The monks of the Wu-Tang
Clan paved the way for many
hip-hop artists to enter the
rap game-not as pawns, but
rather as valuable commodi-
ties. Following in the foot-
steps of the crew from
Shaolin is a battalion of
Brownville brothas known as
the Boot Camp Clik, featuring
the likes of Heltah Skeltah,
OGC, Cocoa Brovaz, The
Representativz, Buckshot,
Buckdown, Juvenilez,
my back to get the bunny rabbit
going. You know what my joint was.
man? All LL's shit. I knew all that
shit-every line, every rhyme. I was
feelin' that. And Sugar Hill. That
Sugar Hill shit is really what set it off,
because I wasn't really listening to
rap before then. I was into the
Commodores and all that Isley
Brothers and Motown. No, not
Motown, that shit was all wack
except for Marvin Gaye.
Rock: Fat Boys, UTFO. Rappin'
Duke, Slick Rick and Dougie Fresh,
mentary school, and they ask you
what you wanna be when you grow
up? I had to lie, because I knew if I
told them what I wanted to be, they
would make fun of me, and I would
have wound up punching someone. I
would've punched any one of those
kids in the face back then. It
would've caused problems if I told
them the truth, so I just said a fire-
man or doctor. But they bought it,
and they were all smiles.
What's in the works for the future?
Sean Price: Tek and Steele's album
BOOT CAMP
Illanoyz,
Madda Rocka,
Tony Touch,
BJ Swan and a
slew of oth-
ers-all with
new projects
planned or
already under-
way. Steele,
Sean Price,
Rock, and
Buckshot step
out from
underneath
the Boot
Camp umbrel-
la to discuss
the finer
points of hip-
hop as well as
the group's
collaborative
Ameri
MOST WAN
effort, entitled For The People.
Tell me a little somethin' about
this new project.
Steele: What we have here with For
The People is a very healthy baby, a
new born Boot Camp album. We
ain't tryin' to get caught up with
what other people don't like or what
people think you shouldn't say on an
album, we try and create from our
heart and make somethin' that not
only y'all will be pleased with, but
that we'll be satisfied with. For The
People gave us a chance to do dif-
ferent things together that we don't
normally do like funny songs, serious
songs, spiritual songs, jeep songs,
dancehall songs... it's just a little bit
of everything. It's a well-seasoned
piece of meat.
Who inspired you to pursue
hip-hop?
Sean Price aka Ruck: Niggas like
Mr Magic, Rappin' Duke, Chuck
Chill Out, Red Alert. Craig G and
Juice Crew went to my high school,
and they were nice with they shit.
know what I'm sayin'? Those niggas
juiced me, they put the Energizer in
88 THRASHER
MAR
all them cats.
Did you breakdance back then?
Sean Price: Hell yeah. I was nice.
Yo, my shit is still nice. If I'm high
enough, and I'm on stage, I'll bust
some shit. I don't do no head-
spins... but, you know, now that I'm
bald, I'll probably bust that shit. You
can't be fuckin' around with no
headspins when you got dreads. I
cut my shit, so I think I can bust
some headspins. I mess around
freaky now, I don't care. I get.
down. I got my swerve on, I'll take
on anybody. Except Rock Steady.
When did you realize the rap
game was the game for you?
Rock: When the hot shit came out
like UTFO, "Roxanne Roxanne," that
was my joint. Back then, I didn't
really like hip-hop. I mean, I used to
live it, but I didn't like rap music. Not
yet. Me and my big brother used to
have this radio that was stuck on
AM, and I used to listen to all kinds
of bugged out AM shit. I was digging
The Eurythmics, Pat Benatar... At a
very young age, I decided that
some way, somehow, I was gonna be
famous. You know when you in ele-
is almost done, so that'll be out soon.
Buck's album is almost done. And a
new one from Heltah Skeltah.
Everything is cool, we got shit tight.
And what does the future of hip-
hop look like to you?
Sean Price: The future of hip-hop
looks pretty fucked up. Niggas are
hurtin' each other for no good reason.
But, man, fuck 'em, I'ma do my thing.
and that's all I gotta worry about.
Rock: I can't speak for everybody.
but I know me and my niggas are
headin' straight for the top. I got no
control over nobody else, I can just
do my part. Tell kids how I feel, my
interpretation of right and wrong.
but I'm not about to stick no gun in
nobody's head and say, "Yo, this is
the way to do it." I'm not about to
force anybody into believing my way
is the right way of thinking.
Everyone is responsible for they own
self. If they mess up, it's on them.
Nobody else to blame.
Not knowing the business part
of the game, did you feel you
were susceptible to being taken
advantage of?
Rock: Actually, no, I didn't,
because I had my family in it already.
and they learned the business. I had
the lessons Buck and Tek and
Steele passed on from being shitted
on by labels. They learned the
lessons well, and in turn so did I,
luckily. The greatest knowledge
comes from experience, not just
your own experiences, but other
people's experiences. Learn from
experience. It didn't go past your eye
for no reason.
How do you feel about what
went down with Biggie Smalls?
CLIK
Rock: As far as the
death goes, it's fucked
up. When you kill a
person, you really ain't
hurtin' the person.
you're hurtin' every-
body around them.
You got people like
Angie Martinez on the
radio, crying her eyes
out. Angie's my girl,
you know, so I feel for
her and all the people
I know and respect
that got hurt by
Biggie's death. But
everybody knew I had
beef with that nigga
over a bunch of bull-
shit, so it ain't like his
passing made me all
sad, but it is fucked up
that it happened. And,
bullshit aside, the nigga was talented.
In this reality, we worked and lived
together, and I could never see us
having beef forever. Nonetheless,
shit happens. Can't control other
people's actions.
Anything you'd like to say to
the people?
Rock: Be for real with yourself,
don't do what muthafuckas expect
you to do. In the immortal words of
my niggas, Digital Underground. "Do
what the fuck you like," straight up.
Buckshot: The world is all about
the people. We do this for the peo-
ple. Music is the key to memory.
Memorize everything, anything you
want, through music, and you will
always remember it. Think about
your A B Cs, your 1 2 3s, think how
your favorite songs send you back in
time every time you hear them.
Music is the key, and that key can
calm the savage beast. More artists
should reflect positively in they
music, because what they say does
affect the people. Raise the people,
don't daze the people
-Chris Nieratko
DA DIRTY 30
CATCH
CRU
ON THE
SMOKIN' GROOVES
V
violator
TOUR
Da Dirty 30
album featuring
"Just Another Case"
CRU
with Slick Rick the Ruler
and
the underground hit
"Pronto"
HIP-HOP'S INDEPENDENCE DAY IS
7-1-97
recordings
a PolyGram company
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