Atllas Interview (Arizona artist, good read)

[D-Nice]

http://www.illuminati2g.com/atllasinterview.htm

I2G kicked it with Arizona representer Atllas for a exclusive interview. We talk about his upcoming mixtape, his thoughts about being on Rawkus Records, the indie grind and Arizona hip hop and much more so check it out.

Illuminati 2G is here with Atllas how's it going?

Man it's going good, out here grinding in this Arizona weather.

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

I got my start..., well at first I had hoop dreams. Wanted to be a basketball player, that typical story. Once those dreams deflated, I really had to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I was from a really tough neighborhood and there really was not alot of avenues and rap was the only positive thing lefted.

I really had not tried it up to that point, I felt like it was something that I was talented at, and I decided to give it a shot and here I am. As far as musical influences, I am really inspired by life man. I really don't listen to many other rappers, but I will be honest, early on I was a big Jay-Z fan, Outkast, Snoop, cats like that were my early influences. Now it is really about life and me trying to tell my story.

You currently have a new single out, Dead End Streets the remix, with Termanology. Tell me a little bit about how that track came together for you.

Man that track Dead End Street was completed over a year ago. My man Sarscam produced it and it was a real dope record. We got to circulating it out here in the streets and we were really getting a great response. That great response led to a video, which is out right now, people can go google it, and we did a whole mini movie.



Termanology I met him through my man Statik Selektah. Out here in Arizona, every year Sha Money does a One Stop Shop producers conference. Alot guys come out for the event and I was one of the people there to network, and I meet alot of people that way. Termanology was a cat I met, and he is a real dude. He told me to hop on the track so I did.

Is there any details that you can give about your mixtape, Atllas Says Fuck You?

Atllas Says Fuck You, that whole project came about I was talking to DJ Essence, who is a DJ in DJ Clue's Desert Storm camp. We was up one night and we was really up on our shit. He was like you should do a mixtape called Atllas Says Fuck You. Just on a say goodbye to the good guy tip, no more Mr. nice guy and playing around with cats, it's time to make a statement.

So it is not directly at anybody, but at the same time it is for everybody. It is really just me saying fuck you to trying to please everybody. Me not being worried about your approval and what a critic has to say or what a hoodrat has to say or what another rapper has to say. I am not worried about whether you like my music or not, I feel like my obigation is to put it out. I am going to put it out and I am going to let the streets decide whether they love it or they hate it. Because at the end of the day, it is up to the streets to carry you or to drop you. So it is basically me saying fuck everybody, I am going to put this music out and let the streets decide.

Do you have a album in the works or anything after the mixtape drops?

We actually have another mixtape dropping after that one, called What Good King part 3, dropping with my man DJ Ames out of London, and after that we have another video dropping, then my next album, it is called Say Hello To The Crook. That is coming out probably towards the end of the summer.

The album is a concept album about the inner city and the crook alot of times is our own mentality. We rob ourselves from opportunities by projecting negativity and holding ourselves back. Like the whole thing about you have to stay in the hood. I am from the hood, and I have lived there my whole life and I am trying to get out. But we tell ourselves these things and it is keeping us down. That is what the album is about, shedding light on some of the things that I feel like we do to ourselves.

Being from Arizona, what are your thoughts on the state of hip hop in Arizona?

I feel like there is still alot of room for growth. I think we are in our toddler stages right now, we learning how to walk on a national scale. There have been a couple cats that have been blips on the radar, but not anything that has impacted the market. We are priming ourselves for a real good national push.

We have some outstanding artists out here who have not got the shine they deserve, but it is coming. The artists out here are starting to work harder, you know for a while there was alot of cheerleading going on. There were a couple cats that got on and alot of people started to hold on to they coattails. What brings the best out of all of us is competition, best music, everything.

We have to push each other to get better. If we are more concerned with coattailing and hoping homeboy puts me on, your music is going to reflect that. You are going to be copy catting everything else that is out there. But when you are competing, you are going to make better music and it does not have to be a negative thing because I am competing. That essence is starting to really hit hard in Arizona, there are a couple artist out here with alot of integrity and alot of belief in themselves and they have the music to go behind it.

Do you find any extra added pressure or motivation being signed to Rawkus Records?

Not at all, I thought it was a blessing to have that opportunity. They are a legendary indie label that produced the Mos Def's, Talib Kweli's and some other legends in the game. I am happy to be a part of that lineage and to be attached to that label and logo. I am one of those people that I never wanted a label to define me as a artist. That is a big reason why I have stuck to the independent route. Because I want to define who Atllas is and I want my brand to stand alone.

Do you have any upcoming shows or tour dates?

Right now we are shooting another big movie entitled This Is Life, which is part 2 to the Dead End Streets one that is out there right now. It is going to be 4 parts and we are going to release it online. Check out Dead End Streets right now, and yeah we will probably be doing some shows coming around spring time.

What is your website information?

www.myspace.com/atllas. www.twitter.com/atllas. www.youtube.com/atllasfootage. Between those 3 avenues you will be caught up on everything Atllas.

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?

Arizona is coming, yall make sure yall stay tuned, Google Atllas, check out the mixtapes and get ready for What Good King 3 dropping this month.

Appreciate the interview.

I appreciate you.