We got down with the one and only WestCoast Vet WC aka Dub Cee. In this interview with talked about his highly anticipated new album "Ghetto Heisman", the airplay of West Coast Rap, the reunion of the Westside Connection and much more. The interview was conducted October 4th. Feedback can be emailed to me.

 

[ Click here to peep the WC drop for Westcoast2k ]

So how's it going Dub? You in New York right now?

Yea Im in New York right now, promotin…you know.

 

Alright first off let me say that The Streets song is already a classic. I've been bumpin it a lot lately.

Ohhh much luv man, much luv. You see the video?

 

 

Oh yea I did, I really liked it, the Ghetto Olympics idea was dope.

Yeah..Ghetto Olympics..

 

 

So Xzibit didnt make it right?

Nah Nah nah, he couldn’t make it you know. His first single droppin at the same time to the radio stations as mine you know..But its all good though, we got a version with him on the Dj Clue mixtape. Im just tryin to spread it, you know.

 

 

What can we expect on your new joint Ghetto Heisman?

Uh well, just Gangsta Rap at its finest you know.

 

 

Where'd the title Ghetto Heisman come from?

Well I just played with the title, everbody know that the Heisman is the Trophy given to the players that achieve the most accomplishments in the game. And with all the Ghetto Love that I have always received through my whole carreer, this album is what Im givin back to my fans out there, that’s the Ghetto Love. So I just chosed to call it Ghetto Heisman, play with it.

 

 

You got a gang of different producers on there, right?

Yeah I got quite a few of em. I got uh, I got Ric Rock, he did Change the Game and Parkin Lot Pimpin by Jay-Z. He did one for me called Flirt featuring Case, that’s my next single. And I got Battlecat on there, he did one with Westside Connection called Walk. Shit is fly. I got Scarface on the album, Bucwild produced that one right there, its called So Hard. I got this new cat by the name of Flip, for Audiotone Productions. Flip, you know he brought it. He did a song with uh…he did a couple of songs, 3 of them. Actually, on one he’s real standing out, what Flip is, with Ren and Cube called Wanna Ride.

 

 

Were they your producers by choice?

Yeah, cause Im always listening the tracks. And some of the producers I just heard some of their beatz that I wanted to fuck with them. But the most part its producers that I sort out. Like Bucwild, I was listening to some tracks in the studio, he came with some tracks and I heard a couple that I wanted to fuck with. What Im doin on the album, I just grab whatever I feel captivates mood like the time. That’s how I came with the producers.

 

 

So it seems like you could do your own thing on that album. Are you happy with Def Jam?

Well I mean it’s a partnership with Def Jam, its not just so much like me goin in there and doin the delivery to them. They like to be involved and I like them to be involved, because at the end of the day we both from the same page. We both want the same result, make it to the top you know? Cause if they wasn’t involved with it, its not good. Like I feel we makin it happen, its real big, real big. Im luvin it. But they are letting me be me though.

 

 

Because a few West Coast Artists have had problems with them in the past...

Oh yea yea, but I been alright man.

 

 

You even have your own artist Dr Stank on the album, right?
Yeah! Dr Stank!

 

 

Yeah, cause first time I heard the remix to Put the Stank I was like 'man, Stank is dope'.

 

Oh yeah, you heard that one?

 

 

Oh Yea I did. How did that come together, with you and Stank?

Um, I heard of him on the radio. Dj Felli Fell is spinning his records on the radio. One was the independent song Crackalackin. So I called up Felli Fell at a party and I asked him ‘Damn yo, who is this Dr Stank,’ So it was the artist he was trying to get at deal for, so I said ‘Let me holla at him. I wanna make some things happen with him.’ So yeah, Felli was looking for him and he took me to him and Stank wasn’t signed, he was still tryin to make it happen. So I told him Id take him to the studio and make sure he straight now. So I said ‘Gimme a couple of months, I feel like Im going to give you a deal’. We were in the studio, we did the Stank Remix, and walked around and everything, and gave him the deal with MCA.

 

 

Oh so you gonna work more with him?

Oh yeah, most definitely.

 

 

You never really got the shine you really deserved, and I feel like you’re still way too underrated. So with the new album, is that like your aim to get your name to the people?

Yeah, I do. And also tryin to stick more ownership inside my carreer. It’s a step forward, gettin the name out there to other people. You know, just tryin to picture the areas inside this entertainment, the business, other than just rap.

 

 

You got any expectations for the album?

Not really man, cause I know its gonna do good. Whatever its gonna do Im happy with it, but I know its gonna do well.

 

 

On the East Coast you have different ways for an underground artist to get their thang going. And I think its easier for them to get recognition. Why do you think it's harder for artists on the West Coast?

Because they realized that Hip Hop was born on the East Coast. And today its just the East Coast from radio to video. And I really feel that its hard for West Coast artists to get their shine that they deserve. And its up to me to get my shine, and help other artists get their shine from the West Coast. But I think its hard though for West Coast artists to really get their shine, cause the game is basically controlled by the East Coast. They got the power, all the radio and video stations, magazines. And also too, the DJ’s they supporting eachother, they support the artists. A lot of times on the West Coast we got radio stations and we got DJ’s, they cant go and make a difference. But they don’t chose to, they chose out go against the grain, instead of going against the playlist and not just following the people they just follow the playlist.  A lot of DJ’s on the West Coast don’t do enough shout outs for the West Coast, so its up to us, and its up to me to pick the first step and make it happen. Hopefully they will follow my lead. The West needs a few more artists to step up the game, you know, like more Dj’s that give us more love.

 

 

Where do you get the inspiration for your songs?

Uh, I got the inspiration for my songs just because it aint all gravy yet. When I say it aint all gravy, I mean all the struggle. Im still part of the struggle. Look I see shit aint really changed, we don’t live in peace and harmony. So Imma speak, Imma speak my mind. A lot of times I talk about peace it takes war. And that’s where I get my inspiration from. Everytime I walk through the hood, Everytime I walk through the ghetto. Whenever I roll to the Suburbs I see they not expierencing what we expierencing. I get to talk to a whole lot of different people from different places and I realize they got other expierences.  So that’s my inspiration, let me tell em where I come from. Let me share some thoughts with them. Because its not all cookies and creams right now. Felt it was all cookies and creams you know, but right now I got a lot to say.

 

 

Yeah I know people see you as a Gangsta Rapper but I know you're alot deeper than that.

Exactly. Exactly, that’s what Im sayin. All kinds of social words to my music. Always.

 

 

Do you feel any responsibility toward the kids that listen to your music?

Oh yeah, most definitely. Everytime we step out the public we got responsibility to keep it true to the kids, keep it gangsta, just keep it true. When I say keep it gangsta you know…I cant go by the god lines of what they consider keeping true. I cant tell the kids don’t do drugs, go to school. Shit like that, cause that shit aint gonna sell. You got to be able to go against the grain, and that’s when I say keeping Gangsta, I gotta be Gangsta with it. I gotta go and I gotta do me, I cant raise your child. I get out there and show the kids that you can make it by being yourself, you can make it out of the ghetto. Just put you mind to it, and Im living an example, you know I come from the ghetto, Im out here makin it happen through our  music and I’m still here. Like right now, we choppin  it up and doin interviews. Im still involved in the community heavily, dealin with schools, talking to some of the kids out there that don’t have father figures or male figures in their life. And talking to females out there who don’t have anything like positive figures or anything like that. So I still fuck with them, around the school and holla at the kids as much as I can. A lot of people can catch me on these streets. Always catch me on these streets, the clubs, the lil local swap meets and everything.  I talk to the fans, and to me thats my responsibility. Not go Hollywood, but still stay Dub Cee.

 

 

Do you think that when kids listen to your songs, that they're thinking it's OK to use guns or do the C Walk?

I do think that they think its ok. But I think that’s where parents come in. I cant raise your child for you. But I can show your child whats goin on out here. And I can show your child…I can do a song, I can do a song, I can do a song…Sorry Im even checkin my 2Way right now (laughs). Shit, on the album I got a song called Tears Of A Killa.

WC Raps His First Verse From The Song Tears Of A Killa featuring Butch Cassidy from the album Ghetto Heisman [Click To Listen]

And that whole verse right there, I stood aside the shoes of a dopedealer, of a cat out here that really wanted to get out the game, which represents a lot of out here. They rolemodels are those with the flashy cars, those who got the money, and not in ten times this cat out here hustlin. And its kind of fucked up because the real rolemodels which is the mothers and fathers, they don’t get the recognition. So what I did was I stood aside the shoes of that individual right there, so that the kids really see this, and I show another side of that individual, somebody who didn’t wanna be there, somebody who wanted to get out. But was bottled up on the inside and just cried, so that’s the Tears Of A Killa. I feel like that’s my responsibility as an artist, and spit songs like those longer. I mean as well as the other songs that I got on the album, that’s just straight up like.. I got a song called “Bellin”, a song that’s Fuck The World kinda like. But, me as an artist I definitely need to show these kind of things out there. Not just to the kids, as well as other listeners out there. Show them another side of Dub. Because when I first stepped in the game I definitely came in with a conscious mind state but as time went on and everything I started getting a lil more loose or what not cause you know, that's what the fans demanded from me. I had to bring it back to them, so I to had to down this shit out, cause you can appreciate the kid, but I don't think its my duty to raise your child, but I think we gotta step in. Cause if I got more inforce over a child cause of three minutes of conversation on a song than u (parents) do, over years or life and everything I think this is your household, not my music.

 

 

It seems like kids are important to you.  Do you got kids?

Nah I don’t, but I plant to fo sho, know a nigga have to turn my sins before I leave here.

 

 

You still look at music the same way you looked at it back in the day?

Nah not really. Its more of a money making tool now. I mean Rap is really used just to make money now you know. Not with me though, but with everybody out here pretty much now that’s getting in the game. If I was a new artist getting in the game or a youngster trying getting in the game, I wouldn’t look at nuthin but the money. I wouldn’t give a fuck about the artform or shit like that, because it became so cooperate now. You know the record labels every Tuesday looking at the records being added and what was added to radio. Wednesday looking at soundscans and how many numbers mothafuckers moved. You don’t really respect the artform of the music. If you’re really getting in this game right now, you look at their videos, everybody bling bling, they doin this and doin that. I mean you gotta put yourself being a young artist getting in the game. Basically we gonna get down, I’d be getting in for the money, I wouldn’t be getting in just for the love of the artform. Cause really nobody give a fuck nomore about the arform. And to hold a leash just to a handful of people that’s not paying you, that’s really hard to do you know? And I cant get mad at these youngsters getting in the game for the money. Getting in the game for the fame, for the big change. I don’t like it, but I cant get mad at them but that’s the way its set up right now. But I think its my job to show them and let them know that mothafuckaz still like to get out there and get down for the artform and for the love of the artform. And that’s something I chosed to do, and I try to come across that shit with my music. You know that’s why people give us underdogs love and always give us a reason to come back out with another album. You know because we don’t go Hollywood.

 

 

Where do you feel the West Coast Hip Hop state is. Like these years has it set us back or pushed us forward?

Definitely put us forward. With artists like Dre, Snoop Dogg doin his thang. I think we didn’t go back, we didn’t go back at all. I think Hip Hop in general has improved, but I think the love for the artform has gone backwards. As far as Westcoast, I think we have  grown and I think we could do some more collaborations on the Westcoast amongst eachother and help get that shit on another level. But its all gravy though, its gonna happen. Cause you know when we got together we did the Up In Smoke Tour, we turned heads across the whole world. And that’s something we need to do more. But I think Westcoast Hip Hop is definitely on the rise.

 

 

With all of this sampling going around today, do you feel that hip-hop is losing its creativity??

Nah not really, Hip Hop was formed of samplin back in the days, created of samples. Rhymin off of 2 turntables and drum machines, where cats took beats and was samplin em, they just chopped them up. But I think that the action is goin back to the heart right now. You can hear the Just Blaze sample, heavy influenced tracks. A lot of other cats do that out here. And I think the sampling don’t take away from it, I think the sampling takes it back to the heart of the shit, how it was. I think you gotta be creative with the sampling. I think you can just take a record and loop that mothafucka, and those who got the big records are the cats who take the loops when they find the right one. But I don’t feel like its losing creativity.

 

 

Are you guys planning to release a Westside Connection reunion Album?

Oh yeah we do, we’re definitely gonna release an album but we don’t know where and when we gonna release it though. We’re tryin to working that out. But theres no title or nothing.

 

 

You got plans for the future, maybe creating your own label?

Yeah, that’s what Im working on right now. That step right there. Ownership, ownership.

 

 

What will you have to achieve before you can say your career is complete?

Um shit…Ownership, Ownership, Ownership, you know what Im sayin? Ownership. Be able to own all my masters, put my records out and sell a shitload of records. That’s when I say my career as a rap artist is completed. As far as my career as Dub Cee, the business man, until I can conquer all forms of music. Rock, Classic, Blues, as well as Rap, R&B. I wanna accomplish my goals. I just wanna be a successful owner of a major Record Label, that’s what I wanna be, but not just Rap music. But I don’t wanna be the front man, I wanna be the man behind the scenes.

 

 

You got any other plans, maybe movies?

Yeah I got plans for getting back on the big screen, Im working on that right now. I got a few roles I wanna play.

 

 

Oh yeah, I heard you got your own DVD coming out right? Wanna talk about that a bit?
Yup, its called Glitter Aint Gold. That right there is a DVD that’s shown all the blood, sweat and tears of the game behind the scenes. That a lot of up & coming artists, producers been not really upon. About how we sweat, how we do interviews like this one right here. You know, people just get a chance to see that shit. You gotta realize, all they do at the end of the day is just know that we’re artists. They really don’t know what goes in becoming an artist. You know just givin em game, how to go out and protect yourself and get caught up in the game. I got there in my early stages.

 

 

To finish this interview, you think there is anything you could have done better in your life as a rapper that would have changed it in a positive way?

Yeah, I mean I’m glad I went through what I went through, as far as sign contracts and shit like that, because it taught me to be on top of my game. I wish I would have jumped in on the Ownership side a lot earlier though, that’s what I’m doin right now. But other than that I don’t have any regrets though because I had a good run, and I feel like you said earlier, I really haven’t gotten much recognition. But I do feel that I have received my recognition from my fans. I got my shine on a commercial side, and I feel I got my shine on the urban side. You know, always got love from the ghetto and everything. But I wish I would have definitely took ownership a lot earlier.

 

 

Alright thats all I have. Thanks for taking the time to talk to me. Good luck with the new album.

Thanks, I appreciate it, much luv.

 

 

 

[ Click here to peep the WC drop for Westcoast2k ]