Everytime I hear his name, the first thought that jumps into my head is the line he spit himself...
"What the fuck is a Papoose?"
Essentially, Papoose is an up and coming...Nah, son's here & set to blow reppin from Bed-Stuy, New York, the same place that blessed the world with Biggie. After earning his stripes, working alongside Kool G. Rap and others, he put the mixtape world in the sleeper hold to submission - 12 tapes, 227 songs, 1.5 yrs. With a keen mix of knowledge and a sharp tongue, Pap is indeed a "mixtape murderer" worth keeping an ear open for.
After recently inking with Jive Records, Pap is set to release his debut album, with the helping hand of Kay Slay, and quite a few fans are eagerly awaiting it's arrival. So we took a few minutes to speak to the brother about what's next...
Words By Chris Smith
TSS: What's up Pap? Ready to get started?
Pap: Yes sir.
TSS: To lead off, the album Nacirema Dream; what's the science behind that particular title and the material?
Pap: I mean, basically, Nacirema is the word American spelled backwards. Did you know that?
TSS: Yeah I kinda figured that...
Pap: All right, let me break it down for you. Nacirema is the word American spelled backwards, and I think people from all over the world lose they lives and risk they lives to come here in search of the American dream. I think people who live here with nine to fives, who go to work every day struggle for that American dream. I think dudes in the ghetto who risk their lives hustlin and doin whatever they do to get by, we all striving, including me. And we all strivingto be successful, own some nice property, feed our families in search of that American dream. That's basically my struggle growing up in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, to struggle to stardom in the industry is definitely the American dream. No other title could describe my experiences better than Nacirema Dream. Just my artistic expression.
TSS: Gotcha. Okay, since you go this deal with Jive, what big plans do you have after this album, how many more albums do you want to do?
Pap: Ah man, basically man I'm a consistent artist and my next album's not gonna be too far from my first. But I definitely got other things I wanna get into. I got the Nation of Thugacation, which is my organization, my movement, my family and not just music, it's our culture. We wanna make our neighborhoods better man.
TSS: When you say you've got a lot of other projects with Thugacation, tell me more about that. Are you thinking community projects, workshops?
Pap: Definitely man, I wanna make it where we make our neighborhoods safe, without relying on these corrupt cops comin here lookin' over us. We lookin' out for us, we wanna have it where our babies are educated on where they come from and on their civil and constitutional rights because at the end of the day man, all we got is us. After I get this album out the way there's a lot of other things I wanna get into just to make where I grew up at a better place man.
TSS: Alright, alright. Speaking about cops, "Change Gone Come (50 Shots)" (about the Sean Bell shooting)off of Fourth Quarter Assassin is all over the place right now, getting you more buzz and is even being called a great rap moment, if not a great rap history moment. It's nothin new to you since you've been an outspoken person on the cops before. How do you feel about all of this attention now?
Pap: That really wasn't my intention, you know, that was for all my brothers and sisters, all my audience, just to give'em an insight on what's goin on because everybody don't pay attention when Al Sharpton calls a march Shopping For Justice down Fifth Avenue. Certain kids, certain people in the audience might not hear that. They might not hear what Farrakhan is speaking but they gonna pick up that Papoose mixtape or come to that concert. So with something like that going on, with me having such a strong influence, it would've been selfish not to speak on that man. It just was what it was. It was an incredible reaction 1010 Wins, New York Post, Howard Stern, Fox 5 News. It's was crazy.
TSS: Yeah, I even heard BBC News playing your track about a week ago.
Pap: Wow.
TSS: When I get out of town from time to time, I bump into cats from the Midwest and the South who are just hearing your mixtapes and how you spit now. Do you think that sometimes you get into a more regional thing with this hip-hop or that it's for everybody?
Pap: I mean, me being in te driver's seat of my career, when I go to Canada, and I'm in Canada doing a different city every day for seven days, or when I'm getting feedback from the UK, when I'm in Maryland doing a show or Conneticut or Philly, I feel like my following is being spread out. But coming from another person's point of view like yourself, you might see it different which I respect and I need that input so I can know which ground I need to touch. But I feel like just for an individual who put out mixtapes, and aint even put out an album yet who has that kind of fanbase, I feel like I'm on the right track and whoever I didn't touch, hopefully the album, I'll reach them.
TSS: Speak a little bit more about Gino Green and that connection.
Pap: We met in the struggle. I was strugglin with my music and they were strugglin with their clothing line and me being a real dude, seeing other cats dedicated. The clothing thing is an art also man.
TSS: Right.
Pap: My man Prince, from Gino Green, I respect his art and how he put his clothes together. I said, 'Why not? Why not rock this man?' When nobody wanted to wear it, I said 'Gimme that shirt man.' Threw it on, boom. We both was on the come up and now we both risin man. It's a beautiful thing.
TSS: Before you signed with Jive, were there any other labels that offered you a deal or something close to it?
Pap: I had offers from all your favorite labels man. Interscope, Def Jam, Atlantic. We made our decision to go with Jive because I had more of a clear lane. A lot of these other labels are overcrowded man. I just feel like I'm a priority and I needed to came out when I was ready to come out. I needed creative control, to handle my promotion, definitely I'd rather be nowhere else but Jive. And I got the deal for 1.5 (million).
TSS: With the album, is this gonna be all new material we're gonna hear? I know you've got the videos done for "Alphabetical Slaughter" and "Ghetto Soldier" done already.
Pap: Yeah, "Alphabetical Slaughter" is not gonna be on the album. Part 2 is gonna be on the album where I go backwards from Z t o A. And "Ghetto Soldier" on the album maybe, maybe not. But, all new material. Seventeen mixtapes and still got new material.
TSS: The new single Kay Slay's been telling us about. Any word on that?
Pap: Yeah, definitely at the top of the year. We've got a new record out now called "Gettin Gwap" just to warm it up, along with "Alphabetical Slaughter," "Ghetto Soldier," and "50 Shots" as an appetizer for the main course which is the top of the year, the Nacirema Dream.
Pap: I feel like my album's on a whole different level than the mixtapes man. It's a beautiful thing. I feel like the mixtapes are a high school diploma and the album's a college degree, you know what I'm sayin? Pure elevation, man.
TSS: I know you made your debut on a Kool G.Rap album. Do y'all still keep in contact, is he another mentor in addition to Kay Slay?
Pap: From time to time man, I definitely speak with G. Rap man, he's still working. Utmost respect to to G man, he's a living legend. Word up, I learned a lot from G.
TSS: No doubt, you've been doing a lot of shows. Are there plans for a tour major tour once the album comes out?
Pap: That's without doubt man, my management, Violator management, the strongest management company in the world, is workin on putting together a UK tour. So I can't wait to get over there, but I'm definitely gonna be tourin' man, puttin' it down.
TSS: Yeah, I remember you from the Ghostface show earlier this year doing your thing and had the crowd live.
Pap: It's alright, thanks man. I appreciate that man. But I've done a lot of shows so I'm definitely prepared to do whatever comes my way.
TSS: Do you consider yourself a prepared lyricist with the written and the freestyle lyrics or somebody who battles?
Pap: I consider myself versatile man. I can do all of these things you just named. I think every artist should be versatile, that's what I exercise, versatility. I think the music industry is so used to seeing artist that, if he's commercial that's all. If he's street, that's all. Not me, I don't represent that. I think an artist should be able to do everything, there's no topic you shouldn't be able to touch. That's why you hear me talk about incidents that go on around the world but you still hear me talk about Bed Stuy, Brooklyn.
TSS: As far as collaborations, do you have joints from people outside of your crew Thugacation that'll be on the album?
Pap: Definitely, the whole of Thugacation is gonna be on the album, we all got a record on the album.
TSS: Okay, so how much of the album is Kay Slay doing, is he gonna be executive producer?
Pap: Myself and Kay Slay both are executive producers of my album. We're putting in our work together, I think we're one of the illest tag teams in a long time y'ouknow what I'm sayin? Kay Slay is like a big brother to me.
TSS: I notice that with some of the mixtapes, you have themed tracks that speak to your versatility like "Chess", "Charades"...could you see yourself doing a compilation off of that topic alone?
Pap: Yeah man, I thought about that before but I wanna thank you for making that fresh in my mind (laughs)to put all of that together on one joint would be crazy. But definitely, the game saga is not gonna end, cats will continue to get that from me.
TSS: The other things that makes you stand out is your flow. It's more of a measured pace. I wanna know who you looked up to coming up in Bed Stuy, as far as how hip hop should be done, who were your influences?
Pap: Ah man, my influences were Big Daddy Kane, Kool G. Rap and Rakim. I think Kane's that dude right there with G. Rap just inspired me to be nice man, like "Damn these cats don't play!!" That shit let me know what I gotta do if I even wanna think about rappin. That's what hip-hop is all about man, confidence. Confidence in yourself, being sure, straightforward puttin your foot down. So definitely I learned from them man. LL Cool J is another one man. These are all-time greats right here.
TSS: With you being in the stuggle for so long, did you have low moments?
Pap: I'ma be real with you man. When I was young I had my mind made up that I wanted to do hip-hop but I always turned to the streets to eat and to get by. But in the back of my mind, I always had hip-hop to fall back on. It got disappointing seein cats that I felt weren't on my level being successful and I'm still in the hood grindin. Definitely it was discouraging but I know hip-hop was in my heart and I always knew I could make it. I could write a rhyme without lights, camera action, a magazine interview- regardless, I was prepared. I love to do this shit.
Pap: I mean, first off I don't write with a pen and paper, and my attitude is I'm goin for the jugular. Hip hop is real competitive and my album's comin out so I'm takin' no prisoners on that mic, man. My attitude and my mentality is always serious. People are always like, 'Why you never smile in pictures?' Cause there aint that much to smile about, I'm dead serious about this. Y'all cats is playin' around and I'm takin this shit serious. My attitude is a serious, militant attitude. My art is a reflection of the things I've seen and the things I've been through.
TSS: If you weren't doin hip-hop, do you see yourself go into another avenue with your creativity?
Pap: I mean, if I wasn't in hip-hop only the most high would know where I'd be at right now man and that's real talk. I came up hard man, and all the cats who know me will let you know man. That's on my son right there.
TSS: Cool, man. Thank you for doin this interview. Keep it thorough.
Pap: No doubt, thank you for havin me man.
For more info on Papoose, visit www.myspace.com/papoose and www.papooseonline.com