MVRemix: What inspired your moniker?

Professor Ecks: Originaly the X-Men, but I flipped it. ECKS actually stands for Elevating Consciousness with Knowledge of Self.

MVRemix: Did you prefer Hip Hop when it was less popular? When you had to justify why you were a fan because of the controversy... Or, do you prefer thesituation now, where it's normal to like rap because the music sells well these days?

Professor Ecks: I definitely prefer the way it is now. While you got a a lot of fans who don't know anything about the history of the art, at least a lot of young black people, are starting their own businesses and getting rich off this art because of its commercial acceptance, and I ain't mad at that. I'm trying to be one of 'em.

MVRemix: How did you hook up with KRS-One?

Professor Ecks: I met KRS-One when I did a show with him and The Roots back in the day, when I was like 15. A few years later he called me up and asked me to be on "Spiritual Minded."

MVRemix: What's the relationship like nowadays?

Professor Ecks: I never really knew the dude too well to begin with. When we got up, its was hip-hop. We made a hot record. I mean I met his family and all that, but it was never a situation where he had a whole bunch of love for me or I that I had a whole bunch of love for him. It was just business. Only problem was, the business wasn't handled right. I don't take anything that occurred between us personally, positive or negative, 'cause regardless of how righteous some dudes talk, most people are in this for the same reason: to get paid. So what I take from the situation is more motivation for me to go out here and get my paper and keep my principles. I don't wanna just be known as a good rapper, I wanna be know as a good business man, too.

MVRemix: Why rap?

Professor Ecks: Well, I remember my older brother playing Common Sense's "Resurrection" back in the day. I was just a youngin' and for the first time, the world really made sense to me. I was surrounded by drugs, alcohol, racism, violence and hip-hop, and Common Sense was putting into music everything I had wanted to say, but couldn't. I rap because I wanna do that for this generation. I wanna give voice to a struggle they can't even name. I don't knock anybody's hustle, but I hear rappers out here talking bout the hood and it's mostly limited to drug dealin' and hustlin'. But what about the single mother, the college student, and everybody else in the hood? The drug dealers got a voice, which is cool because I do speak for them too, but what I'm trying to do is speak for everybody else 'cause the struggle is universal.

MVRemix: Tell me about "The Daily Grind."

Professor Ecks: "The Daily Grind" is my solo debut LP. Basically, my man 730 and myself are executive producing the album. We got some serious production from Scram Jones, Liveson, Vegas, Ntelek and J Rusch as well as two New Regime [Records] producers; Jassiah and Beatrippa. Plus some other nice suprises. The album relates to what I just spoke about: the universal grind. Whether you're trying to move crack off the corner, get through school or raise three kids, everybody goes through struggles. It also talks about everything I had to go through to get in the position where I could even give ya'll this album.

MVRemix: Do you have a favorite song on the album? Tell me about some of the concepts.

Professor Ecks: My favorite song on the album is "The Movement", produced by Beatrippa. When I heard the track, I had a vision. It took me back to the sixties and I was seeing the world through my mom's eyes when she was my age. Back then in the 60s, my moms was a black revolutionary, and she and a few of her friends took the board of trustees hostage at her school on some black power shit. Hearing that beat took me back to that type of feeling , like being a part of something bigger than yourself. That's what New Regime is to me. Additionally, I've got a lot of hot concepts throughout the album. A song that I know will get people open is "The Wonder years".

MVRemix: What's the situation with New Regime Records, how and why did you start the label?

Professor Ecks: The team and I built it from the ground up. I started the label because I've always been self-sufficient with this music. I started out a dude from the streets who didn't know how to do shit but rap. I taught myself how to produce, how to do graphic art, how to build websites, and how to DJ, so I've always had that "do it yourself" attitude. So that's why I started it. New Regime is really strong, like an army, dog. We're ready to take over, and that's why it's called New Regime. We've got 730 on board, plus a talented young producer named Beatrippa, as well as a group he and I formed called, the Bush League. We also have Jassiah a Hatian-American Hip-Hop/Dancehall artist who also produces. New Regime has it all: The MC, the great mixtape DJ, and producers. That's why it's more than just a label; it's really like a movement.

MVRemix: Which movie impacted you the most?

Professor Ecks: I'd have to say "The 25th Hour," with Ed Norton and directed by Spike Lee. I could relate to what the character was going through. He was seeing his life collapse, realizing that out of all the friends he accumulated when he was rich and flossin', the only people that really had his back were his boys he grew up with, his girl and his pops. That's the way I feel. I ain't doing too bad in this rap industry, and when you're moving everybody wants to jump on your bandwagon and act like they love you. But in reality, the only people I can trust are my girl, my boys (730, Jassiah and Beatrippa) and my family. Especially my pops. We're very different; he doesn't know the first thing about rap. But everything I learned that has gotten me this far, I learned from him.

MVRemix: A la "Fight Club," "If you could fight any celebrity, who would you fight?"

Professor Ecks: Tom Brady. I'm an Eagles fan and I'm still mad they robbed my boys in the Super Bowl, so I would mind beatin' his ass.

MVRemix: What else are you working on?

Professor Ecks: I'm working on a release of an album I did with Beatrippa called, Bush Zepplin. Beatrippa used all Led Zepplin samples to build the beats with me rappin' on it. Also, some mixtapes, but I'm mainly focused on getting this album out.

MVRemix: Tell be about Professor Ecks and New Regime in 2005.

Professor Ecks: It's all about "The Daily Grind," baby. I'm trying to put DC back on the map. Really just put the streets and general back on the map give the people some reality in the music. But besides that, it's about that three pronged attack: killin' everybody else on the raps, our producers' killin' everybody else on the beats and 730 killin' all these other DJ on the mixtapes. We aimin' for they heads this year!

MVRemix: Any last words to fans or potential fans that are going to be reading this?

Professor Ecks: To all those that have supported me, I love ya'll. Check out NewRegimeRecords.com, sign up for the message boards and holla at me. And to the haters as always - die slow.