Published: Monday - June 12, 2006
Words by Kennita Hickman
Rhymefest (Photo: J Records)
In an industry where substance means little and image is everything, Rhymefest is ready to break the mold. Nah, he's not rapping about guns and drugs. And, he's not really talking about Gucci loafers, either. Rhymefest -- signed to Allido/J Records -- is a hybrid of sorts. He does conscious raps, club joints and everything in between. His only rule? That it's done his way.
His debut single, "Brand New" featuring Kanye West, is already creating a buzz. With his debut album, Blue Collar, set to hit stores July 11th, Ballerstatus decided to check in and see what's so special about Rhymefest. One thing that sets him apart is that he's one of the few artists to receive a Grammy before his album dropped. Oh yeah, he helped pen "Jesus Walks" with Mr. West. Now, he's ready to solidify himself as his own entity in an industry void of originality. Yes, it's a daunting task. But, Rhymefest was destined to rhyme.
BallerStatus.com: Hi Rhymefest. How are you?
Rhymefest: I'm blessed, man. I'm feeling good. You know, I asked my manager how hard is it to get into the music business because I don't remember. I've been with Jive for a year and a half now. And, he told me of all the people who want to be in this business, only 10% get a record deal. Of that 10%, only 5% actually record an album. And, of those...only 2% actually have a hit record. So, I'm blessed because I feel like I already have a hit record (with "Brand New", his debut single featuring Kanye West). I have a lot of good people on this album -- No ID, Mike Payne, Kanye... Mark Ronson.
BallerStatus.com: Keeping in line with those numbers you just ran off, a lot of people have great albums. What do you think gives that 2% a hit single which would eventually lead to commercial success?
Rhymefest: "Laffy Taffy" is everywhere. It's all over the radio, all over the clubs...you can buy the ringtones, but the album isn't doing that great. But, then you have an artist like Kanye who sold over 3 million in records sales. Radio wasn't really playing "Touch the Sky" or "Heard 'Em say." But, the true music fans love it and will go out and buy the album.
BallerStatus.com: By now, everyone knows of your success with "Jesus Walks"...
Rhymefest: [And] people ask me all the time, "Why didn't you keep 'Jesus Walks' for yourself?" And, it's like... why would I? We were on a mission from GOD to spread this message. GOD used Kanye and I as vessels to spread this message. Never has there ever really been a commercial hit about Jesus. And, we did that. Kanye was able to do that based off of the success he was already having. SO, even if I had kept the song, would it have turned out the way [the final song] did? No. Would I have been able to give it as much [visibility] as he did? No.
BallerStatus.com: Aight. So, I've heard about the jobs you didn't like, like the janitor job you had. What "blue collar" job did you actually like?
Rhymefest: Well, I worked as like a guard for inmates doing highway cleanup in Indiana. Like, I was the dude who drove them to a spot on the highway and would say "Okay. Grab your bags and get pick up garbage." And, it was all white guys and they hated it. It was great. For one moment, I felt like Colin Powell.
BallerStatus.com: And, this is the job you liked?
Rhymefest: Oh yeah. I loved it. Loved it.
BallerStatus.com: But, that sounds horrible. I mean, surely with the racial dynamics...it couldn't have been a good thing.
Rhymefest: Yeah, they'd try to pick with me and wear confederate t-shirts and stuff. I didn't care. I'd pull over and drop them off. And say "Well, you shouldn't have been drinking and driving." So, I'd sit there eating my Doritos and listening to my Rhymefest demo as they picked up trash. It was great.
BallerStatus.com: If it was so great, why'd you leave?
Rhymefest: I figured it was time to stop messing with these crackers and get serious about rapping.
BallerStatus.com: How'd you get your start in music?
Rhymefest: Um, my mom read this book on how to raise a good child and... she took great care of herself. She prayed, she exercised and she ate right. So, when people ask me "How'd you get your start?" I always say I was destined to do this. I was destined to be here.
BallerStatus.com: Moving on. The music scene in Chicago is pretty diverse. How do you feel like you fit in? You don't necessarily sound like Kanye or anyone else. So, how do you feel you contribute to the sound of Chicago?
Rhymefest: I don't think there is a sound of Chicago. Just like there is no sound of New York...Biz Markie didn't sound anything like Slick Rick. And, Slick Rick wasn't doing what Big Daddy Kane was doing. We're all so diverse. Like, Common is nothing like Twista. Shawnna sounds nothing like me. And Lupe sounds nothing like Kanye. But, what we do have is soul. And, no matter what we rap about, we have that soul and passion for what we do. So, none of us sounds a like. But, we have that soul.
BallerStatus.com: Makes sense. What effect do you think the internet has had on hip-hop?
Rhymefest: The effect is huge. I'm able to reach so many more people. I'm on Myspace and I get notes from a lot of people [I respond to them all eventually]. But, I'm reaching like 20,000 people who come to my page...listen to my tracks. Could I do this with mainstream radio? Probably not. There's really no other way I could reach this mass amount of people.
BallerStatus.com: What do you think about the current state of hip-hop?
Rhymefest: We've become caricatures. Seriously, and I said I was gonna stop saying this, but I'm going to do it anyways. Instead of blackface and big lips, we got grills. And, who created those? A white man. And, people are going to think I'm hating, so let me explain. I'm not hating because when I was a shorty, I wore the dookie ropes [like Big Daddy Kane] and the big clocks [like Flava Flav]. But there was still a message [in the music]. Big Daddy Kane would rock the chain, but he still recorded "Children are the Future."
BallerStatus.com: Let's talk about the album a little bit. Now, the album sampler is so diverse. Was it just hip-hop that influenced you?
Rhymefest: No, not at all. I listened to Big Daddy Kane, Slick Rick, Biz Markie... but I grew up on other sounds too, just being at home around my grandmother. As I get older, I converted into listening to older music, like Nat King Cole. There's this one song, "Walking My Baby Back Home." Can I sing it to you?
BallerStatus.com: Um... sure.
Rhymefest: Okay. "Gee, it's great after being out late, Walking my baby back home. Arm and arm over meadow and farm, walking my baby back home." And then he says, "We stop for a while, she gives me a smile, And snuggles her head on my chest." Then he goes into something like, "She says if I kiss her, she'll cry. I dry her eyes all through the night, walking my baby back home." And, THAT'S what I'm talking about. Listen to those lyrics. He saying "I'm just walking my baby back home. My guys drive by and give me the eye, walking my baby back home?" Where's the imagination [in hip-hop]? Like, he (Nat King Cole) didn't say "she said if I kissed her she'd cry... man, I hit that all night as I dried her eyes." What happened to modesty? That's what I bring to the table -- fun, modesty, imagination. That's what I want to bring.
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