Shoeshine Interview

Illuminati 2G hooked up with the Lucky Luciano of Hip-Hop – Shoeshine for an exclusive interview.

Growing up in Oakland, California Shoeshine had an interesting up-rising and outlook on Hip-Hop in general; read and learn all about that in this interview session. We also talk all about Shoeshine and his record label, 100 Deep Entertainment and what the current agenda is like over there.

Shoeshine was introduced on Raptalk.Net recently with a controversy single by the name of “Age Range.” With a track that dissed over 30 rappers, the song gained a large buzz and got people to talking about Shoeshine and what he brings to the table; we discuss the song in great detail with such facts as the motivation behind the record, the comparsion to 50 Cent “how toRob” tr, if the song was just made for attention and more!

Shoeshine also gives us his thoughts on Crooked I, The Game, Bishop Lamont and more – controversial, to say the least…

I2G: Here we go y’all! We’re right here with controversial new west coast MC, Shoeshine! How are you Shoeshine?

Shoeshine: Hey, what’s going on bro? I’m good! Just living.

I2G: That’s good to hear! The back-story on your stage name Shoeshine is quite intriguing and captivating. Break down the meaning behind your name for our readers who are unfamiliar with the story.

Shoeshine: What it is basically is that I came up with something that is the epitome of a hustler, from everybody who started at the bottom and rose to the top. Even if you date back to the mafia days, the whole organized crime days and everything – people like Lucky Luciano and the real people who rose through the ranks – many of them started off actually as shoeshine boys.

I just attributed that to myself and other people also attributed that to me because of the way I got down and by the way I carried myself in the streets and away from the streets. I was always on the come up looking for the next big thing or big way to hustle and make money.

I2G: I feel that right there. Who were your musical influences growing up in the bay area, specifically Oakland?

Shoeshine: I have to say Too $hort, Keak Da Sneak and his old group, Richie Rich, Da Delinquents – you have so many Oakland factors. Seagram was a big one but you know he passed. 2Pac as well; he wasn’t really from Oakland but he had a big presence here being that he was out here for so long with Digital Underground. I also have so many influences that are not from Oakland.

I2G: And who would those be?

Shoeshine: I gotta’ give it up to (Notorious) Big, Scarface; for me, in my time – he (Scarface) was a pioneer. I also bumped DMX coming up. Later on, we had the Eminem’s and people like that whom I just respected lyrically. I always listen to there lyrics to see what I had to do to get on that level.

I2G: What do you think about the relationship between the bay area and the rest of the west coast, places like Los Angeles?

Shoeshine: I haven’t heard too much. I talk to people in different places. I have people out in New York. I know people in New Jersey and some down south, Houston specifically; I have people everywhere. There really not…aside from the stuff you get sprinkled out throughout time on TV and stuff like that – the artists like E-40, Too $hort and the people who did it back in the day; they really have no presence and at least I don’t hear about it; they don’t know about it really. E-40 came out with Lil’ Jon in ’06 and before that, people were up on E-40 but he was pretty much like an underground figure. Out here, he was already big though. I’m down with it. It isn’t too much love though. It is what it is.

I2G: You were talking about the meaning of that Shoeshine name. You had an interesting up-rising, one most rappers would call a “hustler’s story.” Tell us about that background.

Shoeshine: Like I said, coming up out here in the Bay, Oakland specifically – you have to be about your hustle. There is really nothing out here; we don’t have a true entertainment…we’re not known for entertainment. Aside from the little Hyphy movement, we never had a really big cultural following that you could attribute to us. We’re still here but to the rest of the world, we’re not known.

Aside from hustling in the streets, on the rap music basis; you have to do it yourself – start from the bottom up. You need to grind your way through it and not being spoon-fed anything; you had to get out there and do your thing – that’s what I had to do. Even on the street level, that’s what I had to do. I respected the older cats. I paid my dues and paid homage at the same trying to still come at them with that same motto. Those are the people that I respect and that’s how I got respected and that’s how I intend to carry myself from the past to the future.

I2G: Ok. You are signed to 100 Deep Entertainment; what’s the agenda on that label like right now?

Shoeshine: I’m pretty much the flagship artist. Myself and a partner of mine started that up. We’re just carrying the torch and keeping it lit. Will see what it does down the line. We plan to score a bunch of other things. My partner has some business ventures we want to branch out and do. We’re talking anything from music to cologne (laughs).

It’s basically like a Jay and Dame (Dash) partnership but we’re not gonna’ let any of that bullshit get in the way; we have a really strong relationship – we’ve been doing it for about 11 years. We plan to keep on going strong with that. We have other things we’re doing it for, not just music; we have people who are in the inside of the wall that we’re trying to bring home. We have a strong following with that. 100 Deep.

I2G: “Age Range” is a track you did that is getting a lot of attention. If the numbers serve me correctly, you diss over 30 rappers in the song; what made you want to record this song?

Shoeshine: Just frustrated at the time; frustrated with the whole Hip-Hop scene. I just wanted to stir some shit. I look at music and you have all this shit that’s out there, everything is similar. I just wanted to open up the lid and stir the contents of the pot a little bit. That’s about it. I didn’t really have a basis behind it. I wasn’t trying to go at anyone about any real shit or nothing. They compared it to 50 Cent (“How to Rob”) but 50 Cent was talking about robbing niggas; I’m just on some lyrical shit. I was telling niggas to step there game up – just some shit like that.

I2G: It’s funny you bring up the 50 Cent track. Was 50 Cent’s “How to Rob” track used as inspiration at all?

Shoeshine: Not really. I can’t say that I totally disregarded that out of my mind or whatever, I thought the two could be compared, just as how he was going at everybody. However, the context of how he was going at people was different. I was just basically trying to back it back…remember the Schooly D’s and Kool Mo Dee just going at all LL (Cool J), Canibus, Eminem – just how niggas was getting at each other and telling niggas nobody could really fuck with them – that’s what I was pretty much doing on that track right there; just letting niggas know they can’t fuck with me and if they think they can, shit, rap about it.

I2G: Hip-Hop needs some friendly competition. You weren’t talking about personally harming any of the artists mentioned; you’re just trying to stir up some lyrical competition. That’s always been apart of Hip-Hop since the Boogie Down Production days.

Shoeshine: Exactly. It’s no real shit. I’ve been in real situations and I know people that are in real situations and how it goes. It isn’t anything like that with those rappers and me that I diss on there. Half the cats I respect and came up listening to. At this point in my life, I feel like I can get with them though. Like I said, if they think other wise, get at me. I’m always down for some lyrical scrapping, ya’ dig?

I2G: No doubt. What specifically would you say about your skills on the microphone allows you to claim that no rapper in your “age range” can touch your skills?

Shoeshine: Just the way I’m coming at it; the aggressiveness I hold. Like I said, the game has changed since when I really wanted to get into the rap game. I really wanted to start rapping when Biggie was doing his thing; DMX, Jay-Z – that’s when I fell in love with it. Now, it’s changed up. Everybody is using auto tune and trying to do some poetry kind of rap; that’s not what I’m into. There’s nothing wrong with it, I hope they make their money as young black men or young people period. That’s not what I’m into. That isn’t the spirit I get from Hip-Hop when I feel Hip-Hop and when I hear Hip-Hop; that’s not what I get from it.

Coming from Oakland, and the rest of the world – I know some lyrical cats here but to the rest of the world, we’re not known for that – well, I want to bring that to them. I want to let them know that Oakland is here; California, West Coast. We have some of that – we have people that can compete with everyone else; swagger wise, the star status and presence – we have that; I have that. That’s all I was doing, just letting niggas know I’m here.

I2G: What do you have to say to the people who will claim this song was done simply for attention?

Shoeshine: I knew that was going to be said and that’s fine. I can’t say it wasn’t. Who isn’t doing something for attention? Every time somebody spits a fucking a bar, it’s for attention. So yeah, I want some notoriety from it; but it’s going to be from the rappers or fan standpoints, whatever. It’s anybody who wants it. People who aren’t in my age range, if they want it, they can get it to. I can’t say it wasn’t for attention. If brings that then good, if it doesn’t, I’ll hit them with something new. That’s what I’m doing this year, we’re gonna’ wake the whole game up. And if little old me can wake the game up, I think that’s a big thing.

I2G: As mentioned, you dissed over 30 rappers in “Age Range.” A song with that many artists mentioned allows for only 1 or 2 lines per artist; I want to name some artists you dissed with you giving some more depth to your thoughts on these artists. Let’s start with Crooked I.

Shoeshine: Crooked I? he is raw. He’s actually one of the people I named on there that I think is slept on. Crooked I is from the west coast and he’s slept on. With that shit aside, I’m going to keep it real – that nigga is raw, who can deny that? But I think I can fuck with him. If I get the look and I’m in that round, can’t anybody fuck with me. I’ll always say that, niggas can’t fuck with me.

I2G: Bishop Lamont.

Shoeshine: He can’t fuck with me either (laughs). I’m not even going to play with that – he can’t fuck with me at all. Like I said, Crooked I, I’d have the lace the gloves up if I fucked with him, but Bishop Lamont can’t fuck with me. Name somebody else.

I2G: The Game.

Shoeshine: The Game? Everybody knows The Game. He is The Game. He established himself as one of the good MC’s on the west coast – but shit, his time is about done too; I’m coming up.

I2G: Ya Boy.

Shoeshine: Ya Boy is from the bay. I’d give it to him too. Much love for a nigga from the bay, I’m glad he came up on and did his thing on the national scene and I’m proud of that, but he can’t fuck with me though.

I2G: When are we going to hear some more music from Shoeshine?

Shoeshine: I’m waiting on more responses from “Age Range.” I’ll see what I have to do. I’m in the lab right now working on some shit as we speak. I just left the lab. I’m working on shit. I’m just waiting to see the responses and decide what to drop next. I was just in the studio frustrated and did “Age Range”, but I’m cool with that. I have other shit. I literally write songs, even R&B; I can write all that shit. I’m not on no singing shit like these niggas out here but I have stuff to me that I haven’t displayed yet. It’ll be out there soon for niggas to see what kind of shit I’m on.

I2G: Ok. What’s up next for Shoeshine?

Shoeshine: Just build that buzz and get my name out there. I’m going to go from there to see what I need to drop. I’ll see if I need to drop something digitally, if I need to do an album, a mix tape. I’m just letting that decide my faith. But I’m definitely going to be here though.

I2G: No doubt! We appreciate you’re time Shoeshine! You’re on I2G – Do you have any last words or final statements before we let you go?

Shoeshine: Look out for Shoeshine and 100 Deep Entertainment. Oakland, stand up. Anybody in my age range, anybody not in my age range, holla’ at me and you can get it, we can go at it. Will let the fans decide what it is. I’m here to stay – I’m not going anywhere. Oakland, stand up. It is what it is. www.myspace.com/shu100.