Heltah Skeltah: Back For The First Time

There’s no reason to rundown the lineage of MC’s that Brooklyn, New York has manufactured, because the list would be an insurmountable one. Solo acts from the historic borough have long come and helped to influence their surrounding neighbors along with other aspiring artists who have never been to Brooklyn or even New York for that matter. But if you’re talking about Hip-Hop groups that reside there, then the subject is well worth the indulgence. What Wu-Tang Clan is to Staten Island, is what Pete Rock & CL Smooth were to Mount Vernon, and currently what The Boot Camp Clik still are to Brooklyn. The whole entire collective are relatively mainstays who’ve stuck with their platoon through thick and thin, and that’s where two of its most popular members come into play. Heltah Skeltah, which consists of Ruck (who now goes by his born name of Sean Price) and Rock were drafted into the camp since they first made their presents felt back in 1995. Their debut album, Nocturnal which was released in 1996 and was instant hit with hardcore Hip-Hop fans and the underground scene alike, but their second album Magnum Force back in 1998 was less than stellar in the eyes of the people who purchased over 250,000 copies of their previous effort.

From there the group went on a hiatus, with Rock joining the big leagues and inking a deal with Interscope Records through DJ Lethal’s imprint. But the House Of Pain/Limp Bizkit affiliate would witness his label being dissolved and in turn, it dashed any hopes of Rock releasing his first project aptly titled Planet Rock. He ended up missing the roll call for The Boot Camp Clik’s The Chosen Few album, but he was quickly reinstated from his A.W.O.L. status just in time to join his partner in rhyme Sean Price for his Monkey Barz debut project. Rock was only featured on two songs, and by this time the man that now goes by his government name was making a push at solidifying himself as solo artist in his own right. It would be an understatement to say he achieve that goal, because Sean Price’s sophomore album Jesus Price Superstar which was released back in 2007 was the first Boot Camp Clik album to crack the Billboard Charts since 1999. Featuring production by 9th Wonder and Khrysis and appearances by Phonte of Little Brother along with his fellow boot camp soldiers in arms, the album got near-perfect scores from across the board. XXL Magazine, The Source Magazine, and Okayplayer all rated the album one notch away from being flawless.

Riding the wave of colleague’s success, Rock finally made his entrance with his Shell Shock Mixtape earlier this year. The album was released amidst of the attempted murder charges that are pending against him at the moment that involved a confrontation with another individual. But despite that, the reaction to the project was a positive one, as fans got to hear Rock carrying the load all by himself, just as they did with Sean Price. Now after ten years of writing their own separate stories, the two seasoned MC’s from Brooklyn once again share the same page with their third album, D.I.R.T (Da Incredible Rap Team). When you have a slick-talking metaphorical linguist in Sean Price mixed in with the rough and harden vocal tone of Da Rockness Monsta, how can they put their minds to be nothing but incredible?


Rap Sheet: What’s been going on?

Rock: Ain’t sh*t.

Rap Sheet: How was it like going back in and getting to finally work on the Heltah Skeltah album?

Rock: Well I really never left the studio; it was just basically turning the page. This right here is what we do; you know what I mean? It was good for my boy to walk in on this point in time though. Working with Sean P is a beautiful thing. But as far as this studio sh*t, we’ve been doing this for a lot of years and we never stopped doing it.

Rap Sheet: Why did it take so long for this album to come?

Sean Price: I don’t know. I know I wanted to put out two solo albums before I put out a Heltah Skeltah album; you know what I mean? I didn’t want to put out one album and then be like, “Alright, now it’s back to Heltah Skeltah!” I want ya’ll to know that I’m a serious solo artist, and I felt like I solidified that, so I went back in to do Heltah Skeltah.

Rap Sheet: As the years went by, did you ever think you were going make another album together?

Sean Price: At some points I thought we would, and other points I didn’t think so, and other times I didn’t give a f*ck; you know what I mean? I had all of those emotions.

Rap Sheet: How was the creative process when you were making the record? Were you two always on the same page?

Sean Price: We just ran through beats; I liked some and Rock didn’t and vice versa. But the ones we really liked, we rhymed to.

Rap Sheet: You two have relatively kept your style the same, when other artists sometime switch up. Why is that?

Sean Price: We’re not trying anything too different—we just stick to what we know. Our style of rapping is our sh*t right there, and that’s what we do.

Rap Sheet: Did you feel any pressure to make sure this album is a success since it’s your first one in ten years?

Sean Price: We felt a little pressure, because we ain’t put out an album in over ten years. I wondered if the people would still remember us, you know what I mean? I’m sure they know me as Sean Price, but would they remember me? I wondered if our sh*t would still be relevant, and should we even do Heltah Skeltah.

Rap Sheet: What’s been your motivation through the years?

Rock: What the f*ck else are we going to do? This is what we do. This isn’t a fabricated image this is us. We just don’t do it for the money—this is what we do. We don’t really give a f*ck on what other people do.

Rap Sheet: Do you feel as if you put everything you had into the new album?

Rock: Ain’t no denying n*ggas that get busy, you know what I’m saying? We didn’t do too much experimental bullsh*t, we just did what the f*ck we know how to do. That right there is basically undeniable so we ain’t tripping off of that, it is what it is. The people are going to like it, unless [they] don’t like this kind of sh*t at all. If you’re type of n*gga that likes sissy music, then maybe you won’t like it. But if you like n*ggas that tell you what’s going on in the slums of BK or in the slums of your ‘hood, then this is the real deal. Come over here with the good brothers of Heltah Skeltah, and we will be happy to help you with that.

Rap Sheet: Even though you haven’t put out an album in quite sometime, you two still helped each other out on individual projects. How important was it for you guys to do that?

Sean Price: It was important to do that because we don’t have any beef. It was never anything like, “F*ck you Rock!” We were just doing other sh*t, that’s all. Whenever I’m in the studio, I want some of the nicest n*ggas to be involved, and Rock is one of the nicest n*ggas.

Rap Sheet: After awhile, groups usually break up. What’s been the key in keeping you guys together?

Sean Price: You have to agree to disagree on certain things. You have to understand that there are no hard feelings, its just business. So once you have that understanding, and know what’s going on, everything is all-good.

Rap Sheet: Sean, during the time when you were doing your own albums, did it ever get difficult carrying a project yourself coming from a group setting?

Sean Price: Not at all because it had been years since I dropped something, and I had a lot to get off my chest.

Rap Sheet: So Rock, were you happy on how your Shell Shock Mixtape was received?

Rock: I’m happy it came out, and I wish more people would go and get it. I wouldn’t give a f*ck if a million people bought it, I would still want a million more to get it. That’s just the reality of what it is, it’s getting received well, and I’ve heard a whole lot of good sh*t about it. I don’t think I’ve heard a negative response to it or whatever, so I can’t be mad about that.

Rap Sheet: Do you have anything to coincide with the mixtape?

Rock: We got the DVD that we’re working on right now, and that should be out really soon. I got a lot of sh*t that I’m working on right now. I’m in a few movies, and one of them is called Community Service. I’m going to be all over the place. We’re still grinding, and plus we got Monster Music in the works. I’m going to say all of this and you might write a lot of it, or a little of it, and the people are only going to remember some of it. Just know that Shell Shock The DVD is going to be popping, and that’s my next work of art right there.

Rap Sheet: Talk about your acting experience.

Rock: I haven’t done any roles that were too difficult yet, and it’s pretty much the same as imitating a n*gga that I know. I’m a pretty animated person, you know? I don’t just speak with my mouth; I speak with my body also. I’ve already adapted to that kind of thing already, so it really ain’t nothing. If the role I’m playing ain’t really me, then I probably know that n*gga from up the street. I haven’t played anything that was too challenging for me yet. When I play a doctor or something like that, I’ll let you know.

Rap Sheet: [Laughs] I’ve heard some people say that Hip-Hop is a young person’s game right now. Do you feel as if you're competing with the younger acts that are out as well?

Sean Price: We don’t pay that sh*t no mind; we just do what we like to do. We don’t worry ourselves about the youngsters, the older guys or none of that sh*t. That sh*t ain’t even a thought.

Rap Sheet: You’ve both went through your personal problems, so how have you remained positive enough to still put out music?

Sean Price: Who said I remained positive?

Rap Sheet: [Laughs] So I guess you haven’t…

Sean Price: [Laughs] I’m cool about sh*t, but that don’t mean I’ve remained positive. There ain’t sh*t you can do, but do you. We don’t worry about things we can’t control.

Rap Sheet: What’s next for Heltah Skeltah?

Sean Price: There is going to be no more Heltah Skeltah albums, this is it.

Ace Hood: Poker Face

It’s no secret the South is now the perennial powerhouse as far as Hip-Hop is concerned. The confederate soldiers that make up the region keep churning out hit after hit, followed by artist after artist. One of the main ingredients to their success is an info structure that allows them to function as one unit. Whether it’s Rick Ross or Flo Rida, at one point in time they’ve all crossed paths to assist each other on their road to glory while keeping the Sunshine State even brighter in the process. Now they welcome another member into their fold (literally) and he goes by the name of Antoine “Ace Hood” McColister. You might recognize his song ‘Cash Flow’ which features Florida alumni T-Pain and Rick Ross. The video itself has an abundance of cameo spots from Fat Joe, to Fabolous, to DJ Khaled. The Terror Squad affiliate can be seen over the elaborate production, and that’s because Ace Hood happens to be his artist signed to his own imprint We The Best Music (in association with Def Jam). After meeting the boisterous Khaled outside of a radio station, information was exchanged, followed by the inking a deal, and Khaled hosting Ace’s introductory mixtape; Ace Won’t Fold.

The dread-locked MC hailing from Broward County, Florida comes in at a time where artists are practically a dime a dozen, but he remains un-phased as he readies for his debut album titled Gutta. The project will be backed by the likes of Cool & Dre, The Runners, Danjahandz, and The J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League. With vocal support being provided by Plies, Akon, Trick Daddy, and a slew of other heavy hitters. But the brash, confident, and soft-spoken 19-year-old has every intention of keeping ahead of the pack regardless of who’s in front, and just by his demeanor alone, you can already tell that he’s playing with a full deck.


Rap Sheet: Where are you originally from?

Ace Hood: I’m from Broward County, Florida. That’s over there by the Fort Lauderdale area.

Rap Sheet: How was it like growing up there?

Ace Hood: It was straight I grew up with four other siblings, with me being the fifth. I grew up with my original mom and a stepfather, and life was pretty much what it was. I didn’t have a bad childhood when I was coming up, only a couple of problems here and there but nothing too bad. My mom worked 2-3 in order to provide us, so that’s basically what it was.

Rap Sheet: Was music something you were always into as a child?

Ace Hood: Music was something that caught my eye later on in life. My stepfather was a part of music, and I felt like it just grew on me after a while; you feel me?

Rap Sheet: So how did you get the name “Ace”?

Ace Hood: It was something that I made up. “Ace” represents one, and I’m an army in myself. I feel like I can carry my own, but being that I’m from the streets, and from the ‘hood, I just attached “Hood” to it.

Rap Sheet: What’s the whole idea behind your album Gutta? Was there anything in particular you wanted to achieve with the project?

Ace Hood: I just wanted to give the people a taste of who I am; you know what I’m saying? Basically just letting them know where I’m from, which is the bottom and all of the stuff that I’ve been through in my life. I just wanted to put my life story into a book, and then put it on a CD. That’s basically what I was trying to do.

Rap Sheet: With this being your first official album, how was the creative process during the time of making it? Did it ever get difficult?

Ace Hood: Nah not at all being that I had so much on my mind, and so much I had to get off my chest. I just wanted to get everything down on paper, so there was no writer’s block or anything like that. I’m very versatile when it comes to the music, so I was just going in. I knew what I wanted to accomplish, and once you know that, it’s easier to do.

Rap Sheet: Your project is going to feature artists like Rick Ross, Flo Rida, T-Pain, Trick Daddy, Akon, and Plies. You’re not worried about all those collaborations overshadowing your individual success?

Ace Hood: No not at all, because on each and every record I’m going to do my thing. I’m always going to make sure that whatever I’m doing is recognizable to who I am, you feel me? Yeah there are some features on my album, but I don’t think it will overshadow my individual shine or nothing like that. Either way I’m going to always deliver, you know what I’m saying? The people are going to always say I went hard.

Rap Sheet: So how did you and DJ Khaled first meet?

Ace Hood: We hooked up at this radio station called 99 Jamz down in Florida, and we met outside. He was on his way to a meeting when I met up with him, and I wanted to perform at his birthday party but it ended up being something more than that. So he read my bio, and took my CD, and then he told me that he liked my swag. He said that I had great potential, but he wanted to hear me on a big record to see if I could handle it. So he sent me the ‘I’m So Hood’ instrumental and I ripped it down, and once I ripped it down I sent it back to him, and from there we just started talking about music, and that’s how it went.

Rap Sheet: How long were you out on your grind before you had the opportunity to hook up with [DJ] Khaled?

Ace Hood: I was on my grind for about six years, but it was on and off with the music thing since I was in high school. I would always write lyrics, and I was in a group when I was a little younger. I put out little street songs and stuff like that, but when I got out of high school I needed this to be my career. This is what I wanted to do besides playing football.

Rap Sheet: You used to play football too?

Ace Hood: Yeah, I played football in high school…

Rap Sheet: What position were you?

Ace Hood: I played Free Safety…

Rap Sheet: Do you feel any pressure since you’re signed to [DJ] Khaled’s label and you have T-Pain and Rick Ross on your first single?

Ace Hood: I don’t feel any pressure—you know what I mean? Of course it’s a blessing to have T-Pain and Rick Ross on the record, but I don’t feel any kind of pressure because I know what I’m supposed to do. I know what it takes in order to be the best, and to make your way to being the best; you feel me? So I know what I have to uphold, and I know what I have to do as an artist in order to keep things popping, and to keep my situation on point.

Rap Sheet: What do you think is going to help to set you apart from all the other new artists coming out?

Ace Hood: My energy. I feel like my energy and swag makes me go harder. A regular artist would probably come in and chill during a meeting, or go in the club and chill. But we’re at the bar or at a table, anything that can set me a part to where people say, “Okay, Ace is in his own category.” I would do what a new artist wouldn’t do, you feel me? And that will set me a part.

Rap Sheet: What’s been the hardest part of this ordeal for you so far?

Ace Hood: The hardest part is always breaking yourself as an artist; you have to go that extra mile that an established artist would. I would say that’s the hardest thing, which is not even a problem, but you have to dedicate time to break yourself as an artist. You’re going to go through love, and you’re going to go through hate, and that’s pretty much what it is.

Rap Sheet: Also do you ever think about getting lost in shuffle, (no pun intended) with so many artists coming out all the time?

Ace Hood: Nah not all, because I feel like I’m definitely one of the top new artists that’s out. We’re definitely going to go hard with my project, and I don’t feel any stress because I feel like I’m the best new artist that’s out.

Rap Sheet: So at the end of the day when its all said and done, what do you want people to take away from your music?

Ace Hood: I just want them to get my pain, and understand where I’m coming from and what I’ve been through; you feel me? Understand how hard I go everyday, understand how I was grinding everyday without a deal, and that’s pretty much my motto. A deal is just an attachment, because it’s all about that grind. I want them to know that “Ace Hood” is going to continue to go hard.

Black Milk: No Expiration Date

Whether you listen to Hip-Hop to snap your fingers, nod your head, learn the new dance craze, or recite your favorite MC’s lyrics, one thing is certain—good music is good music regardless of where it comes from. For any true Hip-Hop lover, having an open mind to new forms of the genre should be instant, however that’s not always the case. If your name is not plastered as the headliner performing at some huge venue, getting your name out there might be harder than TMZ catching Shauna Sand fully clothed walking down Hollywood Boulevard past nightfall. Most new acts have to start a grassroots movement in order to pick up a head of steam, and others can just command the eardrums of doubters by producing some of the best beats in the business; and that’s the route that Curtis “Black Milk” Cross has taken.

The MC/Producer from Detroit and former member of B.R. Gunna surpassed other methods of notoriety by becoming one with his studio equipment and forging a sound that had some of the most well-recognized names in Hip-Hop asking to be in the booth while he worked the boards. His short but impressive collection of records incorporates the essence of what Detroit Hip-Hop has come to be. Now with his fourth album in three years, he continues to maintain the spirit of his fallen Detroit brethren in every snare, every kick, and every high hat as he keeps his music pure with no added flavors or artificial sweeteners.


Rap Sheet: The Detroit [Pistons] has a new head coach this year; do you feel lucky about you guys’ season?

Black Milk: Man, we always feel lucky about the [Detroit] Pistons, you know what I’m saying? Even when we have bad seasons, we still end up doing pretty good… [Laughing] So I’m just going to cross my fingers…

Rap Sheet: So talk about your Tronic album, how do you think you’ve grown musically since Popular Demand?

Black Milk: After Popular Demand was done, it got a lot of good responses, and like all artists, I went back and listened to it to see what I could’ve have done better. So I basically knew once it was time for me to go into another album, I had to step everything up from the production to the rhymes. I took time on everything, but I had a short amount of time to work on it. I only had four to five months, which isn’t a long time when you’re trying to put together a timeless classic album… [Laughs] I wish I had more time to do more stuff, but I had to make it work. I wanted to make sure I came with a different sound, a different approach, and a different style—and I think I pulled it off pretty dope, so I’m satisfied with the end result.

Rap Sheet: Also, on this album it didn’t sound like you sampled as much as you did on Popular Demand. Was that a conscious decision on your part?

Black Milk: I still sampled a lot of the album, but it was more about how I used the sample this time around, and about the records I sampled. I was chopping up more abstract stuff, and a lot of obscure stuff, so you probably wouldn’t recognize the loop. But on Popular Demand, it was a lot of soul samples and probably stuff people could find. This time around I wanted to do a different style of samples. There was some rock stuff on there, along with other stuff, I just added on to that production. I still had the dirty drum breaks; the hard drum breaks, and drum kicks. That’s what I basically kept in mind when I was doing the beats for this album.

Rap Sheet: Did you chop it more this time around to cover your tracks, so other wouldn’t be able to copy? [Laughs]

Black Milk: [Laughs] Well not really to bite me, it wasn’t about another producer biting me and what I do; it was just really about me wanting to do a new sound. That was my whole focus right there, I really wanted to do a whole new sound, and I wasn’t thinking about people imitating or copying the style. I was just thinking about doing what I do, and loving it before I put it out. If I just made the track, and it was dope; then I’m not using it. I had to love it. If I wasn’t getting excited about the beat two to three bars in, I’d erase the track, and that’s how I did every beat on this album. Anybody can make a dope beat, but I was trying to make some ridiculous sh*t for this album.

Rap Sheet: People label you as a bona fide “underground artist.” Now does that sit well with you, or would you just rather be considered as an “artist” period?

Black Milk: It’s all good man; it ain’t really about the labels when you hear people titling me. They call me “backpack” or “underground,” but I’m an independent artist doing good music; and that’s all I want people to recognize. So the titles really don’t faze me like that, because everybody is going to have their own opinion on where I should go. As long as they recognize that the music is good, that’s all that matters at the end of the day.

Rap Sheet: Did you always rhyme at the beginning of your career, or was it something you picked up along the way?

Black Milk: I rhymed before I got into making beats. I was MC’ing, writing, and recording tracks. But eventually got into making beats, and seeing how this side of the music game works. Once I found out how to work equipment, and different formulas about beat making—but really once I found out that producers made more money that’s what really made me want to get into it… [Laughing] That’s when I wanted to f*ck with it more than MC’ing. But yeah, I was MC’ing before I started doing beats.

Rap Sheet: Speaking of being an MC versus a producer, do you ever feel like your rhymes will take a backseat or get overshadowed by your beats since people really know you for your production first and foremost?

Black Milk: I feel that way a lot of the time, like people might not catch certain rhymes, flows, or patterns just because they’re so caught up in the beat. It’s still cool though, as long as you’re listening to the music, that’s all that matters. Whether you love the beats more than the rhymes, or the rhymes more than the beats, it doesn’t matter. The beats can overshadow your rhymes, and I admit that I take more time on the production end than on my rhymes anyways.

So 9 times out of 10 the track is going to overpower whoever is spitting on the beat. I can write a “16” in a half hour to an hour, but I can be trying to perfect a beat from a day all the way up to two weeks. Every track on the album has been tweaked a little bit. I’m always going back and tweaking something until it’s time for me to master it.

Rap Sheet: During your tweaking phase, have you ever felt like you’ve “over produced” a beat?

Black Milk: I feel like there is such a thing as a producer over producing the track by putting too much into it. But the simpler can be better at times, and you can get your point across better that way. Sometimes you can’t put too many sounds in the track, because sometimes there might be something you want the people to hear, but it gets over powered. So try to keep that in mind because there were certain tracks where I kept adding music to it, but I know better than that to leave a track with “too much,” and so I had to strip some of the stuff away. If it’s not necessary, then I’m erasing it off the track.

Rap Sheet: Do you have any way to differentiate the beats that you want to use for your own projects, as opposed to material you might pitch to an artist?

Black Milk: Yeah because I know what sound and what style of beat I want to rock to. When I was working on this album, I didn’t do any outside production, I wasn’t focused on getting out beat CD’s or emailing beats to artists; everything was about “Tronic.” I was making sure the beats were right for me first, and then I was doing outside production. But when I do tracks, it really depends on how the track comes out, and then I know whether I’ll use it for myself, or if I want to give it to someone else.

Rap Sheet: Was there ever a time an artist snuck a listen to a beat you were going to use, and tried to strong arm you for it? [Laughs]

Black Milk: That happened a couple times between Slum Village and I, because we work together a lot; especially in the beginning when I started working with them… [Laughing] The first couple of tracks they bought from me, they heard them because I used them with a group I was with at the time. We were going back and forth because I didn’t know if I wanted to let them get the tracks or not, but that has happened a few times.

Rap Sheet: So how did you get [DJ] Premier to do the cuts on ‘The Matrix’? Was that a case of you reaching out to him, or did you two know each other before the album?

Black Milk: I ran into [DJ] Premier a few different times, and we chopped it up a few different times before. Fat Beats got back in touch with him and got us on the phone, and we talked for a bit. After that, I sent him the track and he did his thing by putting the legendary Preemo cuts and scratches on the track, and it turned out dope. He called me the night he was doing it, and he was like, “Yo, what’s the name of the track?” So I told him it was called ‘The Matrix.’ After that he went in and sent the track back to me the next day. That was that, and the song came out crazy.

Rap Sheet: He did it in one night?!

Black Milk: [Laughs] Yeah he did it in one night… I don’t know how he found the cuts that said the matrix, and I don’t know how his library is, but he did it that night, and sent the record back to me early that next day… [Laughs] I was like, “Man, how the hell did you find a Jay-Z record with him saying “matrix” on it and cut it up?!” [Laughing] He’s been doing it for so long, it’s probably nothing for him to go and find a certain phrase or a certain word and scratch it on the hook… [Laughs] That just showed me more of how legendary he is.

Rap Sheet: Sounds like it! [Laughs] With you being one of the most highly regarded artists coming out of Detroit right now; do you ever feel like you’re carrying a lot of weight on your shoulders?

Black Milk: Not really because all that matters is that the music speaks for itself. If I can continue to put out good music, then I’m going to continue on holding it down for my city and put other artists on who I think are talented. So as long as I keep doing good music, there shouldn’t be any pressure. Right now I have so many directions where I want to go with music, and so many styles I want to try, so I’m going to be here for a minute.

Rap Sheet: Between working on your own projects and projects for other artist, do you ever feel burned out?

Black Milk: Not really, but it worries me sometimes physically. But the actual creating process never gets tiresome. My mind is working 24/7 on trying to be the best out here. Whether I’m independent or not, I want people to know that I’m one of the top people out here. That’s the goal I want to reach, and I have a lot of work to do to make that happen.

Rap Sheet: Where do you think a lot of producers go wrong when trying to be heard?

Black Milk: What they should do in order to try and get into the industry is to try and create their own sound, and try to create their own lane. Everybody has somebody that inspired them to get into music, and at first their tracks might sound like the person’s who influenced them. With me, [J] Dilla was a big influence and so was Pete Rock, so a lot of my first beats kind of had that feel to it until I got into my own.

But after that, just find your own lane and style so you can eat off of that, because people want to hear something new, something fresh, and something different. So that’s probably the advice I’d give to an up-and-coming producer or artist. It’s a long haul, and you can be grinding for six or seven years before something happens, like a lot of artist do. So if you can’t hold it down, then you probably don’t need to get into this music game, because it can be rough at times.