Interview

I like to say thanks first and foremost for taking the time to answer these questions, highly appreciated, and will also point out that nothing will be altered, edited or changed when this is published online.

Wu-International: Peace Timbo, we are going to dive straight into the questions, we know you are related to Flava Flav and it seems you share some relatives with Cuffie Family members such as Popa Wu, 60 sec, Free Murda and ShaCronz, Can you please tell us more about this if true?
Timbo King: Flava flav came about my surname being Drayton and his surname's also Drayton, family from my father side is named Drayton, and they are from South Carolina, Flava's family are also from South Carolina, I asked him when I first met him like "Yo where are your forefathers from", he said South Carolina, I told him mine with same names were from South Carolina, and he was  like we need to do some research. We did the research and found out we were distant cousins, we were between the 4th and the 5th cousins. I come from a big family, and my grandfather had like eight children, my father's father had 9 brothers, they were some intermarriages with my family and Flava's family, I mean Flava looks like my grandfather and talks just like him, they talks same way, I saw a picture of my grandfather and was like damn! We were supposed to go down for a family reunion this year but we didn't get a chance to go because Flav had an accident earlier this year and caught some back problems and shit, but we are definitely family.

As for Popa Wu, that's another thing back to my father again, Popa Wu married my father's sister, that's my aunt, I never knew him as Popa Wu, I knew him as uncle, or called him David, Uncle David, so when with Wu-Tang came about Popa Wu, its an ill story to my mission, its like majority of my family come from mutual family through my fathers side, then there is also my mothers side, you have two sides of the family and I came from a family where my father and mother were always together, and I was always around my family, you know until I got like 13, that's when my family separated so I went to my mothers side, I left my fathers side,  so for like 10 to 12 years my fathers side was all blank, and I was on my mum's side in Bushwick, Brownsville section of Brooklyn, not knowing that my other side of the family is in the music business: Popa Wu, Shacronz, Free Murder, and all that side, because I aint seen them since I was like 8 years old, know what I mean? But you know, its definitely a bloodline, its deep, its a musical family and its my family for real (LOL)

Wu-International: Thanks, You released an album "United We Slam" with Spark 950 in 1994, do you consider this as your debut album? Timbo King: See at that time I was signed to a production, with Spark 950 and we did an EP and that was an introduction to Spark 950 production who he was producing at the time, so I don't feel that was a Timbo King full debut because the production wasn't controlled by me and authorised at that time because you know, I came from a battle cat zone and when I first started to rhyme on beats, Sparks 950 was the first producer that I ever encountered and worked with, so all of those songs were all experimental and as a production he had deals with this label, and that label, so he was just handing in the projects just to get the money, know what I mean? that's why I made "Somethin's gotta give" when I found out what he was

Wu-International: So you are saying none of these releases and work out or leaked were your debut album?
Timbo King:  You see with Royal Fam, we did Black Castle, Yesterday, Today, iz Tomorrow, and those albums were incredible, both albums had 12 Songs. We are now in the digital age, but at that time it was all analogue, so all those songs were pre-mixed, so that's when you used to see, DAT tapes and AP, Amp Packs reels with just the vocals, or it wasn't pre-mixed, or had different titles or mixes, so those records that you heard then or that got leaked were pre-mixed records, they weren't fully mastered or mixed records, because at the time in the industry, you go into the record company and you can see someone's album on the desk, you know what I mean? so at that time, Wu-Tang records had maybe 2-3 different offices, so the industry used to come through and they used to see stuff on the table, you know what I mean? Mook ain’t there, somebody else ain’t there, going to lunch or go somewhere, and you got all these stuff there, people used to take things, You know how the industry survived? that's how they used to make their money, that's how our stuff got leaked, and people judged you on your leaked material because its not fully mastered or mixed, it was just the rough version, that was just the version that you first laid it and did the vocals, you know what I mean? to see if you can make the songs.

Wu-International: After that you have been involved in different groups from Royal Fam to Maccabeez and Black Market Militia, can you tell us what the status of these groups, its formation, current members and what have you?
Timbo King:  Royal Fam was and still is Timbo King, Mighty Jarett, Dark Denims, see we were all childhood neighbourhood friends, so when you grow up as childhood and neighbourhood friends, you always gonna have that bond, no matter what, so you know we were always Royal family, but musically I was the artist tree of Royal Fam, so if you noticed I came out as Royal Fam, but you heard just me, I was the first artist to come out with an imprint group, but as an artist, so I did that and at that same time these artists that were around me were developing to become artists. So I implant that name so they can rep that like, people repped flags, I was reppin a flag and had people under trenches coming through with their style like Reggae which was Mighty Jarett, and I had Hip-hop comedy, which was Dark Denim, and there was Sha Recka, we were coming with so many concepts at the time, you know it was like a big big explosion, you know, it was like so much talent then, in the 90ies, plus it was uncontrolled talent too, we was young, ignorant, running around, doing things that we thought we were doing right, but in reality it was like, yo if you look at it now, it was wildish, you know..

Wu-International: Dreddy is listed as a passive member of the group on our site, what was really his role within Royal Fam?
Timbo King:  See people didn't understand that we were so many great minds at the time, Dreddy Kruger was also an artist, but now that you see what he did, he was our A&R and nobody knew what the title was for him, people would always speculate what he was, a rapper, an artist, he was also a hype man, and at the same time Dreddy knew music, so he could prove till today to Think Differently Music group he would be the A&rR for putting out the Wu meets the indie culture...
So Dreddy was always musically inclined around me, he really was the one that went out and got all the deals, me and Dreddy really walked in and got all the deals, Dready went to school, you know I was a high school drop-out but Dreddy went to college, graduated so like I keep saying, this shit's funny, he walked in a lot doors, and nobody knew what title he got, now I see it and I am like he was an A&R all this time, but nobody wanted to give him that credit, they always wanted to keep him as .. Yo, his a hype man, or his around Priests, GZA, and the Razahs, Prodigal Sunns, and all that, you know what I mean? but he was an A&R and we didn't know at the time until he had to prove himself in 2005, now we see that's what he was.

Wu-International: You have worked with Priest and Hell Razah for a while now, how did you get involved in Maccabeez?  
Timbo King:  Maccabeez was originally Killah Priest and Daddy Rose, and what Priest did was he extended his hands to me and Razah, so he's like "yo lets make this a family affair", so you know to deal with the degrees and names, you have to come to the people who know this, you cant just say, we are going to form a group called The Council and go dig out people who know nothing about Councils to form a group, so you stick to your peers, because they are your a-alikes and see just like you, so that's like an upgrade to a regime that's around you,  that's what that was, so people that were like you, we are Royal Fam, we are Sunz of Man or Killarmy, or we are Population Click, or no we are Killa Beez, .. we are just upgrading to keep you going, you know what I mean? We just keep adding on, the alternation was not taking away, we were upgrading like.. Royal Fam, Boom!! Maccabeez, boom! Black Market Militia, Boom! so its not like we are from the Royal Fam and next we are going to be the Crack Boyz, know what I am saying? that's taking away, that's disrespecting the title, that's taking away from a hierarchy name, so we always upgrade and try to stay further up, every group has been an upgrade and advancement. 

Wu-International: How is Hell Razah doing by the way and how do you feel to have the brother back home and well?  
Timbo King:  I spoke to him, he’s doing great. He’s taking it slow. he’s like a new born right now. He’s like a Renaissance Child, he’s starting all over: fresh. He’s still breathing, living, with his family. He’s talking: “What up, Timbo King, Maccabees?”, you know: he’s on point, just resting.

Wu-International: Daddy Rose is said to be back home, have you seen him since and are the two of you recorded anything together?  
Timbo King:  I’ve seen Daddy Rose, we eat and we talked. He’s doing his movement, more on the executive side. You know, the brother’s been getting more wiser to the game and they feel like artistry, as far as the level of consciousness, might get over people’s heads. So a lot of brothers like to preserve what they know and what they did for the people that they want to give it to: maybe new talent, new blood.

Wu-International: What’s the status of the long ago announced Maccabeez album ?  
Timbo King:  See, that’s the same thing: everything was all upgrades. You know when I came in, I recorded about 25 songs that I know I got and Daddy Rose, Priest they were doing tracks and then Razah came in and then it was going crazy . So the catalogue for the songs was outstanding. As far as placement for the Maccabeez: at that time I didn’t know a lot of people was feeling that at the time. They were like: “Damn, you are oversaturating shit. Yo damn”. We had the Black Market Militia done, next thing the Maccabeez did an album, those days they was like: ”What is this, this gonna be under one umbrella? How y’all gonna do this; this indie, that indie?” That’s when a lot of record companies was downsizing at the time. They was like: “These Wu-Tang guys are trying to size that shit up.” You know how that shit go. As far as New York, that’s when Hip-hop left New York, when we were doing all that,  the South was moving in, coming in hard. At that time music changed, we came from 94-95, doing the same movement and at the same time Wu-Tang wasn’t on the radio at the time in New York so you know you still doing the moves, still getting the cheques, that’s what’s up, you know?

Wu-International: Thanks, and Black Market Militia? Timbo King:  Same thing, BMM was a super group; with Killah Priest,  and Tragedy Khadafi, and Priest extended his hands again, to me and Razah, always to the people who know and speak the language, the vocabulary, grammar, diction, you know what I mean? to articulate, and to level the whole concept of the name and its origin. its kind of rare for people to get involved with say yo the next click is going to be The Disciples, you know you got to get with some real disciples in your team that you know, have researched, they've been through trials and tribulations, are still going through it, and they express themselves right.

Wu-International: What ever happened to the group/movement “United kingdom aka Population Click”?
Timbo King:  United Kingdom was all the groups collectively, you know? Just like you have the Wu-Tang Clan, then the Wu-Tang Clan members and then you have the Wu-Tang Killa Bees … that’s why they said “36 Chambers” because it’s different rooms and each room is higher and higher, even from technique to technology so you had to be sharp in every room. So that’s all that is: all upgrades.

Wu-International: How should we try to envision the UK crew? A loose collective or were there ever concrete plans to record something together as a project?
Timbo King:  Nah, United Kingdom was just the flag that we were reppin’. So every time we screamed out the name, we was a project, a lot people was looking at it like Wu-Tang like “ Damn, oh word, you coming with an album?” “Nah! Damn, man, what the fuck? Everything ain’t no fucking album and shit! Nah, that’s just some shit we reppin at this time to make us feel all good to that level of writing.

Wu-International: According to Cilvaringz, there is an epic remix of “Crusaids” with all UK members on it in 4th Disciples archives from the Heavy Mental recordings. Were you on that one too? If so, any memories/anecdotes of that session then? 
Timbo King:  Yeah, I was on that. You know how the sessions were at that time, back then they used to have three - four weeks worth of studio time. So you can go home, one person would come in: you left, somebody come in. That was one thing about the Wu-Tang: there were maybe 300 rappers, 300 MC’s man, it was like in and out … it doesn’t matter. So if you’d leave, another group would come in. So it was in and out, it was never ending, RZA probably had a ball: “Oh, shit !” , RZA probably heard so many styles, those were the illest too.

Wu-International: So lets talk about the respective albums, Royal Fam’s “Black Castle” was shelved on 2 different occasion at different times by Capitol records in 1999 and Nature Sounds in 2005, can you please tell us why they were shelved on both occasions?
Timbo King:  The first occasion, Black Castle was fully done, but we had a sample clearance problem at that time, and at that time Capitol had the hierarchy to get the sample cleared but when they dropped capitol records the rap label in general we lost all of that connection. so now we are back to the origin of Royal Fam and we are just hip-hop on the streets or going to this club, we don't have the powers that be to make those phone calls, like yo, the sample to that John Lennon beats to John Lennon peoples, you know we are from the streets, we don't know no connection to John Lennon but they do, they’re Capitol records, EMI, all they need is one phone call, we were not even shelved, we left Capitol, and they gave us a 2.0 override on the album, meaning anybody that put out that album, Capitol still wants a 2.0 over ride on it because they invested their money in it. A lot of people don't know all this when they leave a label, they think its just about leaving with your masters but the label will want a 2.0 or 3.0 override on the album wherever you put it out or distribute it out from. So I had to wait about 10 years as nobody wanted to put out the Black Castle album, because they still had to pay Capitol, 2 points of everything that they do, a lot of people were like nah Tim, come out with a new shit, and I am like damn! fuck..

Now with the Nature Sound situation it was the same thing, now Nature Sounds are independent, they were distributed through EMI, the same channels, but the same people aint there no more, with the record companies they hire and fire, you know that shit, and that person that had that artist connection in 96, that was to clear that sample got fired so you got a new person in EMI who don't even know that connection to get to that sample clearance on Black Castle and the same questions pop up again "Yo, we can put out this album but you know that sample needs to get cleared, and Capitol wants a 2 point override" But Capitol is EMI so 2.0 over ride aint no problem with EMI or with Capitol, its the clearance, Now some of the clearance for example were from an old musician who was dead and somebody owned the publishing, his family member... so you know you got to go through 3-4 signatures to get that clearance, the artist, Signee or owner, the production, and the publisher, the record company, and that person that put out that song, so that's 4 signatures you got to get, when they say clear the records to get it through, So damn! the indie they don't want to do all that shit, you know what I mean? Thats too much shit, I got to pay people to go after that, and they were like “Yo Timbo, I know this is your pet project, you wanted to get your sound out there, but come out with something new, come over here with me, come out with whatever you want to come out with”, I still have Black Castle on the cut that's why people heard the leak of Black Castle again, the bullshit copy cos they don't want to hear the real shit, I'm like common men, why put out the dummy shit, you got to have the shit with the way it was thought through and originally arranged, people selling shit nowadays out there, so we just pulled that back because of the sample clearance, and that's basically it. The samples affected the main songs on the album that I wanted to put out as singles and the ones I wanted to really push. I am like damn! I like that song, I cant just change it, we tried to change the sample and it wasn't the same shit, we cant replace it like that, I'm like well fuck it then...

Wu-International: And “Yesterday, Today Iz tomorrow” was rumoured to be stolen and released without your permission, can you please tell us more about this album and its release?
Timbo King:  That goes back to what I was saying, "Yesterday, Today Iz Tomorrow" had 12 tracks, and there were the pre-mix ones on somebody's desk and at that time RZA was making an international deal with Wu-International from overseas, and he said they needed to hear something or what I got, so when they heard the pre-produced 12 songs, they pressed that up, they didn't get the real shit, I'm like they jumped the gun right there, I;m like damn! I just told them this is how this shit is gonna sound while I am mastering, sequencing and mixing now, they took the first draft, but I was just sending it to them as a first draft to find out what they thought and they just put that shit out, you know? they knew we had a big demand at that time so they were like fuck that, we gotto put this out right now, that's why if you listen to all the songs, its 12 songs to Black Castle and 12 songs on Yesterday, Today Iz..  that makes it 24 songs, those 24 songs got scattered in so many places, of premixes that til today people judge Timbo King by from the sound, to the quality, to all of that, you know what I mean? especially since I never came out with a debut, with a real album, you feel me? so nobody can ever judge me based on real product, now Timbuktu is gonna be a real quality album, and that's gonna be my debut.

Wu-International: And thats gonna be your real debut?
Timbo King:  EXACTLY.. That's why its taking so much time, a lot of people are like damn! Timbo you are supposed to have dropped, you been in the game for years, months and days, this and that, and like yo, a lot of situations,

Wu-International: Situations fans, don't know about?
Timbo King:  Yes, they don't know, internal and external, its like I don't have the same team as before, or the same attorneys, its just like a company shift, you know, an artist also shifts wit the crew that they started off with, you know what I mean? I mean I have the same people around me as far as business, I have the same people that I started off with manage me, you know a lot of moves that I made were by myself I never had a real manager, or a legit publicist, or a legit booking agency, you know I always surrounded myself, and learned around artists, producers, engineers, and DJs, so that has always been my realm, so as far as say booking agency, travel agency, public relations, endorses, sponsors, executives, that side of the fence was always there but I never was in that realm, so now I am studying and I am like oh shit, damn Bo, what the fuck?! I'm like that's what that fence is for, so now I am quite new on that side of the fence because I really never used it, and that side of the fence is like damn Bo, you just got here now, you should have been 7-8 albums deep and released an artist now, you know what I mean?

Wu-International: You released “Armored Truck/Thug Cooperate” via Nature Sound some years back, the album “Fort Knox” was advertised to be coming out as well, was this ever completed and what happened to its release?
Timbo King:  No, See you got it twisted with Fort Knox, that's when I found out about the independent world, so I am like you hold up Dev, hold up, you mean to tell me you don't wanna clear this shit right here for the Black Castle because its independent and they don't give a fuck? alright, lets do this... lets put this out, I've got an imprint, this is when I just found out about the digital world, I caught on with the digital world around '02, '03, I was like hold up men, what the fuck? what? Email? Gmail? I was bugging, and like oh shit, we did "Thug Cooperate & Armoured Truck", so I am like let me start this imprint as that's when I found out about digital imprints, so Fort Knox was my digital imprint, to release all my singles, Mix CDs, and so on, and Thug cooperate/armoured truck was what I used to start off my imprint with, People thought I was coming out with a Fort Knox album, there was no fort Knox album, it was Fort Knox imprint to showcase all my digital preference. Most people got it confused, I never said I was coming out with Fort Knox album, they read it on Black Market Militia as Fort Knox coming soon but that was for Timbuktu.

Wu-International:  Ok corrected, no Fort Knox album.. Timbo King:  Nah, Fort Knox was a digital imprint, at that time when I had that, Saigon and Just Blaze also had Fort Knox, so I was like yo, I cant have Fort Knox records or digital label but I can have Fort Knox imprint meaning digital world, you went to www.fortknox.com and you go in there to see all my shit, its like I wanted it to be like hiphopgame or hiphopsite in the digital world. Wu-International: Thanks for clearing that up, also on the back of your Artillery mixtape the following were announced besides “Black Castle” unreleased; The Buried Treasures EP and “Strategy” The Game Plan. Can you please tell us more about the Buried Treasures EP and Strategy?

Wu-International: Thanks, can you tell us some more about this collaboration with Krimewave, how did this come about, when will it be released, and did he add any other features besides you etc?
Timbo King:  Well Krimewave, I explained that he’s just an international hip hop producer who’s coming with the new style with my vocals. So it’s not like it’s new vocals that I did. So when you hear them they might be seen as full songs, people might be like “ somebody picked your vocals, then put primo beats on them” you know how they shine. I don’t want people to think like “oh this shit” he’s been working on that for like two years, grabbing that old shit, vocals, timing it, cause I ain’t doing the vocals over, he already got it. So he got to make a beat to it, time it, make sure the loop’s right … and that takes time you know.

Wu-International: Some fans who heard the snippets were not so pleased as it seems most of the verses had previously been used, and got recycled?
Timbo King:  That’s just what I’m trying to say. When they hear that they say ”Oh, he took that verse from what’s it called ?” That’s the verse, the vocals I’m giving Krimewave to do over. So he might get 30 verses, 30 verses might be adding up to ten songs if you chop it up right, cut it up and make a hook of this stuff. He might come out with maybe 40 minutes of music. When you hear it, you might be like “Oh shit” . But it’s no different from when Pete Rock do it or Alchemist when they are doing it with Mob Deep and stuff like that, it’s the same notion. I guess it’s because I don’t have a debut, people are fiending for new stuff and they criticize on anything, are like “Oh, I heard it already!”. I’m not promoting that like “Yo this is my new shit.

Wu-International: Ok, got that, there was a notion that you were over in England to record that actually, somewhere in Nottingham? if so what was like living out there and how was the experience for you?
Timbo King:  That’s somebody else: that’s Endemic. Endemic is a producer from Nottingham, he put out the album “Terminal Illness”. There's song with me, Killah Priest and Planet Asia and then you had Sean Price and Leathafase on there and so on. That was a successful project, that was the one that I told him to push, cause I got at him. When he first did it I was “Yo man, you trying to get a lot of artists? You’re trying to be the first international producer to do stuff with artists that are on the independent lane”? then push it.. That was a successful project, a good record. “One day” and “Robin Hood theory” , that was two good records!!

Wu-International: Oh yeah we know of Endemics, thanks for the answers, lets move into your solo project "Babylon To Timbuktu" fans want to know why has it taken you this long to come out with a solo project considering you have a loyal following and the fans have been requesting for one for ages?
Timbo King: The album is done and was supposed to come out November 16th. It was just, how can I say it? back to back? This is a different point, when you are independent a lot of things are on you, so I have a license distribution deal, I did my imprint " Real Estates" and I have investors who came in, when the project was about 75% done and you had to take care of the paperwork there, to make their money and the investment that they put in secure for them. So that’s paperwork’s, trials and tribulations, we all came together for that to make sure the paperwork is right, the payroll, the accounting is straight. I had to make sure that was concrete. I have maybe two parties involved. I got Nature Sounds, MBO Records and Holy Toledo. So that had to take maybe 3-4 months, till everybody agreed, while I was doing songs and doing songs, you know, getting the signatures from the guest appearances.  

Wu-International: What’s behind the title “From Babylon to Timbuktu”? Timbo King:  It’s a good, well rounded album, a book: “From Babylon to Timbuktu”, that’s basically my journey from maybe birth till now , to give you my whole outlook about life, my mistakes, my worldly events, my family. It’s a good book to read in audio. I called it an audiovisual, cause you can read it and see it at the same time, like a book. That’s why I named it “From Babylon to Timbuktu”, which is a book that’s published by I think Golden series. A 1970ies book, author’s name is Rudolph Windsor, basically it’s about the Lords Hebrews from Israel to Egypt, relating back to now, from then till Modern day, basically from Babylon to Timbuktu that’s what that is. Where we at as a people, where I am at as a person, as a father, an artist. You know it’s basically my history as a human being, as a parent’s child knowing his duty on this planet, how do I see the world? And I express that musically through my poetry. I’m dealing with science, and maths, we deal with it every day. That’s what it is: “From Babylon to Timbuktu”. Wu-International: So that's the inspiration behind the book, people might still wonder what that has to do with you apart from Timbuktu being your name?    Timbo King:  Basically its my history as a human being, as a gods child, knowing his duty on this planet, you know, you gotto know where you come from to know where you gotto go, so the history, the science, and the maths, it all adds up, its nothing that's a coincidence, if its meant to happen, then its meant to happen, it is what it is. The album is my journey, not musically, but through life. Cause I always say it’s life before music. you know its life, music, family and environment, You have to deal with choices and consequences, but you have know what’s right from wrong first anyway, so it’s all about studies, prayers and answers basically to your questions.

Wu-International:  Can you please tell us more about the album as in number of tracks, featured guests, concepts and so on?
Timbo King:  The people I wanted on my album, are basically the people who put me on their albums like Hell Razah, Killah Priest, the RZA, William Cooper. I did a song with William Cooper that didn’t make the album but I think may end up on one of his projects, but I don’t think it was on “The pale horse” album. But he’s on the album, I got RA the Rugged Man ... I got a new artist named Vision and a new one named Keisha and Deazy as far as R&B soul vocals, Vision is an ill lyricist. I got Akir on the project, that’s Immortal Technique's protégé.

Wu-International:  Let’s talk a bit about ” Wardance” ft The RZA? Is this a new joint or something you recorded in the past?
Timbo King:  It’s definitely a new song, it’s been around for like 8 months, I been moving that independently, on the slow grind you know, I never sold it. You know I just plastered it out on some websites and some blogs. I have got RZA on it, featured on a remix: I call it the Chief mix. It’s produced by Vinny Idol, super dope producer from D-Block. That was the D-Block sound, I went outside the Timbuktu Chamber with it, where they was thinking a dark, how can I say it? A dark, rebel Wu-Tang sound. It’s not the Wu-Tang sound, but it had a … rebellious feel to it, it sounded tough, it sounded New York, millennium type of hip-hop rebel. Rza heard it and he went bananas, he just got on it, he didn’t do no 16 bars. He just came with the hypeness, it’s crazy you gotta hear it. He even did this little Indian chant on it, shouted out all the tribes and stuff like that. That’s what I wanted The RZA to do on it: come in like the head, the High Chief and unite all the tribes. That’s what he did for that song.

Wu-International: Exciting, it’s been a long time since we heard you over a RZA beat or features together, did you do anything else with him besides “Wardance”?
Timbo King:  At the time, RZA was busy, like he is always busy. I wanted to show RZA like: “Yo man, you know, I can get you another producer’s beat cause I know your mind is so busy with other things. I ain’t always got to ask you for a track. So get on this track, produced by Vinny Idol.” So he can break awa , cause I’m coming to get RZA the artist, the MC. There’s many ways you can get RZA if you are doing business; he’s a CEO, an actor, a producer, a director, … so depending on what your angle is: I went for RZA as the MC first cos that’s how we met and then second the production.

Wu-International: We initially thought Bronze would produce the whole album, sas this the initial plan and if so,  why did you change it to involve others? 
Timbo King:  He was going to do the whole album initially but after the eighth song I was like: “Yo, I’m getting heaterz man, Bronze giving me , you know: eight, seven years ago, that’s the Wisemen, the same producer, but i had to be around him,  creatively with him all the time, you wanna get bangers from him that he’s built for you, but you’re gonna be like “damn, I want some shit that I want when we are vibing you know, playing some video games, watching the ill movies, or just bugging out, smoking, vibing, or creating right there … then that’s gonna have that richness to it. To me, that’s how I do it, make something from scratch. So I was like that would take a lot to be around him all the time, he did 80% and he knows as far as songs like “High ranking”, “Tombstone”, “Thinking Cap” , … he got a lot of joints that’s like single material. He got at least two tracks that are singles . I’m coming out with “High ranking” , the joint with RA the Rugged Man, that’s crazy right there. Bronze is on the remix, we did a remix of that track too. He killed that too, that was live!

Wu-International: How did you go about picking which beats/producers you wanted for this project, as you still kept it minimal from Bronze, Dev1, BP to Vinnyl Idol?
Timbo King: After hearing the joint I got from William Cooper to be on my album, cause that was initially for William Cooper’s album, but he was like “ Yo man, that sound ? That’s the sound I want !!” Everything is about building: Bronze is the foundation, we first did Timbuktu, we did collabo’s, we levelled the foundation, then the basement, the first floors, the 2nd floor, you know. Then after a while it’s like “ Yo man, we got to get the electricity in, the plumbing, you got get everything we need to build this shit… “ So after I heard “From Babylon To Timbuktu”, the joint with me and William Cooper, produced by BP, I was like “That sound is crazy, I was sounding like a beast on that, WOW! and William Cooper was just spitting Blazes I was like I WANT that sound! The gold on that plate, where did you get that? I need that mic, I need that booth behind me. So the next day we went there, I did “Bar Exam”, I did “Outside intelligence” with Killah Priest on it and that shit is crazy. The sound is crazy ! I like his sound, it’s tough, compressed, warm … my vocals. Cause when I record my vocals, got the type of voice that I don’t do too many ad libs, I do it once in a while but if you are a good engineer, you mix it right,  If you are a new engineer or an engineer that might burn that idea, you might tweak up my voice, you make me sound high pitched, that’s why a lot of people hear me high pitched one time, hear me medium, hear me base … some engineers be fucking up shit! Those are the ones that getting leaked out, that’s why I’m studying “engineering” now out of everything but producing, I mean aint nothing wrong with producing, but I’m studying the sound, engineering is the way it is, scientists, engineers, technicians, … that’s my shit, that’s what I’m fucking with.

Wu-International: “More than gold” with Bronze was a classic, there was great chemistry between the both of you. What was it like to be working with him again and how would you describe him as a producer?
Timbo King: That’s the sound! When you hear that sound and my voice, that tone, that vibe, that’s the sound I want, that warm sound. That’s the prime example, “More than gold” is that rebel, warm sound you wanna hear. That’s what “From Babylon To Timbuktu” gonna deliver: that warm, compressed, tight … know what I mean, you gonna hear that snare: it’s gonna be sharp, it’s not gonna be soft, but its gonna be dull and sharp at the same time, it’s the digital age right now, everything sounding sharp anyway.
 

Wu-International: Was there any of the producers or features that you wanted on the album that didn’t happen? Timbo King:  I wanted everyone on it that I got. I wanted Tragedy Khadafi but his whereabouts are crazy, you can speak to him but I don’t know … he probably gonna be a part of my promo, you’ll probably hear a phone conversation, while my album is out, leak a leak with me and Tragedy or something, to hear him, to help me participate, to begin to participate on the album … but as far as on the album, I wanted him but I didn’t get him. I wanted GZA and Masta Killa but their schedule was crazy too, that was basically it. Wu-International: Do you have a favourite track on the album you like to share with us?  Timbo King:  “Wardance “ for one. I like the energy, the meaning, the saying, the momentum of flow, the vocabulary . I like “Bar exam” for the flow, my voice, my diction that I was coming off. I like “High ranking”, a hilarious track: it’s like hip-hop and comedy from me and RA Rugged man.

Wu-International: What label is that dropping on?
Timbo King: Nature Sounds.

Wu-International: What are you hoping to accomplish with this album if any?
Timbo King:  I did a couple of tracks for “Babylon to Timbuktu”, cause “From Babylon to Timbuktu” is basically the universal truth of yourself, the universal truth of the whole domain of this world but it is what it is, you know. I say Myself Timbuktu was part of the Black Militia.. if you look at the BMM, what is says is from Babylon To Timbuk2.. it also had back to Hell Razah's "Renaissance Child" album and it had Killah Priest,  The Offering. Priest is multi talented, he be dropping doing albums like crazy. The rundown for it was: when he dropped, then Razah drop “Renaissance child”, then I’d drop “From Babylon to Timbuktu”, then William Cooper dropping “The Pale Horse”, see Pale Horse was a book , “Babylon to Timbuktu” is a book too. We was on to delivering books, we artists, we taking the artists to the art to a degree. Everybody dropping books, everybody from Black Market Militia except me, Tragedy came out with “Thug Matrix”, William Cooper finally dropped last year. All five was when Black Market dropped, it’s been five years and I still haven’t dropped my album independently, so now that everything is right , it’s going to be in the sixth year that I drop the album after the Black Market Militia, the new entity, you know? As far as the independent world.

“From Babylon to Timbuktu” is basically a book and when you dealing with a book, you’re dealing with people who read, as far as the fanbase, if they go to college, if they go to school, if they’re self teachers, through self studies … “From Babylon to Timbuktu” is like for street scholars. Since I was a high school drop-out, I’m aged, I’m grown right now, I’m in my mid thirties … It’s like I never got the chance to go to College, to see that light, but I’d always study books, I always read. I never was ignorant to the point that you’re stupid or you don’t know what you are doing. It’s just that I never had those degrees from school to make you move further in life. I was staying in the streets, activating. If I had the chance to do it again I’d go to school, I tell all the new artists right now: “Stay in school ! School is the mould man, the  movement, you got the computers now, the internet, …” So I wanted to create my own school for the less fortunate, for those people out there the album basically is from the street scholars to people that went to school is, cause there’s a gap ! So I wanted to explain what that gap is, that’s what that book is!

Wu-International: Ok thanks and good luck with the album, we are looking forward to it, do you have any groups, protégé’s you are working with or bringing out that you would like to share with the fans like you initially did with 56 Platoon?
Timbo King:  My new imprint is called “Real Estate”, I’m dealing with the grime artists, the Time square hustlers, … This new idea I was dealing with is called “The Craftsmen”, I was building with Vision on that a couple of months ago. I’m trying to put that formula together but that was all just ideas for now until “From Babylon to Timbuktu” and I get my numbers on my company and I can move forward. I got to get the core Timbo King, I don’t have my soundscan report. A lot of people say I been on this album and on that, yeah you get this and get this but to this day I haven’t got a soundscan report to this day. I’m like a new artist, to reach out , they heard my name, they seen my name but I still haven’t got a soundscan history.

Wu-International: Let’s speak about 56 Platoon: was that a group, or a project? and what is going on with this at the moment?
Timbo King:  That was a project but they are also a group. You see a lot of people always been around artists, producers, engineers, managers, … I have love for the art so for indie artists in my neighbourhood, or to a friend or through a friend, family members. I always support, we do a track, collaborations, from mixtapes to just recording new songs, new ideas, … it’s just data, information. So all the artists that I've been around, they are like my allies. They are good friends, everybody got something to say, everybody got a tongue, they may say it different but it’s the same poverty, the same shit every day. So it’s just how they say it.

Wu-International: You have worked on collaborations with a number of artists from the UK, such as Endemic, apparently did 6-7 songs with Shaka Amazulu, a full album with Krimewave; to the likes of Amos in Poland, and others in US etc. How did most of these collabos come about and what are your thoughts on how you see these artists who collaborate over the net these days?
Timbo King:  Well, let me tell you about the net. First when I research, and find out what kind of artist you are, most of the artists I connect with either they rep rebellion or they are grime riders or they are artists that take their own destiny in their own hands and I respect that cause they are like me, I roll with those! So the internet was just a broader horizon, you know? Those probably were my fans. When I speak to them I ask them ”How old are you ?” “yo, I’m only 22, or I’m only 18, 19.” I'll be happy that you saw us dudes like that. I be like “Damn! 19 and you know about my history? I've been in the game like 17 years so you were two years, so your uncle or aunt or cousin was playing me? Y’all was watching videos and you were talking about me? That’s nice, you know? Once I do my research: “How old are you, how long you been rhyming? are you new, you a millennium apple, you been rhyming in the nineties? Or you was just buying records in the nineties? Or you just got up on it …” know what I mean? Once I find out like “You official, you spit rebel, you know what you talking about, are you living this? ” So that’s what that is: those artists, I do that on the strength but then I speak to them asking “How are you pushing this: through your label? just independent? this coming out through a major? Is this coming on your Myspace or just for your multimedia? For the mainstream,  just for a digital album, for iTunes? Or this is just for a couple of records you gonna print for a store near you or pressing up yourself? Its just different versions of clientele like Amos and Shaka, they got different lanes, you know?

Wu-International: Well its no surprising they know who you are, you are highly respected by fans and peers for your lyrical prowess. When fans debate about their favourite Killa Beez you’re always in the top five. How does that make you feel ?
Timbo King:   That shit is crazy! But I want to know who’s top 5 ?

Wu-International: Hmmm.. Killa Sin?
Timbo King:  Yeah I always liked Killa Sin,..

Wu-International: I mean I can name mine but what's yours?
Timbo King:  I like La the Darkman,

Wu-International: Yeah, LA is on mine as well... 
Timbo King:  I like Killah Priest

Wu-International: Yep Priest is on there too,
Timbo King:  Then it’s got to be toss between Dom P and what's his name again.. Holocaust,  And the last one I got to give it to RZA’s brother; 9th Prince for consistency and his voice.

Wu-International: Can't forget Darkim Be Allah, some people say holocaust fell off?
Timbo King:  But I got give it Holocaust for just being nice. That's what I am saying'? Consistency is what makes the difference, I always liked his voice, that's like 9th Prince with the voice and consistency, even if he fell off, his consistency will surpassed all of that. When Holocaust was in his wave, you couldn't fuck with him, I wasn't there but he was hot. That was then men, to date I still like Killa Sin and La.

Wu-International: Sin just came home too..
Timbo King:  That's amazing,  Sin's a beast

Wu-International: You did work with him?
Timbo King:  Yeah, we did “Sole in the Hole” and I was like damn Sin, you're a beast! I like Shyheim too, he’s nice. I think he was having a lot of sex right now lol, when he was like “the girls, the girls” you can tell. Remember in the Wu-Tang Killa Beez you had lyrical swordsman, then you had others, practically he’s a Wu-Tang Killa Bee but he was a superstar before the Wu, he had a deal. As far as rhyming, when he got older, people said “Oh, Shyheim from Wu-Tang” but when he was little he was just little Shyheim, he was a superstar man, out of everybody, he was the superstar, I ain’t gonna front! I even got in a movie, Ghost dog, but I ain’t get to super star shit. He was in Waterfalls, he’s a superstar, that’s classic …

That’s crazy though with what the fans said, I like to thank them, The fans, dem saying in 2011, if they say Timbo is still top 5, then that’s good, man.

Wu-International: Thanks for that, before rounding up do you have anything else planned after your debut is released? Where can promoters hit you up ?
Timbo King: Right now …I am trying to tie all that shit up,  I need my shit together,  I just got the deal on my own, I kept saying I was surrounding myself with other entities: now the PR, the booking agencies all gonna fall into place cause the album is coming out and now I can relax. The booking agencies can set the tour up with me and Ra the Rugged Man and Masta Killa. So from January to June, I’m trying to be on the road with those two artists from Nature Sounds.

Wu-International:  Can international fans also expect tours as well?
Timbo King: Yeah man, I got to go to Finland and Paris man! I ain’t been to Paris since we did the shit with IAM. It’s been twelve years, we got a Grammy for that. For me to go back to Paris and do that song, which is a classic: the first time for Americans and French to do that, that shit’s classic. After that all artists started doing that: Method Man, Redman, …They did a song with IAM. Nas did some, GURU.. etc.

Wu-International: Anything else you would like to share with the fans that has not been covered already? Timbo King: I like to say to all the fans : I never even knew I had fans, you know, word ! (laughs). That’s an honour to hear you say that. To all my fans I want them to really understand the struggle of what I’ve been through. All these verses, or records you been hearing they came from my mix albums, so producers would get accapellas and change them up. When you hear this “ From Babylon to Timbuktu” … “ Wardance” is a prime example for “ From Babylon to Timbuktu” and that’s been around for like 8 months… it’s gonna be a GOOD album, man . It’s gonna be a good book, that’s what it is: a good book.

 Good luck with the album and the tour and thanks for your time !

Keep up to date with Timbo King
http://www.myspace.com/timboking
www.twitter.com/timboking1  

<Read Other Interviews>