Buckshot - "Follow The Leader" Jeff Wisdom Buckshot has always and continues to be a leader and not a follower. His groups classic album Enter Da Stage was he predecessor to the surge of classic mid-nineties east-coast street hop albums such as Ready to Die and Illmatic. His sing song flow predated the similar flows being utilized to by many southern artists and 50 Cent today. He was one of the first rap artists to successfully wear all hats of the music industry, from label exec, to A & R, launching the careers of now legendary acts such as Smif-N-Wessun and Heltah Skeltah. Flash Forward to the present and the BDI is still leading the charge, in the new millennium resurgence of underground raw underground hip-hop. We recently got a chance flick it up with Buckshot, and see what he still has left in store for hip-hop.
BDI how you being?
Buckshot: Chilling.
What you been dealing with lately?
Buckshot: Grinding, working on putting out the Sean Price solo mixtape, putting out Steeles, putting out the Bootcamp album, the Casualties of War joint. Almost ready to put out the Formula joint. Working on a new project with KRS-One, Amanda Diva, just a lot of projects.
Amanda Diva!?
Buckshot: Oh you fucks with Amanda Diva? Yeah we just signed her to Duck Down. Its what it is man, we on our grind.
I can see that. So how you feel about the positive response to the projects you guy already came out with recently?the triple threat campaign, Last Stand and Jesus Price?
Buckshot: Oh I feel great, because at the end of the day, we do this for a reason. We do this for a response. We do this to get people involved and the more people that are feeling what were doing, its a blessing man. Its really not rocket science or anything, we do this to get a good response and get people to feel where were coming from. Its been a blessing.
You being a god thats been around even before Biggie, Nas, and Jay, and survived in the game to this day, I gotta ask how do you feel about the state of the game today compared to back then?
Buckshot: Well back then it was different. Kids that are 18 now there werent really on the scene back then, so they dont know. You cant really know something you wasnt around for, and you cant be blamed for it if you dont feel it as much as the older heads that were around for it do. So its really no problem. I wasnt around for the James Brown era but I feel him, but theres a lot of people that dont feel that music right now. I wasnt around for Marvin Gaye but I love his music. I think good music will touch somebody no matter what generation they come from. I just spoke with a young brother that was telling me how he knew about me and Black Moon through Chemistry, and just now got turned onto Enta Da Stage. I was just like wowyou dont know about Enta Da Stage? And dont get me wrong thats cool, but its just wow, you dont know about Black Moon? You know about Buckshot from now? Thats wow to me.
Thats crazy cause while certain people from past eras are getting forgotten, youre getting new fans still
Buckshot: Yeah. Its like they caught another me, and its ill. Its ill that to this day, you can still capture some people, cause no matter what, talent will rise above all that, like butter , like cream.
Its a general consensus that Brooklyn is home to some of the greatest MCs of all time. When people get into that discussion however, the names that get thrown around are usually only Biggie and Jay, sometimes Kane, do you feel you get overlooked in that discussion?
Buckshot: Sometimes. Not really. I mean, some people give me props and others dont. Son I dont know manIm such a street dude man, Im so humble, and thats not good all the type. Sometimes I should be in that zone, where I want to be in that discussion, but I dont know, I be to in tune with my n***as to dwell on that. Thats life for me, I keep a balance, the music industry, my life, my n***as, you know what Im saying? I try not to get trapped or caught up in whos the best, or whos getting titles and shit like that. But, dont get me wrong, I will fight for my page in the history of hip-hop. You seeing in right in front of you. This Causalities of War album is us saying, instead of waiting 4 -5 years to come out with another Bootcamp album, right after The Last Stand we got another album coming. Blaow! That just goes to show how having your own label can benefit you, being able to control when you come out, how you come out, where you come out, thats what its about. If I was on a label theyd say oh the last album didnt go platinum, lets go back to drawing board, go get a bunch of super producers, spend mad bread that youre gonna owe us, try to get this album together and well tell you when its ready to come out, if it comes out.
So if you had the opportunity, like in Prodigy & Havocs example, somebody like Fifty or Jay scooped you up to be on their majors, you wouldnt take it?
Buckshot: Well it wouldve been different. Just like Priority, which wasnt a major but a very high independent respected as a major, when I went with them to do the BDI album, they didnt disrespect my foundation. Priority respected me as a label. I take it like being a franchise player in basketball. You dont go to another team and they disrespect you. I mean I do this, I ran a label for over 15 years, I could run the shit with my eyes close, you cant give me that, it doesnt work for me. If I went over to G-Unit or whatever, that would be hard, because I would be telling them what I need to make it happen, and if they aint make it happen I would go get it poppin on my own. I mean look how Prodigy even now left G-Unit, and went on his own. Not even left G-Unit, but he went to do his own thing on the independent side of things, cause he could do what he wants, when he wants, and how he wants that way. Thats the way its gotta be. Wellfor some people, it not for everybody though.
So what is the secret, how is it that Bootcamp continues to thrive and even get new fans while your peer artists, guys like Lost Boyz, Onyx, Lord of the Underground, have pretty much been forgotten by modern hip-hop?
WowOnyx. (nostalgic sigh).
How did you guys stay so relevant?
Buckshot: Its a craft. Rappers is like teams of ball players. I aint really into sports or nuttin but it the same thing. Like a team of basketball or football players, you all gotta be on point so that the team can be competitive every year. Like if for example the Chicago Bears, I aint really into sports, but I know the Patriots are the shit every year. Some teams are always the shit, while theres some teams that never been up there. Them motherfuckers probably never even made top ten. Us fortunately, were not like that, we know how to work this craft. We know how to work a label, the publicity, marketing, promotions, street team.we really put our work in. Like for example Cynical, and thats his sister right there, him and his sister come up with the visuals. She directed and produced so much shit yall seen us do. And Cynical, he does movies, he does films, he has a lot of knowledge when it comes to that. That just goes to show how everyone plays a role on this team, and each one of those roles is important. We got people everywhere. And when you put all that energy together, its butter. Thats how we move.
So now we get Sean P mixtape, Master P, General Steele mixtape, Hostyle Takeover, and a new Bootcamp album. Whats next for Bootcamp? Are we gonna get projects from some of the lesser-known names in the clique? Staraang maybe?
Buckshot: As far as OGC right now I cant call it yet. Heltah Skeltah has a new album D.I.R.T. De Incredible Rap Team you should hear that soon. We got Rustee Juxx, my man Flood, we got a lot of new artists. Were gonna put out a lot of music. Theres too many of us.
The follow-up to your album with Chemistry, Formula, what can we expect from that?
Buckshot: Im gonna try not to over-emphasize cause the music definitely speaks for itself. 9th Wonder definitely did his thing. Youre gonna hear more sides to Buckshot. Duck Down, Im really tryna make it a symbol and a logo of something big. Pretty soon youre gonna hear me get more into the producing side. Youre gonna be making beats?
Buckshot: Well understand people that make beats are beat makers, a producer is someone who puts a whole vision together. Like before there was an MPC-60, there was Quincy Jones, you feel me? Thats the aspect where Im coming from as far as producing.
Can we expect a back to basics Black Moon album in the future, you and 5ft with Beatminerz on production?
Buckshot: Yeah. I mean 5ft just came home, and everytime we get together its chemistry. And Evil Dee is just focused right now for a lot of reasons. Hes working hard on a lot of other projects, getting a lot of experience. So when he gets behind another Black Moon album its gonna be a sonic boom, and the EQ behind it is just gonna be crazy. Any last words you wanna say to the readers of certified? Any words you wanna say to young amateur MCs on the come up right now?
Buckshot: Just keep doing your thang. Rap is a competition so always remember you gotta stay focus, you gotta exercise, you gotta really keep that eye of the tiger. Keep you skills up to whats gonna put you above the average person because thats what the hip-hop game is all about, being above the average. No matter what region it come from, down south, east coast , west coast, if its not average, it will play a part in hip-hop. So Im gonna leave you with that. And also Duck Down Records, check out www.duckdown.com. We are the dot com dons. So check that out cause we rule the dot com world you heard me! Buckshot the BDI representing that FAP, forever getting that paper!
Aight, all yall Franklin Ave niggas stand up!
Buckshot: Franklin Ave Posse! Thanks for the interview god.