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  Blade Interview
interview 0214 added
02.07.04 words: Mr Hiz
technical:
QED
His name's Blade. He's one of the biggest and most
respected Rappers to come out of Britain. He's....
...Awe, what's the point, you already know all about him. Check what he had
to say in his most recent interview. The new album, the success he's had to
date, his thoughts on the UK scene, and of course, the liaisons with Mel C and
Jordan. Read on to find out more....
 1. How you doing….how’s life treating you?
I’m good. How’s yourself? Life keeps dealing some low blows but it also deals
some aces so all’s good for now.
I’m good mate, thanks for asking.
2. What’s it like to be one of the UK’s most respected and credible Hip Hop
artists? Do you get recognised everywhere you go, asked for autographs and all
that?
It’s no different than it’s been coz I pretty much don’t pay attention to that
side of things. I do get recognised every now and then and asked for autographs,
but when I tell people they’ll have to pay me if I sign anything, they quickly
run off. Still not sure what I’m doing wrong there. I mean I thought this was
the age of making money anyway possible and that people would understand.
3. Did you find it hard going from the success you had with Mark B to going
solo again? I mean, you hear guys who are groups that go solo and say they feel
lonely sometimes, was it/is it like that for you?
It has it’s up and downs. What people need to realise is that it was a decision
I made to move away from both Mark B and Virgin. I’m still real cool with Mark
and we talk all the time, but just couldn’t deal with the indecisiveness of
Virgin. I mean it’s all about images to them as we all know and it felt like it
was only a matter of time before they started scraping the barrel for ideas and
expected me to dress up as a horse in a bra and pretend to be happy with
whatever they expected me to do. Saying that though, I’m grateful for the
opportunity and the little success that came with it.
4. When I first checked your new album I expected it to be more commercial
than it is. I was surprised on how “Real” you kept it. Where you not tempted by
Top Ten success, just say f*ck it and do a Hip Hop/Pop tune? I mean, the
Americans are doing it and still holding their respect (well, some of them
anyway)
It’s all about how I feel at the time. Sometimes I feel like making money but I
think I got some device installed in my brain at birth that just won’t allow me
to stoop to low levels. I’m seeing a doctor about it as we speak to try to get
that removed so I can make money from the music I make, hopefully make a really
pop tune and live off it for the rest of my life.
"...What people
need to realise is that it was a decision I made to move away from both Mark B
and Virgin. I'm still real cool with Mark and we talk all the time, but just
couldn't deal with the indecisiveness of Virgin...”
5. What’s your biggest achievement to date?
Giving birth. It wasn’t easy I tell you.
Ouch!
6. Do you still keep in contact with Mark B, and are there any plans to work
together again? Maybe on another LP?
Yep and possibly
7. What do you think of the scene in the UK just now?
There’s a lot going on in terms of artists, but I’m still not sure that we get
the recognition we deserve. I feel another moan coming on. Quick! Change the
subject. I can’t believe England lost in the dying minutes of the game.
8. Do you think there’ll ever be a Hip Hop act from these shores who will
properly blow up and sell millions all over the world?
 Definitely, but that act isn’t here just yet and it’s not going to be in the
form that we would like it to be either. Unfortunately in this country if it
ain’t pop it ain’t pushed so you’ll always mainly get the diluted form. If
anything undiluted creeps through and does the million sales duty, I’ll stop
eating kebabs.
9. If so, who do you think has the capability to do it?
We all have it in us to do that, it’s just who wants it bad enough. Same as all
footballers have the capability to be on the level of Maradona but only Maradona
had the will to be THE ONE. Are you confused yet?
10. Can you break down your LP for us….what you were thinking when you set
out to make it?
It’s a mixtures of emotions, some stories, a little politics, a little humour,
some rhyming just for the sake of it, concepts and a little bit of the typical
Blade. I wasn’t really thinking of anything in particular but at the same time I
was thinking of everything. I kind of put all my emotions into a pot, lit the
fire under it, stirred it while it was cooking and left it to stew and am glad
to say that it tastes the way that I was hoping it would. Might have been better
with a little less salt but I am more than happy with it.
11. Is there any tracks on it that you’re not entirely happy with? Or any
you’ve made since that you’ve thought “sh*t, I wish this track was on the album”
To be totally honest, there’s not one track that I’m not happy with and there
were other tracks that should’ve been on there but couldn’t be put on there for
whatever reasons, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles. I got my favourites,
but I find that along with my mood swings my favourites always seem to change
and have found all the tracks to be my favourite at one point or another except
maybe one of the tracks that never made it unto the album, a track called
hamburger.
"...Sometimes I
feel like making money but I think I got some device installed in my brain at
birth that just won't allow me to stoop to low levels...”
12. I’ve read many of your interviews and you always seem to have a gripe
with the media. Is this something a lot of signed acts have?
Me? A gripe with the media? You’re joking right? I love the media. If it wasn’t
for the media I wouldn’t be here. I mean I’ve heard others always talking about
back handers being paid to get their artists played and in magazines and stuff,
and how so and so only got supported coz he knew so and so and was friends with
his neighbour’s girlfriend, but I’ve never seen none of that stuff. I really
don’t know where anybody gets those stories from. I guess that’s what happens
when people sit at home bored. They end up fabricating and conducting all that
bullshit. My gripe has always been with the industry not really supporting the
scene, but I have to keep reminding myself that they are not running a charity,
so in effect my ideals are pretty invalid. They are not under any obligation to
support the scene, but what gets me is after showing no support, they sign some
diluted version of what they shunned for years and push that down our throats
and make it seem like they are doing us a favour. But seriously, I don’t have a
problem with the media in general. Every now and then you get journalists who
don’t do their homework and confuse the issue but on the other hand you get
people like Angus Batey and Ryan Proctor who do their jobs really well and take
pride in it too, so you get both extremes.
And do you think that labels rip their artists off?
 Nah, that’s all a myth. All the labels I’ve been with paid me more than they
were supposed to coz they are really caring companies, especially Jazz Fudge.
Jazz fudge even phoned me once, can you believe that? Now if that’s not respect
for an artist I don’t know what is!
13. My boy Respect BA is currently touring with you. How did that all come
about?
He used to post on our old site. We were up in Glasgow doing a show and I put
him and hype down for the guest list and met them there. He gave me a CD of his
stuff and we been in touch ever since. I liked his enthusiasm and thought it
would be good to get him on tour as my hype man coz he’s just as hungry as I am
to do this.
14. It’s definitely a good thing for Scottish Hip Hop. This could be a
platform for other Scottish acts to aspire to, and the rest of the UK to realise
that we don’t just rap about Haggis, Neeps and Tatties.
What else is there to rap about in Scotland? Just joking. I heard some stuff
from there recently and have to say that Loki has really caught my attention.
Obviously we all know about Eastborn, so that goes without saying. Loki’s got a
really solid flow and good lyrics to match. It’ll seem pretty biased of me to
say Respek Ba so I won’t, but you already know what I think otherwise I wouldn’t
have asked him to go on tour with me.
15. What’s in your stereo just now?
FEEDER’s last album, COMFORT IN SOUND.
"...When I get
frustrated I have to remind myself that I shouldn't have said no to the label
when the wanted to get girls with bikinis in the videos or when they wanted me
to do a collaboration with MEL C, or when they asked me to sleep with Jordan for
a publicity stunt...”
16. Is there anybody you’ve not worked with yet hat you’d like to work with
in the future?
Loads of people. I mean the list is endless so I’ll keep it short by saying
anybody with integrity for the art.
17. What’s going to be the next single of the album? And when’s it due out?
I plan to release REFLECTION next and am hoping for a release date sometime in
October.
18. What’s you plans for the future?
To be filthy rich. One half of that is easy enough but the other half seems
almost impossible. I’ve been filthy almost all my life so that’s second nature
to me, but can’t seem to find the path to getting rich.
19. You’ve been in the game for years now. Does it nor frustrate you when you
get unknown acts coming out, who have half the skills you have, and their
blowing up?
 Sometimes, but I made decisions in my life as to which path to take, so I’m to
blame for the lack of success and nobody else. When I get frustrated I have to
remind myself that I shouldn’t have said no to the label when the wanted to get
girls with bikinis in the videos or when they wanted me to do a collaboration
with MEL C, or when they asked me to sleep with Jordan for a publicity stunt.
All I can say there is if they don’t bounce I don’t pounce. Like I said I chose
what path to take and could have made it easier for myself by doing some of
those things, but I chose not to, so it’s only me to blame.
20. Well mate, good luck in what ever you do, you surely deserve success.
Thanks and all the best to your good self too.
-
Mr Hiz
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