Mellow Man Ace Interview

[D-Nice]

http://www.illuminati2g.com/mellowmanace2.htm

I2G once again linked up with the one and only Mellow Man Ace for a exclusive interview. We discuss his new album, Restoring Order, in stores now, the recording process of the album, including a couple surprises and much more so check it out.

Illuminati 2G is here with Mellow Man Ace how's it going?
 

Everything is good, just staying positive, working, doing what it takes to get this music out to the people and just being blessed and doing my thing.
 

You have a new album entitled Restoring Order that is out right now. That is a interesting title for the album, how did you come up with the title and tell me about the album.
 

Well when I first started recording the album, it was a way to vent what was going on in my personal life. The things that had been happening to me the last couple of years with the breakup with my children's mother, and the fact my brother Sen Dog did not support me during the breakup.
 

I was just venting, and then along the way, a title Mr Excuses came to me in conversation and then it started to take on a second meaning of restoring what is wrong with hip hop. So as I was building this record and putting my heart and soul into it, it came together as a outlet to reform, restore, what was missing within the marketplace of hip hop. The end result is Restoring Order the album.
 

What can the listeners expect from the album that you would say is different from your previous albums?
 

Musically you can expect updated beats, sounds and noises that you are familiar within the culture of hip hop. They will hit your ear and you will be like oh wait a minute, I remember that sound.
 

It will take you back to a era that was great in hip hop and so we sprinkled the album with production like that capture your contact or lost love for hip hop the last 10 years or so. We wanted a record like this to remind you of good things.
 

Whether it was a sound off of a Malcolm McClaren record or whether it was something from Sheek or something from Rem LZ that took you there, we wanted to find the little nooks and crannies to catch the listener's ear. I think we accomplished that with this album.
 

You had mentioned in a previous feature that you did a song called Green Eyed Monsta and you worked with your son on the song. What was that experience like?
 

It was amazing because it was crucial to me to make sure that get out there too soon or if I was a father that was trying to help him get on. His mentor, Rocky Racoon, he told me man your son is ready.
 

I told him what do you mean he is ready. He said he is ready to make records, he is that advanced. I started paying attention to Cazal and what he was doing on the drums. I started to check it out and he started playing me more music of his and I was blown away. Then I knew he was ready.
 

Any proud father, I am standing in the studio feeling like I have come 360 degrees in my career now recording with my son. I saw at that particular time and moment he had a unfair disadvantage against other kids because of the family that he was brought up in.
 

That family is his Uncle Sen, his father Mellow, Uncle Muggs and Uncle B-Real. He has been in studio sessions with De La Soul when he did not even know who they were. Those things played in my mind and it was awesome to me and we are in the studio alot together. It is like riding a bike and we are building on new projects called The Physics and he is producing the entire thing.
 

He is even rhyming now and just like any other father I was in awe. When I watch him behind the drums and study J Dilla videos, DJ Muggs videos and DJ Premier videos. He is learning from the very best and ultimately in one word I am very proud.
 

Another collaboration that struck me was the song Show Me Love with MC Lyte. How did the two of you link up for that song?
 

The MC Lyte joint really was my wife's doing. It was at a time when I was really fed up with alot of the rappers that I was running with, acting so girlish and too much gossip and not enough work getting done.
 

I wanted to mess with some female MC's and my wife said I have been friends with MC Lyte for a long time. I was like alright well holler at her and sure enough, Lyte came down to the studio and she was just a pleasure to work with.
 

I told her about the concept of the song and she wrote it right there on the spot. Hopped in the booth and delivered and with me being a fan of hers since Paper Thin, it was a dope day all the way around. Being able to build with one of the queens and we were able to put it together.
 

Do you have any upcoming singles or videos set to drop from the album?
 

We are really not doing singles, we are just putting the project out there for people to consume. The next video is Good Flashes and after that we have lined up to do a video for the song Energy and the Green Eyed Monstah joint after that.
 

We are going to work this project real deep and give you as many videos and visual interpretations of what you hear on the audio. Who knows, maybe by the time I am done the people will have 7-10 videos out there.

 

Good Flashes (VIDEO)



 

God Builds (VIDEO)



 

 You have always been a advocate of not only hip hop but especially of the music within the Latino community. What is your thoughts on the state of hip hop in the Latino community?
 

To be real honest with you, I am not looking at hip hop from a Latino or Black or anything. I look at it more as universal music that needs to be heard and respected and restored and preserved. I don't look at it like Latinos need to do this or that. I make the music in hopes that people from any genre, creed, race. religion, to feel the music.
 

If anyone does like it, you show them love. I don't look at it from a race standpoint or who needs to hear a particular song. No matter what race they are, but I really could not tell you the kind of music that is out there right now.
 

I have shut off my ears to the music out there for the past 2 years, so when I made this record, I did not sound like anyone else. That is just my honest rebuttal on that part of it. I really did not listen to anything and I still have not. I am just now getting into the behind the scenes of what is selling. I really don't have time to listen to the radio stations or whatever is hot out there or whatever is being force fed to the people on popular radio. I really don't consume myself with that.
 

Another thing that you are very passionate about is helping out up and coming artists. You put out La Familia Volume 1 last year, is there any plans of dropping Volume 2 or are there any other up and coming acts that you are working with?
 

Yes there is a Volume 2 that has already been recorded. What I want to do though is get people in tune with Restoring Order first and let the first volume piggy back off of that. Another thing that I have noticed is alot of the artists that appeared on volume 2 have not been consistent with their passion and their dreams to be heard.
 

Alot of them have just gone into their little corners, had babies and stopped rapping. I am not really sure what I want to do with that album, but it is ready to go, I am doing some remixes for it, just to prep it.
 

But I am really not focused on that one right now. I just want people to hear this Restoring Order album and then I will worry about everything else after that.
 

Do you have any upcoming shows or tour dates?
 

Nothing spectacular, just working every angle right now. I am not only the artist, I am the label, the manager, all these things. I think that is just a part of owning all that you do and the luxuries that it comes with.
 

One of the downsides is that you don't have the record company booking your tours and all these things. You really have to go out there and earn it. I am also really not trying to tour off of my past successes, I want people to hear and understand the new stuff so when I am out there, the new material is respected.
 

So then people are like wow this dude has been in the game for a bit, but he is still hitting us with new things as well. He is not relying on his past material. Alot of my artists from my era in the 90's that is what they are doing, but for me ever since I broke away from Capitol Records, I have had the luxury to do whatever I want to do. 
 

But at the same time I want to keep my integrity about who I am for my music. Just keep your ears open really, myspace, facebook, twitter, I will be around.
 

What is your website information?
 

You can pick up Restoring Order at www.bandcamp.mellowmanace.com or you can get it right from my website, www.mellowmanace.com. I keep everything to myself and I am a self reliant dude, very refined with my power, so I keep it all in house now. www.facebook.com/mellowmanace, www.myspace.com/mellowmanacelt, www.twitter.com/mellowmanace, www.flixster.com/mellowmanace, and if you can’t find me there, hit me up at restoringorder@aol.com.
 

Alright well that is all the questions I have for you, appreciate you getting down for the interview. Is there any last words or shoutouts you want to get out there to the people?
 

I want to shout out my team, Matt Flores, DJ Qbien, my son Cazal, Sparks Mental out of the Boogie Down Bronx, DJ Ready C, DJ Mix, my man Disco Wiz, Medusa, big up to MC Lyte, big up to my wife Tammy, no doubt for holding me down.
 

Big ups to Illuminati 2G for holding Mellow Man Ace down on another album.
 

Anytime man, you want to link up again we can get it in. I got mad respect for what you are doing out there for all these years. The new album is dope and I am looking forward to anything else that you have coming up so I appreciate the love man.
 

Thank you brother, I do appreciate you man. Thank you that means a lot.