Planet Asia
Interview by Black Dog Bone

What are you working on now?

I’m promoting the new album and I have Cali Agents coming out May 4^th. I have the Yard Government, that’s my crew, we’re hollering at a couple major labels right now because we just made something that’s fuckin off the hook, but we might put it out independently. I got an instrumental album coming out with one of my producers. I’m trying to start my label called Gold Chain Music.

Is the new record coming out on Gold Chain Records or Avatar?

My record came out on Avatar. I just started Gold Chain.

Who put out your old albums?

My first EP, me and a guy named Fanatic put that out. It was just called Planet Asia. My second EP was called The Standing. It was through an independent label called Land Speed out of Boston. But the business with them didn’t go too good. It was kind of like a fucked up situation because they didn’t know how to handle their business. They dicked a lot of people.

Why were you putting out EP’s instead of full length albums?

Because no one had the dough to actually give me enough money to do a whole album, so I was just doing little independent things here and there. Actually that album is what got me to Interscope. When I got to Interscope that’s when I worked on my whole album. But then the president switched and I went through some whole little political thing. Interscope was basically going through reproduction when I was with them so I had to step away from that. That was in 2000.

Is Cali Agents a full length album?

This is my first full length album. I had another record with Rasco, but that was a team effort. This is actually my first solo full length. I’ve had so many projects out it seems like I had a full length album out but I never had one.

What happened with Interscope?

What happened was Tom Molly was the president at Interscope. He was kind of a more street orientated dude. He signed Tupac when Tupac had Me Against the World. He was a big Tupac fan. He wasn’t really a dick rider type of person where you had to have a certain producers stamp on you. He was like, I don’t give a fuck if you somebody from around the corner, if he hot, he hot. Everything was going smooth until he left and went to Warner Brothers. Once he went to Warner Brothers, the new person who came in, he’s basically a producer driven president. Things weren’t really working out and I’m not the type of artist that’s going to sit around because I already had a fan base before I came there. I already was touring overseas and all around the world before any kind of contract. To keep the fan base strong we had to leave. It took a good two years because I was going back and forth recording stuff.

Did you move to LA because of Interscope?

It was not necessarily just Interscope, but it was because all the major labels were here and I got tired of catching planes, and coming back and forth for meetings. I might as well live here. Now that I’m here, it’s more than that. It’s a lot of opportunities here in Los Angeles.

Does this album have music that you been working on for the past two years or is it a lot of new material?

I have a lot of material.

Did you pick the best material for this album?

I can’t say I picked the best stuff. Some stuff didn’t make it because of sample clearance. We used some of the songs that was on the Interscope album. But I guarantee you my next record is going to be the best record to ever come out of the West Coast. I don’t give a fuck who they talking about right now, I am the best West Coast artist by far. Niggas know they can’t fuck with me on the stage. No one has a stage show like me and I don’t even have a set up stage show. When it comes down to it, I’m the best live performer from the West. My characteristics are of an artist of the golden era. I’m very universal. And, not only that, all the pioneers respect me. I get love from the pioneers.

You said your next album is the best one. Is it already done?

I’m working on it right now. The reason why I say that is because I’m a timely person, and I go with the seasons. If you can actually capture my moments during the season that I’m making a certain kind of music, then that’s going to be the best Planet Asia record. It’s hard to make an album and it doesn’t come out for like six months later. That moment is gone.

How did your EP’s do?

I sold thirty thousand of The Last Stand. I sold nine thousand of my first EP. Cali Agents sold forty thousand. I sold a lot of records.

How did you sell so many records?

I think the industry doesn’t even give the streets enough credit as far as what they’re looking for. That’s why when you turn on the TV right now you are seeing the same shit. It’s because it’s not really all the way the streets validate. People say Fifty Cent is one of the best things to ever happen to the game because it kind of brought it back to the streets. People want to hear skills. They don’t just want to hear that bullshit. They want to be able to hear how a cat is really coming. Is he really witty? Is he spittin’. Lyrics are back in the game. It’s coming back slowly. It ain’t all the way back. But it’s coming back.

What is more important to you, lyrics, beats or music?

It’s all three. You have to have a balance of them. You can’t just have lyrics. You gotta have the right production to compliment your lyrics. Then the music has to be knockin. If the music ain’t knockin then who gives a fuck what you’re saying. You got to be balanced and I think I am the balance. A lot of artists would like to compare themselves to Tupac, but I feel like I’m the closest thing to a Tupac these people will ever get. Especially on the West Coast. He had a balance of many different things. I am a Scorpio that was born on a Libra rising. I’m all about balance. I still struggle for balance. I’m searching for balance in my balance naturally. three hundred sixty-five days a year. That’s the same kind of struggle I think Pac had. When you can represent those things and when you can accept humiliation, you can accept all these things, and you can live out your life in front of people and show people your mistakes, and your prosperity, people can see that. I think that’s why people love Fifty Cent so much. He’s being real with himself. He’s not lying to himself. I really don’t rap for the industry. I rap how I started on rap. I’m not on no save Hip Hop coalition. I ain’t on no Red Cross for Hip Hop let’s take it back. I’m not trying to go back in time at all. My whole thing is let’s just try to keep this shit thorough, where the music is still solid and you’re getting the whole balance, and everything you need.

Did you make those two albums in the Bay Area?

The second one, half of it I did in New York because the guy who was putting the money up for it was in New York.

I always saw you as in between a hard street Gangsta and New York Hip Hop. Is that the way you would describe yourself?

You are exactly correct. That’s how I’m trying to present it. It’s hard to walk that fine line though. But good thing I got people like E-40 that let me know that what I’m doing is all real. I could take advice from somebody like E-40 to Ghostface Killer. I got the balance of that.

What year did you start doing music?

When I first started putting out records it was like ’97. The Bay Area scene was real strong on the Hip Hop level. There was a lot of shows going on. You had Maritime Hall. There’s was a lot of good things going on. DNA Lounge. It used to be really crackin’ in the Bay. Not to say it ain’t crackin’ no more cuz you still got a lot of artist putting it down. You got Balance, you got Locksmith. You got Yukmouth. It ain’t left nowhere. I just think the Bay needs to really unite and take it over, because all the game in Cali is coming from up north. All the slang, everything.

What artists were you dealing with in the Bay when you were growing up?

I was dealing with Peanut Butter Wolf. I was dealing with Fanatic, of course. I was dealing with Architect, Rasco, a lot of local Hip Hop artists, Zion-I, Heiroglyphics of course.

What about people like Mystic Journeymen?

They kind of like my homies, but we haven’t really done no work together yet. That’s all my family and shit. Even with that type of music, I’m still different because I’m from Fresno, California. I’m not from the Bay Area. Let’s get that straight in the Murder Dog, first. I’m not from Oakland. I’m not from Frisco. I’m not from the Bay Area. I’m a Central Valley cat. I grew up with Killa Tay. I’m from the Westside of Fresno.

What made you come this way?

For the music. It wasn’t really nothing going on in Fresno as far as getting on. It’s a lot of talent in Fresno. That’s the new area in Cali that people going to be checkin’ for. We not went away. It’s kind of like LA and Oakland mixed in one. We got the gang bangin’ here and we got the pimp culture. It’s kind of crazy because you got Bloods and Crips from the same hood. They don’t gang bang but they’re from that. It’s weird. That formulated a style. That’s where all my street smarts come from. I’m from the Westside. I’m from the grimy part. That reflects in my music.

What’s behind the name "Planet Asia"?

What was your big break that opened the doors for you?

I was a hype man for Rasco. That was my beginning. I was hyping it for Rasco. He went to Fresno State. That’s how I met Rasco. He went to college at Fresno State. I’m younger than him. I was barely getting in high school when I met him. He always told me if he was ever to work on a album, he was going to put me on it. When he graduated from Fresno State and went back home to San Mateo where he’s originally from, he started working with Peanut Butter Wolf. He dropped a single called "Unassisted," it was one of the hottest underground singles at that time. Then he started working on an album Time Waits for No Man. Then he called me up there to jump on a song called "Take it Back Home." It was a phenomenal song which was a single off his album. I just moved out there because we was traveling a lot. Next thing you know I was working at Amoeba Records. There it goes. It started in ’97. I worked at Amoeba for about a year and a half.

What happened after that?

We were going overseas a lot with Rasco. I was hyping him. He was signed to Universal in London. My first tour I was on was with The Jungle Brothers. After that, when I got back home I worked on my EP. I worked on an EP with Fanatic. He did Rasco’s first single "Unassisted." Fanatic wanted to start getting his production credit out there a little bit more so I did the whole EP with him. Bam! That’s how I started. That’s how Planet Asia started. You know the funny thing about it? When my EP was out I was still working at Amoeba Records. People would be coming in there buying my album and I would be sweeping the floor, and they would be like, "Yo! You’re Planet Asia!" That was the funnest part I ever had in my career when I was working.

After that EP came out what were you doing?

I started booking my own little shows. I was doing little two hundred, three hundred dollar shows. Just trying to get my name out there, I was being a performer. In the Bay that’ what it was like. You had your music to promote your show basically, so people knew what they was getting at your show. That’s what a lot of artists was doing. They was touring off music they was making. One of my friends is Aesop from The Living Legends and before I was doing any of that, he was already going out of town off of music he was making himself. He was already touring and shit off his independent music. I did so many shows that people like Carol Lewis heard about me. She’s the biggest booking agent in the whole Hip Hop game. She’s been around since Eric B and Rakim’s first album. When she heard about me, I got down with her. That was a blessing. It’s been a lot of my own foot work.

It sounds like doing shows is what broke you through.

It was all shows. I didn’t get too much radio at all. That’s why I think I’m the best rapper on the West Coast. I got nominated for a Grammy without an album out. I’m already killin’ rappers. I just need to be in the game fully where the whole world can see me do my thing.

Was there any time in your career where you thought you would quit and do something else?

All the time. I still do to this day sometimes. Like, I’m going to start pimping in a minute. If I wasn’t rappin’ that’s what I would be. For real, for real. I’m not lying. I’ve done it before. That ain’t nothing to be doing but it’s a hustle. If I wasn’t doing this I would probably be the Black Hugh Hefner.

Other than doing music, what else do you in LA? Do you work?

No, I work on music. I live off of shows. I would never work a nine-to-five. I’ve been doing this since ’97.

What part do you like better, the shows or making music?

Making the music and doing the show. I hate the politics though. Super bullshit to a level I can’t even explain it you. People jump ship. The industry is so finicky, they’ll jump on anybody’s dick. That’s how I look at it. The Neptunes was just hot. I’m not taking nothing from the Neptunes. Not to say that they’re not hot still. I love the Neptunes, let’s get that straight. But you see how they was all hot on the radio at first. You couldn’t really turn on the radio without hearing the Neptunes. Now it’s Kanye West’s turn. Next it’s going to be whoever’s next. First it was Timbaland. Let’s go further back than that. It’s always going to be Dr. Dre. That’s why I love Dr. Dre. That’s one thing I tell artists is that you got to analyze the game because Dr. Dre is a Hip Hop dude. He’s not a genre person. He’s not a person who just goes with the times. He’s his own person. But it took a lot of bullshit for him to get to the level where he can do whatever he wants to do. Did you see all the bullshit he went through? If you just look at his history. You got to go through some shit to be able to do what you want to do in the game. It’s fucked up. That’s what we’re going up against.

Do you think some people get overexposed?

Yeah, you get burnt out. I come to bring balance in the game. I been through a lot of shit already. I’m still going through it. I know to get to the level I want to get to, I’m going to have to take matters into my own hand more. That’s the whole thing. That’s how I got here, by taking matters into my own hand.

When did this record come out?

It came out about six weeks ago.

How is it doing for you?

It’s doing good. It’s doing alright. I’m at about seven or eight thousand right now. I’ve sold about a thousand a week or something like that.

Where do you sell most of your records?

It’s really spreading out. I got a big following in LA. I got a big following in the Bay Area. I got a following in the East Coast. I have a big following overseas in London. It just dropped overseas. I’m selling like crazy over there. I should be pretty cool after this. I think my next record is going to be the shit because it’s going to be really me, at the time, at the moment.

Who is going to put out your next record?

I don’t know right now. I’m just working on the music right now.

When you were growing up in Fresno, what were you listening to?

I listen to everything. A lot, a lot of Too Short. A lot of 415. A lot of NWA. A lot of Rakim. I listened to everything. There wasn’t anything I didn’t listen to. Special Ed, Awesome Dre, Cool G Rap, MC Lite, I listened to everything. I’m a Hip Hop connoisseur.

Who would you say is your favorite?

My favorite rapper is Big Pun. To me Big Punt is somebody who really understood the game. He do a whole grimy record but then give you two real super commercial joints that the radio could play. Then everybody be loving that song and then you get his album and you get raw lyrics. You still getting Hip Hop. I love that. It was street Hip Hop. It was gangsta music but it was some Hip Hop music. He embodied the Cool G Rap, all that type of Flow. The NWA, Naz, all that shit. I like rappers who are fans of the music. You got this thing in Hip Hop right now where people act like they just came up on they own and they never listened to Hip Hop before. I’m an artist because I feed off of this music.

Who else are your favorites?

You got Run DMC and LL Cool J and Rakim. Rakim is the father of chilling it right. When he came into the game, he switched the game of how people rap. All the way to here to the West Coast. People don’t even realize about how much he changed the game when he came into the game, all the way to now. Really Rakim and Big Daddy Kane. To me Jay-Z and Naz is the same thing as Big Daddy Kane and Rakim. And then on the West Coast you got NWA and you Ice Cube, and WC’s, and then you got Mac 10, which is the baby of that. Snoop Dog is the baby of NWA.

How about the Bay Area people?

Okay you want to talk about the Bay Area. You got Mac Dre. You got Too Short. Mac Mall is the baby of Mac Dre. Then you got the Luniz and the Hieroglyphics. You got Richie Rich, 415. You got Tupac. Tupac is the baby of 415, Spice and C-Bo. Pac is the baby of that.

What other types of music do you listen to?

I like Reggae. I like Sizzla. I’m a big Sizzla fan. I love Capleton. I like all the Nayabinghi/Bobo Ashanti stuff. I like all that type of shit. Burn Babylon music. I like Anthony B. I like all that. I want to do a song with Sizzla. That would be off the hook.

School Yard, your crew, is from Frisco?

That’s from Fresno. We all grew up together since elementary school. My first shows were with them, not with Rasco. The first time we performed was with Cypress Hill when I was thirteen years old. We did shows with E-40 and the Click, X Klan, Big Daddy Kane and Gangstarr, all in one show. How about that. This was before the Click was on Jive or any of that.

You were there with your group?

Yep, with my crew. We performed with them. It was off the hook! I been in the game for a long time.

Who are the members of the crew?

One of the guys name is Shake the Man, then you got one named Supreme, and one named Kubic, and Protest which is my main producer right now. That’s the crew I was hanging out with in Fresno and the crew I’m with still to this day. We’re coming out with an album soon on a major label. I don’t want to say the name yet but, we’re negotiating a major label deal right now. Be checking for the Yard Government. We’re not called "The School Yard." We’re called "The Yard Government" out of Fresno.

Are all the members still living in Fresno?

We’re all over. We get together and make music. We just finished one album. We’re doing a lot of music right now.

How did Cali Asians come about?

We made that group while I was Rasco’s hype man. I came up with the name and we’ve been doing it ever since.

Does Cali Agents have two albums?

We have one album. The first album was called "How the West was Won." The new EP that’s coming out before the album is called "Head of State."

What do you think about rap right now?

I feel sorry for the people who don’t have a background as far as being involved in the game. I’ve been involved since ’85, as far as being active in this game. I feel sorry for people who don’t really know the history of Hip Hop. I can only talk to you in scattered words because it would take a whole book for me to tell you the whole story. But there’s so much history in this music and so much to love if you can go back and listen to everything, and analyze Hip Hop culture. I learned a lot. I got a lot of knowledge just from Hip Hop alone without even going outside of Hip Hop.

Do we really need to do it or just move forward with the times?

You always move forward with the times. It’s nothing you can do about it. That’s like a grown person trying to tell a young person what he’s been through. You have to go through. The difference is now the obstacles are not the same. The people before us already went through what they went through so we can do what we are doing today. Remember when Luther Campbell got in all that trouble for doing that song "Banned in the USA" because he had all the girls on stage. Now you can do that and it’s nothing. It’s a whole other thing. It’s a whole different times now. Things speed up.

Do you think things are going a good way or a bad way as far as the world is concerned?

I think the world is in turmoil. Of course. I’m not going to sit here and lie to you. We all know what’s really going on.

Do you talk about political issues in your lyrics?

When I rhyme, I don’t like to talk about Hip Hop a lot. I try my hardest not to even use that word in my lyrics. I don’t put the word "Hip Hop" in my raps. I try not talk about Hip Hop when I rhyme. That’s like me walking around saying "I’m Black." I don’t got to tell you that. All you got to do is look at me. You know I’m Black. You can hear it in my voice. I don’t have to tell you I’m Hip Hop and I don’t got talk about Hip Hop. I just talk about life in general. Sometimes I have fun with it. I style out. I just spit. I live Hip Hop. I’m not doing it. It’s something I live. When I rhyme, it’s already Hip Hop. I don’t got to tell you it’s Hip Hop. I live music.