FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 25, 2017
CONTACT: Connie Abaya 6137 Linden Ave, Long Beach CA, 90805 562-719-7567 www.XMEAN360.com
HEADLINE: XMEAN FEATURING CHICO SLIM AND KING BELU TO PERFORM AT THE COMPLEX IN GLENDALE, CA MAY 12, 2017

Independant Hip Hop artist Xavier Hall aka “XMEAN” is proud to present the debut performance of UNO Gang with XMEAN, CHICO SLIM, and KING BELU. The concert will be held at the Complex 806 E. Colorado St. Glendale, CA 91205 and tickets are $12 and available at https://tickets.aftonshows.com/XMEAN .

XMEAN is an independant Hip Hop Artist originally from Orlando, FL. He is known in the music industry as the “Hook King” because he is notorious for creating catchy hooks for rap songs. With clients all over the United States, and Internationally in Jamaica and Germany, XMEAN is a force to be reckoned with. XMEAN has over 400 writing credits under his belt, and is making music better one hook at a time. XMEAN has been writing, producing, and performing music for over 10 years. It is his passion. As an artist, XMEAN loves the storytelling aspect, and the complete creative freedom he has when making new music. His goal was to produce music that touches people, that tells a story, and most importantly that makes an impact.

UNO GANG, is a Rap Group started by XMEAN featuring CHICO SLIM, and KING BELU have been in the studio working on a mixtape and this will be their first performance together as a group. Each member brings a totally different style and flow, and it blends together perfectly. Here is a sample of one of their songs “Extra” https://soundcloud.com/xmean360/uno-gang-extra

The concert is going to be held at The Complex located in Glendale, CA at 806 E. Colorado St. Glendale, CA 91205. Tickets are available online at https://tickets.aftonshows.com/XMEAN . Venue is strictly 21 and over. Come dressed to impress and show support for XMEAN, CHICO SLIM, and KING BELU. Other artists performing are EL-JAY, Tope / King D / Souleaux, Handsome Harris & Guests.

XMEAN is available for phone interview. Please contact Connie Abaya at 562-719-7568 to set up a time that is convenient.

Please visit XMEANS excellent website at www.XMEAN360.com for much more information, including mp3’s and contact info.
Follow him on his social media at
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/XMEAN360/
Instagram- https://instagram.com/XMEAN360

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1. What’s the science behind my name?



I got dubbed Antagonist for a few reasons. First off, my names Anthony Masters– so the ANT has always been in my alias. (Back in the day I went by Ant Dogg, Red Ant, and A.N.T.) I’ve always had a reputation as a person that gets shit started– They say that Aquarius has a sharp tongue, and it holds very true, with a few words I was always able to

get under a persons skin. So when I MC– my style mimic’s this trait. I

tend to be a very critical rapper/producer, so I try to Antagonize other’s to do their best.



2. What do you think of mainstream hip-hop?



Music is an art, but it’s also a business. I would be a lying fool if I said

that I didn’t want to make money from my musical talents. As far as the current trends in Hip Pop– I am very torn! For a few years there was some bullshit music coming out. Recently Pete Rock made a quote about a certain producer… He said, -Don’t just make a beat where

you just grab a keyboard, and everybody can tell you did it in like 3

minutes! Take some time and be creative.– This is what hip hop has been lacking. Alot of people put out songs that sound good, and are catchy, but they took no time to make. That’s cool once

or twice, (see classics such as “Wild-Thing”, “Push it” and even rock songs like “Louie Louie”) but don’t make your whole career like that.

Lately I think that there is actually some energy coming back into the

game, and I’m very excited to see what the next few years will bring. I feel that alot of the underground artists are starting to gain fame that doesn’t require any “cleaning” of their sound. A few acts that I think will change mainstream hip hop are: Screwball, Krondon, The Liks, Ras Kass, D12, Dilated Peoples, Kool G Rap, Cormega, Kardinal Official,

etc. All of these “mainstream” acts are maintaining their underground

ethics. They’re coming very rugged, and I feel that the consumer’s are slowly but surely warming to the darker sides of hip hop. To prove this, I can’t even tell you how many indie and major chain stores put Deltron 3030 on their Top Album wall. This album wasn’t heavily

promoted, nor was it dumbed down in any way. Yet it is quickly becoming a classic. This kind of thing gives me hope! Pretty soon not so pretty artist’s such as the Antagonist should have no problem selling mass amounts of product.



3. How was your upbringing?



Started off as the only child of a struggling young family in small

blue-collar sections of Pennsylvania and Ohio. Spent time in Boston, and Michigan. While living in Detroit I got my first taste of African-American culture being the only white student in a preschool full

of black folks. When I was 6 we moved to Novato which is a small town in Marin County California. (Bay Area). Over the next 12 years we moved a few more times, and my parents both became very respected in their professions. I played football for 7 years which pretty much kept me around a hip hop crowd. In 1994 I graduated high school, and

left the Bay to attend Cal Poly State University. In 1996 I left Poly, and

got further into the music scene. Since then I’ve been producing constantly, and intend to get a Bachelor’s degree in Audio Production from a Bay Area School very soon.



4. What inspired you to become a hip hop artist?



I don’t know if anything made me want to be an artist specifically. I

basically just always hung around black kids, and it just grew on me. I always felt like family when I was around my boys, and the music spoke to me just as much as anybody. I have alot of angst

inside, and I also like to speak to people. I like to relate my experiences

to others, and what better way to do that than through a pure hip hop song.



5. What groups do you listen to?



I listen to everything. I love to produce, and I do all forms of music. So

on one day I’ll be bumping hip hop, the next classical, or jazz, punk, R & B, whatever’s clever dogg. If I were to list some favorite artists I would say: Gza, Premier, Pete Rock, Muggz, Tupac and Biggie of course, KRS, Funkdoobiest, Deltron, E-40, Ras Kass, Chino XL,

etc. I also want to say that one of my favorite groups ever is a rock band called Tool. I would recommend them to anybody that likes music PERIOD. I don’t usually listen to rock or

metal, but these guys have entertained me for 8 years and 4 albums. They are the best live show I’ve ever been to! In any genre! They are produced well, they evoke energy in their

songs, and they touch on social issue’s so bluntly that they almost come

across thugged out! (Don’t take offense Maynard!) To tell you the truth engineering a Tool album is #2 on my list of things to do… right after producing a single and engineering a session for KRS!



6. How would you describe your music?



The first thing you can get from my music is accuracy and quality. I am

really critical when it comes to production. I will tweak a song for hours until it’s perfect. I also want my song’s to be as loud as humanly possible, so these things tend to show up in my final products. As far as the overall artistic characteristics — I think that my music is purity. I rarely use samples, I don’t remake old basslines, nor do I

try and interpolate classic hooks. When you hear an Antagonist track you should imagine what goes into making that track. I’ll spend on average 8 to 10 hours making a beat. I’ll self-engineer recording sessions until I’m dripping in sweat and my voice is horse. Then

I’ll spend another 5-10 hours mixing and mastering the tracks. I have total control over my music, and so I put every drop of heart into every note. I think that my favorite music really influences my styles alot. My ultimate goal as an emcee is to bring my interpretations of all of the following into a solo package! Mugg’s moody productions, Gza’s Knowledge,KRS’s longevity, E-40’s Slang, Nas’s flow, Pac’s

arrogance, Chuck D’s anger, and Tool’s raw emotional power.



7. How would you describe yourself?



Anthony is quiet, very independent, intelligent, critical. Antagonist is

arrogant, raw and simply honest with no regard for consequence. These are the yin and the yang that completely balance my whole. Antagonist surfaces more in music, and social situations. That side of me is straight forward to the essence. No bullshitting, no beating around the

bush! If I don’t like you— Antagonist will tell you! Anthony is the person you’d meet in this interview. The quiet scholar who

intently sits behind mixing boards late night studying sound. I don’t floss around in jewels, I don’t blast earthquakes out my ride, and I don’t speak constant Ebonics. Ant’s just a normal

guy– that cat sitting right next to you— And you wouldn’t even believe he raps!!!



8. What are your future musical plans?



I will be dropping an album in the next 3-4 months. This will be the first

time that I’m having a major duplicating house handle the art/manufacturing. I intend this to be the outcome of 7 years of production experience, and the cream of the crop from a

years worth of recording sessions. This album will still be completely self produced, engineered, and mastered. I will be featuring a bunch of underworld artists, and hope that my production will be the main focal point. It’s tentatively titled “The Ghost of the North”, and I will be pushing this thing world-wide as hard as possible. I personally guarantee that even if you have never heard my stuff that you

will like this album. It’s a breath of fresh air from most thing’s you’ve heard before. Rugged beats, sharp lyrical darts, and alot of blood, sweat and tears. After this I will be attending an audio institute and making my official entrance to the industry as a Pro Engineer/Producer.



9. Out of your songs– Which is your favorite?



Damn, that’s a savage question…. Hmmmmmm I would have to say either “Poundcake”, or “The Game”. “Poundcake” was on my second album called I Got You Open! This was the first song I

got alot of props for. It contains one of my best piano scales ever, and the whole thing just bumps. It was a very creative tune that came out with a very mainstream tune. “The Game” is just rough. This is the track that all of the thugs and hard-rocks give me

props for. When this track bumps, fools just tend to go nutty. I’m not

really known as a gangster rapper, but this track gave alot of folks insight into my story-telling abilities.



10. Where can fans listen to your music?



Buy my LP’s mail-order, go to www.mp3.com/ANTAGONIST, buy the Redline Compilation, hook up an Antagonist show near you, Come to San Luis Obispo and turn on 91.3 FM KCPR, and hopefully soon a couple tracks will begin getting some play on 106.1 KMEL in SF, and 106.1 KISS in San Luis Obispo. TO GET ANY OF MY

ALBUMS SEND $15.00 MONEY ORDER ONLY!



TO:

Get-A-Real-Job Productions

610 Rancho Oaks Dr.

San Luis Obispo, CA. 93401



(Indicate which album: 1998 “Kill-Osophy”, 1999 “I Got You Open”, 2000 “The Underworld”)



11. Have you ever rocked events?



Two events I’ve done stand out in my mind. One of them was a battle of the bands at Cal Poly. Our act started fights, and won me front page news my first 4 months away from home. The other one was a small venue in Cayucos California. I came in as an unknown

person, amongst a bunch of mc locals. The show was going slow, but when my DJ Trav threw on one of my new singles, I was able to rock the crowd back to life… WITH ONE SONG THEY WENT CRAZY DOGG!!!! Those two shows make me feel the best.



12. Have you ever found Jesus?



I wouldn’t say I’ve found him. If anything I’d say I lost him. I used to

be a very strict practicing Roman Catholic. I went to Marin Catholic High School, and I went through years of Theological training. As I started into the world, let’s just say that I began to feel

that the simple words of the bible weren’t enough to warrant my life

direction. I no longer do much religious study, or worship. It’s just a personal preference. I still believe in a higher power, but with all the religions— I don’t know who is right. I feel I should live

my life in accordance with the laws of nature, and morality. That’s what

guides me now.



13. How long have you been rhyming? How do you see hip hop and you? What is hip hop to you?



I’ve been listening to hip hop for 18 years, Rapping for about 9 years, and I’ve been producing for 7 years. I feel that I can contribute to the hip hop artform by always offering pure truth. I intend to always keep things how I want them, and to give the listeners and my fans something that they can relate to. As far as what hip hop is to me, rapping is my hobby, beat-making is my passion, and production/engineering is my job.



14. Do you have any hip hop quotable that you live by?



I’ve heard so much hip hop in my life I think I’m driven by it all, but yes

there are a few things that stand out to me. Biggie’s “Juicy” is by far one of my favorite verses because I can just feel the desire to make it in that song. I really relate to 4-Tay’s opening lines to player’s club as well. “I got a ho named reel to reel she got a buddy named SP1200 now you know the deal. We gets freaky in the studio late night, that’s why the beats that you hear are coming so tight!” I know what he’s

saying because music is like a love, and it does take alot of time. Plus

that’s just an all-time Bay anthem. Gza also hits on my producer’s itch with the classic: “Amplified Samples through Vacuum

Tubed Compression, Caused Rza To Charge Nigga’s 20 G’s a session.” That album was classic, the sessions were worth $20,000 apiece atleast, and I want to be that sought after in the production world.



15. Give fans 5 reasons to listen to the Antagonist?



1. Top Quality Professional Production in an Independent Format

2. Next-Level Beats that combine the classic street sound with millennium design.

3. Witty, intelligent, and often very insightful lyrics

4. Be the first kid on your block to hear me, so when I blow up, you’re

already a true fan from day 1.

5. I speak to my fans on a normal level. I’m not trying to sell an

impossible dream. When you hear an Antagonist track you can feel like you got a loud ass voice on your side.



16. Do you have any player haters? Any words for them?



To tell you the truth I hear more rumors about the love that folks are giving me, than I do about the haters. I’m sure there are some, but the only hate I’ve seen is racial. People still don’t think white people can hold their own in hip hop. To that I say eat a dick. Call me

and we’ll do a Double CD Album— ME Vs. YOU and the fans can say what disc won! As for Haters in general…. I don’t let it bother me! Hate is for the insecure!



17. As an independent artist, how do you find the music industry? What resources online have lent their support?



The industry is very fickle. It’s an overexaggeration of the statement:

“It’s who you know, not what you know!” I’ve been doing this for a minute now, my stuff comes alot tighter than many underground acts (atleast on the quality level—style is an opinion matter) I’ve done 4 albums, all by myself! Artwork, promotion, manufacturing, etc. ALL

SOLO! This is like a dream package for a record company. I still seem to get no notice though????? I have only one choice now, and that’s to stay solo. Somebody will have to give me tota



Interview by DaHipHopPlace.Com

What’s the science behind your name? Or Is there any?



I picked my name out of the bible. Its a Hebrew name. Not even knowing, the original Azarel was a priest & a musician. I’m somewhat similar to him, as I preach a little in my songs.



What do you think of Mainstream Hip Hop?



I don’t really buy or support it. Mostly because I don’t like hearing the same songs or seeing the same videos. And although the mainstream artists usually make the most money, they are not always the best artists.



How was your upbringing?



I grew up in the heart of the hood, around crips and ended up getting in the gang. Did a few things I shouldn’t have done. But I was a big time wanna be, and my O.G. knew that I was more into playing hoop & chasing females. So he told me to leave it alone and I did. I was one of the lucky ones, lost a lot of potnas to that beast called Gangsta.



What inspired you to become a hip hop artist?



I used to dance for a hip hop crew and was always around cats who rhymed, and was able to pick up a few things. Then I started doing it myself and became good at it, and blossomed from there.



What other hip hop groups do you listen to?



Common, Mos Def, Kweli, Dead Prez, Jurassic 5. And the all-time favorite, KRS-1. All yawl pick up the new album from him, its crackin.



How would you describe your music?



Revolution type music. Power for all people themes. Its positive,

conscious, a little spiritually, a little street minded. My aim is to get

cats to look at themselves and make life better, quit blaming “the man”. Go get what you after and elevate. And all people can benefit and relate to that.



How would you describe yourself?



A lion. Whether its music, being self-employed, being a good man, father, etc… I’m hungry for whatever I want.



What are your future musical plans?



Release some albums over the next 2-3 years. Then look into being a super producer. Not a beat maker, but the cat behind the artist. The one that helps develop talent. I also want to get into owning a CD duplication & mastering lab, which should be launching sometime in 2k2.



Out of the songs you’ve created, what is your personal favorite, and why?



Searching is my favorite. I’m talking to all people who walk on this earth and are striving for something in life. What I am saying (preaching) is make the Creator your foundation and the house you build will never fall. Always ask yourself what would Yahweh say if He was standing right here checking me out. Would He approve, would He be proud? That’s what I am preaching in that song, and no other topic can compare to it for me. Because sooner or later, you gotta answer to Him.



Where can fans listen to some of your music?



You check me out at www.azarel.net.



Have you ever rocked events, if so, what was your favorite event you rocked?



Yeah, I do shows all the time in my local area. My best events are for young audiences, like teenagers. They give you the type of energy that you deserve if you are good, and they let you know if you are whack. They scream and dance, and do all the things you expect when performing. They spend they allowance and buy ya CDs and gear, ask for autographs and wanna take pictures with ya.



Have you ever found Jesus?



Never found, know him pretty well. Well enough to know I am a proud Hebrew Israelite.



How long have you been rhyming? How do you see hip hop, and you? Do you see Hip Hop as a religion, art, culture, a career, job, or just a hobby?



I’ve been seriously putting it down since like ’99. Been doing it longer, but I ain’t no vet, and I ain’t paid no dues till a little bit ago. That’s when I started to value hip hop. Its a way of life for me. It should be lived, studied, celebrated, and more.



Do you have any hip hop quotables that you live by? Any song lyrics ever touched you?



A lot of what KRS-1 says has inspired me. He goes against the grain every album. The lyrics in My Philosophy have touched me to truly think before I write songs. To not always try to be the tightest lyricist, but rather to make cats sit down and really feel me. And have them pushing rewind till they get the whole point I’m making.



“Smile A Little” is an inspirational track, what was your inspiration for creating this positive track?



I was sick of the “hater” syndrome. And I didn’t want to make a song that added more negativity. So I decided to go with Smile A Little, hoping that cats would show some teeth and swallow they pride, and just spread love.



Tell us about your upcoming album? Release? Featured Tracks? Where to Buy It? Guests?



I self-titled, debut will be out July 17th. Features a lot of great MCs, singers & producers from Washington state. My single will be called “Daddy”. Its a song that gives love to Dads that were not a full part of their kid’s lives. I know yawl saying, “you giving love to dead beat dads?” Wait to hear the track, then you’ll feel where I’m coming from. The album will be distributed primarily in the Northwest, USA & parts of Canada. We starting small with hopes of expanding to more regions. And for all others not in the area, you can purchase it online at the websites: www.azarel.net

& www.oceanrecords.com



As an independent artist, how do you find the music industry? What resources online have lend their support to you, and your music?



I’ve done a lot of searching thru search engines & popular entertainment sites to find the stuff that pertains more to my arena. There are alot of sites to get good info from, one that I can think of right now is Rap Coalition. Then I just make it a habit to network with as many cats as possible, and we share info back & forth. And as much as I am not in favor of sites like MP3.com, it is a useful source. They get a lot of traffic and I have got good feedback.



Do you have any shot outs you would like make?



I wanna take this time to thank all real hip hop heads. Yawl are the ones that make this game fun. Yah bless all!



—-



Interview By DaHipHopPlace.Com

Bullet is an extremely talented artist that we recommend fans tune into. We are really glad to have put this interview together for the fans. Make sure you check out the array of fine hip hop releases. Don’t Sleep!



Q. First off where are you from?



Originally I was born in the Midwest, Des Moines, Iowa and was raised in Bellevue & Kirkland, Washington which is about 5 minutes East of Seattle. For Canadians it is about 3 hours south of Vancouver, BC.



Q. What inspired you to become a hip hop artist?



Ever since I was a kid I loved music and that didn’t always mean rap. In the beginning I was about 8 years old when I bought my first 45. It was “Cool It Now” from New Edition. I remember pretending to do concerts in front of my mom singing when I was real young. Before I was 13 I had a collection of at least 50 tapes. I didn’t do anything without listening to music but it wasn’t about wanting to do music, I was just having fun and being a fan. I was more into baseball and Martial Arts but as I got older my tape collection grew and then transformed to CD’s. Once rappers from Washington State (Sir Mix A Lot, Kid Sensation, Criminal Nation, E-Dawg & Funk Daddy) & Iowa (Kory D) started establishing themselves my desire to make a record increased. In the end it took until I was 22 years old before I pursued that dream but it has always been my love for music that created Bullet the artist.



Q. Where does the name Bullet come from, and, or what’s the science behind it?



When I was young I was always quick. In baseball I would steal all the time, in football I was a receiver because of my speed. In high school I ran track until being kicked out of school. When I went through a bad stage in my life I spent a lot of time running from police. The story is simple if I was running and it doesn’t matter why I was running, people couldn’t catch me. The only person that ever managed to catch me was me, and I learned that through years of traveling. You can never run away from yourself but when you’re not happy as a person you will still attempt it. That’s why you got people addicted to drugs, alcohol, sex, food etc… Their not happy so there trying to out run themselves.



Q. How would you describe yourself?



Psychological. Most people do not have the tools to mentally prepare themselves for the day, let alone the challenges of life. My biggest obstacle is myself, so I keep making strides towards understanding my strength and weaknesses. For example a great coach does not need the best players, he just has to understand how to get the players to use the talent they have. I was never the best rapper, I taught myself to rap and just never stopped practicing. What I lacked in talent I made up for with hard work and hustle. Today I am running circles around people in the business world because I’m mentally prepared. For example you have artists and then you have businessmen. The reason that I have been able to accomplish what I have is because my business is right. One of the things I have always thought was funny was the artist’s out there who think we need them, while assuming they don’t need us. I have had several who at one time were under my label who acted like little kids, they are the reason I have no desire to run my own label anymore. My point is for whatever reason they refuse to comply with the requests of the label or elect to leave. In the end they always want to come back, or they move on and in almost every case they’ve done less without us than they did with us. They thought leaving would hurt the label but in every case it just made us stronger while they hurt themselves. As people they lack the maturity, which makes them selfish people. The end result leaves a team with a player that is playing for stats and not for the greater good of the team. As a person I’ve spent years trying to better myself as a person so I wouldn’t beat myself and as a coach I’ve learned having super talented rappers didn’t make us a winning team but A group of people working toward one goal can.



Q. How would you describe your music? What Style do you drop?



I’ve been blessed to release albums for several years and I’ve grown from a young man into man during the process. My growth as an artist comes from experience, which is a reflection of me as me as a person. Today my music is a lot more mature, you have a more universal form of rap blended with a lot of R&B. As a fan, I love melody and in the last year I’ve had several fans tell me that my music is more melodic than it is rap. I would say I am definitely a West Coast Rapper I’m just not into subjects about being a gangsta, smoking weed, and fucking women. To me that element of rap needs to be retired. I’ll never get to a point where I wouldn’t cuss on record but I am more selective about when to do it. It’s not a conscience thing persay, it is more about expanding vocabulary and being more creative. Rappers today seem redundant and recycled. Hip-Hop lacks creative song concepts and old school story telling greats like Slick Rick.



Q. What would you like to show the world through your music?



I want people to know who I really am. The fact that I am here today making music is a blessing. I would like to see the young people find hope and dreams within themselves. I make music because I love doing it, and I want people to listen because they love to hear it but it would be great to reach or touch a few people along the way.



Q. Is there any personal quote or lyric you have or live by?



Dedication & Desire is probably still the quote I live by personally.



Q. Tell us about Sick Lake Records. What makes the label so hot!



I think the thing that makes them so dangerous is that they are the sleeper. Nobody really knows what to expect. In the Northwest most people aren’t familiar with them yet and in Utah adding me to the roster and bringing my entire catalog with it people there don’t know what to expect but know it will be big. Before Bullet they ran Utah in the underground rap scene, but by adding me they are now being introduced to not only the Northwest or western United States they are also making steps into international markets. Right now everything is about selling the records we have and releasing the music we’ve made. In November 2005 we will start making music as Bullet & Sick Lake Records being a team. Right now we are working together on advertising, press, and distribution. I’m working to make them a bigger force in my markets and there working to make me a bigger force in there’s. From there joint projects have a platform to stand on.



Q. What makes Small Town Livin’ Big City Game: Special Edition such a tight release? Why do fans need to purchase this album!



The music. Like all of my releases I went back and resurrected the first 4 original Bullet albums by adding new songs, removing songs and adding a new cover. In order Can I Go? Was the first, We Getz Perved was the second, Smalltown Livin Big City Game was the third, and North Coast Rain was the last. The first 3 were released in 2004 and North Coast Rain was released this year. As a person the Smalltown Livin record was my transition album so contained more of the West Coast street vibe but also boasted the newer commercial aspect of my new records. It’s the perfect album to start with. If you like the more raw street songs on the record then check out my earlier records like We Getz Perved, and if you like the more Universal songs then check out When The Rain Falls and North Coast Rain.



Q. Tell us about some of the other recent releases fans can check out.



When The Rain Falls is my most popular album so I would have to say this would be a great place to start. This year we are releasing several new projects including Bullet Presents – Texas T, Bullet – Before The Reign, Bullet Presents Khevlar, Bullet Presents On One, Sick Lake Clique – The Invasion and North Coast Rain 2005.



Q. Why should people listen to your music?



It’s more addicting than drugs without the side effects (If your somebody who loves good music). We sell every drug to cater to the addiction of each individual addict (We cater to fans of Rap, Hip-Hop, R&B, Latin Rap, West Coast, Lyricism, even a little Horror Core). If your not happy with the product will you give you another drug to shut you up (Return the CD and will give another release to try). If you decide you don’t like being an addict treatment is free (If the music makes you do bad things then stop buying it).



Q. Tell us about some of your latest collaboration efforts. What other artists do you like working with?



I have worked with a lot of different artists and producers. Honestly I like working with singers much more than rappers, so I’d have to lean toward Dante Thomas, Arjay, Jazz, and Tiffany Wilson for now. Producer wise, Big Ice & Oral Bee from Oslo, Norway and Seattle Legend Funk Daddy are my favorites by far. Their good people and easy to work with, that’s why they’ve produced my best songs. With them it is about making good music without the politics.



Q. Tell us about some of your label mates. Who else should your fans tune into?



Sick Lake Records is home to King Cevil, Mista Locc, Mz. Malicious and Bullet, that is the frontline. Then you have all of my Bullet Presents artists like Juice, Texas T, Khevlar, On One, Yuns, J-Trey, and Kay Kay all of which are under Eastside Muzik Distribution. Then you have specific albums under Eastside Muzik Distribution that aren’t affiliated with Sick Lake Records or Bullet Presents. For example, Horny Boys, 3rd Eye, D. Boyd, Expression, Smoke/FTS, Ready Starr, J-Rod & Big Wilson and a few others. Last but not least you have the next list of artists under Bullet Presents that will be available next year including No One Else & Adjacent as well as new albums from some of the current Bullet present artists. In a nutshell that is about it but I probably forgot something. If I did my bad…



Q. Where can fans read, and find out more information on you, and your music?



www.BulletMuzik.com, which is my website but also has a forum, and information on the rest of the label as well as my distribution company Eastside Muzik Inc. We have a fan club, and have huge photo galleries for the artists as well as the fans. This is really the place to be if you want to educate yourself on our movement.



www.Cdbaby.com/group/bulletmuzik, which is my direct link to cdbaby.com a site where you can purchase all of our CD’s including our affiliates releases.



www.rapbay.com, currently sells all of our releases, as well as our vinyl. In the next few weeks they will start selling all of the other titles we distribute through Eastside Muzik Inc. You will also be able to purchase bullet merchandise shortly, which will include t-shirts, posters and autographed 8 x 10 pictures.



Q. Have any shout outs or any other comments you would like to make?



Yep we got 2 new company vans fully wrapped, a 6 man sales team including Bullet Management himself, over 15 different albums we plan on pushing, a banner ad campaign, a magazine ad campaign, distribution (USA & Japan), my first international release in Japan with G-House Records and Cisco/Japan titled “International Reign”, my first France collaboration with French rapper Moni (pronounced Money), up coming interviews in Germany, Malaysia, Japan, Australia and as you see this is my first one in Canada. We are trying to finish more but time is becoming a major commodity that I don’t have enough of. Our new site www.BulletMuzik.com will go live in the next week or so with all the updates. You can go there to read about all of the other things we got going on.



Big ups to DaHipHopPlace.com and rap fans throughout Canada and worldwide. If you’re in the western United States we will be in a city near you real soon, you can’t miss us. Be sure to check out all of the new albums on Sick Lake Records, Bullet Presents and Eastside Muzik Distribution.



Extra special thanks to god, Reigna J. has been a blessing and is forever my queen. I wish I could’ve understood the importance of family along time ago.

1. When did you initially get into rhyming? What caught your interest?



i started rhyming or as i like to call it ‘talkin shit’ in 1992, i was 14 or 15, didn’t really take it serious and decide to release records until 1997 and that’s when i got my first missile launcher, it was an NRR-PA which held 8 missiles, single shot manual load but it did have a twin firing port, the missiles were non heat-seeking. as far as what caught my interest, i felt that spittin verses was a way to let people know how a kingpin like myself operates.



2. Celph Titled aka the Rubix Cuban. What is the science behind the names?



celph titled is just that – self titled, cause no words describe me, i can only title myself, i’m self explanatory. you see me, you hear my voice, you talk to me you know where i come from. i just had to spell it different cause otherwise it’d look pretty fuckin generic. there’s a lot of imposters out there now who decided to spell the word self such as i did but i am the original… there’s even some fuckin cell phone company that decided to adapt my name into their corporation. i have devised a plan to take them down, it involves carbine explosives and sniper scopes but that’s all i am at liberty to divulge right now. i have other names though such as the muthafuckin mother molester, the crocodile hunter (i keep it gator), jesus ice, the clitoris wrangler, the trife-a-saurus rex, the bitch collector, frosty the snow thug, jamuel jackson and many more. and i’m the rubix cuban cause i’m a cuban nigga and everyone tries to solve the science behind the way i operate as a kingpin and a hustler.



3. Originally, you’re from Tampa? What brought you to NY?



yeah i was born and raised in the city of tampa… fahrenheit 813.. one of the illest places in the world, fuck anywhere else. i’m from florida and i’m spanish, we can make silencers out of papaya fruit, no joke, and we treat bitches like shit in the dirty. but the music industry brought me to new york and i have resided here since 1999 as a masterminded yankee kingpin.



4. Tell us a bit about Equilibrium.



equilibrium is my original family, that is from where i have emerged. equilibrium is a group consisting of myself, majik most and dutchmassive. as a group, we have released two 12″ singles but they are both really old, even older than the dates they were released in ’98 and ’99. we are known for joints such as “fahrenheit 813”, “windows 98” and “do that”. since then we have all represented ourselves as solo artists, we all have solo 12″ singles



out now and we will soon be recording for an official equilibrium album with all 3 of us sharing the mic on every joint. but even before that we all have solo lp’s dropping at the end of this year and early 2003. look for my album, “the rubix cuban”, dutchmassive’s album “junk planet 2000”, and majik most’s album “sweaty back bastard” all coming soon on atomik music. we are doing the group thing backwards, establishing our individual names first so when we come together as a group it will actually be exciting for some people, imagine that. for more info on my brethren, check out www.majikmost.com and www.gameplanrecords.com for now. and for everyone that confuses them as part of the demigodz, they are not in the demigodz just cause they are in a group with me and i’m part of the demigodz family tree. they are artists in their own right and they have all helped me become who i am today in the game – a fuckin rap kingpin.



5. How and when did the Demigodz crew get started?



i’m not sure when they got started, all i know is that it was originally open mic and some other kids and then it was just open mic and apathy and then one day it became 218 people and i was included in that conglomerate and i’ve repped ever since. but me and apathy are in a sub-group of our own and we came up with a really fuckin ill name for it – apathy & celph titled. there is also a group called mother molesters which is me, majik most, apathy and louis logic, but just because majik most is the only non-demigodz member in a group with other demigodz members doesn’t make him a demigod, get it straight people. we also got another group called the clergymen (me, apathy, pharaohe monch, jay-z, greg nice, 2 bigg mc, mc lyte, craig mack, street life, wiseguy & gaston, and shorty dog – he was the black cat on “tap the bottle” by young black teenagers.. remember: “shorty dog is in the cipher, so you better not skip”). look for projects coming soon from all of the above mentioned on kingpin entertainment, headed by me, celph titled aka music industry kingpin.



6. You’ve also done a lot of production for some solid artists. Do you plan on both rhyming and producing in the future?



actually it’s really ill that you bring that up cause i plan on both rhyming and producing AT THE SAME TIME. i gotta set up the studio properly but basically what is gonna take place is i am gonna have the mpc in the mic booth and while i’m rhyming i’m going to be programming the beat as i go along spittin shit and it will all be on beat without the quantization on. fuck all the cats that do the ‘hey i can dj while i rhyme on stage’, i will make history with what i am about to unleash, the first kingpin to ever rhyme and produce simultaneously.



7. Has touring helped promote your music? Who have you toured with in the past? Have you hit up Europe with live shows?



i haven’t done a lot of touring yet. i recently performed at the hultsfred festival in sweden with my demigodz cousins apathy, louis logic, one-two and chum. non-phixion and the beatnuts also performed. but yeah, i’m really trying to do a lot more touring in europe and overseas in general, so if you are a tour promoter or want to bring me to your town, holla at me – celphtitled@email.com…. my only special requirement is that backstage you have a director’s chair with ‘if you are sitting in this chair you are a fuckin kingpin’ printed on the back of the seat and that i will be the only one permitted to sit there.



8. Though The Godz Must Be Crazy was released this year, do the Demigodz plan to release more music in the future? Perhaps an LP?



yes we are planning on doing a full length album, it will probably take a long time to complete cause everyone is focusing on their own solo shit, but it will happen. what to look for from us in the meantime – my album “the rubix cuban”, 7l & esoteric “dangerous connection”, louis logic “sin-a-matic”, rise full length album, and apathy’s album. all the solo albums have demigodz collaborations in some form on them as well or beats from me, the rap mogul known to major label A&Rs as “oh you mean celph titled the fuckin rap kingpin don of the industry????”



9. Tell us about your solo album.



my album is basically one of the rawest records to ever be recorded and released. it’s basically 16 tracks of talkin shit, bangin beats, guns, bitches, money, grenades, punchlines, and guns. i think there’s maybe 2 songs on there that have some sort of topic or re-occuring theme, but the whole thing consists of raw hip hop, no fuckin gay-ass concepts or stories for all the little faggots out there that want some soft ass shit like that. just some of the hardest rhymes and best beats you’ve ever heard, why would you want to fuck up that formula??!?!? what the fuck has hip hop come to, some sort of homosexual art gallery??? what happened to NWA, tim dog, big shug, too short, willie d and muthafuckas that just brought it to your fuckin face???!? a whole album of talkin shit, that’s my exxon valdeez type steeze. now if you do want to hear an ill concept that’s done correctly and raw listen to my dog esoteric’s “word association”…. but as for my album, my favorite song i’ve done so far is “life of a kingpin”.



10. From a lyrical perspective, who were your original musical influences?



big daddy kane, geto boys, kool g. rap, poison clan, disco rick, NWA, ras kass, ice-t, kurupt the kingpin.



11. What kinds of records inspire your production?



whatever record or cd is laying around closest to me. i’m lazy, who the fuck wants to dig for a sample, what a fuckin waste of time. i can find some shit on anything and flip it. i actually went through a lot of trouble at one time in 1997 to find samples. the sample for “fahrenheit 813” is from some sunday morning political or money advice talk show on CNN that used to come on, don’t know if it still does, but if you ever peeped that, listen to the music and picture it slowed down and you will hear my beat. god, i hate most producers man for real i hate kids that pride themselves on using only vinyl and digging for some ill break, fuck them this is 2002 that shit is gay. i will be in the studio getting paid from some beat i sampled from a “diggin” or “dusty fingers” compilation lp or a fuckin’ production cd and you’ll be in your fuckin moms house broke as hell jackin off to your sp1200 and a crate of records you speculate that large professor had at one time. but really anything and everything inspires me, even though i dont really like to fuck with beats cause i’m too busy being the king of the pen.



12. Whats your opinion on pirating and bootlegging of underground music?



i think it’s dope as long as it’s not my music. everyone should bootleg other underground artists’ music. matter of fact, i encourage EVERYONE to pirate other underground groups, even if it’s some shit i did shit on but only if i didn’t get paid properly for my work and in that case i’ll let y’all know which ones you can download and never buy. celph titled promotional rubber grips coming soon, will give you a reason to really buy the cd. crown me king…. but you shall never know my pin number, young one.



13. Tell the readers the best way to get in touch with your music.



call 1-900-king-pin, get in touch bitches.



EXCLUSIVE by Eric Bourdage for DaHipHopPlace.Com

Porn Again was an incredible album, and you made a dope appearance on “Anti-Heroes”. How did you meet up with Cage and High & Mighty?

Good lookin, dog. I met Eon & Milo through Cage, and we met Cage through Bobbito.



Why the name Copywrite? Have you gone by any previous names before you were as well known as now?

For the time that I didnt have a rap name, I would tag my real name and draw [©] after it, so I figured, “Fuck it.”. Ain’t no one else gonna think about namin’ themselves copyright, so I spelled it copywrite to avoid confusion. Before that it was Lyrical Vandal, back in like ’91.



While we’re at it, let me ask one more about the name: What does the “78” after Copywrite mean?

I was born in ’78. Before that, the 7 symbolized God & the 8 stood for infinity.



What, or who, sparked your interested in MCing? And when did you realize this was more than just a hobby, and instead, a career?

I started MCing in Jakki’s basement with him, his brother and this other cat. We used to record ourselves makin’ skits and other dumb shit. One day we was just bangin’ on the table and started freestylin’ while we were recordin’. A lot of people in the neighborhood heard it and kept eggin’ us on to rhyme for them, so we got gassed to write rhymes. I really didn’t take it serious until we decided to drop the demo off to Bobbito. I still think you shouldn’t take it too serious. It stops bein’ fun at that point.



I know you’ve recycled a few times on mixtape tracks, and smaller guest appearances. But you also re-used a verse for “Bada Bing”. Is this because you feel not not too many people are actually hearing your radio performances, so it’s not much of an issue? And can we expect to recognize some other lyrics on your upcoming LP?

I didn’t re-use a verse. I re-used about four bars, and yeah, I did that ’cause I know theres a lot of cats that will hear my album that havent, and won’t, get a chance to hear the Where My Dogs At mix CD. So, yeah, I spit it on an official song. The whole album has all new shit. I got some shit for y’all.



While we’re talking about the release of your upcoming album, The High Exaulted, tell us a little about it. You plan on touring with the release?

Yeah, I plan on touring soon after the albums release.



Why have there been so many delays? Can you give us a certain date yet?

The delays are due to a few things. I’m picky as hell, so with a few joints I’d end up writin’ a hotter verse than one I had recorded on a song already, so I’d just exchange it. Also, the [Eastern Conferences distribution changes] had an effect on it as well. Nah, there’s not an exact date as of yet, but it’s lookin’ like [December or January].



As far as guest appearances and producers, who can we expect to be on the album?

As far as production: Mighty Mi, RJD2, Camu, Intalec and myself. As far as MCs go, all of MHz is on it along with the Smut Peddlers.



It’s obvious from just listening to your rhymes that you’d be a competitive battle MC. We haven’t seen you in major tournaments at all. Do you ever enter tournaments?

I like to battle, but all these set up, staged battles aren’t my thing. I’m more of a street battler. I been in these organized battles before (Columbus Hip Hop Expo) and I just have witnessed shit like prejudice judges hatin’ on me due to my race. Plus I’d rather walk up in a spot where there ain’t no judges, except for the nonbiased crowd. I don’t plan on hoppin’ in any battles with judges.



Kinda in relation to your comment on prejudice judges: You, Cage, Eon and other MCs you rhyme with are white. You’ll notice that since Eminem’s mainstream explosion and Blaze Battle airing on HBO that white MCs are a fad now. Do you think this is expanding hip-hop culturally, or is this another trendy attempt for big-label CEOs to fatten their pockets?

To me, if you rhyme, you need to be good. Period. White, Black, Latino or whatever. I don’t judge cats based on image or what they look like. Most white MCs that I know that are any good share a similar story.You know, the only white kid out the group growin’ up so he had to be extra nice. Others need to quit.



Since you’re in New York, I’ve got to ask about the World Trade Center incident. How has

that affected you? What is it like to go through Manhatten and not see two, landmark twin

towers that were there only days ago?

What happened in New York and DC was fucked up. It’s a scary time, for real. America has to get revenge on that bastard. I just hope no more innocent lives are lost.



Do you believe in what President Bush said during his speech on Tuesday night when he said, “…we’ll make no attempt to distinguish the persons who committed the act and the country that harboured them”?

I think it’s pretty fucked up to hold an entire country based on what a group of individuals have done. I admit, I have no clue how Bush intends on wiping out this organization, or Bin Laden, but for us to just start wipin’ out innocent mutherfuckers is insane. I definitly feel some sort of action should be taken immediatly, though, on Bin Laden, evidence or no evidence.



I remember seeing a picture on the front page of MHzSite.com, and it had you along with fellow MHz crew holding guns in army fatigue. At this time, after what happened, it brings me to this question: Would you ever go to war if you had the chance?

I’m not tryin’ to go to war at all. I want to live a long life. Fuck war.



Hey, man, we wanna thank you for your time. We hope everything goes well with the upcoming album and touring that will come with it. Remind everyone about what’s coming up. When’s the album dropping, when will the Eastern Conference All-Stars Vol. 2 be dropping, and anything else you got for us hip-hop heads?

Good lookin’. Eastern Conference All-Stars 2 drops in October and The High Exaulted should be droppin’ sometime toward the end of this year. Peace to my crew.



interviewed by Jeff & Advance

http://www.rhymelife.com