Published: Friday - October 5, 2007
Words by Jay Casteel
Federation (Photo: Warner Bros.)
The Bay Area has proven over the years to have plenty of talent. When the region is mentioned names like E-40, Too Short and the late Mac Dre come to mind, as well as the term hyphy, which exploded in popularity over the past couple years. But, when you mention hyphy, you can't go far without mentioning the hip-hop trio that goes by the name, Federation -- the originators of the subgenre created and birth within the Bay Area.
The Federation -- consisting of Stressmatic, Doonie Baby and Goldie, as well as the unofficial fourth member, superproducer Rick Rock -- was ready to release the newest major label album via Warner Bros. Records last year, but for unknown reasons, it didn't drop. It seemed as though it may have been another bad label experience for the group, following their poorly promoted first major label self-titled release through Virgin. But, despite speculation, the group dropped It's Whateva on October 2nd and are out there promoting it.
In a sit down with BallerStatus.com, the Federation revealed the reason behind the long wait for their latest release -- clearance samples. And why now, after a year in the studio recording new material, they feel they have the best group album of the year. Not because they birthed the hyphy sound, but because they've been able to step outside their regional box and record an album that, hopefully, will appeal to everybody. So, in the words of Stress, "The wait is over! Go get It's Whateva out now. Buy it, don't burn it."
BallerStatus.com: So, the album finally dropped... last time we spoke, was over a year ago. Why did the album take so long to come out?
Stressmatic: The album kinda got pushed back because Corey Hart, who had the song "Sunglasses At Night," wouldn't clear the sample for our single, "Stunna Glasses At Night." So, we went back [into the studio] and did a whole bunch of new songs to try to cover the single. That was basically the hold up.
BallerStatus.com: Ok, well that song was getting a little play. Did that setback hurt you guys a little bit?
Doonie Baby: I wouldn't say it hurt us, but it did set us back. All it did was make us come with more heat (laughs) for the album. There's 21 tracks on the album (It's Whateva), so it's good and bad.
BallerStatus.com: So over the past year, since dealing with the sample problem, you just been recording?
Doonie Baby: Yea, we been recording, we been on the grind. We doing radio promo tours, doing shows.
Stressmatic: We been working on a lot of different sh--. We got a new clothing line with Travis Barker, Famous Stars & Straps Federation. It's coming real soon. We just been grinding. You can go to FamousSAS.com, he's heavily promoting us right now.
BallerStatus.com: How did you link up with Travis?
Goldie: We was in the process of mixing the album and this song on the album called "Black Roses," Rick [Rock] played the drums, like a rock imitated song. In the process of mixing it, Rick got linked up with Travis because he wanted a real drummer on it. So the next day, we was in the studio with Travis and he was on the drums going ape sh-- retarded.
From there, we just kept close contact. I did an anthem for his clothing line and then we started working back and forth with him.
BallerStatus.com: I noticed there's a diverse range of featured guests -- Snoop, Cashis, E-40 and even Travis Barker. Can you explain what you guys were trying to accomplish while recording this album?
Stressmatic: We just trying to accomplish us. We were just getting out how we feel and exactly how we felt at the time. Every single song, it was how we felt at that moment. It's a rollercoaster. All the songs ain't hyphy, so it you going out trying to buy the new hyphy record, this ain't it. We are the kings of hyphy, so we have four or five hyphy joints. But, we got all different types of joints on there -- love joints, heartfelt "We Are The World" type stuff and some rock stuff. Best group album of the year.
BallerStatus.com: Yea, I noticed how you had a diverse range of topics and songs. You have the hyphy track "18 Dummy," then the Travis Barker collabo, then a song like "Fly Away," which is really heart felt... Where do you guys draw your inspiration from to write your music?
Goldie: We been rapping together and working with Rick [Rock] for so long, it's like, we got in there, put everything to the side -- we got f---ed on our first deal, so we went back to the drawing board and was like, "We gonna show them who we say we are," but they just didn't give us a fair shot.
The creative process is like Rick might have an idea, Doonie and Stress might have an idea, or I might be humming a tune and it may turn into something. We have no set process, it's just we know each other and know what to do. Rick comes with a beat or a concept and it just comes to life.
BallerStatus.com: Yea, the album sounds more universal than regional, like you can tell you're from the Bay Area, but it shows that you didn't cater to strictly the Bay.
Stressmatic: Basically, we love Bay music. All I do is listen to Bay Area rap, but we don't wanna be put in that box where like if a n---- from New York is there and you put the CD in, he can't relate to it because he ain't from there, so he can't feel it like I can. I got n----'s from New York and I talk to them all the time and they be like, "Yo, I don't feel that yo." They don't f--- with certain Bay sh-- because they don't understand it. Like, they be saying "What the f--- is ghostriding?" But our sh--, dudes from Jersey be like, "I like that song, B. I'm f---ing with you," and that's how we want it to be.
Some of the other sh--, they ain't feeling because you aren't here, so it's hard to understand. We aren't on too many DVDs and all that, so you can't really see what we do.
BallerStatus.com: Rick Rock is your guys' main producer. How involved was he in the project?
Doonie Baby: Rick Rock's part... basically, he's the fourth member of the group. Sometimes he comes with the hooks, or he might not come with the whole hook, but he'll have an idea or piece of it and the rest of us finish it off. Rick is real influential. Other times, he'll just test it. He'll come with a beat, and be like, "Ya'll can't do nothing with this" or "Ya'll can't f--- with this." So, we'll be like, "N---- we take your challenge n----. We finna eat this track." That's when we just come with something on our own. He really is the fourth member of the group, as far as I feel. He's just behind the scenes. Well, instead of him spitting lyrics, his lyrics are the beat.
We also got him on this album spitting because he is MC also. I came up listening to Rick Rock, his sh-- was hard. He got an album coming out though. He got a lot of features and stuff on there though. The difference between him and other producers who rap, this n---- is a real rapper. He's a rapper and a producer.
If you really do your homework, you'll find Rick Rock on some tracks, but he really only work with rappers in the Bay he really likes and will jump on tracks here and there.
BallerStatus.com: Hyphy seems to have died down for a minute, do you think the Bay was able to capitalize off the national exposure it received?
Goldie: In 2003, we came up with the song "Hyphy." In 2004, we released the album Federation on Virgin. Back then, the Bay Area was going mob music, mobbed out beats. The artists at the forefront of the hyphy movement was Federation and E-40 because we created the sound. Keak Da Sneak because it's his word... Mac Dre, San Quinn, Turf Talk and The Team. There's a lot of people who was only doing the New Bay. We came with "Hyphy" and "Go Dumb" and it changed the whole sound of Northern California. We didn't get our just due for the sound we created.
People took it to their ears, dissected out sound and lyrics, and Rick Rock's beats, and they turned it into "Go Dumb" on every song. It got oversaturated. Motherf---ers weren't being artists, like taking hyphy, but putting their own spin on it. It wasn't a lot of diversity with it, so all the people who were put to the forefront with it, didn't have the music to back the hype. That is why it died down.
Now, the Federation is back.
BallerStatus.com: So far, what cities have reacted the best to the new material?
Goldie: We did a show in San Diego for the ASR skateboard convention. It was an unannounced show because you can't tell people because you get fined and all that. We were like, "Where are we performing? At the top of the skate ramp?" He just said, "Perform at the booth until they shut us down." They didn't shut us down though. We performed the new song with Trav, "Black Roses," with him on the drums and they went ape sh-- and a half.
Stressmatic: We do have a pretty good following. We got a cult (laughs). We got a cult following like a rock group.
BallerStatus.com: What's the craziest thing a fan has done around you guys?
Stressmatic: We had a show in Mexico and the white boys got backstage and started burning themselves with cigarettes, talking about "This is what we'd do for the Federation" (laughs). That sh-- was hella funny.
BallerStatus.com: So, what's in the works for the next couple months while the album's out?
Stressmatic: We supposed to get on this Warped Tour. I'm getting calls about the Winter X Games.
Doonie Baby: We doing a college tour, that's in the works right now. We got a mall tour going on with Against All Odds, so we have a lot going on. We just on the grind right now, making sure it gets to everybody's ears and heads.
BallerStatus.com: Last words?
Stressmatic: The wait is over! Go get It's Whateva out now. Go buy it, don't burn it.
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