Mav interview by justin melo. Arizona hip hop and more

[azhiphop]

Mav Interview: Arizona & More   
Written by Justin Melo     
Wednesday, 27 January 2010 
Raptalk.Net hooked up with Arizona buzzing artist Mav to discuss his recently released "Pages from my Rhyme book" mixtape and much more. Enjoy.
 

Interview: We’re right here with Arizona artist Mav. Tell us about that new mixtape you have, “Pages from my Rhyme book.”

Mav: It just dropped on Christmas and it’s a free mixtape for download. That’s a collection of work that I put together and I wanted to drop it as a gift to the people who support Mav. It’s a real good body of work and I know a lot of people like a lot of the songs already. “102 Bars” is a fan favorite. Basically, this is just a preview that will lead to the album, “Independent Hustlin’” coming in March. For right now, I want to make sure you check out the “Pages from my Rhyme book” mixtape so you can see what kind of music and style I’m coming with.

Interview: We’re going to talk about it being the pre-requisite to the album. First off, why did you title it “Pages from my Rhyme book?”

Mav: This mixtape was called “Pages from my Rhyme book” because this is the last project where I am writing my raps down.  That’s why I called it “Pages from my Rhyme book.” My rhyme book is also my main tool when it comes to making my music.  I have a crate filled with about 40 notebooks filled with song after song .  I started writing my thoughts on paper in 1996 and have been since.   I feel I need a new process to master.  This is the last project where I will be doing that.  I am now keeping all my rhymes in my head.  When you hear “Independent Hustlin” 90 percent of that album is free styled.  That’s why I called this mixtape “pages from my rhyme book” because it’s the last time I will write down a whole project. 

Interview: Speaking of these songs, do you have a favorite track on the mixtape?

 

Mav: Personally, I like a few songs on the mixtape. Number one is “Micadvancement” because that was the first song that I had on the radio in 2005. It’s been playing on the underground hip hop radio shows here in Phoenix scene, for four years. Every few months they’ll bring it up and play it. It’s done a lot for me out here in terms of making my presence known. “Rockin in the Club” is my newest song and that one is just a whole new style for me.  It’s a rock-rap type of style; but more hip-hop than rap. It’s me spitting lyrics but over a rock sample. “Quick Money” with MC Eiht, West Coast Kam and Trap, another rapper out here in Arizona, is also on of my favorite songs. That was a song that my homie Aktion beats hooked up. Not only are those 3 songs some of my favorites on the mixtape but those are three of my favorite songs that I have ever done period. 

 

Interview: That’s the perfect sedge way to my next question. Do you have a favorite producer or guest appearance that you worked with for this project?

Mav: There were definitely some good ones. My favorite is working with my camp, Sol Camp. There on several songs on this mixtape.  One that I have B-Staks of sol camp on is the song I did called “Fly Away” which also has my sister singing the hook. She is an inspiration to me and she had a hit single called “Free” on the radio in the Midwest in the late 90’s.   It was on the box, BET and it got all the way to the #2 song on 107.5 wgci in Chicago, IL.  She was on “Fly Away” so that’s a song that I liked to work on. My favorite producer on this project is my homie Diaz Millenia. He’s been my main producer since I began taking rap seriously around 2005. We started this whole album “Independent Hustlin” together. Diaz has a lot of songs on this mixtape too.

Interview: Now the artwork is really fresh so tell us about the design and concept behind it.

Mav: Daniel Zedpeda did the artwork.  He is also part of VCM which is big company that does video and artwork for several artists in the valley.  Daniel has been doing my artwork for about 6-7 mixtapes already. With this one, I wanted the picture to show all my ideas coming out of my head. I was born in Chicago but have lived in Arizona for a long time. I represent AZ so can see the pictures of city signs from Phoenix, Sears tower from Chicago, a microphone, my face and everything that represents me in the cover.  That’s my favorite cover that he has done for me so far. I haven’t seen the “Independent Hustlin” cover yet but so far, this is my favorite. I was really proud of that. I think a lot of the sites are taking the mixtape on off the strength of the cover.

Interview:  Tell us about really spitting on “102 Bars.” You sounded like you had something to prove on that.

Mav: I did that song to a Mustafa beat. I didn’t even know whose beat I was going to use; I just had 102 bars prepared. That song was written in 2007 right after I had won power 98.3s freestyle battle 9 times in a row. I was just in that mind state of battling anybody and everybody at the same time. That’s where that song came from. I just had a lot of bars that I wanted to get out. I wanted to let people know who I am and that Latino’s can spit with the best of them. I didn’t know what beat to use. I went to the studio with Omar Marquez, my buddy from Xpoz Magazine and he played that beat. I said let’s do it right now. I like that song. That song has been out for 2 years already. Recently, it’s been getting a lot of play and positive feedback. They saw that I really spit on it. Out here in Arizona and you can ask around, I’ve been battling around here for years and “102 Bars” came from my mind state in 2007.

Interview: How did you hook up with Mustafa Beats? He’s produced for 50 Cent.

Mav: He did a song for 50 Cent on a mixtape; it was called “Puppy Love.” And it was on a book. But anyways, it was popping out here. Anybody that’s been doing stuff out here, I know them because it’s my goal and my aspirations to meet everybody in Arizona and try and help them while at the same time, help myself get to the place that I feel I belong. Mustafa Beats is somebody I met along the way and I see him everywhere I go. He’s always at all the big events and everything. I knew we were going to make a song sooner or later; it just happened then. This was a few months after “Puppy Love” came out.

Another guy I worked with is T. Scott and he’s also done a lot of production work for 50 Cent and G-Unit. He was on his first videogame, “Bulletproof”, he produced a song on that. I also hooked up with ROB from the ToyBox crew in Canada for a song. With the exception of a few, I try to keep my songs on beats from Arizona producers. I do that because I feel Arizona has a lot of talent and it needs to be discovered more than it already has. It has to rise to the place of a big city. We have a great scene. To me, Arizona producers lately have been doing more than the Arizona rappers. They deserve some credit.

Interview: How does this mixtape properly act as the pre-requisite to the “Independent Hustlin” album?

Mav: This mixtape came from “Independent Hustlin”.  I thought I had finished the album around October of last year and so I showed it to a few people. There were some songs that people didn’t particularly like. So I went back and did 12 new songs and got features from D-Roc of the Ying Yang Twins, Lucky Luciano, and Juice of Black Wall Street. I got production from Chingo Bling, Deztined of MathMadix, 21 the producer and redesigned the album.  I revamped it and made it the best it could possibly be. Now Every time I show people, they love every song.

Anyways, the reason I put together “Pages from my Rhyme book” is because a lot of those songs, I still like. I also wanted to put out one more mixtape before the year was over.  That’s how “Pages from my Rhyme book” is a pre-requisite to the album.  This song is a few personal of my favorite songs from past project and the songs that didn’t make the “Independent Hustlin” album.  A lot of people really like the mixtape, so I know your really gonna’ love the album. “Independent Hustlin” is coming at the end of March and this mixtape is just getting the word out for me. With the album we’re just finishing mastering it now. Then we’re gonna’ get the CDs, and put it out there for you guys in March.

Interview: Thanks a whole lot for your time Mav. We’re discussing the “Pages from my Rhyme book” mixtape, and the “Independent Hustlin” album which is up next. Do you have any last words before I let you go?

Mav: I wanna’ shout out Arizona hip-hop. I want to thank everybody who downloaded the mixtape on all the different sites. Thanks to everybody out there that supports the movement right now. "Pages from my Rhyme book" (download link)
http://www.mediafire.com/?mzcxzcmxd4t

 

Update:

Mav will be performing in Phoenix Arizona Feb 13th at the "Urban Music Community Award Conference &

The Official Pink and Purple After Party".  This is the official Arizona hip hop award show. Mav was also nominated for “Best Latin Artist" and needs your vote today until voting is over on February 12th.  Go here and vote for Mav

 http://azpinkandpurple.com/voting_ballot.htm

 

 

[mav]

fa show!

[azhiphop]

yes sir we getting it in for you!