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Dubcnn Exclusive – Sabrina
By: Chad Kiser
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Dubcnn: As of lately, you’ve had a lot of songs that have been featured here on Dubcnn. All these songs feature legendary west coast artists. Let’s start with the first song “Oh! Oh! Here She Comes pt II” with Jayo Felony, Knoc-turn'al and Knoc-turn’al’s brother, Jaguar. What was that experience like and how did the process come together?

I loved the song from the beginning when the producer [Bless] first sent me the track. It didn’t have any of those artists on there yet, so I came up with the concept of ‘Oh Oh Here She Comes’ which is a playoff of the “Maneater” song with those two super-dope old school white guys, I can’t remember their names right now -- it’s right on the tip of my tongue…


Dubcnn: Do you mean Daryl Hall and John Oates?

Yeah, that is it! Anyway, what you’re hearing on the songs [part II and part III] is just a rough guide vocal that I wanted to re-do, but the producer liked it so he kept it just like that. They sent it to Knoc-turn’al’s people and we got him and Jayo Felony to do their thing, and Jaguar, too. I love the song, it’s crazy, and since it’s been released, it has taken on a life of its own. The song is now part of a series.


Dubcnn: With the third installment [“Oh, Oh Here She Comes pt III”] you are featured with Noah Jones, Sly Boogie, Slip Capone and Ms. Toi…

I've been a fan of Ms Toi ever since the "You Can Do It Put Your Back Into It" days [“You Can Do It Put Your Back Into It” Ice Cube feat. Mack 10, Ms. Toi]. She inspired us white girls everywhere to put our back into it, if you know what I mean (laughs). It’s an honor to work with both Slip Capone and Sly Boogie and I love how they come off in their verses -- although I wouldn’t exactly let my mom hear Slip Capone’s verse (laughs).

But it came out real well. I especially like the way we switched it up in part three with all the instrumental changes to kinda break up the monotony from part two. This one [part III] starts off with Noah Jones, who absolutely kills it with his amazing wordplay.


Dubcnn: Let’s clear something up for our readers. Your song “Oh Oh Here She Comes” has several versions. So far, you’ve released part two and part three which feature the artists we just mentioned, and there are more versions coming. But there’s quite a stir around the internet from people asking what happened to part one. So why wasn’t part one released first?

Listen, I’m not a ‘Lord of the Rings’ fan. I hate it – hate everything about it. And just about the only thing I hate more than ‘Lord of the Rings’ is ‘Star Wars’. Pure torture for me; it’s just not my thing. But the one cool thing about ‘Star Wars’ is the unconventional way it was released out of chronological order, because it made you anticipate the earlier story – well, it didn’t make me anticipate anything. But, you know, it has a couple of fans (Laughs).

Anyway, the whole strategy was set up like ‘Star Wars’. Or maybe the producers were smoking too much weed and mixed up the order of things, I’m not sure, but somebody somewhere thought it was a good idea.

You know, weed takes credit for a lot of bad ideas. These guys are in the studio, high as a kite, thinking they have all these great ideas and their creative juices are flowing – but um, that’s not the juices flowing, baby, that’s just the bong water dripping off your chin.


Dubcnn: Can you give us any info as to who will be on “Oh Oh Here She Comes” part one and when it will be released?

Oh, oh here you come, putting me on the spot (laughs). I really can’t say right now. But I will let you know that we’ve definitely got part one coming out and then a part four to close out the whole series. There will be some bonuses and surprises. I can’t wait for you all to hear these other ones.

And, by the way, thanks to Dubcnn for showing so much support on this song…and everything in general.


Dubcnn: Let’s talk about the song called “Talk to Me” with Mazur and Knoc-turn’al, which featured here as well as places like Allhiphop…  

Yeah, Mazur is from Canada and he has a really unique pop-friendly style, and, of course, Knoc-turn’al adds that extra punch that really puts it over the top. I love that record, it really grew on me. But with this particular song, if you didn’t like it the first time around you’ve got to give it another try. It becomes very contagious. I can see it going far because it’s very mainstream and clubby at the same time. It’s one of those guilty pleasures you put on at home when you’re vacuuming and dance shamelessly to in your underwear…if you’re a chick. If you’re dude, you’re probably not gonna admit that you like it, but we know you do.

And for a not-so-subtle plug – you can buy the song on iTunes or anywhere online.


Dubcnn: The next song you’ve had featured here on Dubcnn lately is by Tha Chill [from Compton’s Most Wanted] called “They Don’t Know What I’ve Been Through”. Tell us more about this song…

Our collaboration is a remix of my debut single “They Don’t Know What I’ve Been Through” and we’re calling this one “They Don’t Know The Remix” featuring Tha Chill.

Not to take anything away from the original song we did in Canada with Paul Katsnelson and Jack Shapira because I love it, but this Chill remix is my favorite song I’ve got right now – well, that and a song called “No Rose Petals & Bubblebaths”.

It’s cool that Tha Chill came from Compton’s Most Wanted and here we are working together. And that’s exactly what you get with the song – like Vintage Compton meets Beverly Hills. It’s a nice mix. Actually, Tha Chill and I got quite a few things going on together, we’ll be bringing some more stuff out soon.


Dubcnn: I did see mention of that title “No Rose Petals & Bubblebaths” on HipHopDx within a featured article about you. I thought it was an interesting title and I later saw the video online. The video was well put together, but I was a bit confused…is the video also the official video for the movie ‘Last Day of Summer’?

Well, the video is a behind-the-scenes look at the movie [‘Last Day of Summer’]. The movie stars Nikki Reed from the ‘Twilight’ and ‘New Moon’ movies, and DJ Qualls. It’s basically a preview of the movie, which is coming out this year by Vlad Yudin -- the same guy who did the Big Pun movie, The Legacy. As far as the video goes, some production company out of Canada put it together, and it came out really cool. It got a ton of support from the ‘Twilight’ and Nikki Reed community, so I’m definitely honored to be a part of that.

And, actually, the video is a shortened version of the song; the long version will be out in retail this year.


Dubcnn: That’s an impressive resume you’re building. Any other west coast artists you’re working with?

We’re talking about doing something with producers Ant Banks, Mike Mosley and Sir Jinx. But as of right now, we’re still talking about it. I can’t wait to work with each of these producers! Dubcnn will be the first to know about any of these projects if, and when, they come to light. I’m open to working with any artist, singer, producer on the west coast – or any coast for that matter, just hit me up online. We’re getting more and more momentum and traction every week so check out my website at www.yoursabrina.com for weekly updates.


Dubcnn: Speaking of producers, I also see that you’ve worked with Focus, who is best known for his work with Aftermath Entertainment…

Yes, Focus and I did a song together called “I Jump You Jump”, which, if you remember back was also featured on Dubcnn. His work is crazy. He’s produced Beyonce, Marsha Ambrosius, Christina Aguilera and Jennifer Lopez, so I’m in good company. I heard some of the tracks off his new album [The Avant Garde Project] that’s coming out soon and, let me tell ya – wow. I’m looking forward to doing more with him in the near future. I love me some Focus…


Dubcnn: And you’ve worked with Ca$his’ producer, C Major, on a song, correct?

Yep. C Major produced my song called “Separate Ways”, a remake of the Journey classic. The concept was suggested to me and I honestly didn’t know the original song at all because it was released the year I was born. So, I had to go online and watch the video, which is absolutely hilarious, kept me laughing for hours. The dude playing the keyboard on the wall, he’s really representing. If you haven’t seen it, go on YouTube and watch it. And it’s not meant to make you laugh, that’s the thing. They were so serious. I mean, these dudes [Journey] were as big as it gets back in the day. That’s what’s funny to me about some of these rappers who try to present themselves as hardcore a hundred percent of the time because, one of these days – maybe not tomorrow, maybe not even for another ten years – but one of these days, you’re gonna wake up, realize your relevancy has worn off and you’re now the Journey guy with the mullet and the blue jean jacket rocking out on the Casio keyboard (laughs).

That’s why I have respect for people like Eminem, Ludacris, Ice Cube and Andre 3000 because they don’t take themselves too seriously. They know when to turn it off; they know how to laugh at themselves.


Dubcnn: (Laughs) That’s true. You’ve got all these west coast features, who else would you like to work with along the west coast?

I would love to do something with Terrace Martin. His sound is incredible.


Dubcnn: A lot of people became familiar with your name after your song with Nappy Roots. Explain how that song came about.

Yeah, the song is called “Election Day” and I featured on the hook. It hit Vibe, HipHopDX, and a lot of other places – and of course, Dubcnn -- which was exciting for me because it was my first time, and to be featured with a Grammy-nominated group like Nappy Roots was amazing.

Now that I think about it, it’s kind of funny because my part on the song was, “Election day will soon be here, let’s use our voices loud and clear,” but I didn’t end up voting. (Laughs)


Dubcnn: While viewing your MySpace profile, I was caught off guard by what looks like a Madonna diss song you’ve got coming out soon. Madonna is a legend so what’s that all about? Do you think that’s a smart move for a new artist to dismiss someone of Madonna’s elite status?

Yes, Madonna is a legend; I’m not dissing Madonna in any way, shape or form. I wrote it when she was rumored to be dating Alex Rodriguez. My experience involving A-Rod goes way back.


Dubcnn: What do you mean your experience with A-Rod?

Well, everything changed a while back. [Alex Rodriguez] and I first met in Vegas – and let me be clear, nothing really inappropriate ever happened in Vegas. It’s not like “what happened in Vegas, stays in Vegas” or anything like that (laughs). I thought he was very polite and sweet, and ironically, he seemed kinda shy and maybe even a little insecure. He was very soft spoken but articulate, you know what I mean? Anyway, then some time after that there was a big group of us in the South Bend/Chicago area. At first, he seemed like that same shy person from before, but then he started to get more and more comfortable, and the mood changed. He went from ‘Mr. Kabbalah’ to ‘Mr. I’m a Baller’ really quick, like a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde transformation right before our eyes. It was strange, to say the least.


Dubcnn: What do you mean by that?

He is a total pervert. I probably shouldn’t say exactly, but basically Alex Rodriguez has some pretty weird fetishes and fantasies, and he’s not really shy about expressing his interests for other people to participate if you know what I mean…

I personally didn’t have any part in it, I’m not like that. But a friend of mine got to know him pretty well. Let’s just say it’s true that steroids do shrink a man’s Yankee. (Laughs)


Dubcnn: Are you referring to his manhood?

We joke and call him ‘A-Flawed’ (laughs). But I’m still a huge Yankees fan and we’re definitely gonna repeat this year! As far as A-Rod, hopefully with him being under the microscope and not being able to use steroids, it won’t throw off his game because we really need him in the pinstripes to repeat. Go Yanks!


Dubcnn: Wow! Switching gears here, what other projects do you have going on right now?

I have some upcoming projects with Big V from Nappy Roots, Shorty B from the Dangerous Crew, The late Grandmaster Roc Raida…and I’m doing a couple of soundtracks. I’ll be touring here shortly, with a definite emphasis on west coast dates.

I’ve got a song called “I Heart New York” with Shabaam Sahdeeq, the underground legend. We released the demo to 2Dopeboyz a while ago but will be releasing a final version soon, which we’re doing in Canada at Unison Studios.


Dubcnn: You mentioned your website earlier, which also talks about your involvement in a company called Urbanista Graphix. For our readers, what is Urbanista Graphix?

Urbanista Graphix is a graphic art company I’m involved with, along with a team of other talented people. It’s grown from a little seed into a big corporation with a full staff and big partnerships. We work with a lot of big companies like Sony Legacy, Vivendi / Universal and WIDEawake / Death Row Records. We do everything from hip-hop artists like Nappy Roots to country music artists like Tesa Ruiz.

For me, it’s another form of artistic expression – and music and graphic arts go hand-in-hand so it works out well. I love working with Urbanista, it’s very cutting edge.


Dubcnn: Can you go into further detail about your involvement with Death Row Records?

Well, as you know, technically under the new ownership it’s WIDEawake / Death Row Records. But anyway, we just finished up the artwork for Crooked I’s upcoming album, “Hood Star”. By the way, I’ve got to clear something up about that – an image was leaked recently from the album and it’s disappointing because it wasn’t portrayed the right way in the message board forums. It’s confusing to everyone because the image that people are seeing is not the final layout for the album. There is a lot of talk going on about it because people are just confused, and I get that. There was also a one-sheet that was leaked along with the image and people are mistaking it as part of the album’s artwork, which it is not.

The full album artwork is based around a comic book theme with multiple pages and as of now it has only been seen by a few. I’m excited for people to finally see the real “Hood Star” layout in its full comic book style so they can actually see the album’s artwork in its entirety because what they’ve seen so far is not the proper presentation.

I can tell you this: WIDEawake sent the graphics to Crooked I’s people to get approval from him and permission to use his likeness in the graphics and it all came back approved, with the exception of him requesting that all red be removed from the cover completely -- which is funny to me (laughs). So the album is coming out June 15th with a very dope design and everyone will be happy because it represents Crooked I, C.O.B, Long Beach, comic book fans and the whole west coast in general.

It was an honor to do the project and I’m looking forward to its release. But, let me stress again, what you have seen so far is not the full album artwork presentation. So just keep an eye out.


Dubcnn: So you can expect that people will ask if you know what the tracklisting is for Crooked I’s “Hood Star” because there’s been speculation that –

I’m sorry, I don’t mean to cut you off, but yes, I know what the tracklisting is because, like I said, the company I work with did the artwork so you’re hearing this from the horse’s mouth. But there’s no way that I could jump the gun and give information right now about the song titles because, as I’m sure you understand, it could compromise our relationship with WIDEawake / Death Row. But Crooked I is one of the dopest MCs, hands down, and so you know the album will not disappoint.

You know, this new transition with Death Row Records has really been criticized by some fans and even the media, which I think is unfair. I deal with these people directly and I can tell you first hand that they have nothing but good intentions. John Payne is one of the nicest, most genuine and down-to-earth people you will ever meet. Instead of trying to hate them, I wish more people would support them and appreciate their efforts because they are releasing all the music from the Death Row vaults. As a fan, I can’t wait to hear the unreleased Death Row Tupac stuff.


Dubcnn: Thanks for the info Sabrina. How can people keep in touch with you?

We keep my website fresh and updated at www.yoursabrina.com and I’m on MySpace at www.myspace.com/officialsabrinamusic. I’d love to hear from you. If you check out the ‘Studio Diaries’ section on my website, it lists everything we’ve got going on and we always keep it updated.


Dubcnn: Last words?

I love Dubcnn. I have built some real and lasting relationships from this website. This site has really helped my career and I am forever thankful!

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