This episode is for the Hip Hop connoisseur, the fans and creatives of pioneering, golden era rap. This is a conversation with the one and Only, L.A's finest Ras Kass. Collaborator alongside artists such as Canibus, Xzibit, DJ Premier, Dr Dre to name a small few.. We talk in depth about his take on the current rap scene, social topics, legendary stories from back in the day and way more. This is Ras Kass"s Podcast.
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KILLA KELA
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RAS KASS
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Ras Kass (MC/LYRICIST) KKPC #153 Transcript
Ras Kass (MC/LYRICIST) KKPC #153 Transcript
KILLA KELA: Are you ready?
RAS KASS: Yes sir.
KK: Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the Killa Kela podcast, first of all shout out to my peoples Graffiti kings, and also my peoples Chipshop Brixton for holding it together.
RK: Yeah. Yeah.
KK: You are inside the dragon’s layer blessing thank you.
RK: What is this called? What is this studio called? Twiz, the beat pro, the producer extraordinaire, killer been, evidence, Ras Kass.
KK: That’s a casual list, you’re just rolling out there. Too casual, he needs his own podcast.
RK: Yeah he does. I'm forgetting some people, infamous mobb, yeah.
KK: So, this is, we are definitely in the layer
RK: of creativity and hip-hop and good vibes.
KK: The voice that you are hearing right now if you aint watching, which I do encourage you do so, well The MC’s MC one of the originals one of the outspoken lyricists and a fucking pleasure to be around Mr. Ras Kass inside the building. How are you?
RK: I’m good, I’m blessed, man just vibing out, on this somebody's holiday, president’s day or something, who knows.
KK: Yeah, I’ve been told it’s a president’s day, I don’t trust it.
RK: I don’t trust it.
KK: It’s just another day.
RK: Well it’s a holiday to some people I guess but yeah man, we’ve in the lab , been vibing out, working on some music.
KK: I’ve been hearing some bits and bobs as we’ve been setting up. So, you’ve got some plans for these badass tunes.
RK: right yeah yeah probably summer time I want to drop it, basically kind of bootlegs and B sides that stuff that wasn't gonna be on the album per say, it just wasn’t gonna conceptually fit, it hasn’t fit, oh actually there's certain records where the samples are ridiculous and I'm like nobody's gonna clear this, iTunes is gonna scrape it off so fuck it instead of just completely not doing it I just I'm I'm gonna add 'em all together and make it just a vinyl .
KK: yeah.
RK: and it's called aren't clearing shit. Salute
KK: Salute, cheers.
RK: That’s what it’s called, I ain’t clearing shit.
KK: Cheers my brother, getting a shot it, whoo.
RK: Whiskey.
KK: Whiskey a go-go.
RK: It’s good for you.
KK: It’s good, it’s good, it put hairs on your throat. Listen for those of you who have been under a shelf for the last 20 years.
RK: thank you.
KK: thank you brother.
RK: that was litty.
KK: Yeah. Yeah. We ain’t celebrating much, but we are celebrating that right now. If you have been under a shelf for the last 20 years, like for me and this is being the import that you were back in the back in a day for the UK the best way I can sum you up is in an era of shiny suits on one side and backpacker rap on the other you came in with an album that totally like it just stuck out it stuck out, it made sense, each side could fuck with it, it had lyrical value but it still had the LA presence of a diamond D, or Pharcyde , but it really had its own thing but am I right? It’s landmark and when you talk to every other MCs talk about you it's like yeah, I fuck with Rass, he’s my MCs.
RK: blessing man we just you know me and Soul on Ice was just me and my friends who I grew up with and getting an opportunity we thought we never get which was to get a record deal like you know I, I, I, I basically wanted you know, I wanted a vinyl with my face on it and my voice on it and honestly.
KK: and a green shirt.
RK: That’s Rasassination on, Soul on Ice it was blue and I was in jail, so for me it was more of tell my story like I think the West coast has been relegated to one narrative which is you know we all have a Jerry curl and they'll be crippled in our house used to our six floor and then we bounced 6 four to drive by and you know we all we all grew up in neighborhoods and gangs but that's not everything that being like that stereotype isn't it was never who I was And I honestly sometimes it wasn't even some of the artists that were portraying it. so I just wanted to be honest about my story as a LA native and you know I think that's why that characterizes and has those is very you know my records are very hood, my record are up very lyrical because most dope hip hop lyrical hip hop and that's the mix you know that that is the quintessential parts of me up hip hop changed my life and I grew up in LA So what else can I say really.
KK: The narrative is very, very interesting and at the time it was it was played in such a way that was you know unmistakably a truth, the gang stuff you know, not for one second am I going to step into this arena that I know, know absolutely nothing about but they became this like cowboy Indian mentality of like how this this fact has been was sold, do you know what I mean?
RK: Right. Right.
KK: So when you when you watch Boyz n the hood especially being a brit, watch boys in her glamorizing isn’t entirely the right word, because if you know what you’re talking about, but then CB4 came about came about and that kind of really it's Spinal Tapped it a little.
RK: Right, right, yeah, yeah, I mean you know there is a boyz n the hood is totally a narrative a story that happens, it happened before that movie, it happened after that movie but that unique story isn't everybody story. It is a lot of people story but it's not everybody story and So what happened with the music wise, I think that because that story was so captivating from people not inside of it, it became the only narrative that people wanted to tell that would be viable and marketable for what we were so, so I'm never mad at boys n hood or mad at gangster rap like games I don't think it was really gangster rap didn't really call it that they called it like don't remember ice cube was like this is street knowledge.
KK: totally, totally.
RK: It wasn't gangsta, gangsta, you know they were Gangsta but they were gaining street knowledge, was was their more niggers in jail then in college you know, these people was dropping facts it's closer to soul on ice I'm closer to the original West Coast streett knowledge hood than most people have proclaimed that.
KK: right.
RK: I just got lost in the marketing
KK: yeah, yeah.
RK: But you know either by accident or intentionally.
KK: Was that intention, cos when I hear your stuff I'm like yo like that that isn't like, that wasn’t the order of the day, do you know what I mean.
RK:: but then if I wasn't trying to, by references I mean when I when I reflect back I took a fucking Snoop Dogg hook, Bitches ain’t shit, Bitches ain’t shit but hoes and tricks, got a song called. Bitches aint’ shit but hoes and tricks, Niggers aint shit but hoes with dicks.
KK: yeah.
RK: but the bone thugs reference that I had, on Soul on Ice, of course thuggish ruggish to the bone, and I'm gonna diss everybody, I’m gonna diss everybody. yeah so I'm referencing the stuff that we listen to that we fuck with, it’s just my interpretation of how, how, how it affects me as opposed to being a complete you know people started just imitating what was successful now, that's to the umpth degree, umpth degree, yeah just say hey I wanna be just like whoever that guy is fill in the blank you know whereas we came from an era where individuality was the only way to get on.
KK: That’s right.
RK: I couldn't come out and say I'm Guru, I'm the next Guru, I'm the next Tupac, you got fired but nobody wanted to hear you be the next anybody, the whole goal was to be the first you. obviously having influences from those dope people.
KK: Yeah and there's something identifiable to you and you just mentioned there bout reference points .That's popular culture though isn't it like, like you mentioned, Eric B and Rakim, in the same verses that you’re doing you know hooks that you're doing you know like you say it's sampling vocally in other songs popular culture being getting a nod, isn’t it?
RK: right
KK: and your your approach to the street, I feel like it, felt like, yeah I know that, yeah I do that but we don't need to talk about that all the time, right do you know what mean it's almost like this is entertainment this is this is lyricism, this is how I want to represent that, do you know what I mean?
RK: Right, wwell I I'm thinking you just put on a pie graph, my whole thing was you know and I think the irony of what a vinyl is it's a pie graph it's round and it has these instead of slices there’s grooves, So what percentage of what are you trying to do on that on that pie.
KK: Oh, that's cold. I love that what you're putting into the pie, what is it.
RK: and so for me but by growing up in LA how much of that do I want to talk about I love hip hop, I like battle rap how much is that how many slices of the pie will be battle rap songs, how many songs will be how I grew up in LA how many will be social political history, history cause I love history, how many slices another divided by pie into those things to cover myself cause the whole goal I thought of an album was to express your human condition and so that was why my approach was always OK, well I can’t have 10 battle rap records I can’t have 10 in the hood records, I can’t have 10 I'm in love records that's what I didn't like about peoples albums you know I could listen to R&B albums and every song was, I love you.
KK: A love song, yeah.
RK: and it’s like how many times do you fucking say, I love you.
KK: Listening to a jodcei album, 3 tunes I can stomach and by the time it hits me track 11 of 30.
RK: the same with gangbanging and like you don't eat breakfast give me something else like you know or trapping you trap all the time when you record the album cause you've trapping.
KK: true.
RK: so I, for me, I always wanted to hear the human condition when I watch things. I watch whether you know television movies, watching the rapper and listening to the audio, visual of a rapper I want to see the human, understand what your brand is and I guess that's a little more counter its counterproductive to trying to market something but for me I would I never was trying to market rap. I wasn't trying to commercialize who I was per se, I was just trying to be a full artist because the people who I looked up to in every genre are more creative artists and always, you know to watch Marvin Gaye go from you know the 50s suit and tie clean cut dude you know 70s was going on it can be an artist and being true to himself and saying I dude I Can't Sing all these pop records in 1977 so and all this shit is going on I always want to be that and you know The Beatles trying shit.
KK: The Sergeant peppers album. That became the first long play didn’t it? It embraced that the LP format wasn't and when I think, only as a reference, I don’t know much about the Beatles at all but, there is some moments within music history and what I think what you're getting at which I really value is like your contributor to the culture.
RK: that's the plan,
KK: yeah, so it isn't so much about fitting in.
RK: It’s about fitting out. That’s the whole point.
KK: Yeah I'm like that with beatboxing, it's like I don't want to change my style like I know where I fit that's where, that’s my world, I don't think people will be half as forthcoming, they expect risk from you like when you say your gonna do bootleg record it’s like well yeah, that’s hip hop.
RK: Yeah man I'm waiting for the tide to change where people get interested in creativity as opposed to just running around sucking whatever brand there you know, that they haven't you know, like I always found it very strange, goth people, how do you know they are goth?
they all dressed but I can like goth songs, why do I have to wear all black. Like the rock guy, I know exactly, like what the fuck is that?
KK: Tribal shit.
RK: Moronic, I think it’s moronic, I don’t think it’s tribal, its dumb. If I like the same songs you like and I’m dressed like this, what the fuck is the point? Why do I have to be country western, where the fucking boots and the hat, I do that as an indicator to attract. And that’s.
KK: a statement.
RK: I don't think they're making a statement they are just followers, because so and so wore it, they’re not making a statement, that statement would be would be I like my style but I enjoyed that whatever that thing is most people just fall into almost like you know like you know it's almost like fucking liking a team.
KK: Yeah yeah.
RK: Like a sports team and everybody wears the same hat everybody has, that Jersey but this is music my nigger, is not like a sports team it's like I don't have to dress like I don't have to dress like yeah Tupac , what if all the bitches shaved their heads and got tattoos on their stomach just cause we liked Tupac.
KK: No, dude, you’re selling me the truth and it does my sweet, it does my head in the idea that the tribal aspect of like people having to dress a certain way and also out, over thinking that and losing the creative, creativity in the music and the whole thing, it’s like, there’s this guy in the UK, Eddie Izzard ,he's a transvestite comedian funny as fuck but he was like a normal in a suit like any person, and a transvestite mentality, but doesn’t have to dress up like it and there's something about that that I feel.
RK: I respected it, I respect the individual, there’s an Japanese saying that the nail that sticks out gets hammered down and that's it means if you don't do group think you get ostracized.
KK: oh my god that is deep, I fucking love that.
RK: and so in my career I've watched maybe the nail that sticks out and get hammered down they just haven't completely hammered me, but I I'm OK with that because I'm aware that is happening.
KK: who are they?
RK: I think mostly it's corporations, its business, the companies I picked that didn't promote what I was doing because of one reason or another because I was because I didn't subscribe to wearing you know khaki suit walking all over the place because that was popular where I'm from and that was be that easy sell.
KK: yeah Of course yeah.
RK: um you know I, I just would prefer to let us nail stick up and be whatever it's supposed to be and hopefully you know it catches a lot of things ,you know. that that's my goal it's, it's, it's, it's, it's you know, it's the salmon swimming uphill. It’s definitely harder to go against the grain that it is that just go with the flow but I'm you know I'm I’m still you know I'm still here I'm alive and breathing I gotta voice I haven’t lost my voice.
KK: um I mean anyone who’s know Ras on record, just his tones is like, what the fuck ,my guys on my fucking podcast, what the fuck.
RK: Yeah man.
KK: you must get this every day. He’s like his own sound pack you know, yeah it fits.
RK: You know what, that's so interesting because that is something that producers you know amazing producers across the board you know, know whatever premiere, is like your voice to you got you sound like EQed an already I'm like I dunno.
KK: In the pocket, like.
RK: I have no idea what that’s about.
KK: To reiterate what you’re saying I think that's a, a cult classic like I'll give you one name, funky homosapiens.
RK: I Just posted them.
KK: Nailed it, won’t go down, I heard recently he’s like skateboarding he’s 40 something and he’s living his like he’s 21 and I think there's something about that pedigree you fall into that pedigree um and yes it’s cult classic.
RK: yeah man but I need a bigger cult following, but yeah I love cult classic, shit I’m a big del fan. like the up the honest thing is I literally just posted them on my Instagram yesterday. Shameless plug we made these shirts my man I Collab with my man bwood he’s a designer in New York but damn I didn't know who would wear it aside for myself this particular shirt cause like tie dye and all this other shit, whatever and nerdy and cos I’m a nerd and I was just like you know, I wanted someone other than myself to kind of showcase the shirt and I’m like fuck man who would I know I'm like yeah, so and so not gonna wear the shirt, he’s just not and you know I thought, a couple of days ago I hit him up and and I'm just like would you fuck with this? And he’s like that's dope I love it and he got the shirt he actually sent me mad pictures yesterday, so I posted one.
KK: That’s amazing.
RK: just as a fan to meet you know sometimes, I say don't meet your idols but he he's definitely legendary and such a fucking cool dude, super laid backed super chill he's awesome.
KK: Who else are your idols? Who else would you put up there with him?
RK: actually, I don’t have a lot of idols man, actually I have no idols. I have a lot of people that I’m a big fan of.
KK: Elaborate.
RK: cause I don't idolize anybody, nobody’s my God I'm I’m a God here, I’m my own God.
KK: you know what I mean, that’s what I’m saying.
RK: but a lot of people before me that are super gods too saying so I respect immensely them there's too many to name obviously start from, not the beginning but Run DMC, Beastie Boys, you know LL Cool J, Fucking Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, you know um EPMD, Gang Starr, I mean De La Soul, fuck everybody I’m a fan of pretty much everything before me because that shit was my soundtrack, that was the soundtrack to my life. Even certain people I mean not of like so and so rhyme but I like that beat and the song was dope so I was analyzing shit, you know they you know shit a lot of times after you know shit probably after um edutainment no I was like I don't like this beat on KRS one, but didn't stop it from listening to the records cause I love the lyrics so once I started getting certain critics about myself I already understood you could relate and respected because I was I had studied and learned but if that was the music that made him right and feel how you felt who am I to tell him about his art and that's how I feel about my shit so you know I'm just like sometimes I go fuck, it's not for you I painted the picture I don't really care if you want me to know change the colour, obviously it was my art, I'm sharing it with you if you don't wanna fuck with my art, go away.
KK: For real.
RK: you know but lots of people that you know I would do disrespect to I can't name everybody is not enough time, there’s a lot of dope people.
KK: what you just said there rains true on like having the foundations of what your lyrics and that yeah I totally get it. Interestingly I had Todd Terry on the podcast.
RK: Oh wow. Shout out Todd Terry.
KK: Yeah, my G.
RK: That’s some real now you going deep about.
KK: yeah yeah, I'm saying, had to hone in on what you’re saying right so so we have a chat, were just having a chat and he said he said you know like I go to labels and they want they want feels good they want they want those old bangers on, the 90s bangers but he, he can still pull out those old bangers but they won't be as banging as the banger as they remember so he'll do that just to shut them the fuck up, he got out that and as soon as they get proven wrong by the fact that what he was saying was true, it’s too late.
RK: right.
KK: so he said his thing is like you just got keep doing new, do you know what I mean, or else the next spike will come but if you stay locked in a place then you really ain't you know there's no progress and not challenging yourself, are you.
RK: I always felt like even if you are standing still you are going backwards because everybody else is still going somewhere.
KK: Ohhh fucking hell.
RK: yeah so that's one of the biggest things for me I celebrated 25 years of my journey with Soul on Ice 2 and now all that's kind of sealed in a box and thrown in the ocean, you know, time to move on and be in my present and uh yeah I definitely agree with Todd Terry on that. I’ve known Todd a long time. I met him basically through Jayz and I’m sure he told you.
KK: He came in my house and I was like, Todd Terry is in my manor.
RK: where the fuck, in New York or something?
KK: In London.
RK: He’s in London now?
KK: yeah, I had him around my place.
RK: That’s awesome.
KK: He lives in Atlanta now.
RK: yeah?
KK: yeah.
RK: Todd Terry lived in jersey back then.
KK: That’s right. They still hang out.
RK: I think he's the first guy ever had a maybach, the first guy ever to have a maybear back ever before people rapped about Maybach, he would pick us up, damn this is a good Todd Terry story.
KK: Tell us a Todd Terry story.
RK: for those who don't know Todd Terry was a house producer, did a lot of big records for like Madonna, and later on I don't under ,I don't know how that dynamic happened it but he did it deal with roc-a-fella records then they were fledgling Roc-a-fella and so when priority records signed Roc-a-fella, they didn’t really sign Roc-a-fella they signed Roc-a-fella freeze which is Todd Terry’s record label Priority. so reasonable doubt is not a Roc-a-fella record ,it's a priority freeze Roc-a-fella record and that's how I went to go stay at Jay Z's house after reasonable doubt and was running around in the streets in from that and that's how I met Todd Terry , through them. And Todd was super rich like you didn’t even know black people that just fucking like and he Maybach, and nobody understood what that was not even Jay Z, we did not know what that shit was nobody and uh yeah we should run around and just do wild shit I remember one time cause it was his bar well that was 98 is. I went back to the city but sometime I forgot what year was probably like 2001 or something, I feel like whenever woah came out I don't know what year Black Rob Woah came out, but right before woah me and b robio with would run around me with Black Rob and Trey Lee, Tracy Lee from Philly show me Tracy Lee, black rod would run around we go to this club, fuck….who’s the DJ we used go to his club in New York, Godspeed, prodigy and heavy would be there, it was grimy, like the new tunnel.
KK: This is too much for my head bro.
RK: Doo wop would be djing and there was one maybe, feel like I'm forgetting somebody like dope rapper that would be there but then you would be me robio Mobb deep and then we would be kinda wilding out , woah came out, Rob blew up the scene he was crushing so Rob would go, like we be at the spot well one night especially with their this nigger ordered a hundred. it was just me him Tracy Lee and this nigger ordered 100 Hennessy shots.
KK: Jesus Christ.
RK: and said we had to drink them between us three I'm like you're kidding me, and we tried
KK: and how many did you get?
RK: I lost count. All I know know is we got really fucked up. I just remembered you know music, whatever is popping, you know woah comes welcome what was the hottest record maybe 99
KK: Crazy.
KK: Crazy.
RK: yeah it was before the record came out and then when the record came out so that was like wow it's over so just and we just we are the running mates we run together like where you going what you got to get into so we be at the parties together and uh yeah Rob bought the 100 shots was like yo you gotta and then I just remember Tracy Lee I mean uh, uh Todd a had to pick us up I don't think nobody can remember how to get home.
KK: That’s amazing.
RK: I love Todd Terry, he’s awesome.
KK: Yeah, he really is. Interesting how he…that’s, that’s just evergreen.
RK: You gotta understand this I was in a production deal, so I was signed to Patch works to priority. Roc-a-fella never would have escaped from priority records if it wasn't for Todd Terry.
KK: Wow.
RK: He’s the one that dropped them. You gotta remember reasonable doubt came out and didn't do well because the presidents was the single so I remember the B side was ain’t no nigga.
KK: Which did blow up, I remember.
RK: it didn't blow up let me explain to you so that record is doing well in New York and so Roc-a-fella goes back to priority and says yo I think we need to we need to shoot a video for the B side and Capitol records says immediately never in life you’re a side didn't win we're never gonna shoot a video for this. Fuck you. and so no video was shot. now Fast forward maybe a month or so uh Russell Simmons has signed foxy already Jay Z is writing for foxy. says I need to blow up foxy this record is public in New York put it on the who's the band soundtrack, which shoots the video.
KK: Ahhh okay.
RK: then the single goes gold and drives the album gold and Jay-Z and then immediately leave priority and just think about this if if but they can't leave priority there in a contract they want to go to they want to go to def jam because their opportunities there now priority they just went gold on a record that they did five months ago they just went gold on a single and going on the album they're not letting him so guess who let them go? .
KK: Todd.
RK: Todd Terry he's the middle man.
KK: wow
RK: so, they didn't have to ask priority Todd was just like oh I dropped it because they went in yo Todd like yo man, like fuck this shit. Wanna go to def jam, they failed us, priority failed us we want to go and that was the whole thing they used to talk shit at priority but at the real story you can look at the numbers look at the time look at the date reasonable doubt was out for three months before ain't no nigga video got shot and priority records never shot that video.
KK: Wow.
RK: That was def jam, who's the man soundtrack and then Jay Z after that record would certify gold they skipped out left priority in the next album came out on def jam but that's only because Todd Terry.
KK: yeah. Signed him out.
RK: Signed him out. Under normal circumstances, not gonna happen. Somebody is gonna say fuck that cos we gave up on you and why would we let yo go.
KK: That’s right yeah.
RK: That’s what happened to me basically I didn't even win they just like Dr Dre like you were never going to let you know we gonna fuck with you, like bro you guys suck so it's again its business, man is about the business but I've seen so much real shit not people made up, narratives, it’s not what you think, unless you know the the numbers and date and if you weren't there you just don't know.
KK: yeah, yeah, yeah.
RK: and you know and it's a lot of lot of people that retell the story like they were the fucking man when 9 times out of 10 the man was somebody else that did the good deed.
KK: yeah because they never said the real people don't speak the way they're the hype, the others hype it up and then it's.
RK: yeah I mean you know I just find it you know do, something the stories that I know, I know I'm like bro that's exactly other than that I watched it you know um but yeah it means which is great friend, I'm sure Todd got an override I I'm sure they probably didn't get some good business with them cause I'm sure to drop them he still took something on the side or whatever so I’m sure Todd got fucking.
KK: Yeah, to get them off.
RK: Right now I'm sure you had a point or something like fuck it I'm sure you got paid off all these Jay Z albums, like still got 2 points on anything.
KK: yeah yeah yeah
RK: and that’s probably why he’s so happy. Probably why he had that Bentley, I mean the Maybach,
KK: Undoubtably though, think about that time man I mean can you imagine the amount of under the table things that that that went on and like these labels you know, I mean we're now going into this like you say Dre Eminem Puff Daddy era of of industry isn't it, like woah for instance you know that that was a huge hit wasn’t it for that time.
RK: yeah, yeah man yeah.
KK: I mean I look at those I look at that time as a pure spectator but I was also heavily inspired by the maneuvers that were going on that was the only way that you could put out records back then and Interestingly enough, hip hop as a culture because the hustle was built into it kinda change the way people put our records they changed everything the way you hustle that's the impression I got during that time.
RK: yeah I think I think it was that it was um you know I’m not as I’m not inside of the machine anymore so I don't know how things work now, but it was definitely a lot of under the table you know because things weren’t digital so paperwork and you can always cheat paperwork you know you could still probably computer people fuck with numbers, you put out and add extra 0 or take 0 way right um yeah Nah man, it was just it was a lot harder to get into this industry you either had to have the acclaim and say so or the financing from people that really believed in you, so that was another artist or your dope dealing homeboy because you know to get into a studio to record their songs in our studio, costing first of all costs it basically probably about $200, $300 an hour probably needed about 8 hours just to do one song and so most people didn't have that kind of money to spend like $2000 for song so it, it, it cut out a lot of people even getting in so the people that could afford that it was the producer that had some degree of success that was willing to spend his time and energy because you look potentially like you earned it and you usually earn that from being dope in your neighborhood, being dope in the streets, dope in a contest or dope doing shows, so it was a straining process to get the best of the best ,I think that was the good part of the the the analog era of music is that it was it strained out the bullshit here, um you know now we gonna ever where people don't necessarily laugh with you they laugh at you but you can laugh at them cause you could get a lot your numbers up to 50 Tysons and all you know in the cash me outside she got $1,000,000 deal .
KK: no yeah for sure.
RK: for being silly and then remember I heard one of her songs and it wasn't bad whoever wrote this shit, it was a good record and what she was on, so you know we were getting we're getting manufactured not even talent we have people performers, so it's not really you know the talent of oh she’s a dope writer or she's a dope singer like you know we have auto tune we have you know we have we can create people or their numbers are up cause this is the the the the you know the influencer they do blah blah blah and he's really funny so he should be the person to make music.
KK: and then you can make him or her be whatever you want, that dilutes the individuality.
RK: it dilutes even the quality of the music you get.
KK: what's the answer?
RK: ah the answer is fucking a doomsday clock when it got I said what they call it, not Armageddon, when when a when the computers rise up they call it, No not Y2K, the other one is called that's something I forgot AI takes over.
KK: Oh shit.
RK: the singularity, yeah singularity is answering the computers will kill us and then will start over you don't have to kill the computers and they would just get all analog.
KK: sounds like Terminator terrain to me.
RK: that's exactly what it is.
KK: Yeah, we all underground now.
RK: yeah hit but being serious I don't have the answer but you know but we're all trying to solve you know the industry has a formula and it knows that same thing you know thinking that with with politics they know that if I spend enough money on Facebook I can affect people thoughts and they will vote this way.
KK: That’s so true.
RK: you know um so same thing record labels now, tick tock I know if I invested my artist if I have the banners on YouTube I'm because they have a budget, I didn't even realize a movie budget for promotions most movies budgets is 100 million usually artist budget for music it's still gonna be somewhere upwards of half a million.
KK: for real.
RK: So what dude down the street has half a million to promote the one song that they got an that when don't pop to drop, another album but they do and then they played dumb so it's kind of still hard to compete with the machine because motherfuckers know how to cheat the system.
KK: The controversial approach.
RK: yeah, we knew on iTunes if you give them more publishing they double your numbers this is all rigged, it so it’s a fucking rigged system and so who's gonna win with things are a the person with the most money. period
KK: yeah.
RK: you can't fight well well it doesn't matter who the artist said you can replace artist a with artist B and the same result basically happens because the machine they have the money to grease the machine . period.
KK: Yeah.
RK: Um once again like I just told you ain't no niggas would would have been a really good song that we like and Jay-Z be a dope rappers in here with me and under those circumstances that record would not have done what it was done, that was a whole change he went to one place if he would've went to Def Jam the first time you know there's all these other could've should've, would've, right he went to priority and that was the result he went to def jam the opportunity rolls and then there was a different result if so and so signed here then get different but those are talented people now I'm saying I don't think the result really changes because the machine just push the same fucking cog in there.
KK: yeah that's right ,yeah, yeah telling same machine pretty much.
RK: yeah, it's just a machine that just says what it what is it will put these traffic and giving some tattoos with market it and these influences are going to say it's cool and then the people are going to respond because we're going to make sure that it gets run through our system and it's going to be popular.
KK: yeah, you just gotta be.
RK: it gets the tours.
KK: yeah.
RK: you know, it's just a different machine now we don't we don't have and I’m not I’m not trying to be a pessimist, I'm I'm just realistic about it you gotta understand that there used to be radio stations in mom and pop record stores and it was trying called the box out here where neighborhood people could put out videos.
KK: Oh yeah, I remember this,
RK: and if popped locally and then you know BET might pick you up.
KK: Yeah, yeah.
RK: and then if blew up then MTV.
KK: that’s right.
RK: OK and now it’s all Viacom or whatever so Viacom, they don’t got their ear to the street, they don’t care about them. Guy that’s trying to make it happen down the road from us we only care about who do we see well I'm going to have dinner with the guy that owns own fucking Interscope you know there's EMI which is Virgin which is capital so yeah so it's it's completely
KK: click click click yeah.
KK: click click click yeah.
RK: it’s really nepotism it's fucking incest, they just keep fucking each other, its corporate incest. and they got a guy and they're gonna get you that agent here and you're gonna get booked on those tours because we only got 2 radio stations we only have really basically only one fucking tour shit, a nation ship not Roc Nation, what’s it called.
KK: Live Nation, yeah yeah.
RK: even if you are medium artist or a list stadium artist. Its Viacom, their doing the festival they got it locked out so how do you get in indie guy.
KK: its fraud
RK: It’s just fraudulent .and I'm willing to play my chill circuit and do that and have fun with it understanding that the rest of this doesn't validate me because that shit fake as fuck.
KK: but then you yeah yeah, I get it but then you feel like I mean contributed you've made your you've made your mark within that scene.
RK: Ahhh no because I don't I don't I’m still fighting for my legacy literally every fucking day because I watched the 50 MC list these mother fuckers mentioned top five greatest lyricist and 10% of them didn't even write their own raps because it's political.
KK: yeah yeah, true true,
RK: so now i got a 32-year-old dude from fucking Milwaukee talking and he only grew up on Lil Wayne and Eminem and he thinks he's got the right to get in billboard magazine and talk about who thinks the top 50 rappers on it. he doesn't fucking know shit. he's not, he's not, he's not informed opinion but he just told 20,000,000 people who the best are. What the fuck does he know.
KK: yeah, yeah and then goes away with everybody.
RK: That’s how they do. we all know McDonald’s doesn’t make the best burger but everybody knows McDonald's, your kid is gonna say I want McDonald's . Is it the best burger fuck no. this is not about the best this shit is a fucking control environment and I'm, I'm, I'm saying that being OK with it because, I understand that it was a surprise once I got, I got in the machine and I under and then I found out and ever since I've seen you know behind the curtain and say the eyes behind I get it, but I'm fighting for my legacy because I, you know because I’m not a machine they X me out of even the conversation sometimes and I gotta fight and say Bitch I'm here bro. I'm here with these bars, I have to fight for that that's part of the sport of being that's the reason why I’m so hungry is because they purposely do that shit and again it's so I mean maybe go do something tragic you know when you go Eric Hernandez kill some people I'll be in a conversation .
KK: It’s so true. The Irony the irony is that if you do sound controversial all sudden . What number are we on timewise bro. Oh, that’s beautiful, yeah yeah yeah.
RK: 5 more minutes. 5 minutes of.
KK: the 5 o clock remind me, yeah okay, like can we just go to on a different subject I was fucking I mean you I know you'll have a heavy opinion on this is probably, longer than the time we have left but I drive from downtown to here, what the fuck is going on? what the hell is going on with the tents? what the fuck is going on with the city there is homeless central man.
RK: OK so two things um and I'll try to make it quick apparently I haven't done the research but I've heard this from reliable people, when I feel like I may have heard it look like on sometime or some kind of educational program, but apparently since trump has been in office but kinda penalized you know some of the blue States and specifically California is that they started rounding up homeless people from across the whole country and paying them $100 and put them on buses to bring them here cause we had an explosion of it and I believe that's actually what happened.
KK: I wondered where how how did these people come about.
RK: it exploded it's like it's it's um but I wanna ask I feel like I should just ask some people like some homeless people you see him all the time and I remember I just looked up in the past but it's really been in the past 2 three years where it just had really. It’s just every fucking where.
KK: yeah yeah.
RK: um apparently that's what it was was to get but you know like oh you know you don't like trump well fuck you, California take all of them .and with that being said we make a lot of fucking money we know logistically literally to make sure every homeless person had had like a one bedroom apartment, we could put the mother fuckers somewhere and like we can make a homeless apartment building for these people who make enough money should we just play that song, what are we did six biggest common economy in the world just California so we should be ashamed of ourselves California is extremely fucking rich but it it it kills the middle class and and soI feel like half of us are gonna be in them tents in the next three or four years because it costs are living they've already done it in San Francisco like where nobody can afford to live there which is insane like like all these money from these tech guys but you like it you know it used to be one of the coolest cities but when you drive all the culture out of it it's just a place standing that's a ghost for you to be an asshole and hipster asshole here and it's just the wealthy and you drive people and now literally that's happening the Oakland where everything is $2000.00 for apartment.
KK: What?
RK: they are driving people out of Oakland you know you know this year Oakland God it's crazy KK: I'm surprised o hear that.
RK: I've seen it though I already seen it but they said it's even worse in California except they they haven't, they haven't, they haven't gone they haven't got rid of the you know I don't think you get rid of the homeless I think with if we make that much money we need to really at least New York has rent control, see New York has rent control.
KK: Yeah.
RK: and we’re fucked and they just keep raising it and raising it eventually they're going to price you out I've just left the place I was at I'm just sick of it.
KK: yeah yeah.
RK: I’m sick of this shit going up.
KK: Yeah yeah.
RK: for what I'm paying for where I'm just like but then I got out there and started looking at other places and I’m like fuck
KK: yeah, I know, frying pan into fire.
RK: Like with the homeless people we could fucking even if they gave us all there homeless people which it seems like they probably do I kinda get we're so rich that we could give them an apartment you can put the mother fuckers in fucking apartments.
KK: yeah until then there's this level of apathy that just doesn't have it.
RK: I don't think its apathy I mean I think we all see him and it's bad as fuck for those people because I'm just like I'm seeing villages now I'm seeing townships of trailers the number was crazy it was like 18,000 homeless kids like 18, under 18 in California.
KK: wow.
RK: it's fucked up numbers, about what are homeless is right now and that was like as of 2018 or whatever when they did the survey it's like fucking ridiculous, like the homeless, kids and then you know mother fucker, like it's fucked up, like our numbers are ridiculous but you can see it people are creating villages here in a little homeless villages.
KK: Yeah within blocks it like literally surrounding.
RK: but whoever the fuck you are cool rapper or actress how do you not talk about that I mean honestly, I'm only anybody on the Grammy speech you know know fucking.
KK: nothing, that’s why when I see it.
RK: about you know what those Grammys and those beaches, they act like they care about people but they really fucking don’t.
KK: That’s the truth. That surprised me when I saw that because like yo, I dunno about what those beaches are about you know protect the milk preserved the milk you like dude for real like . look this this is reality in motion, crazy.
RK: I think that a lot of these mother fuckers, they like animals and they have a problem with people. I think you should kill yourself and you’re a fucked-up person if you.
KK: yeah. Animals are better
RK: I don’t like people that dress their pets up, I think for you to buy that.
KK: For real.
RK: for an animal that will lick its own ass, but you will fucking walk past a person, that’s makes you somebody that you get your heads chopped off you piece of shit human being.
KK: yeah 100% liking animals over human race is crazy.
RK: I like animals too I’m not saying kick the animals.
KK: but over them, that bad.
RK: over humans , it makes you a piece of shit human being and give loathe speeches and then act like you care I hate those PETA commercials in the bitch, Sarah McLaughlin she cried about the dogs, I’m like bitch its people getting treated worse than that.
KK: for real.
RK: fuck you and this dog bro. let's save the people they will fix the fucking dogs in the world.
KK: 100 percent.
RK: That’s the world want to live in with That being said I know we even went over you know.
KK: Nah you know how it is.
RK Kela.
KK: Listen we have to a part 2. We have to do a part 2.
RK: Yeah
KK: Ladies and gentlemen, with a pending part 2 big shout out to my boy Ras Kass inside the place. Thank you so much for having us bro.
RK: Thank you brother.
KK: Especially on that topic you know we are coming back for a part two.
RK: we gotta do it. Shout out to my boy, Twiz, shout out chip shop. It’s a beautiful thing.
KK: Killa Kela podcast, Right downtown correct?
RK: No, this is downtown.
KK: Downtown.
RK: Yeah.
KK: Downtown downtown, this is where we are at. Stay Lucky.
RK: Bpro studios.
KK: Yeah Bpro studios hold tight. Killa Kela Podcast we out like it was out of fashion. PEACE.