Mad Men

Good day world, it’s your Queen of Hearts, Jane and I must say it feels SO muthafuckin’ good to be back…and with a special treat for my readers. I had a chance to FINALLY catch up two of my favorite producers, Empee and MaxPtah and do an interview for their new album Listen!!!: The Album (love the title…can never go wrong with simple and a command in suit.) The first single and video Confessions of a Vinyl Addict has made a bit of a splash on YouTube and has even commanded the attention of new fans outside of their Memphis core. So without further adieu…the interview (kudos will be accepted, appreciated and demanded at the end. Thanks!)

1. Tell my readers a bit about yourself and how you guys meet?

MaxPtah: Well my first love will always be emceeing, but I’ve gotten away from that aspect and decided to focus on the producing/beat making and engineering side cause that’s where the magic really happens. I still do it to a point but due to engineering duties I don’t have the time to write much. We met indirectly through Fathom 9. I remember meeting Empee while IMC was still working on the 1st Edition. Maybe sometime after that we exchange numbers and chatted up at shows and bounced ideas off each other and the rest is history.

Empee: Yeah things pretty much just grew from there. Well my name is EMPEE A.K.A. Jimmy Haywood. I have been making beats and rhyming a little bit since around 1988. I truly got serious around ’98.

2. How did this project come about?

E: The Listen album started during a recording session I was dropping beats for someone’s cd…. Maybe it was Jason The Haters album. Me and Ptah were just talking about the usual stuff we talk about……. Music and playing beats and just thought …..”Hey we should just do an album together! We had the beats already. All we had to do was pick ‘em, write, and record. The whole album in all was done pretty fast.

M: It was the Hater’s album and after completing the album, Empee brought the idea to me and honestly I thought he was full of bull about it. I mean I was down, but I was like I’ll believe it when it’s done. Actually after we recorded the first I’d say…three songs I was hyped about it. Then to actually have the album done in about two or three months was even better.

3. Who do you feel your music best represents?

M: People who love music and not worried about the image that the artist(s) has to portray. The typical answer would be b-boys, b-girls, and the Hip Hop heads, but to get put in that box trying to market to them gets old. So I’d rather try to reach those who don’t want the extra additives in their music. It could be people whose main source of music is radio.

E: I feel my music best represents me. Music is one of the most important things in my life. Without it I am in pretty bad shape. Different songs I have done represent my mood that particular day. I never make music with the sole intent of making money…. I make music because I simply love to do it.

4. Do you think your music could be mainstream viable? Why or Why not?

E: Oh yes I know for a fact SOME of my music could be mainstream… I think anyone’s music could possibly go mainstream. When it comes to the music business and the consumer public it all just goes back to who has the engine behind them to “convince” the public that their product is the hottest out now not who’s is really good. You hear and see an artist 100 times a week after a while that artist has been “programmed” in your head.

M: Yeah… any music can be mainstream viable that’s where having a big push and a marketing machine comes in. Some of the crappiest music will sell well due to a label putting the dollars and the push behind you, so yes our music could be.

5. Can we expect future projects from the two of you?

M: Yep, we were just talking about that this past weekend. We got some stuff planned and I think it’ll surpass “Listen!!!”

E: There will be another EMPEE and MaxPtah album next year if all goes well….. definitely!

6. Personal opinions about the local Hip Hop scene? What advantages do we have? What are Memphis emcees lacking?

E: My personal opinion of the hip hop scene here in Memphis is there really isn’t much of a scene right now. It has been pretty quiet around here on that front. We haven’t really done anything to get the attention we need. One of the main components to this is money unfortunately. A revolution is nothing without finance. The hip hop community here in Memphis has to invest in themselves as a business and start treating everything they do music wise as a business. You have to have your foundation first before you can build your house.

M: I think it could be better than what it is now. It’s come a long way since I got into the scene, but I think we still have a long way to go. Being under the radar is the biggest advantage we have so right now its like we have no pressure on us. The thing lacking, and I’m being totally honest and very critical here, is drive. There is a lot of talk, but not a lot of moving and doing. We got to be doing more than talking a good game. After we talk that good game we have to be able to execute at that too. With the way the internet is you really don’t need many resources. I’ve learned from promoting this album what you got to do.

7. Who are some artists that you would like to work with collectively?

M: 8Ball and MJG, been a huge fan for a long time and just to work with them would be something. Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Invincible, Willie Evans, Jr., DOOM and Jill Scott would be the ones for me.

E: Everybody that I consider makes good music, but heck I would go with Ghostface, Doom, Sticky Fingaz …hell I would work with damn near anyone if they are serious about their craft.

8. Bud or Miller Lite?

M: Bud!!!

E: Neither one of those… I have put down the Bud Ice and have moved on to Red Stripe and Dos XX!!! That is where it is at when I come to the brew…… but I have not been drinking the past 2 months!!! HA! But that will be changing soon I am sure.

9. Your video Confessions of a Vinyl Addict has created a bit of buzz on YouTube. Can we expect another video soon?

E: I am glad that people found that clip mildly entertaining…. As far as that goes I plan on doing a lot more work in front of the camera and that is a huge feat for me. Anyone that knows me knows I do NOT like to take pictures, filmed…I don’t really like to even be around crowds at all, but I am trying to learn to stretch out and try different things to push my creative boundaries. I don’t like staying in the same thing too long.

M: We actually wanted to do a documentary based upon that, and we still may do it, but yeah we got some more ideas that have been bounced around and I think Confessions of a Vinyl Addict was just the beginning.

10. Now how can the peoples cop this gem piece of an album?

E&M: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/empeeandmaxptah

GO! cop this album people…like yesterday…you can thank me later.