L.A: Get This Together (WC XXL article)

[Elano]

WC is a big idea kind of guy. After finishing promotion for the West Side Connection's 2003 album,Terrorist Threats,the rapper shared his latest scheme with fellow Angelino and group member Ice Cube."I was like,I'm taking my shit independent",WC remembers. Cube,who,like WC was without a deal at the time,was intrigued."He's like,'No shit'.I was like,'What the fuck do I got to lose ?We don't get a lot of airplay on radio. We don't get played on MTV or BET. But we have a fanbase".

Cube took his longtime homie's words to heart,releasing last year's Laugh Now,Cry Later through his own Lench Mob Records.
In an era of deteriorating album sales, it sold over 500.000 copies. In return of the favor, Cube offered a contract, and Lench Mob will release WC's third solo album,Guilty By Affiliation this August - extending the career of an artist who released his first hit single, Pay Ya Dues,in 1989. That's right, the guy who introduced Crip walking to the mainstream has been making hit records since the year Lil Mama was born.

WC,37,is damn proud of his longevity. He thinks a veteran mentality works to his advantage in 2007."When you're younger,coming in the game,you care about your first-week number,if you get spins on the Mtv countdown,if you have the No.1 video on 106 & Park", he says. "But when you mature,you start thinking dollar signs and what's more beneficial for me as an artist".
In that regard,going independent was a no-brainer. He's realistic about his commercial potential ("A nigga might only sell a couple hundred thousands,but I own my masters").

And his history with labels isn't pretty. "I always had somebody in my pocket",he says,referring to the contract he signed with Priority Records when a teenage member of the group Low Profile."I was just so happy to get on. I fell for the whammy. We were represented by someone working for the label, so that was a conflict of interest right off the bat". Even after Low Profile dissolved,WC was bound to his contract. So his two albums as a leader of WC and the M.A.A.D. Circle were released under Priority. More recently,his 2001 signing with Def Jam Records yielded unexpected problems.

At the time, with a hot single (the Scott Storch-produced "The Streets") and the marketing muscle of hip hop's marquee label behind him,WC was sure his Def Jam debut,Ghetto Heisman, would go at least gold.
Unfortunately, a freak accident during the pressing process resulted in physically defective product. Wc says that hundreds of thousands of his CDs had to be recalled after they'd been shipped to stores.
The album was subsequently pushed to a later date - the same Tuesday that his label mate Jay-Z released The Blueprint 2:The Gift and the Curse. Overshadowed,Ghetto Heisman debuted at No.46. It went on to sell less than 200,000 copies, and WC was granted his release from the label. "They realized they made a big mistake on the record, pressing it up scratched",he says with no apparent ill will. "So they were like,'If you want to, we can let you roll scot-free,clear,with no overrides,no nothing.
I had a chance to push. It ain't like they were going to take money from another project. That's why I have no reason to talk bad about Dej Jam.....Out of sight, out of my mind."

Having grown up in South Central, Los Angeles, William Calhoun Jr. is used to persevering. Mom worked as a secretary, dad was in the military and WC was in the streets. As a youngster,he says,he didn't so much join a gang as a gang joined him. He remembers walking with friends to his first day of school at Henry Clay Junior High School. By mistake,he stepped on a Mexican Gang member's sneakers and was confronted."He swol' up on me,"WC says. "I guess he wanted me to bow down and wipe it off. I turned around and saw that my homies were with me, standing strong. I realized they had my back."
WC became a 111 Neighborhood Crip and now considers himself "an affiliate from my neighborhood," carefully clarifying his current status. "I want to make sure this don't get fucked up: if anybody says they are an active gang member, that means he's actually shooting up and beating up other gang members. I'm not an active gang member. I'm active in my neighborhood."

Another relationship from South Central that's lasted throughout WC's career is his connection with rapper/movie star Ice Cube.
The two lived around the corner from each other and spent days and nights rhyming in Sir Jinx's garage. Over two decades later, they're still side by side. "This is the first time he was totally involved with the entire recording,from concepts to hooks to picking out the tracks,"says WC of his old crony. "We went into the studio not giving a fuck what radio was playing. Not giving a fuck if someone would be offended if we said this or that. Not giving a fuck if this is the kind of shit niggas bounce to. I want muthafuckas to get on board to what we doing. That's the whole purpose for going independent."
Cube,for his part, is succint with his support: "WC has the best West Coast album of the year,"he writes over e-mail.

The pair are working with Tony Draper, the founder and CEO of Suave House Records, who guided Laugh Now,Cry Later's flawless marketing campaign. The self-proclaimed "King of the Independent Game" expects WC's project to turn a significant profit,too.
He has a plan."We are goiung to position Dub in certain places we know Dub C can sell records in," Draper says."We wouldn't do a full-blown marketing campaign for Dub C in New York, because that's not the roots of Dub C's sales. A major would allocate money over here and over there and forget about his core audience, which is the West Coast."

Tonight, WC is putting the finishing touches on Guilty by Affiliation, recording a song called "Addicted". He already has the beat and the hook and something in mind for the concept: "I'm just going hard on all the shit I'm addicted to," he says."I'm addicted to money. I'm addicted to muthafuckin' rapping. I'm addicted to pussy. I'm addicted to life. I'm addicted to just having it my way."

[Lunatic]

Great article...U can tell WC is for once 100% happy with his music career is going, and the quality of music is benefiting

i didn't know they was workin with mr. mini suge knight tony draper

[MontrealCity's Most]

WC is 37??? I thought dude was like 45 by now

[Lunatic]

WC is 37??? I thought dude was like 45 by now

LOL

[Fatdodger]

Damn dub is an o g

[MontrealCity's Most]

WC is 37??? I thought dude was like 45 by now

LOL

You dint think he was older??? even when he came out with Aint a dasmn thng changed i thought he was like 37 then!!!

[Lunatic]

WC is 37??? I thought dude was like 45 by now

LOL

You dint think he was older??? even when he came out with Aint a dasmn thng changed i thought he was like 37 then!!!

LMAO i figured round 35-40...you look at 89 (i know im pointing out the obvious) but dude DID look like he was like 19, no older at that time

[MontrealCity's Most]

ok im gona get the record and ill come back to u.

[Lunatic]

ok im gona get the record and ill come back to u.

lol iight...u ain't heard that LP before?

[MontrealCity's Most]

ok im gona get the record and ill come back to u.

lol iight...u ain't heard that LP before?

of course i had it on tape lol

anyways i cant find it but i pulled out curb servin...

boht him and tune look like there in they 30's if u ask me

[Lunatic]

ok im gona get the record and ill come back to u.

lol iight...u ain't heard that LP before?

of course i had it on tape lol

anyways i cant find it but i pulled out curb servin...

boht him and tune look like there in they 30's if u ask me

lol true that...it is what it is homie lol

[Elano]

i didn't know they was workin with mr. mini suge knight tony draper

??

[Lunatic]

i didn't know they was workin with mr. mini suge knight tony draper

??

Tony Draper is a dick lol

he fucked over 8Ball & MJG BIG TIME

[MontrealCity's Most]

i didn't know they was workin with mr. mini suge knight tony draper

??

Tony Draper is a dick lol

he fucked over 8Ball & MJG BIG TIME

realy? dude is mini Suge Kight?

[Elano]

cube and wc are not fools...