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Class The King - New York Minute
Interview By: Quinton Hatfield
 When you say you’re the king you draw a lot of attention. Look back to the medieval times when something didn’t go right in a town or country they blamed it on the king. When something went good for the people the king was praised by everyone. Being a king of something is a risky title as throughout the history of life there were kings that either failed or ruled. It’s the same thing in the rap game and some MC’s take offense to those who give themselves the title. Class The King doesn’t care whether you like him or not as he’s confident in himself, he’s the best. Known as the renaissance man Class The King is bringing back the gritty New York sound that once had the big apple on top.
Originally from Brooklyn New York Class The King is also a good friend of fellow NY rapper Mims. Though their good friends and do music often Class The King is here to show he’s not riding the co-tails of his man and can do for self. The results is coming along good too as Class has a growing Internet buzz, recently appeared in Rap Fanatic magazine, and killing it right now with the “New York Minute” record ft. Mims. Class The King had a rough coming up and now has a vision where to take his life from this point on.
 Nobodysmiling.com : I noticed that you’re a New York artist so how did you end up in Cali?
Class The King : Yeah even though I moved out to Cali I’m Class the King and I represent New York all day everyday. I’m from New York and I wanted to make sure I’m universal in everything I do so with me being out here in Cali I got a chance to listen to different music and a lot of these artists inspired me to do music a little different.
Nobodysmiling.com : Being out in the west coast do you feel your style changed or you kept it New York hip-hop style?
Class The King : I tried to keep it the same, but I’m a keep it honest.. you get influenced by listening to different artists. Out here they don’t play New York artists as much as you would expect in New York. Out here they have more of a laid-back mentality so of course my style took a little bit of that. Like I said me being a New York artists in another state you want to make universal music.
Nobodysmiling.com : It’s been a lot of talk with people saying New York hip-hop has been dead. Being a New York artist ending up in Cali how you feel about that?
Class The King : I feel like we struggling, we struggling in hip-hop, but it’s a change in time. Were in a state of hip-hop where ringtones is important and people are just worrying about that one single. I think you just gotta adapt to it. People are saying hip-hop is dead, but I think if somebody comes with something different like good concepts and good music it can’t die. Hip-hop can’t die, right now it’s shifting a little bit but you gotta give props when props is due. The south is doing they thing, other places doing they thing, New York is always gonna do they thing regardless.
Nobodysmiling.com : The south has been criticized for the type of hip-hop they’ve been putting out, but how you feel personally about them dominating hip-hop right now?
Class The King : Honestly I like the south, I spent some time in Atlanta and I got a chance to listen to a lot of groups and people out there, I support all types of music. A lot of people get on them about their lyrics and they don’t really have good lyrics and everything like that, but they only going to rap about the stuff they used to. Down there they like to party and rap about their form of struggle and things they used to. I think as long as you keeping it real and consistent there is nothing wrong with the south, east, west, wherever you at.
Nobodysmiling.com : Doing my research I come to find you have a relationship with Mims how far does it go back?
Class The King : Oh yeah Mims is like my brother from another mother. We actually went to high school together as we used to be in a group. I started rapping when I was like 15, 16, and he was actually the first person that put me in the studio. We had a little group back in the day and we used to do local mixtapes passing them out in school and everything doing stuff like that. It goes back pretty far I wish him the best with all the success he has and I’m support him 100%.
Nobodysmiling.com : Do ya’ll look forward to doing some more work in the future getting down?
Class The King : Oh yeah most definitely we going to do more music. He’s been seeing success and a lot of people state he’s got the one hit, but honestly he’s got some good music. He’s achieved a lot of success and wants to help me get there and matter fact I got a single dropping soon called “Nickname” and he’s featured on the record. It’s a really big record and hopefully we get this buzz up and I reach the level that he reached.
Nobodysmiling.com : I read your bio and it talked a lot about your life. A lot of those things was heard in your music with the drug dealing in your family, people you know getting killed so can you reflect on all that?
Class The King : Growing up it wasn’t a good situation. First off when I was growing up I didn’t have my mom. My mom gave me up for adoption when I was five years old. My father never been in my life and I tried to stay as positive as possible. My uncle was unfortunately a drug-dealer and got caught up. My aunt was heavy into drugs and stuff like that heavily influenced my life. Of course I don’t want to go down that path, but sometimes you gotta do what you got to do to make money. I’ve been through it, but I want people to understand there is a better message in hip-hop. It’s reality though for a lot of people, because a lot of people go through that reality.
Nobodysmiling.com : Speaking on the music you make who were some of your influences coming up in the game?
Class The King : To be honest with you the biggest influence on me would probably be Jay-Z, because Jay-Z is a dude that crushed the game. I also like dudes like Andre 3000, to keep it New York I like Mos Def, Talib Kweli, even the underground cats like Skyzoo, and I’m a big Joell Ortiz fan as well.
Nobodysmiling.com : I know you got love for Jay-Z and Joell Ortiz since they from Brooklyn!
Class The King : Yeah definitely, Joell Ortiz especially the type of music he’s coming with is raw. It kinds of reminds you of the old days like in ’96 and everything like that. A lot of people tryna bring it back to that point. He is good hip-hop man and I can enjoy listening to “The Brick” all the time. Jay-Z is the ultimate hustler he showed you how to make money. He just didn’t do it with rap, he did it with clothing, the Nets, and everything. His influence on me showed that it’s not just about rap it’s making it rain.
Nobodysmiling.com : Speaking on you being on the grind what’s the toughest thing maintaining the grind being an independent artists?
Class The King : Part of it is finances you gotta have the money to be able to make certain moves. If the money is low you always wonder “Should I make this move or that move”. It’s a lot of competition and that’s one of the hardest things about the grind also. Everybody is out there grinding just like you are, but you gotta be one step ahead of them. You pretty much have to do something different that they haven’t done.
Nobodysmiling.com : Let me ask you this, what makes Class The King one of the hottest in the game and why people should check for him?
Class The King : I spit reality music, I come with something different and I’m versatile on every track.
Nobodysmiling.com : So who are some people who feeling in the game right now including people that’s already in the game and some on the come up?
Class The King : Yeah like I said before I’m definitely feeling Joell Ortiz, Skyzoo, I’m feeling a dude out of Philly name Trel Mack who is real hot. I’m feeling a dude named Lexx 9Eleven who is an underground Queens rapper. I listen to a lot of New York rappers and I also listen to Bishop Lamont he’s pretty hot I’m definitely feeling his music. I also listen to Juice out of Blackwall Street.
Nobodysmiling.com : When I first interview new artists on the come-up I like to ask them how did they come up with they name, because that’s something I find interesting. Tell me and these readers out here how did you come up with Class The King?
Class The King : [Laughs], originally my name was E-Class and it was several E-Class’s out there so I shortened my name to Class. A lot of people would always be asking me “Class who, what you mean by Class”? Then one day I said Class The King and that’s been my name for years now so I’ve been sticking with it.
Nobodysmiling.com : Were there times when you wanted to change your name?
Class The King : Yeah, actually when I first started I didn’t even know what kind of name I wanted to go with. I always wanted to pick the fresh name something hot like a Jay-Z, Biggie Smalls, but I’m used to my name now. People don’t even call me by my real name no more they just be like “Yo Class what up”.
Nobodysmiling.com : I thought you called yourself Class The King, because you felt you were the king and want to be on top?
Class The King : Yeah, that’s one thing of course everybody wants to be the best. I feel like I want to be the best, I’m gonna be the best, and everybody should feel like that. People might try to take shots at me, but I’m ready for it.
Nobodysmiling.com : Well you know when you on the grind people will take shots at you so you better be prepared.
Class The King : Oh yeah I’m prepared it comes with the territory. People can love you, hate on you but I’m ready for all of that.
Nobodysmiling.com : So Class The King besides talking on the personal side of things what you have going on, albums, mixtapes?
Class The King : Yeah I got the single dropping soon called “Nickname” Ft. Mims. I also working on a mixtape called “Deal or No Deal”. Hopefully I can wrap up a deal pretty soon, I’m also working on “Classes in Session” Vol.1. Besides that the albums is called “The Renaissance” I call myself the renaissance man and hopefully I have that out by the summer. If a major label isn’t backing me by that time I’m probably gonna drop it independent and I wouldn’t have a problem with that at all.
Nobodysmiling.com : Well you know when you on the grind independently with that buzz the majors gonna come after you anyway.
Class The King : Yeah that’s true. I’m just hoping to get the right situation, a lot of people ask me what I’m looking for in a label I’m just looking to make history man. I think I got good music where people is really going to enjoy me. I just want to be able to get my music to the masses.
Nobodysmiling.com : Let me ask you this since you’re a hot artist to you for every good rapper how many you think are wack?
Class The King : For every good rapper there are about 15 that are wack, I really feel like that. Everyone has a right to do what they want to do, but you have to get some real criticism from people other than your friends. A lot of people is coming out with garbage and I don’t want to destroy anyone’s dreams, but if your not meant to be a rapper do not be a rapper.
Nobodysmiling.com : You said 15 I think that’s kind of low I would say 50!
Class The King : [Laughs], I was just being modest. A lot of people they talent might not necessarily be rap. Their talent might be a hype-man, a producer so find what works for you. Even though it’s a lot of money to be made in rap it isn’t for everybody. Unfortunately people seemed to think that and rapping is an easy way to make money, it’s a lot of grinding involved.
Nobodysmiling.com : It should be a new slogan “Stop rapping and get a job”!
Class The King : Exactly, UPS is hiring [laughs].
Nobodysmiling.com : Class The King I really appreciate you for showing love to the website, final message for fans and give that myspace so they know how to reach you?
Class The King : Thank you very much for everybody out there supporting me, shout out to my homey Q The Question for interviewing me nothing but love and support for him. Shout out to the whole ATM and my dude LEXX 9Eleven, shout out to Mims. If you ever want to contact me and reach me for something my myspace is www.myspace.com/mrclasstheking
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