September | 2007 | Amalgam Digital Blog

The White Man Is The Devil Artist: Slaine Interviewer: Dru Garrity

The White Man Is The Devil

Interviewed by Dru Garrity 09-28-07

AmalgamDigital.com: So tell me who is Slaine and what are you about?

Slaine: I am a writer, a storyteller, a performer, and an mc, but most of all I am an artist. I use all those things as tools to reflect the things that have had an impact on my life. So the vehicle may change but it’s all created from the same place.

AmalgamDigital.com: What is the Boston hip-hop scene like today?

Slaine: I think there is a lot of talent, and a lot of energy in it, but I think that a lot of people’s efforts are misguided and unorganized because of a lack of knowledge on how to get your music out, here. It is not the easiest place to learn how to effectively push your music. There is a lot of opposition and adversity that you have to overcome
before you can even make a blip on the radar nationally.

AmalgamDigital.com: What projects are you working on now and who is involved?

Slaine: I just dropped the Special Teamz album with Edo G and Jaysaun on Duck Down. That record came out on September 25th. The La Coka Nostra album will be out first quarter 2008, and my debut solo album will be out this time next year. Sometime during that time I will be dropping another mixtape.

AmalgamDigital.com: Who haven’t you worked with yet that you want to work with?

Slaine: A lot of people. Too many to name. I especially would like to work with some of the filmmakers that I really look up to like Clint Eastwood, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Sean Penn. I hope someday I get the chance to. Musically I am happy working with the people that I work with, but always look forward to collaborating with other artists that got their own style.

AmalgamDigital.com: How did u end up working with 2 super groups: La Coka Nostra & Special Teamz?

Slaine: Both situations are people that I like to record with. Both situations have a different feel to them. I love to make music and travel around the world with it. I have enough time, dedication, and hunger to do that with both groups.

AmalgamDigital.com: So I hear you are in a major Hollywood movie, can u tell me about it?

Slaine: It comes out on October 26th. It is called “Gone Baby Gone” and is based on a book by Dennis Lehane. It is directed by Ben Affleck and stars Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, and Ed Harris. It is a story about two private investigators and their search for a missing girl. The backdrop is the streets of Boston, and I play a criminal who is a friend of the private investigator. I had a great experience working on it, and am looking forward to its release.

AmalgamDigital.com: Do you think Hollywood influences music or music influences Hollywood?

Slaine: Hollywood is just a place where a lot of films get made. Music is another form of entertainment and storytelling. I think there are a lot more relevant and artistic films coming out right now than relevant and artistic music. But I think that the world and the people in it influence music and film. I’m not sure I understand what you are getting at with the question.

AmalgamDigital.com: What are you opinions on the music industry today?

Slaine: I think it is pretty bad. There isn’t much music that really inspires me in hip hop anymore. It is kind of in a fucked up place. Unfortunately, the “industry” is something you have to learn and adapt to in order to make music and be heard, and make a living. But I think music and business aren’t exactly two words I like putting next to each other. I don’t think the best music gets made necessarily when the goal is to make money. I guess the same could be said for films. I try to just make music that is a reflection of what is going on with me, and what I want to hear. You hope that people can feel that and support you by buying your music, and coming to your shows.

AmalgamDigital.com: If you were president of Def Jam who would you sign?

Slaine: I’ll leave that to Jay Z.

AmalgamDigital.com: What does 2008 hold in store for Slaine?

Slaine: I don’t know. One day at a time. I know I have a lot of dope music coming out in 2008. I am just looking forward to continuing to do the things that I love to do. Who knows what is in store? That is the best part about the future. The possibilities are endless.

Special Teamz “The Mix Tape” courtsey of Special Teamz Records complete with exclusive bonus joints available

It’s Wale’s World Artist: Wale Interviewer: Tommy Faone

It’s Wale’s World

Interviewed by Tommy Faone 09-18-07

AmalgamDigital.com: What up Wale, how you living?

Wale: Blessed..God is good. Been traveling a lot; touring.

AmalgamDigital.com: You have often been coined “The Ambassador of Rap for the Capitol” where did that originate?

Wale: That came because people know me in all four parts of the city as well as in VA and MD, so when I do my music I do the best I can to shed light on all parts and share the plight of all people within the metro area. I am VERY comfortable in my own skin and I don’t have to pretend to be anything more then what God made me. I’ve lived in DC and MD for half of my life, respectively, and I can relate to the very minimal differences in the different environments

AmalgamDigital.com: Up till now the biggest thing musically to come out of DC is Chuck Brown and the GO-GO movement back in late 70’s and early 80’s. Seems like you have incorporated some of the staples of go-go music in what you do with things like “Call and Response” and “Swing Rhythm”. What can you attribute to Go-Go in your music?

Wale: It’s old school go-go mixed with new school swag and flow. I’m a very eclectic dude like that. To me, go-go is the most potent genre of black music—just the rawness of it—so I feel like I embody that rawness in my delivery and that’s why I chose to mix the two genres.

AmalgamDigital.com: Back in 2006 you released a track called “Dig Dug” paying homage Ronald “Dig Dug” Dixon, a former Go Go legend. I understand there were problems with the clearance samples when it started to show up on the radio play lists when it caught on, what ever happened with that?

Wale: Me and the Northeast Groovers are real cool now. It was just a communication problem. I love those dudes though. Their rapper (Chris aka Ra Ra) is a real good dude and probably the most talented lead mic in the history of go-go! We talked a bit a couple of months ago and it was nothing but love. Look for me to do another joint with Ra down the line.

AmalgamDigital.com: So you’re on Tour with Mark Ronson now overseas? What kind of experience has that been? And how has the response been to you in different cities? And when can we expect to see a US tour?

Wale: It’s been incredible. Sold out shows everytime. We’ve done venues as small as 800 people and as many as 20,000. We have one coming up that is 500,000. The response has been amazing. I’m a new artist to most of the people there so I am always finding new ways to grab them every time I hit the stage. I swear though, at one show in Manchester, I saw six fans mouthing the words to “Good Girls.” I will be touring Europe with Mark until the end of the summer and then we have a US tour through October or November. I will get my solo tour on after that; maybe even BEFORE and AFTER the album drops; just to build the buzz. I’ll probably tour with a band to so I can actually give people a reason to pay $20 and give them a $100 show. But yeah, by 3rd quarter 2008, I hope to have covered the globe both with and without Mark.

AmalgamDigital.com: You recently dropped a mixtape entitled “100 Miles and Running” in July. You put it out for free and are clocking over 20,000 downloads now. What prompted that decision?

Wale: I wanted to do something different and have the widest reach possible. I only printed up 1,000 physical copies for select stores in LA, NYC, DC and Boston. By making it a free download, I am meeting the demand every time someone downloads it. I don’t have to deal with shipping or printing costs. I don’t have to estimate how many I’m going to need. It falls into the “long tail” philosophy. Plus, my hope is that if I give away so much great music until my album drops, people are going to be compelled to go out and buy my album, come see my show and pick up my Stussy collaboration. As for the mixtape itself, I wanted people to react like, “Wow.” It’s very lyrical. Put it this way: people are going to have to put their index finger on the rewind button A LOT; even if you think you understand a line, you may not “get” it on first listen. Fuck that easy listening shit, I’m gonna make you work.

AmalgamDigital.com: You have found yourself on two big remixes this year with imports Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse via Mark Ronson, so who is your ideal collaboration with?

Wale: Ideal…hmm..Camp Lo, Mr Carter (jay), Rick Rubin and Andre 3000

AmalgamDigital.com: Gotta tell you I am a big fan of the Nike Air Force 25th Anniversary mixtape track you did. So tell me, what is your all time favorite pair of sneakers?

Wale: Favorite pair: Jordan concord XI’s “patent leather elevens when Iverson was clockin for Coach John Thompson” (from one of my songs). Black Jordan IIIs. Supreme Dunk highs (size 9…get at me). Garnett white and blues. There’s so many, but I have most of my grail shoes.

AmalgamDigital.com: Any last words or shout outs?

Wale: Shout out to my man XO (real hiphop ish..upt 4 life)…ken star (most underated rapper in dc)…odisee …emp…oy boyz..circle boys ..lady V..the whole upt..kdy rittenhouse 640..35 double O..pg ..landover ..glenarden..cap heights ..ardmore..mo county..124…lincoln park…sneakaman dan…jaffi joe…rique bobboy…dj alizay…my manager Mr. Weisman…and just everybody who holds me down..i love my people in dc md and va..

Check Out Wale’s “Nike Boots”, a new www.AmalgamDigital.com Exclusive Free Download!!

Kurious Jorge Drops Science With Amalgam Digital Artist: Kurious Interviewer: Ritz Carlton

Kurious Jorge Drops Science With Amalgam Digital

Interviewed by Ritz Carlton 09-13-07

AmalgamDigital.com: What was the last fight you got in?

Kurious Jorge: Out in Virgina a few years back I got surgery on my hands. I broke this dude’s jaw in 3 places. I shattered my knuckle and they had to replace it. I told that dude three times, “Go ahead with that bullshit” and he just kept comin by us. He knew my ex but I knew she was an extra friendly bitch anyway. One time he called the house and I said “Fuck you”. He kept coming back and I’d tell him to beat it but then he followed us outside and then I had to fuck him up. I caught him with the right hook BONG! He fell down. I didn’t stomp him or rob him or anything but he got back up and I caught him with the same shot again and he just dropped. My knuckle was kinda hurt and I got in a fight with some white boy out there 3 months before that and I did the same shit but my hand was worse this time so I went to the hospital. When I got back to New York but they had to operate.

AmalgamDigital.com: Who’s the stupidest bitch you ever dated or jumped off with?

Kurious Jorge: A bunch of ‘em, if they jumped off with me they had to be stupid. That’s a joke you supposed to laugh.

AmalgamDigital.com: You get mad tickets, what’s the best way to keep your whip from getting impounded?

Kurious Jorge: Fuckin’ park that shit underground. Don’t park in the wrong spot. You park in the wrong spot your shit’ll be outta there before I don’t know what.

AmalgamDigital.com: What were you thinking when you started poppin mescalin tabs all the time?

Kurious Jorge: Nah it was fun. I wasn’t thinkin’. I didn’t do it all the time though man. You put that shit in a record and people think you eat it for breakfast.

AmalgamDigital.com: What’s the craziest shit you’ve seen on tour?

Kurious Jorge: I seen a dude throw a party in his room man. An ex football player and he had a buffet of food and strippers and I look in the corner and there’s some dude there just getting his dick sucked.

AmalgamDigital.com: Who’s the biggest whore in hip hop?

Kurious Jorge: Shit man, I don’t know but I wanna meet her. I’m just playin I don’t wanna meet her I wanna pimp her… put her on the Ave.

AmalgamDigital.com: Did you ever do any crazy shit in the Colombia offices?

Kurious Jorge: Yeah I smoked weed in the conference room, I took a shit on the floor in the bathroom. Cuz I wanted to hear it drop from my ass to the floor. I was gonna sample it and put it on the record. You ever hear a 3 pound mojung hit the floor? That shit sounds like music.

AmalgamDigital.com: What’s your favorite gun?

Kurious Jorge: I like the 40 Glock and the 357 snub nose revolver with the rubber grip. But I don’t like guns though put that in there. Guns are for suckers.

AmalgamDigital.com: What’s the best strip club in NYC?

Kurious Jorge: I say Sin City in the Bronx.

AmalgamDigital.com: Any parting words?

Kurious Jorge: Amalgam Digital, present and the future!

Kurious “A Constipated Monkey” is now available
Download It here from Amalgam Digital and receive 8 bonus tracks