Medina Interview

[D-Nice]

http://illuminati2g.com/site/2011/02/04/medina-interview/

I2G kicked it with one of the illest MC’s in the game right now, Medina, for a exclusive interview. We discuss his new mixtape, Block To The Boardroom Greatest Hits and his extensive work with musical heavyweights such as Dr. Dre, Timbaland and Polow Da Don. Alot of real talk in this interview, relax and take notes.

Illuminati 2G is here with Medina how’s it going man?

I’m good how are you?

Good. Tell me a little bit about how you got your start in music and who are some of your musical influences out there.

I got started from Newark, New Jersey and I started writing for alot of people. I worked with alot of producers that are big in the game. I did alot of ghostwriting work for alot of high level entertainers and it let to me getting my foot in the door.

I used that and I just hustled my way in and from that point on, the rest is history.

You have a new project out entitled Block To The Boardroom Greatest Hits. Tell me a little bit about how that came together for you.

Everyone thought I was crazy to do my greatest hits first, but this is the type of industry that if you don’t put your best foot forward, ain’t nobody gonna know. There was alot of bullshit going on with alot of these labels, they make you alot of promises and I have worked with everyone.

Every producer you could name, but what was happening was I was not getting my just due. When it came time for the labels to deliver, they didn’t and make alot of empty promises. So I said fuck it, let me put out the greatest hits first to let people know who I have influenced.

Because alot of those records came out a couple years ago, some of them came out recently, some of them came out a while ago. But all of those records are similiar and you can go and do your research, to alot of people’s styles at the time. Because I was doing a lot of writing for people at the time, so Block To The Boardroom is a project that you can actually study and see what is what.

Do you have a album or mixtape currently that you are working on?

Yeah I don’t stop working, I live in the studio. Everything all flows in one for me, I have a project I am working on, Even Superman Dies, and I am still writing for alot of rappers but right now I am just focused on me. I am working with Spindarella and I just shot 3 videos, I am doing a promotional tour, overseas work, I am doing some touring over there.

It’s a different industry right now so it is about branding and marketing and my thing now is I have probably worked with every record label in America, but the whole thing about right now is it is about control. I have been offered deals from every label, but the problem is it is not the right type of deal.

Where it is at right now is, you gotta have that independent swag in a major way on a major label on a major level, but you have to do it yourself and put in the work. So I am just working, I don’t look at it as a mixtape, album, single, this, you just have to work, stay out there and stay on the road.

I stay working as if I just started so mainly for me I have a new single out called They Love To Hate Me and that is just the prelude to what is coming in the future. I will probably do some more work with Mark Baston, Timbaland, Polow Da Don, and alot of other producers that I have worked with in the past.

Right now I want to work with alot of new up and coming talent because I have done the rest and it is more rewarding for me to work with people that are undiscovered.

You just named those industry producers that you have worked with. What are some good memories that you have from working with a Timbaland or a Polow Da Don?

I mean I have great memories with these people. I can remember…, it’s funny because alot of people do not understand my writing process or even how things come about with songs. I can remember I was at Westlake Studios in Cali at Dre’s studio with Mark (Baston) and they were celebrating at the end of the year and they had a Christmas party and they had Pineapple and Patron there.

They were getting faded and everyone was drinking, I don’t drink but I was chilling. I just started to notice that was a hot title, so he played the beat and the beat was actually supposed to be on Game’s 1st album, but Game did not know what to do with it.

I was like yo let me get that record, almost all of the records that have been the biggest for me, even Knowledge Of Self, Numberman with Polow and Timbaland, all those records no one knew what to do with the track.

They was like yeah it is a hot record but we don’t know what to do with it. That was how I got my rep up because I would take tracks that no one knew what to do with, rappers could not rhyme on and I flipped them. So that got me my weight up as far as within the industry with writing.

I can remember working with Polow, and alot of people don’t remember this, but Polow used to come to my crib and he gave me a beat which is now the song Numberman and also Pimpin All Over The World. So I wrote Pimpin All Over The World and Numberman, long story short, Luda got me for it but it’s all good. Everybody in the industry knows the deal.

You spoke earlier about the business side of hip hop, what are your general thoughts on hip hop?

To be honest with you, I really don’t think too much about it. I just think honestly rappers are lazy, very lazy. They don’t understand the business, when you are dealing with a say Garth Brooks or Rolling Stones, AC/DC, all these legendary bands and all these bands that have catalogues.

People don’t understand your catalogue is where the money is at. The licensing and the merchandise is where the money is at. But when you start talking about people that bring up ringtone money and other things, they really don’t understand what is really good with the business side of things.

I urge rappers to just get on their business. You don’t have to be so lazy, it ain’t just about studio time, coming up with a quick little gimmick song. It is actually about developing a brand that people are going to buy into because you have understand your audience.

The rap audience is changing and it is becoming a universal music genre. Hip hop is probably one of the most powerful forces out there man. If you don’t respect it, it is going to leave you and with hip hop it started in New York then it started popping all over the country. But what has happened now is that it is international and alot of people are not catching up to that and are getting lefted behind.

Alot of rappers that was hot 10 years ago are not hot anymore. You have to protect your brand and protect your image and that is why I turned down alot of deals because it is about control. It is not about just getting a deal and getting paper anymore. It is about getting control over your image, control over your masters, control over everything that has to do with you.

That is where it is at for me, I am not impressed with the fly by night shit, the overnight shit. Everyone that I have ever worked with talked to be and put alot of jewels in my head, so I am not green when it comes to this game.

Absolutely. Do you have any upcoming shows or tour dates?

I will not be touring until the spring or the summer. Right now the key focus is.., the people that do know me, they know my work but right now I am just focusing on my viral, my independent buzz and recording. Even Superman Dies, my debut album, alot of people are anticipating it so I want it to be right.

I want it to get the best look possible so everything I am doing down is preparing for that. I am not going to throw no shit out there that is half baked or do something that is going to only give me a little bit of exposure, I am going to do it right. I am going to keep putting out records that I feel and lead people down that road to my debut album.

What is your website information?

http://www.evensupermandies.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 just want to say thank you for the opportunity, keep supporting good music and I want to thank Illuminati 2G and just support real music.