Planet Asia Interview

[D-Nice]

http://illuminati2g.com/site/2012/01/22/planet-asia-interview/

I2G chilled with west coast rhyme slayer, Planet Asia, for a exclusive interview. We discuss his new solo album, Black Belt Theatre, dropping February 28th, his favorite moments and joints from his albums and much more so check it out.

Illuminati 2G is here with Planet Asia, how’s it going man?

Aww man, everything is good man.

You just recently announced that you are dropping your new album entitled Black Belt Theatre dropping February 28th. Tell me about the album and how it came together for you.

I put the album together and it took about a year and a half to complete. I am a big martial arts/Kung Fu fanatic and I used to wake up early on Saturdays to watch Black Belt Theatre when it would come on. That was my whole childhood so it is only right that I gave a theatrical moment of music in the name of Black Belt Theatre to the rest of the world.

I got my production team, Dirt Diggs, they did a good bulk of the album, along with Twiz The Beat Pro, Soulprofessa and Oh No. They all went in on it joint for joint and it all came together organically.

Do you have any videos that will drop from the project and will the videos stay in that same concept of the album title?

Yeah Golden State will be dropping in a week or 2 and then we will start production on the other videos off the album. Right now we are checking for some crazy visuals. EXPECT crazy visuals from Black Belt Theatre!

I just wanted to go over your catalogue of albums and ask you what are your favorite moments or tracks from them. First one is Still In Training.

What Still In Training was songs that did not make…., well songs that did not come out because a lot of them were Interscope songs. Songs that were meant to be on my album Life As It Is, and actually someone leaked all of those songs on Dat Piff, I don’t know how they got a hold of it and put it out there, but a lot of those songs were meant for that album.

That is how you have all those songs with Coolio, Jake One, Vitamin D and so forth. Those were the people that I was working with at the time I was on the label. Still In Training is like a Interscope demo.

The Grand Opening

I would consider that album the first official Planet Asia album. That was also coming out of Interscope and I had around 60 to 80 songs recorded from around that time, that is how I have a song with Ghostface on there because we took our masters along with us.

16 Bars Of Death and I did the song with Evidence, Right Or Wrong, which became a classic record. As far as memories go, I had a lot of fun doing that record. A lot of money was still being circulated in hip hop.

The Medicine

Well before The Medicine I had The Siccness which was more like a prelude. Kind of like how my last project was a prelude for Black Belt Theatre. Me and Evidence did that album at his house and I had fun making that album as well, just creating and putting together the album.

Jewelry Box Sessions

Umm the first joint on there is one of my favorites, Street Hop. I love that record, Today’s Mathmatics, Fuck You Up with Krondon was the shit. That was one of my favorite albums, Bun-B was on the album, it was a pretty solid album.

My personal favorite is Pain Language, the album you did with DJ Muggs.
I was definitely gonna get to that one. Well my first album was the Planet Asia EP, we gotta start off with that for sure.

True

That is where it all started from and that record sold a lot on vinyl and cds, so definitely got to big up that album, produced by Phenatic. He did the whole album and has done work with Rasco. Pain Language is that album that I reached my musical level that I am at today. Music wise my music level has gone up even more since Pain Language.

Black Belt Theatre

Many favorite moments, I had a lot of fun too making that album. I had fun recording with Camp Lo, Raekwon, definitely had fun recording with Talib Kweli, I had great moments with that record man. The album did take a while to complete but I enjoyed making the album.

Any chances that we will get a new Cali Agents album with you and Rasco?

Yeah we are working on that right now, we trying to get the entire album produced by Oh No.

Oh wow!

Yeah the whole joint.That will be fire I think.

Definitely looking forward to that. Will you be working on anything with Killer Ben anytime soon?

Me and Killer Ben have a song on Black Belt Theatre where we are just going back and forth. That is one of my favorite joints off the album too, that shit is murderous right there. Be on the lookout for Benitenitary, his solo album. Killer Ben is my favorite rapper in the world.

I will definitely be on the lookout for that track once the album drops.

What you know about Killer Ben man? (laughs)

I’m a hip hop head for life man (laughs). Nah but I remember him from the Aftermath days and the compilation Dre put out.

Yeah he was Dr. Dre’s artist at one time.

No doubt. What are your thoughts on west coast hip hop as we are now in 2012?

I am loving west coast hip hop and right now it is at its highest. Right now we are doing our thing and I am proud of everyone right now. Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, YG, Scheme, Odd Future, Frank Ocean, Evidence did his thing, Alchemist, Oh No, Gangrene, Strong Arm Steady, The Jacka, Mistah FAB, everybody man, we all doing our thing right now.

Do you have any upcoming shows or tour dates?

Yeah I should start touring in February and I should be on the east coast at the end of February. New York, Boston, I am trying to put together a tour with a couple cats right now. Be checking for that Black Belt Theatre tour coming soon.

What is your website information?

www.goldchainmusic.com
www.twitter.com/planetasia
www.facebook.com/planetasia

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?

One love and always remember, you ain’t shit till The Illuminati gives you a call (laughs)

That’s right, you heard it first from Planet Asia (laughs)

Appreciate your time man.

One love G

[doggfather]

thx man