Interview w/ Blame One

[ “Music is the only time I feel like I can go outside of myself and become something greater.” ]

'The Don' of North County San Diego, Blame One gives an insight into the life of a slept-on emcee in the day of commercial rap music:

Me: How did you first get into hip hop culture? Describe the moment you fell in love with hip hop.

Blame: I first got into hip hop in Edgewood, Maryland. Cats used to breakdance in front of my house. I joined in at a young age because I was mesmerized by EVERYTHING about the hip hop culture. I was even blessed to be walking and find Run DMC's first self titled cassette on the ground. I can still clearly see myself walking through the snow with my mom with Lasonic in hand playing Dana Dane’s ‘Nightmares.’ I started writing rhymes around 8 [years old] and recording at home shortly after. I still have the tapes. Some of those old self recorded songs are used as interludes on my upcoming album…

How and when did you begin actually making music and/or recording
tracks? What were you rapping about back then?

Like I mentioned earlier, I started writing around 8 and recording shortly after. I really didn’t think about it until Exile pointed it out to me recently but I was actually addressing some pretty socially conscious topics at a fairly early age. Of course I had some girl rhymes and the typical battle type shit as well.

How have you developed as a person because of your participation in hip hop? How has hip hop had an effect on your life?

It’s hard for me to say how I have developed because of hip hop because hip hop is all I have ever known. It’s more like a natural progression. For instance, I listen to all types of music now but that is due to people that I met through hip hop as well. Hip hop has
affected me in a tremendously positive way as far as the experiences that it has led me through. I’ve also been foolish enough to get caught up in hip hop trends like drinking Hennessy, which would be the negative effect it has had on me.

What do you mean by 'Grown Man Rap'?

I mean rap brought to you by cats who grew up in the era that I grew up in. Cats that were raised by Rakim and BDP.

What is the purpose of your music?

The purpose of my music is to be as human as possible. Have a positive attitude, reflect reality and show my flaws as well. I’m not a super star and I never will be. I want my music to be heartfelt even if I’m just spittin’ braggadocio lines. I want the listener to believe every word. Music is the only time I feel like I can go outside of myself and become something greater. It’s almost like my music is its own entity aside from me.

What does hip hop music mean to you?

Hip hop means the world to me. It has connected me to people all across the world and that sort of carries the one-love feeling that life needs.

What kinds of artists/producers/people do you tend to collaborate with?

I tend to collab with like-minded people or just people that I have respect for as artist. Other people that are passionate about the craft they work on, basically.

What's it like working with Exile? Anything new on the horizon? I'm
watching out…

I’ve been working with Exile for like 10 years plus now. He is basically the only person that has made me re-write shit, do-shit-10-different-ways-until-he's-satisfied type shit. But I respect that because I am happy with the end result. I just signed with a label called Soulspazm in New York. My upcoming album is called ‘Days Chasing Days’ and features Exile, OH NO, Black Milk, ALoe Blacc, Johaz, Blu, Sean Price, Rath Khy, Kan Kick, & More. Check the myspace for release dates www.myspace.com/rudebwoyblame After ‘Days Chasing Days’ comes out you can check for an entire album I am working on with my man Hoax…

What's being slept on right now? Who should people be checking for?
Musicians, artists, authors, books, movies, restaurants, philosophies…?

Jah is being slept on right now. Righteousness and being humble are being slept on right now. Kindness and brotherhood are being slept on. 100 artists in a sea of 100,000,000,000,000 myspace artists are being slept on right now.

What’s the significance behind your name?

Me and my homeboy Dame got arrested for doing a runner on clothes back in the days. There was a girl in the store at the time that he went to school with and she identified him in her yearbook for the police. Of course, He didn’t believe me when I told him that shit. Nevertheless, I never ratted him out. He later found out that I told the truth because the girl showed up to court. While I was doing my 40 days in juvenile hall, I started scribing the windows in my unit with "Blame" due to the fact that I took the blame.


Any last words to leave us with…

I think its time for all of us to change ourselves so that we can change the world. That’s the only way. If everyone attempted to Master Self, we would all be in good hands. Each one teach one. Thank you for taking the time to interview an underpaid and overworked artist. Blessings.

Check Blame's web page: http://www.myspace.com/rudebwoyblame