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Found and Ready for More Artist: MC Serch Interviewer: Seneca ‘The Beast’ Doss |
Found and Ready for More
MC Serch interviewed by Seneca ‘The Beast’ Doss 04-16-08
AmalgamDigital.com: Serch… on the low, low, you’re a legend. You oversaw two of Nas’s biggest and profound albums, “Illmatic” and “It Was Written.” You also threw us some cultural indigestion with your group 3rd Bass that had me nodding my head on a few tracks. You guys were like the first Jewish-American Hip-Hop group, but it didn’t stop there, you also threw us a left curve with Non Phixion consisting of notable Brooklyn MC, Ill Bill and now your still at arms reach moving things behind scenes.
MC Serch: I really like to be involved with the culture. It has given me a wonderful life and some wonderful memories and relationships.
AmalgamDigital.com: So tell me how does it feel to know that in your own right, you’re a Hip-Hop pioneer and just keeps moving?
MC Serch: Well, I certainly do not fell like a pioneer. I think the meaning of pioneer is some one who creates a trial for other to follow. I think that the pioneers are The Furious Five, The Treacherous Three, The Fearless Four, The Beastie Boys, LL Cool J. All of these people gave me and Pete the lane to do what we did. If you don’t keeps it moving then you drown and I love life.
AmalgamDigital.com: How did 3rd Bass make the climb into Hip-Hop?
MC Serch: Pete and I met in 87 when he was working on his demo for Rush Management. Sam Sever told me to come to the crib and break bread with him after working on a track with Pete at Chung King Studios. I went to Sam’s crib and heard the track (Which becomes “Words of Wisdom”). We had great chemistry and a natural competition between us to drop a hotter 16 then the other. We would go at it and get it in when it came to writing rhymes. We were happy just to be signed to Def Jam. Everything that came after was gravy. Getting on for me a very satisfying moment
AmalgamDigital.com: Your company Serchlite Music is a premier independent promotion and marketing behemoth that has worked with such company’s as Ekco, RocaWear, Under Armour and Ciroc. I met your partner Carrie Carnie, “CC,” several times at Puffy’s NYC restaurant, Justin’s, during football Monday’s with a music guest. How did you guys link up?
MC Serch: I met CC at the Gavin Music Conference in 1993, when she was a Program Director at her college radio station. She asked me if I could be her mentor, and I agreed, not knowing that she was going to call me every other day and email me every week seeking advice for 4 years, LOL. When she graduated I promised her that if she ever came to NY and needed a job I would give her one. Well she came to NY working for a booking agent and lost her job 6 months into staying in NY. So she took me up on my word and she started as my assistant. She worked her way to being a partner in 2000. Monday Night Madness at Justin’s was a great event. I really believe that we broke so many records in that spot, like 50 Cent “In The Club” (Shout out to Nelson). Some many celebs would come through and watch the game and hang. It was great times.
AmalgamDigital.com: Has the company outdone all you ever expected and do you believe there’s more to come?
MC Serch: To be perfectly honest, I believe that Serchlite has not even come close to reaching its full potential. We have some missing parts that we need to be a part of the system that we are still looking for. On the plus side I believe the www.serchlitemusic.com has grown into a part of our company that I am truly proud of. The audience that comes their and support the site really understand that we are about quality, not quantity.
AmalgamDigital.com: What prompted you to host the first reality show distinctly called “The White Rapper Show?” Where you the brains behind the creation?
MC Serch: I got a call from Sasha Jenkins from Ego Trip in 2005 about shooting a pilot for them. I did not know what to expect and they send me this outline for the show and I see the title. My wife Chantel and I were in bed and we both blurt out “oh no”, lol. If this show was not done by Ego Trip I would never have agreed to do the show, but since I knew the guys and the brand I knew that it would be represented with the culture first and foremost in mind. We did the pilot and it came out great. We were picked up and the rest is history. This year’s show, Ego Trips: Miss Rap Supreme was a top ten cable debut, with 1.5 million viewers posted up. It has been a great run and I hope it continues. The guys at Ego Trip deserve all the credit.
AmalgamDigital.com: What’s to be expected from the new show called “Miss Rap Supreme?”
MC Serch: Expect a lot of fighting, but expect a lot of females rapping their asses off.
AmalgamDigital.com: Could you ever imagine there being a show for the best producer since we’re on music?
MC Serch: It has been discussed several times, but I don’t know if it will ever come to that.
AmalgamDigital.com: As a vet in the game, what’s your outlook on the music industry today? Do you think there’s hope?
MC Serch: You know, I laugh when interviewers talk about the music industry like its dead. Every business, in every field goes through growing pains. I remember when vinyl was being replaced by CD. All you heard was “This is the end of the music business, who is going to buy a new player and buy music all over again.” The CD was a huge hit. Then is 1994, the internet told the music business to start to change it model. They were not reactive enough and now the consumer believes that music is free. If not free then close to free. The business is not dead and there is so much hope, especially for the independent artists. We have partnered with Inside the Music Business because we see the need for the indie artists to have a website and a company that can help them achieve the success that a major label has. The business is in the hands of the independent artist. All that the indie artist needs is a company like Serchlite Music and IMB for guide them.
AmalgamDigital.com: Are you working with any artists through Serchlite on a production level that you want us to know about? If not… who are some of the rappers that you’re impressed with out now?
MC Serch: We have created a portal for the indie artist in www.serchlitemusic.com. We have done deals with two indie labels. One is Singles Klub out of Detroit. Their artist is named Mr. Wrong. He is incredible as an emcee and makes great records. Check our webpage and see for your self or go to my Myspace page to hear him. We are also working with a label out of North Carolina called “Othaz Records”. They have two artists, P-Wonda and Ricco Barrino who have made big hits in the Carolina area that we are looking to spread a story about. We also are working with the production camp the Sicknotes and their artist, Mae Day. Now I love Jean Grae but let me say this. Mae Day is the best female emcee since MC Lyte and I put that on everything. She is one hundid. I have not heard a female emcee that has got me this open since Lyte. I am proud to have all of these artists down with Serchlite.
AmalgamDigital.com: Just out of curiosity… how did you come up with “the gas face?”
MC Serch: KMD came up with the phrase (RIP SUBROC). It was the name we gave the look that girls would give us in the mall after we spent all of our gas money to get there, only to get dissed. Pete and I loved the phrase so we asked Zev Love X (Who is now known as MF Doom) if we could do a song with the concept. We were working with Prince Paul and the track he had did just fit like hand in glove.
Thanks for the love and I hope that people get to enjoy the M.Y.L.A. Album which is a collection of unreleased 3rd Bass and MC Serch songs from 1994 and 2000. Thanks Amalgam for your support.
Love is Love
Serch
Download Serch’s new collection of rare tracks M.any Y.oung L.ives A.go: The 1994 Sessions
