Hush: Best Kept Secret

Detroit is often seen as a breeding ground for new music, whatever the genre. But its the underground rap scene that thrives with new talent year upon year, and this year is no different. Enter Motor Citys newest rising star, MC Hush.

After signing to Geffen Records in 2004, Hush has been busy in the studio, prepping his major label debut, Bulletproof. With guest appearances from a few of the games most prominent artists, including Hushs long-time friend Eminem, Bulletproof is already proving to be one of this summers most talked about albums. HHDX finds out more from the man himself

Introduce yourself to HHDX readers Which part of Detroit are you from and how did you get your deal?
Well, Im from the eastside of Detroit, and I started out on the underground Hip Hop scene in Detroit. I put out a bunch of independent releases, two with a group and one solo, and by the time I made a lot of noise, I was a solo artist performing showcases across the United States and I did two major ones, one in New York, one in LA, and the LA showcase was the one that ultimately got me signed.

Why the name MC Hush?
My name used to be Hush Puppy, just because I had a bunch of gimmicks and tried to come out as a dog. And then Snoop Dogg came out, so I dropped the Puppy and kept Hush after that. Then later I found out there was a group called Hush overseas, I cant remember whether theyre a Swiss group or something, so for the UK and everywhere outside the States, I go by the name MC Hush.

Bulletproof got its nationwide release on August 23rd with it being your debut, how are you feeling about the release now? Are you excited about where itll land in the Billboard charts? Nervous? Scared? Why?

Im feeling really great, were selling out all over the place. Id love for it to land on Billboard, I hope it lands on Billboard, you know? I just keep plugging away, just keep working, and either way Im happy, cos Im where I wanted to be. I wanted to have a major record deal at a major label, and this was just the beginning for me. This album is not the make it or break it album for me, this is my break out album for me, so any success I have with this record, above what Ive done independently, is a giant step for me. So if it lands on Billboard Top 200, great, if it doesnt, it will eventually, and when it does its just gonna keep climbing. It only has one way to go up. It cant go down.

For those who have yet to buy the LP, what can they expect?

You can expect a new sound in Hip Hop. You can expect a fresh sound. Whereas it gets away from the gangsta lifestyle, it gets away from all about the girls and smoking weed, it gets away from that lifestyle. It just comes back to basically the rawness of Hip Hop, you know, having fun and getting back to lyrics, back to songs, where Hip Hop has gotten away from that. Its just kinda concentrated on whats catchy, whats trendy, and thats it. So I mean, you can expect hard driving beats, you can expect guitars on it, you can expect just raw lyrics, cos Im a real emcee, Im not a rock singer or anything like that trying to be a rapper. Like, I come from underground Hip Hop and Ive been incorporating guitars into my music, so you can definitely expect something new.

Do you play any musical instruments?

I play keyboard, but I dont play by notes; I play by ear.

Did you do produce any tracks for your album?
Yeah, I actually did two tracks on the record out of 12. I used to produce the whole album, but with my first big debut, I wanted to concentrate on my lyrics, and so I just kinda let other people take the reigns a little bit. I got this kid named Julian Bunetta from California, and hes worked with Hilary Duff, Nelly Furtado. Also Eminem produced two songs on the album, and one other kid, his names Notes, and hes from LA.

Your debut album features appearances by the likes of Talib Kweli, Nate Dogg, Eminem and D12 what was it like working with them?

Working with Em is a lot of fun, you know, hes a perfectionist. So if theres something that he thinks doesnt sound right, hell let you know, like, I think you should do this or I think you should change that, and Im always willing to take in cos especially from someone producing the record, unless I feel really strongly about it, Im just like, OK and I change whatever they want me to. With Em, I mean, how can you say no to him?! And then Talib Kweli, hes a really gifted emcee in the Hip Hop world. We didnt really get a chance to vibe in the studio together, cos he recorded his vocals outside of me, and he was basically a guy that I got a chance to really sit down and have a long, lengthy conversation with, basically about each other, Hip Hop, our lives in general, and that was a lot of fun. Having a real conversation with someone instead of just having them be on my record. Nate Dogg was also a blast; Nates a really humble guy, and Ive had a chance to perform with him three times since recording the first single actually, Hush Is Coming, so that was a blast.

Youve known Eminem since the early days at Maurice Malones Hip Hop Shop. How close are you guys now? Whats the relationship like?

Oh yeah, were close friends. I mean we came up in the scene together, and we were friends before he landed his major deal, but once he got that deal, his world exploded, and its hard to keep in touch with friends when youre in that light, and youre on that side, and now that Ive reached my dream of having a record deal and entering the business on the other side, weve been able to touch base a lot more, and give each other compliments, or take advice from each other on various things, so its good.

Who would you like to work with in the future?

Gwen Stefani. Erm I dont really know, theres so many artists out there that Id like to work with, and Ill just basically see how it happens, see how we fit. It always depends on relationships with the artists anyway, you know, so

You immediately said Gwen Stefani. What is it that you most admire about her?

Shes a songwriter, and so many people nowadays, I mean, Ive listened to her music, you know, Ive liked her music since the first time she came out, and she may be a pop artist, but shes like, one of the realest pop artists out. Like, I can relate to some of the stuff she says in her songs. She may be female, but her musics really universal. Its not really for females, its about struggles and personal things that she may have been through. Theres a couple songs that I listen to, that I can relate to, and I just like her writing. Shes not a person who writes songs just to write songs, she really writes from the bottom of her heart, you know? You can kinda tell. I dont think its fair for her to be put in a pop category, cos if she gets nominated for anything, shes always gotta go up against Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, somebody like that, and those girls just dont do shit!

When did you decide that you wanted to become a rapper?

It was probably when I was 12 years old, when I saw Ice-T perform the song Wreckless and Breakin. I used to [look up to] Big Daddy Kane, LL Cool J, Run DMC, and of course Ice-T.

What was the most important life lesson you learnt from your youth?
Crime does not pay!

So does that affect the way you approach the music industry?

As far as my music, I dont glorify it. Like, I come from that past, but I dont glorify it in my music, cos its time to be responsible, I think. Even though I know kids love the controversial stuff, I know they love to hear about all that kinda stuff, but Im a father now, so its kinda different for me now. Im trying to mature as a man, and as a man I have responsibilities, so Im trying to be responsible to a certain degree! If it comes out, it comes out, but its not like I specifically sat down and was like, OK, Im gonna write this song, and its gonna be about this, its not like that. I just write what comes from my heart, and what comes from my heart is really responsible stuff. Its not wreckless, and I think that comes from growing out of that stage and maturing.

What was it like for you as a new artist to support a legend like Snoop Dogg on his European tour?

Oh man, that was a dream come true! It happened so fast, like I started out on the Anger Management Tour, and then they called me and said, We have a space for you to go with Snoop overseas, and I couldnt wait for it. I had such a blast out there, and for them to call me up and say they want me to support Snoop, thats cool, thats a big superstar right there, and that just looks great on your rsum!

Did you get to hang out with Snoop or have a proper chat to him?

We finally got the chance to kick it when we were in France. It was cool, cos hes originally from Detroit, he was born there, so we kinda have that Detroit connection. It doesnt make where youre from, if you have any relationship with anyone from Detroit, thats a connection right there!

Having just finished the Anger Management 3 Tour, do you see any differences from the way you were received in Europe to the US?

Yes. Dont get me wrong, the US fans are great, we love US fans always, thats where were from, but they just seem to be more critical of you, and London fans, oh man, they were amazing! Theres no judging you overseas; London fans, no, England fans period, just love music; they just love Hip Hop. Thats what you want from all fans, you know? You want them to be a non-critical audience. Even when we were in Machester, [England], it was insane, it was just a blast to be there. They welcome you in. They may not know the words, they may not know who you are, they dont care, theyre having a great time listening to your music and having a great time with you, and they give you so much energy on stage, it makes you feel a lot more welcome. Whereas on the Anger Management Tour, you know theyre there for 50 Cent, you know theyre there for Eminem. You know theyre gonna sing every word to Eminem and 50 Cent; when I perform, the only response I get is the call and respond, when I ask them to do something and then they repeat it, but other than that, they just stand there and stare at you.

For real?!

Yeah, they just stand there cos they dont know your words, they dont know who you are. Whereas London, their hands are flying, theyre screaming and theyre all excited, and you can see that they just accept you, so thats the big difference.

What do you think of the Hip Hop world at present? Is there something missing, in your opinion?

I think that fun and comedy is missing in Hip Hop. I think Ludacris is the closest thing that tried to bring that back, you know, and even Snoops got a character within himself, you know? Hes always smiling; hes not like he was when he first came out. You can see how hes matured as an artist, and now hes bringing the fun back out. But I think theres not enough of it anymore. I think the diversity of Hip Hop has gone, everybodys just trying to be trendy and following what everybody else is doing; its not as versatile as it used to be.

Are you liking all the different styles of Hip Hop music, e.g. crunk, the chopped and screwed stuff?

Nah, Im not really feeling the chopped and screwed. The crunk music well, I like Lil Jon, some of the Ying Yang Twins stuff, and I like some of the Paul Wall stuff, and some of the Slim Thug stuff, but I cant listen to a whole album of it. Once again, it feels like theres one style of music that everybodys latched onto, and if you give me a whole album of it, I cant listen to all of it. Theres no changing in the music, in the album. Lil Jons club songs are the greatest, I love Lil Jons club stuff. And I love Ludacris, like I said, but I cant listen to a whole album of crunk music; Im just different like that.

How do you think the industry can change for the better to allow more talented young emcees to get the break they so desperately need?

They need to definitely promote more, and put the underground, the underdogs, above ground. Bring them to the forefront, and that might actually diversify Hip Hop a lot more. The problem is, is that were in a business where everybody just wants to make money off of the next person, so theyre not thinking the way artists feel. They think like, I need to make money off this right now cos this is whats hot. I think the only way its gonna improve, and I dont think its necessarily the artist who can do it, cos a) the artists dont have money, and b) the artists have too many egos to really get together and make a stand on something. So I think the only way its gonna happen is if fans get behind their favourite music or their favourite artist, whether it be underground or commercial artists, just stick behind them, cos the fans are the ones with the biggest voice. Theyre the ones who make everything in demand. So if they make me popular, the record label is happy, cos theyre making money off me, whereas if you have some underground artist like Necro, who talks about taking drugs, and killing people and corpses and stuff like that, you get an underground emcee like that, if the fans made him super popular, well guess what? Then the record labels are gonna get behind him cos thats the new thing. And I think the only way Hip Hop is gonna be culturally diversified is if fans get behind it.

Whats next for Hush? Do you have a career plan at all?

You know, I just wait until it comes to me. I dont have a set path of the way that I do things. Ive actually tried writing recently, and Im having a really bad writers block right now. And its just because Ive got a million different things going on, racing through my mind and stuff, its hard to really get focussed on what Im trying to do here with good music.

Finally, do you have a message for your fans?

If you pick my album up, you wont be disappointed, because I make music for fans, I dont make music for record labels, I dont make music for other artists, I make music for myself and my fans because theyre the ones that I can really reach out and touch, and theyre the ones who make me who I am, you know, so if I have anything to say to my fans it would definitely be Thank you.

Go cop Hushs debut album Bulletproof out now on Geffen Records, and look out for the forthcoming single Hush Is Coming featuring Nate Dogg. For more information, visit his official website, http://www.mchush.com.