Published: Monday - September 4, 2006
Words by Jay Casteel
E-White (Photo: n/a)
This Long Beach native was a heavily recruited high school basketball, but his choices as a teenager took him down the wrong road and shattered his dream of NBA stardom. E-White then took up hustling as a full-time job, but quickly learned that the occupation hazards and consequences that come with the streets were leading no where quick. So, that's when he turned to his second love, hip-hop.
He loved writing and rapping since he was a kid, so he quickly honed his skills in freestyling, and tore up MCs in cyphers along the way. As his skills grew, he began to get serious, leading him to signing with Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle Records in early 2001. But, due to lack of experience Snoop had at running a label, E-White's release never saw the light of day; neither did any artist signed at the time as well.
Now, after a recent stint in prison, E-White is rejuvenated, recharged and hungrier than ever about grinding his music. The rapper spoke with BallerStatus about his time away, how it affected his mindset, new music and his history in the business.
BallerStatus.com: First off, you're fresh off a recent stint in prison, so did the time away help you at all?
E-White: Obviously, it's gonna bring a certain amount of hunger, having everything taken from you. Being in a certain place in your life, just missing [music], I had the time to really reflect on the things I was doing right and the things I was doing wrong. I grew up a little bit inside myself and I let that out there in the music I've recorded since being released.
BallerStatus.com: Did you write a lot while inside, or did you just use the time to think?
E-White: It was kind of hard to write. You gotta keep your mind sharp and focused during the time in that motherf---er, so it was kind of hard to take time out the same way, the same creative process you are used to at home.
I just thought of a lot of ideas and brainstormed -- titles, concepts, etc. I knew getting out and recording wasn't gonna be sh--, so that time was used to really think about the kind of content I wanted to record.
BallerStatus.com: Ok, so the new mixtape with Dow Jones (Play Your Position), is it a reflection of all the things you thought about in the inside, or is it more of how you felt once you were out?
E-White: It's a trip you asked me that because I ain't really ever thought about that. But, it's both of them. It was in there and out. I said a lot of things that I was feeling when I was in there. I try not to be bitter about a whole lot of sh--, but obviously, certain situations leave a certain taste in your mouth at a certain time in your life, so everything I spit on wax is the truth. I try to keep my personal issues away from the mic, but I'mma get raw gutter about it. I ain't lying about sh-- on the mic, so I'm comfortable with what I spit.
So, the second half of the question, when I got out, I was happy. I was free again and brand new. I still am now. So, I had some of that in me, mixed in with the feelings I was feeling while inside. That's basically what you have on the mixtape, a blend of both of those, along with Meech's vision, hooks and sounds.
BallerStatus.com: Before we start talking about all the new sh-- going on. Let's talk about your past a little. I understand that before you got into rapping, you were a major high school basketball star. Talk about that a little, and why you didn't play past high school.
E-White: You hear a lot of n----s saying they were high school ball stars, but I was really a blue-chip All-American. My n----s is Paul Pierce, Tayshaun Prince's big brother Tommy Prince and a bunch of other n----s -- Keith Van Horn, Baron Davis. Them all my peers, I shined with them n----s. That's my background. I was heavily recruited from 8th grade.
That was something I did, but I grew up in the hood. Eventually, adolescence kicks in and your homies are doing what they do, and I followed suit. My neighborhood was the block; I was in the center of it. So, I was with my n----s doing what we do...you start robbing, jacking and stealing sh--. We was out there thuggin'. I f---ed mine off, because I got caught up selling weed on campus and they kicked me out. Bottom line, that was the end of [basketball]. So, from there, I did what every other n---- would do, take to the streets and get what I needed.
That was the first time going to jail, but I been going to jail since '96, on and off. And I don't condone that, I ain't proud of it, but it ain't like I hopped in the rap game and tried to build no criminal files. So, I took to the streets full-time immediately after my hoop career was over. I seen it wasn't going no where and I could always rap and always used to write, so we started busting raps late night and it became more than a hobby. I wanted to be tighter and tighter, so I worked at it. I was always known for freestyling and hopping in them cyphers. Ask any of these West Coast n----s.
That's just a little bit of history because a lot of people think I did basketball, then just stumbled upon a deal with Snoop. That first Long Beach wave came around in '92 when The Chronic dropped, then '93, '94 all the way hot. There was a reason [Snoop] came to get me after all them years. He got the Eastsidaz, but that's obvious. After that, he didn't come back to get anybody else from the city. He came and got me. N----s act like I stumbled across a deal, but n----s don't get down like that. The n---- know I'm dope then a motherf---er man.
BallerStatus.com: So, what did you learn from taking your future basketball plans for granted back then?
E-White: My thing is like I would never let nobody out work me, you know? When I was doing that, I was working hard at my game, so that's what separated me from the average motherf---er trying to hoop. That's how I am with [hip-hop]. I know that I'm past the dumb sh--. I've grown; I'm not a kid or teenager. I've been through sh--, so I understand the seriousness of life in general.
BallerStatus.com: You came up with the Twinz back in the day, which in turn led to you hooking up with Snoop Dogg. Tell us how the relationship with Snoop progressed.
E-White: The Twinz were my main direct connect to Snoop, as far as when it came down to presenting him with my whole demo package in 2001. We grew up as childhood friends (me and the Twinz). They is actually a few years older than Snoop. I remember seeing Snoop at my auntie's house all the time or the Twinz' momma's or other cousins. He was the youngest, but he was the hardest at rapping out of all of them. We just built a relationship. I know his younger brother, we went to school together. My older brother knows Snoop, so it was just some old school sh--.
By the time I really got serious about my sh-- and learning how to really get with some producers and come with a package or demo, he was like, "Damn cuz, why didn't you tell me you rap a long time ago?" But, I'd rather do it how I did it. Build a relationship and hone my skills, so it don't look like I'm in there trying to work a n---- for nothing.
BallerStatus.com: You were signed to Snoop's Doggystyle Records for a minute, but there was no album release. What happened?
E-White: I don't take it personally. At the time, there was four core artists -- Letoya Williams, Soopafly, Kokane and myself. But, they were all slated to release albums prior to mine coming out. I didn't see none of they albums drop. I just didn't take it personal.
If I were to see, perhaps, a Soopafly album drop, then maybe I'd feel comfortable to keep working, knowing that my album was gonna drop around the time it was supposed to. I mean, but nothing came out, so I thought that's how it would be with me. So, if anybody blames me for trying to better my position and doing what's better for me, then I can't help that.
BallerStatus.com: So, now you and your partner/producer Meech Wells are working hard on some new sh--. Tell us about that and how you guys hooked up.
E-White: We hooked up, of course, when he was doing all the platinum hits for Snoop. He was on his way out and I was on my way in at Doggystyle. I would trip because every time I would hear some hard ass beats, I would be like, "Who's that?" And they'd be like, "Oh, that's that Meech sh--." So I would ask what was up with that, and they'd be like, "Oh, whoopie, whoop got it." I could never catch one. I hooked back up with him prior to me going to jail this last time and he got me on this mixtape with Dow Jones (Play Your Position). He just kept me popping, while I was gone. And once I got out, it was curtains from there.
Meech Wells: We hooked up a long time ago at [Snoop] Dogg's house, but we never had the chance to work together because Dogg called me over for him or what he saw fit to do with the people in his company. After that we started hooking up on a more personal tip, and he saw that I was looking for new sh-- to take my sh-- to another level. E-White has the same work ethic as me, so we're just working until the wheels fall off.
BallerStatus.com: The new mixtape is out right?
E-White: You can download it at DubCnn.com. Or at the Compton Swapmeet, Slauson Swapmeet...yea, we hood y'all. Delamo Swapmeet, the market place in Lynnwood. Amoeba on Sunset Blvd., Fat Beats on Melrose, the VIP in Long Beach and Visjon on Crenshaw. I'm Crenshaw, 43rd and Crenshaw by Lemert Park for all you hood n----s that know what's up. We also got the big billboard over there.
BallerStatus.com: So, what should they expect from it?
E-White: Just sh-- that's gonna catch you off guard. With me, I'll slip in an emotional record in there real quick. I'll take it back to the old school; Meech will throw a party up in there. They don't wanna get him sampling, n----s better leave that sh-- alone. I sat there and watched him chop a sample up and it was ugly. Everything they wanna hear, there is something for every situation you can possibly think of on the West Coast, or any other ghetto. N----s feel what I'm saying 'cause everything ain't extra'd out. I don't be talking just to be talking.
Meech Wells: The sound is basically my view of what's popping now, what the West should sound like right now. Just keeping it current and pulling out something that's heartfelt, the sound that E-White wants to come out on, some Tupac-type stuff.
Features Joe Budden: I Do It For Hip-Hop It's 2008, and guess what, Joe Budden is still here. Normally when a rapper endures personal tragedies, and label disputes, ... full story
Beyond Hip-Hop Game Review: Far Cry 2 Gone are Jack Carver, his Hawaiian shirt, and the trigens from the first installment of "Far Cry," but in comes spine ... full story
Digg It
Del.icio.us
