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| Cee Rock - The Fury :: Part Two |
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DJ Erase is a killer producer! He scares me. His production goes so well with my lyrics and style. Forest Gump would say we were like 'peas-n-carrots'. What can I say, he's incredible. Other producers and emcees to look out for is DJ FarFar, Cadence (of RawProduce), Crisis Center Production, my cousin Sean Raider, my main man J-Rock Da' Lyrikill Terrah (p/k/a Black Jewelz), B.A.N.A.N.A. Movement, Musik G & The Underground Army, DJ Scandales (of ReddOktoba Productions), Doujah Raze, Tricksta (of Wolftown Recordings), Beanie Cloud Burns, Jin Tha M.C. (that's my dog who signed with Ruff Ryders), Percee-P, Substance (of Substance Productions), Mr. Kiim (of Duh Khontracderz), Jynyfyr and this other incredible producer that I must mention, Cee-Rock "The Fury". Yeah, that's right! I getz down with the illafied production too.
Who is handling your production? You mentioned that Tim Nasty McKasty got a hand in there? Can you let off some of your production techniques? What sort of equipment are you using both to make beats and to record?
Over the years, Tim has played a major part of my production. I've know Tim before I even met DJ Erase. I've been down with Tim now for at least 15 years. I met him when I was a teenager and we've been tight ever since. He trusts me like a brother. We were like a production team. As far as my technique methods, if I told you I would have to kill you twice and once more just to be sure. Tim and I use to use the Roland S-770, Akai 950 and of course, the SP-1200 sampler. I now record at DJ Erase's NoiseLab. If you want to know what exactly we use there, you can check out the website at http://hem.passagen.se/webgodz/noiselab/ . DJ Erase and I work so good that a song is practically done before we even concieve it. Some catz just got it like that.
Where can people pick up your stuff?
Album hasn't officially dropped yet. However, I am featured on Cadence's album which is out on Day By Day Entertainment (www.daybydayent.com). That album can also be obtained at FatBeats, Sandbox, Checkoutwax.com. I was also featured on a compilation album recently entitled 'Bridging The Music Soul Gap' on K.Sirrah Records (www.ksirrahrecords.com). Legendary Colonel Abrams is also featured on that compilation. Look out soon for two of my features on Late's EP entitled 'International Rhyme Spittin'' on Wolftown Recordings (www.wolftown.co.uk).
How do you view the Internet? Do you think it is a useful promotional tool and a good way of getting out there and breaking the strangle*hold the major labels have on the marketplace, or are there too many idiots too willing to spout a load of rubbish with no control over them?
Absotively*posilutely! I feel the internet is a great promotional tool. Do you know how much money I saved on packages I would have had to send out overseas and in the U.S.? I send numerous packages off a week through email which would have cost me an arm and a leg to send them off by regular mail, maybe more. There are some bad sides to the internet like any other thing. I truly believe that even the majors companies search the engines for undiscovered talent. They can view for themselves without leaving their seats. With the click of a mouse, they can search the whole entire planet for various talent. You have tons of wack companies puttin' out wack material independently. You just have to bypass those and keep lookin'. There is a lot of great talent on the web who hasn't been discovered yet. The internet is one of the fastest ways to get your face and name out there, besides mixtapes.
Do you have any plans to get your own online presence?
I am in the process of getting my own website. RapSupaStars.com just posted up a page for me (good lookin' out). If you type my name in at
Google.com you will find a lot of good information about me.How do you feel, as artists, about distribution systems like KazaaLite that are out of your control and for which you don't get any money? Do you think that seeing as the free music genie is out of the bag it could create problems in the future for you as artists to get paid for your work?
To tell you the truth, I haven't heard about a KazaaLite, but since you mentioned it I will keep my eyes and ears open. They don't give you no money, huh? That's messed up. Free music is good to an extent. If it is a trade*off to get you free promotion and recognition, then that's okay. However, you have a lot of these companies that'll pimp the artist rediculously. The only one making a profit is the company pimpin' you. They usually pimp newjacks in the game that know nothing about the music business. They are easy victims and they are many of them out there.
Hip Hop is massive, how do you see Hip Hop at present and the direction you see it going in?
Hip Hop is like its own country these days. You'll find Hip Hop in almost every commercial, television program, video games, movie soundtracks, scores, documentaries, clothing and just about anything else you can think of. Keep in mind that the critics said that Hip Hop was just a fad and it wasn't made to last. Boy, were they wrong! They got so much egg on their face now, they can make 12 omelets.
Are you aware of any UK Hip Hop artists or records (apart from Wolftown of course)?
The U.K. market is new to me as well as the rap artists. I remember 'The Cookie Crew' when they did 'Secrets (of Success)'. That was a hott joint. In fact, they had that music before Big Pun and Joe ever came out with the 'I'm Not A Player' remix. Another group I knew was a group called 24K. One of the original members of 24K was related to my partner, Drak (of Squadron Supreme). I have been listening to some mixtapes of U.K. artists. It takes a little gettin' used to but I am glad that they are representin' just like we are over here in the U.S. Fact is, Hip Hop is universal, period.
What are your thoughts about the state of UK Hip Hop? Do you know why it is very hard for UK artists to get any exposure in the US?
Music in different areas has been segregated. This is why you have record company in different divisions such as Def Jam Germany, Def Jam South and so forth. Some material just belongs in certain areas. If it crosses to other reaches of the planet, you can consider that a blessing. There are tons and tons of emcees and deejays that are incredible but you may never hear of them on a broad scale unless you are in a certain division. That's just the way it is for now. You just have to focus on doin' you and and get your music out wherever and however you can,as long as it's legal.
Do you have any advice for struggling artists in the UK?
What I advise is not just for the U.K. but the whole entire universe. Come correct! Step your game up as the competitive market expands. Don't ride or follow someone else's coattail! Let people follow you for once and stop being a follower! Do you! Never give up and be original. I know all of this sound like something you would put on a button or a bumper sticker but all of this will make you a better artist and individual.What is going to be keeping you busy over the next few months?
I have a lot of projects and collaborations coming up. I plan to be doing various projects with Good Looking Organisation and Cookin' Records in London, I've been offered to have my songs used on a few DVD projects, I'm doing some projects with some labels and groups in Denmark, some gigs in Germany and of course, I will be performing my active duties as A&R at !Handzup! / Turmic Records.
What are your longer-term plans and objectives?
To live long and prosper.
You have recorded with many acts so far, what other artists would you most like to work with in the future, not necessarily Hip Hop artists?
If all things go according to plan, you will be hearing collaborations with Chino XL, Unified Tribe (check them out at www.unifiedtribe.net). My cousin Magic and Starr and both part of that group. I plan to work with Percee-P, Headtag, Crisis Center Productions, Jin Tha Emcee (he just signed to Ruff Ryders), LoopTroop, Davy DMX, Emanon, Swiss Chris, Envelope (under 'Stellar Artist Management' as well), Boots Riley (of 'The Coup'), DJ Noise, Mans Block, UnitedStage (in Sweden), DJ FarFar, MindFrame, Mark S. Berry, Blue Foundation and a few more.
What are the things that you like to do when you aren’t living Hip Hop? Do you like sports or the Cinema?
I like to play basket ball. Headz call me the 'One Hand*Bandit'. I'm more dangerous shootin' with one hand than most catz are with two. My hook shot is sick! I like to play handball, football (before my knee surgery), swimmin' and bike ridin'. I like nature. Sometimes, I get my book of lyrics and find a nice area with a great scenery and I just zone out. Love video games and Kung-Fu movies. I grew up on some Bruce Lee, for real. Horror movies are cool too. Movies don't scare people like they used to, except Mariah Carey's 'Glitter' (man, that was scary!).
I ask everyone about politics, because I think it is important that we have knowledge of what is going on. Politics is all around us, not necessarily just politicians. Do you have anything to say on that? Any issues you think people need to open their eyes to?
I have a song on my forthcomin' album entitled 'Kill Da' Killin''. This is what I would tell these politicians and people who wear different political hats. War only causes more wars and retaliation. Sometimes, there is no gettin' around that. I just don't think that they lift up every rock of possiblities for peaceful solutions. I'm on the outside looking in but I still feel that there are other alternatives other than fighting. If we have to fight, I would suggest Bush and Saddam having a boxing match or a brutal wrestling match. Don King could promote it and money can be generated into both countries. Well, maybe not Don King.If you could change something about society, what would it be and why?
That's a tough one. You can't make change without affection something else which causes a domino effect. I would ban all together. Smokerz will hate me for sayin' this but they don't really know the damage behind it. Smokerz will not truly understand why this stuff isn't good until they see for themselves a close loved one die because it and watch a person die slow right in front of you. That what I had to do with my father. He died of 'emphazyma'. I was the last one with him in the back of the ambulance on his final minutes on this earth. I didn't like cigarettes before that I most definitely didn't like it afterwards. I do like the smell of some cigars and pipes but I wouldn't smoke it (unless I had to play a smoker in a movie or something). I know a lot of smokerz. I know it must be hard to stop. They'll stop if a carton of cigarettes was $20,000 a pack, trust me. They'd be suckin' on lollypops right now.
Are you at all concerned by the bad blood that is breeding at the moment between the US and Iraq? Looks like there will be war and it is a bit worrying that Bush seems to be picking on one country after another. What is the American perspective on this?
That mess is about oil and other financial stuff that they won't tell the public about. It's a lot deeper than what we are seeing on television, trust me. Bush like to fight thought. He get's 'amped up' when it comes to war. He's kinda like Megatron from the 'Transformers' (more than meets the eye). America has mixed views just like Iraq. Some people in Iraq who live under Saddam's rulership are lookin' at Bush as a savior for change in their country. They feel Bush can change the lifestyle of toture, execution and wicked ways. Others feel that Bush is a bully using his muscle for his personal gain.
Is there anything else you would like to mention?
Yeah. I want all of you to purchase the 'Bringin' Da' Yowzah!!!' album when it drops. It's an honest album so you have no choice but to feel it. Check out the website at www.StellarArtist.com and check out some snippets. Also, if you type my full emcee name in the Google.com search engine, you will find out more things about me. Keep in mind, as long as my furious flow is on the menu, non*stop Hip Hop will continue.
Fit all your shout outs and thanks here:
Thank you BritishHipHop.co.uk for all of the great questions you've prepared for me to answers. You really thought them through. This interview was 'Yowzah!!!' This is more like a novel than a interview. You gave me a forum to speak my mind and I truly appreciate that. I would like to think Stellar Artist Management, Michael Hoffman, Tim (Nasty) McKasty, my brother Love Chyld, McKinley Ruffin and the Ruffin family, Makin Hitz, !Handzup! / Turmic Records, Wolftown Recordings, Scandivanvia, New York, U.S.A. and the U.K. for all of your support. All you booking agencies and promoter out there need to holla at me so we can make something happen. Special thanks to the whole Anderson family tree. I hope to be in this game for you to have another interview sometime in the future. One (and a half) luvz to everyone. Cee-Rock "The Fury" has spoken!!!Thank you very much for your time.
Ya' know it. Fellaz, show some love! Ladiez, show some lust!
Back to Part One
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Contact: Michael Hoffman |
| Intro |
Early Doors: 1979-1985 |
False Dawn: 1985-1990 |
Underground Years: 1990-1995 |
The Renaissance: 1995- 2000 |
The Future: 2000 & Beyond |
Artists & Discographies |
