Ras Kass (January 2010) | Interview By: Jose Ho-Guanipa

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Interview was conducted in January 2010
 

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Related Media & Links
The Endagered Lyricist Vol. 1 (Download)
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Ras Kass // Video Interview // Dubcnn

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Dubcnn: What’s Up Dubcnn this is Jose and I’m here with Ras Kass and we’re in the studio, what’s up? So you’re working, workin’ on music, and makin’ new music. So tell us about what you’ve been doing lately.

Ras: Well the first thing we did was The Quarterly were really happy with the results of it, we kind of did something novel, I got the idea from, I’m trying to think of the rock group that did it, like a couple of years ago, a very well established group, they took a different approach and they put out a project, and let the people decide what they want to pay for it.

Dubcnn: Oh, Radiohead did that.

Ras: Radiohead, exactly. So just from an urban standpoint, you know hip hop standpoint, I was like, nobody had done that and I thought it was just a dope idea. We live in a culture now, where you can pretty much get what you want for free anyway, at least come get it from me first, you know what I’m sayin'? Pick your price, so we did that. 17 songs, we been, it’s called The Quarterly, it’s a series, not an album, although everything’s original records, what we did was, we did 10 songs for 10 weeks, so technically we dropped like a single a week for 10 weeks, it was in the 3rd quarter, then we fell back and kind of gave content around those 10 songs, and you know what I’m sayin’, we still giving content, so we dropped like 3 videos and we dropped the link from Ras Kass Central where you can get all 10 plus 7 new songs plus, you know the videos and all the content related to it, and we still giving content to it, so its kind of like a parallel situation. So The Quarterly which was the 3rd quarter bled even now to the top of the first quarter. We may do a little Quarterly, you know maybe start in the second quarter, maybe start in the 3rd quarter, it just depends.

Dubcnn: Yeah definitely wanna touch on the kind of stuff you’re doing, very unique, but first off yesterday was martin Luther king day, tell us, what did that mean to you as an artist and what did you do?

Ras: Actually I wrote a blog yesterday, and for me it was a little bit more, and I think it takes everybody, you know what I’m saying? It takes a Martin Luther King, it takes a Malcolm X it takes a Che Guevara, it takes a Ghandi to try to work towards equality you know what I'm sayin’? In whatever case it may be. With me, what I alluded to in the blog was just how ironic, I was just thinking about it, I looked on the news and John McCain was going somewhere and I was just like, Wasn’t he the senator who voted against it and wasn’t AZ like the last place? So it kind of put it in perspective that we’ve grown as a country and as people but we still nowhere close to little white girls and little black boys holding hands, I don’t necessarily ascribe to peace, I understand the power of peaceful protest, but the only thing that peaceful protest does is get a lot of people’s ass whipped and then they feel guilted because other people are looking, which is a cool concept, but America didn’t peaceful protest the Native Americans out of here, you know what I’m saying, they put boot to ass.

Dubcnn: Yeah or the British.

Ras: Yeah, so I’m kind of like, the world respects power. Just think about what we like, as men we wanna see football, we like to see gladiators, you know what I’m sayin’, we wanna see battles, we wanna see beef, we like that shit, we programmed for that shit as men, you know what I’m saying? Men run the world unfortunately, maybe if we had women, maybe it’d be nicer, probably be more irrational, but you know it may be a better world, you know what I’m sayin’? Men run it, and men respect boot to ass. So as I respect Martin Luther King, for what he stood for and everything, you know what I’m sayin’, and the movement that he created it was just kind of, to me it was kind of bittersweet. Just thinking that he was gonna run for president, that was the last nigga that was all about peace, that all you could do was disrespect. (Zed walks into the studio)

Ras: ZED! This my man Zed, half of The Riffs.

Zed: What’s up man, how’s it going?

Ras: Dubcnn in the building, you know what I’m sayin’, we just gettin' a little interview on. Zed, tell them about what you’re doin'.

Zed: I’m over here next door with The Electrolytes makin' some electro funk rock hip-hop, whatever I make.

Ras: We have an eclectic extreme, so anyways it was bittersweet for me, and I went to the studio.

Dubcnn: Gotta love the studio. Tell us about your music, and how you evolved as an artist. When I listen to your music, you keep a very authentic hip hop sound, what’s your approach when your makin’ music?

Ras: I like a lot of different stuff, to be perfectly honest, like sonically, I like what you would call traditional west coast shit. I like traditional east coast or hip hop shit, I like south sounds, I like everything you know what I’m sayin’, and what attracted me to hip hop, because I was never a person that listened to music growing up, so the first thing I heard and it had already existed, and I just didn’t pay attention was rap, but was what cool about it was, I kind of understood what a country song was, or what a rock song was, or a pop song, and there was nothing that was in it for me, although I could appreciate it I understood what it was so I never had a natural attraction to music because there was nothing inaptly in it for me but then when I heard rap for more than one reason because it actually sampled that country western and that rock song, you know what I’m sayin’, it fused all that and somebody said something that I can relate to, and so I was a late bloomer in rap period because I just wasn’t a music person, I try to make that a reflection of what I do on my music, because I will do what I like, and I like a lot of different shit., and I think that’s the strength of hip hop when you start makin’ boxes “oh this isn’t real” you know what I’m sayin’, like you make your own box, I refuse to let people put me in that box even though they try to trust me I get “you should do this” my gangsta homeboys is like nigga, you’s this kind of nigga and you supposed to do these kind of songs, and then my underground niggas is like, well no you this cause you made that song and you supposed to do that, and I’m like dude, I make it all, you can’t pick half of an album, when my first presentation is sold on ice, you can’t pick half of it and like half of it, you know what I’m saying and tell me that’s all of me. Well you can like half of it, you just can’t tell me that’s my total sum, when on the same song I’m doing Nature to Threat I’m doing a song with Coolio talkin' bout fuckin' some bitches and I’ve got a song with Battlecat talkin' bout come to the house, we gonna drink some Hennessey and fuck bitches, you know what I’m sayin' kick it with the homies, and don’t steal, and talking about a burner, whatever like, you can’t split me in half, you can like what you like ascetically, but you have to accept the total package so the total package for me and the music that I try to make, covers my spectrum, the shit that I like period, and I like a lot of different shit, and its gonna keep evolving.

Dubcnn: Not trying to put you in the box, but you did the whole major label thing and then you decided not to do that because you wanted to do your own thing and not compromise. You’ve been doing independent stuff, you been putting out mixtapes like The Quarterly. How did you guys think of all these different ways to push the music, like you said you put out songs every quarter and then you’re doing content and you have the website and all that?

Ras: Well for me, there’s some things I can’t talk about but in general, I kind of had a really big battle with a really big company, and it dragged out, it literally dragged out for about 6 years, and that’s a long time in rap, that’s just a long time in life. So during that time, I have a passion and I enjoy creating music, to be perfectly honest maybe not so much everything else, I have a passion just for the creative process, I don’t really like the business, but I had to readjust and understand the business, and so what occurred to me was, I’ve known Ludacris for 10 years, I’ve known Lil’ Jon for 10 years, I’ve known Outkast for 10 years, I’ve known Xzibit for 10 years, I’ve known Eminem for 10 years, I’ve known Jay-Z for 10 years; all these people, and 50 Cent, and so my thing was we recognize each other and we see these people and you actually see like this nigga’s dope, and that nigga says, “Yo this nigga’s dope.” So what changes Ras Kass from Eminem? Or what changes Eminem that was just as dope when he was just Marshall Mathers, Eminem the white boy to, “Oh my god it’s Eminem?” It’s the business part unfortunately, because the talent was already there and it was recognized by the people who recognize the talent, but then you get to a bigger thing, and so I had to approach my career, If I want to have a career here from a different angle, which is I know what I’m good at, I can make music, I can rap good, I can write a rhyme, I can write a better rhyme faster than most niggas, just to be perfectly honest, so that’s not my problem, my problem is marketing and advertising and business, and so I had to take that approach and I was in a major situation where that maybe label was unwilling or unable to market me, and advertise me correctly, and that happens at labels, trust me, Ne-yo was signed before, and got dropped, that happens, now that label that dropped him is kicking themselves in the ass you know what I’m saying? Alicia Keys, same thing. So you have to define yourself, before you let people start defining you, obviously if you define yourself, you’ll have your highs and your lows, eventually, you’ll get your breakthrough and your opportunity cause I believe success is opportunity plus preparation. So as long as you prepared it only takes one and all of a sudden you hot, but it took a long time and a lot of blood sweat and tears, but you were prepared when that opportunity came, so for me, that’s where I’m at, I wanted to start from scratch, I’m a person who had 2 albums out at an early age. I had 2 albums that didn’t come out, then I had a fight, so technically I’m a new artist you know what I’m sayin’? A 20 year old nigga ain't heard me, I ain't had an album out for 10 years, so he ain't never heard of me, I don’t exist, and that’s cool, it’s kind of refreshing after I’ve gotten anything I felt was like negative energy or anything that was a in durance behind me, and now I just approach my life like, hey I’m a new nigga, I’m a new nigga that gets to redefine myself to my own era and to a newer era, because I never had the opportunity to define myself previously, so it’s exciting for me, you know, and I’m like a new nigga that know a lot of people, lucky enough to know a lot of niggas, and that’s cool.

Part 2:

Dubcnn: Speaking on some of the people you work with, you said you’re in the studio for Fashawn, Alchemis, Khalil, a lot of people, who you been collaborating with recently, you know for their stuff for your stuff, for your upcoming stuff?

Ras: Man, I’ve done a lot of stuff man, I did uh, for Ev’s album God Save America, I shouldn’t blow it up, anyway for Ev’s album, for Xzibits new album, he has a group with Young D and B Real from Bad Project, for Eternia, shit for Khalil, I just did a Khalil track 2 days ago, Mastercraft, I stepped in the Dubstep shit, my homeboy 12 Planet, and then for this project that I’m doing, it’s like a lot of people, I can’t even remember everybody, Fashawn, Blue, Strong Arm Steady, Xzibit, it’s probably gonna be a Golden State song, when it’s all said and done, Canabis’s solo album, Royce 5’9, I’m kinda blessed. Babu did something for the newer project that we’re coming up with, David Banner, possibly M.I.A. on it, so, I mean a lot of stuff, oh I did Faith, Faith’s album, of course 40 Glocc you know all our affiliates, Doctor ollywood, a lot, just a lot of shit man, I’m forgettin’ some shit, it’ll come to me later, but, we stay pretty busy.

Dubcnn: Yeah definitely, so I know you did that 4 Horsemen group back in the day, you ever think about doing another project like that? Does it cross your mind?

Ras: you know I let things happen as they happen. Certain things, I just think they should be organic, I consider Killah Priest a friend, same way I consider Xzibit a friend, same way I consider my nigga Hex a friend, you know what I’m sayin’ get well. It’s certain people, that, we’re gonna fuck with each other whether you see it or not, you know what I’m sayin’, we’re gonna fuck with each other and not necessarily have to do a song, you know what I’m sayin’, we’re gonna kick it cause that’s my niggas. If those things happen that’s fine, but, you know, there’s no but to it, I got a pretty heavy plate because I got a lot of work to do, that’s the way I approach it, I got a lot of work to do if I want to command the same “quote unquote” respect as Eminem and 50 Cent, and what I mean by respect is cut the goddamn check you know, don’t play games when we walk in here you understand this is 20, 30,000 dollars for this verse, which is not a lot, I know niggas is getting 100. I sat down with Dre’ one day and I remember the nigga said “how come I get 100,000 dollars for a verse and you don’t, and you’re one of the greatest rappers ever”, and he was trying to explain to me business, he was like “you know politics and that”, he’s like “no, decisions, making your path and makin' the right decisions”, and I respect him for that it kinda was some reality shit, and he was kinda’ schoolin’ me and he wasn’t trying to shit on me, he was trying to build me up to understand on how to make moves and make the right decisions in business. Because my talent is my talent and can’t nobody take that from me but they can try to denigrate me and say well you’re not like so and so, and that part is based on my decisions. I have to make the right actions to put myself in that same perceptive caliber; you know what I’m sayin’? Ludacris doesn’t treat me disrespectful, (stands up and walks across the studio) but maybe Ludacris’s fans is like, “Who the fuck is this dude? Get the fuck outta the way I’m trying to get to Ludacris!” So my job is to put myself in the position where they say “Oh shit there’s Ludacris,” and “Oh shit there’s him.” and that’s business. It has nothing to do with the talent. So that’s where I’m at.

Dubcnn: Definitely. You recently came back from jail, (Ras asks P Killa for a lighter) how does that affect how you approach rap? Did you think it as a time to to focus?

Ras: It was a pretty unfortunate situation. Like I said I try not to live in the past, I learn from it but, it’s just a waste of time period. For whatever reason you go to prison, you know, it’s just a waste of time, and I really approached it from a disgusted point of view.(pauses lights a joint) I was disgusted with myself, because my whole thing is, everything is my fault, period. I don’t care if it rains and shit, it’s my fault, it makes me feel better because I don’t gotta put shit off to god, why’d you do this, or this nigga, cause if somebody stabbed me in the back, it’s my fault because I fucked with you. So with prison period, whether certain circumstances weren’t quite as perceived whatever, it’s all my fault. I put myself in the position to be able to go back to prison you know what I’m sayin’ it’s all my fault, and I just approach everything from that attitude and it helps me not be reactive. It helps me to be in control at all times, because it’s all my fault. So if I do things right, things will be right, you know what I’m sayin’ and if I get on some bullshit and allow certain people in my space and my area, and something goes wrong, I should learn then I gotta get rid of some people, that’s kind how I move. I just took the time to be perfectly honest; I didn’t write a rhyme period. Wasn’t interested, cause like I said I figured out my problem is not writin' a rap. The same people, that people hang on every word that they say if you ever took the time and just go back to a mixtape of mine, I’ve said better, and it’s just the truth and I’m not tryin’ to be a dick I’m just tryin’ to be honest. Niggas would ignore him because so and so was hotter, but the niggas nasty, it’s like, “Did you just hear what this niggas sayin’?” and then all of a sudden this nigga pop and, “Oh shit the nigga.” C’mon my nigga you’s a groupie, and we do it even in our industry as fans, well as connoisseurs cause we’re not fans, it’s not that I root for the underdog but sometimes the underdog is really the better nigga, and then watch people do that dickriding shit, and who gets the magazine cover, and its kinda sad because not the cream of the crop is always rising to the top, I love to see the cream of the crop rise, I love to see a nigga shine, and I’m not hatin' on the nigga that is not of the caliber of what people put him to be because he’s getting his money, and I can’t get mad at somebody getting they money. I’m not a hater but I mean there’s a certain fundamental. There’s innate bullshit in hip hop, that’s the best way I can explain it. It’s just a corny as it says it’s not and that’s the sad part about it, of rap. They start stereotyping and so, West Coast is this and if you don’t do it like that, because so and so sold a million records and if you don’t do it like him then your shit ain’t tight, and that’s some cornball shit. That’s some weak shit, and that ain’t no grown man shit, that’s not being an individual and sayin hip hop is very individualistic and it should remain that way, and when I feel like when I’m getting pulled into the bullshit I just try to fall back, cause trust me my goal. I do want all that, I want the big show, I want the ring. But I want it on my terms that’s not me selling my ass or me selling my soul or me being a clown ass nigga I just wanna be a real human being and be what I’m about and I’m not gonna get taken one extreme angle or another extreme angle, and hopefully cause I say these things then hopefully I can get to a point where I have an audience that’s big enough that it makes an impact and they say “Wow this nigga really meant what he said when he said that”, and try to help people grow and help this industry. You know what I’m sayin’, and that’s kinda where I’m at with it.

Dubcnn: For sure. So you just put The Quarterly out, what do you have in the works? You were telling me about something you were working on.

Ras: Oh yeah, well first of all we’ll probably do another series and as of now we kind of decided, I was just thinking like yo man I would like to kinda, you know do something where it’s not me, per say it’s like me and somebody else, and I had a few opportunities with MC’s that do certain things, but I wanted to do some Rapper DJ shit, so I did it with the Beat Junkies I did it with Rhettmatic who I felt like we have a long history, long friendship and it just seemed like the genuine right thing to do, was to fuck with Rhett who’s been a friend for (pauses for a second), damn 15 years now something like that, it’s coming together. It’s called ADIDAS cause I just remember being little and they used to always say that stuff all day I dream about sex so then I was like ok well we’ll flip it and we’ll call it all day I dream about spittin’ and its gonna be pretty cool. So it’s a Beat Junkie re up project as opposed to, it’s not really a Ras Kass project it’s a Beat Junkie/Ras Kass project, and I think it’s gonna be dope, when it’s all said and done. It’s kinda retro classic hip-hop but then trust me it’s some futuristic shit, we already dropped a song off it, it’s called 3008. So, there’s gonna be contrast and my whole thing is that I like music, period. So I’m gonna do, maybe a Dubstep song on there, I like doing what I like doing if you can’t get with that one particular song then that’s cool but I may like this kinda music and I’m gonna do that and you can’t tell me that’s not hip-hop cause the fact that I’m doin' it makes it hip-hop, unless its contrived in bullshit, and I try my best not to make it, I know how to make a hit record. In whatever era I know exactly the types of sounds I need to do and who needs to auto tune on it and the whole shit. If a song calls for that then I wanna do that but I don’t wanna make contrived music. I actually wanna make music that I think is cool and the people around as we’re making it is like “That shit is cool,” and hopefully because we make good business decisions some of those things can be on the radio but not everything’s for the radio and not everything’s gonna be the most lyrical “Nature Of The Threat”; it’s not that. It shouldn’t be that. It should be me being honest about who I am as a person. That’s what an album or a project is supposed to be is creative and honest. So that’s kinda like the whole zone we in and I wanna make that lame, honest motherfucka instead of a nigga with an angle like, “Oh he’s the bad boy. Oh he’s the player. Oh he’s the drug dealer. Oh he’s like the rocker dude. Oh he’s the one, he’s emo, he wears the skinny jeans.” Fuck that, what’s wrong with just bein’ yourself?

Dubcnn: Alright man well thanks for the interview. Good times, speaking on business tell us where we can find your stuff online, the website all that stuff, Ras Kass Central?

Ras: Yes Sir, you can go to raskass-central.com. We got the blogs, we got the videos, we got The Quarterly, we haven’t even really started, so you got the scoop on the whole adidas thing, we just stay having content. We got the green room, we got my man P Killa, we got his expertise, we got the Electrolytes, we got Doctor Hollywood,we got Zoo Hang, 40 Glocc, we got Xzibit, we got a great team and a great family, and we got shit to do.

P Killa: Don’t forget to tell them about the joint we gonna do, fuck it I’m putting out this compilation album Ras gonna be the first one we gonna set it off. The shit is called The Best Shit Ever, presented by P Killa tracks from Ruff Rydaz.

Ras: All day.

P Killa: Look out for that shit.

Ras: Real talk.