Dope MC Eiht interview with AllHipHop

[d-nice]

When full story of Hip-Hop is told, much more credit will be given to the West Coast rap scene. While many of the world’s hardest Bronx-centric Hip-Hop historians might try to downplay the lyrical and political impact of the West, it cannot be ignored.

Case in point, MC Eiht. Before most of today’s so-called gangster rappers were able to get into a film- he was pioneering the genera in Menace II Society. Before that, he was owning the streets of L.A. with his group Comptons Most Wanted. West Coast rap has gone through several transformations. Many have come and gone. Rappers blossom and fade every day in L.A., but Eiht never left the block.

Now a member of the West Coast super-group Warzone, comprised of Eiht, Kam and Goldie Loc, he stands as a decorated vet of the West side. With Snoop Dogg producing the Warzone’s self titled debut, the uncrowned King of Compton can truly rejoice.

AllHipHop.com: What’s new, Eiht?

MC Eiht: Just maintaining, you know. F**kin’ around in the studio with Snoop. Doin’ a lot of s**t. Me and Snoop started back in the high school days battlin’ and all that. I met him at Hamilton Junior High in Long Beach. We all used to get our rap on. That’s when I ran into him. I think I was about 16, or 17 years old, freestyling.

AllHipHop.com: Your career with Comptons Most Wanted took off a while before Snoop got off the ground. What kind of interactions did you have with him during that time?

MC Eiht: I mean I had neighborhood reach - but not musically. He was still from Long Beach and I was from Compton. As far as the way my career, it was just the place I was in. Compton took off before Long Beach. That’s really what it had to do with.

AllHipHop.com: When you were in Menace II Society, that was your acting debut. I expected to see you doing more films after that. But you never seemed to pursue it full blown. Is there a reason?

MC Eiht: Rap was my focus. I never really went after acting like that. I never had the incentive to go after it like that. I was just trying to connect people from the streets.

AllHipHop.com: Looking at the future, can we expect more from you on screen? I mean the day of the rapper actor is upon us. You’ve got Will Smith, Cube, Eve, Diddy, the list goes on...

MC Eiht: If something comes about. I’ve been talking to people about doing my own thing. I’m going to get into it after we do this Warzone thing. Things will be a little more easier.

AllHipHop.com: The Warzone is you, Goldie Loc and Kam. That’s a West Coast super-group if I ever saw one. Tell me about you relationship with Kam.

MC Eiht: Me and Kam been running into one another over the last ten years of our careers. We done shows, rallies, meetings, Crip and Blood things. Me and Kam always had a connection. It was always love there.

AllHipHop.com: When you guys all put a song together, do you write that day in the studio or does Snoop farm the beat out you write verses and come together.

MC Eiht: Snoop might have a beat on deck and we’ll be in the studio and come up with a concept. Goldie might come up with something, or Kam or me might come up with something. Snoop might jump on the hook and we automatically know how to follow the song. It’s easy to do if you’re a vet and you been doing it as long as we have- especially if you love the game. Nobody gotta tap the other dude and be like, “What you writin’ about?” It’s all natural. We feed off each other so it’s real good.

AllHipHop.com: Shortly after the 1992 riots I was in L.A., interviewing cats on Grape Street about the gang truce. Today, people say the truce didn’t really last that long or was never even really enforced. How do you feel about that and how do you feel about where the streets are in terms of South Central, Los Angeles?

MC Eiht: I was a part of the riot situation and the Blood and Crip thing. I saw n***as come together. It lasted for a minute - without any real real organization [pauses to focus thoughts]. It’s just so many barbecues and picnics that you can go to without really focusing on the problem in the Blood and Crip communities. In these projects and in the streets, it’s bound to just turn.

After all the getting loaded and the partyin’ and sayin’, “I’m gonna wear a red hat and you wear a blue hat,” after all that, there is no focus. What’s gonna happen after we done partied? Nobody focused on that. Nobody tried to into a whole- as far as the peace. That’s why it fell apart.

As far as where the streets are at today. We still got killings. We still got shootings. I can’t say if it’s more or less, ‘cause now we got the Black and Brown thing too. Its really f**ked up. But that comes from another source. That comes from money, the jail system and all that.

AllHipHop.com: I do a lot of talks on Black and Brown unity in the prisons and I talk to the Brown Berets a lot. But, I know from being in the Bay that it is very different than what is going on down in L.A. There is much less drama up here- why?

MC Eiht: It’s a lot of overcrowding here. You got Mexican and Black gangs on the same block. They fighting for the rights on the territory. They are fighting for position. Then you got the dope trade. N***as are jackin’ each other and stealin’ each others’ work. It’s bound to be f**ked up.

But there’s a lot of hype around it. I feel it could be solved without all the hype. We ain’t doin’ nothing but wiping each other out.

AllHipHop.com: Can you have Black and Brown unity before you have Black unity in itself?

MC Eiht: You always gonna have problems within your own race. My thing is, the less conflict you have with your fellow man, it’ll make it easier. Maybe then people can follow behind within your own and make it better for your community and race.

It’s just the fact that we are both minorities and we both stuck in this situation of poverty. We’re both trying to hustle for the same buck and that makes it more f**ked up.

AllHipHop.com: I hate to keep it political. But I need to know if you vote and if yes, who are you voting for?

MC Eiht: Do I vote? No. They always say it makes a difference. But every time I vote, it don’t make a difference. I don’t even follow politics right now. Because they are so f**ked up in the politics. How can they have the support of the American people?

They need to get themselves in order. They are relying on US to put n***as in the White House and the Senate and all that. 80% of these mothaf**kas end up being f**ked up or corrupt.

AllHipHop.com: Do you think someone like Barack Obama running for president matters?

MC Eiht: I think he could help. He would put a new twist to it. But honestly, I don’t think they’d let him in. Before they let a person who’s African American or a woman in…they ain’t gonna let him in. Its just too old school White-blooded American. It’d be a nice change. But I can’t see it happening.

It’d give our people and tons of other people a chance to see what could happen. What could be done on a different scale? It would cause so much controversy. When that day happens you know its f**ked up around here.

AllHipHop.com: Nas said Hip-Hop was dead. Then KRS-One dropped an album talking about Hip-Hop lives. Regardless of where you stand on that issue, where would you like to see Hip-Hop going?

MC Eiht: I can understand Nas. He’s lyrical, he’s self-conscious. He teaches us lessons. I also like KRS-One and those type of cats too. He’s one of our pioneers. I’d like to see Hip-Hop go beyond all the imagery. I’d like to see it have a point.

I’m not the first rapper to be tellin’ people how to be living. People think my music is negative. Just like [critics are] on my n***a Snoop. They are back on the “b***h” and “ho” words again. It’s just funny how the s**t comes back full circle.

I’d like to see things get back to being authentic: some Heavy D & the Boys, some Eazy-E, some 2Pac, some Kool Moe Dee, Biggie…n***as that meant something. I know we gotta have something for the kids. But let them go to some Disney [movie] s**t then.

I struggle to eat off this s**t. This is real. I don’t look at making music as something [where] I wanna just get in the studio and play around on some keyboards. I’m not just trying to say a few little phrases, and hope I sell a million copies. That’s why Nas gets the idea that Hip-Hop is dead.

I hate to name names. But when you hear s**t like [DJ Webstar & Young B’s] “Chicken Noodle Soup,” it makes Hip-Hop seem like….Like all the stuff we built on like Afrika Bambaataa and the Treacherous 3 to Eazy and EPMD and all the old school pioneers- to see what it turned into is ludicrous.

I appreciate n***as like KRS-One. I appreciate n***as like Snoop for not being afraid to put their hands back in the pot. People try to count him out- sayin’ that he’s old.

Anybody who’s from my era: Scarface, Ice-T, Public Enemy- anybody - back then, we had significance in rap. We meant something. We might have told you that some people were dope dealers and some people were pushers and this and that. But there was always a motive and a story behind it. So, I’d like to see it get to some authentic s**t.

[CaliKorleone]

Good interview.  I agree with a lot of what MC Eiht said.

[westside159]

Now is , The UNCROWNED KING OF COMPTON a  MC Eiht solo album or , Tha Warzone's album name ? that dont sound right .

[westside159]

Now is , The UNCROWNED KING OF COMPTON a  MC Eiht solo album or , Tha Warzone's album name ? that dont sound right .

GIVE THE CROWN UP LAMES !q

[EARNERTON!]

yeah mc eiht is a big boy in the game you know, I've seen that interview already though, its decent still you know, lets go

[westside159]

Geah ,  WE in it to win it , ya boy its do or die , dont fucc around with eihthype , its SUICIDE ,
           HOW'D you figure , we hold the trigger , & let you slide /   


NIGGAZ THAT KILL -  DJ QUIK DISS !!!!!!!!!  KILLED IT 

[Al Bundy]

Geah ,  WE in it to win it , ya boy its do or die , dont fucc around with eihthype , its SUICIDE ,
           HOW'D you figure , we hold the trigger , & let you slide /   


NIGGAZ THAT KILL -  DJ QUIK DISS !!!!!!!!!  KILLED IT 

10 dollars says you have MC Eihts name tatted on your ass.

[WC Iz Active]

maybe the worst, most generic rapper alive

[KC-HOODSTA]

great interview

[westside159]

Geah , Eiht is stil the Streiht up Menace of HIP HOP !!!!!!!  EVERY COAST LOVES EIHT , THE EAST , THE SOUTH , & THE MIDWEST !!!!!!!!!  GEAH , THEY BITING YOUR SHIT EIHT !!!!!  GEEAH ...

[dopeascanbe]

Thats that nigga for real!  Good read

[westside159]

Hell geah lookout Eiht's brewing up that Classic homie !!!!!!!!!!!  07 '

[AnybodyKilla]

When is his new album or mixtape or w/e coming?

[SP0RTY]

gotta love eiht real intelligent and real interview too

[westside159]

Geah be on the lookout 4 the streiht up menace geah nigga