Published: Friday - October 5, 2007
Words by La'Juanda Knight
Sam I Am The MC (Photo: Cool Tone Records)
"I'm more than a Battle MC." Those are the words of Chicago's Rhymespitters Freestyle champ, Sam I Am The MC. With the crown, he can't be touched. Although he is obviously gifted with the talent of freestyling, Sam in no way wants to type cast himself simply as a battle MC.
Like so many battle MCs before him, he realizes the stereo types that come with that category. Myths such as they can't produce a quality album or they do not know how to hold a listeners attention unless their battling comes to mind. However, Sam I Am The MC, in no way is worried or fazed. Instead, he is set upon proving himself to Chicago and the world that he is more than a battle MC.
With Chicago now convinced and him being crowned the freestyle battle champ, and not too mention the album material available to prove his skills, Sam I Am The MC is ready to step aside from the battle doors and unto you're radio. Discrediting the myths that freestyle MCs can't make albums, Sam is here to say that he is more. If you were looking for that old school pure hip-hop feel, then he has got it. Freestylers, b-boys, real hip-hop heads and those who just don't know... Get ready for Sam I Am The MC.
BallerStatus.com: When you are freestyling, what are some of your thoughts? What's going through your mind?
Sam I Am The MC: When I'm freestyling, I take a look around the room. Once I take a look around the room, I try to, within split seconds, absorb my surroundings and put it into rhyme form. Other than that, I'm always trying to think of something next level or how I can play off of words. Look at what somebody is wearing.
BallerStatus.com: What are you thinking when you first see your opponent?
Sam I Am The MC: I look at them like.. you're dead meat (laughs). But besides that, whenever I see an opponent, I always look for their flaws. I try to listen to whatever they saying against me and flip that.
BallerStatus.com: I read that you want to be seen as an MC and not just a freestylist. Why do you think that distinction is so important?
Sam I Am The MC: There is an urban myth that freestyle MCs can't make good songs or good albums. So, I want people to look at me as an artist and then look at me as a freestyle MC. Sometime when people look at you as a freestyle MC first, it's hard for them to take you seriously as an artist. I want people to look at me as an artist first, then a freestyle MC and then a break dancer.
BallerStatus.com: What do you think about the myth that freestyle MCs can't put out a quality album?
Sam I Am The MC: It's definitely a certain level of truth to it. Because of the people who are known as great freestyle MCs -- when they get on the stage and freestyle -- they usually put more energy in their freestyles than they do in their songs in the studio. So when people listen to their songs, their trying to get that same kind of energy from them that they got when they heard them freestyling. The crowd doesn't get that then they are put into that category of people who make sub par songs. I want to show people that my songs on the album, The Taste, are good. I make good songs.
BallerStatus.com: After reading this, you might have a lot of freestylers stepping to you, saying that they think they are better. What are your thoughts about the possible competition backlash?
Sam I Am The MC: I understand that it's going to be a lot of cats trying to battle me. I get that already. At the same time, I am a freestyle MC and I'm a battle MC as well. But what I want to be known as is a freestyle lyricist. Freestyle lyricist aren't concerned with battling, we are concerned about freestyling on some next level type sh--. We are concerned with taking the English language and flipping it. We are concerned with creating new metaphors and new meanings within a rhyme. Now of course, if you are considered a lyricist, then your level of skill is supposed to be high. But certain cats that battle want to battle MCs all the time. When I freestyle, it's about me trying to get to the highest level of lyricism as possible.
BallerStatus.com: You have any fears about not selling once you have crossed over into mainstream?
Sam I Am The MC: I think everybody has their own phobias. But me, I'm not worried about not being accepted in the mainstream. My thing is being accepted by a group of fans. I don't have to be the biggest thing in the country. I just want my solid base of loyal fans. If I consistently sell 300,000 records, that's a cool goal to start with. I definitely want the crowd that is forward thinking and know that I won't make dumbed down music. Even if I make the party songs there is still a form of lyricism to it. When I came up listening to hip-hop, I heard certain people and knew I would be a fan for life. Those are the type of fans I want.
BallerStatus.com: As far as your album, you have to put on a different hat as opposed to you battling. What are some of those topics?
Sam I Am The MC: I talk about an array of topics on The Taste. I want to give people a musical journey through the city of Chicago. I have songs about honoring what is important to you in life, as far as family, etc. I have songs about situations with my friends losing their life to drinking. I'm trying to expose people to different types of situations. I have some songs that are going to bring back that golden age feeling of hip-hop. At the same time, I have the stripper joints for the club too. I get a chance to do my twisting thing and represent Chi and show my versatility as a lyricist.
BallerStatus.com: What do you think when people compare you to Common?
Sam I Am The MC: I look at it as a compliment. I want people to maybe look at me as a younger version of him, but also look at me for who I am. I understand when artists come out, they have to clump them with somebody. Of course once I'm out for a while they will see the differences and I will have my own identity. Both of us come from the same neighborhood. We are both lyrical cats. He is definitely one of the greatest MCs hands down. I would never look at myself like I'm better. He does his things and I do mine. He is a hip-hop peer and a legend.
BallerStatus.com: What are some of the differences between your albums, The Refreshing and The Taste?
Sam I Am The MC: The album, The Refreshing, was dedicated to my favorite era of hip-hop -- that is the early mid-90s. The album had a more hip-hop, jazz feel to it. I love that. It was something hip-hop needed. As far as The Taste, it is a lot more aggressive and more in your face. A lot of people like to say that hip-hop dudes can't twist. I think that I wanted to show that pure b-boys can make hip-hop from the spirit and also make songs that are versatile.
BallerStatus.com: On another note, the songs on your album, The Taste. "I Love Chi-Town" is one of my favorites and "The Cliff." What were some of the inspirations behind some of the songs?
Sam I Am The MC: Well with "The Cliff," that is on the first album, Refreshing, that came out in 2002. It was a love song. We were really inspired by positive relationships. I still got songs that talk about the partying and everything like that. But if you don't talk about love, then you're not covering the realm of human feelings. So I definitely wanted to create the story where the guy gets the girl and she plays him a little bit, but they end up getting together and fall in love. So I was comparing love to a cliff. We definitely had a great concept to that and D2DAE laced the beat. We came out on top. As far as "I Love Chi-town," it's self explanatory. We love our city. We definitely wanted to make a song that can go on for generations. Something you hear it and you know people are going to say I-I-I-I Lo—oo--ve Chi-town. (singing)
BallerStatus.com: Who are some of the producers you work with on your albums?
Sam I Am The MC: The beautiful thing is that I usually only worked with one producer. His name is D2DAE. We are trying to take it back to those days like Gangstarr with DJ Premier and Guru -- one MC, one producer, one sound. Also, my cousin DC, is my executive producer. We are like the triangle offense. We just trying to bring home the ring.
BallerStatus.com: Besides battling and making albums, what are some other things that you are involved in?
Sam I Am The MC: I have a rap with my friend Halley and DJ Dookie on a video game called "Pump It Up." It's really big in South Korea; it's similar to "Dance Revolution," where you do the dances that you see on the screen. It's doing really well right now. It's actually the first song that I ever had put in a video game. I'm definitely very honored for that.
BallerStatus.com: You have a lot of fame in Chicago for being the Rhymespitters Freestyle Champion, but you also have been making albums for quite some time. Where can someone get one of your albums or reach out to you?
Features Slim (of 112): Hi Haters What else do you want from Slim? His prolific group 112 has sold over 20 million records worldwide, and with a bevy ... 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
