Entrevista a Blu. ( Conociendo a Johnson Barnes. Parte II )

Hace dos años os presenté al señor Barnes en un artículo que tuvo más repercusión que la que yo iba a pensar, fue mucha gente la que me agradeció via emails, twitter o blogs, el haberles descubierto la música de este gran MC.
La vida de Blu ha dado unos cuantos giros en este tiempo. 
Warner Music no quiso darle lanzamiento a NoYork! y él repartió copias gratis a los fans, terminando en su salida de la discográfica a finales de Octubre de 2011, la historia del rapper underground que ficha por majors se volvía a repetir.
Mientras tanto, siguió su buena costumbre de soltar albums no masterizados que salen de la nada sin previo aviso. Si bien antes utilizaba su Myspace (is dead) ahora lo avisa por twitter y hace de bandcamp su fiel compañero de releases, eso sí, previo pago, que el chabal tiene que comer.

Gracias que Nature Sounds  ( ese label under de headz inquietos afincado en Brooklyn ) le ha hechado el ojo y va dándole formato físico ( en vinilo también ) a esas perlas musicales enjauladas. 

El pasado año se comercializó HerFavoriteColo(u)r, ese EP autoproducido de 2009, de barras poéticas cargadas de amor y melancolía ; Jesus, su trabajo más raruno hasta la fecha impregnado de diversas atmósferas y samples de varios beatmakers ( Alchemist, Madlib, Exile, Knowledge, el mismo Blu..);  Open, su primera beat tape con fecha en 2009 que ahora cuenta con colaboraciones de unos cuantos rappers under-under-the ground y  el ecléctico NoYork! del que ya os hablé en el blog. 

Este 2012 va camino de ser otro año productivo, Fat Beats saca a la venta su segundo album con Exile  Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them y tiene otros proyectos en mente para finales de temporada.

Así que me puse en contacto con él  y accedió a contestar unas preguntas sobre todo esto y mucho más.

Un honor poder entrevistar a mi MC favorito.

Por supuesto ni traducciones ni polladas,  en ingles, str8 knowledge.

QC: Hi Blu how you doing? What are you working on right now?

Blu: Hi everyone out there, I'm Blu and I'm doing fine thank you.
As of now i am in my hometown writing and recording for my upcoming solo project titled "good to be home".
It is entirely produced by my brother from another, Bombay!

Your second album with Exile is coming September 4^th through Fat Beats, this time finished, mastered and with new tracks. Did Exile get mad when you drop it on bandcamp last year?

No he didn't, he was aware of my motives, he knew it would be out soon,
I was just as excited as the fans when i found out what he was doing to the record for the physical version,
or as i like to call it, the "Exile version".

I read you recorded it in 2009, how was the creative process? What was your main purpose and motivation?

Yes it was 2009, we were actuallyy just getting some down time at home form touring our projects,
"Johnson&Jonson", "CRAC", "Below The Heavens", "The Fevers" & "the Dirty Science" album.
Instead of sleeping and resting up, Ex and I were busy.
Myself busy writing and Exile making beats.
Of course we chop it up, so i ask him for a batch.
I got a good 50 tracks, and recorded a good 30 in a week.

Is there any funny/weird story you would like to tell?

"Juices & Berries" was a diss song to Aloe.
Aloe's come back song is on the way, i won't spoil it for you.


You revealed earlier this year there were 75 songs (or maybe it was 45) recorded for “Below the Heavens”. Are any of those on “Give Me My Flowers…” ?

No.

What’s the meaning behind the album title?

The title was created last year, before the band camp release.
I chose the title, me & ex had a few different titles,
but in the end i thought this was the most fitting,
due to the climate of music the year of the release.
There were quite a few unexpected deaths, as if God decided to play rush & roulette w a loaded gun on innocent peoples lives.
We don't know why all these young people were killed, and with all the pressure we felt obligated to say something.
Hince, the title.

Are you going to release any music video for this new album?

If Ex is down. I like the novelty of the project.
Its like a vinyl lovers exclusive.


Are you going to perform in Europe? Have you ever been in Spain?

We will be in Europe in October and November!
And yes, i love Spain, i love Vigo & Madrid was very nice.
  

Are you still planning to drop a solo album at the end of the year? You said it’s called  “Good to be Home “, is that the one produced by Alchemist?

No, the Alchemist project is a secret.

In what album is “Kiss The Sky” on?

iTunes, greatest song ever compilation.


Let’s talk about your other albums. Is there a story behind the romance in the HerFavoriteColo(u)r project? Was it something you were going through at the time, you just wanted to try a different style, or was something someone you knew was going through?


It was me, the young squire was hurt and had no where to turn but to music.
My wax consoled me and showed me the way out of the blues was by holding onto love.
How else could you release so much pain with out destroying something or someone.
"Her Favorite Colo(u)r" was a healer in a tough time.
It was my blues record, my sad soul song, my Mary J Blidge.















You dropped TheGodleeBarnes LP on 2010 , that was a dope piece of work , great rhymes and beats, but the quality was low. What thappened to the originals of that tape? Are you planning to release a mastered version?  I hear you lost the masters. You have to remake that album ,we need that shit..

Bro, that album is gone!
It was so much love and enjoyment put into the record.
That was the first record i created on my own, out of the love i found from Hip Hop.It was "leaked" twice by myself for my "followers", not so much for the masses. Maybe one day.

And what about the rock album you recorded some years ago? I think it was called “Bobby Smiles”, are you going to release it some of these days?

Never, the worst rock ever recorded.
"Bob Smiles", don't loose your life.

For a lot of people (including me) Below the Heavens is a classic, the last rap masterpiece, and it’s impossible to get a physical copy . Is there any chance of repressing more copies ?

Well Fat Beats and XXL commemorated our release after 5 years.
Fat beats pressed the first official copies of the vinyl last winter, and they sold out with in a month.
I went so fast, i didn't eve get a copy!!!
classic.

On the tracks "In Remembrance of Me" and "Never Dream" you talk about basketball dreams. How much  were you able to achieve?

Not much, two stories.
One, i didn't make it my first year trying out, my step father said don't be a quitter and forced me to talk the coach into a second try out.
By the end of the season i was starting and took our team to the championships which we lost by one point.
Story two is, i just made varsity, 11th grade, cause i was new to school,
And i dunked on this fool the first scrimmage game during practice,
and snap! i broke my ankle, whole season was a wrap.
After that i said forget balling and started rapping.

As a fan of quality music, I think the West Coast is bringing back a feeling that was missing. You, Fashawn and Exile are my fav rap artists right now and there are a lot of dope mc’s like the Black Hippy crew, Pac Div ,U-N-I, Co$$...It’s beyond the rap game, cuz I also listen to  Flying Lotus, Tokimonsta, the whole Brainfeeder, J*Davey..I think Cali is the most important place in music right now. What are your thoughts ?

I felt the exact same way when i created "no york"
It was my omen to the "new wave" on the west and i felt i needed to tell the world.
Even to this day we hold the most potential to take our genres outside of these cookie cut realms, no matter how much they try to make it seem appeasing.
 
As a child what kind of music did you grow up listening to, what do you listen to now and how  has that influenced the material you release? 

As a child it was gospel music from my mother and when i would visit my father i would hear all the g gangster rap, I would sneak to the swap meet and buy tapes, but my mother would throw them boys away soon as i stepped into the house with them.

Where are you living right now? Tell us about Johnson Barnes daily routine.

Im in cali, the best weed, weather and women like Kendrick said.
We are the west, we are the best!
I wake up everyday and thank God for my fortune then i go outside walk thru it all day.

What’s the first album you ever bought?

First tape i got was LLCoolJ "BAD", first tape i bought was Bone Thugs "east1999 eternal"
and the first cd i ever bought was Ma$e "Harlem World".

Tell us your 5 essential albums.

Nas "Illmatic"
Boogie Down Productions "Criminal Minded"
Common "Like Water For Chocalate"
Common "Ressurection"
Ice Cube "Death Certificate"

Best album you’ve listened this year.

This year would have to be..Nas "Life Is Good"


What are your favourite tv show & movies?

Favorite show is still MTV Jams
 
Fav food.

Broccoli


A role model.

Jay Z

What would you say to all the rap artists trying to success?

Succed.

What are your looking for in the next years?

Success.

Entrevista realizada por  Doc Jota ™ para Quality Control // Blog ©. 
17 de Agosto de 2012.