Slowly but surely, West Coast rap is becoming relevant again and Pac Div is one of the main reasons why. They caught our attention a couple months ago with the banging mixtape Church League Champions and now they have a video for one of the tape’s nicest cuts. Their signature hybrid of cool-guy lyricism and fashion-forward styling is present in this video that should keep Pac Div fans pleased and probably even get non-believers to take notice. Whichever category you fall into, starting your day off with this jam isn’t a bad idea.

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In the digital age, rappers come in various packages. You've got your hood celebrities, your collar popping trendsetters, your so-called genre defying extraterrestrials. But then there's the one who manages to gain stardom by relying solely on talent, not marketing and promotion (word to KRS). That's Blu'Okayplayer's favorite color, and the current topic of interest amongst hip-hop snobs who masturbate to Primo beats (true story).

After turning down an early offer from Suge Knight, Blu went independent and pushed forth three critically acclaimed collaborative albums within 13 months: Below The Heavens (with Exile), C.R.A.C.: The Peace Talks (with Ta’Raach) and Johnson & Jonson (with Mainframe). Check out our interview with the MC to get his take on other young rappers, his past experiences at MAGIC, his future ambitions after music, and his affinity for J*DaVeY…

Interview by Jaeki Cho

Complex: It's not everyday an artist drops three albums in the short amount of time you did. Why three so quickly?

Blu: I just wanted to get it over with quick. We actually had most of the Johnson & Jonson stuff done beforehand, and always planned on dropping all three in one year so we just missed it by a month.

Complex: And they all sound different from each other.

Blu: It opened up my playing field really wide. It's just how everything fell in place, man. It was really like God putting that release there. A lot of those songs from Below the Heavens, I was 21 and 22. But C.R.A.C, all the raps were made in seven days, in 2005. All the experimental songs were like the later songs. We've done a rock album before “Buy Me Lunch” or “Bullet Through Me.” That's kind of what inspired the new twist on C.R.A.C.

Complex: You sang a lot of the hooks on Below the Heavens. Were you comfortable with singing?

Blu: I freaking sing a Paul McCartney song on C.R.A.C. [Laughs]. I was singing since I was six'in the choir and shit, not like serious singing. They don't know how to box me really. They still want to, they still want to hold me to Below the Heavens but they can't.

Complex: Do you have any plans of hustles outside of rap?

Blue: I don't want to be a rapper for a long time. I'm trying to put out as much music in a time span that I have planned. I'm dedicating a certain amount of time to music, the same way I'm going to do with film. After that, I'm planning on writing books or something. When you change as a person, you're trying to let the people know where you're at, but they think you're somewhere else. Because my music is so personal, people think they know you based off of it.

Complex: What's your stance on being open with your Christian background?

Blu: My step-dad he was a pastor in a church. I was raised in a church so I have a strong sense of my spirituality. You can't keep that shit stagnant. That's what got me here to do those three albums before '06. I've done shits since then, but I gave it all. Now it's like time to reload and hone.

Complex: I see where you're coming from.

Blu: I'm soulful. I used to draw.

Complex: What kind of things did you draw?

Blu: Well, I tried to play ball back then. So I used to draw basketball courts and shit. I used to draw like books of Nikes. I'm not trying to roll with Nikes no more but I got some ill shoe designs.

Complex: You ever thought about collaborating with any of these streetwear brands?

Blu: Well, yeah, but it's not my focus right now. I got love for all the streetwear brands, for just a lot of brands. I was going to MAGIC show since I was 18. I had a homie who worked at The Wake Up Show. He was just like, “Go up there because heads be there rapping and shit.” And the other homie was trying to do clothing. It was just us three and we'll go up like every year, the September show. When I started to get involved in the industry I just slacked on it.

Complex: What year was this?

Blu: Probably '02, '03-ish? I remember seeing the Lox, Eve on the Ruff Ryders booth. I remember Russell Simmons walking around with no shoes on. The Rocawear booth was the biggest booth at the time, on the main floor.

Complex: Did you ever holler at them? Like, “Yo I spit.”

Blu: No, I don't even think I was that ill then. I was watching Blaze Battles get down.

Hit “NEXT” to see Blu talk about rumors of him signing to Roc-A-Fella, and to get his thoughts on other young rappers.

When you think West Coast rap, the sounds of gangsta rap and hyphy probably pop into your head. But with the recent news that Los Angeles-based group Pacific Division has signed to Universal Records, the public’s perception of Cali rap might completely change.

The lyrical trio started getting major buzz last year with the release of their mixtape Sealed for Freshness, which features the get-fresh anthem “F.A.T. Boys ‘08″ (an acronym that stands for “Fashionable Artistic Trendsetters”). A few weeks before they signed the deal, Complex’s own DJ Treats sat down with Pac Div while they were visiting our offices to talk about what makes them different. Watch that interview and the video for “F.A.T. Boys 08″ below.

DJ Treats Interviews Pacific Division
Pacific Division “F.A.T. Boys ‘08″

Nothing says “Big Pimpin’” better than a pair of boat shoes. Instead of jacking Jay-Z’s mandal style, your best bet during the summer months is a pair of Top-Siders. They’re lighter than sneakers, and have a look that straddles the line between casual and fancy. See how this week’s West Coast “Street Detail” rep rocks his after the jump.

Name: Jordan Mead

Location: Encinitas, CA

Occupation: Sales Rep

Backpack: Electric

Shirt: Vintage

Jeans: Volcom

Shoes: Sperry Top-Sider

Related:

- Street Detail: Shiny Shoes

-Spring Flings: Best Sneakers Of The Season

In an LA Times article, writer Chuck Philips reveals new information on Tupac’s 1994 shooting at New York’s Quad Studios. Sources close to Sean Combs spoke with Philips about what really happened that pivotal night. Read the full article here.