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By
David L. Grant
KAM
is a West Coast rapper currently signed to the War Zone Group. He
made his first break into the hip-hop scene with his album Neva
Again (1993) with a variety of tracks that provoked thought on controversial
issues such as race relations in America. His premier single, “Peace
Treaty,” paid tribute to the peace treaty between the Bloods and
Crips gangs. Now with his coming album, Self & Kind, KAM speaks
out on the state of the music industry and hip-hop as a whole and
why rappers today have nothing to say.
UVC:
What is your background?
KAM:
Just a black child of slavery. I was born and raised as one of the
children of slaves.
UVC:
And what is your spiritual background?
KAM:
I was raised Christian, and in ‘88, ‘89 I was introduced to the
nation of Islam under minister Farrakhan. I’ve been pushing that
line ever since…I don’t get caught up too much in the title, because
all the principles are the same. That’s part of the reason why the
world is fucked up …people misrepresent religion and are causing
division because of titles. It’s because of titles that people are
fighting and killing each other.
UVC:
Who is your favorite comic book character?
KAM:
Growing up [it] was always The Incredible Hulk. I liked the Hulk
because he was the strongest…top of the food chain. I liked Dr.
Strange, but when it came down to it I always liked The Incredible
Hulk. To me it was like some black shit – he didn’t speak good,
but he was known for his physical ability being off the chain, nobody
could mess with him. It reminded me of the situation us black folk
have been left in.
UVC:
Stripped down to only having our strength?
KAM:
Yeah, exactly. That’s real. We understand that somebody’s trying
to do something to us, but our vocabulary isn’t so tough when we’re
trying to express ourselves like I am now. I won’t use the grammatically
correct words and the right context and all that, and I might get
brushed aside like I’m an animal or something.
UVC:
So why did you first get into hip-hop?
Kam:
Because hip-hop is what we are, our generation, we started hip-hop.
When you say hip-hop to me, it’s the same as saying the ghetto to
me, that’s everything that’s black. It’s our urban hood experience,
no matter what place you come from. So as far as hip-hop or rap
music, I first got introduced to that through the Sugar Hill Gang
and, of course, we heard Run DMC, Houdini, and all that. But what
really set it off for me was “The Message” by Grand Master Flash,
The Furious Five, and Mellie Mel…it wasn’t corny, it wasn’t preachy,
but the beat was banging and dudes was talking about socially conscious
hood subjects.
UVC:
Is that part of the reason why you chose to get into hip-hop the
way you did? You have songs out about the Watt’s Riot, the peace
treaty between the Bloods and Crips gangs, and racism in America.
KAM:
I was a big fan of Rakim, Chuck D, Public Enemy, everybody that
was conscious, X-Clan, KRS-One…but it didn’t speak to the West Coast
reality, this gang bang lifestyle. So it wasn’t until I heard “My
Kind Of Town” with Ice-T…they were able to say the kind of shit
we were going through at the time…when I heard “The Message,” it
kind of broke past the East to the West. We was gang banging to
that, Cats was really feeling “The Message” and I was one of ’em,
but it wasn’t ‘til I heard “Fuck Da’ Police,” I knew that was it
for me. My lifestyle was gang banging, slanging, and pimping – that
was our reality. We knew what the ‘cause of our problems was, we
knew who the enemy was, but ‘till you hear somebody say it…
UVC:
It brought to the forefront the things that happened in your life?
KAM:
Yeah, exactly. It was happening everywhere, but the first people
that spoke on it and once they spoke on it once and we found out
that we could say that, actually say that on the radio. That’s what
I mean, it was new to us, we didn’t know we could say “Fuck Da’Police”
on no record, when we found out that we could do that…we could really
say what we was going through.
UVC:
So what was the first rhyme you wrote and what was it about?
KAM:
Oh, man, the first rhyme that I wrote. Wow, I can’t even remember
back that far. Well, the way we used to do it is that we took whatever
rap song was hot at the time and we’d just change the lyrics. So
if it was a Run DMC record, you would change it to your ‘hood or
to your gang set and that’s how that started.
UVC:
What is your favorite topic to rap about?
KAM:
My favorite topic to rap about is the enemy and going against the
enemy. We’re living at a time at the end of the world where the
entire planet is upset about the way things are being run and by
who is running it…The big enemy is those that made us slaves and
those who have impoverished all these nations. Also the other enemy
[is] self, because once you get that right information you can’t
blame nobody else. You can’t go to war with that outside enemy,
you have to go to war with the real enemy. The real jihad or war
is the war of self.
We’re
born into this world and its already cracklin’, so you got to be
able to identify that outside one first so you can survive. Then
once you understand that you turn that inside. After recognizing
the outside enemy, I realize that same potential is in me. If you
really hate what’s being done, you have to look inside and think:
let me find that cancer cell within me and kill that.
UVC:
So people are lacking information they need?
KAM:
Exactly. If you want to be a warrior or soldier, you have to be
able to recognize who’s keeping us ignorant, who are keeping us
from knowing what they know. That’s my nemesis, those that are keeping
us from the information we need to get Heaven on this Earth while
we’re here.
UVC:
Who are some of your favorite hip-hop artists now?
KAM:
Well right now it would be G Malone, for personal reasons; he’s
a new West cat that’s coming out. But across the board, I like Kanye,
‘cause he talks his shit, he talks his reality. I like Talib, Immortal
Technique, Dead Prez.
UVC:
What makes you like these artists?
KAM:
No corny shit or no preaching stuff, but just having the manhood
to go against those that they know are going against us…a man is
supposed to defend first. So if you’re a pimp or a gangsta, pimp
those that’s been pimping us or bang on those that’s been bangin’
on us. Why does it have to be us victimizing ourselves and shit?
Get yo squad up and bang against the real victimizer. So people
that have that fire or that kind of spirit in their lyrics, I’m
into.
UVC:
With artists like Nas coming out with albums like Hip-Hop Is Dead,
how do you feel about the state of hip-hop right now?
KAM:
[Hip-hop ’s] under attack. As a whole, it’s deceased actually…in
the main stream…they captured it, the multi-million dollar industry…trying
to kill two or three birds with one stone, which is controlling
and redirecting the message and infecting the minds of the youth
with nonsense and poison rather than what hip-hop started out with
[which was] bringing people up and making them feel more liberated
and feeling like they can express the injustices that they are living
with. Hip-hop originally united all the races, religion, and politics
couldn’t…hip-hop is what did it and people that run the world see
that, so they’re terrified of the potential that hip-hop has…they
have to contain this and use this momentum to keep people ignorant
and to keep us living in luxury. That’s why BET got bought up and
all media corporations are getting bought up and all consciousness
is being shut down.
UVC:
So what are your thoughts on new hip-hop artists?
KAM:
I don’t really like new cats, no disrespect but I don’t feel like
any of these new cats have any information for me. The [new] ones
that are coming up today, though, it’s not their fault that they’re
not doing that, because the machine is so strong and in place so
strong, that they gotta conform and write what the master says to
get their bills paid…you have to sacrifice these things to the beast,
and it gets to the point where you can’t really say anything revolutionary.
I
think they’re being deceived and used as tools against their people.
They’re being manipulated, because we all need to pay bills and
make money and this is considered legal business. A lot of us stop
doing lots of things because we think we’re going to clean up our
lives and go legit, when in reality the poison in our minds was
worse than the poison in our bodies. So the snake has made its way
deeper in the music industry than it has in the street…you can handle
an enemy different in the street, it’s understood how that would
be handled, but this snake is so deep…this snake is biting the shit
out of us.
UVC:
Coming off that, what do you think about an artist like 50 cent?
KAM:
Well you might as well ask me about if I like Master P. I mean,
I’m a fan of their lyrics and their business mind. It’s not about
50 [cent], it’s about him making the most of his situation. Just
because a person is paid doesn’t mean they’re successful. Though
if you’re getting paid and you’ve found something that gets you
paid and famous, do it.
UVC:
So what’s the vibe like in the streets anticipating this album?
KAM:
The streets’ is loving it. I mean that’s where I’m from, that’s
where my love is from and that’s mostly where I give love back to.
But at the same time, hip-hop is global now: the whole planet is
dissatisfied. Our struggle that we thought was just a black struggle
in the ghettos of America, really is a global struggle. They take
their cues from us…how we fought against the machine and how we’re
rising up from all this from the ashes of slavery, Jim Crowin’,
injustice, gangbanging, ignorance, and pimping and hoein’. We’ve
become the leaders of the whole planet through this whole little
goofy hip-hop thing.
UVC:
Who are the producers he collaborated with on the album?
KAM:
I’m working with everybody from Dre and Battle Cat, Premier, Pete
Rock, DJ Quick, Dj Cool, Focus. The list goes on and on, because
we’re constantly doing songs. Though once we get a release date,
we’re going to start picking the strongest ones that serve the theme
of the topic.
UVC:
What about the Warzone Group and how that came about?
KAM:
The War Zone is a West Coast group that consists of myself, MC Eight
(from Compton’s Most Wanted), and Goldie Loc (formerly of the Eastsidaz).
It’s all a product of the Western conflict that Snoop had several
years ago and it’s trying to get the West Coast rappers to come
together like we’ve never come together before and support each
other…the goal is to show West Coast rap unity…This whole West Coast
rap scene, it’s rooted in gang banging…your clique or whatever is
from that hood…a Blood hood or a Crip hood. Then it’s against the
street law to deal with them like that, so we’re trying to grow
above that. The whole West Coast thing from Death Row to Suge and
all that, we brought the gang bangin’ to hip-hop, which was good
in one sense, but that’s what killed the shit at the same time.
UVC:
So by doing this, you’re trying to represent that you’ve evolved
past this?
KAM:
Yeah, we’re trying to grow above these things, ‘cause, of course,
the enemy sees that too and would love to use that and exploit us
and manipulate us through our little tribalisms. So if we see that
they’re planning this, as men it’s our duty, it’s our responsibility,
to grow above that. Otherwise they’re going to eat us alive. They
have gang injunctions now and they’re trying to attach West Coast
gangster rap to gang bangin’s and Organized Crime and domestic terrorism.
So it’s on us – we have to come together or we’re going die.
UVC:
What’s it like working with Snoop and MC Eight given your distinctive
styles?
KAM:
For me it’s refreshing, because it challenges you. If you’re a true
artist then you try to create something that’s entertaining, digestable,
and up to the times. That being said though, my style ain’t Snoop’s
style [etc.] so we represent the West Coast…as West Coast artists.
If we’re really trying to do this unity thing, and we’re the first
to really try to do it, to me it’s going to be difficult but I like
that challenge…Other West Coast artists that come after us can perfect
it, but we have to start somewhere. I also like the fact that we’re
mature enough to do this…I’ve been worked with Snoop – I was a fan
of his, he was a fan of me – we all came up in the age before anybody
had a name. The West Coast is the home of Hollywood so turf niggas
don’t give a fuck about celebrities…there’s absolutely no star struckedness
in the street.
But
growing and trying to ride the bug, I don’t care what hood you’re
from, let’s do a record together. Like Game, DJ Quick, Mack 10,
we’re doing records and they’re all from Blood neighborhoods. Myself,
Eight, Snoop, we’re all from Crip neighborhoods. So that in itself
is a statement, and I’m known for “Peace Treaty,” the first record
that I ever came out with. I’m just trying to stay consistent on
that line. I’m not trying to be the star of the show. I’m just trying
to bring what I’m known for to the table. Everybody is just trying
to bring what they’re known for to the table, for a cause that is
bigger than any of our individual egos
UVC:
What’s it like between you and Ice Cube since the falling out you
had?
KAM:
We resolved that over 10 years ago, you know, so me and Cube is
cool. We see each other in passing at little functions or whatever,
give it up and holla for a minute, cause there’s still certain bad
tastes we both had in each others mouths because certain things
was out of my control and certain shit was out of my control because
there was other people involved in it…its all ancient history, we
squashed it, and the proof of that is the tour we have going on
next month…[it’s] about getting our house together and getting everything
in order after all our little beefs and bullshits. One of the main
headliners after Snoop is Doug C., and Doug C. rolls with Cube,
so we’re gradually getting our shit back together.
UVC:
What word would you use to describe yourself?
KAM:
Student. The spirit, the ambition, the goals, and the drive of a
student is non-stop. Once you start thinking that you know it all,
you stop growing. From what I understand, everlasting life is unlimited
progress and growth. The creator is still growing, he’s learning
more about himself, learning about what he can create, accomplish,
and what he can master. It doesn’t mean you can’t be a master, but
you’re a student. Key word being study.
UVC:
Who or what do you think is your greatest enemy?
KAM:
My greatest enemy I would say is a two-part thing. My greatest enemies
are essentially the people that control information. They’re my
enemy because they help to create the real enemy, which is ignorance.
Because if we know better, we will do better.
UVC:
What can fans expect from the new album?
KAM:
Fans, or people that appreciate KAM, or people that appreciate potent
revolutionary rap can expect just that and can expect real controversial
subject matter…they can expect to hear what they think every day
and see every night, whether it comes to the news …rap attack by
police or the dude that got shot up 50 times. They can expect to
hear stuff like that.
UVC:
What can they expect in comparison to your previous albums?
KAM:
My first album Neva’ Again – they can expect it to be more along
those lines, but I feel that it will be a little bit more potent,
because I’m not doing this for record sales. I’m doing this for
soul sales (laughter). I hustle and grind and get my bills paid
other ways, but while I have a voice, I want to use that voice and
get that knowledge across. I want to end that race stronger than
I started.
The
album is going to be called Self & Kind. It’s about looking
in the mirror, because we’re the problem and we’re the solution.
You can’t go and blame all our shit on the white man for everything,
especially once you get that knowledge. The only person you should
be blaming is you. We’ve had the information on who the real enemy
is for like 60 or 70 years so we need to get with it and do what
we need to be doing. You’ve seen that these people did change their
mind about us, [but] they haven’t changed any policies in our favor.
So if we’re so stupid that we can’t get together and squash some
little tribal differences, and stand back to back with each other
and fight for our liberations and the future of our own children
or our kind, then we don’t deserve that either.
UVC:
So based on that, what do you think that the black community needs
to do to work together and build?
KAM:
Well, having more discussions like this. It has to start with the
sports and entertainment community – we’re who the kids and youth
are looking at. They’re not listening to Barrack and them. They’re
not turning on church channels. So it’s our responsibilities to
get more interviews like this or to get more records out like this
and make it seem like it’s cool to have some knowledge of yourself.
Don’t make it seem cool for you to be dumb or be silly like a lot
of these records are out here doing now. Make it cool to march on
the enemy. Everybody knows that if you have a little work in your
pocket and you standing on the corner and you see a black and white
police car roll up, don’t just scatter like roaches, throw your
work, and throw your little pop gun. Why are y’all running with
just one little cracker running through the hood. That’s a coward…if
you’re really a gangster, stand your ground. Not to say the police
are the enemy, but the crooked ones that are beating the shit out
of niggers and shooting them 50 times, y’all know where they stay.
Why don’t you do a ride by on them. But I don’t want to start any
issues or problems or get labeled as whatever title that is sedition
or whatever it is.
UVC:
What do you think about the current presidential race and its candidates?
KAM:
My view on the whole politics scene is that I like Obama. I like
him because he is made out of both people. He can look at and attack
the race issues like no other candidate could, unless there’s going
to be another black candidate. He can speak for our mutual points,
because his father was African and his mother was a white American,
so he is an African-American by the very definition of the term.
Black people’s experiences in America are bitter, angry, and hurt
because of the whole slavery thing, but that’s not where he’s from…not
this 453 years of slavery or oppression…a lot of people want Barrack
to be super black and ride for blacks, but he’s not from that. That’s
not in his blood. That anger and oppression is not in his veins,
so he can speak to these issues more level headedly and as more
of a doctor than as a patient. So I respect him for that. At the
same time I know that he is one of the first candidates to get black,
brown, yellow, and all types of people to come out and vote.
Though
at the same time with that, I know voting don’t work. The people
that really run the show are the international bankers, and even
if Barrack does win, they have all kinds of plans. So if Barrack
wins, Hilary will be vice president. And if they wanted Hilary in
all along, they’d assassinate Barrack. They ain’t above assassinating
their own president. Unfortunately though, the president doesn’t
run anything but his mouth.
UVC:
Is there anything else you want to add?
KAM:
Well, we need to educate the youth on who the real enemy is…our
generation and the generation before that dropped the ball somewhere
and didn’t tell us, didn’t pass the information on, or got tired.
But that’s where people like us come along and get them fired up
and give them a crash course on what time it is and what has to
be done.
And
well, just wanted to add that the West Fest Tour will be starting
up around June 16th and that will be up and down the western regions.
That’s the first wave, then we’re going to try and take it to the
Midwest and then the East. The whole point behind that is just to
show that unity and to show the rest of the hip-hop community that
the West Coast is trying to get its house clean. Because a lot of
that gang bangin’ shit has put a black eye in the memory of hip-hop.
Like Tupac. It’s us that have to get our house straight.
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