money - how it is now. Not that 1% of rappers even see profit off it, but it was just one of the music genres I listened to my whole life. After a while I started taking it more seriously.


Dubcnn: On your track "They Hate Me," you rap, "They hate Reka, still stuck on the skin tone…" How has the color of your skin affected you as an MC?

To be honest, that's when the whole ringtone shit started poppin', and it rhymed. "They still stuck on the skintone, keep hating 'cause I'm comin' out with ringtones." It's just punchline shit. It ain't really deeper than that, but me being white has affected my music. That's undeniable. Nowadays you can buy ProTools and a mic, set up a MySpace, and you're a "rapper." When I started rapping the only respectable white rappers were 3rd Base and the Beastie Boys, then House of Pain put it down. So there was not a lot of white rappers at all. Shit - I might have been the only one I even knew!

The point is it affected me like this: If I was in a cipher, not always, but 99% of the time I was automatically judged by my skin. I remember heads looking at me like, "You must be kidding," then I would lyrically destroy them and shut them down. They looked like fucking fools to their people. I remember my people loved that shit! They got a kick out of that. In all honesty, I just did what anyone would do if someone treated you like that - that ain't even about being white. If you're Spanish and somebody tries to dismiss you like, "Whatever with this kid," that kid is gonna get on some shit like, "Word? Fuck that - I'll shut you down!" Other than that it never played a factor in my mind. If anything, it inspired me to be underestimated. I might have said this in every interview I've done because it always needs to be said: there are two kinds of music - good and bad.


Dubcnn: There's a lot of talk about New York City Hip-Hop being in an unstable condition. What are your thoughts?

New York is a place, and music is music. The next, big artist could come out of fucking Germany for all anybody knows. The thing that is bullshit in NYC is majors and payola. If you ain't from New York then you say, "What happened to New York?" New York never left. You got artists from Lord knows where getting records broke in NYC, and artists in NYC cant get records broke in NYC? Shit is garbage. I could make a list of artists in NYC that have been putting it down for the crown for years and they still are. Where's the love? Another thing is that there is a hierarchy. There is no middle ground. The artists from NYC that have been in the game for 347 years can do a garbage song and get burn because they have the leverage, simple and plain. I got hit records that may never get burn. It is what it is, and I'm still going to make them because labels, and the radio, and the "game," and all that bullshit doesn't define me. I remember before all that shit and I was still spitting, so fuck it. My shit is available on myspace.com/rekaking


Dubcnn: Let's talk about Illseed Ent. Can you tell us about the label, its history, future plans, and so on?

Shit, Illseed is my family. Anybody can have or be on a label. I got family that would die for me and vice versa - find me a "label" like that. Long story short, Nature Born was a group with Gustapo and B-Rock. B-Rock caught a fed bid and went away for a few years and Gustapo started Illseed Ent. while pursuing a solo career. I had known Gustapo and his brother since I was eight years old, real young. Me and my brother and main producer Jo-Ski had been doing our thing with the rap shit, and we had reunited after some years. This is when Genovese was doing his thing on Universal. After a little while Genovese and Gustapo started the group First Cousins. The future is the past is the present. Same shit - writing, recording, grinding, and doing what's needed to make my shit pop off.


Dubcnn: The legendary MC Shan hosts your new mixtape, "Survivor N.Y." How did you hook up with Shan, and what do you think he sees in you as an artist?

I was getting real sick of these so called "DJ's" that have never seen a turntable, are talking over songs, "hosting" mixtapes, albums, and so on. I just wanted to do something different. Me and my boy (SLAM Assistant Editor) Matt Caputo sit around and bullshit regularly, and talk about Hip-Hop. I was telling him I wanted to do something different. He was like, "Yo, fuck it. Let me holla at my man Shan and see what we can do." It went down like that on some real shit. I don't know what Shan thinks about me as an artist. I do know this: He is a legend, and a Platinum artist, and a Hip-Hop pioneer. I think my main studio was booked so we were like, "Fuck it - we can just have him do it at my brother's crib." It was the middle of last summer, and it was about 100 degrees. The light in the room was broken and we had a candle lit. I felt bad, like, "How the fuck can this shit happen right now of all times?" Shan was like, "That shit ain't nothing, cuz." He just flew through it on some legend shit. He is a real person, and that's all I can say about that.


Dubcnn: Has Shan offered you any words of advice when it comes to making music your business?

Not really, I treat people like people. We were really just talking about regular, everyday life shit. I wasn't trying to interview him, or ask him for advice. I'm sure people come at him, and other heads like him, like that often. I wasn't trying to bother.


Dubcnn: With the music industry in a state of turmoil thanks to dwindling CD sales and illegal downloading, what motivates you to pursue Hip-Hop as a career path?

It's not a career path - it's art. You are it or you're not. The music industry is not in a state of turmoil, unless there are two music industries? The one that I'm in is poppin' for me. The playing field is now level. If 50 Cent drops a new song tonight a kid in South Africa can hear it. If The Saint drops a new song tonight a kid in South Africa can hear it. It's all how you look at it, cuz, and its a resource. I'm going to use it to my advantage instead of sit around and cry about it. I love it, so come through and download the "Survivor N.Y." shit, my first album "In The Beggining" and my new shit that will be up very soon called "Track Cocaine." After "Track Cocaine" I will do the "Track Addiction" album. That will be for sale for a few duckits. I think after giving away three albums heads can cough up a few bones. If not, fuck 'em! I will have t-shirts up for sale soon too. Big up to Ennui clothing for starting up a line with me. These are projects in the works.


Dubcnn: You've said it before that Big Pun is your favourite MC. What is it in particular that you admire about Pun?

His attack; flow; content; character - what else can you say? He had it all. He was gifted. In my mind Big Pun is the best rapper. Why? 'Cause he had a shiny belt buckle? 'Cause he was taking steroids? 'Cause he was a model? Nah, none of those things have anything to do with music! He was the best because he shut it the fuck down. All of these majors are crying because they can't sell music. Oh well, then get artists that make music. Image is such a major thing right now that the music is a small factor. Well, I guess having a Ferarri in your video really can't sell records if the music is garbage. A record is music, and what happened to the music? I know that image is a factor. I aint new at this shit, but come on! Heads are coming out solely because of it, and it's just ridiculous at this point. It's a joke.


Dubcnn: You mentioned a new project called "Track Cocaine." What can you tell us about that?

I just finished a joint with Royal Flush and Shabaam Sahdeeq called "Crack Game." I will be in the lab tonight mixing that. It's straight crank. It's straight up Hip-Hop. It's going to be a great album. I got my fam First Cousins on there of course. It's funny you asked about "Why They Hate Me" because my man Ali Vegas did a remix of that for his new shit, and I will most definitely have that on "Track Cocaine." My man Joseph Solomon is a new artist to our label, but of course has been family to me for years. He is on a new freestyle we're doing with Vegas. Phenom, Royal Flush's people is on there. Phenom is nice. I just linked up with Gab Gotcha and we plan on knocking out a joint. It's gonna be fresh for '08. It's still in the works, but stay in tune because it's going to be solid.


Dubcnn: You are an artist that has embraced the internet, making your street albums available for free download. How beneficial do you feel the 'net can be to artists?

Like I said earlier, it's cool. You can't stop it so you're either a sinking ship or you're me. Come take my music, as music is promo nowadays. 90% of the game ain't eating off records sales. If you rep The Saint you can buy my t-shirts, come to my shows, and all that.