Redcloud

Q: Please introduce yourself.

My name is RedCloud from Los Angeles California.

Q: Are you aware that there is another (New York-based) emcee out there Called Redcloud who has worked with UK producers like The Nextmen? http://www.elusivestyles.co.uk/redcloud.html

Yes I heard of him… I’d love to battle for the name if he wants to. It didn’t bug me until I noticed that there are 2 RedCloud vinyls at Fat Beats… I am sooo jealous that he’s got to work with The Creators… I love the production that those cats do. He doesn’t do the songs justice… Like I said I’d love to battle him… I’m not content with there being an East Coast RedCloud and a West Coast RedCloud… My lawyers say not to trip since I have all my right copy write and ASCAP work done. Check out www.RedCloudHipHop.com I’d love to collaborate with him but only if he changes his name… I know he’s Indian and black so I’m not trippin’ like I would be if he were French and Puerto Rican or something like that. Maybe "RedKloud" or "RedClowd" or something… or even "Red Cloud the verbal Assassinator" what do you think?

Q: What did you give up for Lent and how did you spend Easter?

I recently gave up bread but it wasn’t for lent, I’m trying the Atkins diet out… I’ve already lost about 10 pounds homie!! I spent Easter on the road, touring.

Q: How did you first get into rap?

I got into Hip Hop in 1989. I was raised on Santana, Hendrix, War and Led Zeppelin. Thank God for Public Enemy, 3rd Bass, NWA, Digital UnderGround, Chubb Rock and Paris!

Q: Were you always a Christian emcee or was there a time when you were a secular rapper?

No sir, I developed a strong relationship with my creator back in 1991… all through High School I was still living like a thug, I was a hypocrite bro- a rotten hypocrite. In 97/98 I had no reason to live… I sought Jah and made a promise… a pact that we kept, He promised to never leave me and I promised to continue the fight- Its an everyday struggle but Jah tells you no lies. He loves us sooo much.

Q: How much material had you recorded before hooking up with Syntax?

Dang. A ton of junk with this crew called SHP (Seventh Heaven Planets)… I was the Christian cat in the crew that smoked herb.

Q: What is the atmosphere like between fellow Christian acts as opposed to With secular acts in a cipher and in terms of performing at the same venues?

In Los Angeles there is NO difference. If you can bust raw, if you can cipher extremely well and rock a mean show without pulling punches… then you are no different than the next cat that can do all of that. Tons of Christian’s battle. I went to clubs 4 times a week and paid my rent by winning battles in LA. Iron sharpens Iron homie.

Q: Has having the label "Christian rap" attached to your work helped or Hindered your personal artistic advancement?

I love Jesus Christ. I will never deny that. But why don’t people refer to Rakim or Busta Rhymes as "Muslim Rappers?" How come I never hear "Ladies and Gentlemen lets welcome Buddhist rappers- The Beastie Boys!" I could bang with the best of them bro - and have served many men… the same with Ahmad, TunnelRats or DeepSpace 5- that’s what ministers to me. If I’m a Christian man… and I sell ice cream for a living… does that mean that I sell "Christian ice cream"?


"...I am not down with killing babies. You can call it abortion or call it pumpkin pie, you are still killing a baby who didn’t do anything wrong..."

Q: How did you get down with Syntax records?

When I was with SHP (98/99) we got enough hits on MP3.com that they chose one of our songs and put it on a compilation… Sackcloth Fashion from Syntax Records got a hold of the CD in the mail… looked me up and invited me to be on a compilation called Fashion Expo… I recorded a track called Water World… the rest is history.

Q: How do you feel about the reputation Christian rap has earned itself for being prissy and naïve about the ways of the "real" world? Is this a just reputation?

Yes it is just a bad reputation. There are wack Christian emcees like there are wack secular emcees. Makes no difference to me. But things have changed with crews that have raised the bar like P.O.D., Mars Ill, Grits, and TunnelRats… I’ve seen some of these cats serve our favourite secular emcees.

Q: Do you share the extreme view toward abortion and the right to choose as voiced on the Comunalien album?

"the right to choose????" I am not down with killing babies. You can call it abortion or call it pumpkin pie, you are still killing a baby who didn’t do anything wrong. Whether the dads a prick, you got raped, you can’t afford it or you don’t want to tell your parents… Children are innocent of our sin…

Q: Do you not think that abortion is an issue on which only women should have the final say?

Babies have no "say so" - So I’m speaking for them… If I could make it illegal then I would. Is it ok to rip a defenceless baby out of your vagina?! But you don’t have the guts to have it and give it the chance that you may not have had?… I was adopted… and I’m ok… so this is a touchy subject for me.

Q: Many times during your album you refer to what you do as "underground" Hip Hop - how do you define "underground" because to me, your music has a very easy-going and entertaining sound that I feel, could easily be up there on MTV or in the charts.

Thanks bro (blushing) how do you define underground? Underground is my roots…. The streets where I come from have brought me up to embrace the underground. I guess you could say "popular" or "unpopular" instead… but the White Stripes and Eminem would prove me wrong. I guess when you say "Underground" I think of this club in LA that kind of helped shape me called "Project Blowed"… All the cats there could serve our radio favoured artists… and not that many people have heard of them and appreciate the raw art form like I do… I probably didn’t answer your question but there goes that.


"...But they were Just men, If I’m a Christian man… and I sell ice cream for a living… does that mean that I sell "Christian ice cream?..."

Q: I think the first time I heard of you was on The Fashion Expo Round 1 compilation where you did a reworking of Vanilla Ice's Ice Ice Baby ("Christ Christ baby") And then there are obvious lines of comparison that can be drawn between your output and the work of a certain Marshall Mathers. I've noticed that much of Christian rap is about appropriating styles and using very similar names to the mainstream. Isn’t the seventh commandment "thou shalt not steal" and! Surely the best way to serve god is to be wholly original yeh?

Yes absolutely correct. Originality is a must. To answer your first statement though… I said a line on Fashion Expo (The song forever haunts me thanks for bringing it up sucker!) "Was I the only guy that agreed with your name/ when that guy from Newsboys sang- I’m not ashamed" I said it in a witty voice reminiscent of Slim Shady (you weren’t the first to tell me that)… I appreciate and respect homeboy but that was mere coincidence. But you’ve got cats like KJ52 that sound downright exact to Eminem, and cats like BBJay that sound just like Biggie Smalls. That I’m not too down with but whatever… it ministers to some cats.

Q: During Koyote Gospel you dramatise the conflict between Your subscription to Christianity as an honourable value system and your Awareness of "Christianity" as an institutional tool of empire that was Wielded on and against your Native American ancestors. Now Whilst George W Bush has been keen to play down notions of American imperialism where the Current military occupation of Iraq is concerned; he has, once or twice, Inadvertently used the term "crusade" and of course, the original brand-name of the military action was to be "Operation Infinite Justice". Do you fear It’s history repeating itself when Bush has allowed Franklin Graham (Son of Notorious evangelist Billy Graham) being allowed to get involved in the "Humanitarian" restoration of Iraq?

"Fear?"… The intentions of "the white man" were good… just trying to teach the lil Indians about Catholicism … But they were Just MEN. The raping of our women, the slaughtering of our people… greed, gold, lust came into play… and that’s what our land is founded on…. The difference between then and what is happening in Iraq now is- THE CAMERAS ARE ON. I don’t think we have the most brilliant President… but as dumb as people think he is … he is smart enough to defend Israel. It’s all in this one book called the Bible. I am praying for Mr. Bush and I pray that God guides him to make wise decisions. These are signs of the times. I forgive the white man and hold no grudges… as God has forgiven me. Love is Love.

Q: At the top of your album you kinda make fun of your background so what does it mean to you to be a Native American in 2003?

Being a warrior means that you are aware of your peoples needs… and that you are ready to defend those who cannot defend themselves.

Q: How do you feel about those who feel that the only way they can preserve their traditions is to fully separate themselves from the rest of society and to try and remain as "traditional" as possible?

There is "tradition" and there is "Honouring your heritage".

"Tradition" is what makes people hate Christians, singing the same lame songs in church, wearing the same lame clothes… it becomes a dull ritual instead of meaningful fellowship. The traditional ways of my people say that I become a farmer and marry those that my father has picked for me… it means participating in the SunDance, piercing my chest and hanging from a pole till it rips off as a blood offering for my unborn children.

"Honouring my heritage and ancestry?" - that’s different… Going to Pow Wows and dancing with my people… being a competitive drummer… learning our native tongue. Wearing the tribal regalia and eating food where the recipes are from the sovereign days. Submerging myself with the stories told by my family and those who hold our clan history sacredly.


"...Thank God for Public Enemy, 3rd Bass, NWA, Digital UnderGround, Chubb Rock and Paris!..."

Q: It's been a long while since your debut album is this thing on? Came out so what've you been up to since then?

I’ve been busy TOURING… just getting out there and putting on the shows for the fans and gaining new ones. I have also been keeping busy working on new music… Geesh, I’ve been on numerous compilations and featured on tons of stuff. I’m on the soundtrack for a couple movies: It Runs in the Family (Starring Michael Douglas)-in theatres now And Love the Hard Way (Starring Adrian Brody from The Pianist and Pam Grier from Jackie Brown)- in theatres this summer. My new album Travelling Circus comes out August 19th this year… I’m so excited! It features awesome guests like Sonny from P.O.D., LMNO (Visionaries) and your homeboy Braille. I’m also in the works with Kurupt (Dogg Pound) and Dialated Peoples for some future songs. It should be a very good year for me. Nah man, scratch that – I think I’m going to save POD Kurupt, LMNO and Dilated Peoples for my third album which should be out next August. So yeah, the only guests on Travelling Circus will be Braille, Man of War and Max One (of Sacklothe). Check the track Deaf Shepherd which can be found on Syntax’s "Night Owls volume 2; Sleep therapy" compilation.

Q: Were you surprised at the amount of acclaim you got from the secular press and fans?

Yes!! It trips me out everyday… Jah is so good to me… I love you guys and appreciate everything you’ve done for me.

Q: Do you genuinely practice martial arts? How do you feel about all those weed-smoking, heavy-drinking emcees who profess affinity with kung fu but who then get out of breath taking the video out of its shrink-wrap?

Hahahahahaha. Yes I’m a 2nd degree black belt in Chinese Kenpo Karate… My team (Rojas Kenpo) placed 1st and took home the grand Championship trophy at the IMAC World Championships in 2001… (That was my last tournament). Dude that is so funny that you mentioned the herb smoking/ beer drinking rappers who claim a genuine Martial Art… I think that’s wack. I sparred with this cat that at a tournament in Long Beach back in 98… he had a minor heart attack after the match… it turns out he was amped for 2 days on Crystal Meth.

Q: Do you enjoy posse or solo cuts more? Have you ever had to do a posse cut featuring an artist you didn't feel?

Well on a solo cut you have to worry about three 16 bar verses, a bridge and a hook: when you’re a guest you just gotta worry about a 16 or 8 bar verse… so they both have their ups and downs. I have featured on a song with cats that I don’t feel… but I wont mention the names you lil trouble maker you!


"...I went to clubs 4 times a week and paid my rent by winning battles in LA. Iron sharpens Iron homie..."

Q: Will you be working with Braille again any time soon?

You know it… that’s my lil bro…

Q: Who would be your ideal collaborators on a Hip Hop track?

I’d love to collaborate with "SuperNatural", "Method Man" ,"Pharoah Monch" or the forever dreaded "Marshall Mathers".

Q: Heheheh, When mankind starts colonising Mars, what should we leave behind?

Crack
Guns
Traffic

and

Ja Rule

Q: Any final words and is there anybody you want to biggup on this worldwide basis?

Man well of course this "CD Goldie" for not asking me the same ol boring questions that I would otherwise have my manager answer for me. Warrior Klan worldwide – Thanks for the love! All my Indigenous people that work hard to get me out to all the reservations across the USA, Canada and Mexico… I love you!

Many many many thanks to Redcloud and his manager Monica Ortega for making the interview a reality! Redcloud’s debut solo album is this thing on? is out there on Syntax Records as is a stack of quality music from Pigeon John, Adeem, Luke Gerraty, Future Shock, Acts 29 and a congregation of dopeness.