Triple Seis: Taking Time Out
Former Terror Squad member, Triple Seis, talks about his debut solo CD, Only Timell Tell set to drop August 31st on Madd Records. In a phone interview with the Latin lyricist, we discussed his departure from The Terror Squad and his trials and tribulations trying to make it in this business.
Seis is in the place so lets talk about your solo project, Only Timell Tell.
Only Timell Tell I call it that, because that has always been my motto. Like for me, it always took time. I put in my work, but everything happens in time as long as I stay focus and follow my dreams and thats exactly whats going on right now. Only time will tell when the album is coming out.
So the first single is called Krazy. What is the concept behind that song?
The song features Veronica with a Madonna kind of swing to it.
Yeah, I like how you flipped that hook.
With a little uptempo beat. I was just giving shouts out to all the beautiful, hard-working ladies out there. Then at the end, the last verse of the song, I kind of flip it to the ones whos not really focused.
Who are some of the producers that helped put your project together?
A lot of them are unknown, theyre up and coming. I didnt look first for names, because I did the album on my own. It was a tight budget so I just went with the beats that I thought was hot that was gonna be able to make a statement in the industry. I got hot producers like (Rob) Maya, he did Joe Buddens. The Beatnuts, Dre Most from The Lost Boyz and Hell Raiser from Young Lords crew. So we got a lot of people whos up and coming, theyre on their way. Self Mills, he does a lot of work out there in Cali. So the album came out pretty tight.
A lot of people may know you from the Terror Squad days. Why dont we talk about how you got started in the Rap game?
I got started through bloodline. My brother was a DJ and he used to DJ with Flash and Supreme in the parks doing the jams thats where I first fell in love with Hip-Hop. Over here they had Busy B and Ruby D they were from my building. Everything just fell into place and I knew about the music. The culture was around me, the graffiti, the break-dancing everything was here so I just followed up. It was more like a hobby and then as we got older and I seen the marketing part of this business, I thought something could really happen for us us being Latin. We had a different kind of flow, a soulful flow. It was me, it was (Big) Pun, my man Tech-Q, Cuban Link who was Lyrical Assassin back then. We had a lot of artists in our neighborhood who had that soul in them. Thanks to old artists like (Big Daddy) Kane, (Kool) G-Rap and especially Rakim they definitely opened doors.
So why did you step away from The Terror Squad?
Cause I felt that once Pun passed, I really didnt see anybody else in that camp that was gonna hold me down like Pun was holding me down. He was holding me down on the brother tip, not just music or oh we just roll together I gotta do this cause its business, it was something else.
So it wasnt because you werent vibing with Joe or anything like that?
It wasnt cause I wasnt vibing with him its just that as far as business, he was business. He wasnt on the personal of us, you know what I mean? Or should I say me, because we spent time together, but it was all business. Thats what the mentality was then and you can see more. I know more now of how this business is being ran through and people who are running the industry, you can see where his mentality was at the time.
Lets get back to the CD and focus on some of the tracks that you have on Only Timell Tell. I especially like Love Put Me. Describe the vibe on that song.
That was a true song, it came from the root of my heart. It was basically talking about a real issue that happened to me in my life and I put it on paper. I was fortunate enough to capture the vision where other people could relate to it. At first, I really saw Alicia Keys on it and that would have been a hit for me right there. I would have been able to do a remix and she play the piano. If you listen to the piano to it and the hook.
You gotta put that out there so maybe a remix can be in the works?
Yeah, you know how it is. Its all about getting to the label. Talk to her label and get it poppin.
And how about Coast 2 Coast featuring Ice-T. How was it working with someone whos considered an OG in the rap music industry?
It was huge, because I just sat back and I watched him and I brought him in. They were taping actually for the Big Pun Live interview. I told him Im in the studio right around the corner working on my album and I didnt have any money I was doing this myself so whats good? He said for you anything, Seis, but I gotta hear the beat. I said Im telling you this beat right here is you. This is it right here.
And he just showed you loved
He wrote the joint right there, true O.G. status. And he whistled on it, did his trademark. If you listen to the song its one of the purest flows I ever heard him rhyming. He spitting like he felt that like he was really rolling like Colors.
Theres also Be About It featuring Cuban Link. So how did you come together on that song?
Yeah, me and Link were brothers from the beginning of this so were gonna go out as brothers. Its no trading, know what I mean? Its true loyalty right there between me and him. So hes definitely gonna be on all my albums thats without a question.
You have another song with Cuban Link, Drinks Up and The Beatnuts. Describe that vibe.
How they made the beat? That beat to me honestly a true East Coast rapper would not rap to that beat.
Yeah cause it was kind of different (laughing).
Cuban dont like the beat to this. He was like, yo I dont know what youre doing (laughing). I like beats like that, because it was different. I can see myself in L.A. in a low rider with my man from the Boo Yah Tribe banging it (starts humming the beat). Thats how I felt that day. You know music calls the songs. The music, the beat itself calls for the song. You cant just rhymes and then go look for beats it doesnt make no sense.
The first song on the CD Harsh Realities features Big Pun now how was that done? Was this something that you had recorder before or did you kind of work around something that he recorded and fused the two together?
That song is old, most of the album. Like right now how I feel about this album if I had a chance to go in right now I would be able to touch it up. The album was done already it was a done deal.
Who are some of the people you would consider as your musical mentors?
Oh now were talking about (Kool) G-Rap, (Big Daddy) Kane. Most of the people that I listen to who inspired me from that time period. Now who I listen to you have Twista, Ludacris, Kanye West. You got Jay, Jadakiss and his whole camp. I listen to everybody, because thats just homework and the love is there. I know some of these people, I met them personally. Even the people Ive met and I dont feel, I still cop their album to hear what they got to say to make sure they aint talking about me, ha ha.
What advice would you like to share with an artist trying to make a career of it?
My advice to them would be stay in school especially if youre young. Finish school first cause you have to deal with the priorities first then have a chance to chase your dreams. At the end of the day this is just a dream its not guaranteed. You have to roll with the guaranteed part of your life which is your diplomas and your trophies. Get all the knowledge you can get and then you put it on paper. Then you can explain and express yourself that way you can be more pure to yourself. Remember the world nowadays respects a powerful person and powerful people have a lot of titles under their belt. Its not just about money anymore. All the powerful people got money already. Just stay in school and knock that out. Grow with it, grow with Hip-Hop. Learn more, watch CNN.
Seis is in the place so lets talk about your solo project, Only Timell Tell.
Only Timell Tell I call it that, because that has always been my motto. Like for me, it always took time. I put in my work, but everything happens in time as long as I stay focus and follow my dreams and thats exactly whats going on right now. Only time will tell when the album is coming out.
So the first single is called Krazy. What is the concept behind that song?
The song features Veronica with a Madonna kind of swing to it.
Yeah, I like how you flipped that hook.
With a little uptempo beat. I was just giving shouts out to all the beautiful, hard-working ladies out there. Then at the end, the last verse of the song, I kind of flip it to the ones whos not really focused.
Who are some of the producers that helped put your project together?
A lot of them are unknown, theyre up and coming. I didnt look first for names, because I did the album on my own. It was a tight budget so I just went with the beats that I thought was hot that was gonna be able to make a statement in the industry. I got hot producers like (Rob) Maya, he did Joe Buddens. The Beatnuts, Dre Most from The Lost Boyz and Hell Raiser from Young Lords crew. So we got a lot of people whos up and coming, theyre on their way. Self Mills, he does a lot of work out there in Cali. So the album came out pretty tight.
A lot of people may know you from the Terror Squad days. Why dont we talk about how you got started in the Rap game?
I got started through bloodline. My brother was a DJ and he used to DJ with Flash and Supreme in the parks doing the jams thats where I first fell in love with Hip-Hop. Over here they had Busy B and Ruby D they were from my building. Everything just fell into place and I knew about the music. The culture was around me, the graffiti, the break-dancing everything was here so I just followed up. It was more like a hobby and then as we got older and I seen the marketing part of this business, I thought something could really happen for us us being Latin. We had a different kind of flow, a soulful flow. It was me, it was (Big) Pun, my man Tech-Q, Cuban Link who was Lyrical Assassin back then. We had a lot of artists in our neighborhood who had that soul in them. Thanks to old artists like (Big Daddy) Kane, (Kool) G-Rap and especially Rakim they definitely opened doors.
So why did you step away from The Terror Squad?
Cause I felt that once Pun passed, I really didnt see anybody else in that camp that was gonna hold me down like Pun was holding me down. He was holding me down on the brother tip, not just music or oh we just roll together I gotta do this cause its business, it was something else.
So it wasnt because you werent vibing with Joe or anything like that?
It wasnt cause I wasnt vibing with him its just that as far as business, he was business. He wasnt on the personal of us, you know what I mean? Or should I say me, because we spent time together, but it was all business. Thats what the mentality was then and you can see more. I know more now of how this business is being ran through and people who are running the industry, you can see where his mentality was at the time.
Lets get back to the CD and focus on some of the tracks that you have on Only Timell Tell. I especially like Love Put Me. Describe the vibe on that song.
That was a true song, it came from the root of my heart. It was basically talking about a real issue that happened to me in my life and I put it on paper. I was fortunate enough to capture the vision where other people could relate to it. At first, I really saw Alicia Keys on it and that would have been a hit for me right there. I would have been able to do a remix and she play the piano. If you listen to the piano to it and the hook.
You gotta put that out there so maybe a remix can be in the works?
Yeah, you know how it is. Its all about getting to the label. Talk to her label and get it poppin.
And how about Coast 2 Coast featuring Ice-T. How was it working with someone whos considered an OG in the rap music industry?
It was huge, because I just sat back and I watched him and I brought him in. They were taping actually for the Big Pun Live interview. I told him Im in the studio right around the corner working on my album and I didnt have any money I was doing this myself so whats good? He said for you anything, Seis, but I gotta hear the beat. I said Im telling you this beat right here is you. This is it right here.
And he just showed you loved
He wrote the joint right there, true O.G. status. And he whistled on it, did his trademark. If you listen to the song its one of the purest flows I ever heard him rhyming. He spitting like he felt that like he was really rolling like Colors.
Theres also Be About It featuring Cuban Link. So how did you come together on that song?
Yeah, me and Link were brothers from the beginning of this so were gonna go out as brothers. Its no trading, know what I mean? Its true loyalty right there between me and him. So hes definitely gonna be on all my albums thats without a question.
You have another song with Cuban Link, Drinks Up and The Beatnuts. Describe that vibe.
How they made the beat? That beat to me honestly a true East Coast rapper would not rap to that beat.
Yeah cause it was kind of different (laughing).
Cuban dont like the beat to this. He was like, yo I dont know what youre doing (laughing). I like beats like that, because it was different. I can see myself in L.A. in a low rider with my man from the Boo Yah Tribe banging it (starts humming the beat). Thats how I felt that day. You know music calls the songs. The music, the beat itself calls for the song. You cant just rhymes and then go look for beats it doesnt make no sense.
The first song on the CD Harsh Realities features Big Pun now how was that done? Was this something that you had recorder before or did you kind of work around something that he recorded and fused the two together?
That song is old, most of the album. Like right now how I feel about this album if I had a chance to go in right now I would be able to touch it up. The album was done already it was a done deal.
Who are some of the people you would consider as your musical mentors?
Oh now were talking about (Kool) G-Rap, (Big Daddy) Kane. Most of the people that I listen to who inspired me from that time period. Now who I listen to you have Twista, Ludacris, Kanye West. You got Jay, Jadakiss and his whole camp. I listen to everybody, because thats just homework and the love is there. I know some of these people, I met them personally. Even the people Ive met and I dont feel, I still cop their album to hear what they got to say to make sure they aint talking about me, ha ha.
What advice would you like to share with an artist trying to make a career of it?
My advice to them would be stay in school especially if youre young. Finish school first cause you have to deal with the priorities first then have a chance to chase your dreams. At the end of the day this is just a dream its not guaranteed. You have to roll with the guaranteed part of your life which is your diplomas and your trophies. Get all the knowledge you can get and then you put it on paper. Then you can explain and express yourself that way you can be more pure to yourself. Remember the world nowadays respects a powerful person and powerful people have a lot of titles under their belt. Its not just about money anymore. All the powerful people got money already. Just stay in school and knock that out. Grow with it, grow with Hip-Hop. Learn more, watch CNN.
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