Urban Vault caught up with Carson, California based emcee Ras Kass to ask him about his forthcoming project I‘M NOT CLEARING SHXT, & more…

‘I‘m Not Clearing Shxt’ is taking it back to the feeling of the art form when Hip Hop artists were able to sample everything and anything they wanted, before corporate bullying via sample clearance lawsuits. The project features original guest appearances from Ice T, Casual, OMID-G, Masta Ace, Sid Wilson, Kool Keith, and many more…

What is your name?

Ras Kass

Where are you from?

I lived up in Carson (between Compton and Long Beach) but I was raised in Watts, Southern California.

What‘s the Hip Hop scene like on the Westcoast nowadays?

Many people are trying to revive the scene here. It’s an uphill battle!

How long have you been making music?

Since before my first album ‘Soul On Ice” dropped in ’96.

Tell us more about the recently released single ‘5 Mikes’?

5 Mikes is a play on the rating system (5 Mics) the original Hip Hop magazine The Source used to rate albums, a perfect 5 being a ‘Hip Hop Classic’ It’s inspired by the old ‘If I Could Be Like Mike’ commercials and  Notorious
BIG rap line “Which Mike? pick one – Jordan, Jackson Tyson…” So I’m literally being Like 5 Mikes/Mics embodying their talents lyrically.

You are releasing a new project entitled ‘Im Not Clearing Shxt’ in November, what‘s the concept behind this release?

In the early 1970’s because of American Systematic Racism urban (black/brown) schools were defunded from The Arts. There were no instruments for music class. Necessity is the Mother of all Invention and because the impoverished had no instruments a young teen named Kool Herc used the 2 turntables & mixer (his older sister bought him) to throw parties. He eventually realized he could just play the part of a song he liked back 2 back. And the loop was invented.  Then the emcee kept the party going over the loop and Rap was Born from samples!

Every classic, Iconic song in Hip Hop from Beastie Boys, EPMD, NWA, Gangstarr, Wu-Tang, Rakim, Tupac, Biggie, Jay Z, Nas even MC Hammer &  Vanilla Ice has to credit sampling. Our theme song: NBN ‘Hip Hop Hurray’ is a Jackson 5 sample. Once record companies saw the success of Rap they were bitter that we had created a way to make wealth without having to pay them. They successfully lobbied/bribed Congress for new sample clearance Laws (even though before that replaying was common. even The Beach Boys stole Chuck Berry’s guitar riff to make ‘Surfin’ USA’)
Since then producers have shifted to Trap beats that all sound similar because they want to avoid sample clearance. And the Music has suffered for it. The creativity isn’t there. Its cookie-cutter commercial music.

The artists who can afford to clear samples act frugal and cheap so as to save more money but again the music suffers, I just wanted to make a project that takes the Rap Music back to the essence of flipping a dope sample from any genre and making it Hip Hop by adding dope drums, scratches, basslines, and bars!

‘Im Not Clearing Shxt’ is not a mixtape nor do you consider it an album. Instead, you are calling it a Vinyl playlist, what‘s that all about?

Mixtapes technically don’t exist. Plus this is ALL ORIGINAL MUSIC. I didn’t freestyle over other people’s previously released songs. And We didn’t call it an album because the majority of these songs could Never make it to iTunes, Spotify and other major platforms because of the samples we chose to deconstruct. But it is a singular body of work, a group of specific songs in a specific order, and that’s why we felt calling it a playlist described it best.

What was the inspiration for that so-called vinyl playlist?

An attempt to be unique and blaze my own path…

Coming from an era of sample-based boom-bap, what do you think of the music industry in 2020?

I embrace evolution and change. Unfortunately, some of the commercialization doesn’t seem like evolution as much as it feels like regression; watered-down, generic and mass-produced formula.

What do you do when you’re not making music?

I enjoy reading. I want to write scripts, books… I’m in the process of learning a DAW so that I can produce tracks. I watch dope shows like The Boys, Raised by Wolves for inspiration.

Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram?  

Mine are all connected but I use Instagram the most…

In a few words sum up your thoughts about Urban Vault and what we’re trying to do?

I appreciate that you guys continue to cover the Hip Hop culture from local in the UK all the way here in the U.S. and Worldwide. Music News to Clothing and style, you guys keep it grimy!

Thank you for your time and may you carry on making dope, fresh music…

The album ‘I‘m Not Clearing Shxt’ is set to release November 06th on all Digital Platforms, Vinyl & CD.

www.facebook.com/RasKassCentral
https://twitter.com/raskass
https://instagram.com/ras_kass