Shout out to my main CHUUUNNK, K-BETA, aka Beta Maxxx for the interview...DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS "89-09" MIXTAPE ABOUT TO DROP!!! I got to hear some of the rough cuts the other week, and this is not just any mixtape, this is a hip hop milestone, and will be copied from now on...Act like you know, and you won't look stupid...
CHUUUNK,
-SC-
1.) - Let's get right into it, tell me about the new project "89 to 09"? What's the concept behind it? How is it different from all the other mixtapes out there?
With 89 to 09, I just took a joint from each year and flipped it. It's a nice little ride through the last two decades of rap..and definitely a nod to some of my favorite MCs. Writing it has been a great experience, and I got the big homie DJ Alizay on the cuts for the joint. It hits on 4.28.09..right around the corner.
2.) - When can we expect a full-length from tha gawd, Beta?! Have you been doing any guest spots that we should look for?
I got the album in the can..ready for release in August. We gonna drop this tape, and then hit em with the J-$crilla album - Culture Of Honor - on June 02. After that, I'll be up to bat with my album - Sober. Then we gonna drop Sketch's album produced entirely by J-$crilla. You gotta ask Sketch what he's calling that joint (laughs). The title changes everyday.
As far as collabos, I've been in the lab with some of my peoples around the DMV like Laelo Hood, XO, B. Sheba, Face, SK, Lyriciss, Thad Reid, Pro'Verb, and of course me and Sketch got that Black Irish shit coming. We all on our grind real hard right now, so whenever our paths cross..it's automatic. I'm gonna be doing some work with some other real crazy spitters over the spring and summer.
3.) - Who are you working with on this project, the usual goons? Overok, J-$crilla, etc.?
Yeah of course I'm in the lab with O and $crill heavy. I also got joints with my folks E-Minah of Tha Villenz, Kevlar, Kev Brown, Judah, Marc Nfinit, Charlie Brown and Bad Abbot. The album isn't really feature heavy as far as guest MCs. I got Sketch on a few joints, and my girl Mina is on there singing.
4.) - I see you and Inner Loop Records have been really, branching out, and trying to mobilize different sections of the city, and mobilizing artists within those communities to stand strong and create a movement here? Tell me how are you going about it, what's working/not working?
We just doing our part to bring folks together and make noise out here. It's already happening, and we just a part of the movmenet. Actually, in a lotta ways we are pushing the movement forward with some real ill events and projects like the Illmatic and Reasonable Doubt remix joints. It's just good to contribute to the whole DMV onslaught. I don't really look at what's not working except to come up with ways to make it work yunno. The main thing is just the seperatism in the area. That's gotta go, but yunno we had that shit ingrained in our minds from the slavery days. I think as we continue to progress..we will see the opportunity to defeat and kill that demon and prosper even more.
5.) - After I took a little time off from the scene one of the most visual things I saw, was how many people, and females were out at the last few events I went to, have you noticed this trend that these events and artists are starting to get a little more, popular?
Definitely. I been on the scene since 04, and I notice the growth. Its a blessing for real cuz it means that all the hard work is paying off. It's kinda like the old saying "faith wothout works is dead" from The Bible. We always had faith that we could make it happen, but we knew we had to be on our gate everyday to get that tray. Some of us sleep and let the tray sit in the slot til they take it back (laughs). Inner Loop is up there gettin ours and that's why it's coming to be.
6.) - Besides those closest to you, who are you watching out there in the scene, who is impressing you? Who would you love to work with(locally), that you haven't been able to?
I'm getting familiar with RAtheMC right now. I had to go back and really listen to her tapes man. She is killing it hard right about now. I'm also rocking to that Realmatic joint from my man XO, that dude is just a beast on the visuals and wordplay. Me and him already in the lab though, but I'm checking for that Diamond District joint he got comin with YU and Oddisee. I definitely look forward to working more with all three of those dudes. Other than that, I'm feeling the stuff I'm hearing from AP, Tony Nice, The Package..maaan it's so many bloodthirsty artists in the DMV..got me on my toes out here. I was at The Grind & Lounge out Herndon VA the other night..and it was crazy! Just to feel the hunger and watch cats up there just tear it down. I'm just keeping my ear to the street and listening for that inspiration.
7.) - I understand that you recently shot a video for 28 Days, can you tell me more about that track/video/, etc.?
Yeah that track is about the 28 days I spent in a drug abuse treatment center. It was a real different experience, and I just started writing about it after I talked to $crilla on the phone one day. He was like "You should talk about that shit in a song" and it started coming to me. I wrote it str8 to the air, and he had the right beat for it as soon as I came back from the spot. We did the video with my man Ron H and it came out perfect. Big shout to everybody who came through to be a part of that.
8.) - What is one goal, that you as an artist, and as a person, would like to accomplish this year?
My goal is to keep building Inner Loop Records and BetaRaz Entertainment. Its just progress. We have a lot of goals within goals, and we're all hustling to turn the goals into accomplishments this year. As a person, I'm just taking inventory of myself right now, so I will have to get back to you on that.
9.) - Lastly, what is one thing about yourself, that people do not know, but you would like them to know? Random, I know...
My life is well-documented. Whether it be in the rhymes or on the videos or whatever...I guess if anything...hmmm...I'm a really good cook (laughs). I don't get to do it very often, but when I do, it's always a grand feast.
10.) - Shouts...
Inner Loop Records crew - J-$crilla, Overok, Marc Nfinit, ELEKT1, Bugs, Sketch, E-Minah, Soulful, Chapi D.
BetaRaz Ent. crew - my partner Faraz AKA Future Birth, DJ C-Note, Beanz, CDE
The rest of the fam - FeathaW8, Slim Cee, Kevlar, my brother Khaalis, Big Fuss, Unc, Guitta Rita, Ill Will, Mo Troof, XO, Anguish, Chop-La-Rok, DJ Alizay, Judah, Target Squad, 1Shot Mike and the whole Black Box crew, Bo Jankans, Lika Joon, Tony Moon, Bones and Block Beggan, B. Sheba, The S.D and Multiple Man, Team Demo, Tynz and Dre from District Entertainment, and Tha Villenz...
The 89 to 09 Tape drops 4.28.09
J-$crilla - Culture Of Honor drops 6.2.09
K-Beta - Sober drops 8.09
Sketch & J-$crilla LP drops 10.09
CHUNK UNLIMITED
