HopSin Interview (Debut Album/Ruthless/NWA/Eazy-E/Bone Thugs/More)

[Lunatic]

http://raptalk.net/website/content/view/1853/54/

We hooked up Ruthless Records artist Hopsin for an exclusive interview. We immediately speak on his future as the west coast artist being responsible for the future of Ruthless Records and how it feels to follow in the footsteps of NWA, Eazy-E, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and many more.

His debut album "Gazing at the Moonlight" is being released on October 27th so you can read on to get all of the album details!

Enjoy...

Read Full Interview Here:
http://raptalk.net/website/content/view/1853/54/

[Lunatic]

Raptalk.Net: We’re here with the newest artist on Ruthless Records, Hopsin. How are you doing at this time?

Hopsin: I’m doing really well! How about yourself?

Raptalk.Net: I’m well, thanks for taking the time to speak to us.

Hopsin: Oh, no problem.

Raptalk.Net: Where does the name Hopsin come from?

Hopsin: The name Hopsin is actually my last name. I didn’t want to get to out of this world with my rap name, I wanted to keep it nice and simple, and keep it real. Hopsin is my last name.

Raptalk.Net: Is it a way of conveying to the people that you’re not a gimmick?

Hopsin: You can look at it that way too. My goal was to be as real as possible. I figured my last name sounded pretty good anyways because Hip-Hop has the word “hop” in it and “sin” has a good ring to it. But I guess it’s my way of letting people know I’m not a gimmick – you could say that.

Raptalk.Net: Tell us about the contacts because people immediately identify that with you.

Hopsin: The contacts are a form of rawness and a way to intimidate other rappers. When they automatically see me, they’ll assume that I’m wack or some bubblegum type of crazy rapper. I want them to think that because when they hear me spit, it’s a whole other story. I’ve always been weird and stuff. I just wanted something that would represent how I feel deep down. I’ve always felt like an outcast. When I wear the contacts, I feel it puts me in my proper place with everyone around me. It separates me from everyone else.

Raptalk.Net: How does it feel to be a west coast artist responsible for representing the future of Ruthless Records?

Hopsin: It feels good because I’ve always wanted to bring back a label. I didn’t want to ride off of anybody like a producer and have them bring me up. I wanted to bring myself up. I wanted to create a dynasty by myself. I feel Ruthless Records is the perfect label to do that on because we have a whole new roster of artists and all that. It’ll give me a chance to show what I could do without riding off of anybody, or being somebody else’s protégé. It feels real good.

Raptalk.Net: You’re following in the footsteps of NWA, Eazy-E, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and others. Does that excite you or make you nervous?

Hopsin: It excites me because a lot of people think I don’t have what it takes to maintain that stable ground that NWA and Eazy-E built. But I have a few tricks up my sleeve. I want them to doubt me and to say I’m not dope enough. Over time, people will see my actual potential. I like the pressure.

Raptalk.Net: I like that. Ruthless hasn’t done a whole lot in recent memory. Does that worry you or do you see it as a challenge you can be positive about?

Hopsin: It is what it is. The situation I’m in, it’s a learning experience and only time well tell what’s going to happen. I’m just a rapper. I’m not the person to ask about that specific question. Hopefully everything goes well.

Raptalk.Net: What’s your relationship like with Tomica? What do you think she liked about your style?

Hopsin: She told me she was interested in my lyrical skills and that I have a lot of shock value in my rhymes. She likes the fact that I could walk into a performance without anyone knowing who I am, and then get my respect after everybody hears me rap. She thinks I’m a dope lyricist. I’m very creative and self-contained. That’s what she tells me.

Raptalk.Net: We’ve featured a lot of your work here on Raptalk. I want to talk about some of the things we’ve been showing our fans. Let’s start off with the “Pans in the Kitchen” track and music video.

Hopsin: What do you want to know about it?

Raptalk.Net: Anything you want to talk about – the content, the music video process, the beat or anything when it comes to that song.

Hopsin: A lot of people ask me what it means. I think they get confused and think it’s about drugs. As a kid everyone bangs on pans from the kitchen to make a beat. I actually sampled pans from my mom’s kitchen to make that beat. She was complaining about me using them. I made that beat long before I made that song. After a while I thought of calling it “Pans in the Kitchen.” She was trying to hide them from me and the verses in the song, I wanted to be funny and original but use real stories.

The first verse shows my lyrical skill as a dope artist. The second verse, I was talking about this fat girl I was with back in 2004 which is a true story. The last verse is about me being in Special Ed. Class when I was in high school. It showed all the different sides of Hopsin so people can grasp more of my personality and really understand who I am. That’s very important, for people to know me.

I want them to feel connected with me – I don’t want to be a rapper just rapping about money and all that. That would make them feel like they don’t know me. Like this, they know personal things about me and know who Hopsin is. That’ll make them stay around me as a fan. That’s the point I wanted to prove with that song.

Raptalk.Net: That’s unique. We then dropped a video titled “The Ill Mind of Hopsin” and the verse you rap on that was unreal. Was that a free style or something from the album?

Hopsin: I just write little rhymes down in my spare time. It’s nothing from my album. It was just a little something I wrote while sitting around and thinking about stuff. I just wanted to record something. I’m not sure how many bars it was. I just wanted to put something from the mind of Hopsin on Youtube. It wasn’t a free style, I wrote it. I jotted it down while sitting in my basement.

Raptalk.Net: What does go through the mind of Hopsin on a daily basis?

 Hopsin: I’m really disappointed in the rap game right now. It’s hard for me to find an artist I’m satisfied with. Nobody is really creative or original, and there all watered down. I just want to squash them all to be honest (laughs). It makes me very upset to see everybody just following trends which have already been set because they feel that’s what it takes to be famous and get money. They’re scared to step outside the box and come up with their own little formula to be successful. My goal is to come up with my own formula and show everyone else that there are other formula’s out there which you could use to be successful instead of just following Soulja Boy or Lil Wayne, or something else that has been said. I don’t like the fact that rappers just follow.

The whole world is just in this matrix following everybody else. It makes me very, very, very mad.

Raptalk.Net: Will touch on that more later on. You then took us through a visual journey for the photo shoot for your upcoming debut album, “Gazing at the Moonlight.”  What was that day like being that it was your photo shoot for an album?

Hopsin: It was really cool, I enjoyed it a lot. That was the first time and I enjoyed it because I got to experience a lot of different things. And usually I grew up doing extra work in movies and TV shows so I was never the main person on a set or photo shoot. I finally got a taste of being the main subject on set. It put a smile on my face, I was happy. We got a lot of good shots and cool wardrobe outfits and stuff like that. It was cool and I have no complaints.

Raptalk.Net: Ok. We then saw you make the trip to New York. As a resident of Southern California, what was that like for you?

Hopsin: New York is crazy in a good way. It feels just like the movies. At times, it felt like I was in the Spiderman movies. It was just cool. I could walk around there all night throughout the city and still be entertained even if I wasn’t with anybody. The buildings and all that; I just loved it a lot. I got to experience a cool trip out there. I went to the wax museum and saw the statue of liberty. I performed a few times out there at some clubs and New York showed me a lot of love. I can’t wait to go back.

Raptalk.Net: I’m sure you’ll get the chance to go back. Let’s get into the album. Why did you title it “Gazing at the Moonlight?”

Hopsin: I have a song on there titled that. It’s about people in Hollywood in general who sell out in order to get what they want. I’m just letting people know I didn’t sell out. You have to hear in the song in order to better understand. The song explains a lot of different things about people who sell their soul to the devil in order to get what they want. I want people to know that I look at the moonlight, but I don’t call upon the devil. When I do it, it’s with natural talent and I won’t sell myself short to get where I need to be and where I want to be. That’s why I titled the album “Gazing at the Moonlight.”

Raptalk.Net: How much of the album is done at this time?

Hopsin: The album is 100% done.

Raptalk.Net: Beautiful. Does it have a release date at this time?

Hopsin: The release date is October 27th, 2009.

Raptalk.Net: is the album going through Ruthless? Or is it being distributed by another major label?

Hopsin: It’s being distributed through Sony Red Distribution.

Raptalk.Net: Is the video and song “Pans in the Kitchen” being serviced to mainstream television and radio? Or are you planning to drop another single for those avenues?

Hopsin: I have another single following up “Pans in the Kitchen” called “I’m Here.” Hopefully that gets some radio play. “Pans in the Kitchen” was just a leak record I just wanted to put out to build a little buzz. This one is definitely going to knock them all down and be the official single that we push full throttle.

Raptalk.Net: And that is “I’m Here?” When can the fans expect to hear that?

Hopsin: Yeah, it’s called “I’m Here.” It’s actually on ITunes right now but we haven’t really started pushing it out yet. Will shoot a video to it not too long from now. I’ll keep everybody updated on my Twitter and on my MySpace page about it.

Raptalk.Net: You talked a lot about creativity earlier. Did you make it a goal of yours to make sure that the album is creative?

Hopsin: I didn’t specifically focus on that to make creative songs. The way I was trained was to make creative music in general. It just flows naturally. The album definitely has creative songs on it. There all creative, I don’t make generic songs. I want all of my songs to have something good about it and that so people can remember. That’s what I focus on. I don’t just make filler tracks. I want every song to have its own zone for people to zone out to. That’s what I focus on.

Raptalk.Net: The album is done. Who produced on it?

Hopsin: I produced the whole album myself. I did every single beat.

Raptalk.Net: That’s big. Did you work with any guest appearances or did you ride completely solo?

Hopsin: I rode completely solo on this, it’s all me. A lot of people think that most artists can’t put an album out with just them. I like to prove people differently. I think I’m dope enough to pull it off. Will see.

Raptalk.Net: You’re definitely a unique MC on the west coast. Let’s break it down a bit more and get specific to the west coast. What do you think about the west coast scene right now and who is your favorite west coast artist out?

Hopsin: I like Nipsey Hussle. He reminds me of NWA but an enhanced, up to date version. He is a breathe of fresh air to the west coast. I think he has everything it takes to blow up big. His style is dope and his look matches him. You believe him when you hear him. I’m looking forward to copping his album.

 Raptalk.Net: Thanks a lot for your time Hopsin. Everyone go cop “Gazing at the Moonlight” when it’s released and will keep everyone up to date on it. Do you have any last words?

Hopsin: I appreciate your time and to be on your website.

[Chamillitary Click]

album is going to be sick.

[Lunatic]

I told y'all imma kill it now..DOC..HopSin..check!

many more to come shortly..

[2dog]

DaGhostOfScrappy - where are you from?

[Lunatic]

album is going to be sick.

it sure as hell should be!

[DTG Entertainment]

I've already heard the album and have it. It's worth people's money.

[Lunatic]

I've already heard the album and have it. It's worth people's money.

That's great to hear!

[EFFeX]

Nice to see HopSin getting some attention. I'm looking forward to the debut project.

[KingNicholas]

Just heard some of his songs and I'm definitely looking foward to his album now.

[DTG Entertainment]

New track of Hopsin's should be coming out today.

[Lunatic]

New track of Hopsin's should be coming out today.

Great news!