Legendz

How much time goes into coming up with a rap name? If you look at artists in Detroit, it must take a long time because they come up with some weird, yet creative names. Guilty Simpson, Eminem, etc. But from the new breed of Detroit MC's comes Black Milk. I know the name sounds as strange as the other two and it was meant to if you ask the producer/rapper. High off the success of his Broken Wax EP, Black Milk now has to deal with comparisons to in his opinion, the G.O.A.T., the late J Dilla. The resume is stocked from banging out most of the tracks on Slum Village's 'Detroit Deli,' and landing three slots on Pharoahe Monch's highly anticipated album. Just like his label, Fat Beats Records, phat beats are exactly what you can expect from this rising star. He's just trying to convince you he can drop the phat rhymes as well.

Nobodysmiling.com : What's up homey?

Black Milk : Everything is good man. Real big right now trying to stay busy. A lot of stuff going on.

Nobodysmiling.com : Getting stuff ready for your album or you doing stuff for other artists at the moment?

Black Milk : I'm producing for a few different cats (new Slum Village records, Guilty Simpson, Sean Price) even though I'm focusing on my own stuff.

Nobodysmiling.com : A lot of you Detroit cats got some innovative names for example: Guilty Simpson, Eminem, amongst others. How did you come up with the name Black Milk?

Black Milk : (laughing) That's one of the reasons I came up with the name because a lot of MC's in Detroit had these crazy names and I had to match it in some way.

Nobodysmiling.com : How long did it take you to come up with the name?

Black Milk : Aww man, I was just writing random words on a piece of paper and it just came together. I stuck with it.

Nobodysmiling.com : Any names you thought of that make you laugh looking back on it today?

Black Milk : That was so long ago I don't even remember the other names.

Nobodysmiling.com : Does it make you uncomfortable that a lot of people are anointing you as the next J Dilla?

Black Milk : Umm...It makes me slightly uncomfortable because I know what he did for the game and the sound he created. To be compared to him is a compliment, but they some big ass shoes to fill. I don't know if I'll ever be able to accomplish what he did. He was my greatest influence. If I could duplicate him in a way, I hope to put out good, quality music just like him

Nobodysmiling.com : When you think of producing, you think of Primo, Pete Rock, Dr. Dre and J Dilla. Where do you cast your fallen Detroit native?

Black Milk : For me, he's the G.O.A.T. He did everybody's sound and there's not many producers that can do that. He was able to do a Dre, Neptunes, Premier or Pete Rock sound. A lot of those producers couldn't mimic his style though. That's just the Detroit sound anyway.

Nobodysmiling.com : So you'd say Detroit producers focus on versatility and have an array of sounds and not one signature sound.

Black Milk : We have our own sound. The choppiness of drums, snappy snares...We have our own distinguished sound. Detroit producers take other sounds from other regions and make them our own.

Nobodysmiling.com : At the moment, do you feel the Midwest is putting out the hardest, real Hip Hop music?

Black Milk : I'd have to say yes right now. Guys like Kanye, Lupe, and Slum are giving music this special feel and without them there would be a major void. We are delivering, but the only thing we're missing is that appeal to a much bigger audience. Only Kanye has been able to do that from the Midwest.

Nobodysmiling.com : So are Detroit artists are niche artists and haven't been able to expand into the mainstream like a Jay/Kanye?

Black Milk : I'm not sure what it is but I'm trying to find out what we're missing. We need to find that fine line in reaching the younger audience because that's the group that buys the records.

Nobodysmiling.com : Tell me about growing up in a city that's near the top in murders every year in this country?

Black Milk : It was rough man. A grimy city, but I was lucky enough to have both of my parents that instilled certain values in me that got me to where I'm at today. I went to Cooley HS in the D and I saw some craziness. Every city got its ghetto's, but Detroit's rougher than most.

Nobodysmiling.com : Did the city start getting real bad once the jobs were lost?

Black Milk : (laughing) Well...Honestly, the city's been bad before that. We've been the murder capital for a while now.

Nobodysmiling.com : A lot of Detroit artists say it's a city of hate and people try to pull you down as an artist?

Black Milk : It's real separate. You have your artists on the hardcore street shit, the artists who mimic radio, and artists like Slum and me who do their own thing on the underground level. Radio here makes it more separate because it doesn't give people a chance to hear different types of music. They play what's hot in other regions but not what's hot here. Atlanta supports their local artists but other cities have failed to follow their blueprint.

Nobodysmiling.com : You mentioned Detroit radio and how they don't play their own. Have you found yourself working extra hard to get your music heard out there?

Black Milk : To tell you the truth, not really. Detroit radio is cool. I get a little bit of love from the DJ's up there. But, I'm not going up there and doing payola. On the other hand, if I don't get played in Detroit, I get love other places. The underground Hip Hop dudes get played in other places more than here. Why is it like that' I don't know. But we have international love. Radio artists in the D can't say that.

Nobodysmiling.com : What cities do you have a following in overseas?

Black Milk : I be getting hits from people in Amsterdam and all over Europe. I ain't know my music spread so far. Cali likes me and even New York is growing which is surprising.

Nobodysmiling.com : I know in places like California and overseas there's a huge love for underground Hip Hop. Why do you think that's the case?

Black Milk : They have more of an appreciation for the art and the roots of Hip Hop. Overseas more than anywhere.

Nobodysmiling.com : Which did you do first: producing or rapping?

Black Milk: I started rapping before anything. I remember starting out I looked up to cats like Canibus, Redman, A Tribe called Quest. Beatwise, I looked at Dilla, Pete Rock and Primo. Those three were the benchmark.

Nobodysmiling.com : Now were your rhymes and producing weak when you first started out?

Black Milk : I mean no one starts off blazing. In terms of producing, it took me a good 3-4 months to start making beats that caught people's ears.

Nobodysmiling.com : Do you still use the same beat making equipment?

Black Milk : Yes, I'm on a 2000XL. I do all my beats on there. A couple of sonic keyboards.

Nobodysmiling.com : Tell me about your rhyme style?

Black Milk : I'm not racking my brain trying to be too lyrical, but I'm not simple either. I definitely put out my messages. I come with the flows and the words.

Nobodysmiling.com : Have you kept your best beats for your project?

Black Milk : Sometimes, but not really because the beat I would rhyme over Slum Village probably wouldn't rock over. I rock over a different type of soul beat. I use the raw Hip Hop shit for myself. Other cats might want to hear some stuff better put together.

Nobodysmiling.com : How underrated do you think the whole Detroit rap scene is?

Black Milk : Real underrated but it's getting better. Artists like me, Guilty and Phat are getting a lot more love and bringing a new air to the city.

Nobodysmiling.com : Tell me about when you first met Slum Village?

Black Milk : I met them through my cousins who had a few of my beat cd's on the tour with them. Slum got to hear them and once they got back they hit me up and I sold my first beat on the 'Trinity' album. I've been working with them ever since.

Nobodysmiling.com : When you were given the reins for the 'Detroit Deli' album was it nerve racking?

Black Milk : It was more pressure from T3 and the fans because we had to live up to Dilla and the mark he left on the group's lp's. We were young, but we managed to pull it off. After that, both members had the faith in us and we continued working on their follow up self titled album.

Nobodysmiling.com : What did you learn from working with Slum?

Black Milk : Slum played a huge part in how my beats sound today because T3 put that pressure on us.

Nobodysmiling.com : How did you meet (Ralph James Rice) RJ Rice and how did BR Gunna come about?

Black Milk : RJ is the son of the owner of Barak Records. We saw each other in the studio and both had separate tracks on the 'Trinity' album. For Slum's following project 'Detroit Deli,' we were given the bulk of the responsibility and decided to link up and form BR Gunna. Phat Ray is the voice (MC) of the BR Gunna movement.

Nobodysmiling.com : What does BR Gunna stand for?

Black Milk : B= Black, R=Ralph, and Gunna cause we shooting for the top.

Nobodysmiling.com : I've heard rumors that BR Gunna is no more. True or False?

Black Milk : It's true but it's not like we won't work together in the future. It could happen but right now I'm working with Phat Ray. We both doing our own thing.

Nobodysmiling.com : Were you on Barak Records?

Black Milk : I wasn't signed to that label even though I worked with other artists on the imprint.

Nobodysmiling.com : Did you guys break up because you strayed away from Barak which is the label that your former partner RJ's father owns?

Black Milk : We were going to have an album that was supposed to drop and we got put on the shelf by Barak. When that happened, I realized I needed to do my thing. I was a free agent and started releasing mixtapes and got to where I'm at now.

Nobodysmiling.com : Why did you pick Fat Beats as your label of choice?

Black Milk : People over there were feeling the music and I felt the whole movement. They were the perfect situation for me at the moment.

Nobodysmiling.com : Tell me about working with Pharoahe Monch?

Black Milk : Wow, he's one of the top MC's on everyone's list. I got the call from my man Denaun Porter and he's exec producing the project and I hit him with beats and Pharoahe picked a couple and did his songs. He told me he was already familiar with my music. We just clicked and knocked out these records called "Desire," "Bar Tap" and "Let's Go."

Nobodysmiling.com : Who do you want to work with in the future?

Black Milk : I'm trying to work with anyone who works with me. Personally, I'd love to work with Busta, Ludacris, Ghostface and Nas and Jay are automatics. MF Doom and Madlib.

Nobodysmiling.com : Now you've created a pretty solid buzz. Tell me about the process in making 'Popular Demand' which comes out in March.

Black Milk : I put out the 'Project Sounds of the City' and I put out 'Broken Wax' and they both had a similar sound and did the same with this LP. I decided to stay in the same lane and not veer to far off road. After this album, things should really start popping off and I could become more experimental.

Nobodysmiling.com : What do you got cooked up?

Black Milk : I got Pharoahe, Phat Ray, the new Slum Village record which should drop this year. Bishop Lamont from Aftermath. We are going to work on a Cali/Detroit project. It's going to be a busy 2007.

Nobodysmiling.com : Any advice for upcoming rappers and producers?

Black Milk : Find your niche and your sound. Be original and that's the key