MARSHALL PAYNE "Q&A Interview" /// UndergroundHipHopBLOG.com
MARSHALL PAYNE “Q&A Interview” w/ UndergroundHipHopBLOG.com (2012)
-Tell us a little about yourself. Where you are from? How long have you been making Hip Hop?
My name is Marshall Payne, I was born in Oakland and raised in Bolinas, CA. I’ve been rapping since I was about 11 or 12 years old, but I didn’t start recording music regularly until I was about 21.
-What influences you in making Hip Hop?
Everything influences my music. I think that people are shaped into who they are as a result of living their life. Every conversation you have with someone, every argument, every movie you see, every song you hear… all of these things influence you and shape the way you think and act. To be sure, some events have much more of a profound influence than others, but I believe the way people express themselves is a direct reflection of the accumulation of experiences they’ve had throughout their lives. So, my answer for this question is: everything.
-Describe your music, and what separates you from other MCs?
To describe my music: My shit goes. To describe what separates me from the pack: Being my unique self at all time. To be honest I haven’t even seen anyone with a similar style, let alone the same. I’m not saying that on some “I’m the greatest ever” type shit, it’s just that there is literally no other rap artist I’ve seen or heard that I feel comfortable comparing myself to. Being original and unique has always been important to me, and I think that shows in my music.
-Who have you collaborated with? Who would like to collab with in the near future?
The biggest artist I have done a song with is Mistah F.A.B, and the song is called Get Connected (track 2 on my new album Bo Knows Rap). Out of all the artists with a big name that I’ve met and interacted with, Mistah F.A.B. is the most down-to-earth, real, respectful dude out there. I’ve seen him INSIST to pay to get into an event when offered free entry, just to support the performers. I got nothing but respect for him, and the fact that I was able to do a song with him on my latest album was a great experience for me. The one artist I’ve been dying to colab with for years, who is also my favorite rapper in the game, is Crooked I.
-Your definition of “Underground Hip Hop”?
I’ve never been big on trying to classify types of music. I feel that music is music, and when you try to put an artist or group in a specific genre, it limits creativity and also creates a perception of what their music is, and that perception may not be fully accurate. There is so much variation and diversity within hip hop, and music in general, that I try to avoid creating finite definitions for genres of music.
-Production wise, who are your influences? Who does your production, and who would you like to work with?
I’m going with a super sleeper pick for this one. It’s probably a guy most of y’all haven’t heard of, but his name is Dr. Dre. That dude has some really good beats, I think he’s from LA or something. In terms of production for my music, it doesn’t get any better than the brotherly duo of Cambo & Lou Koo, my 2 go-to producers who made every beat on my latest album Bo Knows Rap. A couple other producers I work with closely are Browse Beats and Chase Moore. I’d say if I could pick a producer to work with it would probably be Timbaland, I’ve always been a huge fan of his production.
-Any current or future projects you are promoting?
My new album is called Bo Knows Rap and God will slap you in the junk if you don’t go download it now (FREE).
-Where can we find your music and info?
-Any shout outs?
Huge shoutout to Cambo (@CamboMusic) & Lou Koo (@Lou_Koo), who are my 2 partners in crime and have had a bigger influence on my music than anyone else. Much love to all of my Marin County people, my SF folks, my East Bay cutties. Big thanks towww.LegendaryClothingCompany.com, which has been a huge supporter of my music and had made a lot of things possible. Lastly, and most importantly, I love my mom.
