The game has a lot of respect for those who adhere to its basic principles. In music, the labels and the talking heads of the media are the ones who don the next big thing, but it’s the people who champion its causes. It’s the voices of those who wanted to burn down Hollywood with Public Enemy, who shouts, “Fuck Da Police” with N.W.A. and who walked alongside Kanye West and Jesus.
Rhymefest is a man who some still can’t figure out. The audience is sure that this charismatic and entertaining Chicagoan will break through the glass ceiling and arrive to a place where his peers sit at. But as HipHopDX talks with the Windy City emcee, the focus isn’t on BDS spins or the latest trends in Hip Hop. El Che breaks bread with DX about his new project, a dedication mixtape to Michael Jackson, discusses his “debate” with Lupe Fiasco and asks some very poignant questions that even this writer is interested in hearing some answers about.
HipHopDX: You have a lot of respect in the game. What are a few things that you’ve seen that has made you angry?
Rhymefest: Wow, we’re going to jump right into anger, huh…? I don’t know if you can use anger to determine my feelings, because once you become angry, you lose control. In the game, this is politics. The public can’t see you angry. One of the things that frustrates or frustrated me is the imbalance in the game. How the hell can you have a top 10 on the radio that is the same list all over the country? You mean to tell me that everyone picked the same number one song? This is chosen by the people? You’re telling me that Common sells more records than Lil Boosie, which means that people want to buy Common, but more people want to listen to Lil Boosie? Trust me, I’m not making jabs or swipes at anyone. Your art is your art and there is a listener for everybody. If [Talib] Kweli sells more than Swizz, but Swizz is who you only hear on the radio, then there’s a disconnection. The frustration is with the lying in the game. They use that lie to create an imbalance.
DX: To offset the negativity, you’ve manage to do a dedication mixtape to Michael Jackson. How bigger than life was he to you when you were a kid?
RF: Michael Jackson means a lot of things to music and music, I believe, is what defines the era of what we live in. In the '60s and '70s, it was Motown and Stax Records that defined that era. Mike does that for me. I need to pass that along to the people under me. Michael Jackson is the only one who has had a message in his music. From “Human Nature” to “Black & White,” he touched on social issues that affected the people, but it was a pop song. “Smooth Criminal” was about domestic violence, but everyone danced to it all the same. You can make entertainment educational. So, what was the best way to honor him? I did a tribute to him. I was on tour with DJ Jazzy Jeff and no matter what the age was and no matter where we went, Michael gets love. My son is nine and knows who Michael is. My son asked me if I was in the studio with Mike during the recording of this dedication mixtape. People will definitely feel nostalgic about this, but the pressure to do this was all on me. I wasn’t concerned with how Michael would come off. I was worried about how I would come off. It could come off corny for me, you know? I know the risk is going to pay off. My question to you is: What is paying off though? Is it education? Is it money? To me, it’s about bringing balance. Change is revolution.
DX: A change that is rumored to be on the way is Jay-Z creating a record label through Apple. What change does the Internet have in the music business?
RF: You know how the record labels messed up the business? They messed up when the Internet and the web came about and music sharing was first introduced. The guys behind it all thought that it would be such a great thing, but you know what? The labels dissed them. The labels were comfortable where they were at. The labels knew it all. Then, all of a sudden, you have Amazon.com and others who took those basic ideas and ran with it. It got so huge to where the labels are now like, “Oh, shit, what can we do?” They realized that there is a bigger power than them. Jay is aligning himself within the changes of the business. Limewire, iTunes, all of it is this new wave of getting music. You know what the funniest thing about all this is? The industry is steadily losing money, but music is more popular than it has ever been. They wouldn’t be able to sell an iPod without the music. Yet through it all, last year, especially, rap music was the only music that people held true to, yet was criticized all across the board.
DX: You’ve always managed to be outspoken. Your blog on another neighboring site to your Myspace page has garnered attention. What is it about the 2008 Presidential elections that have you sounding so passionate?
RF: You know what? It’s not about the elections and they’re just trying to box me about that. What it’s about is this new intellectual drop squad of producers and artists. I’m really trying to push that. For anyone who says stupid shit, they’re getting called out. In 2006 and 2007, we let the mediocrity fly. Now, we realize that there truly is some stupid shit that goes on. This new drop squad will speak when dumb shit occurs. Trust and believe that I’m not going to criticize anyone about their art form, but when people come out and say, “Obama supports bombing Iran and that Hilary is great because she’s a woman,” I’ll ask if that person or persons knows what Obama’s stance is. Once that gets corrected, I’m good. We can move on from the next dumb statement. Shout out to Killer Mike, No I.D. and others who are down for this change. We need to be vigilante about this.
DX: You also made news with a debate between you and Lupe Fiasco. You speak from the perspective of the downtrodden supporting a change that could benefit those like you. What was it that Lupe may or may not have understood?
RF: I’m still waiting on that call. We don’t have beef. We don’t have any animosity towards each other. We dig each other’s music. We’re both from the same city and we’re both Muslim. So, we’ve shown how Muslims handle discourse. We’re civil. It’s a beautiful thing about being Muslim – especially with the stereotypes – and how we’ve managed to handle it. I don’t think it was a perspective, really, I think that they try to push it as different viewpoints. In truth, one brother was wrong and the other was just correcting him. I’m standing on my stand. How is it a debate when he says that Obama supports bombing Iran and I say that it’s not true? He still doesn’t believe in the political system, which is what it was. Now, if you want to talk about the fact that I believe that there can be change and he doesn’t, which was clear, I’ll say this… You know those people who say our vote doesn’t count because they’re all the same people? What if the slaves felt that way? What if Harriet Tubman thought that this shit wouldn’t change? What if Frederick Douglass goes to France, leaving his people behind? How can you say that and you sell records for a major record label?! That’s a system in itself! As long as Obama or Clinton are in office it means that WIC can still be enforced so that mothers can get milk and food for their kids. What the fuck can a rapper do? You’re going to be involved in the record label system and talk about a political system. You’re not impressed with Obama? This is not a debate. It’s optimism versus pessimism. It’s a fight for the spirits of our people… and I’m not talking about just black folks. I’m talking about Hip Hop. Some people got the spirit of we’re doomed. I’m going to fight like hell for my survival. El Che [Guevara] was a revolutionary figure and they say that I speak like a reformist about the game. [Laughs] To that I would say, “If Abraham Lincoln were to come to America in 2009, through a time portal and see a black man or a white woman as president, would he think that it’s revolutionary or reformist?"
DX: With all of this political and Afrocentric mindedness, do you think the game is ready for “El Che”…?
RF: It doesn’t matter. Was the game ready for Gandhi, Bob Marley or any revolutionary? Nah. [Laughs] Any revolution has to have the support of the people. I think that I have the backing of the people. Do you think that people want to revel in mediocrity? I don’t think so. Hell, if that was true and I was delivering mediocrity as such, don’t you think J Records would’ve dropped me after Blue Collar? They know that they don’t want to do that.
DX: Last night, you had a listening for the dedication mixtape and I noticed that it was cool, but managed to still be industry. Will people ever get past the notoriety of an artist’s name and just enjoy the experience?
RF: No. One thing that has been consistent and hasn’t changed is what people are attracted to. From the beginning of time till now, people like beauty, status, color, charismatic things. If a name represents that, people will go. The thing is that we can have them all the time and I’m not like that. We need manners. We got to teach the people. We’re in the position as artists to do more than just entertain.
DX: This next question may be a little tough, but I know that Kanye’s mother was one to all of y’all who know him. How has her lost affected you and how have you helped your brother-from-another stand tall on his feet?
RF: I don’t want to talk about that one.
DX: With a lot of work ahead of you – what is one thing you want your fans and the buying public to remember when they hear the name Rhymefest?
RF: Feli Kuti, Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder are all people who left this world being great at music and the people identifying with them all. I want to leave my audience a gift. When you hear my music, I want you to remember who your girlfriend was, what car you were driving, some sort of lifetime experience that you’ll never forget. I would like for my gift to define an era from which you lived.
Rhymefest is a man who some still can’t figure out. The audience is sure that this charismatic and entertaining Chicagoan will break through the glass ceiling and arrive to a place where his peers sit at. But as HipHopDX talks with the Windy City emcee, the focus isn’t on BDS spins or the latest trends in Hip Hop. El Che breaks bread with DX about his new project, a dedication mixtape to Michael Jackson, discusses his “debate” with Lupe Fiasco and asks some very poignant questions that even this writer is interested in hearing some answers about.
HipHopDX: You have a lot of respect in the game. What are a few things that you’ve seen that has made you angry?
Rhymefest: Wow, we’re going to jump right into anger, huh…? I don’t know if you can use anger to determine my feelings, because once you become angry, you lose control. In the game, this is politics. The public can’t see you angry. One of the things that frustrates or frustrated me is the imbalance in the game. How the hell can you have a top 10 on the radio that is the same list all over the country? You mean to tell me that everyone picked the same number one song? This is chosen by the people? You’re telling me that Common sells more records than Lil Boosie, which means that people want to buy Common, but more people want to listen to Lil Boosie? Trust me, I’m not making jabs or swipes at anyone. Your art is your art and there is a listener for everybody. If [Talib] Kweli sells more than Swizz, but Swizz is who you only hear on the radio, then there’s a disconnection. The frustration is with the lying in the game. They use that lie to create an imbalance.
DX: To offset the negativity, you’ve manage to do a dedication mixtape to Michael Jackson. How bigger than life was he to you when you were a kid?
RF: Michael Jackson means a lot of things to music and music, I believe, is what defines the era of what we live in. In the '60s and '70s, it was Motown and Stax Records that defined that era. Mike does that for me. I need to pass that along to the people under me. Michael Jackson is the only one who has had a message in his music. From “Human Nature” to “Black & White,” he touched on social issues that affected the people, but it was a pop song. “Smooth Criminal” was about domestic violence, but everyone danced to it all the same. You can make entertainment educational. So, what was the best way to honor him? I did a tribute to him. I was on tour with DJ Jazzy Jeff and no matter what the age was and no matter where we went, Michael gets love. My son is nine and knows who Michael is. My son asked me if I was in the studio with Mike during the recording of this dedication mixtape. People will definitely feel nostalgic about this, but the pressure to do this was all on me. I wasn’t concerned with how Michael would come off. I was worried about how I would come off. It could come off corny for me, you know? I know the risk is going to pay off. My question to you is: What is paying off though? Is it education? Is it money? To me, it’s about bringing balance. Change is revolution.
DX: A change that is rumored to be on the way is Jay-Z creating a record label through Apple. What change does the Internet have in the music business?
RF: You know how the record labels messed up the business? They messed up when the Internet and the web came about and music sharing was first introduced. The guys behind it all thought that it would be such a great thing, but you know what? The labels dissed them. The labels were comfortable where they were at. The labels knew it all. Then, all of a sudden, you have Amazon.com and others who took those basic ideas and ran with it. It got so huge to where the labels are now like, “Oh, shit, what can we do?” They realized that there is a bigger power than them. Jay is aligning himself within the changes of the business. Limewire, iTunes, all of it is this new wave of getting music. You know what the funniest thing about all this is? The industry is steadily losing money, but music is more popular than it has ever been. They wouldn’t be able to sell an iPod without the music. Yet through it all, last year, especially, rap music was the only music that people held true to, yet was criticized all across the board.
DX: You’ve always managed to be outspoken. Your blog on another neighboring site to your Myspace page has garnered attention. What is it about the 2008 Presidential elections that have you sounding so passionate?
RF: You know what? It’s not about the elections and they’re just trying to box me about that. What it’s about is this new intellectual drop squad of producers and artists. I’m really trying to push that. For anyone who says stupid shit, they’re getting called out. In 2006 and 2007, we let the mediocrity fly. Now, we realize that there truly is some stupid shit that goes on. This new drop squad will speak when dumb shit occurs. Trust and believe that I’m not going to criticize anyone about their art form, but when people come out and say, “Obama supports bombing Iran and that Hilary is great because she’s a woman,” I’ll ask if that person or persons knows what Obama’s stance is. Once that gets corrected, I’m good. We can move on from the next dumb statement. Shout out to Killer Mike, No I.D. and others who are down for this change. We need to be vigilante about this.
DX: You also made news with a debate between you and Lupe Fiasco. You speak from the perspective of the downtrodden supporting a change that could benefit those like you. What was it that Lupe may or may not have understood?
RF: I’m still waiting on that call. We don’t have beef. We don’t have any animosity towards each other. We dig each other’s music. We’re both from the same city and we’re both Muslim. So, we’ve shown how Muslims handle discourse. We’re civil. It’s a beautiful thing about being Muslim – especially with the stereotypes – and how we’ve managed to handle it. I don’t think it was a perspective, really, I think that they try to push it as different viewpoints. In truth, one brother was wrong and the other was just correcting him. I’m standing on my stand. How is it a debate when he says that Obama supports bombing Iran and I say that it’s not true? He still doesn’t believe in the political system, which is what it was. Now, if you want to talk about the fact that I believe that there can be change and he doesn’t, which was clear, I’ll say this… You know those people who say our vote doesn’t count because they’re all the same people? What if the slaves felt that way? What if Harriet Tubman thought that this shit wouldn’t change? What if Frederick Douglass goes to France, leaving his people behind? How can you say that and you sell records for a major record label?! That’s a system in itself! As long as Obama or Clinton are in office it means that WIC can still be enforced so that mothers can get milk and food for their kids. What the fuck can a rapper do? You’re going to be involved in the record label system and talk about a political system. You’re not impressed with Obama? This is not a debate. It’s optimism versus pessimism. It’s a fight for the spirits of our people… and I’m not talking about just black folks. I’m talking about Hip Hop. Some people got the spirit of we’re doomed. I’m going to fight like hell for my survival. El Che [Guevara] was a revolutionary figure and they say that I speak like a reformist about the game. [Laughs] To that I would say, “If Abraham Lincoln were to come to America in 2009, through a time portal and see a black man or a white woman as president, would he think that it’s revolutionary or reformist?"
DX: With all of this political and Afrocentric mindedness, do you think the game is ready for “El Che”…?
RF: It doesn’t matter. Was the game ready for Gandhi, Bob Marley or any revolutionary? Nah. [Laughs] Any revolution has to have the support of the people. I think that I have the backing of the people. Do you think that people want to revel in mediocrity? I don’t think so. Hell, if that was true and I was delivering mediocrity as such, don’t you think J Records would’ve dropped me after Blue Collar? They know that they don’t want to do that.
DX: Last night, you had a listening for the dedication mixtape and I noticed that it was cool, but managed to still be industry. Will people ever get past the notoriety of an artist’s name and just enjoy the experience?
RF: No. One thing that has been consistent and hasn’t changed is what people are attracted to. From the beginning of time till now, people like beauty, status, color, charismatic things. If a name represents that, people will go. The thing is that we can have them all the time and I’m not like that. We need manners. We got to teach the people. We’re in the position as artists to do more than just entertain.
DX: This next question may be a little tough, but I know that Kanye’s mother was one to all of y’all who know him. How has her lost affected you and how have you helped your brother-from-another stand tall on his feet?
RF: I don’t want to talk about that one.
DX: With a lot of work ahead of you – what is one thing you want your fans and the buying public to remember when they hear the name Rhymefest?
RF: Feli Kuti, Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder are all people who left this world being great at music and the people identifying with them all. I want to leave my audience a gift. When you hear my music, I want you to remember who your girlfriend was, what car you were driving, some sort of lifetime experience that you’ll never forget. I would like for my gift to define an era from which you lived.
