The SoBe Pass With The Multi-Dimensional Stack$!

Rapper and SoBe Entertainment CEO, Stack$, ConfuZed no more

By Alicia Cruz

Senior writer
Theblackurbantimes.com
Rapper and CEO of SoBe Entertainment, Stack$, nee Yannique Barker, is a young and rising artist from Washington, D.C. who got his first break after landing a spot on MTV’s Freestyle Battles. He wasn’t able to compete because, at age 17, he did not meet the required legal age for competition.

This did very little discourage the young rapper as he went on promoting his CDs at local radio stations and anywhere else he thought might get him the exposure he needed.

After awhile, his tenacity, skills and motivation paid off. Stack$ drew the attention of record executives and in 2004 he was signed to the label he is now chief executive officer of SoBe Entertainment and that union gave life to his freshman album, “CraZee and ConfuZed.”

That was in 2004. Fast forward to 2009 and Stack$ has several artists signed to his label who he is producing and promoting, all while working on his sophomore album, attending college at the University of Miami and trying to create his own clothing line.

Trust me when I tell you, this young man is a shining star who is about to blow up. Check out the interview he was so graciously kind to participate in with me and check out his web site to listen to the tunes of his artists (especially the ‘Obama Anthem’ ¡así que hermosito!) and find out what else is going on in the SoBe camp.

Ok, mi gentes, I've pulled a 16 hour work day to include my work for the blackurbantimes and the paper I work for so I'm going to get me some shut-eye and then....bring you "An interview with the devil.... the Nu Jerzey Devil." LOL

INTERVIEW

Theblackurbantimes: What's up, Stack$. How are you?

Stack$:I'm good. I'm sorry I'm late, but my other interview ended late.

THBLKUTMS: That's fine, it’s not late.

Stack$: So I hear you just got done interviewing my boy, Nu Jerzy Devil.

THBLKUTMS: Yeah I did. He's Boricua. My Boricua brother. The interview went great, I hope. (laughing)

Stack$: It did. Yeah, I asked him what Boricua meant and he told me, “Puerto Rican.” (Laughing)

THBLKUTMS: Yes, that’s what it means (laughing) So I hear you're dropping a new LP?

Stack$: Yes, I am hopefully this summer.

THBLKUTMS: So, for those that may not be familiar with your background, tell us a little about yourself.

Stack$: Yeah, sure. Okay, I'm mixed, the product of a biracial couple: My dad is west Indian and my mother is French, Portuguese and Swedish. I was born in D.C., did a couple of years at USC out in southern California and then my family relocated to Miami. So I would say I’m a Miami resident but I was born in DC and raised in Maryland. (Laughing)

THBLKUTMS: Oh, ok you're part West Indian like me.

Stack$: Oh yeah?

THBLKUTMS: Yes, my mother is from St. Croix

Stack$: Oh yeah?! That' crazy, My dad is from Barbados.

THBLKUTMS: All right. Like me, you have quite a mix going on there (laughing). That’s good.

Stack$: Yeah.

THBLKUTMS: So, tell me, who or what inspired you to go into the Rap/music industry?

Stack$: Who inspired me or what inspired me to go into the industry?

THBLKUTMS: Well, both.

Stack$: Well, your typical list biggie, NAS, Big L, Rakim, uh big pun, you know. People in the industry I look up to are obviously people like Puffy and Jay-Z, hip hop moguls who I hope to be like one day in life.

THBLKUTMS: Well, you're obviously on the right track if you emulate success stories like those two.

Stack$: Most definitely.

THBLKUTMS: So how are you doing after that bad accident in June?

Stack$: Oh, you read about that?

THBLKUTMS: Of course. That must have been very scary for you and your passenger. Thank God you are alright. You've pulled through remarkably.

Stack$: Thank you. Yeah, that really was a crazy time. Yeah, I thank god I’m all right. That was the one time in my life, you know, when you see that light flashing right before you think you’re about to die; thank god, thank my stars and stripes that I'm alive. I didn’t even have my seatbelt on; my friend, in the passenger seat, didn’t have a seatbelt on either.

THBLKUTMS: What happened?

Stack$: What happened was these 16-year-old kids just got their license came out of nowhere into my lane on the freeway, spun out of control and hit us. It was crazy, Alicia, we were like 100 ft in the air and we almost tipped over the concrete railing and then the bridge. It was crazy. If we had, I wouldn’t be talking to you today.

THBLKUTMS: Well thank God you’re all right. You were injured pretty badly, but your recovery has been speedy and great.

Stack$: Yes it has. Its been crazy, you know, there’s been a lot of car accidents. Not necessarily with me but with my family and people I know. It's dangerous, for real. But all of that just opened my eyes after that. I thought about the things I wanted to accomplish in my life and it motivated me and made me pursue things that people don’t think I should pursue. Some think I'm talent less….

THBLKUTMS: What? After all you've already done and accomplished? At your age, you have been a producer and you’re the CEO of a thriving label (SoBe). Pay them no mind, papa. You have done a lot.

Stack$: Thank you. I think so too. I’m getting ready to go with my gut and just work hard every single day because you never know when it's your last day.

THBLKUTMS: Absolutely. Stay focused and keep forging ahead. For you to be so young you sound so wise. You're very articulate and that's a plus in this industry. I’m very impressed.

Stack$: Thank you. Thank you. I like to believe I’m a little older than my years. Some people say that too.

THBLKUTMS: Well they have a point.

Stack$: I’m not going to tell my real age though (laughing).

THBLKUTMS: That's cool. Now, your sophomore Album is about to drop, is that correct?

Stack$: Yes, actually some people think it's my freshman (laughing). Some people think it's my freshman because I had been working on it for so long. I had been crafting it for like 3 or 4 years and it came to a point where I was like I just need to put something out there for people to judge me on and that was that EP. I had a lot of features on there and I had to just take some people off the album and I released it last year in September.

THBLKUTMS: And now you’re...

Stack$: Now I’m working on my sophomore EP which I’m trying to get out right now.

THBLKUTMS: Ok. now one of your EPs that I actually listened to was ‘MIA‘. That was pretty cool. You worked with Diddy on that, correct?

Stack$: Yes, I did.

THBLKUTMS: So how it working with him?

Stack$: It was interesting. As I mentioned earlier, he is one of my inspirations. I have a lot of respect for him. He’s done so much: the fashion thing, the liquor thing, you know? He's tied into everything you so really gotta admire and respect that. He’s branded himself and that's something else. He’s a marketing genius and I could learn a lot from him. That was an experience because it was like my first record, my first video. To be honest, like I told people, I didn’t even write that record.

THBLKUTMS: Is that right?

Stack$: Yes, I was kind of thrust into something but I needed to do something and the opportunity presented it self. This is all kind of new to me and at that time, I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go. I wasn’t comfortable with myself at that time so I was just learning the ropes.

THBLKUTMS: Of course, that’s understandable.

Stack$: Now I don’t have anyone that writes for me. I’m fortunate enough to be in a position where I can do so especially with my family where I’m able to know what looks or sounds right. MIA was just a starting point for me.

THBLKUTMS: Well, yes, a good starting point because you’re moving up and you’ve grown as a professional...as an artist, right?

Stack$: Absolutely

THBLKUTMS: So tell me, how did you meet and come to work with Tony Camillo?

Tony, well, I didn’t. Actually my dad used to work with him. He had a record label back in the 70's and he worked with artists like Peaches and Herb and Sly and the Family Stone so I actually never met him but my dad was working with him and then I got to meet him later, like a mentor.

THBLKUTMS: Wow, cool.

Stack$: So when we decided to relocate the family down to Miami we saw labels like Slip-N-Slide and he (my dad) was “like I want to create a label with all different types of genres, all types of people and music; hip hop, reggae, pop all kinds of music.” And me, being 15, 16-years-old and rolling around with my dad, I was like “I’m with that dad, I’m with it.” I was like, “I want to rap!” My dad was looking at me like, “You don’t know how to rap…yeah right.” (laughing)

THBLKUTMS: Is that right? (Laughing)

Stack$: Yeah but he gave me my first opportunity and that was a blessing. It always a blessing when your family believes in you and supports your dreams. So I do all I can to make them proud and be successful.

THBLKUTMS: Now from what I understand when you first started out you pretty much promoted yourself and hustled your own stuff. They say that you had a vision, you were relentless, motivated and you just pushed, correct?

Stack$: Yes and I’m still like that to this day. There are still goals I have yet to achieve.

THBLKUTMS: Great. Keep pushing, Stack$. So how is the label going? Tell us about the label.

Stack$: A lot is going on and we’re doing a lot. We first started out with an act called Urban Mystic who is like an R&B, Soul artist from Fort Lauderdale. He's actually working on his third album called “Ghetto Revelations”(GRIII: Old School 2 Nu Skool) that were looking to release this April. Actually this was our first act, so while I’m working with him, I was looming in the back crafting how I wanted to look; my image, you know how I wanted to sound when I come out, you know. I’m in my early twenties - again, I cant give my real age (Laughing), but I’m feeling more wiser in that I know how I want to be perceived by people.

THBLKUTMS: Outstanding, Stack$, really. Your personal appearance and how you conduct yourself permeate every aspect of your life. You know where you’ve heard that before, right? (Laughing)

Stack$: Yeah, yeah I have.

THBLKUTMS: So you are definitely on the road to success.

Stack$: Thank you I believe I am.

THBLKUTMS: You talk about your family a lot.

Stack$: Yeah I do. They are really in my corner.

THBLKUTMS: Do you come from a large family like most west Indians (laughing)?

Stack$: (Laughing) No, uh a small family actually. Its just my sister, my dad and my mother. I have distant cousins in the west Indian that I never see, unfortunately, but you know how that is.

THBLKUTMS: Yeah I do. Now with your dad having already been in the industry, was he also an inspiration for your going into music?

Stack$: Oh yes, definitely. Him and my grandmother, God rest her soul.

THBLKUTMS: I’m sorry to hear that.

Stack$: Thank you. Yes, she actually lived here in Brooklyn so I spent summers up here with her. She had this...this gift for words and poetry. She had me playing the piano so she actually fostered some of my early musical aspirations.

THBLKUTMS: Stack$ that is beautiful. You are so mature and articulate.

Stack$: Thank you

THBLKUTMS: Okay, so I’m looking forward to hearing your next EP. Hopefully we’ll get to interview you once you drop it.

Stack$: Oh definitely, you will. I would love to. I hope to have it out late this summer. So far we have a tentative title for it called “Celebrity Status,” but like I said I’ve been kind of taking a step back because we're promoting Nu Jerzey Devil right now, Urban Mystic with his album and Jah Cure who is phenomenal reggae act and I'm crafting something with Brooke Hogan. She’s going on her second season with VH1. So I have a lot on my plate right now trying to get big time this year, you know?

THBLKUTMS: Yes, it is and with your artist, Urban mystic making songs like the Obama anthem (“Obama: A Change Has Come"), and the other artists, it wont be too hard to achieve that goal in 2009.

Stack$: Thank you, yes, well, all of them are doing great. Like I said we’re trying to drop his new album (“GRIII: Old School 2 Nu Skool”) in April. So look out.

THBLKUTMS: Ok, will do. Now just two last questions for you before I let you get back to work.

Stack$:Sure, yeah, go ahead

THBLKUTMS: do you have any endorsements yet?

Stack$: I do not.

THBLKUTMS: Not yet

Stack$: Right, not yet, but I’m working on other things like my own clothing brand so I haven’t really reached out to anybody. To tell you the truth, I don’t even have a manger yet, (laughing)but it’ll happen. That person will have to be very intelligent and much more experienced, obviously in this industry than I am because, I tell you I have met so many people that are just full of sh**, you know. So I would definitely need to have somebody that is really in my corner and knows what they doing. I don’t mean to sound cocky or arrogant

THBLKUTMS: Of course not. You sound smart… your being smart because you have to surround yourself with people that are business smart and trustworthy which is tough, I hear, in this industry. So I think you’re being very wise.

Stack$: It's not so much that people left a bad taste in my mouth or that I had a manger that was bad but I dealt with the mangers of other people and they some of them were fu**** as***** you know what I mean? So I don’t want to be in that position with a bad manager so right now I’m doing things on my own.

THBLKUTMS: Ok, last question (laughing)

Stack$: (Laughing) Really, you’re fine.

THBLKUTMS: Ok, any acting roles or offers coming your way yet?

Stack$: I’m definitely thinking about it. I wont want to stay in music forever so it's something I would consider. Later I want to have my own production company which is why I went to USC for film for directing. I’m writing scripts on the side. Actually I’m hoping to graduate this year from the University of Miami.

THBLKUTMS: Beautiful!

Stack$: Thank you. I’m majoring in film production. In Miami you have to have a double major so I’m taking film production and psychology.

THBLKUTMS: What? That's great. You’ll come to see how useful the intricacies of psychology will become in the industry you’re in as far as dealing with people.

Stack$: Oh, I can imagine.

THBLKUTMS: Your plate really is full: school, producing acts and rapping.

Stack$: Yes, I know.

THBLKUTMS: Well keep an eye out for Spike Lee and F. Gary Gray. They look out for up and coming film producers, so I hear.

Stack$: Oh yes, definitely. Actually John Singleton lives in my building in Miami.

THBLKUTMS: Cool then you have a direct connection to one of the best film makers right now.

Stack$: Yeah, yeah, He's the man.

THBLKUTMS: Well thank you, Stack$ for your time. God bless and keep up that hard work; graduate and do your thing. 2009 is your year!

Stack$: Thank you. That’s right anything is possible. Thank you, Alicia for your time.

THBLKUTMS: No thank you, you're the star here (laughing).

Stack$: (Laughing) Well, thank you.

THBLKUTMS: Ok, so keep theblackurbantimes in mind and drop us a line when you or one of your acts are doing something new or big and we’ll set up an interview. And when you’re in the Colombian community in Miami, be sure to check us out. We’re good people, we love to cook and eat and have a good time. I’m sure there are some Colombians who are die-hard fans of yours. (Laughing)

Stack$: Oh, yes, I have been to the Colombian community there and ya’ll have some beautiful women and good people. I love the Colombians! I have friends who are Colombians.

THBLKUTMS: Well, good. You have a great day, Stack$ and thanks again for your time.

Stack$: You too, Alicia. Thank you, a lot.