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Dubcnn Exclusive – Tha Joker and Lil Mal
By: Jonathan Hay
www.myspace.com/jonathanhay ..........................................................................................

Dubcnn: When and how did you two meet and build a friendship? On the other hand, has it always been about business?

We met about two years ago through mutual friends. We were both creating names for ourselves and both around the same age. It started off more on the business tip, but you know when you [are] constantly with someone in the studio, or on the road you can’t help but to gain a friendship.    


Dubcnn: How would you describe the Mississippi music scene?  

Well to start off, you got to have a lot of haters everywhere, but unlike others, we have more supporters than haters in our own state. People in Mississippi are happy to see somebody that really can rap, coming up and trying [to] put Mississippi on top. But to describe the music scene in Mississippi, I’d use one word -- “hard”. It’s nothing really here but drugs, violence, and other shit to only bring you down and knock you off the right path. There are no artists out of Mississippi on a nationally level besides David Banner. But you got a few on the come up, such as us, Recognition, & Lil C. We don’t have any big record labels based out of our city and our radio stations only have a range of so far. And to add to all of that our population is not that much at all.  


Dubcnn: Getting to the music, what is it like working with Webbie on your “Straight from the Heart” mixtape? 

Webbie is a favorite by us both. That song really was hooked up through a manager/promoter out of Atlanta. His name is Double E. Rico of Recognition and he helped come up with the hook, and we all went from there. Honestly, we think that’s gone be one of the songs to look out for in the near future. I can see it picking up heavily real soon.


Dubcnn: Tell us about the concept behind the “We do it for Fun” mixtape?

Basically, the “We Do It For Fun” are freestyles where I [Tha Joker] just go in from front to end on whatever beat. It mainly has been the big part of the success I have today. They are doing real good on both YouTube and iTunes as far as views and sales.

All of my YouTube videos have over 12,000,000 combined views and I‘m at 50,000 plus downloads on iTunes with no radio play. Right now, I have completed Part 1 through 6 for the "Do It For Fun" [mixtape series]. It's not many people from age 12 through 24 in the United states, that don’t know Part 1 and 2. They are catchy and lyrical, so a lot of people remember them and recite them. They have even compared me to Lil Wayne, on a lot of different occasions. So, you go check them out on YouTube and you tell me who is better (laughing).


Dubcnn: In addition, Lil Mal, talk about your upcoming solo mixtape? 

I’m working on a solo mixtape, right now, as we speak. I haven’t came up with the name of it yet, but I wanted it to be something dark. This mixtape [is] really gonna describe the hard times of coming up in Mississippi. The only artists I’m working with on this one will be; Tha Joker, Sally Bizzle, Lil C, and Recognition. So be looking forward to it around late May 2010.


Dubcnn: You all are selling more singles on iTunes than most majors are. What is the secret to your impressive digital success?

Internet is the key and it’s not a secret anymore. I caught the game when Soulja Boy was just getting on it. So from day one, I already knew the capabilities of the internet so I took advantage of it. If you got an internet fan base, your digital sales will always be good no matter how good the song is. All you got to do is send your fans from website to website to purchase anything as far as your ring tones, songs, layouts, or whatever.


Dubcnn: Speaking of Soulja Boy – and although this issue is in the past, do you still hear your style today in his music?

Sometimes, but I’m not trippin. He is doing real good for himself. He getting money and he knows how to market himself real well. I was just kinda pissed at the time. It is what it is.


Dubcnn: When is the last time you actually spoke to Soulja Boy and would you be up for any kind of reconciliation?  

We discussed the fact of him stealing my style, he responded by telling me he was inspired and that was the end of that. Like I said, I have nothing against him because he doing his thing. I’m about getting money and willing to do whatever it takes to get more money. But [the] fact still remains the same; it is what it is…


Dubcnn: Have you experienced any kind of negative situations, both business and personal from the Soulja Boy incident? 

We had the song together “Boy Shorts” and it kinda help jump start my career. But as I got older, I gained another style and taste for music. It really wasn’t me. I was mainly going in the direction of the label I was signed with. I’m older now and I have total creative control of the material I record and I’m making wiser decisions. Not saying that I regret doing the song, I’m just saying that it was more of my labels decision at that time.  


Dubcnn: Tha Joker, can you talk to us about your prison life experience - - both during and after prison?

Just a typical roadblock that you go through growing up in Mississippi. Making wrong or bad decisions is part of life, coming from where I’m from. You just got to learn from your mistakes and make wiser decisions. I have a daughter, so I know I can’t provide for her in there and I have a talent that can’t be shown behind bars.  


Dubcnn: Moving on, tell us about the “Pull Out” song and video, which is getting an extraordinary fan reaction?

“Pull Out” is something everybody in the world that is sexually active can relate too. You know how the sex is so good, then you’re about to climax and you don’t want to pullout? [laughs] It explains itself. It’s so catchy and raw that males and females got to love it.


Dubcnn: What do you think the pros and cons are of being independent? 

Well the good thing about being independent is that you don’t have a lot of people in your pocket, as far as money goes. Also, you don’t have a lot of people in your ear telling you to go here and do this. The bad thing about being independent is [that] you may miss some opportunities to make more money, such as endorsement deals and to get things done quicker with the muscle of one of the big labels or whatnot. You don’t have the tools either that the major artists have to market their projects to do so well with sells such as BET and MTV or even major radio play.


Dubcnn: You are looking for a major deal, but what do you mainly like about the independent game that you would have to give up in order to sign with a major?

I don’t think we’ll be giving up much, because we’re already doing everything major - but on an independent level. We may not be able to be control our release dates. We’ll still have to grind hard if we’re on a major or not. We’re just waiting to partner up with a major, so that we can take it to the next level.


Dubcnn: Do you think physical cd’s are still relevant? Break down that debated question…

Yes definitely, because you got a lot of people in the streets that don’t have access to the internet to download it digitally. People in the streets might not be the ones with the debit and credit cards to buy it off iTunes, but they are the ones to come and spend $20 and $25 to watch you perform at the club. So physical cd’s are definitely still important at this time and day.


Dubcnn: You guys are staying out on the road, any upcoming West Coast dates?

Yeah - we're doing shows from Mississippi to Kentucky to Denver all the way to Alaska. Most of our shows, we're the only acts and we still draw at least 500 people minimum. We're getting $1500.00 a show plus travel expenses , 500 times 10 is $5,000 dollars or more depending on the cover price. We have done shows where we where the only act and drew over 1000 people at 15 dollars a head... that's $15,000 dollars off maybe a $2500 dollar investment and the thing, is it's all without radio play so it's very profitable for promoters to book us. We don't have to be on the radio in their markets, we're known in every household in America in the 12 to 24 demographic and you know how hard it is to profit in this economy…

Hopefully soon the West Coast will get on board with us, like the South and parts of the North has already. We heard Snoop Dogg has a new executive position over at Priority, and we know he’ll love to bring someone to the table with a very loyal established fan base, that has the potential to do numbers in this very rough economy. We’re trying to have longevity and make a career out of this. So if we get a call from him, we’ll definitely be doing a lot out West.


Dubcnn: Last words for Dubcnn?

Big Shoutout to Dubcnn and the whole west coast! Check us out at www.myspace.com/ophlilmal, www.myspace.com/joker2cold or www.myspace.com/suddentakeover. Hope to see yall real soon out West! We coming!

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