ThaFormula MC Ren Interview is UP!!!!

[GEED-UP-HUSTLER]

Yeah! This is nice! The part about how bad eazy was in the studio had me rolling! Definitely worth the wait. But damn, why the got to leave it hanging like that?!

http://www.thaformula.com/mc_ren_-_a_real_compton_city_g.htm

MC Ren:  
Real Niggaz Don't Die - Part I
 
ThaFormula.com - Alright Ren, let's take it from the top. Did you go to the Roadium (a swapmeet in Gardena, California) a lot in the early days?
MC Ren - Yeah me and Eazy used to go up there. Steve Yano had his little booth up there and me and Eric used to go up to that muthafucka looking for some new shit, new records. 'Cause Dre he used to do the tapes for Steve and shit and every time Steve was sellin' the muthafuckas me and Eric would go up there every weekend, 'cause back then we was trying to be known anyway so we used to go up there just to get that little vibe. Back in the day I remember he had somebody up there airbrushing muthafuckin' T-Shirts, I remember I got me an airbrushed T-Shirt.

ThaFormula.com - What do you feel represents the L.A. Hip-Hop landmark?

MC Ren - For me the landmark of Hip-Hop L.A. was 1580 KDAY. They used to do all them shows. That's really where muthafuckas heard everything at first. KDAY was the link to all the shit. KDAY would bring all the Hip-Hop muthafuckas into town and do they little promo shows and shit with him. So it had to be KDAY 'cause you could get the East Coast shit. They played all the Uncle Jam's Army, had all the mixmasters on the weekends scratching like a muthafucka all night. Tony G, Julio G, remember that shit?

ThaFormula.com - Hell Yeah!

MC Ren - I remember they used to give shows at "The Casa" and all that shit way back in the day. I be askin' fools about "The Casa" and a lot of fools don't be remembering that shit. I saw Audio 2 at "The Casa" when they had "Top Billin'" out. Yeah, so it definitely had to be KDAY. I remember me and Eric had went up there for vinyl and shit like that, the Roadium was number one. That's where Dre used to get all his muthafuckin' records. 'Cause see when Dre used to do them tapes with Steve, what he would do was he would make Steve them tapes and Steve would pay Dre with records. That's where we got all the break records and all the break beats. When we did "Straight Outta Compton," all those records were from Steve. Dre do the tapes and he (Yano) would break Dre off with a gang of break beats.

ThaFormula.com - Do you consider yourself a lyricist or a MC?

MC Ren - Man I consider myself both really. I'm "MC" Ren and if you're a real MC you got lyrics. That's how you know niggaz been around a long time when they still got muthafuckin' "MC" on their shit. That shit is old you know what I'm saying. Niggaz today don't even be like that. How I was thinking back then coming up is different from a lot of these muthafuckas today. It's just how everybody was thinkin' back in them days is different from what muthafuckas is thinkin' today on what a MC is, what lyrics is and you could tell in how the music is. 'Cause back in the day muthafuckas had to be hard and you had to come with that mentality of "I'm an MC, I got lyrics." You can't just come in the game back in the day talkin' about anything. You had to come talkin' about some shit or muthafuckas would just call you what you are.

ThaFormula.com - Hip-Hop is very depressing right now man...

MC Ren - Man this shit is so wack right now man. It's like bitch shit now man and I hate when a muthafucka come out and it could be a wack ass muthafucka who comes out, sell some records, and then you got to hear all this niggaz wack homies! Back in the day it wasn't even like that.

ThaFormula.com - You know I'm really surprised that you're feelin' this way 'cause most artists are acting like nothing's wrong with Hip-Hop, talkin' about how dope some MC is cause they're gonna work with them now and make some dough, or just plain scared to speak on this shit...

MC Ren - I ain't scared of shit. I'll say anything. See muthafuckas be scared 'cause they be thinkin', "if I say something that might fuck me up being on T.V. or that might fuck me up being on the radio…," you know what I mean? All that bitch shit! Man you ain't on that muthafucka but so what. So what!! Fuck the Radio! 'Cause the radio, they are gonna give you some bubble gum shit anyway. Nigga if you are an artist speak your mind. That's like niggaz who be saying they are MC's but other muthafuckas write their rhymes. Nigga you ain't no MC if a muthafucka is writing your rhymes! Speak your mind and be a true MC. Back then muthafuckas didn't give a fuck. That's Hip-Hop! When you start listening to record company muthafuckas and them PR muthafuckas that just thinkin' about money saying don't say this don't do that, that's bitch shit! 'Cause I have had a gang of muthafuckas come at me with "don't say this," and "Ren we want you to do that." I'll be like "man I ain't fittin' to be doing that shit, I'm not fittin' to be puttin' my tail between my legs, scratchin' where I don't itch, doin' a little shuckin' and jivin'." Fuck all that! I'm just gonna say a lot of niggaz be scared in the game. They know niggaz be actin' like bitches, be scared to say shit about niggaz in the game cause they be like, "oh if I say this he ain't gonna do this for me or if I say this he ain't gonna rap on it." Fuck that! I remember back in the day niggaz didn't even give a fuck about having a gang of niggaz on they album. That's a MC. They would probably have about one or two muthafuckas if any on their shit, and they would just hold the whole muthafuckin' record down. Remember Run, LL, and Whodini where muthafuckas would put out a record once a year? When you had to wait a year or two just to get a new Run DMC or whatever? It's like muthafuckas today don't be thinkin' on that level.

ThaFormula.com - Hip-Hop was good when you could go to the Indoor Swap Meets and get the shit a couple of weeks before it dropped cause you knew it was gonna be dope and it was worth the extra money for the tape...

MC Ren - That was the Golden Era man. It's fucked up. I'ma tell you like this. The closest shit that muthafuckas was gonna get to that was Pac and Biggie. After they died it just went downhill really. Think about it man. Since them two niggaz died, this shit is like the wack era. There is nothin'!

ThaFormula.com - Also I notice a lot of these artists that come out after a while they got no soul left in them man. It's like they just lost it...

MC Ren - Niggaz be bitches now. They first come out, they be hard, mean muggin'. You can't squeeze a smile or nothin' out these niggaz. Now you see niggaz be on MTV smilin', being happier then a muthafucka. I'm like, what happened to this nigga? This nigga was just like this, now look at him. I hate when I see niggaz in TV like that. Nigga you was just hard as a muthafucka, now you just all happy. 'Cause muthafuckas get like that when them cameras get on them niggaz. Every time smilin' and doing stupid shit thinkin' they cute and shit. Man come on dog, that shit is ridiculous man.

ThaFormula.com - Now you were the one that never did many interviews back then. So I wanted to know from your mouth how you and Eazy got started in this?

MC Ren - That nigga Eric, he was like my brother's homeboy. He used to live right around the corner from a nigga. He used to be the little nigga in the neighborhood doin' his thang. He knew I could rhyme and shit so he was trying to leave that shit alone and get into music and Dre was down with the Wrecking Cru and Dre spit at him like, "yo you can start your own label, we can do this." So Cube came in and he was under Dre at the time 'cause he was in a group called C.I.A.

ThaFormula.com - Did you know Cube at that time?

MC Ren - Nah, I didn't meet Cube 'till I came in the group really. I used to do street tapes and he used to do street tapes and used to bump his street tapes before I met him. I was with that nigga one day and we was sittin' in the car waiting for Eric to come home on his mama's street and I was like "nigga check this tape out, this nigga is harder then a muthafucka." Him and Dre and them back in the day used to make tapes and they would take shit like "My Adidas" and make it "My Rubber" and make it funny. I remember I was in the car with that nigga in my bucket and I was like nigga listen to this shit. We were two little niggaz straight out of high school. I was like "nigga this muthafucka hard right here." He was like, "nigga that's me." I told him man I been listening to your shit for like a year. So me and that nigga clicked after that..

ThaFormula.com - So what were you doing at the time Ren?

MC Ren - I was doing my little hustle on the street and I was MC'ing at the time at little house parties battlin' niggaz and shit like that. I started MC'ing in '83 in the 9th grade. When I got to the 12th grade I was about to go to the Army cause I was like, "this shit ain't even gonna crack." Plus we was from the west coast and niggaz was like, "you all ain't doing nothin, all the rappers are from the east," and shit like that. So I was fittin' to go to the army with my homeboy. I had already went to take the written test, I just had to do the other shit. I remember Eric came by one day and that's when he had "Boyz-N-The Hood" but it was just local and shit at the time.

ThaFormula.com - So you weren't down with them yet when he first did "Boyz-N-The Hood?"

MC Ren - Nah, that's how old it was. He did that shit way before that but it was just local then in the streets. When he did that he knew I could rhyme so he would come around to my mommas house and would say "I wanna check you out." So we went around there, he used to have some turntables there and equipment and shit so I started freestylin' for that nigga. He put a record on and started scratchin' while I was rappin' to the muthafucka just freestylin' for like 10 minutes.

ThaFormula.com - Was your style the same even then or did it change by the time you got on?

MC Ren - Yeah I think I kinda changed a little bit. I was more about lyrics like Run DMC kind of, you know how niggaz used to rhyme used to rhyme back then? So that nigga Eric told me to come around there I went around there and I was rappin', freestylin' and shit. He was scratchin' and cuttin' the records and shit cause he knew how to DJ and shit 'cause him and Dre used to have this little crew. I was rappin' for like 10 minutes and shit and that nigga took the tape and he went and let Dre hear the tape and Dre loved his shit. Then Eric came to me like, "I wanna sign you to a solo thing." So I wasn't even gonna be in the group NWA. He wanted to do me as a solo thang cause at that time they had did "Dopeman" and "8 Ball" right after the "Boyz-N-The Hood" thing. So Cube had wrote "Dopeman" and "8 Ball" and he wrote "Boyz-N-The Hood." So I came in and I was just gonna be the nigga that come in and do something on the side, a little solo thang. But when Cube had left, he went to school cause I guess he was figuring this shit wasn't gonna work, so he went to Arizona for like a year. Some trade school or some shit. As soon as that nigga left Eric got a deal with Priority. We was working the other shit on the street level so hard that when cube left it got so big that he got a deal for that shit. So Cube was gone and there was nobody to write his shit. So they came to me like, "nigga we need you to do this and this." So I remember I did "Radio," Eazy-Duz-It" and "Ruthless Villain." They still wasn't gonna let me in. It was just like I did those songs for that nigga. But the song "Ruthless Villain" I wrote for Eric and it was just gonna be his shit, but he couldn't say the muthafucka and he had the studio timed and it took him too long to say the vocals how I would say the vocals so Dre was like "man, just let Ren say the rap!" (Laughs). You know how niggaz be frustrated like "man just let that nigga do it 'cause he's wasting time."

ThaFormula.com - Now I got to ask you man. Was Eazy that bad in the studio as far as trying to get on beat?

MC Ren - Man, that nigga used to be bad. I ain't even gonna lie, them niggaz know it. He sound good on records but that nigga used to be terrible.

ThaFormula.com - Was it that bad man?

MC Ren - Nigga it was terrible! That nigga would be in that muthafucka and Dre would literally nigga just get a piece of paper and start doing like marks. Every time he would fuck up Dre would put a mark. Nigga his shit used to be in the hundreds. When that nigga used to do his vocals muthafuckas used to be like, "let that nigga do his shit last." When that nigga do his vocals muthafuckas used to leave. If we didn't have to do shit, wed be like "alright nigga we gone." Dre would have to sit in that muthafucka with that nigga all day. But anyway nigga that's how I got on. When I did Ruthless Villain, Boom! They was like "damn!" I remember we was in Hollywood and Eric was getting a P.O. Box and shit. Me, Eric, Dre and I think Yella was in the car. Cube was still gone to school. Dre was like, "man since its gonna take along time for you to do your solo shit, you might as well get in NWA" and at that time Arabian Prince was still in the group and shit. It was all of us and then Cube came back and that's when we started working on the "Eazy-Duz-It" album and then we did the other shit.

ThaFormula.com - So now let's get into the "NWA and the Posse" record, what was the deal with that?

MC Ren - See this how that happened. Eric first had "Boyz-N-The Hood" on Macola Records. So one day before we got the deal with Priority, he was going through Macola. So all the muthafuckas on the NWA and the posse record, that was the first shit and remember I told you I wasn't there and they already had "Dopeman," "8 Ball" and all that. That's why if you look on the back, its just a picture of Eazy, Cube, Dre, and Arabian Prince and then on the front it's me, Train and everybody, 'cause Eric was like, we doing this record, everybody come on we gonna take this album picture. So at first that shit wasn't no NWA and the Posse. It was just NWA when it was on Macola right. But when that shit blew up and we got on Priority and that shit blew up, homie just re-released it like it's NWA and the Posse and he went and got everybody that was on that album cover that had records out and let them add to it and he put it out like shady muthafuckaz do. That shit was like some wack shit and that's why we never supported that record. Muthafuckas would come up to us like yeah that "NWA and the Posse" shit and we 'd be like "man that ain't our record." That's just like some Lonzo type shit like he put out some shit after Dre left Wreckin' Cru.

ThaFormula.com - So was D.O.C. down with you guys at that time?

MC Ren - When that record came out, he was down with us and that's why they put him on there and they went and dug up some old shit that Dre did with them niggaz.

ThaFormula.com - What was Arabian Princes' involvement in everything?

MC Ren - See when I came in the group he was already in the group and the reason that he was in the group was 'cause when Eric put the group together, he used to always say "man NWA is a all-star rap group," but it really wasn't no real all stars at the time, and he was just going around trying to get niggaz that he thought would do something in his group. Like Arabian was doing shit with Egyptian Lover and that type of shit Dre with the Wrecking Cru and Cube did with C.I.A. So that's how Arabian got in doing that fast Techno type music. 'Cause at first Eric wanted NWA to do that and have that involved in it. 'Cause that was that L.A. shit too, but as we started doing our shit and doing the record, that shit didn't fit in. It was like we in here making these songs and that shit don't fit in and its like the press we getting for the shit that we making and the kind of shit we doing that shit don't fit in. To us it was like that shit is old now and it don't fit in.

ThaFormula.com - Would you consider the "Eazy-Duz-It" LP a crew album, meaning did it take every member of the crew to make that album happen?

MC Ren - Yep. It took everybody. It was just like working on a NWA album but it's just like this is Eazy's album. Cause me D.O.C., Cube, and Dre did all the writing for that nigga. Back in them days he didn't ever do no writing. Eric didn't start writing on his shit till like he did the "5150" album and shit like that.

ThaFormula.com - Yeah that shit was terrible man...

MC Ren - Yeah, see when Dre was gone that's when he started writing his own shit.

ThaFormula.com - Now what about the production of "Eazy-Duz-It?" Was everyone involved in that album?

MC Ren - Nah, that was just straight Dre. Every album was just straight Dre. It had on there produced by Dre & Yella but Yella was just like his assistant and shit. Like, "do this for me, hand me that, push that." It was all Dre with the beats. Dre would just be in there like, "we 'gon rap to this one." He was controllin' all that and that's why it was so hard.

ThaFormula.com - So the "Eazy-Duz-It" album had just dropped and everything seemed good, how were you feelin'?

MC Ren - I was feelin good cause we was about to do our NWA album. I was just happy to be down. I was just happy to be able to write on that niggaz shit and to be on the cover and little shit like that.

ThaFormula.com - Even though I get depressed at times on how Hip-Hop has turned out, I still love the fact that at least I got to witness Hip-Hop at its prime which makes me also think about how you must feel to be considered part of that prime?

MC Ren - Yeah shit is crazy man, I was just thinkin' about that shit too. The shit is crazy 'cause back then when we was doing that shit, ain't no way niggaz would of knew how that shit was gonna be big like it was. Nigga, that's the crazy part about it, that's the crazy part about it.

ThaFormula.com - Another thing that I think about from back then is when you guys recorded this, you guys were still in the streets where nowadays muthafuckas are recording from Hollywood. I'm sure after Eazy's album and even "Straight Outta Compton" that it must have felt great to walk in the hood and see everybody giving you your props?

MC Ren - Hell yeah.

ThaFormula.com - Which just shows me how things have changed. So at that point in time were you thinking of a solo album yet or were you never really thinkin' about a solo album?

MC Ren - I didn't start thinking about no solo shit 'till I did it. When Dre left that's when I started thinking of solo shit. But the original plan was we all was gonna do solo shit originally. Everybody said yo Eazy is gonna do his first, and if Cube wouldn't have left, Cube was gonna do one, then I was gonna do one and then another NWA album. That's how the whole shit was gonna go, but then after Cube left and Dre left that's the only time I really was like "yo let me do my shit," because it was to much beef going on. It was like Eric was mad with Dre and Dre was mad and I was like, "you know I'm just gonna stay neutral and just do my own shit."

ThaFormula.com - So up next after the "Eazy-Duz-It came "Straight Outta Compton." How was it recording that?

 
 

[Dr._Funkenstein]

 

damn, can't wait to read part 2! great interview...

[BL7]

damn, can't wait to read part 2! great interview...

[GEED-UP-HUSTLER]

a couple highlights...

ThaFormula.com - So you weren't down with them yet when he first did "Boyz-N-The Hood?"

MC Ren - Nah, that's how old it was. He did that shit way before that but it was just local then in the streets. When he did that he knew I could rhyme so he would come around to my mommas house and would say "I wanna check you out." So we went around there, he used to have some turntables there and equipment and shit so I started freestylin' for that nigga. He put a record on and started scratchin' while I was rappin' to the muthafucka just freestylin' for like 10 minutes.

ThaFormula.com - Now I got to ask you man. Was Eazy that bad in the studio as far as trying to get on beat?

MC Ren - Man, that nigga used to be bad. I ain't even gonna lie, them niggaz know it. He sound good on records but that nigga used to be terrible.

ThaFormula.com - Was it that bad man?

MC Ren - Nigga it was terrible! That nigga would be in that muthafucka and Dre would literally nigga just get a piece of paper and start doing like marks. Every time he would fuck up Dre would put a mark. Nigga his shit used to be in the hundreds. When that nigga used to do his vocals muthafuckas used to be like, "let that nigga do his shit last." When that nigga do his vocals muthafuckas used to leave. If we didn't have to do shit, wed be like "alright nigga we gone." Dre would have to sit in that muthafucka with that nigga all day. But anyway nigga that's how I got on. When I did Ruthless Villain, Boom! They was like "damn!" I remember we was in Hollywood and Eric was getting a P.O. Box and shit. Me, Eric, Dre and I think Yella was in the car. Cube was still gone to school. Dre was like, "man since its gonna take along time for you to do your solo shit, you might as well get in NWA" and at that time Arabian Prince was still in the group and shit. It was all of us and then Cube came back and that's when we started working on the "Eazy-Duz-It" album and then we did the other shit.

damn! Eazy DJ'd? LOL at Dre keepin check marks everytime E screwed up!

[Don Seer]

my highlight...

ThaFormula.com - Now what about the production of "Eazy-Duz-It?" Was everyone involved in that album?

MC Ren - Nah, that was just straight Dre. Every album was just straight Dre. It had on there produced by Dre & Yella but Yella was just like his assistant and shit. Like, "do this for me, hand me that, push that." It was all Dre with the beats. Dre would just be in there like, "we 'gon rap to this one." He was controllin' all that and that's why it was so hard.

ruthless groupies been denying dre had shit to do with them albums ever since he quite ruthless.. and now u hear it straight from the ruthless villians mouth!

[CRAFTY]

Interesting interview, it was a good read. Thanks.

[LazyLatino]

my highlight...

ThaFormula.com - Now what about the production of "Eazy-Duz-It?" Was everyone involved in that album?

MC Ren - Nah, that was just straight Dre. Every album was just straight Dre. It had on there produced by Dre & Yella but Yella was just like his assistant and shit. Like, "do this for me, hand me that, push that." It was all Dre with the beats. Dre would just be in there like, "we 'gon rap to this one." He was controllin' all that and that's why it was so hard.

ruthless groupies been denying dre had shit to do with them albums ever since he quite ruthless.. and now u hear it straight from the ruthless villians mouth!

Them albums? He is talkin about Eazy-Duz-It.....Nobody has tried too take away shit from Dre, only give the proper respect Yella deserves, nothin more nothin less.



Peace

LazyL

[Chad]

Thanks for posting this interview up so I wouldn't have to go back to thaformula.com.  Nice interview...too bad it'll be 6 months (or more) til part 2 is up

[C.F.D.T]

ThaFormula.com - Do you consider yourself a lyricist or a MC?

MC Ren - Man I consider myself both really. I'm "MC" Ren and if you're a real MC you got lyrics. That's how you know niggaz been around a long time when they still got muthafuckin' "MC" on their shit. That shit is old you know what I'm saying. Niggaz today don't even be like that. How I was thinking back then coming up is different from a lot of these muthafuckas today. It's just how everybody was thinkin' back in them days is different from what muthafuckas is thinkin' today on what a MC is, what lyrics is and you could tell in how the music is. 'Cause back in the day muthafuckas had to be hard and you had to come with that mentality of "I'm an MC, I got lyrics." You can't just come in the game back in the day talkin' about anything. You had to come talkin' about some shit or muthafuckas would just call you what you are.

ThaFormula.com - Hip-Hop is very depressing right now man...

MC Ren - Man this shit is so wack right now man. It's like bitch shit now man and I hate when a muthafucka come out and it could be a wack ass muthafucka who comes out, sell some records, and then you got to hear all this niggaz wack homies! Back in the day it wasn't even like that.

that's real talk! mc ren is my all time favourite just hope his shit drops soon!

[Dr._Funkenstein]

Them albums? He is talkin about Eazy-Duz-It.....

Every album was just straight Dre. It had on there produced by Dre & Yella but Yella was just like his assistant and shit. Like, "do this for me, hand me that, push that." It was all Dre with the beats. Dre would just be in there like, "we 'gon rap to this one." He was controllin' all that and that's why it was so hard.

[Lil Jay]

this interview is tight...them dudes at tha formula come up with good questions all the time....I like what he said about hip hop today & back in the day, and how everyone is scared to admit that its wack nowadays......its the truth though

[action jackson]

 

THAT SHIT WAS OFF THA FUCCCKINNNNNNG  HIZOOOOOKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BIG UPS TO THAFORMULA ON THIS ONE.

[LAZY]

DAAAAM tite interveiw i cant wait 4 part 2

[budsmokeronly]

MC Ren - I ain't scared of shit. I'll say anything. See muthafuckas be scared 'cause they be thinkin', "if I say something that might fuck me up being on T.V. or that might fuck me up being on the radio…," you know what I mean? All that bitch shit! Man you ain't on that muthafucka but so what. So what!! Fuck the Radio! 'Cause the radio, they are gonna give you some bubble gum shit anyway. Nigga if you are an artist speak your mind. That's like niggaz who be saying they are MC's but other muthafuckas write their rhymes. Nigga you ain't no MC if a muthafucka is writing your rhymes! Speak your mind and be a true MC. Back then muthafuckas didn't give a fuck. That's Hip-Hop! When you start listening to record company muthafuckas and them PR muthafuckas that just thinkin' about money saying don't say this don't do that, that's bitch shit! 'Cause I have had a gang of muthafuckas come at me with "don't say this," and "Ren we want you to do that." I'll be like "man I ain't fittin' to be doing that shit, I'm not fittin' to be puttin' my tail between my legs, scratchin' where I don't itch, doin' a little shuckin' and jivin'." Fuck all that! I'm just gonna say a lot of niggaz be scared in the game. They know niggaz be actin' like bitches, be scared to say shit about niggaz in the game cause they be like, "oh if I say this he ain't gonna do this for me or if I say this he ain't gonna rap on it." Fuck that! I remember back in the day niggaz didn't even give a fuck about having a gang of niggaz on they album. That's a MC. They would probably have about one or two muthafuckas if any on their shit, and they would just hold the whole muthafuckin' record down. Remember Run, LL, and Whodini where muthafuckas would put out a record once a year? When you had to wait a year or two just to get a new Run DMC or whatever? It's like muthafuckas today don't be thinkin' on that level.

one of the realest things I've ever read in a rapper interview.

great interview.  much props, thanks for posting it.

[LazyLatino]

Them albums? He is talkin about Eazy-Duz-It.....

Every album was just straight Dre. It had on there produced by Dre & Yella but Yella was just like his assistant and shit. Like, "do this for me, hand me that, push that." It was all Dre with the beats. Dre would just be in there like, "we 'gon rap to this one." He was controllin' all that and that's why it was so hard.

If u have listened too Yomo and Maulkie, Menajahtwa,JJ Fad album (with arabian Prince) all that shit with Eazy and u think its was only Dre`s sound then..well....im thinkin u way wrong homie. Ive read other interviews sayin that Dre and Yella was mostly in tha studio by themselves workin, but anywayz this can be discussed forever.


peace
LazyL