Eastside
Interview by Eagle Split Point
In Detroit you have the hardcore Gangsta rappers, and then you have the Horrorcore side, like Esham and ICP. Do you see that there are two different styles of Rap in Detroit?
There’s more than two different styles. It’s a lotta different personalities in Detroit. It’s Soulful Hip Hop, pretty much what I make. Like people like Black Milk, Royce the 5’9”.
How would you describe your style?
My style is reality. It’s pretty much what I see around me. My 
favorite emcees is Ice Cube and Saigon. I look up to those two artists. I don’t emulate them, but I see what they do, the type of message that they bring with their music, and I try to make sure that I have a message behind my music.
I thought you were rapping about the street, Reality Rap, but you are more of a conscious rapper?
It’s a mixture of both. Sometimes the aggressive side of me might want to make a song, but then I hear something else and want to talk about something else. I might do a song about drug addiction, with a metaphor about addiction. Then I’ll turn around and do something real street.
Are you a lyrical rapper, more like East Coast Hip Hop?
I’d say I’m a cross between Nas and Ice Cube.
What about your sound? Do you have more of a West Coast sound or is it closer to the music of J Dilla?
It’s more like J Dilla’s sound. I love his production, I love that sound. That’s what I’m going for.
J Dilla influenced so many people—not just in Rap, but all types of music. What was it that impressed you about the music of J Dilla?
I never got a chance to meet J Dilla. Just hearing the work that he did, his music, his rhyming—he was so unique and so underrated. He did a lot of work for a lot of people that the audience may not even recognize. The first beat that I remember hearing that he produced was for Kanye, “The Light”. His sound was amazing. A lot of producers were influenced by J Dilla. One of my producers, Patch Adams, he has an up and coming artist named Young Felon. Also Black Milk. You hear the influence of J Dilla everywhere, that real real soulful sound.
Have you always worked as a solo artist? How long have you been doing music?
I’m a solo artist. I’ve been rapping for 5 or 6 years. I was playing football and I had a scholarship and everything, but some things happened and it got revoked, so I fell back into music. I’ve been doing it for the past 6 years. I’m just trying to get my music out there.
Do you have any releases out?
I just released a mixtape, “By Any Means Necessary”. It’s available on datpiss.com, mixtapefactory.com. It’s a free download. I’ve got a lotta stuff I’m workin on, a couple more mixtapes. I’m looking to flood the market with my music.
You said Saigon has been a big influence for you. What is it about Saigon that makes him stand apart from the rest?
With Saigon it’s his story. He’s got skills, that’s the first thing, but his story is what you really remember. For him to go down the path he did, going to prison—a lotta guys go to prison, I’ve been to jail, it’s nothing to glorify. But most people that go to jail come out and glorify going to jail. Anybody that’s been locked up knows that that’s not the place you wanna be. The role Saigon’s taken is different, wanting to do something positive with his voice. It’s a tremendous thing. He’s one of the most underrated artists I’ve heard. I’m a huge fan of Saigon.
Saigon is one artist who has succeed in balancing street stories with a conscious message. What about Ice Cube? Do you see him in the same light?
Yes. Ice Cube always told it like it was. Things were tougher in the early days of Hip Hop. For him to take the route he took, tellin it like it was, took a strong mind. He came out with my favorite album of all time, “Death Certificate”; I still listen to that one.
As a fan of music, are you excited about what you’re hearing in Hip Hop at this time?
I’m excited about Hip Hop. Like Saigon’s album that just came out, Joel Ortiz; I purchased both of those. Some of the stuff that’s coming out I can’t really get with, like the dance craze and the swag and all that stuff. If I can’t relate to it on any level, then I can’t get with it.
You can’t relate to dancing? Dancing is an important part of life. In tribal life in Africa we used dancing to heal and celebrate, to bring the community together. But a lot of people seem to see dancing as something negative. Why is that?
I understand what you’re saying. I don’t have any problem with dancing. I mean the type of Hip Hop that’s being promoted doesn’t mean anything to me because I have struggled so much in my life. I’m still getting over struggling, and trying to use my music to create something positive. There’s so much going on negative—unemployment, homicide, drugs—and records like Tupac “Keep Your Head Up” are not being promoted. When songs like “Teach Me How To Dougie” take over the music scene, like that’s all you hear out there, when I might be at a point where I need to hear something like “Keep Your Head Up”. You don’t always wanna dance all the time or pop a bottle or throw money around. There are more important issues going on in society.
I agree that throwing money around and popping bottles of champagne is some nonsense. But to me dancing is a positive part of our culture.
I understand that dance can have sacred meanings. I studied history and I do understand that. For instance when a young African male becomes a man they do certain rituals to show they’re ready. That’s depicted in Hip Hop now as, “I have a large amount of money.” They celebrate that. Not to say that a young Black male making money is not a good thing. On the flip side, when it’s being marketed to young men that don’t have the money to aspire to do that, it can be confusing. I’m lookin at it from my end. I don’t have it, I want it. In the position I’m in I don’t feel like dancing like a Soulja Boy or a Cali Swag District. If the dance has meaning to it that’s different. But the way it’s being depicted in Hip Hop, there’s really no meaning behind it.
I understand what you’re saying. They’ve taken something that’s sacred and primal, and they’ve made it into something commercial, washed out, meaningless. The essence of dance is not there.
Exactly. There’s no meaning behind it at all. I’m not downplaying the dances in Hip Hop. If that’s what works for you, I’m happy for you. But me personally, I can’t put those two together. I know our history as African Americans, since we were brought to America. I see a big difference from our cultural heritage and the culture they’re promoting right now.
What direction do you see Hip Hop heading? What is the future of Hip Hop in your eyes? Do you see things picking up for artists soon?
The music of Hip Hop is not gonna die. On a business end I feel like it’s gonna be a lot of changes. I feel like on the music end real Hip Hop is starting to come back. It’s a good time for music. A lot of talented artists are stepping forward and releasing good music. People are going back to listening to quality music, like we had in the early nineties when Biggie and Pac were happening.
You feel that the non-commercial music is going to thrive. Artists who love music and want to do something creative and meaningful are coming up.
Right. That’s what it’s all about, making good music. Unless you push your all into it, you don’t have a chance. No two people are the same. Everybody has a different story. I think you should use your unique voice to tell your story, how you see things, to make some kind of impact.
When people hear your music how do they respond? Do you get compared to certain artists?
I’ve heard that I sound like Nas. I’ve heard a lot of different things. One thing I hear a lot is that I don’t sound like I’m from Detroit. I sound like I’m from the East Coast. I’m heavily influenced by East Coast Hip Hop. I’ve heard I sound like Lloyd Banks. As far as my content people compare me to Ice Cube. But as far as my delivery, I don’t sound like a West Coast rapper. I love the West Coast sound. I listen to all the great West Coast artists. Anybody that makes good music, I listen to—Talib Kweli, Little Brother, Mos Def, Common. I love all the great Hip Hop artists.
What type of audience do you attract when you perform?
It’s pretty mixed. It’s like half street, half Backpack, half Emo—it’s a mixed crowd. I don’t have just one demographic.
Do people who like Esham and ICP come see you perform too?
No. That’s not my crowd. I congratulate those guys, what they’re doing, but I’m not in that type of category. We’re a whole different world.
When you say “Emo”, what other rappers attract that crowd?
It’s only a couple of guys like Charles Hamilton or someone like Kid Cudi. I haven’t see too many artists in Detroit that’s into that category.
A few years ago rappers were able to make good money selling their music in the streets. All of that dried up with the internet and free digital downloading. Do you see these changes are affecting the music industry?
The game has changed in general. I haven’t gotten to the point to even worry about sales. But the way I see it, you have artists that have something to say that’s really different like 50 Cent, Saigon, Lil Wayne, T.I., and then you have the one hit wonders, like ringtone artists. You have to have substance in your music if you’re gonna make it last. You have to have some content to have longevity in this music.
What is going to help you to survive as an artist? What is your plan as an up and coming artist at this time?
I’ve been making money with my music through iTunes singles and through shows. I basically reinvest it in myself. I signed to an independent label and I learned that you can’t depend on anybody else to help you do anything. I invest all my money into myself, buy studio time, do promotion, whatever.
When you perform, who do you play with?
I’ve done shows with Royce da 5’9”, Young Buck, Rich Boy. I’ve worked with Detroit’s more established artists, as well as with the up and coming artists. There’s a lot of talent out here. The crowds are great. I’ve got no complaints.
Where does your name come from? Are you from the East Side of Detroit?
Yeah, my name is a representation of where I’m from. I’m from the Eastside of Detroit. I’ve got it tatted on my back. I’m very proud of my city. I do the best I can representing the Eastside and Detroit as a whole.
Do the different neighborhoods in Detroit have distinctly different sounds?
It’s pretty diverse everywhere. The Eastside emcees don’t sound like they’re from the Eastside. Same with the Westside. It’s diverse, not just the city but the state in general. No one artist is the same as the last.
Do you work with a lot of other artists, or do you keep to yourself?
I work with whoever is down to work. I don’t want to be isolated. I work with Seven the General, Stretch Money, AC the Arsenal, BL—everybody that wants to work, I’m open.
Right now club deejays play an important role in breaking records. Are there any deejays in Detroit that are making big moves?
DJ Young Mace, he’s an official deejay for Grand Hustle. He does a fantastic job. DJ Young Felon, he’s also a producer. DJ Flipside, DJ Trina B—she’s a hardworking female deejay. DJ Don Q, Big Dog Blast, DJ DDT. There’s a lot and they play an important role. Some of them produce too, and some of them just straight deejay.
