STERLEN ROBERTS  (April 2008) | Interview By: Noncentz

      

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Interview was done by phone in April 2008

Questions Asked By: Noncentz

Sterlen Roberts Gave Dubcnn.com A Shoutout! Check That Here
 

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Sterlen Roberts - An Lean (Remix) Feat. Mistah F.A.B. & San Quinn

Sterlen Roberts - Running For My Life

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www.myspace.com/sterlenroberts
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Dubcnn: Sterlen, how you doing, man?

Pretty good, dude! Pretty good!


Dubcnn: What was it like growing up in Oakland?

East Oakland out here is raw, man! It’s kind of like a Compton version up in the bay area. It’s real rough! My grandfather hand-built a church on 83rd, which is right in the middle of east Oakland, and that’s the church I grew up in. The house we lived in was so bad, that 10 years ago it got knocked down. My dad, being a musician, sold the publishing to one of his songs that I think was nominated for a Grammy, just to get us out. He preaches to me against selling my publishing, but if I had a family I’d do the same thing.


Dubcnn: So with your grandfather building that church, did you attend there?

We were in church every night of the week! Gunshots going on outside and everything, but nobody would mess with us because, it’s funny, but cats in the hood have respect for people going in and out of the church. But that was most of my growing up, was going to church basically every night of the week, and on Sundays we were in church for like 8 hours!


Dubcnn: I’m all about God, man, but that’s a lot of church, homie!

It was a Pentecostal church, you know, with the hand-clapping, shouting and all of that. When I wasn’t in church, it was the happiest time of my life. But now, I’m realizing how important it was.


Dubcnn: Growing up in the church, is that where you got you’re musical ambitions?

My mom bought me a Casio keyboard, even though I couldn’t play as a little kid, but I would pretend like I was playing in testimony service. I pretended like I was jamming because I always liked the hand movements of my dad playing. I liked the way he spread his hands and hit the chords, so I acted like I was hitting chords. Of course I was hitting all the wrong chords!


Dubcnn: Being so heavy in church, how did you gravitate to the more secular music that’s how there?

I was into hip-hop a long time ago. I really started making music when I wanted to stop depending on other people for my career and the things that I wanted. I bought Reasonable Doubt the day it came out! I was not a hop-on-the-bandwagon Jay-Z fan. I use to listen to Fat Joe.


Dubcnn: Growing up in East Oakland and you’re listening to Jay-Z, Fat Joe….

And not buying Too $hort! *laughs*


Dubcnn: Yeah! Surrounded by cats like him, E-40, 4-Tay and you was listening to what was coming out of New York.

From Kool Moe Dee to Big Daddy Kane! If it was between Biggie & 2Pac, I was 2Pac all the way! I bought Dre’s album, Too $hort and all of that. I’m from here, but in the same breath I’m a cat who listens to Barbara Streisand & Frank Sinatra. A good friend of mine told me a long time ago to dig in and listen to everything. You can’t just stop at rap or whatever.


Dubcnn: Obviously, we know you write and rap, but a lot of people would be surprised to hear that you also produce, too.

Basically, I’m a keyboardist, and really more of a studio musician. I can play what needs to be played. I play drums, and I’m ok on the guitar. I lived with DeVante Swing for 2 years. He’s the type of guy that can pick up anything and make it work, and that’s the kind of guy I am. Not many producers get respect for being rappers, and it’s really a challenge. You have to take a few days to just sit down and be a writer, and then take a couple days to just be a keyboard player; then 2 or 3 days to be a producer. The public doesn’t give any breaks. They judge you on everything from the lyrics, the beats to the hooks. Even though I write and play everything, I don’t get a Kanye West type of leniency. I have to come correct in everything!


Dubcnn: What separates Sterlen from everybody else that’s out there?

The intro to my record is a composition that I wrote. I played every instrument and wrote every lyric. And I did that purposefully to show people why, why, why I’m where I’m at and what I’m about to do. And you will have never heard anything like it. And if you have, call me and tell me I’m a liar! It’s a piano ballad, and I’m going to start playing and rapping that live simultaneously. That’s my attempt.


Dubcnn: So what can we expect from this record?

I didn’t get as many songs as I wanted on there because the labels want you to put all the singles on there, but I got some real shit. It’s going to have a mixture of the creative stuff for the music heads, and stuff for the non-music heads. I think there’s a good balance of things on there for people to check out.


Dubcnn: With declining CD sales and whatnot, what drives you to succeed in this industry?

I get a real kick out of creating new music. That’s my passion. After creating that new song and coming up with something that’s enjoyable to someone, that’s the ultimate passion for me. Nobody can take that feeling away. There’s so many times we as rappers go through so many ideas that may be wack, and we wonder why we’re doing this, but when you get that one golden idea it changes everything.


Dubcnn: Now, you came up in the same crew as Timbaland & Missy and them, right?

Well, we were the crew right after them. It was me, Flo-Rida, Keisha and few others that came though there right after. I was there for about 2 years and lived with Flo-Rida as well. I was at a pretty low point in my career just after I had a video shot and was about to get signed to Universal when it all fell through, but I got a call from a friend who said DeVante Swing saw my video and wanted to meet me. He didn’t know I was a producer, but the minute I got there I started playing the piano, rapping, playing the drums, played my music and all of that. When he found out I could do all those things, he told me to get my stuff and move in. He was already going to mess with me as a rapper, but when he found out I was a producer he got a whole new vision for me.

Flo-Rida moved in after me in the next room, and we wrote a lot of stuff together. We’re all really good friends, and it’s a blessing to see Keisha Cole and everybody doing so well. And it’s funny because Keisha was always around saying she’s signed and all this, and then 2 months after I left DeVante’s, I saw Keisha’s video. Now Flo-Rida’s out doing really well!


Dubcnn: Tell me about MTL records.

Todd DiMartino started this label off his belief in me. He’s really the most savvy businessman I’ve ever seen! Everything about him is on point. He’s looking to sign pop artists and everything else, not just hip-hop. He hired a great lawyer, the same lawyer that’s over the 2Pac estate, he’s hired a great radio person, and a great A&R. I have a great production partner named Peter Brown. He’s my other half; for every Pharrell there’s a Chad. I went with Todd & MTL because after dealing with the Universal thing, I wanted to try to have control over as much as possible.


Dubcnn: So why, “She Works” as the lead single?

Well, originally, it was a song called “Only The Money”, but our radio guy said we needed something up-tempo first. We’re doing a remix to it right now. As we speak, I’m in the studio working on it. But it was a label decision, and it has that sound that’s kind of going on right now. That’s the business side single. I do have song called “Runnin’” that my label is going to let me YouTube, that talks about Oprah, which is on the creative side of this business. To get press, any kind of press is the point of doing singles, to draw attention to to who I am and get to the grit of who I am.


Dubcnn: What’s the best advice you’ve been given?

To always remain who you are. Keep to yourself and remain who you are and you’ll gravitate further. That sticks out in my head the most. Todd, the CEO, believes in who I am and I think having people around me that believe in me.


Dubcnn: I was on your Myspace looking at your bio and whatnot, and you’ve mentioned growing up in the church, working with DeVante, Keisha & Flo-Rida. Where does Flava Flav fit in to this picture?

Flav was at DeVante’s 24/7! This is right before Flava of Love started. He had been a ghost up to this point, so when he came in my room I was like, “Oh shit! That’s Public Enemy! Flava Flav!” He wasn’t as big as he is now, but the cameras were there. We were wondering why cameras were following him at the time, and now we know. Rome, the guy who brought me to DeVante’s, Flav and DeVante all hung out. But Flav always called me Usher for some reason like “You’re Usher!” I had met 50 Cent once and even he called me Usher too, so I don’t know what that’s about! But Flav on camera is just like he is in real life. 100%! *laughs* He would come in and just be like “OHHHH! Maaaaan!,” and it was like what is he yelling at, dude? We thought he was drunk all the time *laughs*!


Dubcnn: Is there anything you’d like to say to everybody out there?

Just look for my YouTube. I have video called “Runnin’” that was filmed in East Oakland where I was born & raised. We’re taking it back to the streets. We’re doing it YouTube style! So look for that. Listen to my new single, and be on the lookout for that new album!