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Vast Aire: Yo, what's good?
P&P: How are you?
I'm good, man, just on the train en route to the city.
Thank you for taking the time to talk. I'm excited to hear about what's going on with the new Can Ox album.
Yeah, man, we're in the lab right now. Currently we're getting ready to tour, and we're going to do a couple of dates out west, we're doing a couple of dates home, East Coast. And, you know, just in the lab, hard. IGC [Iron Galaxy Clik] is serious this year, we're doing a lot of big things this year.
So I know you mentioned before that the time was right for another Can Ox album. Why exactly did you feel that way?
Well, as far as we're concerned the energy, the amount of time it would take to put out a full length, it was there. [Vordul and I] always work on each other's projects, we're constantly in each other's corners, but to officially do the project, right now it just landed. The creative energy, the producers, the studios, it's just... everything is here. We always wanted to do the sophomore album on our terms.
Who do you have producing on there?
Well right now it's a lot of in-house, I would say my man Bill Cosmiq, my man Melodious Monk, I'm reaching out to Ayatollah, Madlib. Definitely gonna be a crazy soundscape for the second album.
I remember there were rumors of a sophomore album a few years back. Is any of the material from that being held over or is it all new?
Nah, none of that material is being kept, to be real. Everything is brand new, but everything on this album would have been done from this summer on. So everything is brand new definitely.
What's the tone of the new album. What are you guys aiming for with the new disc?
We're still in the beginning stages of the record, I just know from what we've been making and where our minds are right now, it's definitely still going to be dark, still gonna be a very cryptic record. It's going to highlight our personalities of course, but the underlining truth is it's a Cannibal Ox record [laughs]. And it's going to be dark, it's going to be gritty, it's going to be New York City 2012 via 2014.
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Do you think it builds on some of the personal things you each have been going through or is it more of a global perspective?
I could say it's a little of both, but it's definitely centered on everything we've gone through in the industry, in life, relationships, all types of stuff. Issues in the street, dudes you grew up with.
Do you touch on any of the issues with some of the people at Def Jux on the album or is that all in the past?
That's pretty much all in the past. I mean, again, the album is not done, the album is far from being done, so who knows what we'll really end up talking about by the end of it. But I think that's all in the past, we're not going to beat a dead horse. And we love everything we did back in the days so it's all good.
So what sort of pressure do you feel with this album?
We just want to make the best record that we can make now. We're not really concerned about what we did 10 years ago. We're musicians. We have a lot of projects out. We love all of our projects for what they deliver. This project is very special and it's special to us and we're just going to put our all into it and it is what it is. Everybody knows we're just honest musicians and we leave it all in the studio, man, we just leave it all right there.
Are you guys working on any other projects simultaneously or is this taking up the majority of your attention?
It's going start to take up the majority of our attention at the top of the year. Right now we're working on a couple of projects. The Crimson Godz project, which is showcasing the whole family, the whole IGC family. We're also putting together an IGC compilation. So the Iron Galaxy clique will be in full effect. The main focus of the album will be at the top of the year around my birthday which is like February. We've been getting everything together, getting everything geared towards that.
How did recording actually start on this album?
We always record, and we did a couple of bangers for the Crimson Godz project and the energy was just there. We did a couple of joints for my man Double AB on his album called Media Shower and the energy was just there and we were just laughing it up in the studio like, “Yo I think it's time.” We spoke about it briefly when I did Ox 2010 and we did the single with Raekwon—peace to Wu Tang, peace to the fam. And we had a long discussion about ushering in a full length. It kinda got prepped while I was doing Ox 2010. The energy was just there, we were just like, “Yo, let's finally do it.”
You mention your Iron Galaxy Crew, you mention Raekwon—who can we expect in terms of guest appearances on the new album?
I mean come on, man [laughs].
I had to give it a shot!
You know I'ma go there, you know I'm going to do my best to get some interesting production. I'm going to reach out to Brother Ali. We've been trying to do a song for a while. I think the time is right. I'm going to reach out to Danny Brown that's my homie. And I'm going to be quiet right there. I can't give away too many secrets. My man Suede 7 is going to be on it, I might get Loaded Lux on it.
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A lot of what made Cold Vein is that it's really a cohesive unit; now you're getting to a point where you have more eclectic guests and production. Is there that same pressure to make a cohesive statement?
No. I'm an artist and I just paint. You're either going to get the painting or you're not. We don't have any pressure and there's no manipulation. I wouldn't wait this long to work on this project if it wasn't going to be done right and if it wasn't going to be done honest. We're just comfortable right now with the music we're make and the connections we've made over the last couple of years and the new Cannibal Ox album is going to be a reflection of that.
Is there a particular label that's going to be putting this out or are you guys still looking around?
IGC is going to be putting it out and we're talking to a couple people now for distribution.
As far as distribution goes, are you looking to do this in the traditional iTunes and CD format or are you interested in some of the new methods of delivery that are available?
Well of course it's going to be iTunes, CD, and we're going to do Vinyl also because Vinyl is back. A definite limited vinyl. We're going to keep everything in perspective, ringtones everything.
New York has been missing that.
New York needs a Cannibal Ox ringtone. I'm definitely working on all of that right now with the label. We're building up the website right now. We feel very blessed and positive, you know. A couple of shows going into the new year, and then we're going to be doing shows in LA, Arizona, San Francisco--we're doing a nice little West Coast run. Look out for the jump off of the tour which is going to be Knitting Factory in Brooklyn and it's already looking like we're selling that out, so, New York, we're doing it big for our city right now. IGC is serious right now, there are a lot of things in the works, my EP A Space Iliad, which is like a 1.5 of the OX 2010, it's like a remix EP in late December. We've got a lot of stuff coming for the fans.
We've gotten into it a bit with the potential guests you mentioned, but what are you listening to right now?
Ah man, to be real, I'm listening to Meek Mill, I love Meek Mill's new record. I love Nas' record. I listen to Nas' record probably once a week right now. I'm really feeling Life is Good. I'm also rocking Kendrick Lamar. I'm a huge fan of his. He's very inspirational for me right now, and all of us. I'm rockin' this group called Tiron and Ayomari. Are you familiar with them?
Oh yeah.
I'm really into their stuff. I'm rocking Sucker for Pumps and I rock Nas' Life is Good [laughs]. Also my man Iron Solomon, anything from Danny Brown. You know I got my head to the street. That new Loaded Lux mixtape of course. And I respect everybody that's doing their thing right now. I'm about to get in the lab with Vinnie Paz from Jedi Mind Tricks so that's going be big. We're doing a lot of big things this year.
Are you happier with hip-hop right now than you have been in past years?
Yes I am! That's a perfect question. There's always room for improvement, but I'm extremely more pleased.
What do you think is different right now from the last few years?
I just think more people with honest skill have gotten on. More genuine artists have deals now and the more genuine the artist, the more genuine the music. I think a couple of years went by where people were just creating artists, they were just creating an artist that would fit for about 2-5 years and after that vacuum they're going to have no space to live. The more genuine artists can be 10, 20, even 30 years in this.
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It doesn't seem like there's an underground renaissance in the same way as what existed when you were coming up and you had the Rawkuses, the Fondle 'Ems and the Def Juxes, but it does seem that there are more opportunities now for someone with a unique voice to get on and stay on for a while.
Oh definitely. I think that renaissance is about to come back with the different labels and the different artists. I think people are holding down their towns more thorough, holding down their areas more thorough, and I'm part of that resurgence. So, look out for us!
We stay looking out, but the announcement of the album came out of nowhere.
We're all excited man! We love what we do. We love making music and expressing ourselves, we're trying to do the best we can to just push our imprint, push our label, and push what we consider to be good music and good hip-hop.
The game has changed so much since you came out. What do you think the place of a label is for an indie rapper now, especially one like you who already has a built in fan base?
I think it's smart. When I was coming up, I was taught to own our publishing. Artists need to learn more about the business, stop complaining about it, learn more about, and be able to better represent yourself. It hurts me when I do the history of all these great soul records that I love, all these great jazz records, rock records, and the people went through hell to get the rights to their music.
Artists as a whole just need to learn more about the business, about where it's been, where it can go, and where we can steer it. I'm a huge fan of being able to put it out yourself, you know I come from that world of not waiting for someone else to tell you it's hot. You know you carve your own niche out. And that's what IGC has always been about. You don't worry about what lane is there—you make a lane and you rep it the best you can. I definitely want more artists as a whole to be more business-minded. Be more professional. Stop doing dumb shit on tours that hurts all of us. Even though we're underground it doesn't mean we can't be professional.
You came up in an era when it made sense to set up a label, set up a business around what you were doing, but now it doesn't seem like that's quite as clear a path.
At the end of the day, you can get your hamburger from anywhere. So what makes you go to Burger King? What makes you go to Wendy's? Musicians just really need to put forth a quality product. There's all types of toilet tissue, but I know you've got your favorite. There's all types of cereal, so none of that means anything as far as all that “oh the industry is saturated.”
Everybody thinks they're an artist, they're entitled to think that. I think it's up to the artist to provide a product that's so undeniably good. That's why I've been a musician for so long, because I provide something that's needed. You're gonna go to a particular spot to get that burger. There are 30 places to go get a burger, but you have an acquired taste. I think that's what the job is for these artists, they just have to be able to supply your sound. You know, Earth Wind and Fire is Earth Wind and Fire, Parliament is Parliament. When you provide your niche and your sound, you create a lane for yourself, instead of sounding like the same old run of the muck.
How much are you concerning yourself with the business side of things?
I've always concerned myself with the business side of things. Always, a lot, because we had to do things ourselves. There's no magical statement to the phrase "ourselves." You know, getting up, sending out mass e-mails, getting college kids to act as interns, all types of stuff. Keeping promoters in your back pocket when it's time to set up tours, linking with other artists internationally and state-wise.
When you're building a label you've gotta be conscious of all of these things. I've built a lot of good relationships over the years so when it came time for me to make moves everybody was lending me a hand and giving me pointers and helping me out. You've gotta have everything in proper perspective.
A lot of brothers think, "I spit this rhyme, I'ma drop a song, and I'ma be a star." It doesn't work like that. I put in a lot of years in this game to get the love that I have now. I'm glad that I'm known internationally and that I'm respected in indie hip-hop and underground hip-hop for what I've done. That's cool. But there's a whole world out there that needs to hear and know my music.
