MVRemix: You have been in the hip-hop industry a long time. What is the main things that made you maintain?
Edo.G: I think just consistency for doing what I do best, pure hip-hop. I’m not trying to do whatever is popular or whatever. I’m just doing what I feel comes natural. I think people can respect that. I think people can appreciate when you are being original.
MVRemix: Who has been in your CD player or on your turntable recently?
Edo.G: Slum Village, Musiq, Soulchild. I’m a laid back dude. The Mobb Deep album is really hot. I like The Roots album, ‘The Tipping Point’ too. They only had around 10 tracks too. ‘Star’ is dope.
MVRemix: What was it like growing up in Boston?
Edo.G: We’re not that far. We are about 3 ½ hours from New York. We got a lot of stuff, especially from the 70’s and 80’s. It was all on cassette. People would just go to New York, chill with their family, and tape the radio. Back then, radio was so dope that people would tape it. We had our own identity.
MVRemix: What are the 3 best things about living in Boston?
Edo.G: I was born and raised in Boston. My family is there. That’s #1. The second thing is that it’s a big, untapped market. In the whole New England area, we have around 5 or 6 states. It has just really been open to the public in the past 10 years. Everything used to have to come to Providence because Boston would not have hip-hop. I just think that we are all the way on the top. We are kind of near Canada.
MVRemix: You also worked with Guru (from Gangstarr) on the ‘Bald Head Slick’ album. How did that collaboration happen and what was it like?
Edo.G: Sh*t, I knew Guru from here in Boston. In the 80’s, we were doing talent shows. He just asked me. I was working at Landspeed and we just put it out. He just asked me to do it. I went down to New York and we chilled out and did it. I’m actually supposed to do the second one but I haven’t talked to him in a while.
MVRemix: What is the last incident of racism that you experienced?
Edo.G: I got into a fight a couple of years ago and I ended up getting locked up for the weekend. I saw how the cops treated different people. I had to go to court for fighting and stupid stuff. I didn’t even have a record! I did some little sh*t when I was a kid like stealing and stupid stuff but I don’t even have a record. They actually tried to give me 6 months for a fight. To me, that’s racism right in front of my face. When I was in the holding cell, there was this white dude in there who broke into a Western Union. The kid only got 2 years because he had a good lawyer and his family had money. That’s a federal offence and he only got 2 years! I’m not into the criminal system but I know mad people are getting screwed over by the system. Anybody with money can get off… period.
MVRemix: Word association. I’m going to say an artist or name of a person and you tell me the first word that pops in your head. So, if I say ‘Chuck D’, you may say ‘revolutionary’. Okay?
Edo.G: Yeah.
MVRemix: Gangstarr.
Edo.G: Pure hip-hop.
MVRemix: Mr. Lif
Edo.G: Underground pure hip-hop.
MVRemix: Eminem.
Edo.G: Ehh.
MVRemix: Dead Prez.
Edo.G: Dope revolutionaries.
MVRemix: Boot Camp Clik.
Edo.G: Dope emcees, dope hip-hop artists.
MVRemix: Common.
Edo.G: Dope lyricist.
MVRemix: Phife Dawg.
Edo.G: Best supporting emcee.
MVRemix: J-Live.
Edo.G: All around dope emcee, DJ, producer.
MVRemix: Did you ever see him do ‘Braggin Writes’ live?
Edo.G: We were on tour together in Europe. That’s my man. Braggin Writes’ is so crazy. We actually combined the tour. Asheru is my man too. Those dudes are mad cool.
MVRemix: Gil Scott-Heron.
Edo.G: Classic.
MVRemix: George Bush.
Edo.G: Dumb.
MVRemix: What do you think of the U.S. involvement with the Middle East?
Edo.G: I think it’s f*cked up, man. We have all these young kids getting blown up. They joined the army for college or a better life and they are over there getting blown up. It’s a terrible situation. I watched this program ‘Letters From Home’ and I was crying, man! I’m not a punk dude but I’m not afraid to admit that the show touched me all the way. You don’t get to see what the families are going through. One cat who died over there can affect 50 people in a family.
MVRemix: What is the biggest misconception people have of you?
Edo.G: I don’t know. I haven’t heard too many. Just being that I’m independent, people don’t know that I put out a lot more projects. People think that I’m not putting out music. People don’t know.
MVRemix: What’s with Da Bulldogs?
Edo.G: They’re chilling, living life, working. They are still doing music part time.
MVRemix: What advice would you give to an up and coming emcee going the independent route?
Edo.G: Become a businessman. Find out how the business works. When you are independent, that’s the best way to start with your own destiny.
MVRemix: If you could remake any classic hip-hop song, what would it be?
Edo.G: Probably ‘Raw’ by Big Daddy Kane. He was my favorite emcee.
MVRemix: Who are some emcees who you would like to work with in the future?
Edo.G: Nas. His new sh*t is really hot. He’s one of the dopest lyricists.
MVRemix: Who are some producers who you would like to work with in the future?
Edo.G: Pharrell of The Neptunes. His stuff is real crazy. Just Blaze is always hot. He’s real consistent with his joints. There aren’t too many producers that really excite me now. Pete Rock always does his thing right.
MVRemix: Out of all the collaborations, which one are you most proud of?
Edo.G: Probably the DJ Premier track ‘Sayin Somethin’ that was on ‘The Truth Hurts’ album because I wanted to work with him for mad years. The record came out dope. The song with Black Thought came out dope too.
MVRemix: How did you hook up with Masta Ace?
Edo.G: We knew each other for mad years and decided to do something. We did a 12-inch together with these Long Island kids called Time Machine. That set it off. I did the joint on his album and he did a joint on my album. We toured together. I toured on the ‘Long Hot Summer’ tour with him.
MVRemix: What was the biggest mistake you have made in your career?
Edo.G: It was years ago at The Boston Music Awards. Marky Mark and I were both up for awards. There was like a battle between me and him. At the end of the night, he came up to me and talked but I was real ignorant and sh*t. He felt my music and I kind of dissed him because he was corny at the time. Looking back, I could have toured with him back then.
MVRemix: What can we expect from Edo G. in the future?
Edo.G: We are going on tour this January. We have a Special Teams album coming out. I’m Vice President of Straight Up Entertainment and we have that album and the solo album by Jaysaun. I’m running the label and putting projects out. I’m just trying to build an empire out here in the North East.
MVRemix: What do you want on your epitaph?
Edo.G: I don’t even want to think about that, man.
MVRemix: Any last words for the people who are going to read this?
Edo.G: Pick up the album ‘My Own Worst Enemy’ on Fat Beats Records. You won’t be disappointed. Check for Edo G. in the future. I’ve got a lot of stuff coming out.
| 
