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Rhymefest - The Better Man
Interview By: Mina Jasarevic
 Stop with the weeping and whining, stop with the grousing and groaning, and please, stop riding Nas’s *&^% and robotically repeating the catch phrase of 2007 - ‘Hip-hop is dead’. A sharp attempt on Nas’s end to open dialogue on the current state of hip-hop, though an annoyingly repetitive and pathetic declaration by the “fans” and critics who continue to irritate everyone else around them by unimaginatively and ignorantly trying to declare such a creative genera of music (hip-hop) as “dead”.
Hip-hop is breathing without CPAPs or respirators and one only needs to look as far as Rhymefest’s website to find it. Giving his fans a free download to the newest (and first of its kind) dedication to the King of Pop himself, Man in the Mirror is presented by Mark Ronson and sweetly executed by Rhymefest himself with all the main ingredients required for a quality hip-hop album: dope beats, nice lyricism, good delivery, mandatory punch-lines, creative intros and a message. An album created with such thought and imagination, it’s guaranteed to quickly convert the hip-hop atheist into a Juma-praying believer. But that’s not all folks! As Che is getting ready to release the follow-up to his first album, Blue Collar, he is gleaming with passion, opinion and insight. Nobodysmiling.com caught up with one of the most introspective men in the game to discuss his dedication to Michael Jackson, his advice to Lupe and the release of El Che.
 “[ Nobodysmiling.com : Happy New Year.
Rhymefest : Happy New Year to you as well.
Nobodysmiling.com : How did you spend it?
Rhymefest : I spent the Christmas holiday with my son in Chicago. I spent the New Year sitting in my window in my New York apartment. Looking down on the people and the festivities and the lights; and I found myself contemplating and wondering whether I would really enter the new year differently than I ended the old one. There was a lot of contemplating.
Nobodysmiling.com: Any resolutions?
Rhymefest : Um…no. The only resolution I had is the same resolution that I have when I wake up. Every day I wake up, I say to myself ‘I want to be a better man today than I was yesterday’. That’s all I want to be; and it doesn’t matter if it’s 2008 or 2007.
Nobodysmiling.com : And how do you go about being a better man?
Rhymefest : Being more dedicated, being more loyal. Using my age as my rock for wisdom; using my experience as my rock for wisdom. Practicing my craft. Understanding what my priorities are, why they are my priorities. What did I do yesterday that was a mistake? How did I get into the argument? If I went into the studio and I couldn’t think of the rhyme I was supposed to write, why couldn’t I? Was that not the right rhyme for me to be writing? OK, today, what’s the right rhyme for me to write? What am I supposed to be talking about? If I got 20 million people listening to me, what is it that they need to hear? How can I be better today than I was yesterday? I don’t know if that’s the answer but that’s what came from to my heart.
Nobodysmiling.com : Very powerful. I want to start with the Man in the Mirror dedication to Michael Jackson.
Rhymefest : Have you listened to the whole thing?
Nobodysmiling.com : Yes I did. How did you come up with the idea to dedicate a mix-tape to the King of Pop?
Rhymefest : I was on tour with Jazzy Jeff and every time he would play Michael Jackson, no matter how old or how young the people were…man, the kids would dance, the older people would dance. Michael Jackson was someone that has music that we all agree on. ‘Cause Rhymefest needed to bounce back; so if I need to bounce back, what’s the best way to bounce back? With something that we can all agree on. I know I can rap, everybody knows I can rap; but for some reason people weren’t listening to me. So if you’re not gonna listen to me, who you’re gonna listen to? Guess what, I know – Mike! *Laughs*. ‘Cause people who don’t even listen to rap will listen to Mike.
Nobodysmiling.com : Clever; very clever. What are the responses so far?
Rhymefest : Yo, no negative responses. People are like ‘instant classic; classic’. I’ve never seen such a uniform opinion when it comes to hip-hop. Rap music is something that I always say ‘everyone listens to and no one likes’. That’s what it’s become. What if I can make rap music that a couple people listen to but everybody loves? That means I’ve done my job. I’m better at my craft today than I was before releasing the dedication album. It’s wonderful to see it taking off the way it is and people to even go back to Blue Collar, to my old album which I was robbed out of. For people to go back and say ‘Oh wait, we get this guy now. This guy is one of the great ones.’ It’s wonderful to be appreciated; but I also have to let you know it’s not me. As I said even when Blue Collar was around, I am but a vessel for a message that I need to deliver. I can’t sit here and take credit. I have to thank the creator for giving me a message. I’d much rather be me than a rapper who sells a million records and you never hear from him again.
Nobodysmiling.com : Does that faith in God help you with the uncertainties of the music industry?
Rhymefest : My faith in God is my foundation for life, period. No matter what I’m facing - relationships, career, children, whatever. And also knowing who I am and where I fit in the world. Can I ask you a question?
Nobodysmiling.com : Of course.
Rhymefest : If God gave you a choice. Let’s say you can live two lives. You can live one life where you’re married; a nice job for the rest of your life; two vacations a year; a comfortable home; nothing too exciting but you’ll be stable and cool for the rest of your life. You’ll have a husband who loves you. Or, you can live life number two: extreme fear, extreme happiness. You’ll be extremely wealthy one day and broke the next day and get it back and lose it again. You’re gonna have this crazy death. Your life is gonna be a legacy of a life. Now, whether you’re a good person or a bad person is up to you. But it’s your life. Which one would you pick?
Nobodysmiling.com : For many it may be an obvious answer.
Rhymefest : For you – I’m asking you.
Nobodysmiling.com : I think I’d pick the second one.
Rhymefest : And I picked the second one as well. My life is one of adventure. I can spin the globe, close my eyes and put my finger wherever it lays and go there. I go to London and I get on the bus and I ride the bus while the kids get out of school and they be like ‘Is Rhymefest on the bus by himself going to ^%$#@*^ Brixton? What the ^%$#?’ And we all on the bus rapping in London. I get on the subway in New York and wait ‘till kids get out of high school and put headphones on their head and be like ‘Yo listen to this &^%$; tell me what you think’. And let ‘em diss me or give me the thumbs up. Sometimes I don’t know where I’m gonna live next month…but I know I’m gonna live next month ‘cause I’m not afraid of death.
Nobodysmiling.com : Interesting. How do you go about incorporating God into your music? There is pressure on artists to keep hip-hop secular…
Rhymefest : Let me ask you something. Do you think Bob Marley did that [incorporate his faith into his music]?
Nobodysmiling.com : He did; at a different time than today, yes.
Rhymefest : Time is relative; time repeats itself. Just because there’s no hero doesn’t mean one shouldn’t be there.
Nobodysmiling.com : OK, I’ll rephrase. What’s the level of difficulty?
Rhymefest : Can you ask Muhammad Ali how difficult it was for him to go to prison ‘cause he was against the war? I think it’s easier for me today. Thank God for MySpace. Thank God for ways to get our message out other than depending on commercialized radio. Thank God for satellite radio. Thank God for VH1 and not just MTV and BET. Thank God for YouTube. There are ways for everyone to say what they believe. This is the information age; all you gotta do is say ‘this is the truth’. Does that make sense?
Nobodysmiling.com : It does. Does Michael Jackson know about the dedication album?
Rhymefest : I wish Michael would know. If you can find him please give it to him. My wish is to meet Michael Jackson.
Nobodysmiling.com : I’m sure he’ll hear about it soon enough. How did it feel to win a Grammy before the release of your first album?
Rhymefest : Grammy is an inanimate object; it’s an award. I would hope that when you think of Rhymefest, you know I have a Grammy but that’s not the first thing that comes to your mind. The first thing that comes to your mind hopefully would be ‘man, I feel that dude. I love that dude. That’s my pain. I relate.’ I don’t want to be big based on inanimate objects. I want to be loved and understood based on the content.
Nobodysmiling.com : How did you end up meeting with UK’s opposition leader, David Cameron?
Rhymefest : Power of the pen is more powerful than the power of the sword. I wrote him a letter. Told him that if he didn’t appreciate hip-hop or if he thought it was so negative, then he was just listening to the wrong thing. Told him if he met with me and let me come out there, I’ll bust a hot 16 for him – I’ll guarantee he’ll change his opinion about rap! He took me up on the challenge and that’s what I did. And that’s what he did. He changed his opinion about me.
Nobodysmiling.com : Do you plan to open dialogue with political leaders in the future?
Rhymefest : Of course I do. I need to speak to Barack Obama. I need to speak to Hugo Chavez. I need to know what’s going on in the world. Questions need to be answered.
Nobodysmiling.com : You referred to Lupe on your MySpace bulletin, stating that rappers should be informed before making public statements. This was particularly in regards to Obama’s and Clinton’s outlooks on the topic of Iran.
Rhymefest : You read that?
Nobodysmiling.com : Yes.
Rhymefest : What did you think about that?
Nobodysmiling.com : You just said that one should learn about Hillary Clinton’s interests before supporting her.
Rhymefest : Yes and also for rappers to be more influenced before blurting out political statements that could inspire people…based on what? Based on your misinformation? All I was doing was giving the facts. My thing is not to criticize him; it’s to inform the audience who read those comments.
Nobodysmiling.com : While on the topic of elections, what are your thoughts on America’s political future?
Rhymefest : Oh man. America’s future right now is very hopeful. But this is a turning point. We are at a crucial deciding point of what we want to be. Are we gonna continue to be what we were decades ago or are we ready to move forward into the new century, into the new decade? We have that choice in front of us. A black man; a woman; a liberal-thinking white man. Even within the new choices there are new elements that add different nuances to it and we have to decide what we’re ready for as a country, as a people.
Nobodysmiling.com : You champion for the balance in hip-hop. Can you explain?
Rhymefest : Yes. Right now, you have Talib Kweli to come out on the Number 2 spot over a lot of people who were on radio way more than he was; he wasn’t even on the radio at all. Common coming out and being number one - people don’t even talk about these numbers. It doesn’t get along with what major media tells you is hot. Let’s talk about the numbers: Kanye over 50 Cent - art over gangsterism. Things are changing! People want something different…ambitious energy. The playing field is even now, only the best players shall win.
Nobodysmiling.com : How do the artists play a role in creating this balance?
Rhymefest : Artists play a huge role; artists make the music. But one thing artists have to realize is that artists control their future. Artists control the future of the children, of the music, of the direction. So, if we continue to let the people have control of us then nothing will pan out to be what it is intended to be. We have to stop being like ‘Man if I can just get a record deal’. Yo, stop begging for their *^&$%^& crumbs.
Go make them want you; go make them say ‘I need him’. Stop begging radio to play your #$%^. ‘Cause if anyone gives you a crumb and you take it, they own you. And they’ll never give you a piece of cake. Stop being *&^$%*& soft. Man, as artists, we gotta stop being #$%%&*$. And just ‘cause you got a gun and you’re gangster don’t mean you ain’t no #$%%& – you just a #$%%& with a gun.
Real gangsters stand for something; real gangsters stay on something – what you stand on man? Are you willing to fight for your children, your women? Are you willing to die, to protect something that means something to you other than the crack house? Be a *%&^*#$ man. Or be a woman. Is your body, your loins, your ass, your breasts… is that the only way you can get a man to pay attention to you when you sing or when you rap? If it is, I feel sorry for you. We control it.
Nobodysmiling.com : El Che, your much-anticipated album. When can we expect it?
Rhymefest : El Che can be expected in April. El Che is more Rhymefest than anything. The beats are crazy. Of course I’m working with my brothers, LB, Little Brother. We have a coalition. We’re always gonna work together. Those are the only people I’m gonna mention right now. Mark Ronson of course…he’s family.
Nobodysmiling.com : Any specific themes or concepts?
Rhymefest : As you know, my name is Che; I was named after Che Guevara, the Cuban revolutionary. The theme to the album is change. Fighting for what you believe in. Whether it’s change in your music, in your art, in your craft...in your writing as a journalist. Being open to accepting change. Whether it’s dangerous; whether it’s uncomfortable. It’s time. This is the era of change. The concept of this album is to ‘come on the journey with a revolutionary’. I can’t give myself the title of a hero but I can show you how to bounce back like one. That’s what El Che is gonna do.
Nobodysmiling.com : Thank you.
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