Milwaukee Rapper "Rockz"

“The only chick you see puttin’ on for the Mil.”

That is a line from the song Pressure by Milwaukee rapperRockz, AKA Raquel Aleman. Nicknamed “Rocky”, Aleman began her quest as a rapper in her early teenage years and it quickly became apparent that she had a talent that set her apart from the others.

She is no doubt the Queen of Milwaukee Hip Hop and she takes her crown VERY seriously. She is a mother, a hustler, and community activist. She is always looking forward and grinds as hard as anyone in the business. In this two part interview, Aleman talks about her life, her loves, and her passion. Part two of this interview will include a review of her brand new album, “VersaStyles.”

What is going on in the life of Rockz?

What isn’t going on in the life of Rockz is a more accurate question, lol. I am a full-time mom of 3 kids, my youngest has many needs. I work 40 hour full time weeks from home and I write a lot and try to record at least 1-2 times a week. Between baseball games, school conferences, and running my kids around I rock shows on the weekends and sometimes weeknights.

How did you get started with Brewed Fresh Records?

I started the label, Brewed Fresh Records, LLC. when I opened up my first studio in 2011 at the Lincoln Warehouse on Milwaukee’s southside. My goal in the label has always been to assist others in finding their voice and confidence, especially through music.  It has been a bumpy road with the label as I have fallen back from music periodically due to my sons needs but I am ready to go full-force with this album and I am operating under my label once again.

What is the story behind “VersaStyles”?

The story behind “VersaStyles,” is pretty deep actually. I feel as though I have always been perceived as a “backpack rapper” or a conscious underground hip hop head which I am, although there is so much more to my skill. This album is a display of my versatility as a recording artist. I am singing on this album, I wrote every word besides the features and the production choice and concepts are distinctly different. My goal was to show I am beyond a hot verse-- I can structure a song, I can sing a hook, I can format a conceptual project and make it flow together. My engineer, Omar, and I are confident the sound we were aiming towards will be displayed.

Describe your music.

My music is very personal to me, especially on this album. Also, it is versatile as one song may be conscious and righteous while the next might be about throwing a cheating boyfriend out of the house. At the end of the day, my music is real. Anything I have ever rapped about I have lived through, done or will do.

Best performance you ever gave.

The best performance I ever gave was for a Halloween event at Club Mangos in Milwaukee when it was Club International I think. I really had a lot of fun and was able to be my goofy self on stage. I love being able to talk, or get silly, turn up, and have fun with the crowd.

WORST performance you ever gave.

The worst, in my opinion, was a performance I recently did for an organization that did not want me to use any profanity so it was hard for me to overlook a few words and stay on track with my newer songs.

What are some of the GOOD things about the music in this area?

One of the best things about the music in my area right now, is that I see a lot of artists completing full projects instead of just dropping a song here and there. Also, I see a lot of artists supporting one another and sharing/promoting music and events they’re doing. I’ve noticed seasoned artist have more respect for one another and seem to group together more.

What are some of the things that need to be improved?

First and foremost are the events in Milwaukee. I feel like a lot of promoters are just trying to throw a bunch of rappers on a show to get their crowd and entry fees.  The shows are unprofessional with laptop djs, broken mics, and poor promotion. I feel like too many people are trying to do everything on their own and not giving 100% to what they’re actually good at.

How would YOU change the music scene here?

If I had the time and energy to strengthen the scene here, I would start by forming some type of coalition of artists/producers/djs/promoters/videographers that all have the same goal in mind. We would be able to pool our networks and also assist one another with anything we could.

Who are some of your musical influences.

My musical influences are hilarious. I listen to a lot of country music, I love Miranda Lambert and Sugarland. As far as Hip-Hop, I am a huge fan of Rah Digga and Remy Ma. New Era artist, I love Snow Tha Product and I have watched her grind since the beginning.

Talk a little bit about your work in the community?

My full-time job is community work with elderly and disabled people. I have a real soft spot for elderly people, disabled individuals, and children. I have done a lot musically in the community as well. I wrote a domestic violence song for our county supervisor, I also co-wrote a song on racism and co-wrote a song on latin arts in the community. I performed at True Skool’s event which was community-geared. I also performed at two car shows and block parties in the community.

What is your goal for the community?

My goal for the community is to encourage people to find their outlet and their voice. I think that if we could encourage youth to plug into sports, music, and arts it would be beneficial to our society.

Tell me about “A Female Perspective.”

A Female’s Perspective was a blog that I started when I stopped doing music because I still love to write. The blog is no longer active, but when it was, I covered hip hop, art, and events from a female’s perspective. The blog was mainly my opinion on new music, events, and issues in our music scene. I really enjoyed blogging but I love writing music more.

If you could do a Colab with any artist, alive or dead, who would it be and why?

If I could Colab with any artist it would have to be Common. I really enjoy his music and his mentality. I think we would make an organic, real, classic song. Also, I have a huge crush on Common.

How do you want to be remembered?

I want to be remembered as a grounded artist. An artist who was always true to herself and un-wavered. As long as my music lives though, I live on.

WHERE DO WE GO???

I rail on local artists at times for a reason.

I have been there.  I have not only seen my friends make the same mistakes, but I  have made those same mistakes, thinking that I could simply get by on the talent God gave me. Let’s not get it twisted. I had MAD talent back in the day. As a singer, as a writer, as a performer. What I DIDN’T have is the knowledge of the game and the work ethic needed to get to the next level.

Now the reason I rail on the local artists is because I SEE the talent. I SEE the gift. What I don’t see is the commitment to the CRAFT. I see a plethora of cats that called themselves RAPPERS, that call themselves PERFORMERS but ain’t about shit but drinking, smoking and trying to get some ass.

You know another reason I rail on artists? Because there is WAY too much hatred in this area for people running the same race. (The link takes you to an article I wrote about Haters). We don’t live in a gigantic metro area like Chicago or New York where you have a million options and never really have to cross paths with your “competition.” Hell, in Green Bay, we got TWO places.

TWO.

Studio 132 and Mixers Lounge.

These are the only two places that are CONSTANTLY showcasing Hip Hop. These are the only two places that are CONSTANTLY supporting the Hip Hop Community in this area.

And those two places seem to be battling each other.

I am not going to call anyone from either place out by name, cause I have mad respect and love for both places. BUT, rumors have been going around that last week, during the Unity Concert and Party at Mixers, people were told NOT to go to Mixers. And part of the rumor was it was folks from Studio 132 doing the talking. These are just rumors. I have no proof of anything, and to be honest, don’t care. Knowing the folks at Studio 132, I don’t believe they would be that petty.

Every rumor, however, comes from a modicum of truth. So someone somewhere said SOMETHING that would even get the rumor started. This is the kind shit that we simply can’t have. We have TWO places where we showcase our music and our culture in Green Bay. Why waste time battling each other?

Simply doesn’t make sense to me. 

UNITY CONCERT & PARTY

Willie Dubceez Jones is a legend in the world of Green Bay Hip Hop. Before most of the local artists were a twinkle in their daddy’s eye, Dub was rockin’ mics and moving asses. So when he asked ME to be the host of a show that had his name on it, I didn’t even have to think twice. Hell yeah.

The Unity Concert and Party at Mixer’s Lounge was a chance for a number of different artists to put aside the bravado and ego that comes with this genre of music (hip hop) and simply have an opportunity to perform. Not only for the energetic crowd that was there but for the other artists that were participating.

For the most part, it went exactly the way Dub wanted. Great acts doing their thing and rockin’ the mic. I was particularly impressed with TRUE SQ, and TYC, The Young C.E.O. And of course, Handz Onn NEVER disappoints when he grabs the mic. 

Of course, it couldn’t go COMPLETELY smooth. You had to have at least one act just lose their damn mind. Blak Smoke out of Chicago came in and seemed like a cool dude…til he hit the stage. First of all, his music was on his phone. Ok, I suppose with the way phones are nowadays you could probably get away with that. Obviously the DJ (who was DUB) was able to handle playing the music off his phone. But midway through his first song, he gets a PHONE CALL. Really. (I am not smart enough to make this up). Now, correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t there a way to basically shut OFF the “getting a phone call in the middle of a damn song” feature on most cell phones? Wouldn’t you think to do that, considering you are the middle of a concert and using your PHONE has your background music?

And THEN, apparently rattled by the fact that his music was interrupted by a phone call, when Dub restarted his song, he couldn’t keep up with his OWN DAMN SONG. So of course, he demanded that Dub start the song AGAIN (for a second time). At THIS point, Dub put his foot down and said no. Blak Smoke’s response? “Ain’t NOBODY touching this mic until I get to rock a song, so put on a beat for me to rock to!!!”

Yeah, bruh, that ain’t gonna happen.

Other than that, (and the fact that two brothas had on big ass dukey chains, those big, 1986 Run DMC rope gold chains) it was a good time.

But it leads me to ask a couple questions. 1). Why aren’t there MORE shows like this in this area? No egos, (for the most part) just artists that want to rock the mic and get themselves heard. 2). Where are the r&b singers? The only singer in the room was Dub. Are there no local SINGERS? Am I missing something?

I also have to give a shout out to Bernard Moore and BeMo Entertainment.

He was shooting some video of the artists (and supporting his acts TYC and Migo Tunes) and getting ready to drop his underground hip-hopmagazine. Can’t WAIT to read that and hopefully work with him down the line.

 It was a great show, and mad love to Dub, and ALL the performers.

HATERS GONNA HATE

“I am running the same race and jumping over the same hurdles as you are, so why are YOU tripping me up?”

Remember that episode of “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”? The episode where Carlton and Will pledge a black fraternity, but they won’t accept Carlton basically because he wasn’t “black” enough for them? Once Carlton finds out he hasn’t been accepted, that was the seminal question he asked. As I watched that episode recently I started to think about how it relates to music.

I can’t even count how many times I have heard rappers say they don’t want to work with this guy, or that guy. I can’t even count how many times have heard rappers say they don’t fuck with this guy or that guy. I can’t even count how many times I have heard rappers just RIP on someone’s music for no other reason than to hate on someone.

I have a couple questions about this: My first question is WHY? Why the hate for people that, just like Carlton said, “Are running the same race and jumping over the same hurdles”? The second question is why does it always seem to be people of the same race hating on someone else’s success? Especially, it seems to me, in the rap game?   

Then, I bring it to the local level. We are in APPLETON or GREEN BAY, Wisconsin. This area ain’t that big, but you are hating on someone else within the genre that you are trying to do something in. Do you realize that but hating on someone within the genre, you are also hating on the genre YOU are in? I mean seriously, if you are going to run another rapper’s MUSIC into the ground, what are you saying about your own? More than likely, the people you are talking to haven’t heard of either one of you, so if you are shitting on someone else’s music, you are also shitting on your own.

Dumb ass.

I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t just seeing things thru my sometimes cynical eyes, so I asked some of the people in the game who I respect both as artists and individuals. Mind you, I am not and NEVER will hate on someone’s MUSIC. (The way they PRESENT themselves and their music is a different story and a different blog.) And I didn’t want to sound like I was trying to place the blame on any one race or person, so the question I asked to several different artist was this:

Have you been hated on because of your MUSICAL successes? And if you have, by who? Other artists? FANS of other artists? White? Black? Other nationalities? Who are your haters?

One of the first artists I asked was Josh “HandzOnn” Russell.

Anyone that knows me knows that I have mad respect for Josh as an artist. He, in my humble opinion, is one of the few artists in this area that actually GETS it. He knows how to market himself for what he does. He knows how to RESPECT the game and the people in it.

"The most hate I see, is from the people that don't really understand me, yes hip hop started out as something from the urban community but it has branched out so much from that. Yes I'm a chubby white dude, born in WV and grew up on the streets of Green Bay,” he said. “My "rap" and I have learned to use that term loosely, is not you’re typical "in the club, chant rap". I make stories to beats. Some are party songs, some are slowed down true versions, but everything I write is ME! It comes from my heart and if I said it in a song, I've lived it in my life. People just don't get that hip hop is so vast. I have always been taught, people are afraid of what they don't know.... I guess it's the same with HICK HOP MUSIC!!!!”

MsDinero CashQueen
will fool you. You will look at her pics, see her in public and see a sweet, smiling face…until she grabs the mic and starts to drop knowledge on you and you realize you have more than likely read her COMPLETELY wrong. (Don’t believe me? Listen to “God Help Me”. You will thank me later.)

“I’ve never been one for hatred. I am very happy for the success of other and wish the best for all humanity,” she said. “Unfortunately, not everybody feels the same way as I do. I have been told by many that I will not make it because of my gender and skin color. White girls should not rap, right? Wrong! Music is a part of an expression of who we are and the journey have gone through in life. Unfortunately these days most people have a hard time being happy for other people, especially when they are successful. I have been loved and hated; I have many fans and many that dislike me. Regardless, I pray for all.”

Joe “Tha Prophet” Jones of Tha Regime is to me an OG. He has been in the game for so long that he has forgotten more about this industry than most of these young cats know. So the hate directed at him is almost laughable.

“I have been hated on mostly by family and personal acquaintances and such. I have no beef with other artists. I support everybody’s music. Most of my haters so to speak are people who know me and see me every day,” Joe said. “Most of it is done directly to me; some of it is done behind closed doors. It's a mixed crowd. Some black some white. Comes with the territory. I'm 40 trying to pursue a music career still and a lot of people don't understand my goals and dreams.”

Like Tha Prophet, RockzSolid is an OG in the rap game. Her success is unmistakable. To me, the game in Milwaukee starts and ends with artists like her. And even SHE is not immune to the hate.

“Surprisingly, I think I've been shown a lot of love from females who support my music and buy my cd's. Mostly, I face a lot of double standards from guys.... like they treat me differently than male rappers on the scene. Different Dj's, rappers and promoters like to capitalize on my image or not show love to me like male rappers who have had the same type of success or even less on the scene... & to me that's HATE,” she said. “My haters are "hip hop rejects." They're mainly the people who hate me because they don't know me or know someone who hates me but doesn't know me and then they hate me too.  A lot of hate is shown by the lack of LOVE which is crazy because I show a lot of love. In the past, I have been beyond blunt and maybe too outspoken about wack music or artists and so I have a lot of people who hate me because of that. To be honest though, the hate doesn't affect me or motivate me, I just keep doing me.”

And it is not just in the rap game. Amanda Polenz is an accomplished singer and performer, and found that hate sometimes comes from JEALOUSY more than success.

“Not by musicians at all - but by best friends that were in my life and now aren’t. People who have been in my life for over 8 years just disappeared and I have no contact with them at all. They feel I am a different person because I am successful now,” she said. “If anything I have finally grown into the person I want to be, I am doing what I want to be doing and if they don't like it, they were truly never meant to be there anyways. Real friends would never ever leave.”

Now I know there are a LOT of artists out there that have no problem with other artists. I know there are people out there that support any and ALL local artists with no other agenda other than to support local music. But there are JUST enough ratchet ass haters out there that it needs to be addressed.

Haters gonna hate.

THE SHOW MUST GO ON......RIGHT????

Have you ever wondered why there seems to be SOOOOO many “rappers” and “Hip hop artists” out there, but you NEVER see the large majority of them do something like, I don’t know, PERFORM somewhere? Yeah, I was wondering the same thing, too. There are some many people walking around claiming to be rappers and claiming to be that fire, but can’t or won’t do it live. Can’t book. Can’t promote. But steadily want to talk about how great they are.

One promoter said he was “disappointed” in the fact that he was at a local show, but didn’t see ANY of the “13,975 artists in the Fox Valley/Green Bay area.” A local show without local artists. Make sense to you? Not to me either.  The actual promoter of the show said she CONTACTED several local artists for the show, but “they weren’t ready for it.” My question is WHY aren’t they ready? They are quick to get on Facebook and Twitter and other social media sites talking about how great they are. They are sending out the link to their Soundcloud and other music sites that they have uploaded their songs to. BUT, they aren’t ready to actually PERFORM their songs in public? Where they do THAT at?

You look at any number of big time artists, and you will see that their money wasn’t made in album sales. It was made in PERFORMANCES. On the road, touring. Getting out in front of people and performing their music for the masses. And for a lot of them, their start was before VERY small crowds. Country superstars Diamond Rio played their first gig for 10 people.

Another thing I hear and see (again, social media) these local artists say are things like “If you want me to perform, I need to go on at such and such a time.” Or “It needs to be turned up before I hit the stage.” To this I say, WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU? You are in APPLETON, WI, and you aren’t a superstar. You are trying to GET to that point, but TRUST, you ain’t there yet. We went to a show at a friend’s bar one night. Flyers and advertising for the show said the SHOW started at 10 pm. Please. The FIRST artist didn’t go on until damn near 12:30. SERIOUSLY? That is ridiculous. My friend also told me that some of the artists told her that they needed their drinks for free, and needed their PEOPLE to get in for free. WHAT? Again, WHO ARE YOU? You ain’t bringing in hundreds of people, so how you think you are in a position to demand people get in FREE? And if those people are there to support you, don’t you think you should have them SPENDING money in the place you are performing in? That can only make you look good.

And I don’t want to hear about YouTube views or likes on Facebook or SoundCloud or any other social media site. Or did I miss where those things turn into MONEY? Cause last time I checked, being the most popular artists on Facebook or SoundCloud or Twitter hasn’t paid a bill for anyone, unless you are a Kim K. She has MILLIONS of followers on twitter, and gets paid X amount of dollars from companies for simply mentioning their name on her twitter feed. She reaches MILLIONS of people. That makes sense. HER likes turn into money. If you do a show, how many of your LIKES turn into people thru the door?

The bottom line for most venues is just that: the Bottom Line. A bar will book a monkey passing out popcorn if it means people thru the door and money in their tills. So the question goes back to: can YOUR act bring people thru the door? Does what you do translate to money in the venue’s till AND your pocket? If it doesn’t, then you need to figure what you need to do so it does. 

Winter Sessions Show at the Shark Club

Maybe I am a little biased, because I think he is a great guy, but I am a BIG fan of Josh “Handz Onn” Russell. I have said it before, and I will say it again, he is one the hip hop artists in this area that in my opinion gets it. He truly understands that this business, this genre is just about money, hoes, and clothes. It’s about the MUSIC. It’s about crafting good songs that make people want to listen, have fun, and most importantly, come see you when you perform.

Handz Onn put together a show recently at the Shark’s Club on College Avenue in Appleton (which seems to be quite the music spot lately; a few weeks back I went and checked out a Spotlight Entertainment show in the same venue) called Winter Session. Incidentally, another thing about Josh that I really respect is his humbleness. He put the show together, he did a LOT of the leg work, but at the end of the day, he WASN’T the headliner, but I will touch on that in a bit.  

The first act, Looni Tunes, did a nice set. Apparently, it was their first performance together, but you really couldn’t tell, simply because they were both already seasoned solo performers.

Big H out of Minnesota hit the stage as well, and I gotta say I was impressed with his flow.

The energy from S.M.O.K.E.D. filled the entire place. Actually, THEY filled the entire place. At one point I think they were both in the back of the place, cordless mics in hand rocking the crowd.

Josh, joined by drummer Jaime Varela of the metal band Evoked, tore the stage DOWN, and Tha Regime just completely shut the door.

Tha Regime, the headliner of the show, impresses me more and more every time I see and hear them. When you watch them on stage, it is hard to believe that they have been a group only since August of 2012. Their ebb and flow with each other is just effortless and on point. And their styles complement each other so well. With Tha Prophet’s low DMX-like growl to S.O.T. rapid fire Twista-esqe delivery, Tha Regime are the complete package.

Since I have mentioned the Spotlight show, there were some VERY obvious differences between the two shows, although both were hip hop shows. The first glaring difference was the lineup. The Spotlight show was just that: A Spotlight Entertainment show. Every act on the bill was a Spotlight act. And that makes perfect sense. For Josh’s show, he brought in acts the liked, respected, and felt deserved a spot. I respect that as well.

The second difference the start time. When there is a Handz Onn show, it starts when it SAYS it is going to start. (I will throw in this caveat, though. THIS particular show started about 15 minutes late; so there were no breaks between the acts. Just kept right on rolling.) One of my biggest pet peeves as always been the RIDICULOUSLY late start for some of these hip hop shows. If your flyer says show is at 10, why in the hell is it 12:30 before the FIRST act hits the stage? Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Don’t get me wrong, I have MAD respect for a LARGE number of the hip hop artists around here (some, not all. Some of them are just flat garbage), but let’s not get it twisted. NONE of them are superstars. I respect your grind and your talent, so me dropping $5 or $10 at the door to see your show isn’t really a bother. But I want a SHOW. Not two or three songs from the act that is SUPPOSED to be the headliner at 1:30 in the morning because everyone has been bullshitting around for the last three hours.

Anyway, I digress. I talked to Josh about his show before they hit the stage.

What are you trying to accomplish with what you have going on tonight?

Tonight is completely focused around the fact that I want to show that I am different kind of hip hop artist in this area. I want to show that I am a performer, not just a rapper. I can get in a booth and spit a verse all day. I want to show that I am a performer. I want to show that there IS performing in hip hop. There should be lights. There should be a stage. There should be all kind of fun goodies. I have a live drummer behind me tonight. I want to show that I am more than just an open mic hip hop artist.

What else you got going on tonight?

Man, I got performers from all over. I got acts from Sheboygan, Appleton, and Minnesota. I am also going to be videotaping the show from multiple angles so I can put together a promo video to send to record labels to show that I am not just part time rapper. This is my job and this is my life.

What was the thought process behind all ages and no cover for this show?

There are not enough places that allow you to do all ages, you know? And it really sucks, because the younger crowd is the next generation of listeners. The younger kids are the next generation of Handz Onn fans, and I want to be able to throw all ages shows so they have a chance to be a part of something.

So what is next for you?

Well, I am going to finish up my CD, then go do another show in Vegas in April and then in June I am doing a 30 day tour around the United States.  I bring everything with me too; I am the full show, not just one performer. Handz Onn is not a rapper anymore. Maybe at one point he was, but at this point now Handz Onn has become an industry. Yes, I am the rapper, but I have so many people that are behind me. Photographers, security, stage hands, sounds guys; the name Handz Onn is no longer just me.

Hip Hop Artists Tha Regime

Sometimes, no matter how hard you push and work, you need some support or back up to make it to that next level.

Sometimes, you just have a connection with someone that you just KNOW means great things for everyone involved.

For Tha Prophet and S.O.T, joining forces and becoming the Tha Regime gave them the best of both worlds.

Formed in August of 2013, Tha Regime (‘Tha Prophet’ Joe Jones, and ‘S.O.T.’ Nick Bottine) came to be when both rappers decided that the other would be the perfect foil for their style. S.O.T. is the rapid fire, Twista type rapper that makes you stand up and really pay attention. Tha Prophet is more guttural, the deep-voiced spitter whose voice is so huge that you can’t help but listen.

Tha Regime will be rocking the stage at Shark’s Club on January 18^th together, but Tha Prophet and S.O.T. have been dropping solo projects as well, such as Jones’ new video for the song ‘Voices’.

A former solider in the U.S. Army from Louisiana, Jones sat down with me to talk about Tha Regime, and whose ankles he wants to break and why.

What is going on in the life of Tha Regime?

Right now, we are in the process of putting out our ‘Frontlines’ album. We have a show coming up January 18^th at the Shark’s Club with Handz Onn. We are also getting into the act of shooting our own videos.

Tell me about Winter Session?

This hip hop invasion started years and years ago with Josh Hands Onn Russell. Every time he would put something together, regardless if I was in a group or not, he would invite me down to perform. Now that he is doing it, and since we have a bit of a local buzz, he asked us to come and perform. We get a 45 minute set that night instead of the usual 2 or 3 songs we normally get asked to do.

What brought you two together?

He was at the same show that I had done, and I had never met the man. I talked to him back stage, and we listened to each other rap. I dropped a comment on someone’s Facebook page about basement studios killing hip hop. My comment was basement studios aren’t killing hip hop; what’s coming OUT of the basement studios is what’s killing hip hop. He agreed with the comment and hit me up on Facebook. He said he was looking to start a group as real as the comment you made. That was August of 2012.

How is being in a group different from being a solo act?

As a solo artist, I don’t have to do as much work (laughing). His style is completely different than what I am used to. I normally listen to a beat, play the beat over and over again, and then write my lyrics. Him, he can take two minutes to listen to the beat in the studio, write his verse and be done with it. His work ethic is crazy.

How do the things you learned as a solo act help you now?

It helps me because I know how to promote. Nick is great, but he is a fairly young cat. He doesn’t know as many people as I do. I mean, I can teach him a few things, but at the same time, I am learning from him.

Tell me about RGM Entertainment?

RGM is a dream I have been having for years. What it stands for is Real G Music, or Real Guerilla Music. It is something we want to build more into a movement than a label.

The video for Voices you did with your phone. Tell me about that?

It was a very personal song and I didn’t want to get out there with real expensive equipment and shoot the video. I wanted it to be raw and gritty. It’s in my house, it’s in my studio. I wanted to keep it that way because that is where my creative thinking comes from. All I had was my cell phone, so you use what you got.

Describe your music.

We are more in your face, brash and raw with it. We don’t believe in doing the same stuff that everyone else is doing, talking about money and cars and women and all that stuff. Our style is pretty much the essence of what hip hop was.

Who are your music influences?

The biggest influence I have is Tupac. The stuff he did back in the day smashes a lot of stuff out today.

When did you first fall in love with music?

If you are old school, you will remember this. I will have to say back in the Biz Markie days. The way he did that video, with the Mozart video and all that, it made me realize that someone could get on TV like that and clown and be successful.

As a fan, what was your first concert?

I went and saw Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown back in the day. I first saw Bobby Brown, and then I saw Whitney Houston.

Name and artist, alive or dead, that you would want to do a song with?

Alive it would have to be Eric B. from Eric B. and Rakim. Dead, it would have to be Tupac.

One song that describes your life?

In a nutshell, ‘Voices’. That whole song is the truth. We deal with voices every day. You deal with your own voices, and sometimes they can be your worst enemy.

You are making a mixtape of your all-time favorite songs. What is the first song on it and why?

I would have to say Dear Mama by Tupac. That song was a classic. For someone to write a song that praises his momma like he did…yeah. Not too many people do that anymore.

What are some of the good things in your mind about the music scene in this area?

The fact that there is actual TALENT in this area. A lot of undiscovered talent. That fact that this talent is out there and will continue to grow. They will come out of the closet and get themselves heard.

What can be improved about the music scene in this area?

What needs to be improved is the unity. I am not saying that to step on anybody’s toes, I am saying it to step on your ankles and break the motherfuckers. The unity needs to improve in this area as far as the hip hop scene goes. There is too much hatin’ and not enough congratulatin’.

Best Performance you ever gave?

I would have to say a performance we gave at the Legion Hall in Racine. That was our best performance. That was crowd was nuts and we fed off the energy of the crowd. That show was nuts.

Worse show?

The one down here at Antro. It wasn’t even a show. We got the mics, and the sound wasn’t that great. Needless to say, after one song we were done. We just gave the mics back and walked off. And we had NEVER done that before.

When all this is said and done, what do you want people to say about you?

I want them to say that Tha Regime is one the realest groups out there. They don’t fabricate nothing and they bring it to you raw. If you want to listen to real music, listen to Tha Regime.