HIP HOP BREATH magazine n16 by HIP HOP BREATH (LADYSU)

#16

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Edito Le nouveau numéro de HHB, le numéro 16, est parmi nous ! Comme d’habitude, les interview son en version originale. Découvrez l’interview exclusive du groupe Lessondary, ainsi que du emcee Substantial, puis direction l’Ohio avec G.P. Vous pourrez également découvrir le rappeur qui remet le Bronx sur la carte, Haddy Racks, ainsi que le groupe Constant Deviants, Greenspan. Réalisées par LadySu. Merci à Uncle Phil pour son aide. N’hésitez pas à partager, commenter !

@LadySuMusic @HipHopBreath

Sommaire Substantial … P.6 GP … P.10 DJ LSM (LADYSU) … P.14 Lessondary … P.18 Constant Deviants … P.26 Greenspan … P.34 Haddy Racks … P.38

Substantial Interview Hello Substantial. For those who might be a little unfamiliar with the name, tell us a little about yourself. Who is Substantial, where are you from and when did you start out in hip hop? Peace. I’m an MC and Educator from P.G. County, Maryland. I started getting into Hip Hop as a little kid but I didn’t record my first demo until I was 14 or 15 years old. Your project "Present" out May 27 with Marcus D, on HIPNOTT Records. Can you talk about? How did you decide on the title and also entirely produced by Marcus D? Present is the third and final EP before the release of my fourth studio album, The Past Is Always Present In The Future. Each EP is produced by a producer I’ve worked with regularly. I worked with The Other Guys and Algorythm for the first two EPs. It

was only right that I would include my Bop Alloy partner, Marcus D, for the last one. The title Present not only represents our present times and where we stand in them but the forces and people present in our lives and how they influence us. How long did it take you to make the project? What was the most challenging aspects in terms of putting the concepts and then recording? It took nearly a year to complete. WAY longer than we had anticipated. This past year, I experienced a lot of personal losses and challenges; I lost my friend and former Plague member, PH (f.k.a Pumpkinhead), my former producer DJ Deckstream (f.k.a. Monorisick who produced my first album with Nujabes, who also died in a car accident 5 years prior). Compile that with the loss

Photo By Tattiana Howard

of two uncles, two former students, and another former student of mine was convicted for murder. On a lighter note, Bop Alloy was able to do two successful west coast tours during the fall of 2015 and this past spring. It was a stressful time and it was challenging to find motivation and time to create, but we pushed through it and came out stronger. Were there any particular inspirations for you in making this project, and in a wider sense, what else acts as your biggest motivational factors? I love collaborating with talented people. I draw a lot of inspiration to create from my family and friends, in and outside of music. The other thing that motivates me is the messages I get from fans. They often tell me how my music has effected them in ways I could have never imagined and it brings me joy. It helps me see that my music is inspiring others to step up to change their lives and the world.

Do you have a favorite track from the project? If so, which one and why? My favorite track is the song The Sub Way. When I came up with the concept, I knew it would be challenging to write. I’d never heard of someone telling their life story using the subway stops around them. I was concerned I wouldn’t be able to pull it off. The beat is crazy as well. It’s not what folks expect from Marcus D and I loved it even more for that. Are you working on another project, a new collaboration? Currently, I’m working on finishing my fourth studio album, The Past Is Always Present In The Future which will drop later this year on HiPNOTT Records. From the days you started out rapping, which artists would you say you learned the most from, those who influenced you the most in developing your own style? I learned a lot working with Tonedeff & Kokayi from my QN5 Music fam. Besides being elite MCs they’re also really dope singers/musicians. They’ve helped me further develop my 8

flow and musicality.

strengthen

What has been your best experience to date in the rap game? Touring around the world has been the best part. I love traveling and learning about other cultures. Rap has afforded me a lot of opportunities to see the world. Anything else you would like to say to our readers in France / Europe / Worldwide? Thanks for listening. More to come. PEACE! Ladysu

G.P Interview

Hello G.P ! First of all: Who is GP? The name "Gp" came from a childhood friend who watch me do two things all the time "get paper". So when people would ask what my name is he would say his name is "Gp" and the name just kinda stuck with me. When did you start out in hip hop? Hiphop has always been apart of me since the days of "dnice" and "too short" but i diddnt officially start taking it serious til about 3yrs ago. Your project "Life After 7" Its biographical. Can you talk about? The name "lifeafter7" came from the unwanted vacation i had to go on due to a family member who got busted for drugs and decided to bring me into the equation (snitch)

that ended up landing me in prison for 7 years. So the title stems from that time. How long did it take you to make the project? To be honest and jabstyle and starb my engineer and marketer witness me do and finish the whole project in all of one day 4hours to be exact. "Jab" stated he has never in life witness nothing like it. From the days you started out rapping, which artists would you say you learned the most from, who influenced you the most in developing your own style? i would say i have the "Kobe" syndrome i got my style from various great artists and blended with my own personal persona but i would say Pac, Master P, Jay Z, Camron and B.I.G.

What has been your best experience to date in the rap game? The best experience was to me was being on stage with my hometown legends "bone thugs and harmony" just knowing they one of the only groups that is alive who actually recorded in the booth with pac and big is amazing. Anything else you would like to say to our readers in France / Europe / Worldwide? I just like to say go follow me on instagram @officiallygp and keep a eye out for that mixtape "lifeafter7" hosted by djkayslay and the single "we good" is ava. Ladysu

DJ LSM aKa LADYSU

Le Hip Hop & LADYSU (article paru sur HHB) La culture Hip Hop m’a toujours beaucoup apporté. Elle est essentielle dans une vie – dans la mienne en tout cas. C’est aussi pour cela que j’ai fini par la défendre, je dirais même à défendre ce rap indé / underground, le made in NY/Beast Coast (surtout). Quand je vois qu’il y a dix ans de ça Charles Hamilton était considéré comme « The Future » ; Sheek Louch racontait qu’il était peut-être temps qu’on en revienne à la bonne musique, afin que les gens aient de nouveau envie d’acheter des albums plutôt que de les télécharger gratos ; DMX déclarait que sa fanbase n’était pas des enfoirés suceurs de b**** ; la nouvelle génération NY était des gars comme J-Hood, Maino, Aasim, JR Writer, Flashy, ou encore Papoose appellait « The Beast from the east » et dont ses mixtapes résonnaient comme des albums ; la flamme New Yorkaise

s’était rallumée du côté de Harlem avec un artiste prometteur nommé Jae Millz ; Nelly racontait que tout le monde sonnait pareil et que pour être le meilleur il fallait surtout être différent ; Joe Budden était le nouveau mc à s’imposer grâce aux mixtapes, et il dénonçait les DJs qui se faisaient payer pour mettre des sons sur leurs tapes ; tous le monde s’en prenait à Ja Rule ; … et j’en passe. Est-ce que cela a changé ? Certes beaucoup de choses lus/dites ne sont plus à ce jour, ne se sont pas produites – à tors ou à raison, tant mieux où tant pis… c’est même pire surtout du côté mainstream. Oui je suis plus à la recherche d’un rap avec un bon groove, un bon flow (avec une base blue/jazz c’est parfait)… Pas fan d’off-beat et encore moins de ces wack emcees qui poussent comme de la mauvaise herbe – à vitesse grand V – ou autre 14

expression du même style pour formuler une notion de grande rapidité. Je ne vais pas désigner de noms de bons artistes ou d’escrocs… Mais je vais parler de ce genre d’artiste qui dégrade le Hip Hop avec un rap vide de sens, sur des beats dit « tueries » mais dépourvu de toute virtuosité verbale. Je ne suis pas nostalgique, j’aime seulement les bonnes choses. Quand Mr Nelly affirmait que pour être le meilleur il fallait sonner différemment, c’était du vide ? Dans un monde où faire pareil que le voisin est devenu une mode ou peut-on trouver une différence ? A NY ? Oui à la source ! Car le rap underground est bel et bien présent, et surtout il sonne bien ! L’essentiel ? Je dirais oui aussi. Pour ma part, quand l’instru et les lyrics se mélangent parfaitement bien, que demander de mieux ? Rien, walou, nada, nothing… Juste fermer sa bouche et écouter… Je l’ai souvent entendu, et le dis : le Hip Hop a été créé pour détourner les jeunes de la violence par le biais des expressions artistiques développées dans le ghetto… mais ça c’était avant. Heureusement qu’il y a encore des mcs qui veulent faire les choses

bien… Ce genre d’emcees prêts à dire non à un grand nom de la musique pour rester eux-mêmes, et à le rapper : “Just got back to the block from a six o’clock (meeting) with Jigga/And I’m thinking about signing to the Roc/But my niggas on the block still assigned to the rocks”. Bref. J’ai pu lire « Depuis le G-Unit & 50 … le rap east coast à la peine »… Je pense que beaucoup de personne crachant ces propos n’ont pas mis leurs oreilles aux bons endroits/ ont mis leurs oreilles n’importent où (prenez la phrase qui vous convient le mieux). Ce rap est toujours là, il n’a cessé de vivre, peut-être qu’il intéresse moins certes, mais il est toujours vivant et en places sur l’échiquier HH. Certes le rap que je défends a été déformé par de pseudo rappeurs aimant plus faire du « rap » pour eux que pour les autres, mais le vrai rap existe encore… Les bonnes choses se cherchent…

LESSONDARY Interview

Hello Lessondary! First thing: Thank you! Thank you to realize this project. I think this is one of the most anticipated albums of the year [at least for me lol). But, back on LESSONDARY! For Those Who might be a little unfamiliar with you, who are you? Why this name? Why did you choose to reunite you and make that supa group? Von Pea: The name means learning from the greats...a lesson from the legendary. It’s something we came up with years ago to describe what we’re about. We wanted to do an album for years but it took a while, we finally got it together. In “Ahead Of Schedule”, the quality of the lyricism is incredible and the beats too, when trap is one of the most common musical styles around right now. How do you feel about the current state of Hip Hop?

Aeon: Personally, I think it’s in a solid space, right now. There’s room for everything. A lot of what’s made, what’s popular, is not for me. And that’s fine! But on the flipside, in some ways I like that what I make is not for everybody - it removes that gigantic responsibility of having to try to please everyone, I can release music independently and be as weird or offbeat as I want to be and speak directly to my community. I really appreciate that about the current state of hiphop, and music in general. Also, with this democratization of music, from a creation and business aspect, you do find a great deal of bleed from one subgenre to another, lines are getting blurred in a good way. So, I’m not mad at all. Hiphop is alive and well. Rob: With 9+ people in the group our individual musical tastes vary. Some of us are into trap some of us are into heavy metal, I’m really into 18

the blues & jazz. When we get together we put aside our personal musical directions to focus on our core & what we do best. Dope rhymes, Dope beats. No matter what trends come and go that’s the foundation. You gave a taste with “Introducing…”, the project comes out June 24 - How long did it take you to make the project? What was the most challenging aspects in terms of putting the concepts and then Recording? Jermiside: The official “Ahead of Schedule” album as we know it started probably 4-5 years ago. Elucid sent a link to a dropbox folder called “LSNDRY” "CENTRAL LSNDRY FILE SHARING" and from there we just started building and sending ideas, starting & stopping. It had always been our intent to eventually create a collaborative project. The difficulty was really just keeping the momentum going after things began to flow. There were huge pauses between songs, which is understandable, there’s 9+ of us and everyone has solo projects and other things to focus on. I eventually just became the task-master, like “let’s finally get this shit done, it’s

now or never and we’ve come too far for it to be never” Were there any particular inspirations for you in making this project, and in a wider sense, what else acts as your biggest motivational factors? Che: Inspiration for this project came simply from each other. When you listen to all of our past work and see how we managed to maintain a brotherhood in music for many years, making dope shit! That’s inspiring. I was one of those people that would listen to the various collabs we’ve done together (and plenty of unreleased bangers too) wondering how an album would sound. We’ve had some timeless projects all released within the Lessondary collective. In many ways we are what you would call a supergroup. I know there’s a lot of people who wanted this album sooner but I feel that “Ahead Of Schedule” and just wanting to make a great “supergroup album” was all the motivation we needed. Jermiside: The fact that everybody is still making music motivated me. Some crews that started around the same time we did have kinda come and gone. All of our core members are still here, no rap beefs, no 20

degradation in talent. Most of us have added new skills to what we came in with. Plus with lyricism making a comeback (judging from the top selling rap artists) I feel like what we do will be appreciated a lot more. To add to that, most collectives don’t even reach the point of pulling off a complete album. What is your favorite song on this project? Jermiside: Bittersweet, it was one of the first songs submitted by Elucid for the project with Aeon on the beat. I think the original files got lost for this track somewhere along the lines. I practically had to beg to get that song finished lol. Che: I can’t really pick… I’d say Do That For Me is one of the favourites, I’m mad I’m not on that song lol Von Pea: Fool Proof Plan because I like working with Aeon, who produced it. Donwill: I like PTSD a lot. Aeon: For me, it’s Fool Proof Plan also. But I’m biased. Rob: PTSD & Indigo, I like dark and moody songs. Also Von spazzes on So Many Bad Songs.

Can you define your LP with 3 words? Von Pea: this is hard haha… Authentic? I have one word. Hahaha. Aeon: Long time coming. Donwill: Highly Skilled Craftsmanship. What are your respective personal projects for this year? Jermiside: The Butcher EP, The Lure of Light with Mega Ran & God Bless The Child with Lmarr the Star. Aeon: An instrumental project tentatively titled In The Castle of My Skin. Che: ColouredDreams (my first instrumental project) and the self produced Grandiose Patois EP are both available now. I Think I’ll Keep It Like It Is mixtape end of summer and finally GRAND album sometime this fall/winter. Rob: I got Books & Chicks & Brooklyn Sh!t out right now. Everything I Love EP late summer and another album early next year. Von Pea: We (Tanya Morgan) got You Get What You Pay For dropping later this year. Donwill: two EP’s Extra.Ordinary (produced by Elucid) and Stop Waiting (self produced). I’d also like

to finally release Sketchpad (produced by Brickbeats). Anything else you would like to say to our readers in France /Europe / Worldwide? Rob: Can’t wait to see you again. Thank you for your support. Jermiside: See you this summer. Donwill: If Trump gets elected can I come stay with you? Che: Big’Up to all of our supporters WORLDWIDE. Big’Up yaself. Voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir? LadySu

Constant Deviants Interview

Hi guys, can you tell us a little bit more about how you two met? We met at a college party in NY state. Cutt was Djing at it and I (M.I.), came through and got on the mic. It was that simple. You are both from 2 different cultural backgrounds (Italian and Russian). Do you feel that music made the biggest connection between you, or was it friendship first? Nah there isn't much of a difference at all. Music was definitely our original connection, that is how we met after all, but in time we became brothers.. If we stopped doing music today we would still be brothers.

We also hear a little bit of French in the movie "Swiss Banks" you released last year. Are either of you from France or Switzerland, or have backgrounds there ? We don't, however we did connect with a crew in Switzerland. Their name is SWC. We became close wth them and have been there 3 times now. "Swiss Banks" started off as an album an album I (M.I.) did which was produced by them. After that I was speaking with J Powell who shoots our music videos and we came up with the idea that we could actually make a movie to go along with the album. That was the connection. So a few of 26

the SWC crew appears in the movie, and it's those guys you hear speaking French. How did your time in Switzerland influence the way you saw things moving forward? Going to Europe showed us that the original hip hop culture is still alive and kicking. It's hard to find that in the US. It's very clique-ish and competitive here. Sometimes the Art gets lost and people become biased. Over there it just seems like people want to create and have fun. That brought some of the love back for us More and more artists nowadays release some kind of a movie clip (Beyonce, Kanye West â&#x20AC;Ś): Almost all the songs of the album have a video. So in relation to this movie "Swiss Banks", would it be correct to say that effectively this is the video for all of your songs from the album? Like hitting 2 targets with one bullet? Yeah but it's not something we would do for every album. I (M.I.) would rather spend time working on feature films at this

point. It was cool but it's not the best choice for a indy label. It doesn't really get enough exposure. We have now made a conscious decision to stay away from making music videos at this point. From now on we will focus on making music and film separately. We still make some live freestyle videos, like the current "Tre Volte" series, but that's a very separate concept to official music videos. The movie is about snitching, drug, girls and violence internationally and it is pretty raw (the first scene for example). Is it something you have personally experienced? Are you inspired by your personal life or is it more about story telling? As I (M.I.) am from from Baltimore in Maryland, I have seen pretty much everything. We are exposed to the negative things in life at a young age. But by no means am I glorifying it in film or our music. There is still a need to educate and entertain. Nothing wrong wth that! It's simply depicting a variety of things which do happen and relaying them creatively and 28

intelligently, by as you suggest, the art of storytelling In your new movie "Six2Six" you have some well-known hip-hop figures like Treach (Naughty by Nature). How did you meet? That was really just through the casting process. The first time I met Treach it was on set. The Chief Rocker Busy Bee is actually a very good friend of mine though. You guys do everything: music, producing videos, film making etc, so what is the next step creatively speaking? At this point we have our hands full, so we will stick with what we do for a while. DJ Cutt is producing for other artists on the Six2Six label and maybe one day M.I. will try to write a rap with a paint brush on a canvas! Lol M.I: Film making seems to be a huge thing for you right now, you are currently working on another movie “Can't Live Without My Radio”. Can you tell us what it is about? And when we will be able to watch it? It is a comedy about a radio station. Just to give a little bit of

early information about the concept, it exposes the changes that radio is going through in this day and age and the part it plays in the cultural change. It should be ready for the festivals in the autumn. Right now we are making our festival run with "Six2Six the Movie". The album OMERTA is also kind of inspired by film making since both of you have a “role” to play. How did you come up with this concept, and what kind of things inspires these ideas and creativity? We both just come up with ideas, they evolve and then come to fruition. Initially, this particular idea came about while watching a documentary about Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky, and we realized that we shared the same cultural backgrounds. When we got to Switzerland that was the kick start. We did a show with Sean P and the energy of the night with a harder edge to the music brought us to the studio to begin the mission. So it was both things combined that ulrimately led to the concept and the sound of the album.

Do you think you will ever be done with music? No, music is a part of us. At this point we couldn't imagine ever not making music. We also write the musical scores for our movies, so we are actually growing musically through film Do you feel better now that you are working as independent artists or do you think it is, or was better to be signed to a Major label? What's the pro's and cons on either side? Being independent is the key for artists like ourselves. If our company ever grew to a point a major wanted to be involved we would consider it, meaning a label deal, but the situation would have to be right. The only downside, if that's the term, is that being independent means you are fully responsible for everything. So while that's positive in an artistic sense, obviously it's a huge responsibility on time and resource. Back to the music: you continue to sell your music on vinyl. We know you also sell by digital downloads and CD's. Factoring

in the different cost basis, and that digital downloads have become the industry standard, why do you still release on these formats and which would you say brings in the most financial benefits? As far as music goes for us there are no significant financial benefits.. Our fan base doesn't particularly like digital downloads and there is no real profit in physical product. It's pretty much for the love of it. If we relied on music to survive we would be living in the streets of NY somewhere lol. However it has allowed us to develop a brand over the years, people know the ethos behind Constant Deviants and Six2Six Records, and this has acted as a platform allowing us to branch out into other areas such as film making. Talking about cultural background, in the movie, M.I. is basically the only white person we see, with his little brother. But in your songs, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really address issues around race although you will have witnessed the events in Baltimore. Why is that, is it perhaps too sensitive a subject 31

right now with all the things happening in the US, particularly police brutality? I don't focus on race. I'll leave that for the closed minded, the brainwashed. I'm not saying that racial issues don't exist, but why spend time on the negative? I am from a city that is predominantly black and chose to be a rapper as a kid. I have seen and heard it all but I also have developed friendships that have become family at this point. I see through the bullshit! That said, the track "Reign Storms" from our new album is our take on those events in Baltimore you refer to, so let's say as a rapper, all things are on my radar. From your years of experience in hip hop operating in the States and Europe, what would you say are the main differences in the marketplace and representation of the traditional culture? I would say that Europe adheres to the culture of the past. I believe Europe has overall more of an appreciation for art in all its forms, so that would be the first difference. Also capitalism leads to pop culture and that has

ruined things in the States. I do think it is spreading into Europe as well at this point though And finally, what message do you have for our readers over here in France and when do you think we will be able to see you guys perform here? We actually did a few shows in Paris on our first trip and also have a few things lined up. We are just trying to get a nice line up together before we head back to Europe. I guess as far as a message would go, we would say listen to the body of work and you will get an education you couldnt pay enough for!! Thank you for the love and appreciation. Uncle Phil & Ladysu

Gr33n$pan Interview Hi Greenspan. For those who might be a little unfamiliar with the name, tell us a little about yourself. Who is Greenspan? Greenspan is an expressive hip hop artist from Baltimore. I’m all about being myself, honesty and being genuine. I began taking my music serious back in 2003, making music as a hobby with my friends. We would like to return to your start on HIPNOTT. Can you tell us? So I recorded a song with J Soul who is a producer with Hipnott. That song started a conversation with Substantial, and we understood it would be a good fit and now, here we are. From the days you started, which artists would you say you learned

the most from, those who influenced you the most in developing your own style? So, early on, artist like AZ, Raekwon, and Nas were my inspirations. I listen to a lot of music. Other artists’ music like Erykah Badu &amp; Marvin Gaye are definite inspirations. I listen to different podcast and groups like Soulection and Staying Underground to find new sounds and inspiration. Your forthcoming album “Never Gon Die” is on the way, with a documentary. Can you talk about? How did you decide on the title and also collaborations on, and make a documentary? The Never Gon Die title is based on the idea of eternal life and it’s a salute to my cousin Che (aka Lor 34

Fal), my friend OOH, and my father who have all passed away. Through my music and moves they are “Never Gon Die” you feel me? How long did it take you to make the project? What was the most challenging aspects in terms of putting the concepts and then recording? I’ve been working on this album for over a year. Losing these people who were close to me definitely slowed the process down but eventually fueled the content.

Anything else you would like to say to our readers in France / Europe / Worldwide? I appreciate everyone who has ever taken time to listen and appreciate my art. My next work is definitely my best work. Stay tuned and thanx for the luv!

Ladysu

Do you have a favorite track from the project? If so, which one and why? My favorite song on the album is called “Gladys.” I like the feel and the groove of this record. We recently shot a video for it. You’ll

Who are you listening at the moment? I’m listening to Big Krit, Nipsey Hussle, King (We Are King), Carolyn Malachi.

All DJ LSMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s projects on ladysumusic.bandcamp.com

Haddy Racks Interview Hello Haddy Racks! For those who might be a little unfamiliar with the name, tell us a little about yourself. Who is Haddy Racks, where are you from? I would like to start this interview off by saying thanks to Hip Hop Breath for reaching and putting this interview together. Haddy Racks is a kid from the inner city who is trying to make it out of the hood. I'm the kid from ya neighborhood that everyone wants to see make it out safely and avoid being in jail or in casket. I've always been a well liked person. I'm from the Bronx, New York and I've been doing music all my life. When I was 7-years-old me and my cousin Mali use to rap together, but we would only rap in the dark with the lights off, and for that reason they labeled us as the "Shy MC's". Tell us about your debut album “Resumé” which just dropped in June. How did you decide on the

title, and also who do you have as the featured artists and producers? Resumé is the autobiography of Haddy Racks. It's my life story and everything that I'm dealing too this day, so when my manager Dove put all the tracks together and gave it a complete listen, she said it almost feels like I'm telling my story as if it's my actual resumé to the hip hop world. So at that point we decided to use that as the title. How long did it take you to make the project? What was the most challenging aspects in terms of putting the concepts and then recording? It didn't take me long at all to put it together, being that it was my current state of mixed emotions. Normally before i start a project I like to figure out the mood I'm in and once I figure that out, I can put together project in a matter of a few months.

Were there any particular inspirations for you in making this project, and in a wider sense, what else acts as your biggest motivational factors? My inspiration in making this project was to hopefully make it the last time I had to go through life dealing with everything that I was rapping about on this ResumĂŠ album. I just knew that if I put in the hard work and put good music out eventually, I won't have to deal with these particular stresses anymore, so that's was my inspiration. As far as my motivational factors, I would have to say my motivation every time I'm n the studio is to make a hit record and get closer to making it out the hood. Do you have a favorite track from the project? If so, which one and why? I don't have a particular favorite record, because each song gives me different vibe, so I may have a favorite song while in a certain mood, but overall I'm a fan of the entire project and I'm my own worst critic - so if I like it it must be hot. From the days you started out rapping, which artists would you say you learned the most from,

those who influenced you the most in developing your own style? I'm heavily influenced by Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z, Nas, Scarface, Cormega, Big L, Big Pun, The Lox, Cam'ron, State Property, The Game, Dr. Dre, Snoop dog, etc.. I'm a fan of the golden era of hip hop. What has been your best experience to date in the rap game? As to date getting the stamp of approval from DMX was huge for me. I've always been big DMX fan, so when I remade his song "Slipp'n" and he co-signed the record, it was like a dream come true for me. DMX is one of the greatest artists of all time, so hearing him say he's a fan of me just made feel like i accomplished something out of this world. What do you think of the current rap? I love the current state that rap is in, because it's taking a lot of people out the streets. What I love most is that its coming back to being more diverse. Now it's not stuck in one region anymore. Now you have U.S. artist from the East, West, North and South all making a impact in the rap game world wide. New York is 40

actually giving new artists a chance to be heard again, and I love it. Do you think that there is a succession/progression in the New York hip hop? Hip Hop is definitely progressing. Anytime you can take a kid who grew up in an impoverished neighborhood and give him a lane to provide for himself and his family, it is considered progression to me.

PromoVatican team, Bigga Rankin, Jack Thriller and his 16 or Better team, and also shout out to JHatch and the entire iStandard Producers family for their strong support in my career. Last but not least I wanna thank God for making all this possible. Don't forget, ResumĂŠ is out now on all digital outlets worldwide!. Ladysu

Do you think there is a place, in the rap, for all those artists who sound the same? Absolutely it is. I feel like Desiigner had a similar sound to Future, and the way his career took off is amazing. Good music is good music, regardless who is sounds similar to. Anything else you would like to say to our readers in France / Europe / Worldwide? I would like thank all my fans out there for the support. I want to thank my manger Dove for bringing my career to higher levels, and for always guiding and giving me the best advice. I wanna thank my crew, Rackd Up, and I also wanna give thanks to Hip Hop Breath for this interview. Shout out to Kingpin aka Rap Juggernaut and the 42

Thank you to support Hip Hop Breath.