Mellow Man Ace Interview

[Lunatic]

lluminati 2G sat down with the Godfather of Latin Rap, Mellow Man Ace for a exclusive interview. We talk about his new single, Iconic, the state of Latin Rap, his new movie/autobiography getting ready to come out and much more.

To download the audio of the interview, click on the link below.

http://www.zshare.net/download/1364121724bc62c4/

D: Illuminati 2G is here with Mellow Man Ace. How's it going?

M: My man, my man. It is a interesting time in my life. Crossroads and what not, but it takes a mountain to bring me down. That's what it is. Trials and tribulations of a artist.

D: Tell me a little bit about your upbringing in hip hop and how you got started in the game.

M: I started out breakdancing with my man B-Real, my brother Sen Dog in the early 80's. And what not. And as the moves got more complicated, especially after the 1990 movement came out, that's when I decided to turn my attention to MCing. And found it alot less painful on the body. (laughs) No doubt, but I started listening to groups like the Treacherous 3, people like the Mean Machine. They had a song called Disco Dream, which was the first time I ever heard a Spanish rap performed. It was a small piece of a record that they did a little chant in Spanish, and then came back out. But that let me know that let me know that I had a chance to really make it in the business.

People like Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5. People like Spoonie G, Treacherous 3, Cold Crush Brothers, people like that. We just kept it going and next thing you know, in 1988 I put out my first record called Mas Pingcon, which was the first all Spanish rap song ever recorded, I believe. From there, I parlayed a major deal with Capitol Records. We then dropped Mentirosa as the 2nd single off the Escape From Havana album in 1990. And with the creation of that style, the bilingual flow style, it had never been done. We took the world by storm. Many years later, now I am the Chairman of the Board of the Latin Rap Conference and here we are.

D: That leads perfectly into my next question. Did you think a song like Mentirosa would be influential as it is today to sooo many people?

M: If I told you yes, I would be lying, so the answer to that is no. I had no idea. You see 1 day I had to wake up and invent this bilingual flow that did not exist the day before. And then that, it was such a struggle to create this record. But I never really paid attention to the fact that we were really making history at the same time. And so I look at these young cats today and they wake up with the formula already there. And they just bite the formula and act like it took no effort from somebody. Many good ideas from people were not around the day before. I'm sorry, to answer that question, quite frankly to look back at it now, 20 years in the making, I have no idea, but I am sure glad that I was at the right place at the right time with my man Sony G, who actually it was his idea to create that type of a rhyme flow. I can't take all the credit myself.

D: How did the whole concept for the Reyes Brothers come together between you and Sen Dog?

M: Well it was something that we tried 4 years prior just as a experiment, we had songs we had from the guest appearance from me on a Cypress record, a guest appearance he did on one of my records. And what we did was, we tested it out in the clubs on Sunset Blvd and we found out that alot of kids were very interested. 4 years later, Sen Dog took a break from Cypress Hill touring, and I was pretty much in a time where I could get the record done too. We came together and finally got it done. Sen Dog went out and secured a deal through Koch, and we got together, smashed the record out, put it out, we toured all of late 06 and 07, and all of 07 and we did great with the record. It was put out on Sen Dog's label, Latin Thug, distributed through Koch, but it was all about having the time to get together and finally concentrate on making the record.

D: That was a really dope record. Are there any chances of you guys doing another one if you guys get the time to do it?

M: You know what, I really don't think so. I think it's a wrap on the group. It was a matter of us having the time to get together to do it, and now it is just back to regular business. Sen is doing Cypress Hill and I am doing Mellow Man Ace. So I think it will be the first and last one that you hear.

D: You guys were on Tangled Thoughts debut album (Putting In Work). Do you guys plan on doing anymore work with them on your solo album or any other collaborations with them?

M: Not really, I mean right now not as we are setting up new projects and that's not in the works right now. The Tangled Thoughts was a really good experience to help them out and kind of help them build their foundation and since then those guys have moved on to other things as well, so it's like we have not even had discussions or anything like that. I am featured on Young De's new mixtape that he is doing with Cashis and that's pretty much it. Tek co produced a song on my new album called That Is On You. As of Tangled Thoughts and the Reyes Brothers together, I think that was a 1 time thing as people have moved on to different ventures.

D: Tell me a little bit about your new single, Iconic. I see it was the 12 inch single of the week on Loud.com so congrats for that.

M: Thank you very much man. Iconic was just a great record, because Iconic is like a history lesson and at the same time being thankful to the fans who made it all possible for me. I think it is a important record to make at this stage of my career, because so many young cats that have just emulated or just taken my formula to be successful with, I think I needed to say it and let it be known that it started here. I think that was the most important thing to say. 20 years into the business, alot of young kids come into the game and they don't really realize where it all came from. In a sense you just want to bring some knowledge and at the same time make records that are meaningful instead of just shallow minded records. I think now in my 40's I think it is important to say things that are important, not so much booty shaking, in the club type records as I am mature now.

D: What's the details that you can give out about your new album. Guest appearances, the release date and who did the production on the album?

M:  Well because we are still in ligitations, it's kind of rough to give you that estimate. I would say in the fall is our projected. In a ideal world we would like to get it out by the fall. The most important thing about that record is that it is accompanied with the story of my life, and in the movie form there is a movie that is coming out entitled Mellow Man in theatres worldwide and what not. It concides with the movie so until everything has settled with the movie, I can't be more specific with it.

D: And you are also working on a autobiography book, correct?

M: Well yeah the script came from the book that I started to write with my sister Tammie and as we were writing the book, my man Jesse Perez, aka Sheisty of the Latin Rap Conference, he suggested that I email him the chapters as we went along because he had a degree in pop lit from Cal Berkeley. In other words he learned professionally from the best to create scripts and these things and as we went along in 07, we finished the book about a month ago, the script was done 2 weeks after. And now that the script is done, we have major things with major industry moguls in the works now for the release of the movie. But it all came from the autobiography.

D: What are your thoughts on the state of west coast hip hop and with Chicanos and Latinos in the game at this point. Are you satisfied with it and what changes if any would you like to see take place?

M: I can't really say that I am real happy about what's going on in the marketplace. There is no real prominent entity out there that is repping Latino and proud of it. Like really claiming yo I'm proud to be Latino, you can say Pitbull but then again I think the demographic is very one dimensional there. I would like to see a prominent Latino, sort of like when Daddy Yankee was sounding off with Gasolina. Something like that. I'd like to see someone rep it like that again. And just let the world know that the Latino influence in hip hop is very much felt.

D: What are some up and coming Latino artists that you are feeling their work at this moment?

M: Oh I have a ton of those. One of my projects that I am doing is collaboration cds where we discover talent on a worldwide scale. They come on board and get distribution deals on Sen Dog's label. I mean there are so many young kids that are great. People like Alcatraz, from a group called DNA, a group called Real Estate, a group called The Knucleheads, my man Influence out of NYC, out of Queens, New York. People like my man Lockjaw Lencho out of Texas, people like 2 Tone Click out of Texas as well. People like my man Stalin out of Canada, my man Talkbox Pee Wee out of Montreal. There is so many of them that I'm feeling right now. There is alot of talent in the Latino community the fact that most labels sleep on them. There's several. the list goes on and on. I'm feeling the young girl out of New York, 44, another girl out of Simi Valley, CA named Amanda T, gosh there is so many. Envious out of Denver, no doubt. My man Big Bevro out of Miami, feeling him. Like I said, the list goes on and on.

D: Do you guys have a release date set for that compilation with these new artists on it?

M: Yeah, I mean well the release date I am trying to get it out by late August, but you know there is red tape involved with record companies and what not. And even though it is on Sen Dog's label, there is alot of red tape that we have to get through before it comes out. But I am shooting for late August on that release.

D: Do you have any upcoming shows or tour dates that you would like to let the fans know about?

M: On the real, not really. Because I am re structuring everything now, all these new inspirations and ventures, it takes all of my energy into those things before I hit the stage again. And once I do hit the stage again it will be the fruits of my labor from what I am working on now. Behind the scenes if you will.

D: Ok well that is all the questions from me. I'd like to give a shoutout to Tammie for setting this interview up. I really appreciate it, and I appreciate you taking the time. Are there any last words or shoutouts you would like to say to the people?

M: Yeah definitely. First I would like to say big ups to Tammie Ford for putting the interview together and what not. Secondly I would like to thank all my fans around the world. All my peeps that are out in Spain and Brazil. All my people out in Japan, Switzerland, United States, Mexico, Costa Rica for supporting my career. Just helping me to live out a dream. Because of you, I am who I am. Thank you.




http://www.illuminati2g.com/mellowmanaceinterview.htm

not my work, but just a dope read.

[D~Nice]

Nice Interview.

[lost_assassin]

i love this dude ....sad to hear that there wont be a reyes bros 2 album , i was thinkin bout that the other day, cuz it was released two years ago...but if therers a new mellow man ace album n a new cypress on the way i shall be fine