On that song it’s kinda bugged cuz we were listening to it and on the second verse it seemed like you were saying you switched up from hardcore rap.

Kane: You don’t remember off hand remember the words I used to say I switched up from being hardcore do you?

Nah but we got the record.

Aiight, while he’s putting that on what’s the main difference between the way you approach the mic now as opposed to back then?

Kane: I think energy wise I’m not as aggressive as I used to be because all the rap cats done pretty much fell back. Plus adjusting with time and adapting the new style that cats flow in they aren’t really that aggressive no more. When Busta start rhyming smooth, you know something’s wrong. So I don’t attack like I did on “Raw,” “Wrath of Kane,” or “Set it Off.” It’s more like “Smooth Operator,” “Ain’t no Half Steppin” tone.

Aiight I got the joint. (Puts on record)

That’s funny how we gonna interview you and end up playing you your own song.

Kane: I’m glad you did cuz I ain’t heard it in I don’t know how long.

Yo that beat is banging. Who made that Marley?

Kane: Nah I did that. That was an old King Floyd CD. [As far as the verse] I wasn’t talking about me man now what the hell is you trying to say?

Haha, my bad I must have misinterpreted it.

Kane: That’s when you threw me off cuz I was like I don’t remember saying nothing about me crossing over. I did R&B collaborations but I never tried to do no pop stuff.

Word, I wasn’t trying to say you crossed over I thought that’s what you said.

Kane: Nah, I was talking about other rappers doing that. As far as I’m concerned rap is black music and R&B is black music so if I do a song with another R&B artist all I’m doing is black music. I don’t consider that crossing over. If that’s the way the next person chooses to look at it that’s on them. All I did was do a song with another black artist that makes black music. I would even say doing a song with Lenny Kravitz is crossing over because even though he’s a black artist he does rock n roll, which is predominantly white music. But R&B is black music, before rap that’s all we had. When you really look at the origin of rap “Rappers Delight” is over “Good Times,” an R&B song. When cats came out they mainly rapped over R&B tracks. If you really really want to look at it Cold Crush, Fantastic, and Master Don and the Def Committee these cats when they performed were singing. When the Force MDs were the Force MCs they were like here is our rap group but when they were doing their routines they were singing. The only time they were rapping is when they would freestyle one by one but the majority of their routine was straight up singing. So that whole melodic thing has always played an important part in hip hop from the beginning. So I don’t really consider a cat doing something over R&B music crossing over but when you go into pop and rock n roll then yea. Doing something on an R&B beat might make you go platinum but when you doing something with a pop artist or some rock n roll music that’s when you start messing with 4 or 5 million in sales because you are selling to a different audience.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6

Posted by Halftime on Thursday, April 8th, 2004 and is filed under HIP HOP ICON SERIES.