Matic Lee Q & A

I want to say that the first time I heard Matic Lee on the mic was on the track Jump Around the Room. I was perusing around looking for Tech N9ne songs that I had never heard before. This track featured both Young Lucci and Tech N9ne. It was off his EP titled D.O.A. I then began my search for more of his music. I found this dope track called Open Wide.

He would later go on to produce many dope tracks for Tech N9ne as well as several other Strange Music artists. He continues to create great music both in front and behind the boards. So I reached out and was able to connect with him.

ME: DPG

Matic Lee: ML

Enjoy!                        

DP: What is life like growing up where you're from?

ML: I had the opportunity to have many perspectives on life. I bounced around my whole life. I wanna say it added to my versatility.

DP: What were your musical influences growing up?

ML: Every single song that ever inspired me to create and become a creator. It ranges from Sam cook and Madonna, to Killswitch Engage and Tony Toni Tone.

DP: Who are some of the rap artists that you grew up listening to?

 

ML: Three six mafia, Cannibus, Eminem, Kilo Ali, Ludacris, and all the Atlanta booty music scene.

DP: Did you grow up playing musical instruments?

ML: Actually, I didn't play a choir type instrument until I was 18. I already had a background playing drums in the school band and I was already producing and recording my own music

DP: What was your first piece of production equipment that you ever acquired?

ML: FL studio and a midi keyboard.

DP: Do you remember the first rhyme you ever wrote?

ML: Yes sir! 6th grade spelling class. All the words rhymed and we had to come up with a rap using them..

DP: When did you decide that making music was going to be your profession?

ML: The day I downloaded FL studio on Kaaza in 8th grade.

DP: Do you prefer producing music or writing lyrics?

ML: Equally the same.

DP: How did you first link up with Tech N9ne?

ML: David Sanders II, producer for Tech N9ne, hit me up after I sent him a friend request on Myspace. He heard my music and sent a message letting me know he fuck with my music. Then from there, he offered to send Tech some of my beats. That was so selfless of him and I am forever in debt to him for that.

DP: You've produced quite a bit of music for Tech and Strange Music. On Tech's Killer album, you produced the track One Good Time.

DP: It was a different sound for him at the time. Did he approach you for that type of beat or did you already create it with him in mind?

ML: Funny story! I had 2 beats named Girl, one in all caps and one lowercase. I accidentally sent him the wrong beat. The one I thought I sent him sounded like Timbaland. And the other one sounded like 311 and Sublime SoCal kinda vibe. It was the first track that I ever played guitar on. I had only been playing for a couple months. So the first beat I ever sold Tech was a mistake. Go figure! LOL

DP: A very popular track, especially at Tech's shows is Areola. How did that track come about?

ML: LOL! I made an EDM kinda hip hop infused album with an old friend and that beat was a left over beat from that. I sent it as a joke. The next thing I know, Tech called me and told me about the 816 boys and the Ohh Areola concept. David Sanders II and I ended up on the hook during a trip to KC. We are the ones chanting Ohh Areola.

DP: When Tech put out K.O.D. his darker side was put on full display because of what he was going through at the time. Did he approach you with his feelings for the album before you actually showed him any tracks?

ML: Yep, he said he wanted Bram Stokers Dracula and hard ass drums.

DP: The opening track Show Me a God is where Tech talks about his mom. However, you also used that track on your Smoke and Mirrors album titled WTF. Both are great tracks.

DP: Did you already have your track recorded before you let Tech have it?

ML: Yeah, I tried another beat for it but it just didn't fit right. That's the worst thing about rapping and producing.

DP: You've also done work for both Krizz Kaliko and KuttCalhoun. Do you have a favorite track among the many you've produced for them?

ML: GENIUS AND SMILING FACES!

DP: How did you and Rittz meet? 

ML: Before he was signed to Strange, Rittz and I did a song with a artist named Dice. We linked at the video shoot and found out that we are both from the same area. We've been homies ever since.

DP: You had two banging tracks on Rittz's Strange music debut album The Life and Time of Johnny Valiant: Say no More and Misery LovesCompany. Was there a specific sound he was going for when he approached you for some tracks?

ML: Nah, I sent a couple and he picked those two.

DP: I want to talk about your solo work. The EP D.O.A came out back in 2010. You had the great track Open Wide. However, that track was left off the Itunes album. Was

there a reason for that?

ML: Not sure,l I need to ask David Sanders II about that. LOL!

DP: How did you hook up with George Zelaya?

ML: Through the Sicness forum early on. He has been a friend of mine ever since.

DP: You also appeared on the remix to his Clappin track with Tech N9ne. Did you produce that one as well?

ML: Yes sir, I did that remix for him.

DP: You came out with the album Smoke and a Mirror in 2011. Are you happy with how that album turned out?

ML: I'm proud as hell! It served its purpose.

DP: On the second track, it's really dope how you were able to incorporate the Spice Girls sample into the track. How did you come up with the track Telmewachuwan?

ML: I loved the Spice Girls. I grew up in the 90s. I'm still trying to get at Sporty Spice. It might be that British accent.

You can follow Matic Lee on his Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaticLee

Follow him on Twitter https://twitter.com/MaticLee

Check out his webpage at http://maticlee.com/

Please leave comments on my blog or on Twitter @dpgmarine

Check out my other blog posts and subscribe if you'd like.

More Q & A sessions to come!

Thanks for reading!

dpgmarine

Hurricane Q & A

A while back, I found this track titled YouTube Choppers. On it, several artists were featured. However, the one that really caught my ear was Hurricane! He came into the track and just killed it. Since then, I've tried to locate any and all songs that he is a part of. I was able to find quite a bit of music from the KC MC.

I recently reached out to him and he was more than willing to oblige my request.

This was conducted 7/2015

DPG = ME
HC = Hurricane

Enjoy!

DPG: Where exactly are you from?

HC: I'm from the Midwest, Kansas City. Home of Tech N9ne, Janelle Monae, D-Loc, Dalima, and a gang of actors ( Don Cheadle, Columbus Short, just to name a few)

DPG: What type of music did you grow up listening to?

HC: I grew up listening to Jay-Z, Twista, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Brother Lynch hung. Through my parents, I would listen to DeBarge, Switch, Rick James, Michael Jackson, and Sade.

DPG: Who are some of your favorite rap artists?

HC: My favorite rap artists? I have to go with Tech N9ne, Jay-Z, Eminem, and I would say J.Cole. You never get a bad line or bar from these guys.

DPG: Do you remember when you wrote your first rhyme?

HC: I wrote my first rhyme at about 15 years old. In a Pizza Hut of all places. LOL. I was working there.

DPG; What was the first song you ever recorded?

HC: It was a song called Lyrical Murderer. I hate to listen to it now because it's so amateur, but if I had never written it I would've wasted the talent that I have.

DPG: How would you describe your style of music?

HC: My style of music is a bit on the Darkside. Not Star Wars Darkside, but darker side of the thought process. I won't rap about selling drugs or anything like that because that's not what I do, I have before but that's not the story I need to tell.

DPG: How did you get the name Hurricane?

HC: My older cousin gave me that name because he said I sounded like Twista, but faster. Plus I can hold my breath for just about 16 bars and still spit a fast verse.

DPG: I believe the first time I heard you flow was on the song YouTube Choppers. You came on the track and just didn’t stop. It made me want to hear more of your music.

DPG: What can you tell me about that track?

HC: I was approached by two gentlemen that I was in a group with at the time with the idea of getting on this track. I figured with all the success of the chopper tracks from Tech that I should give it a go. The track came out pretty dope! There was a lot of talent on there.

DPG: You put out the solo album S.a.D Laughter back in 2013. How did you come up with that album title?

HC: Well the sad part of sad laughter means "Sick and Deranged" S.a.D. Laughter. It's basically about an inter-voice that I have that laughs at me when I try to make decisions on my own.

DPG: Do you have a favorite track on the album?

HC: My favorite track from that album would have to be "Catch Fire" The beat was on point and the features were on point, Loose Logic and S.H.A.D.O.W. delivered and then some!

DPG: I’m curious as to why the album on had 12 tracks. Is there a reason for that?

HC: I've always thought when you put a project together,  you pick the best body of work no matter how many songs it is and you go with it! In this case 12 was the lucky number.

DPG: Did you have any type of concept for this album?

HC: The concept of this album was going from darkness to light. That's why the album finishes with his song for my son versus one of the darker tracks at the end.

DPG: Do you put any thought into the order of the tracks?

HC: Yes, I put a lot of thought into the order of the tracks, I also had assistance from one of my fellow artists Maniphest Destne of Choppa Clique.

DPG: You had Twisted Insane on the track Ready for the Murder. How did that collaboration come about?

HC: The track with Twisted Insane came about because he had me on one of his tracks, BrainSick 1.0

DPG: What can you tell me about the last track Your Avenger (Julian’s Song)?

HC: The last track is simply made because my son wanted me to make a song for him. He is a very big fan of the Avengers and he thinks that I'm the Incredible Hulk. LOL. Also in the Ironman verse I actually used one of his talking toys to say "I am Ironman" he loved it and still sings along to it when I play it.

DPG: I believe that you had Sprite Beatz produce some if not all the tracks for the album. Why did you choose him? Did you work with any other producers for this album?

HC: I chose Sprite Beatz because he has a very dark and ominous tone to his music. That's what I was actually going for. I did use two other producers as well, Charlie Hustle who made "catch fire" and "Army of one" and Aviated Tonez (I gave him that name by the way) who made "Welcome to the carnival."

DPG: You’re part of the group Choppa Clique. How long have you been part of the group?

HC: We started Choppa Clique back in 2011 I believe. D-SPillz and Maniphest Destne approached me to be a part of it.

DPG: Can you tell me about the other members of the group?

HC: These guys are pretty dope, we've done a lot of work together. SPillz is from IL, and Mani is from OH. I can honestly say these are two of the hardest working people I've seen since I've been involved in this rap business.

DPG: I recently discovered the song you guys did Thuggish Ruggish remake. What inspired you guys to do a cover for that song?

HC: We have all been influenced by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. We all took a road trip up to Cleveland Ohio together and stood at the corner of 99th and St. Clair! It was monumental for us because we are all from the Midwest. It was like our Graceland. The video that we shot for that song was actually shot here in Kansas City, The track originally had five people on it but one guy couldn't make it so we cut it down to four. The fourth person being BoneZ (also a member of CC)

DPG: Is there a reason Emce Damage’s verse was cut from the video shoot?

HC: Yeah Emce Damage was cut because he couldn't make it, no hard feelings attached to that.

DPG: I’ve been looking for other songs that you’re featured on and I found quite a bit. You’re on the song Angels and Demons by Kamikazi. How did you link up with him?

HC: I actually did a show with Kamikazi in Minnesota (his home state) and we clicked from that point. We had already had a couple tracks done together through other artists trying to get us on one song. That's the homie for real, him and his fiancé.

DPG: I found another track by Jay Crazii titled Killer Instincts ft a bunch of Brainsick artists. Are you a fan of their music?

HC: Yes the song with Jay Crazii, Killer Instincts! Of course I'm a very big fan of BrainSick music. I've worked with almost the whole roster now.

DPG: You’re also on this song Pulse by YoungDro Productions along with K-Fix, Kaos, and Crucified. When you record a verse for a song like that, do you know the other artists that you will be featured with?

HC: Pulse! That's a very dope track, shout to the homie YungDro for putting that together. I was aware that the other artists would be on the track but you never get to hear their verses. They all killed the track! Those guys make good music.

DPG: If you are aware of certain artists on a track, does that make you really want to bring your A game to the table?

HC: I never care who's on the track because I'm always in competition with myself and never another artist. My A game is a must on everything I do. Sometimes I'll go for better style over better lyrics or sometimes I'll go for both.

DPG: Have you ever turned down a collabo because the track was wack, the artist sucked, or for any other reason?

HC: Yes, there has been a lot of times I had to turn down feature offers. If someone comes to me and I can tell or I have the feeling that the heart is not in it and they're just making music just to make it I will turn it down, I don't really care about your skill set because that something that every artist has to work on themselves. I care if your heart is in it and if you are humble.

DPG: When someone asks for a collaboration from you, are you ever worried that you will outshine them on their own track?

HC: Again I never worry about outshining another artist, I'm only trying to outshine myself from the last verse I wrote.

DPG: Obviously, you can rap really fast. How did you groom your style to be able to do it so quickly?

HC: It's taken years to be as clear as I am when I rap fast. I put a lot of work into being very intricate with my lyrics. Because if anybody could do it everybody would do it.

DPG: When you chop really fast, does it take you a lot of times to record your verse?

HC: I actually got it down to a science now to where I don't have to do so many takes, just smoke a black and mild to clear my throat and lungs and drink water and I go!

DPG: There are a lot of artists out there really trying to chop their lyrics because it’s really popular? What’s your opinion on clarity, speed, and quality of lyrics?

HC: Clarity and speed is something that has to be mastered. Lyrics are something that take time to process. It's very important if you're going to chop to make sure that you are on beat and your pronunciation is very accurate. I hate when people mimic the style. I've never rapped in any other style then chopping.

DPG: In the past you had to record in the same studio with the artists and maybe it helped out the chemistry of a song. Do you feel that music suffers because of technology that’s available these days? Or do you see it as a positive?

HC: I do miss the times when you could go to a studio and vibe with another artist, but sometimes that has a downfall. You can have a lot of people sounding the same, I like the technology now because I can do songs with artists from Italy or Germany and not have to fly there to accomplish that.

DPG: What would you say is that hardest beat past or present that you’d like to flow over? Personally, I’d like to hear you record three verses over Twista’s Adrenaline Rush.

HC: It's so hard to say because each beat is a challenge. You always have to find the rhythm of the beat and learn how to write that. As far as Adrenaline Rush goes, I have recorded a verse over that before with the homie Playboy the Beast. The track is dope! It's also on YouTube. "Adrenaline Rush"

DPG: I’d like to play a game of word association with you. I’ll say the name of an artist or name something and you tell me the first thing that comes to your mind.

HC:

Tech N9ne: Big bro
Strange Music: Power house
Krizz Kaliko: Very talented
Twista: Icon
Bone Thugs & Harmony: Trendsetters
Spice-1: OG status
ScarFace: Legendary
Rap Music: In a bad place at the moment
Twisted Insane: Hard work!
BrainSick Music: Arguably, the best underground roster
JL of B.Hood: Next big artist from KC
Crucified: My brother on so many levels
DPG: Do you own your own studio? Where do you record your music?

HC: I do have my own personal studio in my house that I do all my recording in and then I send the vocals off to get mixed and mastered elsewhere.

DPG: Are you satisfied with your music career so far?
HC: So far I am pretty satisfied with my music career, I've done a lot of things that a lot of other underground artists have not been able to accomplish. My name is in a list of some pretty elite people now.

DPG: Do you hope to sign with a major label or would you rather stay independent?
HC: I do hope to sign to a major label because the independent business is lucrative, but very hard at the same time. Strange is the goal! I'm with Murder Musick right now and I'm very happy with the Quality of artists that we have.

DPG: Where do you see yourself in the industry in 5 years?
HC: I see myself a few more albums in and helping others move forward with their careers.

DPG: Is there any artist past/present that you’d like to work with?

HC: I would love to do a track with the Bizzy Bone. I would love to do a track with Drake and Kanye. I'm not a very big fan of mainstream artists lately, but these guys can make a song. Not just rap, but make a song.

DPG: Are there any producers past/present that you’d like to work with?

HC: I just work with the legendary Phonk Beta (Brotha Lynch Hung's producer). I would love to rap over a track composed by Eminem, his beats have a force to them and passion.

DPG: : Do you hold down a regular job in order to supplement your income?

HC: I was working as a store manager of an auto parts store. It can be very stressful at times so I let that job go. Now I'm currently not working. I'm just spending my time recording and selling verses. I will work on a car here and there, but as far as a 9-5. No, not right now.

DPG: How can people get in touch with you regarding music?

HC: If people are trying to get at me for a verse I have a couple avenues they can reach me at: Hurricanemusic913@gmail.com or Facebook.com/therealhurricane ( just drop me a message and I will reply)

If you're looking to buy music Bandcamp.com has my solo album (S.a.D. Laughter) and a couple of the Choppa Clique albums as well

DPG: Is there anything else you’d like to say or promote?

HC: I am currently working on an EP that will drop near Halloween, it's titled "Conflict" I'm working with the same producer that JL of B.hood has used for his albums, Smart Alec of Subliminal entertainment. Also in the beginning of 2016 there will be another Choppa Clique album entitled the Second Amendment.

DPG: I’d like to say thank you for your time. I look forward to your new music.

Follow Hurricane on Facebook: facebook.com/therealhurricane
Be on the lookout for his new EP this year titled Conflict!

Please leave comments on my blog or on Twitter @dpgmarine
Check out my other blog posts and subscribe if you'd like.

More Q & A sessions to come!

Thanks for reading!

dpgmarine

Poohman Q & A

I want to say that the first time I heard of Poohman was in the early 90s. The album was Life of a Criminal and the song was Fuckin with Dank. After that, I would pick up several more of his albums. I also enjoyed hearing him with other Bay Area artists such as Too Short, Spice-1, Ant Banks, and the whole Dangerous Crew.

He was gone for a while, but recently returned from a stint and is back to making new music. His most recent release Kaos Theory dropped last year and he's working on some more new stuff as well.

After reaching out to him, he agreed to take some time to speak to me.

This was conducted 4/2015 over the phone.

DPG = Me

PM = Poohman

Enjoy!

DPG: Where exactly are you from?

PM: East Oakland 72^nd & Rudsdale. Born in the 69 Village.

DPG: What kind of music did you grow up listening to?

PM: Soul music and everything. I listened to Ice cube & Scarface. I don’t really listen to rappers. That’s why I fuck with Scarface. I relate to him.

DPG: Do you remember when did you write your first rhyme?

PM: Yup, when I was in 6th grade. I wrote a poem titled Black Rose.

DPG: How would you describe your sound of music?

PM: I mean, I really don’t consider myself a rapper. I don’t like that term. My music is about something that I went through. It’s more Street Poetry!

DPG: Can you tell me how you hooked up with Too Short and the Dangerous crew?

PM: Well, me and my cousin Bruce were at a bowling alley on Alameda. We showed Too Short Life of a Criminal before it came out. That was around 1988. In 1990, my cousin Bruce got killed. Then Dwayne Upshaw came up to me and told me Short want to holler at me. From there, we hooked up.

DPG: How did you and Ant Banks meet?

PM: Me and Banks have know each other a long time. I met him when he was with MC Ant back in 1988. I wanted the best musically. Two days after we met, we were in the studio.

DPG: You were in the 1993 classic movie Menace to Society. How did you land a role in that movie?

PM: Hughes Bros (Allen and Albert). They came up here and said “We want you to play this part.”

DPG: Can you tell me when exactly you got locked up?

PM: 1995

DPG: Your album The State vs Poohman came out in 1997. Do you feel that this album suffered because you were in San Quentin?

PM: Yes, it did. Anytime you’re not there to promote it’s going to suffer. You have to go the radio stations. Back then we would make the rounds to the music stores from state to state. I couldn’t do any of that.

DPG: I really enjoyed this album. There are a lot of good songs on there. I wanted to talk about a few specific tracks on there. The first is the track Don’t Fuck with my Money. You had one of my favorite artists on that track which is Seagram. Can you tell me how that collaboration came about?

PM: Seagram and I are  from the same hood. He’s actually my daughter’s Godfather.  We went to the same schools. Our families are intertwined.

DPG: Do you have any stories you can share with me about him?


PM: Well shit, the first time I ever met Scarface was because of Seag. I was at a concert in New Orleans.  Seagram called me on the phone. He called me and told me there is concert in Texas and they want you to perform. I did it. When I got out there, I met Face. It was a dream come true. I’m a Scarface fan. Seagram blessed me with that opportunity.

DPG: Another of my favorite tracks on the album is the song Baby with Michael le Blanc. What was the inspiration behind that song?

PM: The inspiration for that was my ex-wife. It was something I had never done before. I decided to try it on that album.

DPG: Some of my other favorites on there are Sentenced to Five with JT the Bigga Figga, Bad Dreams, and When I Come Home. Are you happy with how that album turned out?

PM: I was happy wit the production.  I just re-released my whole catalog on Itunes. I like to study what songs or albums that people are buying.

DPG Is there anything surprising to you about the music that people are buying?

PM: Well, I have this song titled Eatin Pussy and people Down South, seem to be buying it a lot. Ha!

DPG: You then put out the album F**kin wit Dank 2001. Do you feel that the album lacked promotion?

PM: Yes, it did. At the time of that album, I was fighting a case. My homeboy released that on Killa Kali Records. I was headed back and he said let’s finish it. Then he put it out.

DPG: You’ve recently returned to the scene and put out a new album titled Kaos Theory. What motivated you to put out a new album after all these years?

PM: I got tired of listening to the music out there. Two weeks ago I really listened to radio. I didn’t like anything I heard. Nobody is saying anything. I would know if a person is from the street because they would say something that a street motherfucker would know.

DPG: You had Yukmouth on this album as well. Has he always been supportive of you through the years?

PM: Yuk, that’s my boy. He always hollered at me. Even when I was locked up. Before he re-made Fuckin with Dank, he contacted me first out of respect . When I got home, he contacted me right away.

DPG: Another heavy presence on the album is from Otis & Shug. They’ve been on the hook for many great songs and are two of my favorites. How did you re-connect with them?

PM: I consider them to be the Warren G of the Bay Area. I reconnected with them through Ant Banks. They deserve a lot credit.

DPG: Can you describe the music scene now and which artists you might be listening to?

PM: I listen to Berner, J. Stalin. Stevie Joe. Other dudes I won’t even listen to. They cant tell a story. They can’t speak on it. Most of the rappers from back then were in the GAME. Richie Rich - Baller. Seagram - a street motherfucker. Back then, you had real motherfuckers that were rapping. These dudes today aren’t doing this. When I got back, I was anxious to say a lot of shit. Banks guided me a lot on this album and told me to hold back. On this next album I won’t hold my tongue.

DPG: Have you spoken with Spice-1?

PM: Yes, Spice and I are cool. He just really hard to get a hold of. I was actually with Rappin 4 Tay this morning.

DPG: Are there any artists/producers that you would like to work with past or present?

PM: A producer I’d like to work with is Droop-E As far as artist, it would be TI. He had this one song about being locked up and I was really feeling that.

DPG: Have you done any features since you’ve been back.

PM: Yeah, I just did a song for Yukmouth’s new album. I did a verse for a Too Short song. Me and Richie Rich plan to do a single just for the hell of it. Really I’ve been focusing on my group Kaos Boyz and my female artist Tiffany Malone. That’s why it took me so long to put out Kaos Theory.

DPG: Is there anything else that you’d like to say or promote?

PM: I'm working on a new album. I will say this, I plan to have  a newer version of Fuckin with Dank be the first song. It’s going to be called Cookies and Drank. It’s going to feature Berner, B-Legit, Richie Rich, Yukmouth, and Too Short. My hope if to have everyone together one day and then film the video for that song.

DPG: Well, I’d really like to thank you for taking the time to speak me. It’s been a pleasure for me. I look forward to anything else you may put out in the future.

PM: No problem!

Follow Poohman on Twitter @realpoohman 
Go grab his newest Kaos Theory online
Go to Itunes to grab all of his past albums as well!!

Please leave comments on my blog or on Twitter @dpgmarine
Check out my other blog posts and subscribe if you'd like.

More Q & A sessions to come!
Thanks for reading!
dpgmarine