Big Bear interview by:Scott Bejda

Big Bear interview
by Scott Bejda

What product do you have out right now?

I got my solo album out called Now or Never. Back in ’93 we dropped our first release which was like an EP with the group called Triple Life. It consists of myself, Don Juan, Rock Money and LV. We got together with Tech N9ne, and Don Juan produced his first two albums. I was on that. We put another full album out in ’99 called Mid West Side by Triple Life. Don Juan put out an album that I’m featured on. We put out a compilation out called Hood to Hood. I’m about to put out about four mix tapes. I’m gonna put them out every three months. It’s called Big Bear: Unusual Suspects. The first is going to be dropping June 1^st. Then I will have my next solo album coming out called Big Bear AKA Mr.Grizzly, and that will be out next summer. I am going to capitalize off of that from the mix tapes. I’m going to be building my name up. When I dropped my first solo album a lot of people didn’t recognize that it was me from the group Triple Life. It was making that transition from being a group artist to being a solo artist. With these mix tapes I will be really grinding promoting my name real big. The AKA Mr. Grizzly is straight up raw. Grizzly is getting raw. It’s going to be real hot. You will have it before it comes out.

Is the group Triple Life still together?

It’s Triple Life for life.

Is all that music still available?

That music is still available. I can send you everything.

You have done a lot of music.

I also did work with Yukmouth on United Ghetto’s Of America. My man Don Juan, and Lil Ronnie produced the majority of those tracks.

How did that come together?

I was out there in Cali for about a month and I hooked up with him and Dru Down. I was also in Sac Town, and hooked up with an underground artist called Black Male. We even did a little something with Noble, and Napolean of the Outlawz.

What was it like working with them?

For me to go out to Cali and mingle with those dudes made me realize that what I was doing was the right thing back at home. We was doing it the same way. Basically we recorded United Ghettos of America in a hotel room. That is getting gritty.

Where was the recording booth at?

It’s just that my man got that good mix down. He knows how to work that equipment.

Do you think that Don Juan is like a Dr. Dre of Kansas City?

He’s the Dre, and the Quincy Jones. He had a deal with QDIII. He was out there with Tech N9ne.

How does it feel to be working so closely with a producer like that who is so musically talented?

It’s a great thing. We all grew up and went to school together. I really didn’t look at it like I look at it now. It was a thing to do. I didn’t take it that serious at first. We was just living a dream, but now it became reality.

Now that it’s reality, is there any turning back for you?

I can’t do nothing else. I put ten years in this, and I can’t turn back now.

How do you feel about the KC Comp on the Blood Rush Label?

It’s a blessing man. I’m still wondering why Murder Dog is messing with us. You could of easily went to the West Coast, East Coast, or Down South. I’m going to try to do everything myself to make it happen. I got a track on the Murder Dog compilation called "Boss".

Who were some of your influences back in the day?

I was always influenced by Run DMC, LL, Public Enemy, Scarface, and Ice-T. It was Yo. MTV Raps period.

Who did you first notice in Kansas City who was rapping?

I would have to say it would be between Vel Bakardy and Tech N9ne. Me and Tech went to school together. I could come down the hall and be like "Yo, Tech spit somethin".

You knew Tech N9ne for a while?

Actually I’m going to tell you a story. Me and Tech was in summer school, and we was taking an English class. To get our final grade we had to use twelve words and write a story or poem. I looked at Tech and I knew what he was gonna do. So I wrote a rap. That was one of my first raps. I came back to school, and since he was the rapper I asked him if it sounds right. He went and told the whole school. Don Juan came to me, and said that Tech told him that I did a rap. We all lived on the same block. I had never really rapped before. They was just doing it. After that Don Juan told me to come to the house. I went to the studio, and wrote a rap. That was in ’91, and it’s been on ever since.

Are you where you want to be right now in the rap game?

I’m not where I want to be at because everybody wants to go platinum, and make videos. I’m not where I want to be, but I know I can get there if I keep going. The whole thing is not to quit. I don’t look at it as failure, I look at it as an investment. The only way you can look at it as failure is if you let that investment go. If you quit with it, then you failed. As long as you keep going there’s always something better ahead.