Vakill - Something Wicked This Way Comes {Interview}

~GS16~ · 12-06-2006, 10:13 AM

Vakill - Something Wicked This Way Comes

Interview By: Kevin L. Clark

Most people would say that 1995 was one of the last few glory years left in Hip-Hop. Classic and influential albums like “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx,” “E. 1999 Eternal,” and “The Infamous” was just a few of the albums that dropped that year. It was in that same year that, former breaker – Vakill, released “Who’s Afraid?”

The underground sensation went on to release his highly critically acclaimed album, “The Darkest Cloud.” Self-explained as, “Pharoah Monche gone bad,” the honesty from this Chicago MC is well displayed in not only his lyrics, but his demeanor also. The Molemen’s franchise player sits down with NobodySmiling.com to talk about his feelings about the album, why he felt that he didn’t explode during Chicago’s reemergence in the game, and why Chicago will continue to get burn on the airwaves.

NobodySmiling.com : Let’s get right into it, you’ve experience a lot of press with this album – what do you think is the reason behind it?

Vakill : I think that the quality of the record caught people off guard as a whole. Plus since it was about three years since the last album, I had wanted to reinvent myself. With this album, we the Molemen stepped up the production and I did with the lyrics. Our goal was to make it more cohesive. When we did the first album, we threw caution to the wind we wanted to go hard for sixteen tracks. Through this album, we learned that it was more discipline.

NobodySmiling.com : So, from the first album to this one – discipline is one of those main keys?

Vakill : Discipline is key in moderation. It can take you a long way, but if you use it quickly, you can burn out the same way. With having a three year hiatus from the last album, I didn’t want to come back saying the same thing. I wanted to show the people that I was a student of the game by stepping up my creative abilities. The title itself is self-explanatory and it proved that our theory was right.

NobodySmiling.com : Being from Chicago, you weren’t included in that list of artists when the city was having its boom. Do you think that people are marketing you differently?

Vakill : I think that with this record I pretty much curved the opinion of those who are responsible. They cannot put me in that bracket, which is what I wanted to do. I didn’t want to have any boundaries. I felt that this album was a one shot deal. I understood that once I put out the record that I would get mines eventually. I wasn’t aiming for the top [at first] – this album shit isn’t commercial. When I started making coherent shit for the untrained ear, that’s when the labels started to get involved. It made it easier to get that extra attention. I don’t feel slighted or that they’re marketing me differently. God has a plan for everyone and I feel that it’s better late than never, I guess.

NobodySmiling.com : It seems like it’s a dangerous time to be a Hip-Hop artist with all the shootings, court dates, and all around drama – what makes you keep your head through it all?

Vakill : It’s pretty much that people are just shittin’ where they eatin’. The thing that I like to say is that you’re shittin’ in your living room. If you feel that there’s a dude that is detrimental to your career, you should leave that person at home. You have people out there that doesn’t have a backbone; the people in their circle are protecting them. It’s all an indication that we need a balance in the mainstream. The album is not your average, I’m-so-dope album, it brings thoughts to the table.

NobodySmiling.com : Few people compare you to Ras Kass. If any, what do you think is the similarities between you and him?

Vakill : Sense of humor and vocal inflection, but I say that that’s about it. I think that people have heard the record and understand that we’re two different people. I think that that squares away the comparisons.

NobodySmiling.com : What prompted you to be an emcee, instead of being something like a regular working stiff?

Vakill : I was always exposed to the culture and wanted to be a part of it. I just started out listening to the music and I had cousins that were into it. I couldn’t escape the shit.

NobodySmiling.com : Do you think that this generation’s youth, I call them “the Tupac Generation”, have the same appreciativeness or enthusiam about Hip-Hop like you had growing up around the beginning of the culture?

Vakill : I think that there is a need for a variation or a balance for the art. Just not one type that you’re constantly seeing, people only know what they see on television. The media or powers-that-be should extend a balance to the structure. BET played Little Brother and De La Soul by not airing their videos. By doing something like that, people can’t see what else there is to offer.

NobodySmiling.com : On the song, “No Mercy,” you admitted to never being shot and never selling drugs. So, with those blatant stereotypes within the Hip-Hop culture so prevalent --- what do you want to change?

Vakill : What I want to do is show people that’s coming up in the game that it’s alright to have the balls to say the things that I say. A lot of people imitate what they hear on other records. Not everyone has the balls to speak out and just be honest. The song “No Mercy” itself was shock value. There is a lot of people hear that line and think, “Did he just actually say that shit?” In the era that we live in, people feel that you’ve got to talk about pitching birds and going to jail. Those types of bragging rights aren’t shit. “No Mercy” is a real song, not everyone is out there hustling. If that’s what you do, then that’s slick. I don’t know your struggle. But everyone needs to see the other side of the game, as well. There aren’t enough people out here advocating that part of the game.

NobodySmiling.com : Do you think it’s harder to make it in Chicago than other cities like New York or even with places in the South?

Vakill : At this point, nah. If you had asked me about two or three years ago, I’d say yeah. My whole advice for that is to be a student of the game. A lot of people wake up and say that they want to be a rapper. You have to learn how the others did it to cultivate your own skill.

NobodySmiling.com : So, then… who were your teachers?

Vakill : My cousin. I got a cousin who is a local artist; he just murders songs. In Chicago, we have an underground radio station called, WHBK, my cousin – JMB – showed me that you can be nice without needing the exposure. I had Rakim, LL Cool J, Kool G Rap as teachers as well. I haven’t had the chance to meet them, yet, but who knows. One of the guys that actually inspired me, vocabulary-wise, was T La Rock. I met him through my dude Percy P out the Bronx. Him and I would talk on a regular basis and I would just pick his brain about things.

NobodySmiling.com : A lot of New York emcees have been talking about, “Bringing New York back,” or bashing the South. Do you think that they’re hating on the record sales or that they want the spotlight on them? Or do you think that they just want the creativity back into the art form?

Vakill : I think it’s a ball of all of it, man. That’s real talk. I mean, umm… some of the creativity is, you know, similar. You can pick up a mixtape and hear the same subject matter on a lot of people’s joints. The reason why they see a lot of Chicago emcees getting a lot of burn is because the subject matter is so diverse. New York is a very proud city, so I expect them to voice their displeasure in not being first. We’re all used to New York being first for so long; that’s where the shit started. But everything got to be destroyed and rebuild.

NobodySmiling.com : Most people stereotype “underground” rappers as non-conformists people who hate the mainstream. What would a person be surprised to see in your iPod or CD player?

Vakill : It would have to be Beanie Siegel – “The Truth” and “The B Coming”, all of Jay-Z’s album and the System’s [80’s synth duo] first album. Oh, my own album as well [laughs].

NobodySmiling.com : No, Chris Brown?

Vakill : Nah… no Chris Brown. But my daughter likes him though [laughs].

NobodySmiling.com : Last question, what do you believe will be the key to your continued support?

Vakill : Just doing what I’ve been doing. I think that I’ve found my niche and uh, I’ve stopped being stubborn. I sat down with myself and evaluated who I am and came to the truth. Once I did that I went into the booth and found what I am good at. I’ve pretty much figured it out, but now I’m just going to do what I do from here on out. The music will speak for itself. As far as the publications XXL, Source, these people reached out to me. It’s just off of the strength of the music. It like what my man’s said, “Your music is like good dope, people are going to find it to come get it.” If you nice, if you hot, people are gonna find you. It may not happen when you want it to happen, but God will come on time. You just got to be patient. Hip-Hop is like a hurry-up and wait type of game. The minute you quit, could be the minute that someone wants to sign you to a contract.

Shyne · 12-06-2006, 10:43 AM

props on this, good to see Va's finally getting the recognition he deserves, dude is mad talented.

D-TEK1 · 12-06-2006, 11:10 AM

thx 4 this . .

ANTIFREEZE · 12-06-2006, 12:40 PM

Macbeth is grimey. by the pricking of my thumbs something wicked this way comes open locks whoever knocks.
Nice interview.

12-06-2006, 10:13 AM	#1
~GS16~ Moderator Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: World Posts: 6,333 Repped: 682 Repped 834 Times in 198 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 3 Times in 2 Posts	Vakill - Something Wicked This Way Comes {Interview} Vakill - Something Wicked This Way Comes {Interview} Vakill - Something Wicked This Way Comes Interview By: Kevin L. Clark Most people would say that 1995 was one of the last few glory years left in Hip-Hop. Classic and influential albums like “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx,” “E. 1999 Eternal,” and “The Infamous” was just a few of the albums that dropped that year. It was in that same year that, former breaker – Vakill, released “Who’s Afraid?” The underground sensation went on to release his highly critically acclaimed album, “The Darkest Cloud.” Self-explained as, “Pharoah Monche gone bad,” the honesty from this Chicago MC is well displayed in not only his lyrics, but his demeanor also. The Molemen’s franchise player sits down with NobodySmiling.com to talk about his feelings about the album, why he felt that he didn’t explode during Chicago’s reemergence in the game, and why Chicago will continue to get burn on the airwaves. NobodySmiling.com : Let’s get right into it, you’ve experience a lot of press with this album – what do you think is the reason behind it? Vakill : I think that the quality of the record caught people off guard as a whole. Plus since it was about three years since the last album, I had wanted to reinvent myself. With this album, we the Molemen stepped up the production and I did with the lyrics. Our goal was to make it more cohesive. When we did the first album, we threw caution to the wind we wanted to go hard for sixteen tracks. Through this album, we learned that it was more discipline. NobodySmiling.com : So, from the first album to this one – discipline is one of those main keys? Vakill : Discipline is key in moderation. It can take you a long way, but if you use it quickly, you can burn out the same way. With having a three year hiatus from the last album, I didn’t want to come back saying the same thing. I wanted to show the people that I was a student of the game by stepping up my creative abilities. The title itself is self-explanatory and it proved that our theory was right. NobodySmiling.com : Being from Chicago, you weren’t included in that list of artists when the city was having its boom. Do you think that people are marketing you differently? Vakill : I think that with this record I pretty much curved the opinion of those who are responsible. They cannot put me in that bracket, which is what I wanted to do. I didn’t want to have any boundaries. I felt that this album was a one shot deal. I understood that once I put out the record that I would get mines eventually. I wasn’t aiming for the top [at first] – this album shit isn’t commercial. When I started making coherent shit for the untrained ear, that’s when the labels started to get involved. It made it easier to get that extra attention. I don’t feel slighted or that they’re marketing me differently. God has a plan for everyone and I feel that it’s better late than never, I guess. NobodySmiling.com : It seems like it’s a dangerous time to be a Hip-Hop artist with all the shootings, court dates, and all around drama – what makes you keep your head through it all? Vakill : It’s pretty much that people are just shittin’ where they eatin’. The thing that I like to say is that you’re shittin’ in your living room. If you feel that there’s a dude that is detrimental to your career, you should leave that person at home. You have people out there that doesn’t have a backbone; the people in their circle are protecting them. It’s all an indication that we need a balance in the mainstream. The album is not your average, I’m-so-dope album, it brings thoughts to the table. NobodySmiling.com : Few people compare you to Ras Kass. If any, what do you think is the similarities between you and him? Vakill : Sense of humor and vocal inflection, but I say that that’s about it. I think that people have heard the record and understand that we’re two different people. I think that that squares away the comparisons. NobodySmiling.com : What prompted you to be an emcee, instead of being something like a regular working stiff? Vakill : I was always exposed to the culture and wanted to be a part of it. I just started out listening to the music and I had cousins that were into it. I couldn’t escape the shit. NobodySmiling.com : Do you think that this generation’s youth, I call them “the Tupac Generation”, have the same appreciativeness or enthusiam about Hip-Hop like you had growing up around the beginning of the culture? Vakill : I think that there is a need for a variation or a balance for the art. Just not one type that you’re constantly seeing, people only know what they see on television. The media or powers-that-be should extend a balance to the structure. BET played Little Brother and De La Soul by not airing their videos. By doing something like that, people can’t see what else there is to offer. NobodySmiling.com : On the song, “No Mercy,” you admitted to never being shot and never selling drugs. So, with those blatant stereotypes within the Hip-Hop culture so prevalent --- what do you want to change? Vakill : What I want to do is show people that’s coming up in the game that it’s alright to have the balls to say the things that I say. A lot of people imitate what they hear on other records. Not everyone has the balls to speak out and just be honest. The song “No Mercy” itself was shock value. There is a lot of people hear that line and think, “Did he just actually say that shit?” In the era that we live in, people feel that you’ve got to talk about pitching birds and going to jail. Those types of bragging rights aren’t shit. “No Mercy” is a real song, not everyone is out there hustling. If that’s what you do, then that’s slick. I don’t know your struggle. But everyone needs to see the other side of the game, as well. There aren’t enough people out here advocating that part of the game. NobodySmiling.com : Do you think it’s harder to make it in Chicago than other cities like New York or even with places in the South? Vakill : At this point, nah. If you had asked me about two or three years ago, I’d say yeah. My whole advice for that is to be a student of the game. A lot of people wake up and say that they want to be a rapper. You have to learn how the others did it to cultivate your own skill. NobodySmiling.com : So, then… who were your teachers? Vakill : My cousin. I got a cousin who is a local artist; he just murders songs. In Chicago, we have an underground radio station called, WHBK, my cousin – JMB – showed me that you can be nice without needing the exposure. I had Rakim, LL Cool J, Kool G Rap as teachers as well. I haven’t had the chance to meet them, yet, but who knows. One of the guys that actually inspired me, vocabulary-wise, was T La Rock. I met him through my dude Percy P out the Bronx. Him and I would talk on a regular basis and I would just pick his brain about things. NobodySmiling.com : A lot of New York emcees have been talking about, “Bringing New York back,” or bashing the South. Do you think that they’re hating on the record sales or that they want the spotlight on them? Or do you think that they just want the creativity back into the art form? Vakill : I think it’s a ball of all of it, man. That’s real talk. I mean, umm… some of the creativity is, you know, similar. You can pick up a mixtape and hear the same subject matter on a lot of people’s joints. The reason why they see a lot of Chicago emcees getting a lot of burn is because the subject matter is so diverse. New York is a very proud city, so I expect them to voice their displeasure in not being first. We’re all used to New York being first for so long; that’s where the shit started. But everything got to be destroyed and rebuild. NobodySmiling.com : Most people stereotype “underground” rappers as non-conformists people who hate the mainstream. What would a person be surprised to see in your iPod or CD player? Vakill : It would have to be Beanie Siegel – “The Truth” and “The B Coming”, all of Jay-Z’s album and the System’s [80’s synth duo] first album. Oh, my own album as well [laughs]. NobodySmiling.com : No, Chris Brown? Vakill : Nah… no Chris Brown. But my daughter likes him though [laughs]. NobodySmiling.com : Last question, what do you believe will be the key to your continued support? Vakill : Just doing what I’ve been doing. I think that I’ve found my niche and uh, I’ve stopped being stubborn. I sat down with myself and evaluated who I am and came to the truth. Once I did that I went into the booth and found what I am good at. I’ve pretty much figured it out, but now I’m just going to do what I do from here on out. The music will speak for itself. As far as the publications XXL, Source, these people reached out to me. It’s just off of the strength of the music. It like what my man’s said, “Your music is like good dope, people are going to find it to come get it.” If you nice, if you hot, people are gonna find you. It may not happen when you want it to happen, but God will come on time. You just got to be patient. Hip-Hop is like a hurry-up and wait type of game. The minute you quit, could be the minute that someone wants to sign you to a contract.

12-06-2006, 10:43 AM	#2
Shyne Sons Of Liberty Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Iowa Posts: 5,552 Repped: 3 Repped 2,054 Times in 849 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 151 Times in 95 Posts	props on this, good to see Va's finally getting the recognition he deserves, dude is mad talented. __________________ myspace.com/vocabthemc http://coldglassofoj.blogspot.com

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

12-06-2006, 11:10 AM	#3
D-TEK1 1 Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Ny Posts: 4,729 Repped: 147 Repped 182 Times in 94 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	thx 4 this . .

12-06-2006, 12:40 PM	#4
ANTIFREEZE Race Hustlin Poverty Pimp Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Killa █♣█ Canada Posts: 411 Repped: 26 Repped 32 Times in 20 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	Macbeth is grimey. by the pricking of my thumbs something wicked this way comes open locks whoever knocks. Nice interview.