We Goin' IN » Masta Ace

Punchline Interview

seven3zero — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:00:51 +0000

Your debut album Underground Superstar is finally dropping. What makes an “underground superstar”?

Someone who is known but not known, if that makes any sense. It’s like you’re well-respected in your craft and what you do and I’m a master of my craft at that level. It still leaves more room to conquer.

There’s no question you’ve earned your stripes on the underground circuit, from tours to guest appearances and more. What took so long to get this first album done?

I never really saw myself as a solo artist. I never really just wanted to stand on my own like that. I’ve been in a group since day one with Wordsworth with the Punch and Words thing. Even in the streets, rhyming and battling, we were always together. We did the eMC album and that’s four guys right there. I never really had a desire to do an album on my own but thanks to DJ Soulclap, we made it happen.

Did he have to do some convincing?

No. It wasn’t that hard. We were always emailing songs back and forth to each other. He’d give me beats and he’d tell me that we had about ten beats now. He asked why don’t we just do an album and I said, “Sure.” He sent me a new record and that’s “Clap Your Hands” and that’s how we got started.

DJ Soulclap produced the entire Underground Superstar. What was it like working with him?

It was cool. The only hard thing was working with him in Germany. Our time schedules are different and it was just a matter of getting the right beat. He’ll send me something and if I liked it, I wrote to it and recorded it and sent it back to him. I was looking for the right, particular joints so that was always a timely process that made it hard. And I’m overseas all the time so I should get that much more love now!

Did you ever meet up with DJ Soulclap or was everything done online?

Half of the album was done through email and so forth and for the other half of the album I flew out to Germany for a week and a half and we touched up certain records and finished other songs for the album.

Is there a noticeable difference between the tracks you recorded in America and overseas?

I notice a difference. The records I did in my apartment sound different than when I record over there. We ended up keeping most of the records I recorded in my apartment. The record “Run,” he made that beat in his crib right in front of me and I sat at his table and wrote it in an hour. But I think the records I write in my own space, with my own time, come out better. I never like writing in the studio because I always feel like I’m wasting someone’s time. I always feel like I have to rush so I’ll drop something real fast and I don’t like that. I like taking my time with it.

You have the song, “Cleanin’ My Sneakers,” dedicated to your shoe collection. What are your favorite sneakers?

The Cartoon’s, the Brown Pride. The way they look with the artwork and the tattoos and the clown face, those are the first pair I ever bought that I ever fell in love with. And the Christmas edition of the Lebron James that came out a year and a half ago. The retro Jordans are always banging. And I need to get the One’s again. But there are certain ones that I like. I don’t just buy any types of Jordans.

I remember talking to Words years ago about playing pick-up ball. Do you play?

Yeah, I do.

What do you wear when you play?

I’ll probably wear the Bugs Bunny Jordans. I have one particular pair that I put to the side to play basketball in. It’s okay if they get scuffed. I play in those, it’s cool. But just those, though. I keep those to the side just to play basketball.

“Tweet” is a great song about a woman so buried in her phone that she misses everything else. Is that the most obnoxious thing a woman can do?

Nah, there’s more. She can be nosy and all up in your business. Instead of paying attention to you, she’s paying attention to what you’re doing and she’s looking for dirt. That’s kind of annoying when you accuse somebody for doing something for nothing.

What are the five most annoying things a woman can do?

Know when to pay your man some attention and when to give him his space. Don’t just bully your way in and be too forceful and ask him hundreds of questions. I’m not trying to explain the game of basketball to you when I’m watching the game. You gotta know how to cook. Three, you gotta always be sexy, because if you’re not sexy for your man, another female will be. That’s major right there. Four, you just gotta know how to handle a household. Some of them really don’t and it’s amazing. They don’t know how to clean and they take their clothes off and throw them all over the floor. I used to think women were the neatest people in the world. They’re worse than guys. And five, you gotta put it down in the bedroom.

No doubt. Do you ever feel underappreciated in the game or have you stopped thinking about that?

No, I never stopped thinking about that. I feel I’m very much underappreciated but I feel it’s because of the level of where I’m at. The exposure is so hard to get and it’s kind of frowned upon, like, ‘Oh, you’re down there making underground records. You can’t do this, that, and the third.’ I’ve always felt underappreciated but if they ever heard me rhyme, they would understand it and I would get that much more respect from them. I push for that now.

Do you have any desire to have radio and commercial hits or are you happy with where you are and the music you make today?

I’d say that the music that I make and the music that the public gets to hear are two different things. I love to make those hit records and have that for my own personal career but I’ve written stuff for other artists that are totally out of my realm. I’ll do it but I understand that there’s a machine that comes along with it and it’s a money game as well. You can’t just have the hits. It’s a money game as well and it’s expensive and it’s a game that I can’t play at the moment.

A lot of the younger fans of hip-hop today were in elementary school during the Lyricist Lounge days. Do you think a lot of kids have gone back and did their homework about you or do you think kids need to be put on to what you’ve accomplished?

I think the younger generation needs to be put up on what I’ve accomplished in the past. I understand it and I don’t have it, but the sad thing about hip-hop is that they just don’t honor those that have done things before them. It’s like, ‘What are you doing now?’ And there are some people who go back and listen to the older stuff but the majority, nah, they don’t. They just keep it moving and only pay attention to what cats have done already. You can hear it when they’re impressed with what someone says and you tell them, “Nah, LL did that” or, “Masters of Ceremony did that.” You run into that kind of scenario a lot.

Do you find yourself schooling a lot of younger fans?

Yeah, I have. I also was working with this company called Hip-Hop Love and they had me talk to a bunch of teenagers, ranging from 16-19 years-old. We would do these hip-hop workshops where we would rhyme and freestyle and school them on the game. There are some awesome kids that are willing to learn.

But like Masta Ace said, it’s Disposable Arts.

Right now, yes, yes it is. It’s very much disposable arts at the moment. You get the music so fast and the way that you receive music now is just totally different. It’s like, ‘I heard that song three minutes ago. Who’s the next cat?’

I can see that being frustrating with trying to have a single make an impact off Underground Superstar.

Exactly. If you don’t see the post in the first three or four pages of a blog, nobody’s going that far back. That’s why I stay constantly posting the link on my Twitter and Facebook and SoundCloud page so people can always know what’s going on.

How do you balance blasting the same song out without getting repetitive and annoying fans?

I’ll probably send it to a different person that will blast it out to their circle of friends. I’ll pick different people that I’m sending it to or hit a particular celebrity or friend and let them blast it out and get people outside of my little realm to hear it. I just try to stay on top of it and I don’t do it more than one record a month. But I will throw it out at different times of the day. I will shoot a video to it and it’s the same record but now you’re getting visuals to it

What are you most proud of off of Underground Superstar?

It’s a toss-up between “Love Crazy” and “Follow Your Dream.” “Follow Your Dream,” for the content and what I’m rhyming about, it was the second-to-last song I recorded and I’ve never made a record like that. I’ve always been braggadocios and rhyming. Hopefully this will reach the younger generation so they can grow with Punchline. And “Love Crazy” because there was a situation like that that I went through.

Fans loved eMC’s album The Show. Do you guys have plans to record another record?

Yeah. We’re actually thinking about it now. Everybody has solo albums coming out. Words’ album, The Photo Album, comes out June 12. It’s real dope. I’m on there. Me, Words, and Ace have a record on there called “Vanish.” It’s a pretty good album. I think there’s sixteen joints on there. I’m pretty sure he’ll release more records. He has about three records floating around out there now. Masta Ace’s album comes out, I think, in July. Once all that comes out we’ll do another eMC album.

Have you and Wordsworth talked about a Punch and Words album?

Yeah. We talked about that. He wants everybody to get my solo point of view so that when we come together, everybody has an understanding of who we are.

What’s your focus for the next few months?

Moving forward, even if I’m on tour, I have my ideas to start recording another Punchline album all by myself with different producers. The next one will be totally me, all me. Hopefully that’ll be out early next year.

Cop Underground Superstar here.

A Day In the Life Of Legends

JPizzle — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:17:50 +0000

Here is the behind the scenes footage of Edo G and Masta Ace taping Freestyle Fridays on BET and serving as judges. Good to see legends get some shine on BET rather than the usual wack fuckery they pimp.

Legends Unite!

Masta Ace and EDO G Get Crazy With Alphanumerics

JPizzle — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:44:50 +0000

Here is the new video for “Ei8ght Is Enough” from Masta Ace and EDO G’s upcoming “Arts and Entertainment” album dropping Nov. 3.

Edo G and Masta Ace School The Youngins

JPizzle — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:59:42 +0000

Vets and true masters Edo G and Masta Ace try to school the little youngins in the game with this dope video. I doubt the kids are paying attention in class though. Its a shame.

Fresh Like A Fall Morning

JPizzle — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:48:24 +0000

Hip Hop is not dead! This new leak from Masta Ace and Edo G’s collaborative album is fresh to death! Let it set your day off right.

Masta Ace & Edo G- A’s & E’s feat. Marsha Ambrosious

Wow, A Press Release We Can Actually Believe and Agree With

JPizzle — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:38:31 +0000

MASTA ACE & EDO. G ARE A&E AND THE DUO PREP’S FORTHCOMING LP ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Masta Ace & EDO. G Unite To Form New Group, A&E, Will Release New LP Arts & Entertainment on 10-06-09. Arts & Entertainment features guest appearances from Large Professor, KRS-One, Posdnus (De La Soul), DOITALL(Lords Of The Underground), Chester French & Marsha Ambrosious, production by Double O (Kidz In The Hall), M-Phazes & DJ Spinna

To maintain any sort of relevance and longevity in today’s music landscape speaks for itself, but to do so for two decades speaks volumes; with the union of two of Hip-Hop’s most respected and beloved emcees, Masta Ace and EDO. G, those unique talents are on full display as they combine to form A&E and will release a new LP Arts & Entertainment (which will be released nationally on 10-6-09).

Over the course of their illustrious careers, Masta Ace and EDO. G have moved the masses and influenced countless (Eminem counts Masta Ace as one of his biggest influences). From his auspicious origins as a member of the legendary Juice Crew, Masta Ace has given us numerous classics, from perhaps the greatest posse cut of all time (“The Symphony” and perhaps another contender with “Crooklyn”) to stand out singles from his highly-acclaimed solo-LP’s including, “Music Man,” “Me & The Biz,” “Slaughtahouse,” “Born To Roll,” “Jeep Ass Nigguh, “Sitting On Chrome,” “Good Ol’ Love” and “Beautiful” to just name a few. Ace’s last two solo-LP’s Disposable Arts and Long Hot Summer ended up on many prominent “Best Of” lists for those years.

EDO’s catalog is equally as impressive! Genuinely considered the Godfather of Boston Hip-hop, EDO. G has crafted numerous classics (“Be A Father To Your Child,” “I Got To Have It,” “Bug-A-Boo” and “Love Comes And Goes” among others) and in 1991 “I Got To Have It” hit number one on the Billboard and YO! MTV Raps countdown. EDO’s debut, Life Of A Kid In The Ghetto, sold over 600,000 units on the strength of his flawless portraits of inequalities in Roxbury and became his city’s first and only rap artist to ever go Gold. In the 15 years since, EDO’s dropped four heralded LPs and two EPs, toured the world extensively, and collaborated with the likes of Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Nottz, KRS One, Common, Guru, Brand New Heavies, Sadat X, Black Thought and many, many others.

While EDO and Masta Ace have collaborated before previously, including a track, “Wutuwankno” from Ace’s A Long Hot Summer and “Wishing” from EDO’s My Own Worst Enemy LP, their collaboration project Arts & Entertainment pairs them together for an entire LP and finds them collaborating with Large Professor, Posdnus of De La Soul, DOITALL of Lords Of The Underground, KRS-One, Chester French and Floetry’s Marsha Ambrosious.

Using the better part of the last 18-months, EDO and Masta Ace were able to circumvent criss-crossing schedules, touring, and their own recording schedules to record over 30 tracks for Arts & Entertainment, though the beginning stages did have Masta Ace worried initially “to be honest, I was hesitant at first, because I didn’t think we’d be able to pull it off (logistically), but now I could not be more excited, because its so good!”

For EDO, the pairing takes on a more historical perspective “for me, this is the culmination of two legendary artists getting together for the right reason—to make a great album. We did not get together for the money, we got together to give fans the best LP of 2009. Ace and I are still at the top of our game lyrically and musically.”

Masta Ace and EDO. G—there Art is your Entertainment!

Track listing and Credits for Masta Ace & EDO. G’s “Arts & Entertainment”:

1.) Hands High (produced by M-Phazes)

2.) A’s &E’s f/Marsha Ambrosious (produced by Baby Dooks)

3.) Fans f/Large professor produced by (DJ Supreme One)

4.) Little Young produced by (M-Phazes)

5.) Ei8ht Is Enough (produced by Frank Dukes)

6.) Good Music f/Posdnus of De La Soul (produced by DJ Spinna)

7.) Pass The Mic f/KRS-One (Produced by Double-O of Kidz In The Hall)

8.) Reminds Me (produced by DJ Supreme One)

9.) Round And Round f/DOITALL of Lords Of The Underground (Produced by DJ Supreme One)

10.) Over There (produced by M-Phazes)

11.) Here I Go f/Jamelle Bundy (produced by Rain)

12.) Dancing Like A W.G. f/Chester French & Pav Bundy (produced by Pav Bundy)

Legends Unite!

JPizzle — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:15:21 +0000

This is the first leak from Masta Ace and Edo G’s collaborative effort A&E. Gotta love when legends unite!

Masta Ace and Edo G- Little Young