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Hurricane Chris was named after a storm that passed through Lousiana in 1982 with similarities of devastating the crowd like the aftermath of a hurricane. His first single “A Bay Bay,” inspired by an event for DJ Hollyhood’s "Bay Bay" in a club, garnered him the attention of Mr. Collipark and a contract with Jive Records. Hurricane Chris' 51/50 Ratchet hit stores on October 23rd.


The Pack is derived of four teens from Berkley, California: Lil B, Stunnaman, Uno, & Young L. The Pack are Too $horts protégés who gained his attention from the skateboarder "Vans" song through Youtube and Myspace and instantly became a cult classic. Their album Based Boys is available for purchase October 30th.



Mistah Fab’s nationwide success stemmed from his controversial single “Ghost Ride It.” He is becoming a central figure of the Hyphy movement, a musical and cultural offshoot of Hip-Hop from the Bay area that emphasizes having fun, or “getting dumb” in the local slang. Mistah Fab’s other notable mentions stem from recently crushing his competition, Royce Da 5’9” in AllHipHop.com’s freestyle battle at SOBs.



Read on to learn how these rising artists gained momentum in an already flooded market of rappers.



AllHipHop.com: Coming out as a new artist, how tough was it getting the attention of good producers for your album?





Hurricane Chris: It wasn’t hard because I came into the game with all of the producers I needed. The movement we were putting on the forefronts is what they wanted when we got into the game and it would have been stupid to switch it up. It was a blessing we had all the producers we already needed to make our type of music.





Lil B: Hard work. We have our in house producer Young L who creates all of our beats. We picked out the producers that we like to work with and that matches our style of the direction we are heading towards. We want a producer that doesn’t mind being different.





Mistah Fab: It’s very tough because a lot of good producers value their production, which they should. Many producers don’t like taking chances with new artists because they could give that beat to a renowned artist and it would probably have done ten folds what it would do for the new artist. As for new artists, you have to show that you belong and not wait on big names to blow up because the Timbalands and the DJ Premiers were once in-house producers.




AllHipHop.com: What have you personally done to get your song played by DJs in the clubs or radio?





Hurricane Chris: Personally, I do stuff everyday to make sure that I am on the radio. Before I was signed, I got an independent record label called “Go Live Entertainment,” that was our launching pad. It was the only resource we had. We Gassed up our own vehicle, driving state to state to radio stations, and performing shows. Whether it took spending our money to get songs played on the radio, personal relationships or favor for a favor, we did it.





Lil B: We are walking billboards, everywhere, interacting with everyone, on the street making friends and fans. We did everything we could. For the DJ’s, we would be at all clubs and parties with a burned CD with our contact information on it. The clubs would play our songs because the streets already knew about us and we would get a big response. It’s a struggle but you have to make people mess with you and DJs were hating at first.





Mistah Fab: You can have the hottest song in the world but if you don’t have a relationship with a DJ, it will not get played. It has a lot to do with egos and DJs feeling like “F**k that artist he thinks he’s this” and vice versa. The airplay and exposure you get in the clubs and radio is definitely about relationships. Fortunately, for artists, the internet is a great thing with certain outlets where people can come to and listen to your music. They don’t have to go to a club or listen to the radio. Off a relationship, you build a rapport with DJs. That shows him that anything you bring him, is spin worthy, a history of no let downs, but you first have to generate a fan base from the streets.





AllHipHop.com: What attempts if any have you guys done to get your first street credibility?





Hurricane Chris: I didn’t have to attempt to do anything for street credibility. All you had to do was say my name and everyone knew me in Louisiana. I have a background; the last name Dooley goes a long way. I didn’t have to go out of my way to do a bunch of dumb stuff because people already knew who I was.





Lil B: Promoting, be in everyone’s face introducing ourselves as “The Pack.” We pressed up promos such as flyers in our in-house studio. We were at the malls, streets, bathrooms anywhere you can think of. Our first song was "Booty Bounce Bopper." People from down South, East coast, and over here heard of the song and we got our first street credibility because it was cracking in the clubs. The girls were behind it 100% because they could shake their butt to the song.





Mistah Fab: You can’t have street creditability without being in the streets. You have to be out, and people have to see you. Also, don’t just hang in your neighborhood but neighboring neighborhoods. You have to go to other hoods and generate a street buzz and you can say whatever you want in your lyrics because people know you that you be around. They see you in the hood with your jewelry on, riding through.




AllHipHop.com: With the state of Hip-Hop, do you think it is easier or harder for a hip-hop artist to do well?





Hurricane Chris: It isn’t easy, but it isn’t too hard because you see all of the people who are making it. It’s hard but there are ways around all of the mayhem but it depends on your relationship status and the kind of resources you have. The state of the music game right now, it is easier to get on and make a hit, but it is hard to stay in their ear.





Lil B: It’s on the artist to make or break themselves. It’s harder for the artist to break big because you have to have a hit single for anyone to even mess with you. On the other side, the underground is starting to come back and you don’t have to be mainstream anymore to be making money. Record sales are hard nowadays because many artists don’t have die hard fans. The fans aren’t buying their albums because they only like a single. We are around touring with a solid fan base that rep The Pack. Some artists sell a lot of ring tones but don’t sell many albums because the fans aren’t stupid anymore and can tell what’s a gimmick.





Mistah Fab: Definitely harder. The dollar is scarce nowadays. If people spend their dollar, it has to be a guaranteed album. Spending a dollar on a new artist isn’t always a good thing to do. We live in the day of ring tone rap. You have many new artists come with a big single and that is the only thing you will ever hear from them, modern day one hit wonders. No one wants to spend his or her dollar on one song when you can just go download it or have it as a ring tone. The grind is definitely harder. It’s all about what artist is going to get out and work the hardest and show that he belongs.





AllHipHop.com: Does the hate from the public push you harder or slow you down?





Hurricane Chris: The hate makes me go harder. The hate is like gas in a car.





Lil B: It will push us harder because the hating means we are doing something good. It’s hard when people hate on you but they can only hate on you for so long.





Mistah Fab: I’m never worried about hate. I’ve been hated on all of my life. It’s motivating because the more people that say I can’t, is the more that I say I can. It doesn’t slow me down at all. It speeds up my progress.





AllHipHop.com: From your area, what are you adding differently to the rap game?





Hurricane Chris: I am adding versatility to the game. I don’t see anyone out there right now that are keeping the club and the streets of white and black folks jamming at the same time. We have the “Hand Clap” in the clubs and “A Bay Bay” is a street and club banger. We just dropped a new single, “How Players Rock” for the grown and sexy.





Lil B: We are creating a new genre of music called “Based Music.” Our album is coming out October 30th. Many rappers have the same formula of what they are doing, rapping about the same stuff. We are bringing a new sound to the table for the future of Hip-Hop.





Mistah Fab: The rap game today is so sugar coated and I don’t think we have a problem saying what we feel in the Bay Area. Everyone wants to be so safety cautious that they don’t say what they really want. Personally, I am going to say how I feel and exhibit that in my music. I’m not afraid to lose. I can take a chance and start again if I have to. I will give it my all because I’m not afraid to go to zero





AllHipHop.com: How do you think affiliation to a rap mogul helps or hinders the game?





Hurricane Chris: It helps when you get power but it all depends on how you use it. Many people in the game have power they can use to help better more situations than the one they are in currently.





Lil B: We are affiliated to Too Short. It’s a big step, he’s a legend. We learned so much because he has been through the game for so many years. He’s teaching us the game.





Mistah Fab: It can only help you. In some cases, it hinders you because you become a shadow rapper. For instance, someone signed to Jay-Z, it’s hard because you will always be compared to the predecessors. But, when you come under a great producer and you put together music, it can only help you because great and great equals greater. And the fact that it is a producer and not an artist, there isn’t any conflict of interest.





AllHipHop.com: Do you think Soulja Boy Tellem’s popularity from the internet is a good balance because his success didn’t stem from programmers or DJs from radio stations and or mixtapes?





Hurricane Chris: He’s been on Myspace doing his thing. He had fans before he even got his deal. Most of Soulja Boy’s fans that he acquired before his deal are the same fans he has now.





Lil B: Personally, I like Soulja Boy because I heard his underground mixes before he blew up. It’s a blessing he got that exposure from the internet. It’s true, it’s what the fans want. The DJ’s play a huge part because they run the music shit.





Mistah Fab: Reiterating what I said earlier, he created the demand. In this day and age, radio only enhanced what he did himself. Public and personal are two different things but both are pivotal to your success. A DJ may not like you and would feel Soulja Boy corny and because of their biased opinion, they won’t give the public access it or reject it. Soulja Boy sold 117,000 in his first week so it shows people are still buying records and I love what he’s doing. He’s a young kid and he’s representing his vibe and music.



AllHipHop.com: If you could change something about the music industry, what would it be?





Hurricane Chris: I would change rap beefs, critics for the way they are approaching artists and record labels. I think the labels should care more about the artists. About rap beefs, I am not a fan of addressing a problem that you have with another grown man over a rap record. Music is made to express yourself but I feel that if you have a personal problem with someone than you approach them like a man. I don’t understand where that came from putting your business in the streets. I don’t feel the world should have to know about your problem with another human being.





Lil B: Rappers stop lying to the kids, stop promoting what they really aren’t doing and weak producers should stop charging all this money for beats that aren’t all that tight. Be real. Change the ego that comes with the rap game. Lots of people have egos and don’t deserve it. I understand if the street loves you and you are making hits but if you aren’t, you really need to cut it out. Many rappers come out and talk about dope dealing and killing each other but a lot of these rappers are rich. I came from the hood and I see what these rappers are doing to my people. If you do talk about it, talk about the struggle and talk about what u did to get where you are at instead of glorifying it because everyone’s in jail. I am not going to lie to any of my people.





Mistah Fab: I would stop the region hating. People are region racist. I would also stop the radio politics and I don’t have a third reason because everything is the reason why you do it. You need fake rappers for people to respect the real rappers when you need them. I think everything is what it is for a reason. It makes you live how you live and make the decisions that you make. Like, my father died from A.I.D.S. and I wouldn’t change that if I could because it made me as strong as I am. I think that God has a mission for everyone.



SOURCE-ALLHIPHOP

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