SHADE SHEIST  (November 2002) | Interview By: Westcoast2K

      

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Alrite first of all, I wanna thank you for including our website in your "Thank You's" on your album.

No problem, yall deserve it. Keep representin. I wanna let it be known that artists care about the things you do, and we appreciate it so I wanted to put you up there in return.



If theres people that didnt get your album yet, what do you tell them to convince them to get it?

Well I'd tell them that they need to pick it up cause its something new and fresh. And because its an album completely from me, from top to bottom, and it has been a couple of years in the making and went through so much evolution to get the format of what it is now. I just feel like its one of my most personal emotion piece of work that Ive done in the days of my life. And with all the hate forces goin on from people that dont know nothing about it I was really excited about the album. And the way it came out I was really hoping that people would feel it, before I move on to my next projects. I just say pick it up but I cant guarantee anything, but I know you gonna be satisfied with it, one way or another.



So how did you hook up with Damion [Damizza] and Baby Ree in the first place?

Umm I ran into Damion through a friend and with a production company. He had his position at Power 106 and they introduced me one night because I was lookin for new production and he was lookin for artists to produce. So we kinda started makin music outta the basement. He made the beats and I listened what it sounded like and then went back and recorded tracks. At first we weren't really tryna come out, just wanted to make music and find the right sound. Then we started makin a couple songs that got out to the people and they started talkin about it. We kinda realized that his sound fit with my sound, and the other way around. So me and Young did so much stuff together, and then things definitely changed, everything we've done to this point was definitely different. The sound was definitely genuine cause we pretty much both started on the same level and got to this point together.


So who are the artists signed to Baby Ree?

To Baby Ree its only me. We kinda kept it that way cause thats how it started, but what we did, I started my own production firm called PaperWork Entertainment. And I have the first artist signed to that, his name is N.U.N.E. He's featured on the Baby Ree compilation and on my album. He's a new artist, out of Compton. He's doin big things. He can drop 4 lines on a song, like he did on Walk A Mile on my album, he can drop 4 lines and he can say so much. I picked him up when I met him, and he has a single out right now with Caz and Knoc-Turn'al called Hard In The Paint, and that will probably be droppin next year. We kinda leaked it a little bit to the radio to see what people think, and shit went real fast with him. Definitely look forward to see N.U.N.E.. And as far as management, we run a management company under the Baby Ree name. And we recently signed Knoc-Turn'al on the management, with L.A. Confidential. We have worked with Warren G for the last half a year, or almost a year now. We have Caz that we're workin on, and Butch Cassidy is workin more with us. Those are the couple of artists from the crew, but I mean we're workin with so many different artists. Everybody that I put on my album is down with us, and everybody that I represent with is definitely part of the family, so they will see me around again.


I was into your music since you had your first name, Shady Montage. I remember the song Leavin You Again was a banger. How old where you at that time and how did the name change come about?

I was about 16, I was just getting into the music industry professionally. I was doing music for years but at that point everything was kinda takin off. My record company was lookin to do a feature with a RnB singer with me an my partner for a song, cause at that time we were a 2-men group and we went under the name Shady Montage, as a group. And it ended up like me and what I wrote for the song and they asked me if I would be going alone for a while in the industry and do some solo music. And they had the singer that was on the same level so they wanted to work with me immediately because they liked the song, so I said of course. So the song ended up being so good they wanted do to more songs, and later they wanted to turn those songs into a solo record by me. So I ended up recording that record and it ended up being a solo record and we pushed it to radio for while. So they pushed that record and there was a little bit of buzz. I was still an independent artist at that time and satisfied doing that thing. I was recording songs on a daily, as Shady Montage. And then when I hooked up with Damizza, he was actually feeling Shady Montage, and we were still doing alot of different things, features and all that kind of stuff. And then I moved on with Damizza as Shade Sheist.


How did you manage to get your material out there to begin with?

Before it was just based on the people I working with, the management team I was under, the production team I was under, that pretty much took care of all the business and all the things related to business. I didnt really know much about it you know, I was too young to know much about it, I just watched, learned things, but I was making music and I was leavin to them to do what they do. And under Shady Montage they actually handled all the radio thing. Because back then it was real with all the radios, and when I put somthing out he [Damizza] heard it and alot of stations ended up playing some of the stuff. I had a pretty good run as a independent artist you know, and I always have respect for the independent game, because it pretty much got me to the point that Im at now. So its nothin like the underground scene, being able to do a record on the underground scene and really really blow up. But man, its very hard, but it keeps going. So as I grew up and got older I started to learn more and see more things, and I started to learn more from the angle as a pro. And I was learning from the business what was right, what was wrong. Whats the first to get, and how you have to work. So I always wanted to learn what I possibly could, and tried to learn alot more than people know, especially at my age. Because I wanted to impress people when they talked to me. I want to show them that I know my thing, I know the industry. I know my occupation and I know what I'm doing. I'm not just hanging here and recording music. You take this and deal with this. That was cool when I was younger, when I didnt know anything, when I wanted to make bad business. But when it comes to now, you gott know your business and you gotta stay on top of it. You can't trust all the people that take care of you. You gotta what yourself, but now I'm on a strong team. We been together for a long time now and I definitely found my home and definitely found my team. So we definitely work well together, thats why we been around for so long and thats why we continue to support eachother. Rather than tryin find what's in right now and trying to go with whats hot right now. Because you know, its always been us and we plan to keep it that way.


You got alot of hidden messages on your tracks. You really have to read between the lines. How do you come up with your content?

It was pretty natural when I first started rapping. I've always believed in doing something that people understand, not just trying to make music that people have to be like 'what is he talkin about', you know. Always spit words that people understand and I personally dont care for that kind of music, even though I can understand it. I mean I know my words. You know I'm more occupated in all that. When you listen to music you dont wanna have to study the songs. Much more just listen and know whats going on. So I've always tried to stay simple. But naturally Ive always ended up somehow doing some kind of subliminal messages in my music. I'm not sure how it really started, just kinda somthing that came out. I heard it in a song I guess one day and I was like 'Wow, thats different'. And I kept doing it. But not only that, it was different but kind of subliminal where alot of people wouldnt catch it immediately. It would kinda take a couple of listen to catch me saying something that people didnt notice the first time. When people started coming back at me saying 'Yo I heard what you said on that song, I got what you said,' so I was like alright cool, people are startin to catch on. So I always felt my style is a little bit different, it just doesnt seem that way on the surface, but thats what makes it special. So yeah, I hide alot of things in there, I say alot of things in the back, or I might make a statement or say a sentence that sounds like I'm saying one thing but I'm actually talkin about somthing different. So its good because I like when I hear mixed emotions about my style and my lyrics. Some people say its not complex enough, some say he's not the lyricist and some people say its not my right style, so its not technical and all that. But theres other people who actually reallize my style and realize what I'm saying. 'He's crazy man, he's definitely a lyricist, he definitely knows what he's talkin about and he's definitely saying everything that everybody else would be saying. He's just saying it in his own way. I just try to make as realistic as possible, rather than exaggerating everything. I mean everybody knows your caracter and the things you say, they know if you're exaggerating. Things that you see, storys that you tell and you kinda elaborate on it. Anything that I do or say I wanna make it as believeable as possible because there's gonna somebody out there that cant relate to the story, that is really going through that. You know if I can touch down, then I'm doing my job. And I'm not in this to be the best lyricst in the world, on top and running things in hop hop. You know Im cool if I'm just a slice of the industry. I'm cool with just being present. I dont need a top position, you know thats not my goal. I mean Ima always try to be the best that I can be of what I'm doing, but being on top thats not my ultimate goal. My ultimate goal is to be able to have the empire that continues to run like a machine and allows other artists to be able to take over and continue to do that thing as a company, that pretty much just started with 2 men. Just the dream of doing hip hop music.


Do you think that's something that you think maybe separates you from a lot of rappers out there? Your lyrics?

I would say that my music pretty much speaks for itself. It would be hard for me to explain what my style is, because anytime I'm asked that question I say my style is no style. I think what seperates me is definitely the difference in the vocals, I'm not as agressive as most artists. I definitely have a laid back flow and that has also got mixed emotions, but I think overall people realized that thats the way I am. Like N.U.N.E. is coming off real agressive, real wild and going crazy and then I'm coming in real smooth, saying the same thing that you say but I'm saying it in a real smooth, real laid back way. Like you dont have to be jumping around and all that. But for some artists it fits, like for the homie Busta Rhymes, I love it, because he wont sit down, he'll jump around. Actually like the song he did Pass The Courvoisir, where he comes off real smooth, they both got that smooth flow, thats the kind of style where its more laid back. Not just jump around and do somthing real crazy. So I think its more natural the way that I do it, thats probably why I stick to it, because I dont have to go off crazy, and I can see my words, and I can still make people feel it. Its different in that sense, just the whole tone because in general Im just laid back. So I kinda talk in the same way that I rap, and people will catch on to it eventually. If not they will say its too quiet then I tell em its so quiet because I dont want you to hear everything that I have to say. But those that catch what I have to say, thats are my audience. And I'm a headphone artist. Because when I record my music I record it on big speakers, I listen to it on big speakers. But at the end, its all headphone. You catch all the little tricks with headphones. All the tricks and my vocals and music, you catch that with headphones. And you can catch that on any regular system too, but overall if you wanna get the best expierence, the whole 3D expierence you definitely wanna listen to my music through headphones. Its definitely another experience. And that was done on purpose. When you havin a good time you party, you wanna listen to it loud as bumpin. But if you wanna get the experience, what I guess what I'd call the Shade Sheist experience, you definitely wanna listen to my music through headphones, from top to bottom and then tell me what you get out of it. And if you get something out, some kinda of message, then you definitely know how to listen to a Shade Sheist record. Simple on purpose, but yet very complex.



For the album you used a lot of famous producers. How did you hook up with them?

I just met them on the road, everybody that I was introduced to, and someway I ran into. Im surprised of how many artists showed love to a perfect stranger. Like I was fairly new to the game, doin my own thang, tryin to represent. And I had so many cats and artists that came up to me just to tell me 'Yo, I'm enjoying your music', or 'Yo you're doing your thang, dont worry about what people say'.They just got my back supported me, you know cats that I look up to. Like I cant believe it, this cat is talkin to me right now saying this kind of stuff. Man, but I met so many cool artists, and they aint nothing like you think that they are. They just so cool, they just wanna work, and they doing the same thing that I'm doing, but at a different place. So when we say family, then its definitely that. So I love working with everybody that I worked with, like Nate Dogg, he's a pleasure to work with cause he keeps making great music. And when I asked him to do something he just said 'Cool, when?'. Kurupt is cool, Warren G. That whole branch, Knoc-Turn'al and all of them. Then you got Caz, Big Caz out of Southern California who been holdin down the independent game forever, just makin great music. It was great workin with him, and watchin him gettin to the next level. Then its a honor to work with Timbaland, cause I never thought I'd ever be able to work with him. So workin with him was crazy. Dj Quik was like the idol of mine. Workin with him was like 'Wow, I cant believe it'. Its funny cause I remember when I barely had any features I started off with Murder Inc and most of my features came from them, Ja Rule and all of them, so I thought that was amazing. So when I heard to push on it with more features and start working with more artists, everytime I started getting a new one I was like 'Woah, I cant believe this.' And like after every artist I was workin with, I couldnt believe that I got all these features, all these big names artists, all these big names producers. It wasnt on some business level, it was just like 'Yo we just wanna make some music'. I was like yo this is really a trip to be able to hold it down. And people dont realize that I got so much support from the industry. You know, with all the hate that I get, thats well known that Im one of the most hated artists in the industry. I still get so much support from inside, from all of the artists. But people dont know that, you dont catch who Im really cool with, who I'm really down with. They just think we do business deals together, but now if I want these cats to ride with me, they are all for it. So its like, to get that support in the industry really holds me down especially when I gotta deal with these hate wall. Not let you bring you down, or think that I get things to fast and things come to early for me, or I dont deserve everything I get. They dont even realize my history, I been doing this for 12 years, and they tell me I dont deserve anything. But I love it, I love my industry family, production families, everybody that I worked with, and I'm still workin with them. If its not for this album its just one of the projects one of my artists are workin on, but I definitely keep ties with everybody I hooked up with, and the people I look up to, cause they do nothing but show support cause they in for the same reason as I am.


There have been alot of critics about you gettin alot of airplay on Power 106. Whats your opinion on all that?

Uhh man, I say let them talk. The dude that wrote the article, he's not an editor, he's a reporter.

[Westcoast2k Editor's Note: The reporter was Chuck Phillips from the L.A. Times, the same dude who wrote the story on 2Pac's & Biggie's murder a few weeks ago].

So his information is only as credible as his sources. He's not credible at all. The problem is, he obviously doesnt know very much about radio politics, radio system and how it works. If he did he would understand how big the aligation that he's making is for him to say that the company that I'm signed to is simply because is signed to a company that is owned by one of the biggest station in the country, which is playing my record cause they havin a financial interest. I mean come on, how obvious and how dumb would that be for a company as big as EMMIS Broadcasting to sign me, just so that they can put out my record, just so that they can make money just because they think they can play my record more than the average artist. I mean really, would they crumble their big corporation just for little ole me. Would they really? But they aint, even for Damion, would they do that for him? I dont think so. He been around this long and they know what they are doing. So you wanna tell me that they would do that for me? That makes me sound like I'm just some very very powerful person. I'm cool with that, that was great publicity for me. All that stuff they were talkin about, with me in the paper, all this and that. But anybody that knows me knew he wasn't through and you have to think twice. He was like 'OK what is this dude doin now'. But he had already messed up with his last article that he made, so he just became a very discredible person. It was fun though, it was real fun to deal with that and it was easy to disprove, cause fortunately for me I keep records of everything, I know everything about my call, I research everything that ties in, how many spins I get. And the reason why I got so many spins on Power is because my hometown is how they want to support me. Because when the audience called they wanted my record. If you notice at Power 106 anyway, I dont drop that record, I drop the single and then I drop another single. If they would play every song that I have ever recorded, but come on, I drop one record, it went number one in the country, and then I drop another single and it did fine. Its not like you hear me every single month of every year. I drop somthing new like every half a year. So dont give me that press just because the records that I chose to pick seem always be the ones that work, and just because no other station in the country is playing it as much as Power, so what? I mean if it all comes down to it, Power 106 is my hometown and if they not playing it the most, then we have a problem with the support that I'm gettin from my own hometown. But the fact of the matter is when they said that no other station would play it as much was actually untrue because there were several station that was playing it just as much and there were certain songs that some stations would play more than other stations. I definitely dont wanna hear about me being involved in any legal activities when I'm getting my record play legally, and for them to make a comment like the album was a commercial flop and sold under 10.000 copies in the first week, then analize the whole artical from top to bottom, take that last statement and say it was a commercial flop. Then what is they complaining about, what is they crying about? I didnt sell no records anyway. You know after all that play, all the support, all this and that, what is they crying about? Its not like I was runnin this. So it just shows the contradiction in the article which throws the whole story out the window. But all I have to say to the critics, everybody that tied in to all that and had a lil fun, played my name off the tongue, mine and Damion's, they definitely got something to look forward to because definitely we wont sit around anymore, at least not sit around and take things like that lightly. They definitely should be expecting something very big in their speakers very soon. I'm not gonna speak on it what we gonna do, but keep they eyes open, because they definitely gonna see more of us in the near future. Because we sat back for a while and allowed them to say whatever they wanted to say and not trip out on it, but I mean now its really time to speak when you stay quiet for so long. But for what? Everybody else talks, and we can only go so far with staying humble, and staying positive you know. And I'm definitely not gonna get negative, I'm not gonna change myself just because certain things come out like that. But I'm definitely gonna speak on it and return comment, especially since I worked so hard to get that spot, legally for 12 years now. It just aint gonna happen.

But considering the situation that you are right now, are you happy with everything that happened after the release of the album, as far as record sales and stuff like that?

Oh yea I'm happy with it, considering the situation that I am, and the support that I been gettin, or not been gettin. There is alot of politics behind album sales and I dont wanna go into it, but the album as a finished project and as a quality album and overall piece of work that needs to be promoted right, that needs to be everything done right about it, it wasn't the best of its ability, and because of that I'm not happy, but I'm happy because of those who have picked up the album and spread the word, and because of the sales from the word of mouth. And with the current single right now, which is Wake Up, doing so well on radio right now, its increasing sales. So I'm happy that its movin, but I just think my set up was just perfect, but then got messed up over some political things. Music politics always trying to mess up something that you're doing. You just gotta learn to work around it, so I'm not dissatisfied with anything that happened so far, I'm happy for everything, I'm just workin to increase those sales and to continue to stay on the level, actually if I stay on the pave as far as album sales as I am right now, then I'm lookin at big things in the future anyway. So I'm definitely not gonna complain about something that screwed up in gettin that record out, but I'm saying thats just naturally, that just something happens, something you gotta deal with, moments of the game. Moments you lose and moments you get back. So never count myself out, and I dont worry about myself right now. So its lookin good man, its lookin good. And at the end of the day its not about my sales anyway, and I wont be like the artist to say 'Ohh its not about the sales, its about the love'. It definitely is for the love but I mean as far as a financial standpoint, there's so many other things to do to make money in the music industry. Albums sales or whatever, anybody that knows the industry knows that you dont get paid simply off the album sales, so anybody that knows the word recoupment knows what I'm talkin about. But you know, gain popularity, doing shows, and doing all things like that keeps you money in the pocket and keeps you able to go back to the studio and record more records. But its no the quality of our records anymore, cause if you're able to form that formula of that sound that is gettin out to the right people, and makin sure that the people hear it and that the people is enjoying them, as long as they do that then we're on the right way. And thats pretty much what keeps me goin cause I dont really care too much about what they say inside the industry, even though actully the people that support me is my family, you know they always tell the truth, they dont just tell me that they like me cause its me. They always give me a critic and tell me why they said that. They say 'Yea ok I dont like it, Because'....or 'You could do this or that better'. So I like that kind of critic. Yeah I noticed that my fans supporting me, I'm always watchin. Like you always representin and keepin the accurate information out there rather than spreadin the rumors and tryin to shed negative vibe or whatever. So thats why I continue each day, thats why I continue to make music. You know I'm able to listen to what you guys say, what you like and what you dont like. And I keep that in mind when I got back into the lab recording new music, I try to keep the things that you say. Yall would rather hear this from me, or that kind of record, I listen to that stuff. And I try to pick it up and get that for yall. But as long as my fans supporting me, which they are, I'm definitely never gonna let anything like some critic blow me down. People saying that things happen to me which they dont happen. So who am I to get all this negative stuff, I'm just lil ole me just tryin to make it.


So if you get critics from your friends and family, you feel different about it than the critics from the media?

Exactly, exactly. Because the only ones that are supportin me are my audience, my fans and my family. Because the critics, their job is usually to have something negative to say cause they gotta be different than anybody else. But there are actually some critics that got their honest opinion and really say what the truth is. And those are the ones you listen to. But you dont trust those ones who come over very often cause its usually something negative or somebody saying something cause they wanna say something.


So how do you keep your head straight when stuff like that happens?

I just sit back and smile at it cause any aligation that they are making and you know its not true then you're not gonna react to it and go crazy like 'What is their problem?' You just sit back and be like 'Wow, this is interact', and you always ask who am I cause they are always talkin about me so much. But its easy for me to stay humble because nothing I really get to me like that. It takes a whole lot to push me over the edge cause I can tolerate so much, I walk the straighest road that I can possibly walk, so its not that I gott be worried about something coming out or exposing me for doin something cause my record is clean. So I sit back and let them say what they want because my time will come where I will be standin under the spotlight with the evidence to prove them wrong. So when they see they were wrong they are not gonna come back and say 'Oh we were wrong', they will just kinda disappear, and it happened alot so far. I snapped back at a couple of critics for trying to get at me with this radio stuff and they have yet to be heard again cause they dont know what to say after that. So when the truth comes out they look really really stupid, because they didnt get their information straight before they let their juicy story out. So its like I love that, I love makin people realize that they made a mistake and were wrong when it comes to that kind of stuff. So if you talk about people like that best be prepared to have your information correct or your you gonna get thrown out there and really really gonna look stupid at the end of the day. So I say if you gonna speak on someone make sure you got the evidence, make sure you got something to prove. Because after all the articles that I have read about what we were supposedly doing, nobody left any evidence about anything. They just said 'Oh they are doing it. Period'. I mean come on, how do you know this what you saying. Ok, we got record spins that are more than other people but did you check the callout research? Do you know why we got those spins? Do you know how the audience feels backwards? Do you know the history of the record? Nah, they dont know that because they dont know anything about radio. So its like touch on what you do. You write newspapers then write newspapers. Dont touch anything in the music industry. Tryin to be hip, tryin to be all up in the Hip Hop game and write storys about Hip Hop, cause you know he writes storys about other things that turned out to be true or whatever, but keep your noise out from others territory. You dont walk up to somebody elses block and you dont know who is there you say 'Oh this is a nice place, let me stat writin about this'. You gotta watch yourself, and I'm not makin a threat. I dont wanna sound like Im sayin something like that, I'm just sayin that you gotta know what you're talkin about, and that goes for anybody, that goes for me. I'm not gonna talk about something I dont know nothing about, so what do you know about what you're talkin about. Prove yourself. It aint about provin myself if I say something just because I believe that. You know I'm just saying, stay in your own territory. Cause I'm one of the more humble artists, so I'm not gonna really go off the wall with things like that, but I'm sure there is some artists out there that who get round up when you talk like that. So definitely thats not good, that has nothing to do with Hip Hop, everybody gotta kinda stay in their place and play their role so anybody can make it if they just stay hand in hand and not try to knuckle up with everybody.

Ok now to something else. What is it that you and Baby Ree hope to bring to this rap game that no one else has done?

Just something totally different music thats different but yet very similar. We just wanna be known for being original and doin thins our own way. When we first started we always did things our own way. And we just wanna keep it that way, people respect us because we never changed, because we never went different than anything we've ever said we were gonna do. We made honest mistakes and people know that we're human. Just we respected so I'm happy with it being respected by the industry and people who like our music or people that just wanna be down. Wether its a big name artist or a independent artist, up & coming producer or known producer, that runs into me somewhere and shows love and is like 'Yo, I luv your music, I'd love to do something with you'. That kind of stuff keeps me going. So its like Baby Ree has a company that is just known for being a very family union company and they know our how we work and how we stand to our artist and staff. Everybody that is on our team is on our team. When we roll, we roll together. When you see me you see everybody. So we work hand in hand like I said. Family is the biggest thing, there's nothing bigger than blood. And if you stay on that whole work we use as the formula, it can't go wrong. Family takes over everything, and its bigger than anything, more albums that we can ever sell but always got our name into it. In the papers, always got our name on TV, there's always someone talkin about it, if its not something negative then its something very positive. But negative or positive, press is press. And we managed to always be on people's minds. Cause like I'm always saying, my quote is 'Who the hell are we?', to be gettin all this, to be doing all this. I just want to make some music, do a couple albums. I never expected that of all this stuff that we received, havin a number 1 single in the country at one point, that was way beyond my expectations. I had no idea where I wanna be when I started doin that. In so many ways it helped my career so much, that its like, god, its just a bless. Doin a compilation, havin a network was cool. Man everything, I got a whole stuff that I didnt have 4 years ago, of all the things we done. And I just appreciate everything and all the support we've been getting by so many people. So we just continue to do what we do and as long as you hear Shade Sheist or Damizza its always gonna be in your head. Branching off the the new companys like PaperWork Entertainment, I'm just trying to make a whole empire. We got the tools, we got the artists now and we got the staff, so its like yo, its about that time.


How do you feel about the popularity of todays West Coast music?

I think its growing, everybody is producin good music. Everybody got mixed opinions when it comes to West Coast. Its always a sensitive topic when it comes to West Coast music. Some say the West aint never coming back, some say the West is all based on one artist or one person, but the West has always been a collective force. As long as we are together and unified, we will always be able to take on everybody and run things. When we was on top and running things it was because we had so many artists at the time that were hand in hand with eachother and that were workin together, not everybody out and tryin to do their own thing. But then everybody was breakin up and nobody wanted to work with anyone no more. It was a unity issue for us, we lost it so we lost our cost. Now people are gettin back together or they at least tryin to start new groups. But its still unified and because of that its on us to get back up. So when you see two big West Coast artists come together and do stuff, its like ok, we're coming back. Like the reunion of the Westside Connection, thats huge for us because thats one of the many groups that was rhymin before us at that time when we was strugglin. And then Snoop Dogg, he got a new album, kind tryin to return to his roots and come back. WC made the ultimate transition, he's nothing like he was a couple years ago. He was the man years ago, but now he's beyond himself. So its like he's really bringin it back for the West Coast. So who else, Dr. Dre will be coming out with a new album soon. And then we got new arists and new faces like me, Knoc-Turn'al. We got independent artists that are pretty much turned in big names, like Caz who's representing. Then we got N.U.N.E. who's a new artist. Its just a mixture now of fresh bases and the old artists, and I think the combination of all of us workin together will definitely bring the west back on top, where it used to be and where it belongs. We dont need to be better than any Coast, I'm cool with being as good as. But I dont think we need to be compared. I mean this is not East Coast, West Coast or South. Because if it was up to me, if I was in control of the coast, it would be unified. It would be a whole national network. It wouldnt be no 'Yall make your own music, we come around once in a while'. Nah man, we all make our music together, East with West. When I was doin my thing with Murder Inc it wasnt about 'We're not workin with you because you're from another coast.' It was about 'Yo, we're from the West, yall are on the East. We both hold it down, lets hold it down together'. We had a trip recently to Texas, just to start makin a new network. We've never been there, we didnt know any people out there. So we go out there for like 1 day, and we already met so many different people to work with. And then within a matter of a week that we stayed out there, we came back home with all kind of contacts. Then we ended up going back there a week later just to make some extra stuff. Like I said, we are so easy to embrace, because if you wanna be down and you want people to ride for you and represent with us, just give us a call. Because we're always willin. We got East Coast, Down South ties, all kind of things you can think. Everything that a company should have, thats what we're workin on. So we're on the right track. And the West Coast is goin no where no time soon. Ima always represent for the West Coast and make sure that we're gettin our just due. I'm not gonna take on the whole task of my homeboys, just helpin for that unity. So dont worry about the West, because the West is gonna be around forever.



Do you feel any pressure?

Not at all, I never felt any pressure. And if yes, I work best under pressure. If I do feel any pressure than that just gonna make be much better. So its like I been doin this for so long, anything that I get now or do now, I think its deserved, because I've earned everything that I received. Pressure aint gonna do nothing but slow me down worrying about overcoming. But now I'm just worrying about what I get next. So I just stay on the pace, anything that are in my way, I blow them out the way. Just be ahead of your time, stay on your toes and just know what's coming, and you dont have to worry about whats in the middle of the the road. Always stay on top of what you're doing and it can't go wrong.


Can you give us some info on your future releases?

I definitely be coming back with a new album sometime next year, probably in the middle. My artist N.U.N.E. will be droppin an album sometime next year. You should expect another 'Damizza Presents...' compilation, but this time with a better network. Get it out with better promotion, to make sure people actually know whats going on, because a lot of people missed out on a great compilation when we did 'Where I Wanna Be', cause there was confusion about whether that was my solo album or a compilation, cause people were lookin for my solo album after 'Where I Wanna Be'. So there was alot of confusion, but when we get the next 'Damizza Presents...' compilation out we wont have to worry about these things. People will know that its a DP 2 [Damizza Presents] album. So we have that coming and we'll probably be workin on a big album for Caz. Knoc-Turn'al is workin on his Knoc's Landin right now. And we'll oversee some of that project. He should be around for a while and then I'm just tryin to make contacts with other artists that I'm tryin to work with. And me, I'm just doin what I do. Features and stuff... I just did a remix for the Mariah Carey record that she did with Westside Connection. Yea I did that remix with her, 'Irresistible' that she is actually releasing soon. Cause the Westside Connection version is blowing up right now. And then N.U.N.E., I think he's in the studio today with Erick Sermon doing that remix of 'React'. So dont worry about N.U.N.E, he's gonna be big. And then he's got a single right now, as I told you before with Caz and Knoc-Turn'al called 'Hard In The Paint'. Actually a couple of stations are playing it right now. But it will probably go forth next year when things start takin off. You will probably hear alot of N.U.N.E, when you think of N.U.N.E think of PaperWork Entertainment, cause thats what he represents. And Damizza has a solo record that he's gonna be doin, its in the works right now, on my PaperWork Entertainment. You should be expecting that farily soon. So be on the lookout for all that. Best believe my next solo album is gonna be much harder than the last. It will always be that way. But Ima drop some tidbits every once in a while, Ima send you some exclusives from time to time, that you droppin first. Yall always representin and yall my ear to the street and word of mouth right now. So anything that I get thats ready to be out there I make sure to drop a copy so that you can get it out there. Yall be the first ones to get those exclusives. Cause yall represent and keep doing it and I definitely reward you, cause I appreciate it. So anytime somethings finished and we got something new that I wanna share with the world Ill get it to you first and yall put it out there and represent. Its all good man, to everybody thats representin Westcoast2k, I'm representin with you all. When I put the name in the Thank You's I was thankin the audience as well, because they read and they come back. So if it wasn't for them, there wouldn't be a reason for a site, there wouldnt be a reason to post that stuff. All of them, everybody that is involved in doin that, especially on the internet which is a big part of the audience anyway. And I just say keep representing cause I aint goin no where for a long time. So stay in touch with me and lookout, cause yall will probably gonna see my face alot in the upcoming months cause Im planning on doing some big things. And I definitely keep my status where its at and then accomplish more things. Everytime we talk hopefully Ill be a little big higher than I was last time. Lets keep doin it, grow with eachother.


Oh yea, you just mentioned those new projects and songs, I heard you got a remix to Wake Up, is that right?

Oh yeah yeah! Wake Up Remix, actually yall will leak that for me, its coming soon. With Butch Cassidy and its to the beat of Mobb Deep's Shook Ones. And we really didnt do anything with the beat, we kinda just left it almost exactly as Mobb Deeps version when they first dropped it. And its real dark, grimey, real dirt. Wake Up, the original one is real clean, like 'Ride With This and Walk A Block with Me', but this one is like the other side. Like its Wake Up the Original with Shade and the Remix with Sheist, and Butch Cassidy sings the hook. And we're debating on which artist we gonna get for another version. We started with a verse with Fat Joe, and then we got another one that we're doing, I dont wanna spoil who the surprise artist gonna be, but its more than likely gonna be someone big. But that one should actually be ready in a couple of weeks. So as soon as that one is finished, Ill get that one to you as soon as possible. Especially cause Wake Up is doing so good on radios right now. I definitely wanna show a whole other side. Cause that remix has touched alot of the aligation and the other stuff that was said about me in the paper, that I never got a chance to speak on it, till now. I did it in a form of song, so Wake Up is definitely tellin all the critics to Wake Up and realize who they talkin to and what they saying about me. I touched on all of that, I cant wait to get that to you, Ill have that for you soon too.


Are there any last words that you would like to put out to your fans?

Man just keep representing, I say keep supporting cause I'm one of the few artists that actually listen to what my peoples have to say. When you talkin to me or saying something then just realize that I hear you and I'm takin it to the hearth. Im workin for yall, Im workin for me of course, but I'm doin it for yall too. Im tryin to sell records but at the same time I'm trying to give yall records that yall wanna buy. You know I'm not just tryin to get that out, I want yall to pick it up because you like it and you wanna get it. So Ima keep doin it as long as yall want me around and my time passed and I move on and do something else. But I definitely gonna be in your face one way or another tryin to do something. But all this stuff will never go unrewarded, and as long as yall represent Im here. I just say Westcoast2k and everybody else continue, thats worth right there, much respect.