LORD FINESSE Interview... Mad Dope and Very Interesting!!!

[water ur seeds]

PART 2

VA: Yeah, but before you did that you had the demo which you had sent to Zakia, “Funky Dope Maneuver”, do you think you could release that?


Never man, I don’t even have it no more! I found two other demos which I had sent to Wild Pitch.

VA: In ’92, you did the tour with Ice-T. How did that experience change your view to certain social questions?


Yeah, because when you’re from New York and you grew up with so much racism, where people judge you for the texture of your skin. You don’t know what it’s like in other parts of the world. When I came to Rotterdam back then all I saw were white people, not European people but just white people. I’ll never forget that when I came here, my second album was out for about six weeks and all I saw was 3000 white people rapping every line I wrote with me during the performance. It really sent me back to New York bugged out with a whole different perspective towards different races.

VA: As you look back at your life, what are you most proud of?


I’m proud of how long I am in this game, the accomplishments I made. When today’s fans tell me that I changed their life man, you just can’t buy that! When I’m down at one day and a fan rolls up on me and tells me what impact I had on their life, man… that’s priceless. And still, sixteen years later, I mean, I’ve seen rappers coming after me and none of y’all ever heard of them until this day. Just the love I got, that feels so good. It feels better than mon… no nothing feels better than money! Haha, but just that man…

VA: About Big L, as you look back at your friendship with him, what’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned by working with and being with him?


I think the man upstairs put me and L together, it was something that was meant to happen. It was like having a young brother. You know, just moulding him. I met him in ’91 and took him with me everywhere I went. Nobody knew who he was going to be. His skill level was damn near my skill level while I was about five years older than him. It was like, I just gave him al my energy so he could be that dude that I wanted to be later. He knew that, there was just never jealousy. But at the same time I was teaching him he was teaching me. L was advanced; he did “Ebonics” in like ’97 or ’96, but it took him about three years to write those lyrics. It took him that long because he wanted every verse he did to be just as poking as the first verse. He was blowing our mind; me and A.G. asked him to rap that first verse over and over again. So than he did the second verse and we were like “get the fuck outta here…”. So after his first album we became independent and we tried to get him familiar with the industry. He picked that up so fast that people like Jay-Z were trying to sing him, they just had respect for each other, because people don’t know that him and Jay-Z were battling. People don’t know that!

VA: And that was in a studio?


No, that was in the streets in Harlem! NOT documented. That was L, him and Jay battled right before “Lifestylez Ov Da Poor And Dangerous”. That’s why Jay-Z was on the track “Da Graveyard”. Big L used to always tell us about him like: “Yo, this Jay-Z dude he’s dope and I battled him!”.

VA: But how did his death affect your career?


I quit. It wasn’t any fun for me no more; I had lost my grandmother and I lost him. Those were the two aspects that kept me rhyming. I tried to give my grandmother everything that she gave me when I was young. And Big L, he was driving me after she passed. He always challenged me so I had to be writing. He was the drive so after he passed, after damn near raising someone from sixteen years old until twenty four years old I felt like I didn’t have to rhyme no more. He was that dude and I felt like I didn’t have to rhyme no more, I knew he was always gonna represent me. After he got killed I didn’t feel no competition anymore. I mean before he got killed I didn’t give a fuck about the industry, I mean there were great artists like Nine, Biggie and Jay-Z. But they weren’t driving me, he was driving me. I was developing new complicated rhyme styles to keep up with this dude; just all this slick talk. So L was like “OK, I got to keep up with that”. The friendship we had, I don’t expect me to ever get another rapper to be a friend like he was. It was crazy…

 

[water ur seeds]

PART 3

VA: You’ve worked with a lot of groups like Ground Floor, Mesanjarz of Funk, Trendz of Culture, that cat Ak Skills. Whatever happened to them?

Ehm, Ground Floor was managed by Bandoola Management. I just got into them, but when the management went under that was that.

Trendz of Culture was on Motown, I met them through Top Ten Management. After their first album came out they did well, but the management went under.

Ak Skills got locked up…

Who else did you mention?

VA: Mesanjarz of Funk, how did you actually hook up with them?


Through an acquaintance of mine from the Bronx, I-God. He used to run with Tim Dog, I-God, a cat with big rings and stuff. He was managing them, he was cool. So I got the chance to produce a track with him.

VA: What about Bas Blasta, he should’ve released that album “The Mouth That Roared”. What happened in that case?


I don’t know, at the time that was when Steve Stout was at RCA Records. He was in charge of his project. Steve had came to me like “Yo, I need you to get on this record, it’s this white dude and he thinks he’s this street artist and we want him to ride with some of the best street artists from the scene”. So it was me, Fat Joe, Don, JuJu and the Groove Merchantz.

VA: Yo, but what about that line you dropped on that verse: “Fuck around ya get ya ass fried! / This ain’t Pharcyde, I’m not some ol’ n*gga that you can pass by”? Was that a diss towards the Pharcyde?

Nah nah, it was because they had the record out which was called “Passing me by”! So I was always saying stupid shit like that. It’s like making your rhyme sound better by transforming their line into something that sounds better. It ain’t no disrespect.

VA: But you never got any negative feedback from any artists?

Nah, the only rappers I received feedback from was the Lords Of The Underground. Me dissing them was just ordinary. I was actually ready to fight Mr. Funky, but when I finally met up with them they were like “Yo, you dissed us!”. And I’m like looking at your whole setup and I mean everybody knows I’m the king of the underground, everybody knows me as the Funky Man, the name of my album was called “Return of the Funky Man”. They came out: Lords of the underground, return of the “Funky Child” and than he called himself “Mr. Funky”. I was like “Yo, that sounds to much like what I’m doing!”. And if you say I influenced you, I can respect that. But they just did none of that.

VA: But how did it end?


We were cool, I just felt like I had to say something. That was that, I never made a record out of it. The freestyle alone made it all the way from New York to Tokyo. They tried to respond, but I never responded back, I had to say what I had to say and that was that, you know?

VA: What about all the unreleased stuff you did, that original jam with Biggie “Come On Muthafuckas”, the tape-only “Hands in the air, mouth shut”, maybe some Big L stuff. Could you release that?

Well, as far as the Big L joints, we’re trying to find a right situation for that; maybe something like a remix album. A lot of people are supposed to be involved in that, the biggest name will be Eminem.

VA: What about that Biggie joint?
I don’t got control over that, off course I got a copy of it.

VA: On what format?

Well, I’ve got a DAT.

VA: Alright, back in the days there was this MC called J Rock on Ghetto Groovz Records, the label was run by Jeff Murphy. You were ghost writing for another MC, as a matter of fact a female MC called Beverly and the tracks were produced by Premier. Does that exist on any format?


Yeah I know Jeff! Yeah, Beverly was dope, she had to get the flow right and she could rhyme. She was from Newburgh New York. Premier was doing the beats and I was doing the rhymes, but then she had to learn them. That was one of the first chicks I ever worked with, just trying to teach her how to do it. Jeff used to fund the project and come pay us. But that was all lost, no footage…

VA: Whatever happened to Jeff? ‘Cause I heard he got locked up after the “Drug Dealer” video.

I don’t know, I lost touch with him.

 

[water ur seeds]

PART 4

VA: So how’s Mike Smooth doing nowadays? Because he was making major figures back then already.

Mike Smooth went to Texas, first of all he was running a studio at 125th for a while. Now he recently came back to New York.

VA: Are you planning on working with each other again?
I think on my “Underboss” album I’ll hook up with him just to let people know that he isn’t gone and that he’s still like my big brother.

VA: About your latest project, the “Funky Technician” remix project. How did that happen and why did it happen?
That happened because I was talking with Buckwild about doing instrumentals; an instrumental album for the first album. Which I did, I’ve got that done. It was like why won’t we remix some of the old joints. It’ll also have a few bonus cuts like “S.K.I.T.S. remix”, “You know what I’m about remix”. I’ve got a version Muro did for me. It’s coming along but I just want it to be an album that you just pick up and enjoy you know. As a matter of fact I will put up a second verse by O.C. on the “S.K.I.T.S. remix”.

VA: Do you know when it will finally drop?
I’m going for February, March but I’ve got a lot of other projects. Also an instrumental album with all the productions I did which never came on instrumentals like the Brand Nubian stuff, “Suicidal Thoughts”. Just all the stuff which wasn’t featured on 12-inch; with the instrumentals.

VA: How do you feel about the hip-hop industry these days? Because back in the days you had people from Next Plateau, Wild Pitch and others going to the hood to look for artists.

Well, it’s corny because everybody is worrying on what they can get from the music industry instead off worrying about making the music doper than what it is. People are not taking time to focus. Then you also got all the major labels who got rid of the subsidiary labels so, ain’t nobody going to the hood nowadays. They’ll listen to a mix tape, that’s not the way; you’ve really got to experience it.

VA: But do you feel that hip-hop itself made progression?
In some ways, but in a lot of ways we’re going backwards. When we first came out we were inspired, but it was a form of disrespect to copy a rapper, so nowadays there’s just a lack of creativity.

VA: How do you feel about your records being worth a lot of money?
That’s classics you know. When my records came out it was all 2000 or 3000 pressings. You just can’t find that no more.

VA: But do you own all of those test-pressings and promos of your own records?
Yeah, I was smart enough to keep a copy of all of my records!

VA: Do you still listen to hip-hop nowadays?
Not really, I don’t even listen to the radio no more. Everything is programmed you know. Radio stations just stick up all that crap in everybody’s ass. People are saying “Yo, everything is so great nowadays!”. But a lot of times people don’t tell the truth no more. People are like: “Yo, everything you do is so amazing”. Come on man, you can’t like everything somebody does; you have got to dislike something you know. So don’t keep the artist grounded, because if somebody tells you that he doesn’t like your shit then he’ll go back in the studio and work hard at it. But if everybody like’s everything you do then what’s the friction? My motto is when people ever complemented me or told me that I’m great, my thing is always like “I’m trying”, you know what I’m sayin’? I’m trying to be that dude and I’m trying to do better because in my mind it’s like, as long as I’m trying there’s always room to get better and improve. I’m trying, I don’t feel like I’m at my best. So, I’m always going to apply myself to be better. But once somebody complements you like: “Yo, you’re the greatest!”, how much room is there for you to be better if you’re the greatest already?

VA: Can we expect a new solo album by you in the near future?
You can expect a lot of albums, when they’re gonna come out is another thing you know. But you got “Funky Technician Remix Project”, the “Diggin’ In The Crates Project” which we’re sitting talking about now with DITC. I’m working with A.G. on getting ready to work on a solo album for him. You got “The Underboss” which is my project, also the SBX Soundtrack and the DVD just came out. So there’s a lot of stuff I’m just trying to work on right now…

 

[water ur seeds]

PART 5

VA: Which one of your LP’s do you like the best?
“Funky Technician”… the hunger! When you do your second and third album, the hunger is never the same as the first album. ‘Cause like I said I was living at my grandmother, I didn’t have no money, I was on a come up. My inspiration to my music and the music I was listening to back then was just so great, so classical. That whole experience related to the first album… you can’t duplicate that with the second album. Because once you’ll get a little success you’ll get a little money. Once you get a little money you’re not in your house writing rhymes like you used to. Once you get money you buy gear and cars and chains, you’re more feeling the females. You might not have been getting that many females, so a lot of your time goes out to fucking a female. You’re not focussing on writing rhymes, you’re focussing on going to a party, sliding-off with this chick and go to her crib! I mean on your first album you just got you, your family, you’re trying to get out the hood and you’re writing your life and some rhymes and just trying to advance. I went from no money to a lot of money. I don’t got time to be in the studio all day, I’ve got places to go. I got places to go to spend this money, you know what I mean! The third album I was a little bit more focussed, but on this last album I’ll be tremendously focussed ‘cause I done seen how everything took a 180 degree turn in hip-hop and like I said it’s a gift to still be here and do what I do.

VA: How do you look at the critics these days? ‘Cause the media is fronting a lot on hip-hop and its artists. Do you feel like something has changed?
Yeah, they’re trying to program people in liking the albums that they like. If a record label says: “You’re a great writer, this is my artist’s CD. What type of gift you want or what type of trip you wanna go on? Just get my artist a nice writer”. It’s just unfair ‘cause they’re programming millions of people by giving the albums 5 or 6 mics or whatever you want to rate it and they’re just not that good! Some journalists are so caught up in the commercial movement that the evolution and the evolution of this commercial music that they can’t respect artists that came from the era that I came from. How can you rate and judge something if you don’t know the history from day one all the way op ‘til now? If you’ve got a journalist that thinks that Wu-Tang and Notorious B.I.G. is old school, imagine what they gonna think Lord Finesse is. This n*gga is ancient history.

VA: As you look back at your career, what’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learnt?
Be your own man. I’ve always been my own man whether I did the greatest or the worst job. I really gloomed my career and I can live with that because I’m reliable and responsible for a lot of things throughout my whole career. It’s different when somebody else fucks your whole career up and you’re crying like: “Yo, he fucked my career up”. I know that if I fucked up then I fucked up! Even if somebody else does control your career then you still made that decision and at the end of the day you’re responsible. You’re complaining to the world, but you signed whatever you signed, you did whatever you did. Just be your own man, I made a lot of moves whether it was for the greatest or the worst situations, I did what I did and can’t get mad at that.

VA: How did it all happen by hooking up with Percee-P? What was behind all of it?
Well, at the battle on the SBX! video, that’s actually when I first met Perce. What it was is ehm… it’s like A.G. had battled before it. I think the heavy set dude in the video chanting his rhymes, A.G. battled him. So I was to battle Percee, now this battle was set up for a while but never took place. So Perce came looking for me, he came to my block like: “Yo, I’m looking for Lord Finesse!”. So there was another rapper on my block which he had battled, busted this kid’s ass and said: “You tell Finesse when he comes back I’m looking for him!”. So now I’m coming home one day and heard this dude came to my block to battle me and they said: “Yo, so and so battled him and he whipped his ass!”. I was like “Word?”. So I pulled up A.G. “Where does this dude live at?”. So we went and we got him, called out from the window, he came down and what you’re looking at on that SBX! Video, that’s the actual battle! It ain’t put together. When I was small and skinny with the fisherman hat on, that was the actual battle! That was before the “Funky Technician” album. So if you hear the rhymes, the rhymes eventually went on the “Funky Technician” album, but that was who I was before I was really that Lord Finesse dude. That was back in ’89 and after battling Percee-P I was like “Wow, this dude is dope”.

VA: And what was it like with the reconstruction?
That was just rhyming, I just wrote a rhyme and that was that. It wasn’t even supposed to appear on vinyl, but they wanted to press it.

VA: How did you hook up with Muro?
It just happened when I was in Japan. You gotta hear… I’ve got mixtapes selling tonight. It’s called “The rare and unreleased”. It’s got Ground Floor, you got both tracks I did for the Ill Biskits, Steven Simmons is on it, the original joint I did for Dre “The Message”, when I was rhyming on there. It’s got ehm… the Pitch Black on it. It has all the stuff I did that’s hard to find. It has also got the “Vinyl Athletes”, but it’s got the original version that couldn’t get cleared. It’s a piece to have!

VA: From your album “The Awakening”, the test-pressing instrumental album had two tracks that weren’t on the original promo. What was that?
Oh, you’re talking about the Marvin Gaye joint, yeah I also got it on DAT. I can re-release that if you like on the instrumental album. I didn’t even know people liked it! I used to use that for shows. Yeah, that was what I used to like about Penalty Recordings, it was like anything I wanted to do, they was with it. When I said: “Yo, I need my own vinyls for the shows”, then they just gave it to me. I was like “Wow”, so I was giving some of them out and I kept some. I guess I only got like two left or so… We used to always do that. That’s how I got the Show & A.G. joint. Because we always had boxes of test-pressings and gave ‘em to each other. That’s how I got the “Soul Clap” EP. Show, he’s got about seven to ten test-pressing copies of the “Funky Technician” LP. Those were test-pressings on which I wrote the titles on it myself…

VA: Well, that’s worth a lot of money!
Hehe, yeah… he’s also got the “Devil’s Son” test-pressings. Well, between me, Buck and Show, there’s just a lot of test-pressings. Like I got acetates, I’ve got “All Love” on acetate, I’ve got a lot of instrumentals on acetate. I’ve got test pressings of the “Vinyl Athletes” red label. I own a lot of stuff…

VA: So then what’s up with you and collecting?
I collect everything, I love classic hip-hop. When I play tonight you’re gonna hear classic hip-hop. The records I’ll play are mainly originals.

VA: I thought DJ’s nowadays are spinning with digital stuff; DJ Ca$h Money, Jazzy Jay, Kid Capri… all of them.

Kid Capri doing that?

Yeah, Jazzy Jay charges more if you want him to come with his records.
Nah, I like vinyl! Certain records got different feels and I mark up my records in a certain way, so when I play the vinyl has got stickers on ‘em. Because I’m cutting them the way I wanna cut them. I can’t do that with a computer. I got all the software, but even then I’ve got to come with vinyl just to be safe. Man, that shit could crash on you and than what? Hehe, that’s embarrassing…

 

[NuffRespect]

dope.........

 

[Kwan Dai]

Crazy Props for this Sun. Lord Finesse is definitely one of the original punchline Kings. Plus he is an all around Hip Hop dude not just an MC. Very rare breed indeed.

 

[freshb651]

I'm surprised they didn't ask him about Mac Miller sampling true to the game

 

[water ur seeds]

Crazy Props for this Sun. Lord Finesse is definitely one of the original punchline Kings. Plus he is an all around Hip Hop dude not just an MC. Very rare breed indeed.

yeah bro, defo one of the original punchline kings indeed...

'lord Finesse in effect to get lose now / yo, my pockets stay fat like a goose down / on top of ya, rockin’ ya, here to get popular / you beat me? picture that with binoculars!'

'fuck around ya get ya ass fried! / this ain’t pharcyde, i’m not some ol’ n*gga that you can pass by'

haha they where crazy dope...

great interview from start to end, the dude interviewing knew what he was onabout, asked good questions, found out some interesting shit

 

[water ur seeds]

I'm surprised they didn't ask him about Mac Miller sampling true to the game

whos mac miller bro???

 

[TimroD]

nice interview

good thing that the interviewer knew what he was talkin about

 

[usmarin3]

Good read, Finesse is one of the originator of the punchline rapper and you can clearly hear the influence on Big L. Even though Kane is the forefather.