by Jake Espinoza
(Ed’s Note: Read Part 1 of the Interview HERE)
What’s the plan for releasing the Sandpeople albums?
We’re just kind of playing it by ear right now. Everyone’s aware of Skrill Talk coming out in the start of the year, and is just kind of ready to get behind that—same thing with Sape’s album Tusks that just came out. We’re all just kind of working around each other’s schedules.
As far as putting down a concrete schedule, it’s kind of understood that at the beginning of the year we’ll reconvene, look at what we have, look at the material, decide on what we’re going to do and really plot it ouidet—taking into account everyone in the crews releases—and really start moving as a cohesive machine. We’re going to be more of a working label instead of a group of solo artists who come together every now and then to put an album out.
People may have even said we’ve been on kind of a hiatus. It’s easy to think that ‘they’ve fall off’ or whatever, but what people forget is that Sapes put out like 13 albums, Iame’s put out two, Al-One’s dropped two and has another one coming, Only One has two projects, and everybody’s been busy. I think all the head we’ve made solo wise has allowed all the members to grow as individuals. True growth only comes in seclusion. That’s when you get a chance to just be by yourself, look at you work, analyze everything, and just kind of be away from everything. That is when you undergo true growth. I feel like now coming back together as Voltron is just going to end existence. We’re just going to kill everything.
How have things changed for you guys as you’ve been getting older?
It definitely becomes apparent; cats are aging and becoming adults and shit. Sapient has like 15 kids now, and that’s a big thing for him. It definitely changes the group dynamic and even the friend dynamic. He has human beings that are part him, and he’s responsible for their life every day. That’s a huge thing that I can’t even fathom. I don’t want to say it’s a drawback like it’s a negative thing, but as an artist it definitely has its pros and cons because you have to dedicate so much time to that family. I know other cats within the group have jobs, are becoming more serious in relationships, and have all these other things. Life happens.
I was just talking about this with Only, but we use to be the young bucks in the game. I remember not being able to get into the show until I could rap and then I’d have to leave right after. Nobody is still looking at Only and me as the young guys killing it.
That is just a realization that we to come to terms with. We are growing, everything’s changing, we have responsibilities, and we’re either going to really put everything into this music, or not and just continue doing what we need to do to survive.
Would you consider Only the Cliff Harris of the Sandpeople?
I would consider Only the Only of the Sandpeople. He’s the wild card, well no I guess that would be Simple.
Where is Simple? Is he okay?
Haha. I love that the question is, ‘Is he okay?’
I don’t think Simple has ever been okay for one thing, but I’ll answer that question with a quote from Goldini from a recent song, ‘Don’t ask where simple is, unless you won’t your thunder thieved/That information’s sensitive like ya gums when you don’t brush ya teeth.’
Is he going to be part of the new album?
That remains to be seen, but I definitely think so.
How’s it been working with Wapikiya Records on this project? This is the first one with them right?
Yeah. As of right now there hasn’t been much of a difference. We’re just kind of starting to Segway into the Skrill Talk campaign. The Green Tape and Skrill Walton were put out more independently, but it only made sense for me to brand them on these projects since they are building up for Skrill Talk anyway.
So I haven’t seen a lot of changes yet, but it has been great to know that I have a support system beyond my immediate reach, and I think that’s going to be the huge determining factor in the months to come. So we shall see. I want to follow up on that question. Ask me that question in March, and we’ll have an accurate depiction of how it has been working with the label.
What’s the date for Skrill Talk album?
1.24.12
Nice. Are you going to put it out in stores and everything as well?
Yeah, we’re actually putting out a Laser Disc. It will also be available on microfiche. It will be available for all forms of entertainment. I’m also going to write the lyrics out, put them in bottles and throw them out in the ocean. I feel like that is a promotional technique that is under-utilized.
Nice. Are you going to do cassettes as well?
Yeah, 8-Tracks and all of that.
Nice. How was the experience working on the Old Spice commercial?
That was a real interesting experience. Haha. It was crazy. I got a call the morning of from one of the creatives of Wyden + Kennedy, and he basically broke it down about how they are doing this only duel of videos. Fabio had made a video calling out Isaiah Mustafa to basically be the spokesman of Old Spice and challenging him to a duel. Isaiah put out a video accepting, and their duel consisted of them being in a live studio, and fans tweeting things at them like, ‘I’m not going to be able to make it to work today. Can you write a letter to my boss letting him know why?’
They had a whole team of writers there that were on location responding. The writers would whip something up, and then they’d be shooting. When one wasn’t shooting, the other one was. It was crazy to see it all happening.
They brought me in as a ringer to battle Isaiah Mustafa. They told me they wanted to bring me in as Fabio, and I was like, ‘Whoa…bring me in as Fabio?’
So I was watching the videos, and their actually hilarious. So I went down to the studio and was kind of thrust into this experience with no help in a way. I figured I’d go down to the studio, and team up with a writer who could help conceptualize it, but it was more so just them bringing me down there and asking me when I’d be ready.
I was like, ‘What do you mean? What’s the concept? How am I integrating battle rap into this thing you guys are doing?’ They said it was pretty much on me. So I had to conceptualize it all, and write, and memorize all my lines within like an hour. So it was a lot of pressure and I’ve never done something like that, but I decided that since they were responding to live tweets that I’d tweet that they should decide it with a battle, and I could just acknowledge that and go into the battle.
How was the response? I’m sure some people gave you shit about it.
Yeah, I know that it’s got a lot of views, but I know that because it was part of their campaign that it’s mostly their people. With every video that was dropping fans would vote for who they thought won, and Fabio was getting his ass whooped so bad, but I think that I was the first one that he won.
But it was tight; it was an interesting experience. It was fun to do. I’ve watched it once, and it kind of weirded me out because I was high, but it was dope to build with Wyden + Kennedy. That’s one of the biggest ad agencies I could ever be involved with. So it was dope to open up that door.
No Doubt. Looking forward to Skrill Walton and Skrill Talk! Thanks for the time bruv!