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These albums
earned him respect amongst his peers, the net and the
underground circle and gave him a forum to tour and perform with
some of the greatest names in the hip-hop industry such as the
Wu-Tang Clan, Kanye West, Busta Rhymes, Rhymefest, Lil’ Flip,
Twista, Jae Millz, Dead Prez, Blackalicious, and many more.
Speculations about him retiring and leaving the music world
seems true as he moved to California in 2004 to pursue law
school in San Francisco. Love for the art, the game, the music
was too much and M-Eighty soon found himself undertaking A&R
work for Dreddy Kruger’s New York based Think Differently Music
Group/Wu-Tang making contributions to the labels “Wu-Tang Meets
The Indie Culture” and Bronze Nazareth’s “The Great Migration”
releases respectively. Almost 90,000 units later and with
graduation from law school in the not so distant future,
M-Eighty has bounced back onto the scene for a much needed
fourth album which he says is a sure classic for 2007. The
album “Hymns, Psalms, & Street Songs,” is set to drop on June
5th, 2007 and host exclusive appearances from Cappadonna, Bronze
Nazareth, Redman, Tragedy Khadafi, C-Rayz Walz, the streets and
online radios are already buzzing with songs such as "Posse
Cut", Rebeloution" and "Hot Damn" from the album, June the 5th
is not so far away now to get a chance to hear the full album.
Wu-International had to
catch up with M-Eighty to address questions such as his albums,
how he got with Dreddy and works on Think Differently Music, his
affiliation with the Wu, up coming album and much much more,
Please pay attention all you die hard Wu fans, upcoming artists,
A&Rs wannabees, Entrepreneurs', label owners, and any
hip-hop fan, as you will truly and surely learn something, Trust
me on that |
Thanks first and foremost for
taking the time to answer these interviews and I would like to
add on that nothing will be altered, edited or changed
when this is published online.
Wu-International: Peace Eighty, how are you?
M-Eighty: Extremely busy
but feeling extremely good.
Wu-International: For those who don’t know who you
are, can you kindly give us a brief of who you are, where
you are from and so on please?
M-Eighty: Sure thing.
Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio then I moved to
Indianapolis, Indiana at the age of 13 where I started to
really establish the name M-Eighty and now I call home San
Francisco, California where I’ve lived for the past three
years and as of May 20th, just received my doctorate in law
so now you can call me M-Eighty Esquire. I put out three
successful independent releases “The Expert Explosive
(2001)”, “Snakes in the garden of Eighty (2003)”, and “The
11th Hour (2004)” while living in Indianapolis and now the
world can look forward to “Hymns, Psalms, & Street Songs” on
June 5th.
Wu-International: Why are you called M-Eighty?
M-Eighty: When I first
started rhyming before I moved to Indianapolis, I never had
a name to go by. In Indianapolis when I started making mix
tape appearances people used to call me “MNM” because of my
name Matthew Nathaniel Markoff. It wasn’t until my older
brother told me sometime in the 90’s about an artist from
Detroit named Eminem that had just released the Infinite EP
that I considered a name change. I thought about it for
weeks and decided to go with the moniker M-Eighty and
thought it was a suitable fit for both me as a person and my
music. A lot of people know M-80 as an explosive so
therefore both my person and my music is reflective of the
explosive style I bring to the mic, the impact I leave on
the listener, and the protruding effects my presence and
work ethic really dominate anything I put my mind to.
Wu-International: When you run a search of Google for
M-Eighty, there are a number of emcee’s who bear the same
name, did you know this and what’s your view on this?
M-Eighty: It’s something
that has to do with being an established artist. People know
Matthew Markoff is M-Eighty and is the original M-Eighty
period. Whether people take notice to the name through my
solo release sales, my touring experience with dozens of
national acts, or through my business ties as an A&R through
various releases including “Wu-Tang Meets the Indie
Culture”, “The Great Migration”, and “Wisemen Approaching”
via Think Differently, no other M-Eighty or M-80 can really
claim the name with as much prowess and success as I’ve put
into it. These other artists claiming my name are still wet
behind the ears with really no basis for their claim. To me
any artist that is unwilling to do the research behind their
name really isn’t serious about their craft in the first
place.
Wu-International: Any other names you go by?
M-Eighty: People
call me all sorts of shit depending on where I’m at. In the
Bay Area people call me “The Hebrew Pope”, in the Midwest
people refer to me as “The Lyrical Rabbi”, in New York
people call me “The Law” but at the end of the day its still
80.
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Wu-International: I found out about you
via your collabo with Priest, how long have you been
in the rap game?
M-Eighty: For almost 13 years. I put out
about half a dozen mix tapes in the mid to late 90’s
under the name M-Eighty and it wasn’t until 2001
when I put out “The Expert Explosive” that I had
really put the time and effort into pressing up an
album to circulate in stores and on the net.
Everything kind of took off from there. Each project
was like a stepping stone for me. I pressed up 1,000
units of “The Expert Explosive” was able to unload
them in less than a year and then decided to record
the “Snakes” album. I pressed up 2,000 units,
started getting into doing a lot of shows regionally
and was able to move those in less than a year. Then
came “The 11th Hour” which I put a great deal of
time and effort into by actually getting into some
professional studios for the first time to record
the entire album, securing the right guest
appearances, setting up the best possible tour dates
I could find, getting some local media outlets to
take notice to my work, and getting digital
distribution via Itunes and was able to sell over
3,000 units. And that brings us to the present day,
some 6,000+ units later, 100+ live performances with
some of the all time greats, and the best album of
my career on the near horizon.
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Wu-International:
What made you pick the mic, when did you realize you
had the skills?
M-Eighty: Growing up in the Midwest
during the early 90’s when I started listening to
Hip Hop; there were a lot of listeners but not a lot
of doers. I only spit freestyles for like three
years before I ever decided to write an actual song.
In middle school I think besides me there was one
other dude that rapped. In high school where it was
a much bigger crowd there were more and more artists
that always used to battle in the commons area and I
never lost a single battle to any one of them. To
this day I can still count the amount of battles I
have ever lost on one hand. Really getting a lot of
people to take notice to my freestyle skills,
selling the mix tapes throughout the 90’s to build a
little buzz, never stepping down from a challenge,
and just staying sharp is what made me realize that
what I had wasn’t just a fluke.
Wu-International: On a press release it said
you were an unbeatable force within the battle
ground; did you battle a lot of emcees to get your
due?
Answer:
100’s and 100’s of battles. The funny thing is that
I’ve never had to go through that “oh, he’s a white
rapper” nonsense that other artists go through.
Every time I went to a battle at a spot I had never
been too, I would always win and be crowned the
champ for the night. After winning the whole grip
once, I knew I could always go back to any spot and
not have to deal with anyone who wanted to question
my skills because of the color of my skin. People
knew what time it was. I wish I could say that I
battled and beat some of the best like Eminem, C
Rayz, Juice, and others but I think the biggest name
I ever took out was Rhymefest. He still claims that
the crowd was in my favor otherwise I wouldn’t have
stood a chance but I was thankful for that
opportunity because it was after that night that we
talked about linking up on a track which after we
recorded “Victory” really got me motivated to reach
out to other artists including Killah Priest and
Dreddy Kruger about recording “The 11th Hour.”
Wu-International: Ok, let’s talk about your
albums, you have released 3 albums independently to
date, how well were they received?
M-Eighty: What can I say, I aim to please and
I think for the most part I’ve done that. The only
people that ever send me little bullshit comments or
emails are people who just don’t like me as a person
because really they’re just mad at themselves for
not taking the initiative to do anything with their
lives. People who support me and buy my product know
they’re getting quality hip-hop. It feels good when
someone comes up to me at a show or drops me a line
quoting one of my tracks or tells me they copped an
album and enjoyed it. I approach every album with
making music that is pleasing to me and if others
like it in the process than that is just an added
bonus. People are really going to have something to
talk about when they hear “Hymns, Psalms, & Street
Songs”.
Wu-International: Your 2nd album “Snakes in
the Garden of Eighty” seems to be sold out and it
sells a huge number on eBay, was it a limited
release and is it available somewhere for sale.
M-Eighty: My philosophy going into an album
as an independent artist was to make each album a
limited edition release. In the first interview I
ever did when “The Expert Explosive” came out one of
the questions was what I was going to due after I
sold 1,000 units and my answer was start working on
album 2. After I sold out of “Snakes in the garden
of Eighty”, I began work on “The 11th Hour”, so on
and so forth. I think somewhere in some warehouse in
Indianapolis there is a box with like 10 copies of
the “Snakes” album and 5 copies of “The 11th Hour”
and I’m desperately trying to locate the box. I had
dropped them off to a company that was trying to get
a start up in like 2003-2004 as an online
distributor and the company went under. I was going
through some old emails and I found the contact info
for the company rep I had spoken with from way back
when and he told me that they still had the
remaining copies of “Snakes in the garden of Eighty”
but the “The 11th Hour” was sold out. Even now on
cdbaby.com, anyone who purchases “The 11th Hour”
gets an autographed cd-r copy with black and white
cover insert. We were sold out and I decided to
lower the price and sell the album like that in
order to fill the back orders while the album was
still selling on Itunes. When I go back to
Indianapolis to do the video shoot for “That’s
What’s Up” featuring C Rayz Walz off “Hymns, Psalms,
& Street Songs”, I’m definitely going to pick up the
few remaining copies of “Snakes” and anyone whose
interested can hit me up on the myspace at
www.myspace.com/holytoledoproductions
Wu-International: First album I bought
of you was “The 11th Hour” as you had Killah Priest
and Dreddy Kruger on it, how did that collabo come
about?
M-Eighty: I had just performed two nights in
Chicago at the Metro with GZA, Priest, Dreddy,
Cappadonna, and Dezert Eez and Priest and I had been
talking for a few weeks about doing a track. I
thought we were going to be able to knock it out
then and there in Chicago since I had one of the
guys from Dezert Eez already make studio
arrangements for the track “Alpha Omega” that we
were prepping and had the majority of “The 11th
Hour” beats with me. In Chicago, Priests manager
kept wanting to talk about money and really a bunch
of shit that I wasn’t trying to hear so I called
Priest and Dreddy both after the Chicago shows when
I was back in Indianapolis and they were back in New
York and said I’ve never been to New York, I’ll pay
to fly out there, I’ll pay for the studio costs, and
I’ll put a little cash rule in both your pockets as
well but let’s do this between us. The more you get
managers and other 3rd parties involved that’s when
you start to take the spirit of hip-hop out of the
music and turn it into something straight industry.
They were both cool with that and I flew out there
like a month later. I stayed out there for like 48
hours and really got the most out of the visit. We
recorded “Champions” and “Romantic Gun” at Planet 2
Planet Studios in Manhattan which was incredible
being that “Romantic Gun” wasn’t originally planned
and that track is a classic in my book. I got to
kick it with GZA and City Rich the night I landed
and listen to some unreleased GZA and Prodigal Sunn
tracks and let them listen to some cuts off “The
11th Hour”, I went to a Rangers hockey game with my
guy Casey who does all my graphic design, met up
with Rhymefest at Mark Ronson’s studio where he was
recording the track “Buttercup” with Ol’ Dirty (R.I.P.),
hit up a couple clubs just to get a taste of the NY
night life, and some how was able to catch my flight
home in the early morning. I think I listened to
“Champions” and “Romantic Gun” over and over the
whole way from NY to Indianapolis with nothing but a
huge smile on my face.
Wu-International: How did you initially meet
Dreddy Kruger?
M-Eighty: We met in Chicago in January 2004 as
I was meeting up with Priest before we went into the
venue for sound check. We didn’t really talk much
about Think Differently at that time but we talked
about various music and film projects that he was
working on. I was already familiar with his history
in the Wu camp and our meeting really gave me the
opportunity to have him familiarize himself with who
I am.
Wu-International: Well Dreddy has kept away from
the mic for a while now, how did you manage to
convince him to drop a verse on your album?
M-Eighty: We had the opportunity to build from
the time of our first meeting in Chicago until I
made my way out to New York a month or so later and
it was those conversations that really made him feel
good about the direction of the track and what I was
trying to do with the project. I was pleased when
Dreddy released the “History of Dreddy Kruger Volume
I” and put “Champions” on the disc as a bonus track.
That let me know then and there that the track had
real meaning to him a couple years after its initial
release on “The 11th Hour.”
Wu-International: You have gone on to form a
working relationship with Dreddy, how did you get
involved with Think Differently Music and what’s
your role in the label?
M-Eighty: During my 1st year in law school, I
contacted Dreddy because I knew that he had big
plans for the startup of Think Differently. At the
law school I attended, you had to complete 600
apprenticeship hours with a legal entity. Dreddy and
I spoke for months and were able to work out a
situation where I could work in the A&R department
at Think Differently and work directly with the
legal bodies in order to satisfy the requirements of
the apprenticeship and at the same time receive a
paycheck from Think Differently. I moved all my shit
in San Francisco into storage for the summer and
moved to New York where I stayed in probably the
coolest apartment ever equipped with recording
studio, trapeze, and more. The actual title became
A&R Administration as my day to day work involved
both decisions inside the studio and the drafting of
all legal documents pertaining to “Wu-Tang Meets the
Indie Culture” that were to be submitted to the
legal entities behind Think Differently to
effectively be signed into law. The whole experience
over the course of that summer was probably the best
time of my life. We put together an incredible
compilation that put up over 50,000 in sales; I
gained infinite experience both in the legal realm
and as to the business of the music industry and the
intricacies of creating an album, enjoyed every
moment of my time in New York, all while bumping
myself up into a higher tax bracket.
Wu-International: Wu-Tang Meets the Indie
Culture was one of the best releases in 2005,
followed by another gem from Bronze Nazareth and
this year The Wisemen, are you signed under Think
Differently Music as an artist?
M-Eighty: First off, I appreciate the
acknowledgment with the releases of Wu Meets the
Indie, The Great Migration, and The Wisemen. When
the Source named “Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture”
as one of the top independent releases of 2005, I
ran to the store and bought a dozen copies of the
magazine just to give to people and be like, “you
see this…do you know how amazing this is!” That
release secured a healthy future for Think
Differently Music and now more people identify with
the name Think Differently than they do with the
names of the players behind it. As far as me being
signed to Think Differently, I have never signed any
papers with Dreddy and it is really something we
never talked about. When I’m at Think Differently I
want him to know that I put the interests of the
company first and anything I do outside of the
company is M-Eighty time. Dreddy is playing an
instrumental role in procuring the deal for “Hymns,
Psalms, & Street Songs” with Babygrande and that
kind of backing is a blessing. To me, that’s
something that Dreddy didn’t have to do but is
willing to do for me as a good person as a way of
showing me that he values my work and knows that my
focus has been on assisting him anyway possible in
building the status of Think Differently from day 1.
Wu-International: Who else is under the label
Think Differently Music apart from Bronze Nazareth
and The Wisemen?
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M-Eighty: Good question. For starters, The
Wisemen are signed to the label Kings Row Music
Group. The label is run by a guy named Brian Marc
who really put his all into allowing The Wisemen to
make the best debut release possible. “Associated”
is one of my favorite songs of the year and the
album is solid. Dreddy was kept on the project as
Executive Producer and I maintained the
administrative/legal follow through after the albums
release. Bronze will be putting out another album
via Think Differently/Babygrande later this year and
as for the other working capacities of the label,
Dreddy works as a hired A&R to oversee various
releases through Babygrande including “The 5% Album”
by Lord Jamar of Brand Nubian, “The Hollywood
Sessions” by Sa-Ra, and the upcoming release by GZA.
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Wu-International: What’s next on the menu at
Think Differently music after The Wisemen album?
M-Eighty: We’re keeping everything
under wraps for right now. This gives us a chance to
weigh our options and really decide what would be
the best release for what time. In light of the
upcoming Clan release “8 Diagrams”, Rae’s “OB4CLII”,
and more, its best for us right now to analyze how
the game is going to treat these releases and decide
from there whether the next move should be to follow
up with a “Wu Meets…Volume II” or go another route.
If I had to give you a definitive answer right now,
I would say fans can count on Bronze to release his
follow up to “The Great Migration” before anything
else. Any Hip Hop fan who hasn’t copped “The Great
Migration” is really doing themselves a great
disservice.
Wu-International: Thanks for that man, Ok,
let’s jump into your forth coming album that is
coming out on the 5th of June, how are you feeling
about this?
M-Eighty: I feel real good about it. It has
been three years since “The 11th Hour” was released
and I think the fans and the rest of the world are
ready for a new M-Eighty album. I have personally
overseen every aspect of the album and know that in
the end I will be turning out one of the finest
album releases in hip-hop this year.
Wu-International: Why have you called it
“Hymns, Psalms, & Street Songs”?
M-Eighty: Before I decided to put out
another official album, I was going to release a Mix
tape Album called “Feature Presentation”. “Feature
Presentation” was slated to be all the tracks from
“The 11th Hour” remixed and “Hymns, Psalms, & Street
Songs” that had featured artists on them. I decided
against that idea when I started recording more solo
tracks and thought that it would be best to turn out
a new album of material as opposed to a half and
half rehash of the old and the new. The album itself
has a real spiritual yet gritty feel to it. Its
street and at the same time it’s prophetic. I was
looking to change the title to something other than
“Feature Presentation” after deciding on the new
layout scheme for the album and I belief it was
around Christmas time when I went with my girlfriend
to Church. Being that I’m Jewish, Church isn’t one
of my regular hangouts. But I went with her to
observe the holidays and noticed that the book they
were reading out of was titled “Hymns, Psalms, &
Spiritual Songs” and I knew then and there that
taking that phrase and flipping it was the perfect
fit for the album.
Wu-International: Which artists and producers
were involved in this project?
M-Eighty: I recruited an all-star line
up for this one. I got tracks with Tragedy Khadafi,
C. Rayz Walz, Redman, Cappadonna, Bronze Nazareth,
Sav Killz, Rusty Redenbacher, SAS, and even took the
time to introduce a new artist as well named Son
One. My DJ Cool Hand Lex was very instrumental in
the making of this album as well. As far as
production goes, I thought it was time for a change
of pace and decided to enlist some new producers to
really give the album an updated sound. Black
Tuesday and Slantize handled the bulk of the
production with other single tracks being produced
by Hi-Fly Entertainment out of France, OP Beats out
of Finland, Now Laterz out of New York, and Da Cypha
Sounds out of Miami. All in all, the album has a
very cohesive feel to it that will make the listener
want to play it all the way through over and over
again.
Wu-International: You mentioned Babygrande
earlier and so on, will this album be coming out via
a major label or indie, and if so what label?
M-Eighty: Here’s the plan…pay attention
readers. The studio has taken so long to provide me
with the Master of the album that if I were to sign
over the rights of the album to Babygrande for
release on June 5th that would give Babygrande no
time to market and promote the album. Since I have a
tour already lined up around the release of the
album on June 5th, I think the plan is going to be
to release two different versions of the album. On
June 5th, I will be releasing the album “Hymns,
Psalms, & Street Songs” with the slated 12 tracks,
12 Page Booklet, and Sticker and in turn will only
be pressing up between 2-3,000 units. I will be
selling these copies on tour between June 5th and
the End of August and they will also be available
for sale on myspace. To make sure that I can sell
that many copies in a matter of 2-3 months I will be
selling them for $5-7 a piece ensuring that anyone
who even thinks about copping the album can’t say
no. After the tour ends and Babygrande has had
enough time to market and promote the album, than
Babygrande will have the opportunity to release a
deluxe edition of “Hymns, Psalms, & Street Songs”
featuring Bonus Material including additional tracks
and maybe an added dvd from select stops along the
tour that will be available in stores only. So
either way, I’m keeping it Indie and making sure
that the fans really get the good shit.
Wu-International: That’s crazy, what are your
favorite songs so far on the album you would like to
share with us, or rather, what will the first single
be if there was to be one?
M-Eighty: I have a lot of favorite tracks on
the album right now; it kind of depends on what mood
I’m in. Today my favorite track is “Common
Denominator” with Bronze Nazareth. The track has a
certain feel to it that just gives you a little
chill and yet has the ability to make you nod in
approval at the same time. You know both Bronze and
I come correct on the lyrics and the beat seals the
deal. In essence, the track tells a story about the
fate of the industry and how as artists we can
either choose to preserve hip-hop by working to
further the craft or we can exploit hip-hop by
removing the self-worth from the art but at the end
of day no matter which route you choose its still
Hip Hop. Whether it’s underground or it’s
commercial, whether it’s grimy or it’s clean, Hip
Hop is what you make of it and therefore it’s all
encompassing regardless of the motivations of the
individual. Some of my other favorites that I think
fans and hip hop enthusiasts will really take notice
to are “Hot Damn” with Rusty Redenbacher which is
like that track you want to listen to first thing in
the morning when you know its payday and there’s not
a dark cloud in the sky, “Rebeloution” with Tragedy
Khadafi, SAS, & Son One which makes you want to go
out and just change the world, and “Posse Cut” with
Cappadonna, C. Rayz Walz, Sav Killz, 5-Star, Hum.V,
Di-Yung, Earth Corleone, Son One, and Cool Hand Lex
which I predict now will go down in history as one
of the illest underground hip hop tracks of all
time. We are scheduled to shoot a video for “That’s
What’s Up” featuring C. Rayz Walz in mid June which
will be made available to viewers on you tube,
myspace, and Mtv U. The treatment for the video is
being put together right now so hopefully everything
with that will go off accordingly. If I had to
choose a single as far as something radio would play
and that I personally enjoy, “Before…” is the track.
The beat was produced by Hi-Fly Entertainment in
France and it is reminiscent of that 9th Wonder feel
that I’m really into. The track is a call out to
everyone that held me down throughout the years
letting them know how much I appreciate their wisdom
and strength and at the same time shedding some
light on how I destroyed the hopes of everyone who
wished me ill in light of my good character and
determination.
Wu-International: There are a lot of hip hop
albums out there right now, what would you say makes
your stands out or different from the norm?
M-Eighty: My album comes with a scratch
and sniff sticker that smells like the Bomb so you
know right when you pick it up that it’s good. I
made the songs I wanted to make and in turn am
giving the listener an album that is a true
representation of me. Now a days, artist turn out
albums that have an inconsistent feel to them like
the artist was trying to please everybody and by
doing such really just ended up pissing everyone off
by not catering more to their core audience. My
album is hands down the complete package. As an
independent artist, I have the liberty and freedom
to really make the album that I wanted to make and
because of my experience with Think Differently, I
was able to turn out what I consider a successful
product from both the artist aspect of it and from
the business side of its inception and production.
I’ve said this from day one, but honestly come the
end of the year “Hymns, Psalms, & Street Songs” will
be in your top 10.
Wu-International: Are there any artists you
would have liked to work with on this project that
didn’t or hasn’t happened yet?
M-Eighty: Well, the original concept
for “Posse Cut” was just going to be me and the
people I’ve worked with throughout featuring just
The Cleptoz, Sav Killz, and Dezert Eez. After C Rayz
and I recorded “That’s What’s Up” he hung out in the
studio and I had the engineer bring up “Posse Cut”
so Lex could lay the cuts on the track and C Rayz
instantly fell in love with the track. He asked if I
had room for him on the track and the obvious answer
was, uh yep. That’s hip-hop! An established artist
hears something they like and know that it’s gonna
be a hit and want to get on that shit just for the
love of the art. With C Rayz on board that’s when I
started reaching out to people like Cappadonna,
Planet Asia, and Shyheim to be part of the
experience. I never heard back from Asia and things
with Shy didn’t pan out but putting Cap and C Rayz
on the same track turned what was already a beast
into an absolute monster. If all the paperwork goes
through with Babygrande for the release of the
deluxe edition of the album than chances are you’ll
hear a track with Sean Price and an additional joint
produced by Bronze Nazareth. I would love to rock a
Bronze beat featuring Sean Price and Killah Priest.
Other than not getting Shy or Planet Asia to appear
on “Posse Cut” everyone I wanted to work with on the
album came through for me in a major way.
Wu-International: From the list of all the
songs you have ever written to date, which song are
you the most proud of writing and why?
M-Eighty: Wow…having to pick one from out
of hundreds is a task in and of itself. It would
probably have to be “Walk With Me” off “The 11th
Hour”. That track is something that really gives the
listener an inside look at who I am and what I’m all
about. “Composition, my mind’s in constant
confrontation, conflicted with my actions; thoughts;
premeditation…not knowing where to go, from the fork
in the road, walking real slow, eyes closed, stopped
and I froze…” The lyrics to me represent my infinite
potential as a human being and display the steps I’m
willing to take to really make a difference. I can
go the rapper route and live out the rest of my days
as a hip hop artist; I can work in the music
industry and provide others with the same guidance
that Dreddy and the Wu-Tang have provided me; I
could become an attorney or a working professional
and utilize the fruits of my studies that way, but
all and all at the end of the day I’m making sure
that I take care of self while reflection the
positives of myself onto any one who wishes to
follow in my footsteps.
Wu-International: What’s next for M-Eighty
after this album?
M-Eighty: Several things. I’ll be on tour
throughout the United States from June until
sometime in August. I’ll be working with Think
Differently on any and all upcoming 2007-2008
releases. Chances are I’ll be spending the greater
portion of fall prepping for the California Bar Exam
while also looking into other educational pursuits
including obtain an MBA. Skies the limit.
Wu-International: You obviously have toured,
collabed and been around the biggest names in
hip-hop such as Kanye West, Wu-Tang Clan members and
affiliates, Busta Rhymes, etc, what would you say
you have learned from them and who has influenced
you the most, and why?
M-Eighty: What it all comes down to is
passion. If you aren’t committed to your music then
how can you expect people to want to commit to you
as an artist? I know this may come as a shock to
some, but M-Eighty isn’t the greatest rapper in the
world, I don’t have millions of fans and millions of
dollars and some big industry machine behind me, but
I work myself to the bone to ensure that I always
turn a quality product whether it be an M-Eighty
solo album or a Think Differently release that I’m
passionate about and that my fans can appreciate and
commit to. I think that Wu-Tang is the most
exemplary display of that knowledge in the way that
they have always given their fans the kind of
quality music, live performance, and dedication to
their fans that the fans have committed back to
them.
Wu-International: I know you covered the
white artist subject above but honesty, do you feel
that as a white artist, you have had to prove
yourself more than the average artist in the game?
M-Eighty: No, I make the average artist want
to prove themselves to me.
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Wu-International: Now I am sure you are aware of
this, having close ties with the Wu members has made
your name a subject of discussion on most Wu sites,
some say you are Wu fam, not a Killa Bee, others say
you are not even Wu fam and so on, what is your view
on this, what is your take on someone who is Wu fam
and do you consider yourself to be a Wu affiliated
artist?
M-Eighty: Quoting RZA, “The Killa Beez are
those who are influenced or affiliated with Wu-Tang
Clan in one way or another either by being a
student, by being some kind of family member that
has a bond and is working for the same cause as
Wu-Tang, or someone who is business involved with
Wu-Tang in some form or another.” I don’t know what
the difference between what you refer to as “Wu-Fam”
and “Killa Bee” but the proof is in the pudding. I
know what RZA defines as a Killa Bee leaves some
room for interpretation for a lot of people who want
to claim the right without really doing the
knowledge, but to say that I don’t fit this criteria
by working with Think Differently to promulgate the
future of Wu-Tang and its affiliates is absurd.
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Wu-International: This is a difficult subject
as some killa beez don’t want to be associated with
the Wu while others that have no ties but have done
a collabo claim to be affiliated, like last year
there was a case of some Russian group who took on
an already established Wu group’s name and claimed
to be Wu with no ties or affiliation to the Clan or
any of its members, what’s your take on up coming
artists or even established artist who claim an
affiliation when they clearly don’t have any?
M-Eighty: Who wouldn’t want to be affiliated
with the greatest group in the history of hip hop?
You never see any other artists claiming to be
affiliated with any other entity in hip hop except
for Wu-Tang. I’ve never met someone who told me they
were a No-Limit Soldier or a G-Unit Gorilla or any
of that shit. Stating that you are a Wu-Tang Killa
Bee holds weight in any circle and to those that can
put that out there and have it substantiated, that’s
what’s up. At the end of the day, let your music and
your work ethic speak for you and never expect
people to take notice to what you’re doing because
of the respect and notoriety someone spent a
lifetime earning in their own right.
Wu-International: Thanks for that great
answer, moving on, there’s a new crop of Jewish
artists on the hip hop scene recently who are making
religion a central part of the music. With you and
Remedy getting referred to as Jew-Tang members, what
is your opinion of Jew-hop?
M-Eighty: Beastie Boys are the original
“Jew-Hop” as you call it and look at what they did.
They paved the way for artists such as me and any
other white person who ever thought about picking up
a microphone. There are some really great Jewish
artists on the scene right now including Matisyahu,
Kosha Dillz, and Shi 360 that have commanded a lot
of attention as a result of making religion a
central part of their music. Everyone has different
motivations that drive their spirit and if yours
happens to be religion than speak your mind, I’ll
listen.
Wu-International: Remedy did an intro for you
on one of your albums; will you do a full
collaboration with him some time in the future or
soon?
M-Eighty: Definitely. Remedy and I go back to
right after the release of “Snakes in the Garden…”
when I started doing various tour dates with him,
Priest, and Cappadonna. Hopefully, Remedy will want
me to make an appearance on the upcoming “Israel”
compilation he’s working on. A guest spot on the
“Holy of Holies” album with him and Priest wouldn’t
be a bad look either.
Wu-International: Who within the Wu-Tang
Clan, members, and affiliates would you say you are
the closest to?
M-Eighty: Dreddy, GZA, Priest, Ghostface,
and Trife. Dreddy for the obvious work ties with
Think Differently. Ghostface, Trife, and GZA because
outside of all the shows we’ve done together, they
each know me personally and we can shoot the shit
whenever. Priest and I have been cool ever since we
first met. Priest is hosting my album release party
in San Francisco and since he’s been spending a lot
of time on the West Coast we’ve been hanging out a
lot. Priest had me come on stage at one of his
concerts last week and fill in the adlibs to “B.I.B.L.E.”
and rip Inspectah Deck’s verse from “Triumph”, that
was ultimate gesture of respect right there.
Wu-International: Who do you feel the most
musically within the Clan?
M-Eighty: Ghostface because to me he is the
ultimate song writer. I feel like you could give
Ghost an orange and be like make a song about this
orange and you would think it was some of the dopest
shit you’ve ever heard because of his word play and
his unique production selections. RZA as well
because his flow, his voice, and his production is
unparalleled by any other artist in the game and
everyone already knows how business savvy he is.
Wu-International: Killa Beez?
M-Eighty: Trife Da God, Bronze, Priest, LA
the Darkman, Timbo King, Hell Razah, Killa Sin, 4th
Disciple, Cilvaringz, Shabazz… each one of those
names is synonymous with the gift. Some names may be
newer or lesser known than the others but they each
hold weight and could shatter the careers of a lot
of bullshit artists out right now.
Wu-International: Thanks, you are quite an
independent artist on your own right; please tell us
more about Holy Toledo Productions and what it
entails?
M-Eighty: Holy Toledo Productions began as a
music, film, and culture venture similar to
Babygrande at its inception. My brother began Holy
Toledo Productions when he was a college student at
Ohio State and released a film entitled “The Bettor
Life” which ended up winning awards at the New York,
Las Vegas, and other film festivals nationwide.
After that he went on to write a few scripts which
he sold to Miramax and then headed up production for
E! Entertainment television for several years. I
assumed the company name around 2000 and since then
have used it to organize all my personal business as
related to my music including tour organization,
production review, and marketing.
Wu-International: It is refreshing to see an
emcee that is also doing other things outside music,
you are studying law as well, how is that going?
M-Eighty: Great! My graduation was on May
20th. The family came down for it and it was a
joyous occasion indeed. My father has a Ph.D and
though both my parents have always been extremely
supportive of all my ventures, I know he is
extremely proud of me for being able to successfully
complete law school and obtain a professional
degree. Rather than take the July Bar, I will be
touring this summer for the album and will use the
fall to prep for the February 2007 Bar while
working, possibly pursuing an MBA, and further
promoting the album.
Wu-International: We already covered your job
role as an A&R, what does that mean? Could you
please educate us as to the tile of an A&R and their
importance?
M-Eighty: A&R stands for Artist and
Repertoire. The role of an effective A&R includes
discovering and developing new and existing talent,
determining how those artists would best work with
other known and viable talent, learning the art of
sequencing an album, and assisting studio personnel
in producing the overall sound control and quality
of an album. A&R Administration provides for both
the work inside the studio and all the paperwork
that comes with the creation and development of a
project. What good would I be if I couldn’t earn a
return on all that newly obtained legal know how?
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Wu-International: How often are you online and
what is your view of the marriage of hip-hop and the
Internet?
M-Eighty: During the school year, I spend the
majority of my time either at home working, at
school, or in the library so chances are I’m in
front of a computer. I try not to check my email,
the myspace, and other news and rap forums as much
when I’m really entrenched in a piece of work but
usually I can’t help myself.
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I
think the marriage between hip-hop and the internet
is a beautiful thing. It’s a tool for artists to
connect with their fans and get their music heard
all while making money from regions far and wide.
I’ve always had a different take on the internet
than a lot of artists who view it as a double edge
sword because I’ve never relied on my music as my
primary source of income therefore I want people to
get my music however they can.
Wu-International: Having spent some time in
Cali, have you had time to bond with the Westcoast
killa beez such as Black Knights or Northstar
members?
M-Eighty: I have never met any of the Black
Knights nor the members from Northstar since I’ve
lived in Cali. The only time I would ever go to LA
would be either to visit my brother or for a concert
performance. I’m sure eventually our paths will
cross and it will be nothing but love.
Wu-International: What aspect of the game would
you say that you enjoy the best, recording,
touring/stage shows, videos, groupies, etc?
M-Eighty: Definitely the live performance
though I would have to say that I’ve never met a
groupie that wasn’t just as fun. Live shows give me
the opportunity to feel full control for the overall
feel of the night. If I’m in good spirits than I’m
gonna rock the crowd for a good 30 minutes plus,
hang out after the show to have a chance to sell my
merchandise and talk to everyone that wants to pick
my brain, and just have a great time in the process.
To me, there is no feeling in the world that
replaces the feel of knowing you just rocked a room
full of people who all paid money to come see you do
what you do best.
Wu-International: Rappers moving onto acting is
another trend in hip-hop, have you caught the acting
bug yet and is that something you would consider
doing?
M-Eighty: I caught the acting bug when I was
younger. I played the Prince in the play Snow White
and The Seven Dwarfs when I was 11 and was featured
on a TV show called Sport Science on Espn 2 when I
was 13. Since then, my acting career has been pretty
dormant though everyone I know thinks that I’m quite
the character. Acting has never really been my
passion and I think that’s one of the reasons I’ve
never been in love with LA but at the same time I
can understand why hip hop artists would instantly
fall in love with acting.
Wu-International: That’s pretty much it, thanks
very much for taking the time to answer these
questions, any thing else you might want to add that
we might have missed? Any last words or shout outs?
M-Eighty: I think we just covered enough Q&A to
fill up two episodes of 60 minutes back to back. I
appreciate all the love Wu-International has shown
me and if there is anyone who has further questions,
comments, or just want to drop me a line they can do
so at
www.myspace.com/holytoledoproductions Shout outs
to Dreddy Kruger and Think Differently Music, The
Clan, and all my friends, family, and supporters.
Don’t forget to cop “Hymns, Psalms, & Street Songs”
on June 5th and check the page for the updated tour
schedule, samples from the album, and news every now
and again and come see how I put it down in front of
a live audience. It’s a beautiful thing. Peace.
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Thanks very much and good luck with your endeavours,
looking forward to your album and other good things
you would be involved in. |
Catch up with M-Eighty at
his official site
www.m-eighty.com or check him on myspace at
www.myspace.com/holytoledoproductions
<Read Other Interviews> |
