What's up, Bill?
I'm chilling, man. I just got back from LA. I'm getting back into the Brooklyn grind. Shit is all good. It's definitely popping right now.
How was Cali?
Cali was crazy. Mad partying, getting fucked up, getting drunk, and recording mad shit.
What's up with La Coka Nostra?
We've been recording at Lethal's pad. He has the ill studio up in the crib. We got Psycho Realm and B-Real doing some shit with us. Q just did some shit. It's a lot of shit. La Coka Nostra is me, Danny Boy, Everlast, Slaine, Lethal, Big Left, and Kaves. That's the core of the group right there. There's seven of us. At the same time, we do have a big extended fam like Non-Phixion, Cypress Hill, Q-Unique, Psycho Realm…Shit, even Paul Wall wants to jump on a track. It's an interesting album. It's more than an album. I don't want this to sound like a side project. It's definitely a group, but there are definitely going to be a bunch of guests on there as well.
How did the group come about?
La Coka Nostra is Danny Boy's idea. He thought it would be some ill shit and to get a bunch of homies together to work on some music. Nothing serious, almost on some mixtape shit really. We didn't realize it would be what it's become. Once we started doing shit, the chemistry was crazy. We just clicked. It's been a long time since I've had this much fun in the studio. It's been a long fucking time.
What are the sessions like?
It's a lot of listening to beats, writing rhymes, a lot of kush…Everlast has the best weed on the planet. He's famous for that shit. Even Willie Nelson will tell you that nobody hooked him up with better weed than Everlast. You know we're burning on some crazy shit, wasted in the studio. And to be honest, I'm not on that type of work ethic most of the time. Usually in the past when I would get drunk or high, I wouldn't get much shit done. It's really the opposite with this shit. We're doing three songs a night having fun. Slaine may go in the booth and set it off, any one of us might write the hook, and it goes down like that. We all do a lot of things. It's a group effort and that's why we were able to bang out what we did so far. We're sitting on mad shit right now and we're about to do more. Lethal's done just about everything so far. We haven't really gone outside too much yet. Muggs is going to be doing shit. Fred Wreck is going to be doing some shit. I just talked to Large Professor and he said he wants to do some shit. It's all about having fun and enjoying ourselves. It's crazy. We haven't played any music for anybody yet. There's some shit that got leaked on MySpace, but that was early music. There are other cats that are down with us, but it's not the core of the group. For the most part, everything that you've heard so far that's been leaked won't be on the album.
It's crazy because we already have major labels hollering at us, foaming at the mouth. We haven't even played anybody any music. If you name a label, they're waiting in line trying to get in the La Coka Nostra business.
What do you want from a label?
Straight up and down, there better be at least a million dollars on the table. It's definitely that type of situation. It's definitely some major shit. It's definitely a million or better.
You guys are like the 2006 white NWA.
Yeah, man. That's definitely what it's shaping into. This is some shit for the white boys. Let it be. That's what's up. When people hear this shit, they're definitely going to feel like that.
How are DJ Lethal's beats sounding?
I think people are going to be shocked. People know Lethal as originally being House of Pain's DJ back in the day. He hasn't done any production at all in a long time. He's basically been saving shit and stacking it up. His beats sound crazy. People are going to trip. I didn't know what to expect when I first went in to listen to them. They're insane. To me, they're the best of both worlds, the most grimiest shit and the most polished shit combined. He's coming with a combination of Necro and Dre, if you could cross-over them two dudes. Lethal is crossing over both styles. It's bananas. When motherfuckers hear it, they're going to lose their minds. Everything that we're bringing you is more than just a sound or an album. This shit is a movement. I know everyone says that, but watch.
There's been a little bit of promotion on MySpace that's already taken on a life of it's own. There are 5,000 kids that already have "La Coka Nostra" and "LCN" written after their names. If you think that's something, wait for this record to drop. It's going to be everywhere. It's going to be some shit that motherfuckers, even if they know about it, they're not going to expect it to be as big as it's going to be. All you non-believers reading this shit thinking I'm sooping this shit up, you're going to get smacked in the face with the hand of God when this shit drops.
Would you say there's a leader of La Coka Nostra?
I think everybody brings different things to the table. I think the beautiful thing about it is that we're all generals. Everlast has been in the game since '86 fucking with Ice-T. With House of Pain and as a solo artist, he's already sold ten-million records and better. We're not making one type of music. I've been running my own independent label for years and I'm one of the kings of the underground. The underground is too small for me right now. I'm breaking out of that shit. I'm in the streets and I'm breaking out of the trenches right now. I'm bringing all of that grinding experience to the table right now. Lethal's seen it all and done it all with Limp Bizkit. Danny Boy and Kaves are fucking graphic and marketing geniuses. People don't even know they be doing shit for Nike and mad other people behind the scenes. When motherfuckers hear Lefty or Slaine, they are going to trip. Slaine's about to shock the world. Motherfuckers are going to bug out. They don't know what they're in for. We're going to do the visual shit like Kiss. Danny Boy and Kaves have the vision to make La Coka Nostra what it is needs to be.
How did your deal with Warner come about?
It's more of a Marvel team-up between Uncle Howie Records and Perfect Game Recordings, which is my boy Howie Abrams' label. Warner's paying the bills and they made me an offer I couldn't refuse. This deal allows me to do what I've been doing with Uncle Howie except with a huge staff at our disposal and more money for marketing and promotions. Howie Abrams is a good friend of mine. We go back for mad years and working together now just makes sense. I'm finally at the level, business-wise, to put together a win-win situation for myself with a major. In the past, I didn't have that leverage. I've been eating good on an independent level regardless but this deal right here is the icing on the cake. One hand washes the other and we're better off doing this shit together. Musically, everything is going to be the same as before. But there will be a much bigger push marketing and promotions-wise.
I wanted to be in a position to reach more people, point blank. You can only sell the same records to the same crowd and rock in front of the same audience for so many years. The only way to reach the bigger audience is to get bigger money. I've been fucking with Caroline for Uncle Howie's distro, who is owned by EMI. They do the right thing on the indie level to a point and I have done good business with them for years and will continue to. Caroline doesn't have the money to push their labels the way I want my new album to be pushed at this point in the game. Caroline is great for a new label starting out but if you peep their track record, nobody goes gold or platinum through their system. It's not set up for that. I'm not trying to undersell myself. I have to reach the people that are out there. I feel like there are over a million potential Ill Bill fans out there who just don't know they're Ill Bill fans yet. It takes money to make money, and these motherfuckers got money.
How overdue is your look from a major as a solo artist?
It's all relative. As much as I can point fingers at the Non-Phixion situation on Geffen a while back, I can also point fingers at myself because I wasn't ready. Maybe now I could have turned that piece of shit deal into gold. The situation I'm in now is much better than the Non-Phixion deal. I can handle myself much better now.
It's also a matter of having the right people around you. I have a real management team now. They actually add on to what I'm doing instead of me having to watch over them and clean up after their messes. This is some recent shit. The company's called Strong Management. There is only so much you can do on your own. Then you start micro-managing shit and you don't get anything done.
Have you started working on your next solo album?
Hell yeah. Me and Q-Unique have a bunch of tracks done. He's spitting on there too. I've been working with Sicknature. Me and him are producing a bunch of shit together. Doug Infinite did this song I did with Vinnie Paz. I just did a bunch of tracks with HR from Bad Brains singing on them. Motherfuckers are going to trip when they hear that shit. I did some shit with Moss. Moss is on the grind right now. He did some shit for me that's crazy. I did some shit with my boy Ad-Money from the Lords. Large Professor is going to do something. Necro, T-Ray, Muggs, Lethal, it's going to be crazy. Pharoahe Monch just told Eclipse he'd get on a track. I'm looking forward to that. I'm doing some shit with Tech N9ne and Immortal Technique. Sick Jacken just spit a verse for me. I'm about to do some shit with the kings of New York hardcore Madball. I'm going to get Rae on the album. I just spoke to OC about doing something. My man Skam2 is getting on there. I don't want to rush this album. I want to take my time with it. I know a lot of people are expecting some crazy shit and I'm definitely going to deliver.
What's up with Non-Phixion right now?
Right now, I'm concentrating on my solo shit and La Coka Nostra. But if Sabac and Goretex call me up and say they want to get in the studio, I'm there. I'm going to be putting out Sabac's new CD on Uncle Howie soon. Non-Phixion is still together but we're just taking a little break right now. I can't be Non-Phixion on my own and right now everybody's going in different directions. But when I do my solo tour, it's as good as seeing Non-Phixion because everyone will be there. Recording wise though, shit's on hold. I can't record a Non-Phixion album on my own. The rest of us all have to be writing that shit too. If I write it myself, that would a solo album, not Non-Phixion.
You and Q-Unique seem to have crazy chemistry.
Hell yeah. Me and him definitely click. That's my homeboy, aside from all this music shit. That's basically family to me. Me and Q are real tight. We're going to be doing a lot of shit. Matter of fact, we just formed this company called Ill and Unique Productions. Shit is going to be popping. You're going to hear what we've done beat-wise. You're going to get your first taste on my record. Me and Q are working on some shit together. We're also working on an Uncle Howie/Psycho Realm album. We'll be doing beats on that. Q's spitting all over that. There's a lot of shit going on, bro. I'm about to do a collaboration with Royce da 5'9" for Slaine's solo album. MF Grimm just asked me to do some shit. I just did something for Thirstin Howl's new mixtape. U-God just asked me to spit something on his new album. I just did something with Paz for the next Jedi Mind album. I can't even remember everything right now. It's a busy time. I don't think I've ever been busier than right now.
It seems like everybody wants to work with you.
Yeah. It definitely feels good. People are finally starting to check for me. I don't think people understood that Ill Bill was in Non-Phixion and they probably didn't understand what Non-Phixion was. I definitely feel that as far as my solo career goes, people are definitely taking notice of what I do.
How much time have you been spending on production lately?
Not as much as I'd like to. I've just been so busy lately recording vocals that me and Q haven't been really able to do that much aside from what we've done for my album, but once it's done, we're going to get grinding with it real serious. Sicknature has some crazy ideas and were ironing them out now. I'm starting to pick up the bass guitar again, so I'm putting some live basslines on songs. I'm enjoying that. Being a producer is a full-time job and so is being an MC. That's why when I see what Necro has achieved, it's very inspiring. Since they're both full-time jobs, that's why I've shied away from the production until now. I've gotten the bug again and it's going to be easy for me to do it now since I'm building everything I need in the crib.
How's the "Coke Versus Weed" mixtape with Raekwon coming?
Right now, we're both really busy, so we got sidetracked on it. Also, a few offers came in and they want to turn it into an album instead of a mixtape with Necro, RZA, and Premier on the beats. He's finishing up "Cuban Linx 2" and then we can see what's up with the project. It would be much better for it to come out as an album. Once the offers started coming in, we started talking about getting that advance money and giving the fans something better. We're still figuring it out.
Just to get to work with Rae is a blessing in itself. We'll see how it evolves. I can't wait. We're both grinding it out. When it happens, it happens. I'm definitely going to reach out to him because I want to get him on my album.
As I understand it, Rae reached out to you for the mixtape.
Yeah. I met Rae through his DJ, DJ Riddler. Big up to Vinnie Ponte. Rae asked me to jump on a track. Then that turned into two tracks, then three. Then we started talking about doing a mixtape. For Rae to ask me to do a track is the ultimate compliment. I've been listening to Rae for eons.
How is it working with Rae?
It's dope. Dude is definitely a professional. Shit is grizzly. How do you expect it to be with Raekwon? It's as real as it gets.
Have you earned the title "king of the underground"?
I look at it like the underground is definitely something I've conquered. I'm definitely the king of this shit. There are a few people that could claim the title "king." Put it like this, I'm a big fish in a small pond in this underground shit. It's time for me to conquer the mainstream, but I'm not changing a thing. I'm going to be the same scumbag with a bigger budget.
How do you feel about the underground?
Ever since motherfuckers figured they could press up a 12", they ruined the market for 12"'s. Shit is so fucking watered-down that it's fucked the whole game up. I think the same thing happened with mixtapes. Everybody has a mixtape. Motherfuckers are passing the demo stage. Now everybody has a home studio and they're trying to record their album in their crib. That's not an album, that's a demo. I don't know who's going to define it and I guess at the end of the day, you've got to let the motherfuckers live. I'm not trying to fight the game, I'm trying to win the game. To each his own. I'm on some other shit. I'm about to get a show on Sirius. I'm not even worried about what other motherfuckers are doing. I'm focused on what I'm doing. I'm not even worried about mainstream radio and those politics. Between mainstream rock radio and satellite, I'm going to be owning the airwaves over the next couple of years. If a station like Hot97 decides to catch up to me, cool. If not, cool. My business plan doesn't rely on Hot97. The love I get from everywhere else makes it all gravy. Let's not even forget about the internet. I don't think anybody's shown me more love than HipHopGame. It's all gravy, man. I don't even get myself involved in the politics of that shit. I'm doing my own thing. My shit is self-contained. If you notice and you really pay attention to what's going on with me, I'm not going to nobody and I'm not asking nobody to help me or to co-sign me. Motherfuckers are coming to me, not necessarily for a co-sign, but they're coming to me. I feel like Metallica in 1984 when they were coming up. It's a different kind of music and a different time, but really, it's exactly the same.
What's the Ill Bill radio show going to be like?
It's a throwback show. It's me and my boy Seth Abrams. We're going to do a show that's on some '80's and early '90's shit. We're going to play a whole lot of Hip Hop, metal and hardcore punk. We're going to have mad guests up to the show bugging out. We're going to get dudes like Joe Pesci and Mr. T up there. It's called "The Crack Era Throwback Show" with Ill Bill and Seth Abrams. We're getting that shit popping right now.
You're one of the first MC's to take advantage of MySpace. How has MySpace helped you?
I think MySpace has basically turned into a music site. Even though it wasn't really that when it started, it turned into something where artists are promoting their MySpace page on their albums. It's easier to promote MySpace because that's where the kids are. It's easier to get them to come to your MySpace page. At the same time they're checking for music, the chicks are looking for dudes to chill with and dudes are looking for chicks to hook up with. It's a twisted-ass social club. For better or for worse, the internet is the most important communication tool we have today. It's vital. Everybody uses it. MySpace took over a large part of the youth culture. A large part of the youth today are on MySpace. When I first signed on a couple years ago, there were five million subscribers. Now there's over sixty million. You can go on my MySpace and I have eighty songs posted up for kids to listen to. Shit is definitely a great way to get the word out on projects. This La Coka Nostra shit has basically taken over MySpace without us even trying.
You have mad friends on MySpace.
Shit is crazy. I have like 30,000 friends on MySpace. It's a great way to get the word out. Kids would rather go to your MySpace page than your website, point blank. You can buy an Ill Bill t-shirt off my MySpace. Rupert Murdoch spent $700 million on MySpace. There's a reason he did that.
What's your focus on a day-to-day basis?
There's a lot of things. Besides recording for my solo record and La Coka shit and doing shows, I'm doing a new company with my boy Howie McDuffie from Draft Records. It's so new we haven't even decided the name yet. We're going to be doing some internet records straight to iTunes. We're also shopping for some major distribution right now. I'm doing some other shit besides being an artist. Out of everyone in the music industry, artists make the least amount of money. It's not smart to just be an artist. You have to have your hand in other things. I'm shopping some acts and keeping Uncle Howie Records going too. We're going through some things figuring out what we want to do. We're going to be putting out some shit soon. I don't want to say too much because the deals aren't done yet, but you're definitely going to bug out when you hear who's coming out on Uncle Howie.
What do you want to say to your fans?
Thank you. I have the best supporters. Thank you for supporting all my projects over the years. Y'all definitely show me mad love. I give you that love right back. I can't wait to see you on tour and let you hear this new shit. Stay tuned. We're not stopping for nobody.
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