EXCLUSIVE!!! BUCKSHOT INTERVIEW..THE HIP-HOP LEGEND TALKS ABOUT DUCKDOWN, 9THWONDER, AND LIL' WEEZY!!

BUCKSHOT CHANGES THE HIP-HOP INDUSTRY..BETTER DUCK DOWN
By Daniel Gibson

Buckshot, he’s a legend in the game. As part of Black Moon he made classics. We know him from Enta the Stage, and classics like “Who Got the Props” and “I Gotcha Opin”. Now with his partner and hip-hop industry internet pioneer Dru Ha, together they are entering into the dot com era full steam ahead. The competition is none according to him and his new collaborative album with beat maker extraordinaire, 9th wonder called, "The Formula", is already being hailed as a classic. We got a chance to speak with Buckshot and find out why he’s one of the busiest men in hip-hop.

BLACKURBANTIMES.ORG: Where did the title the Formula originate from?

BUCKSHOT: It originated from The Chemistry (previous album) and I was experimenting with the chemistry and I found the formula, I’m in a zone right now I have never been in before.

BLACKURBANTIMES.ORG: Even though you are a veteran in the rap game are you anxious or excited heading into your release date?


BUCKSHOT: Anxious and excited! The formula to the music is to be a fan. If I’m not a fan I’m not messing with it. We are all serious about it and we do it because it feels good.

BLACKURBANTIMES.ORG: What is your favorite song off of the album and why?

BUCKSHOT: My favorite song is “Throwin Shade,” “Brand New,” too. Shade because it just feels good, not about anything else but it feels good that’s it. I like “Hold it Down” and “Go All Out.” That’s why it’s a summer album I like to put in the elements of the earth.

BLACKURBANTIMES.ORG: Do you have any collabos on the album that people should look out for and what do you look for in an artist you choose to work with?

BUCKSHOT: Just dopeness. They gotta be clear, punctual, have precision, content, control, all those things and they gotta have one thing that nobody else has. Like Kweli and Kanye West.

BLACKURBANTIMES.ORG: On the Formula Intro you said, “I don’t preach but I do teach my lil homies in the hood how to out reach and how to move your mouth piece cause a closed mouth never gets invited to the feast.” Do you see yourself as a mentor in way to your fans and new artist?

“Black people are not equal but my whole album is geared towards that. I rap how I flow in a conversation. Every song has that energy without 9th Wonder it wouldn’t happen this way. It just comes from natural energy, people are interested.”-BUCKSHOT

BUCKSHOT: I do but not in a egotistical way. I’m tryin to explain I don’t preach but I do enlighten the streets. Black people are not equal but my whole album is geared towards that. I rap how I flow in a conversation. Every song has that energy without 9th Wonder it wouldn’t happen this way. It just comes from natural energy, people are interested. Duck Down is going to be interesting because were on our own and Koch is our distributor but we market ourselves through our mind frame. Me and Dru Ha made Vision because its based on our own ideas for the future. We are different because we are not marketing artist who can make a hot song or sell ring tones, we want people who make good music. If Trillville sells 100 million they accomplished their goal and I’m always going to give respect. I respect Lil Boosie, Lil Wayne, Trillville all of them and the South needs to respect us too.

BLACKURBANTIMES.ORG: What does 9th Wonder bring to the table that caused you to work with him and how has your relationship with him evolved as you work together on different projects?

BUCKSHOT: Energy. 9th Wonder doesn’t make beats and send you off, he is a real producer like Quincy Jones he makes sure its right. I’m just blessed to be here man.

BLACKURBANTIMES.ORG: You have been successful in the game for a long time how has your mindset changed in creating this album from the mindset you had before going into previous albums?

BUCKSHOT: I learned how to become more natural like in yoga and when they say relax. Don’t be over analytical and political just learn to live life. However I’m feeling that’s what I put in my music. Certain artist fall off because they lose intunement with the music. They need to pick out there own music a lot of them were doing their thing but they can’t hang with the changes in music. You gotta have the whole package. Its hard to be smart and real easy to be stupid people just smoke, drink, and get girls but you have to grow. When I was young I was never stupid I just wasn’t as smart as I am now. People like that go through trials and tribulations.

BLACKURBANTIMES.ORG: You are the self proclaimed Dot Com Don. What caused you to focus on the internet years before most other rappers thought about it?


“Vanilla Ice’s sales came off of Christmas gift sales, sales don’t mean sh*t, if people like you, you will sell but the respect is what lasts.”-BUCKSHOT

BUCKSHOT: Dru Ha, he had the idea he graduated from Syracuse he was the business mind behind Nervous Records. The head of the label wasn’t doing nothing it was me and Dru Ha doing the radio promotion and doing co-ops. So we decided to link up and make our own thing and do it under one system. In 95’ he used the internet to do it. www.Duckdown.com . Boot Camp Clik used to put www in front of everything we shouted it out on records because we wanted to be world wide.

CLASSIC BLACK MOON-"WHO GOT THE PROPS"!!


BLACKURBANTIMES.ORG: What will it take for you to view this album as a success? Do you base it off of sales of feedback from fans or a mix of both?

BUCKSHOT: Respect and feedback, we had Vanilla Ice he sold double platinum! The rules don’t change the only thing that change is people perception. Vanilla Ice’s sales came off of Christmas gift sales, sales don’t mean sh*t, if people like you, you will sell but the respect is what lasts. If you got a pop record people buy that record to keep the club poppin its for the club scene. They don’t feel the artist music. My music is based on colors. They make you feel a certain way; yellow makes you feel good like a sunny day. Red is a angry color. Now we understand music has two forms, knowledge and entertainment. I stay in shape I’m in tune, I’m living, my mind frame is just live and do it. Eat, love ya family, and don’t get caught up.

BLACKURBANTIMES.ORG: What does a studio session for you look like?

BUCKSHOT: Music blasting, smoke everywhere, with a room full of MC’s. KRS-One, Kool G Rap the rhymes gotta be correct or else they will tell you.

BLACKURBANTIMES.ORG: Whats your creative process like when your making a song?

BUCKSHOT: Just burning something up and listening to the beat, get the music right and get going.

BLACKURBANTIMES.ORG: Do you write rhymes down or do you step in the booth and let your mind go?

BUCKSHOT: I write it down.

BLACKURBANTIMES.ORG: Do you prefer performing live better or doing it in the studio?

BUCKSHOT: Live hands down.

BLACKURBANTIMES.ORG: Do you find it challenging to keep your fan base happy while you also look to gain new fans as the industry continues to change?

BUCKSHOT: It’s hard, its hard that’s what makes it hard. It’s like how you do that? I work hard I’m like a basketball player with a nice jump shot. I shoot that three pointer and I keep working at it. I cant explain it, if it was easy everybody would be Steve Nash. You can t teach it. So many analogies, Nate Robinson is tiny and he is destroying people. Buckshot is 5’4” and he is one of the biggest leaders in the industry. Not just a record owner its what separates me from other artist. Its not easy people try to section it off without acknowledging each other. I’m doing it now my marketing company is what drives my label. The secret is easy to give out because you can know it but not duplicate it. I have done work with Boost Mobile, ESPN, and the History Channel. We’re joining people together the marketing company is based on DuckDown Records product marketing company. The chains don’t matter what separates us is the business side of it. I started out as an intern. Our goal is to put out the veteran without the ice, just the good music. A lot of record labels seem to have forgot about the rappers that started the game out we want to put something together for them to get their music out.

BLACKURBANTIMES.ORG: Is there any new artist today that reminds you of yourself when you were in your early stages as an artist?

BUCKSHOT: Nah, closest though is Lil Wayne. He understands the flow. He’s like Darth Vader with the force he has the flow he don’t play. I did a song with Wayne on the Hello Brooklyn mixtape. I respect him he got his business right and his music is fire.

BLACKURBANTIMES.ORG: What advice would you tell an up and coming artist in the game?

BUCKSHOT: Don’t f**k up the opportunity, don’t be stupid.