Interviewed by 40-Cent; On his official solo debut Shades of Reality, his previous mixtapes, life, Jay-Z vs. The Game, Porn stars, WWE Wrestling, and Vanderslice obtaining cuts and scars from behind bars!
40-Cent: Please give us a brief of your background and tell us more about who Access Immortal is.
Access: Well, I'm from Brooklyn NYC. Bed Stuy. The hood as I like to call it and I guess my background would be the same as most kids around. A crazy life since before I ever hit 18.
40-Cent: What crazy events did you experience before your adulthood?
Access: I got put out of my house at like 16 because of a fire. I was on my own, living with my cousin for like eight months. It was crazy, because all I did was run the streets once the summer came. I barely went to school during that time.
40-Cent: Did u experience any other unfortunate events during that time frame?
Access: Yeah, one of my people got killed on my block about four days after my 18th birthday, once he was gone, a lot of the old crew broke away so the change kind of paved the way to get into this music thing and take it seriously.
40-Cent: Damn man, sorry to hear about your loss, but I want to ask you about positive gain in your life. You met Vanderslice (produced majority of Shades of Reality) at some point and started taking the music to another level. Tell us about how you two kats met each other.
Access: We met online. When I was 17 I used to have this cheap box called web tv, because I couldn't afford a pc at the time and they had their own personal chat rooms. So I use to go in the hip hop one and he (Vanderslice) used to crack on me for my limited knowledge at the time of independent hip hop, but he saw potential in me. We became cool and started thinking about this music. It got serious once he knew I rhymed and he started making beats.
40-Cent: Outside the realm of independent hip hop, I just heard the Jay Z diss track to The Game. What are your thoughts on it?
Access: I ain't even gonna speak on it like that. I like them both. I think Game's album is incredible and Jay been nice for over a decade so whatever, if they do have problems, I'm sure it won't turn into anything bad.
40-Cent: Yeah, at this stage in Jay Z's career and where The Game is headed I can't see either of them taking any beef to a higher level. Speaking of Jay Z, that reminds me, I wanted to ask you about 9th Gate. I was thinking about Danger Mouse's Grey Album album and how the idea stems from what 9th Wonder first did that started his buzz (outside of Little Brother), doing that Nas joint. Now you have an entire album/mixtape joint entirely produced by 9th Wonder called The 9th Gate and I hear a lot of people refer to it as The Clear Album, because it was pressed on a clear transparent CD. I think it is interesting how you flipped the entire concept around from what has already been done to the way you did it...care to elaborate on that project?
Access: Well, I like 9th. His beats are dope and he has a real vintage sound. I dunno how that (9th Gate) got leaked though, but since it did go out and cop it from wherever you find it before somebody shuts it down. (laughs)
40-Cent: Word, it seems like the internet is responsible for leaking a lot of exclusive promo or advanced material these days. What is your view on the rapid growth of technology and where do you see everything going?
Access: Well, It definitely is a good thing in terms of exposure and getting heard, but the negative side of technology is that it allows anybody to just go and make music, even the ones who shouldn't be going near a mic and with all the downloading, it hurts the album sales as well as being able to keep something exclusive until the release date.
40-Cent: Fortunately, your official upcoming debut album Shades of Reality has been kept locked away safely in the vaults thus far. Tell us more about the album, the concept behind it, how it all came together and your purpose for it.
Access: Originally, me and Vanderslice had planned to drop The Assimilation album, but when the album deal came up we felt like since we were basically constructing a new album that we needed a new title and Shades of Reality incorporated what I felt the album was about. Just the different sides of life in itself and that's what I'm trying to get across. Just because I do music and may be more of a public face doesn't mean my life is anymore different from a person working a 9 to 5 or going to college.
40-Cent: You mention The Assimilation album. What is that?
Access: That was the album that I was going to originally drop on my own. Me and Vanderslice. We didn't have any backing or anything, but we were gonna make it happen somehow. We felt like we had something the world needed to hear.
40-Cent: What is it about your music that separates you from the rest and why do u feel you have something the world needs to hear opposed to any other indie artists on the market? What is your unique niche?
Access: I'm just me. Honestly, no gimmicks or marketing scheme. Being me has always seemed to work since I started doing music so why not now I figure. I wouldn't even say I have a sound. I'm pretty diverse be cause I'm not always in the same mood so I record to reflect my mood at times.
40-Cent: It's evident your talent emerges from deep within, but let us move onto more shallow subjects. What does the ideal women look like for you?
Access: I don't really have a certain taste. I mean I gotta be attracted to them, but it's about who she is on the inside too. Once you get past the exterior, you may hate being around her for longer than five minutes.
40-Cent: Do you have a favorite porn star and if you could meet one, who would she
be?
Access: Nah, I don't really watch porn like that. I did see one bad ass porn chick on Howard Stern, but I forget her name. I'd want to meet Jenna Jameson though, I think she's mad pretty.
40-Cent: You probably saw Marey Carey on Howard. She seems a favorite of the show. The last porn star I saw on Howard isn't really much of a porn star and that is Chyna the wrestler. She has a porn on the same studio/label as Paris Hilton, but I can't see anyone really buying that unless maybe it is some of her hardcore wrestling fans. Do you have an all time favorite wrestler?
Access: Bret hart, the Hitman all the way. My favorite two wrestlers come from Canada. The second would be Chris Benoit.
40-Cent: If you could have one valet or manager walk to the ring, who would it be?
Access: As far as the valet, it'd probably be Stephanie Mcmahon. That girl is bad. The first time I saw her on TV, before she got "enhanced" and got thicker, I was like "this girl is serious and she only going to get better". This was around the whole bad girl/evil Steph phase. She knew how to walk and dress.
40-Cent: Yeah, the attire she wore and the strut to the ring was classic.
She also had a dope attitude and sold her character really well with all her facial expressions. She had it all on lock. I heard the ratings went down once she lost her retirement match to Vince and disappeared from t.v. They need to bring her back and these divas today can take a lesson from Stephanie.
Access: I like a lot of them today too though.
40-Cent: No doubt, but they all take the back seat to the "Billion Dollar Princess". (laughs)
By the way, I noticed your album has production from 7L, the Boston dude who also produced and did cuts for WWE superstar John Cena's entrance/theme music and rap album. You also have a grip of good underground producers on the album like J-Zone, Insight, Green Steez, and of course parter in crhyme Vanderslice. I noticed he has been missing in action lately. What's his story?
Access: He caught a bad deal from the fine justice system (insert sarcasm here) that we have in place, but he will be out before you know it and we will be in full effect once again.
40-Cent: Ultimately, Shades of Reality is a well rounded album with a good balance of guest emcees and producers abroad but if you had the chance to have one other producer and one other emcee on the album, who would they be?
Access: Producer wise, Primo because he makes some classic hits. Your album could be garbage and have a primo beat and it'll still make people wanna cop it. Artist wise, Nas, because he's my favorite of all time. I'd wanna do a collabo with Nas & Saigon.
40-Cent: Why Saigon?
Access: Saigon been nice since he was on Rawkus. Sometimes you just hear somebody and know they gonna be a force in the game.
40-Cent: What are you (and Vanderslice's) future plans beyond The Shades LP?
Access: My plans beyond this album are to keep dropping some more ill music of course. Vanderslice got his low class productions compilation coming out with Green Steez and that's gonna be ridiculous. So the future is definitely gonna be something to look forward too.
40-Cent: Do you think you will continue to put out music with Early Spotter Recordings and what is your relationship like with the record label?
Access: I'd say so. If the business is right (laughs), but it has been up to this point so I don't see myself going anywhere and I'd love to help be a part of building this label from the ground up to be the next big force in the game.
40-Cent: Well ACS we thank you for your time. Any last words or shout outs?
Access: Yeah, FREE VANDERSLICE. Peace to my cousin Young Sin, Verse, Karniege, Emaze, Steez, Oktober, and all the people who helped make the album and all the haters I met who helped me by using their hate to motivate me, and thanks for the interview. |
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