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Detroit Eastside Anthem Detroit Eastside Anthem
You know what it is. Don LJ, Jon Beats, Dirty Red, King Rod and Young Tiff aka Lollipop drop the Detroit Anthem on you bi***es.
Pass pt. 2 Pass pt. 2
First track from the Crown Vol. 2 featuring Rod, Red, Mav & Don LJ
Get Buck Get Buck
So Many Ways So Many Ways
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We present to you The King Rod album "The Crown" Here is an Interview conducted with Tom Matich from the Real Detroit Weekly Magazine
Tom-For those that don't know, tell 'em who Big Rod, about Raise the Bar and what you represent.
King Rod-Well Big Rod is the treachorous side of my twisted Gemini mind. A lot of folks who know and love Rodney can't stand Big Rod. Big Rod might actually be a sickness. I'm not quite sure yet but I'm sure real soon I will figure him out. Raise the Bar is the current manifestation of my lifetime endeavors. I also would like the people to know that I been using the moniker since 2002 which is BEFORE Cingular swagger jacked me and ran with my shit. Raise the Bar started out in 97 while I was living in Washington, D.C. as Outside entertainment. At that time I had a crew of mc's and producers that I was working with in that area and still are connected to until this day, matter of fact a couple of them are featured on a track off my album titled "Where I'm at" but to make a long story short I ran into some problems in that area so in 2002 I moved back home to Detroit and with a fresh start I started Raise the Bar entertainment which has now grown to be R&R Raise the Bar Productions which services offered that include production, recording, engineering, video production and editing, mixing, mastering, cd & dvd manufacturing, graphics, computer troubleshooting and building, clothing, trees, crack, crystal meth....nah just playing on the drug talk(hopes the feds are not reading) And what I represent personally is a mind set to help better the overall conditions of people trapped in the struggle. I look at my company as a way of helping other people channel their energy into something they can be proud. Also gives them skills that they can use to better themselves in this economic struggle. In the end we represent a new era in Detroit hip hop. I like to refer to it as the next level in Detroit Hip Hop.
Tom-You refer to yourself as "the king," what makes you worthy of the title?
King Rod-Because I rule over everything!!! Nah just joking. Well a king is a ruler of his surroundings so I consider that to be correct in my environment. But the King title came from my production partner Red. I was always just using Big Rod because I felt I was a big nigga in stature after Red came into the fold he was like "nah nigga you the king" and from there I just ran with it. The rest of the camp co-signed so from there it was anointed. Plus I know I was placed here to lead and not follow.
Tom-Detroit has a legacy in hip hop, from Em to Dilla to StreetLordz/Cheddah Boys, what does Big Rod bring to the game?
King Rod-A different energy. I came up on the golden era of Detroit Hip Hop...the Awesome Dre, Smiley, AWOL, DMW, Kaos & Mystro era. And the music we were bumping was mostly Westcoast gangsa shit. But when it came to the start of the new Detroit sound I was on the Eastcoast so the music was totally different. When I started serious writing, producing and engineering I was in DC listening to an East Coast sound and working with east coast producers who preferred sampling over keyboards. I was in DC when Eminem first came on the scene and I was a big supporter of him just for the fact he was from the crib. Same with Dilla and SV even though we from the same hood(Conant Gardens) I came back right at the peak of Streetlordz/Cheddah Boyz running shit and I also was a big fan of them but saw the errors in their gameplans. I bring a new mindset and fresh resources. You only can do so much with your local connections. I think I bring a mesh of the Detroit Hip Hop sound with the technical soundscapes of the East Coast. Also I was "born" in the South so I also got a southern boy appeal which is running this hip hop shit right now.
Tom-Your album cover threads caught alot of attention on SOHH. Was the album cover a publicity stunt or a rough draft? What did you take in from that experience? -Between the album cover and "The Real 8 Mile DVD" you've caught some attention on SOHH that is both negative and positive. What do you make of it?
King Rod-The album cover was a rough draft. It kind of fukked me up how it took on a life of it's own but i knew the capability of how it could explode being that the Spot is wolf territory. What was really funny is how vicious the ladies room was! Them hoes were cut throat. But when they see the new design I think they should be straight with it. Fuck em if they don't. They all some downloading shit mafukkas anyway. Including myself. LOL. And in the new cover I still will have my crown on bitches!!! What I took from that experience is what I already knew. When you present yourself to the world don't take personal at what you get in return. Take everything with a grain of salt. I also off the top feel that all people saw when they viewed the covers was a black ass nigga with a big ass crown on. Nobody got the concept of the chess board theory. I know the graphics were not perfect but conceptually if one of the people's hero came with it then they would be deemed a genious. Several cats even had the nerve to tell me on the back that I was in checkmate. LMAO! Think before you speak. Then with the DVD cats had the nerve to act like I was using D-Moe's death as a publicity stunt. Get the fuck out of here. I know it's the internet so you are going to get some negative shit but some people are just on a totally different level of disrespect. But it comes with the territory
Tom-Digressing from the internet to the real world, what type of reaction is Big Rod & Co. getting in the Detroit streets?
King Rod-We get plenty of love and respect. Shit, I'm a real nigga on the scene. I actually go and support the local scene. I have made connections with the MAJOR cats out there making noise on the underground/local scene. I'm a major supporter of the newly formed Detroit Hip Hop Coalition that sponsors shows every night of the week. I try to get out to the shows as much as possible and still get up and go to establishment job every morning. Even though I was not to long rushed by some former workers I still feel as comfortable at shows if I'm 30 deep or by myself. And I'm still relatively new to the local scene. And it's a real cut throat scene that is real cliqued up. And anybody who knows us know that when we come to perform we will rock the damn house. We don't need 50 people on stage for us to show strong stage presence. I'm a vet to this shit.
Tom-To you, what is the "real 8 mile?"
King Rod-Some shit the world ain't really ready for. And I'm talking about the Detroit side. They still don't want us on the suburban side. Watch the first DVD and you will see the real 8 mile that I know. On the other DVD's we try to cover more ground than just the 8 mile sector. The real 8 mile is shit like my dog getting murdered in front of his own house while having wearing a vest. That's the real 8 mile.
Tom-A friend of yours that was featured in the dvd was murdered. There has also been the other hip hop related violence in Detroit. Are things really that crazy right now or is the media blowing things out of proportion?
King Rod-Well the violence has kind of died down lately on the hip hop scene but not in the streets. Detroit is a dangerous area PERIOD. And hip hop is hood driven so it was given that it set for a crash. The media don't even really cover the hood related violence. D-moe's death wasn't even talked about by the media. Most of the murders period are not reported. Shits crazy but it was basically the same way when I was on the Eastcoast. Nobody cares about what goes on in the hoods. Just last night I came in off the porch at 4 in the morning and no more than 10 minutes later somebody drove by and was shooting at someone that sounded right outside the door all the way up the block. Never heard a siren or anything. Neighbors didn't come out or anything. Everybody used to it by now. And I stay in one of the "better" neighborhoods.
Tom-What made you decide to drop your hat into the Detroit hip hop scene?
King Rod-I think I was destined to be here. I had really no plans to come back home to the D fulltime. I was making too many moves Eastcoast. Ironically 9/11 played a major role in me ended back up in the D but that another story in itself.
Tom-What do you hope to achieve with this new album?
King Rod-Well shit first off this album has been a lifetime in the making. I have had released projects with partners in DC as well as work here in Detroit but never have I finished a body of work that was completely my vision. My work on this album is totally different than even my Raise the Bar projects. I fit verses to the songs on the other projects. On this album I went totally against the grain on what people are used to hearing from me on the R&R Raise the Bar projects. Plus these songs range from over a 5 year time frame. Just work that I knew even back then would have to be included in my first official project. I don't really have any set in stone goals for this album other than to finally get out my story and vision. And just so the people know the "concept" for this albums is my quest for the crown as the King of the D cause it really is up for grabs now that Big Proof has gone home
Tom-Aside from yourself, who else had a part in making the new album?
King Rod-First off the Lord for giving my the strength, knowledge and ability to bring this project to completion. Never really thought I would see it get to this point. Besides that all my faculty and family. Over the last few years I have seen a lot of adversity that without strong people holding me down I might not be here. Just still having the will to keep working at this music shit was a struggle to this day. Specificially My partners Maverik, Red & Cizar all kept me with the Hip Hop drive to continue on the local scene. A lot of producers from across the world who held my attention in headphones when it felt likeAnything else?
WHO'S NEXT!!!Contact
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Comments (6)
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I pay also for Beatz, Peace!
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HYGHROOOO-LLAAAAA!!!
Check Me out!! Sho, CEO of Hyghrolla Records!! We on da more so Roll Hygh or get Rolled ova!!!! Hollah at me for dat real sh***. No bullsh*t spittin, no bullsh*t beatz, no bullsh*t barz.......Itz all thero as hell. Jus check me out!!! da proof is in da puddin!!! Get at me for collabz and beatz!! "Da Heat" is all da way gangsta!!!! datz fa da real n*ggaz and G'z
HYGHROOOO-LLAAAAA!!!
Check Me out!! Sho, CEO of Hyghrolla Records!! We on da more so Roll Hygh or get Rolled ova!!!! Hollah at me for dat real sh***. No bullsh*t spittin, no bullsh*t beatz, no bullsh*t barz.......Itz all thero as hell. Jus che
DAMN DOG.. THERE WOULD BE ALOT OF LOVE FROM OUR CAMP IF YOU COULD BLESS US WITH PUTTIN OUR sh*** ON YOUR TAPES...
ALSO IM PUTTIN OUT T.P.S. PART TWO, IF YOU WANNA ROCK ONE OF THE BEATS I GOT ON MY BEATS PAGE WWW.SOUNDCLICK.COM/MRDILLIGENCE I'LL PUT IT ON THERE... SHOULD BE OUT BY WINTER
DILL
HOT sh*** UP IH HUR
check me out i just dropped new track called They know and voted hot aight peace
I really like your work...When you get a chance, check out my page, Let me know what your favorite tracks are...
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