Capital P

For nearly 15 years, since Mobb Deep’s debut in ’93, Juvenile Hell, to their latest release in 2006, Blood Money, Prodigy, arguably the more lyrically gifted half of the duo has been making musc. The Queens native plans to release solo work to showcase his lyrical ability to masses of fans with his upcoming mixtape and album. Prodigy collaborates with Koch Records producer, Alchemist, on his mixtape, Return of the Mac, in lieu of his upcoming LP, H.N.I.C. II, set for release in March.

Despite Nas’ allegations of hip-hop’s death, Prodigy feels not only that hip-hop is alive, hip-hop is “Kickin you in the ass” and only the foolish would neglect to recognize him as one of the “biggest artists in the game.”

“To me, whoever made up hip-hop is dead is a motherfuckin fool, period. Because
you’re just a fool for making that statement.”

Me: Please explain your mixtape Return of The Mac.

Prodigy: Return of The Mac is something that me and Alchemist put together, special collaboration. You talking about the Return of the M-A-C. We ain’t talking about pimpin’ you know what I mean. All the beats are crazy. It came out so good so we like fuck it, we treat this shit like an album. It’s like a pre-album for H.N.I.C. II. Really we made it as a mixtape, H.N.I.C. II, but it’s almost like a pre-album.

Me: What are your relationships like with your label and Alchemist?

Prodigy: Basically, you know what I mean, the label Infamous Records was just – you know that’s the label right there that’s what it is. Our relationship with Alchemist goes back to Murda Muzik album. We just been working together ever since, Mobb Deep and Alchemist.

Me: What’s your situation with G-Unit, why didn’t you drop the mixtape under them?

Prodigy: I mean basically, you know dealing with 50, he let us do our own thing, get our bread with our solo career. He was like basically, ‘I’m not trying to hold y’all back, do what y’all wanna do, get ya shit.’ We told him what we had planned and he was like, ‘Man get ya bread!’ Basically that’s what it is. Mobb Deep is still on G-Unit and we able to get our money elsewhere, too, at the same time.

“Basically that’s what it is. Mobb Deep is still on G-Unit and we able to get
our money elsewhere, too, at the same time.”

Me: What is your favorite track off the mixtape and why?

Prodigy: One of my favorite joints is the first one, “Stuck to You,” saying, because it’s just ill. Nah mean, it’s a crazy, crazy song. Another one of my favorites is “Seventh Heaven. There’s a lot of joints on there.

Me: Your video for “Mac 10 Handle” was received a lot of acclaim, why make a video for a mixtape single?

Prodigy: I mean just cause I’m just being myself. Do what I wanna do, that’s how you can tell. I just do whatever I wanna do. I’m like, ‘Aight, I’m a shoot a video for this tomorrow. Let’s do it!’ Put it out on YouTube so everybody can see it. You ain’t gotta wait for some program director, somebody like, ‘I like it’ or ‘I don’t like it’ to put it on they channel. It’s going out anyway on the Internet. That’s what we focusing on, right. Just focusing on the ground work, nah mean, dealing with our fans at the ground level.

Me: There is speculation as to who is in the reflection in the mirror in the “Mac 10 Handle” video, is that supposed to be Nas?

Prodigy: Nah. That’s foolishness. If you look at it you can see that, that’s not Nas.

“You ain’t gotta wait for some program director, somebody like, ‘I like it’ or
‘I don’t like it’ to put it on they channel. It’s going out anyway on the
Internet.”

Me: Who is that supposed to represent then?

Prodigy: Just a extra in the video. Just like everybody else that was in this video that you saw. Extras playing the film. I shot all these people on the TV then next thing you know there’s the devil in my room. When I look in the mirror, somebody that I just killed if you watch the video.

Me: Do you feel artists going independent through mixtapes will spark a takeover of the rap game form its commercialized state?

Prodigy: Nah, I just feel like when you do what you want to do, just be yourself. People [are] going to feel you. It’s just having your shit out there, they going to feel you and your shit on take off whether you’re independent or major, however it is. It’s all about the music first, it don’t matter what route you go, if you ain’t got the music you ain’t got nothing!

Me: A lot of rappers have voiced their opinions on Nas’ statement that hip-hop is dead. Do you feel offended by that statement?

Prodigy: Nah, I don’t feel offended by that statement, but I think it’s a dumbass statement though, cause how can you say hip-hop is dead when you got a lot people that’s brand new to them, you got people that’s poppin’ off at this shit you know. Whoever says hip-hop is dead is making themselves sound like you got some kind of qualities that you don’t like about yourself. To me, whoever made up hip-hop is dead is a motherfuckin fool, period. Because you’re just a fool for making that statement. That’s a foolish statement. You need to just shut up, man.

Me: So what do you think of music today and hip-hop culture if it’s not dead?

Prodigy: It’s alive and kickin’ you in the ass. I’m alive, hip-hop is alive and kickin you in the ass.

Me: How do you feel about the newer artists and the southern domination of the radio?

Prodigy: They kickin you in the ass! Basically, they kickin’ niggas in the ass, because they poppin’ off right now. So, hip-hop is alive and kickin’, baby.

Me: Do you feel your mixtape and other New York artists are going to bring the focus back to New York?

Prodigy: Nah, you can’t bring nothing back that ain’t went no where. The biggest artist in the rap game is from Queens, NY. It ain’t go no where.

Me: Well, when you look at the Billboard charts the majority happen to be from south.

Prodigy: They makin hot shit.

Me: Do you feel that’s going to change, because some people feel that New York isn’t putting out anything hot anymore, therefore the south is taking over?

Prodigy: How can you say that when the biggest artist in music, in rap music is from Queens, NY. That’s just another foolish statement like hip-hop is dead. That’s foolish statement number two, whoever made that one up is an asshole.

“…that was something that Interscope did. They didn’t like something I said so
they decided to tell me to change it or the album wasn’t going to come out. I’m
like wow OK. Fuck my freedom of speech, like that don’t exist.”

Me: You have been in the game for a long time, how do you feel the music industry has changed in terms of content and skill, as well as artist and label relations?

Prodigy: I don’t know nothing `bout none of that. I just know how to make good music. Relations, we ain’t in for none of that. Our music makes good business for us, makes good money.

Me: In a press release you were quoted as saying you were being censored by major labels. Do you feel you were being censored the entire time or was it more something that became a current issue?

Prodigy: Nah, that was something that Interscope did. They didn’t like something I said so they decided to tell me to change it or the album wasn’t going to come out. I’m like wow OK. Fuck my freedom of speech, like that don’t exist. But I changed it and the album coming out now. I’d rather just say what I want to say. I got a lot to say, because you can’t hide what I got to say, because it’s real.

Me: What other kinds of things have you been working on do you have any other outside business ventures or hobbies?

Prodigy: I like writing movies – I love [movies]. There’s going to be a lot of that type of shit coming out the camp. Production for other people, Alchemist is doing production for mad people. Havoc does production for crazy people. Writing, songwriting. You going see a lot of shit. There’s a lot of different things happening. A lot of things you can’t talk about no more, because people take ideas just blatantly. We don’t talk about a lot of shit no more.

Me: You spoke on your chemistry with Alchemist, if you could collaborate with any other producer or artist who would that be?

Prodigy: Who would it be, probably be like Alicia Keys, Mary J. Like a lot of that soul, R&B.

Me: If you could put any two artists or producers in the studio together who would they be?

Prodigy: I would have to say Alchemist and Hav. That’d be crazy to have them do a whole fuckin’ shit together.

Me: Do you have any advice for aspiring musicians?

Prodigy: Go hard or go home.

Published: Format Magazine

Hip+Hop Rap Prodigy Mobb+Deep Format+Magazine Interview Entertainment Music Mixtape

5th & Fashion

During hip-hop’s infant years, Cazals and doorknockers were key accessories, and shell toes finished off the signature look. Parish Nation embraces the style and flare of the `80s and early `90s, revising New York and early hip-hop fashion. They’re new, different and surely will spark life through originality into fashion industry where everyone and their mothers own a T-shirt line. With years of experience at Enyce, Chaka Wilson and his partners take their knowledge and thirst for a culture they love and apply it to an industry they’ve mastered.

“With Parish we wanted the direction to come from us instead of go back to the
way things were when we first started Enyce, which was just a small group of us
enjoying what we’re doing which was designing.”

Me: Parish Nation is an interesting name, any particular meaning?

Parish: Well it literally means community. A group of individuals coming off of Enyce that represented NYC, which was kind of the little old translation for Enyce, and starting off from scratch with this new brand with just a small group of us sort of collectively conceptualizing everything from the direction of the brand, to design, to marketing, to most of what we do its done as a collective. Parish was sort of a representation of where we are right now as a company.

Me: How did the concept for Parish Nation come about?

Parish: I think when my partners all decided to leave Enyce we wanted to do something that represented our vision, as opposed to a corporate structure, you know a corporate dictate to what we do, what design, the type of stores we sell – overall with Enyce, it was a huge corporate oversight, which gave us direction. With Parish we wanted the direction to come from us instead of go back to the way things were when we first started Enyce, which was just a small group of us enjoying what we’re doing which was designing.

Me: What distinguishes Parish Nation from and Enyce?

Parish: I think the design. What we came up with is just a really modern art driven early hip-hop influenced collection. So I think that’s present throughout the collection. That was one of the things that was important for us to establish ourselves in a different direction. When you see the collection you’ll immediately notice the bold colors and a lot of the cool references; everything from Warhol to Gene Herring to Grandmaster Flash. You have all of those cool references in there and most of the collection is actually hand drawn! That’s one of the things you will see even though there’s similarities with us and not only Enyce, but other companies in terms of all-over prints and things of that nature which happens to be the current trend, but I think we sort of took that trend. And what with the different direction with most of it being hand drawn, I think one of the key components to our design team is that we have artists as opposed to designers. They approach each part of the collection as a canvas so you notice that each part of the collection is sort of one of a kind.

“When you see the collection you’ll immediately notice the bold colors and a lot
of the cool references; everything from Warhol to Gene Herring to Grandmaster
Flash.”

Me: Has the success of Enyce paved the way for Parish?

Parish: Absolutely, I mean Enyce established us in this business. What we did with Enyce gives us much creditability with this line even though it’s a great collection there’s a business end to any company. I think that’s one of things that gave us a leg up over any other up-start company that’s just coming into the game with no experience. I think the 10 years with Enyce is a pretty good track record so therefore buyers, manufacturers and venders – we sort of have the respect of a lot of people which in turn open a lot of doors for us.

Me: How has your experience been at the MAGIC Trade Show?

Parish: It’s been pretty good. We debuted the line a few months back. A lot of the buyers hadn’t even seen it or heard about it so the cool thing for us is that we have a tremendous buzz going into MAGIC. It’s not, again, like we’re a start up company that people are for the first time on the floor. The fact that we already have goods on the floor that are selling extremely well are giving the buyers a lot of confidence. The fact that they’re actually seeing some of the product out there on the street and on different individuals they really get to experience what we were explaining earlier on. The last MAGIC we were here right after leaving Enyce so we were really just observers, but we were trying to give a lot of the buyers an indication of what it was that we were coming up with. They support us which is a really good thing, because you know if we do well they do well in their stores so overall it’s been a very good experience and a positive experience this is the way MAGIC was for us in the beginning. It’s really cool to get back to that.

Me: How does it feel to go from founding established brands to creating a brand new line?

Parish: It’s great. There was a struggle but it was the only course of action. You know Enyce was great. We still love the brand. That’s kind of like our baby. We still have a lot of great friends over there, but it was time for us to sort of branch out and try something new. I think the market place needed something new, so it was cool that it would be us to do it as individuals recognized in the fashion community as innovative and well respected within the design community, and in turn get support from the other brands. I think that’s one of the things that’s made it less scary for us. We’ve got nothing but positive feedback from the fashion community so that’s given us some confidence.

Me: Lately, the fashion industry has been taking on an `80s trend. Why did you chose to use the `80s and early-`90s era as a theme for the line?

Parish: That’s the era that influenced us, especially those of us who are a little bit older. We definitely came of age, if you will, in the `80s as young teenagers so we definitely experienced the trends that are out there. When we started the collection we naturally wanted to use New York as a backdrop. We’ve always wanted a cool tie in into New York, it was important to show a lot of influences, pay homage to that.

Me: What are Parish Nation’s signature items or looks?

Parish: For spring, I would definitely say our Warhol influenced pieces. You have a cool reference point. You know pop art. I think that’s a strong part of our collection. And then we also have like the early hip-hop influential pieces which show the four elements of hip-hop. We have a piece that sort of shows respect to the DJ; we have one that represents the graffiti; we have one that represents breaking; [and] we have one that represents the emcee.

Me: What can we expect in the future from Parish Nation?

Parish: Just great artwork. Even if the reference may change, because we won’t be stuck in the `80s forever, but I think the artwork will remain consistent. The artwork is primary and whatever theme or reference sort of compliments artwork so that’s one of the things that remain consistent, that and quality clothing.

Published: Format Magazine

I Often Wonder What Would Happen If That Would've Been Me. All Of This Shit So We Could Be Free

Hip-hop was created off the heels of the Black Nationalist regime and the Civil Rights Movement as a lifestyle of self expression. It gave inner city youth a voice that would have otherwise remained unheard. Over the past 30 years, some artists have taken a grassroots approach to their music and paid homage to activists who came before them by continuing to discuss issues of race and class in their honor. The covers of these albums have both raised awareness and caused controversy, but overall, they’ve served their purpose as the conscience of hip-hop.

Little Brother - The Minstrel Show

Depicting a portrait of Little Brother in mid minstrel show performance, the cover of Little Brother’s The Minstrel Show is about as controversial as its name. The dark background accentuates their ecstatic expression, making them appear ridiculous. Minstrel shows date back to the 17th century and were a form of entertainment for many Whites across America. White actors would wear Black painted face and accentuate their mouths with excessive white and red paint to portray the stereotype of a Black male at the time. The stereotype depicted a dumbfounded, clumsy and excessively happy man who would dance and sing. The minstrel shows became an instant success and some Black actors chose to take part due to financial troubles. Today no formal minstrel shows exist however, hip-hop culture, and rap music in particular is often coined “the minstrel show” because many feel that the majority of rappers still portray negative stereotypes.

The Roots - Phrenology

Phrenology is the pseudoscience theory that the brain is divided into several parts, each dictating a specific personality trait, and is dependent on the shape of one’s head. The theory was often used to justify racism against Blacks, so The Roots reinvented the concept. The cover shows the inner workings of a Black man’s brain, each section corresponding to different aspects that influence the Black male psyche. These aspects include images of the Ku Klux Klan, Malcolm X, turntables, a minstrel, and Rosa Parks. When examined, the cover art reveals a powerful history within the Black community.

Common - Like Water For Chocolate

From 1876 to 1965, “Jim Crow” laws were in effect throughout the South creating separate but unequal facilities for Blacks and Whites that ranged from separate schools, to restrooms and seating. The racist laws were the cornerstone of the Civil Rights Movement which led to the Black Nationalism movement and eventually hip-hop. The cover of Like Water For Chocolate is a picture of a Black woman drinking from a “colored only” water fountain during the Jim Crow era. Common uses the cover to pay homage to the activists that came before him and paved the way for minorities today.

Various Artists – No More Prisons

America has the highest imprisonment rate in the world. Within the prison population lies a disproportionate ratio of Blacks to all other races. Much speculation has been made as to whether the court system and prisons are institutionally racist. The cover art of No More Prisons depicts a cleverly rotated American flag where the stars are filled with Black power fists and the stripes serve as prison cell bars. Behind the bars is an antiqued African mask enclosed by cement brick walls. The cover art is very controversial and parallels the content of the album by artists such as Dead Prez, The Emperors, and The Coup.

Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz – Put Yo Hood Up

The Confederate flag has long represented racism and slavery in the south during the civil war and only the bold and old fashioned have dared to sport it today. Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz use the cover of Put Yo Hood Up to mock those who choose to hold onto a racist past by dressing up as stereotypical southern bigots draped in the Confederate flag. In the background are two additional flags set aflame to signify Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz’ opposition. The cover art suggests their takeover of the south.

Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

The concept behind The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is based on the Carter G. Woodson book, The Miseducation of the Negro, which explores the impact of slavery and the quality of education for Black Americans. Lauryn plays off the book’s themes by etching her portrait into an old fashioned wooden desk to represent education. The racial themes resonate past her cover art and throughout her music.

Published: Format Magazine

The Bitch In You

Bill Cosby strikes again! From the depths of sex allegations and Nick-at-Nite reruns appears the world’s favorite jello front man, Bill Cosby. He has executed yet another battle in his verbal armageddon against the Black community.

Bill Cosby has criticized the Black community on everything from lack of unity and family structure to his more recent agenda, Hip Hop. While many came together to commemorate Afeni Shakur on her 60th birthday Bill Cosby took the boorish approach and scorned the Black community for supporting both 2pac and Afeni Shakur.

Why might you ask?

Apparently Bill Cosby is under the impression that 2pac was a prolific drug dealer who used his “dirty money” to support Afeni financially. Cosby claims that Afeni is “crazy” for using his alleged drug wages. A more sane individual would recognize 2pac’s unprecedented sales before and after death and assume that the millions earned from music royalties funds Afeni’s lifestyle, not a short lived drug jaunt.

For someone so highly acclaimed it surprises most that Cosby would be oblivious to 2pac’s sale history and the fact that Afeni was a civil rights activist that currently spearheads the same issues in the Black community that Cosby does with foundations in her son’s name.

Sometimes I wonder if Bill Cosby just speaks to hear himself speak. When he is criticized he claims its “tough love” which is why it isn’t well received when really it’s his tone, hypocrisy and ill advisement that brings sour feedback.

So in the words of Michael Eric Dyson, “Is Bill Cosby Right?” ...In the case of Afeni & 2pac, absolutely not.