Mekka Don
It’s quite the oxymoron to consider oneself the “legal hustler” in Hip Hop. It doesn’t seem so contradictory for athlete-turned-lawyer-turned-rapper Mekka Don. It’s just a way to make sense of all he has and can do. The Columbus, Ohio native started out to become a top dog lawyer, only to find his true passion was and still is in music. Working with deejay Mick Boogie they released his mixtape about Barack Obama, All Eyez On Me that caused quite a stir. With criticism about his style to praise about his content, he is someone to at least sit down and listen to.
On Why He’s The “Legal Hustler”: "'Legal Hustler' has a double meaning for me. First, the literal meaning is being an attorney who hustles. Second, hustling and making moves 'legally.' Despite the economy, there are several ways to make money legally and I hustle everyday to try to make those things happen. For example, since I've been in New York, I have developed a small sports marketing company, promoted and hosted events, brokered deals (finder's fees), taken cases, published a book, etc. New York really shows you how to hustle. Everybody has about six jobs. As an upcoming artist, you have to do things on the side to stay afloat. I see my side hustles as no different than the illegal hustles many other rappers talk about...I'm just as much as a hustler."
On Meeting With Mick Boogie For His First Time: "My business partner and close friend, best friend really, Piswant; he and I went to college together. After we graduated from Ohio State, I went to law school up in New York. He went to Cleveland and got an MBA. While [Viswant] was there he was involved in all these events and stuff like that. I was doing events in New York. He and Mick Boogie hooked up through the event circuit, basically. He would start deejaying some of our events in Cleveland. When I would visit home, I would go up speak with him and we would start to talk about me as an artist. I showed Mick some of my music and he liked it. We took things from there. We released my very first mixtape, my very first anything that I’ve ever released was last year March 31, 2008."
Why People Should Take The Time Out To Listen: "The very first thing that I want to bring is just kind of showing an alternative way of getting to the same thing. A lot of artists they talk about how much money they make, poppin’ bottles and what car they are driving and I don’t think there is anything necessarily wrong with that. I do think there is another perspective which is you can get to those same exact things, if that is your goal, through a different means. There’s another side to the story. The gangster way or the thug way I understand and it is what it is, but, I just want people to know there’s another way. I also feel like because of my experiences I have a diverse background in that. I was an athlete, lawyer, growing up around white people, growing up around black people and I’m Nigerian. The whole culture brings a different understanding. I lived in different cities. I feel like it gives me a chance to understand the everyday person. It’s kind of like how Barack is, I don’t wanna compare myself to him, but it is kind of like the same thing. He was a guy that went to Harvard and did all these great things. He is an African American. What he represents is the voice of the everyday person. Although he may not have the credentials of the everyday person that is what he’s fighting for. I think I am doing the same thing. I want the everyday persons’ voice to be heard and felt and understood. That is what I would say is unique about me. My perspective and my experiences are different from anybody else’s. It doesn’t make it better or worse, it’s just different."
On Signing With A Major Label: "I want to eventually work with a major label. I have a good amount of major labels that are starting to call now. It’s funny because being an attorney is a good and a bad thing. It’s good because I understand the game so well and yet it’s bad because I understand the game so well. It makes me so cautious about getting involved with any deal with anyone because I understand it from a music standpoint and a legal standpoint. It just takes me getting comfortable with that record label or company with my career. We’re not starving artists in terms of we need a deal badly. We could have had a deal by now. We’re fine with being independent. There’s a good amount of people that we know who want to invest in it as well. It’s going to be interesting to see how that works out. We’re definitely not opposed to working with a major. It would just have to be a partnership."
Why People Shouldn’t Sleep On Ohio: "Ohio is not only on the coming up as far as music, but it should be recognized for its historical relevance as well. Old school artists like Levert, The Ohio Players, The O'Jays, The Isley Brothers, and Tracy Chapman to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony [click to read], Avant, Hi-Tek [click to read], John Legend, and Bow Wow [click to read], to the even newer rising stars in Kid Cudi, Mick Boogie, and Kickdrums. The term "Rock & Roll" was invented in Ohio. Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson are also from Ohio. Ohio has always been on the map as far as music. I just think we are continuing the tradition."
Upcoming Plans And Projects For ’09: "Right now my plan is just really getting into music. I have a couple projects I’m working on. Again this might box me in to political realm but, I have a Black History Month mixtape release of about four or five songs I’m working on. Some of the songs are real fun. I’m working on doing something potentially with Pete Rock [click to read]. It would be like a Mekka Don and a Soul Brother [themed] type mixtape or whatever. I just want to keep up with the game of music. I have a lot of original content too. I want people to know me as an artist. I want to use this as a platform for people to know me. I want people to start listening to my music. People have been listening to my music but I want even more people to get to know it. We are also working on a reality show. I had webisodes of the Legal Hustler last year and it did pretty well and a lot of people liked it. We’re going to work on the 3.0 version. It will be me, Mick Boogie and one of my best friends, Derrick Ward, who plays for the [New York] Giants."
For more information on Mekka Don [click here].
On Why He’s The “Legal Hustler”: "'Legal Hustler' has a double meaning for me. First, the literal meaning is being an attorney who hustles. Second, hustling and making moves 'legally.' Despite the economy, there are several ways to make money legally and I hustle everyday to try to make those things happen. For example, since I've been in New York, I have developed a small sports marketing company, promoted and hosted events, brokered deals (finder's fees), taken cases, published a book, etc. New York really shows you how to hustle. Everybody has about six jobs. As an upcoming artist, you have to do things on the side to stay afloat. I see my side hustles as no different than the illegal hustles many other rappers talk about...I'm just as much as a hustler."
On Meeting With Mick Boogie For His First Time: "My business partner and close friend, best friend really, Piswant; he and I went to college together. After we graduated from Ohio State, I went to law school up in New York. He went to Cleveland and got an MBA. While [Viswant] was there he was involved in all these events and stuff like that. I was doing events in New York. He and Mick Boogie hooked up through the event circuit, basically. He would start deejaying some of our events in Cleveland. When I would visit home, I would go up speak with him and we would start to talk about me as an artist. I showed Mick some of my music and he liked it. We took things from there. We released my very first mixtape, my very first anything that I’ve ever released was last year March 31, 2008."
Why People Should Take The Time Out To Listen: "The very first thing that I want to bring is just kind of showing an alternative way of getting to the same thing. A lot of artists they talk about how much money they make, poppin’ bottles and what car they are driving and I don’t think there is anything necessarily wrong with that. I do think there is another perspective which is you can get to those same exact things, if that is your goal, through a different means. There’s another side to the story. The gangster way or the thug way I understand and it is what it is, but, I just want people to know there’s another way. I also feel like because of my experiences I have a diverse background in that. I was an athlete, lawyer, growing up around white people, growing up around black people and I’m Nigerian. The whole culture brings a different understanding. I lived in different cities. I feel like it gives me a chance to understand the everyday person. It’s kind of like how Barack is, I don’t wanna compare myself to him, but it is kind of like the same thing. He was a guy that went to Harvard and did all these great things. He is an African American. What he represents is the voice of the everyday person. Although he may not have the credentials of the everyday person that is what he’s fighting for. I think I am doing the same thing. I want the everyday persons’ voice to be heard and felt and understood. That is what I would say is unique about me. My perspective and my experiences are different from anybody else’s. It doesn’t make it better or worse, it’s just different."
On Signing With A Major Label: "I want to eventually work with a major label. I have a good amount of major labels that are starting to call now. It’s funny because being an attorney is a good and a bad thing. It’s good because I understand the game so well and yet it’s bad because I understand the game so well. It makes me so cautious about getting involved with any deal with anyone because I understand it from a music standpoint and a legal standpoint. It just takes me getting comfortable with that record label or company with my career. We’re not starving artists in terms of we need a deal badly. We could have had a deal by now. We’re fine with being independent. There’s a good amount of people that we know who want to invest in it as well. It’s going to be interesting to see how that works out. We’re definitely not opposed to working with a major. It would just have to be a partnership."
Why People Shouldn’t Sleep On Ohio: "Ohio is not only on the coming up as far as music, but it should be recognized for its historical relevance as well. Old school artists like Levert, The Ohio Players, The O'Jays, The Isley Brothers, and Tracy Chapman to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony [click to read], Avant, Hi-Tek [click to read], John Legend, and Bow Wow [click to read], to the even newer rising stars in Kid Cudi, Mick Boogie, and Kickdrums. The term "Rock & Roll" was invented in Ohio. Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson are also from Ohio. Ohio has always been on the map as far as music. I just think we are continuing the tradition."
Upcoming Plans And Projects For ’09: "Right now my plan is just really getting into music. I have a couple projects I’m working on. Again this might box me in to political realm but, I have a Black History Month mixtape release of about four or five songs I’m working on. Some of the songs are real fun. I’m working on doing something potentially with Pete Rock [click to read]. It would be like a Mekka Don and a Soul Brother [themed] type mixtape or whatever. I just want to keep up with the game of music. I have a lot of original content too. I want people to know me as an artist. I want to use this as a platform for people to know me. I want people to start listening to my music. People have been listening to my music but I want even more people to get to know it. We are also working on a reality show. I had webisodes of the Legal Hustler last year and it did pretty well and a lot of people liked it. We’re going to work on the 3.0 version. It will be me, Mick Boogie and one of my best friends, Derrick Ward, who plays for the [New York] Giants."
For more information on Mekka Don [click here].
one moment...
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