Guestlist

April 2012

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Issue 37 / MARCH 2012 Issue 38 / APRIL 2012 HIP HOP / RNB www.guestlist.net 33 OBIE TRICE He's been away for a while but right now this Detroit rapper is back with a new al- bum 'Bottoms Up'. He may not still be on Shady Records, but Em and Dre are still holding him down and his label Black Market Entertainment is set for big things. Where are you at the moment? I'm in Detroit. Thats home for you? Yeah. What was life growing up for you? It's regular, you know a hard way of growing up in the neighbour- hood where I came from very challenging and a lot of different things going on. People losing their lives, surviving you know, welfare-stricken neighbourhood. Some people losing their life to violence and people trying to make a better way, just regular hood shit. Tell us about your new inde- pendent label, Black Market Entertainment. How is it all going? Black Market Entertainment is the label I launched in May 2010. The whole idea was to try to bring artists in my region and in the Detroit up to the internation- al level of hip hop. There's a lot of talent here in the city and I want to be a part of bringing to the forefront. So you set up your label to give something back? Yeah exactly! You know, Detroit is definitely an area where there's a lot of poverty, a lot of economic problems and a lot of these people and the young they channel their energy into music and being creative and I just wanted to be a part of that. How have you found it with bringing out the new album 'Bottoms Up' on your independant lable? Yeah it's good, I'm really excited about releasing the album on BME. It's a win-win situation for me. It feels great to be able to have my own imprint and feels great to be able to bring fans a new body of work. Do you think this is the come- back album that people have been waiting for? I wouldn't really call it a come- back album, I would call it a new body of work. You know, I've always been working so it's just another Obie Trice album that you can listen to and vibe to and have a good time to. Dre and Eminem are on produc- tion on the new album and you got a few tracks with Dre. What would you say has been best bit of advice they've given to you? Just to keep going man, like with the lead single off of the 'Bot- toms Up' album that's on iTunes now called 'Battle Cry'. Just to keep moving and keep doing what you're doing. What does your new track 'Battle Cry' represent for you? You know a lot of people go through situations in life and some people go through them and they don't come back from it. I was just putting something out there and I felt like that was needed to be my first single because of all the things that I've been through in my career, my short business career in hip-hop, as well as my personal life. It just means that whatever is going on in your life there's always a better day, keep going. That's what it means. You have been through a lot through the past years, what gets you through and encour- ages you to keep moving forward? Just the love for hip-hop music and the culture. I'm a big fan of hip-hop culture, that's my inspiration right there. Its been a while since you have left Shady Records do you think it was the best move for you? I don't look back at things and say that was the best move or not. I'm going to keep it moving, regardless I had great times at Shady and we did a lot of incred- ible things. But you know, things don't stop I know in the future I would never get a record deal ever again. You have just released your new mixtape 'Watch The Chrome' is this little taster of what's to come on the album? It's just a warm up, I'm a fan of 'Watch The Throne' with Kanye and Jay Z. A big fan of that album. 'Watch The Chrome' is basically just my take on things with some of those same instrumentals that they used for their record. That's basically just a warm up for 'Bottoms Up' on April 3rd. Why the name 'Bottoms Up'? I originally was slated to put 'Bot- toms Up' on Shady Interscope, I was going to call my album that at Shady. Now, it's even more relevant for me as you know, I'm starting my new com- pany. This is like the beginning for Black Market Entertainment. On my album you know I have my baby picture, my mother just passed away last July and she had that picture hanging over herbed. When I was going over her house to get her things together, get all her solo albums, get all her things and put things in order I took the picture and put that on the record. So it's just feels like a lot of things. It's the drinking thing too, I love my spirits! It just all makes sense and ties in together. What's your drink then? Vodka! Ah same as me, I think we could party together well! You're a very cute baby! They say I look like a catfish! Ah same as me, I think we could party together well! You're a very cute baby! They say I look like a catfish! it looks like you have a big year ahead, what's one thing you're really looking forward to? Well I've got a great tour and agent, she is going to have me working a lot. There's the 'Bot- toms Up' tour to places i've never been like Africa and things like that, a lot of different places i've never touched. I've been every- where but some places i've never been to so I'm really looking forward to the tour. I'm looking forward to finding the next thing for BME, for the label and just keeping it moving. Any plans to come over to the UK? Yeah for sure but not just yet but I'm pretty sure I'll be there soon. If you were invisible for the day what trouble would you get up to? I would probably see what books Obama reads! Check out Obie new album 'Bottoms Up' at www.obieworld.com

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