New (???) Ras Kass Interview

[smerlus]

courtesy of our friends over at y2hiphop.com...

170, 000.  Imagine if Eminem had only sold 170, 000 copies of his first two albums, imagine if Jay-Z had only sold 170,000 copies of his first two albums, imagine if Nas had only sold 170,000 copies of his first two albums.  Now imagine an artist with talent parallel to the aforementioned but having only sold 170,000 copies of his first two albums.  The sad truth is that you need not imagine such a miscarriage of hip-hop justice, because unlike Em, Jay, and Nas, Ras Kass’ lack of commercial success is a reality.  

After rising to prominence in the mid-‘90’s underground scene, Carson, CA native John Austin aka Ras Kass bypassed an offer to join the New York based Def Jam Records in favor of the Los Angeles based Priority Records, theorizing that a West Coast label would better understand his art and be more supportive of his career.  However, what Ras imagined Priority to be would soon prove far from reality.  After releasing two critically acclaimed, but commercially overlooked albums, 1996’s Soul On Ice and 1998’s Rasassination, Ras began to awaken to his reality.  Unfortunately, having to record two more albums, which would never be released, Van Gogh in 2001 and Goldyn Chyld in 2002, in an attempt to appease his record label, Ras finally realized that his reality was that of an extremely talented artist who had been deliberately prevented from reaching more than 170,000 people.  

So, what do you do when you’re an MC enslaved to a malevolent record label?  You do what any man would do, you take your master recordings from the label, refuse to turn yourself in to the authorities who have a warrant for your arrest, and you tell the world your unbelievable story.

Finally, Y2HH caught up to Ras Kass via telephone, where he did happen to mention where he was, but no it wasn’t New York, and I don’t dry snitch like some b*tches, so the secret of Ras’ location (Australia) is safe with me.  So please take a few moments and find out everything you need to know and never knew about the West Coast’ greatest lyricist.  And after you’re finished reading this piece, please head over to www.raskass-central.com or www.freeraskass.com and sign a petition, buy a t-shirt, and show your support for the last MC left with any balls.  

Y2HH:           We’ll do the five forum questions first.

                   ChinecroXL asks: Before you started your rap career, who had the biggest influence on you, whether it was an MC or anyone else?

Ras Kass:       Probably W.E.B. Du Bois, Malcolm X, KRS-One, Rakim, my Mom, and all my  dumb a** homeboys that was my peers. (laughs)

Y2HH:            xXxKZAxXx asks: In a recent interview I did with KP, he said the Horsemen’s album was in the works and that it will be a banger.  Are you really working on this album?  If yes, how many tracks did you record already?

Ras Kass:       Yeah, we definitely workin’ on it, its just life is real, people have to go on and do what they have to do, handle their business and take care of their families.  But we already did about 10 or 11 songs.  We’ve discussed just puttin’ that out anyway, and possibly tryin’ to do another 5 or 6 songs.  100%, undoubtedly the group does exist and we damn sure wanna put that record out.  I’ma put one song on this Catch Me If You Can album called “Ain’t No Way,” which ironically goes: ‘ain’t no way I’m gonna let you b**ches, n***as come and get me.’ (laughs)  

Y2HH:            Devilman asks: After your latest shot at Alchemist on “Amerikkka Me,” are you two ever gonna squash the beef?  Cos the 3 joints y’all done are tight.

Ras Kass:       I never knew I did three joints with Alchemist.  I don’t have a beef, (that line) just went real good with the rhyme (laughs), and I don’t lose no sleep over dude, it’s not a big issue like that.  I doubt I would ever work with him (again), because from the beginning after that happened we had a conversation (and) I felt like he did some groupie sh*t, and because I wasn’t the object of his groupie-ism, then if I was the object of his groupie-ism, why would I reward that?  

Y2HH:            ill mic asks:  Ask him if this new song “The Seance” produced by Dr. Dre is the same song he was talking about in an interview recently called “Whoop?”  This song is banging and I would love a full version, tell him to leak it.  

Ras Kass:       No, “Whoop” is totally different, and actually Dr. Dre didn’t produce “The Seance,” it’s produced by Denaun, who’s actually Kon Artist from D-12, and he did a couple of songs on 50 Cent’s album, he’s a really dope producer, he actually does a lot of sh*t for Dre.  We’re just trying to get all of the legalities out of the way and then I’m trying to drop that pretty soon, I was thinkin’ about droppin’ that first anyway.  


Y2HH:            MrDs10e asks: Do you feel that statements you have made on your records that might be perceived as racist have hurt your popularity and perhaps contributed to your problems getting fair treatment from record labels?  Do you intend to continue featuring anti-white statements in your lyrics?

Ras Kass:       I don’t make anti-white statements per se, I’m anti-everybody; I’m a misanthropist so I’m equal opportunity.  It’s just ironic that when you talk about white people they a** get real red real quick.  Like, I can say f*ck b*tches, I can say f*ck my daddy, I say n***as ain’t sh*t, I say ‘damn Ras Kass, you a piece of sh*t, f*ck me,’ (but) as soon as I say white people ain’t sh*t then all of a sudden they get sensitive.  So I would suggest that the white hip-hop audience get real.  We talk about f*ck faggots, but nobody bats an eye.  And it’s ironic, I went to Europe and that was the first thing that they asked me.  And I had to point out on the album, ‘what about this song where I’m dissin’ the sh*t out of myself, or where I’m dissin’ b*tches?’  But I mention: ‘white people burn your church then see you in the mall and clutch they purse / treat us like dirt when the black man was here first / that’s why I be on one officially / f*ck white people in general and f*ck the police specifically.’ Well ok, you got four bars, and meanwhile I got whole songs talkin’ about sometimes when I can’t stand myself or what I can’t stand about black men or what I can’t stand about black women or women in general.  Now did that help to affect (my popularity)?  My label’s just corny period, so I don’t really think that it hindered me.  I’ma drop a jewel irregardless.  This is a business, and if they feel like they can market it they’ll market it.  If they see the returns and they can make money, they gonna make they money anyway.  Nas came out with “I Can” talkin’ about white people shootin’ the nose off the Sphinx, which is all true and documented, but Nas just sold a million plus records.  

[smerlus]

Y2HH:            Ok, these are the official questions.

                   I just spoke to a very credible source that I have, and he informed me that the authorities have picked up things in an attempt to locate you, and one of their most recent pieces of info came from the XXL article. (“On My Own,” June ’03)  So, any well wishes and congrats to the writer of your piece for that one?

Ras Kass:       I think it was bad taste to do some of the things.  I’m kinda disappointed.  No disrespect to XXL, it’s just I asked that somebody who knew me, whether their opinion of me was peachy keen or not completely to my liking, at least I could have respected it.  I hoped that they would have respected to not completely snitch on me.  Some things can go without saying.  

Y2HH:            So was that the main piece of information that rubbed you the wrong way?

Ras Kass:       There were a couple of things to be perfectly honest, but I can’t change it, what’s done is done.  I gotta be positive and work towards doin’ the best that I can with my time.  

Y2HH:            In that same issue of XXL, Daz is quoted as saying he wants to release Goldyn Chyld on DPG Recordz regardless of the legal consequences.  Have you spoken to Daz regarding this?

Ras Kass:       No, not yet.

Y2HH:            So why are they gettin’ quotes from him and y’all ain’t even talked?

Ras Kass:       I don’t understand how they could talk to Daz, or talk to people who wanna remain anonymous but not talk to my manager who’s known me eight years, or Xzibit, or somebody that’s observed me and I’m pretty sure have opinions of me, but at least could man up and say what they thought about me.  They say it to my face, so if they say it in a book I wouldn’t give a sh*t.  We say it to each other’s faces.  I appreciate the fact that XXL cared; I just wish maybe I coulda had a different writer, somebody that would have had a little more concern (for my situation).

Y2HH:            So do you wanna talk to Daz about (releasing Goldyn Chyld), is that a realistic option for him to put it out consequences be damned?

Ras Kass:      If it makes dollars, it makes sense.  That’s a blessing, I appreciate  what Daz said in the magazine.  I just been grindin’, but he always
been a good n***a with me, so if we can make some business work I’m all for it.

Y2HH:            Explain to the people how you were able to go up in Priority Records and take your master recordings for Van Gogh and Goldyn Chyld.  Did you have Suge Knight with you or something?  How’d you pull that off?  

Ras Kass:       That one I can’t comment on.  I didn’t pull a rabbit out of a hat, I pulled a hat out of a rabbit. That was like Ocean’s 11, I can’t really tell you that one.

Y2HH:            So what’s the current status of your situation with Priority, are they finally ready to let you go?

Ras Kass:       My lawyer says everything looks great.

Y2HH:            Is there a timetable that you can give us?

Ras Kass:       My timetable is technically I believe the end of this week.

Y2HH:            Are you serious? That’s good news, that’s great news actually.

Ras Kass:       God willing it goes down.

Y2HH:            Do you think this leverage maneuver has actually worked?

Ras Kass:       It worked for me.  There was no turning back after what I did, and I think sometimes people get complacent and I was complacent.  I had to sit there and really realize that I haven’t had a job for half a decade, that’s not cute.  I been workin’ my a** off but I ain’t had no job.  Half a decade, when I say it like that, it puts it in scope.  I had to step back and get some piece of mind.  I been dirt hustlin’, havin’ to think on my feet for the past six, seven years, and somethin’ had to give at some point.  So, yeah I made a couple of mistakes, but this sh*t ain’t all on me.  So once I did that, it made it blatantly and brutally clear that there was no way we could repair this relationship.  And I made that decision, and I made the symbolic gesture that we can’t repair this I want out.  Stop f*ckin’ wit me, don’t waste my time.  Even how the writer wrote that bullsh*t; my monthly stipend was $2,000 a month (from Priority), my children’s school cost $1,200 a month, ‘cause it ain’t about me.  $2,000 a month, $24,000 a year, I believe that’s still around the poverty line for a family.  So that’s the money they were giving me, and they didn’t even start giving me that until about a year-and-a-half ago.  

Y2HH:            Are you sure you want me to print that?  Those aren’t exactly glamorous rapper numbers, that’s unbelievable.

Ras Kass:       No it ain’t.  You can print that, I don’t give a f*ck, ‘cause I still live in a good house ‘cause I don’t need them, I hustled my own sh*t.  Now if you print it with all of the logic, that’s why I didn’t respect the writer.

Y2HH:            Nah, I’m puttin’ (New York) after every pause.            

Ras Kass:       I still had a f*ckin’ Lexus, and then a f*ckin’ Jaguar.  You can print (the monthly living expense), as long as you say I still was ballin’, my paper’s still good, ‘cause I got it my f*ckin’ self, so why the f*ck should I be havin’ to get all of this sh*t on my own?  You can print that, I have no problem with that, as long as you print that I still wasn’t broke, I still kept ballin’.  And that’s what helped me realize I don’t need these m*thaf*ckas, all they doin’ is sittin’ around waitin’ for the big payoff.  And I ain’t no ho.  Most artists get complacent; they ain’t got enough heart to cut the umbilical chord.  I just knew my umbilical chord was f*ckin’ dried up along a** time ago, so f*ck them, they can eat a d*ck.  Now, that’s all the writer of XXL had to do was say that.  You can print that, there’s nothin’ wrong with printing that, it ain’t (the pay of a) glamorous rapper.  I still live the life of a glamorous rapper though ‘cause I’m a hustler.  I’ll sell p*ssy to a prostitute.  Print that!  If you print all of that, no problem, that’s exactly what I wanted the writer to print.  So you can print that, n***as should know that, ‘cause this sh*t ain’t all grits and gravy.  Please print that, just print the other side of it, I got a Jaguar, I’m chillin’, my paper’s long.  I’m never gonna be bad, I’m too resourceful and God is on my side.  All I got is God, good looks, guts, and a gat to back it up.

[smerlus]

Y2HH:            The most disappointing point to me was that he didn’t even mention that you took the master recordings. He didn’t even mention that’s why you took off in the first place.  

Ras Kass:       Exactly.  That was pretty disgusting.  I don’t have a problem with you printing the truth, the full truth.  Don’t print half of it ‘cause you don’t wanna piss off Priority Records.  You shoulda asked Priority Records to do this interview and this photo shoot if that’s the case.  

Y2HH:            Ok, let’s breathe, we got that all out.  So, give us some details on your upcoming Ras Kass Presents…The Re-Up compilation album. Like, who did the beats, who else is on it, basically just hit us off with as much information about the album as you can.

Ras Kass:       The Re-Up record is kinda like the Nas sh*t if I had to compare it to anything.

Y2HH:            You mean like The Lost Tapes?

Ras Kass:       Yeah, I would have to compare it to that.  It’s stuff that I did that was unreleased, which is obviously everything that I made in the past five years. (laughs)

Y2HH:            So it’s like a quadruple-album?

Ras Kass:       Nah, we cut it to like 17 songs.  And it’s showcasing my homeboys, coming out the West, who I feel represent the same sh*t me and Xzibit, Defari, and Tha Liks kind of represent.  Still West Coast n***as, some people may still be gang affiliated, but ain’t everybody crip walkin’ all over the place.  But you know, if they are crip walkin’ all over the place, they can say it a little bit more creatively.  The album is really to showcase Scipio and my homeboy 40 Glocc.  

Y2HH:            Can you give out the names of any of these “lost” songs?  

Ras Kass:       There’s a song called “Three Of The Best,” that’s with Sauce Money and Sheek from The LOX, there’s “Hood To Hood,” with Memphis Bleek, there’s a song with me and Xzibit called “Disenchanted Heroes,” me and Denaun (Kon Artist of D-12), some sh*t we did called “Bend A Corner,” I got this other song that’s the story of this rapper that charts #1 on the charts, but it tells how he eventually falls off, it’s called “Billboard #1.”

Y2HH:            So who’s workin’ the boards on the new cuts?

Ras Kass:       Production wise, it’s a lot of different people, Jaz-O, Battlecat, but it ain’t really a who’s who on the names thing.

Y2HH:            Yeah, I was just curious to know who you were working with now ‘cause I know the budget isn’t there anymore.  

Ras Kass:       My man Paully, he had did like three songs on the Goldyn Chyld album, my man Action did some sh*t on there too.  It’s like whoever wanna come to the table.  The most refreshing thing about where I’m at now (Australia) is either you gonna f*ck with me or you not.  Sometimes this game gets real political and real groupied out and all that sh*t, so I ain’t got the money to bribe a n***a.  If you ain’t f*ckin’ with me now that’s cool.  This is where I get to draw a line in the sand and see who gonna step over it.  And if you don’t f*ck with me, I don’t take it personally, but then I know where my bread is buttered, I know who ridin’ wit me and who ain’t ridin’ wit me, so when sh*t pops I know who I ain’t f*ckin’ wit ‘cause they wasn’t f*ckin’ wit me.  This is really liberating actually for me.  I got nothin’ else to lose and everything to gain.

Y2HH:            So just for the people out there to know, give us a timetable on when the Re-Up album should be hitting store shelves.

Ras Kass:       Hopefully soon.  I’m trying to do this Catch Me If You Can album now though.  (Re-Up) was an album I did with a label, a one-off thing.  So, I gotta move on and do the next thing I’m doin’.  And I’m workin’ on the Catch Me If You Can record.  

Y2HH:            Do you got distribution for that one?

Ras Kass:       We’re in the process of gettin’ that.  Right now, I’m just tryin’ to do the music and get it recorded and get this sh*t out there.


Y2HH:            Before you were releasing albums on your own, you were losing million dollar deals thanks to your good friends at Priority Records.  Please let the people out there know why they will never hear the Golden State Project.

Ras Kass:       They’re gonna definitely hear it at some point.  (Priority) just didn’t wanna invest in me.  It was a f*ckin’ fight just to get wristbands for the Anger Management tour.  I was only on the biggest grossing rap tour ever.  I mean, ‘can you make some wristbands and press up some f*ckin’ records?’  They didn’t wanna invest any money in my career, and they actually f*cked up a couple of things.  Rawkus Records was supposed to do the Van Gogh record.  Like, I was gonna kind bounce over and be a Rawkus artist.  

Y2HH:            Ok, when they were still f*ckin’ with Priority?

Ras Kass:       Yeah, when they were still f*ckin’ with Priority.  And they didn’t want that to happen either.

Y2HH:            So back to Golden State, what’s the simplest explanation for how that    
                    dissolved?

Ras Kass:       The simplest explanation is (Priority) got greedy.  They wanted hundreds of thousands of dollars, they wanted all kinds of points, and it just wasn’t even feasible.  And it was ridiculous because they had nothing to lose.  They started wanting four Golden State songs for this, and you ain’t doin’ sh*t, so why don’t you let somebody else (Columbia) do somethin’.  And they f*cked it off for a year and Xzibit ended up losing his label deal (for Open Bar records).  

Y2HH:            So you guys gonna try and circle the wagons and come back at it?

Ras Kass:       Oh, fo’ sho. That’s my dog, (Xzibit) is one of my best friends, I can honestly say that.  

Y2HH:            What about the dude from Menace II Society?

Ras Kass:       I don’t know where Saafir’s head is at about it. I haven’t really talked to him.  I was taking him home when that sh*t happened.  I have nothin’ but love for him.  I just haven’t talked to him about it.  I just had to do what I needed to do for myself, so I haven’t spoken to him to be honest.

Y2HH:            I was just thinkin’ since you’re doin’ all of this independent stuff, why not just hit the studio again and go the indie route with Golden State as well.

Ras Kass:       It’s kinda like with the Four Horsemen.  Xzibit is doin’ what he needs to do, and I have a full understanding and respect for his hustle, and he has respect for mine.  So we gonna make it happen.  

Y2HH:            Now I need you to clarify this, what role is Digiwaxx playing in these new independent ventures?  I know they’ve been the ones online circulating your new songs.

Ras Kass:       Their company is like a Cornerstone, like a promotion company.  It’s just family, actually CL one of the co-owners of the company, that was my roommate when I first moved out here (Australia) in ’99.  He actually used to work at Cornerstone, now he’s an industry executive cat, but that’s cool ‘cause we can use his corporate card to go buy clothes.  I’m lying! (laughs)  They’re just helping me get my stuff in order.  There are a lot of things I don’t know.  My expertise is music, whether it’s writing it, producing it, arranging it, whatever.  I have creative and promotional ideas, but actually executing them, I’m only one person, so they came in.  And actually, Digiwaxx in one way shape or form has always helped me.  CL’s always tried to have me do freestyles so he can send them out to the DJ’s.  It’s just all comin’ full circle.  My friends came together at my time of need.  It’s not even just in a time of need, when I was on Priority he was always doin’ whatever he could do to help me.  People that wanna see you win are always there in some capacity anyway, they always helping you.  

Y2HH:            And finally, will you hurry up and sign with another major and become a star already.  I mean Shady is about to sign Foxy Brown, and Jay just signed ODB for pete’s sake.  Don’t they know you’re available?

Ras Kass:       I don’t know man.  I just gotta do me.  I would definitely consider (signing with them).  But that’s up to those executives, those artists.  I would hope they would see me as a viable talent, but I can’t wait on the next man and sit here and do nothin’.  It’s on them, they may not see that type of interest in me.  If somebody approached me though that’s definitely somethin’ I would consider.

Y2HH:            I think your fans are just lookin’ at (these signings) like what the hell is goin’ on?  

Ras Kass:       Everything happens for a reason.  All I can do is pray for the best and try to make the best decisions I can, and hopefully everything else is gonna work itself out.

[Darksider]

good interview

[Twentytwofifty]

I mean Shady is about to sign Foxy Brown

Okay there  


This is an odd interview, and I don't really know how to explain why I felt it was kinda odd.

[Jome]

Y2HH:            Can you give out the names of any of these “lost” songs?  

Ras Kass:       there’s a song with me and Xzibit called “Disenchanted Heroes,” me and Denaun (Kon Artist of D-12), some sh*t we did called “Bend A Corner,” I got this other song that’s the story of this rapper that charts #1 on the charts, but it tells how he eventually falls off, it’s called “Billboard #1.”

Y2HH:            So you guys gonna try and circle the wagons and come back at it?

Ras Kass:       Oh, fo’ sho. That’s my dog, (Xzibit) is one of my best friends, I can honestly say that.  

Y2HH:            I was just thinkin’ since you’re doin’ all of this independent stuff, why not just hit the studio again and go the indie route with Golden State as well.

Ras Kass:       It’s kinda like with the Four Horsemen.  Xzibit is doin’ what he needs to do, and I have a full understanding and respect for his hustle, and he has respect for mine.  So we gonna make it happen.  

Dope news.. G lookin..
Looks like Ras still wants to go through with the GSP-project..

I have a feeling that "Billboard #1" could be a 50 Cent-diss..
Ras comes off kinda odd some times.. like he's almost drunk or something.. he doesn't bite his tongue though.

[The Watcher]

Ras Kass is in australia?!

[smerlus]

ras in australia is a joke probably....he has warrants therefore he's not going to be like "i'm  at disneyland"

[.:Hercy Buggz:.]

I mean Shady is about to sign Foxy Brown

Thats Bullshit right?

[smerlus]

i fucking hope so, with y2hiphop's rumors, they're about 50/50

[Don Seer]

I mean Shady is about to sign Foxy Brown

Thats Bullshit right?

nah.. second time i've heard that rumour...

[Twentytwofifty]

I don't think they are going to sign her.  Just another rumor like Mobb Deep or Young Zee.

If Aftermath actually signed Eve (which I've seen no signs of that being confirmed), so what, now Shady signs her enemy Foxy?