Kev Brown: I'm probably drop an EP or somethin, right now it's an EP but it might turn into an album. I'm not sure yet but right now it's an EP called Random Joints. It'll be something in 2007 and also me and DJ Roddyrod are working on an album together and that's going to come out soon but most importantly Kenn Starr's album is out right now, Starr Status I did 3 joints Oddisee did like 1,000 joints my man Young Cee he got a joint on there all the way from Springfield, MA. My man Oddissee got the Foot in the Door mixtape coming out in October so the Low Budget movement is very strong right now.
MVRemix: As far as influences who were some of the producers that made you go back into the studio and work on your craft?
Kev Brown: It's definitely Peter Rock, just all the stuff I grew up on, Premier all the Gangstarr stuff Jay Dee, J. Dilla, James Yancey RIP, diggin in the crates all that Showbiz and AG, Lord Finese and all that EPMD, Redman. I graduated in 94 and if you go back and research all the stuff back then that's all the stuff I grew up on, Nas, Illamatic, and Q-Tip Tribe Called Quest.
MVRemix: Do you feel like Hip-hop is dead or that rap just sucks?
Kev Brown: I feel like hip-hop is not dead its just the music that's in the mainstream…I feel people when they say hip-hop is dead because its mainly people from my generation and their not feeling it. There are still cats like us, Little Brother, the whole Low Budget that are still doing real music, soul music, whatever you want to call it. It's not Neo-soul because its not new. We vibe off of the music that we grew up on, and that's not neo-soul that's soul music from the heart. So it's not dead to some people but as you hear right now if you come to Bar Nun in Washington, DC on a Friday night you will know that real music period is not dead its just not in the mainstream.
MVRemix: Does that ever frustrate you to the point where you are like "Fuck it, I don't want to do it anymore…"?
Kev Brown: It's very frustrating, I'm not going to front like it's all good, but we do music we like to do.
MVRemix: When you go to the corporate offices what are some of the things they have told you as to why a deal can't be worked out?
Kev Brown: I've never had no one be like we not feeling you, it's like people feel our music period and that is the definition of soul music. No matter if its hip-hop, Al Green or Marvin Gaye people are going to feel it regardless. It's just a matter of the mainstream, A&R's of the record companies are trying to keep their jobs. So their like whatever is out now that's what needs to keep coming out because I'm trying to keep my job. Even the most pop person can listen to anybody from the crew's music and be like this is the realness right here.
MVRemix: Where do you think hip-hop should be?
Kev Brown: The state of hip-hop is people don't know what real hip-hop is. Black people don't do research, like Black people are tuned into MTV and not just Black people everybody is tuned into MTV and BET, like, "Yo this is what's popular, this is what's cool," and cats are not doing the research and the major labels are paying off the radio stations to play that stuff and the independent people can't afford that. So we just do what we do. That's why I titled my album I do What I do. Everybody is doing what they do I'm just doing what I do. It's an audience like I'm not the only one that grew up on good music. It's kind of like your parents the same cliché, like your parents grew up on the Temptations like some Motown, Curtis Mayfield, we grew up on New Edition. We'll be like this New Edition is tight and then your parents will be like you don't know nothing about this Temptations though you know what I'm sayin like the classic joints that came out. So it's kind of like that with this generation but for hip-hop though. So they'll be like yo this TI is bangin no disrespect to TI but we'll be like you don't know nothing about this Tribe Called Quest and that's how it is with every generation. Black people have a problem with not really preserving their history on a real level.
MVRemix: Do you think the main reason is because money gets involved?
Kev Brown: Definitely, like even I'm like who ever is the highest bidder. Who ever is payin I got beats for ya'll but at another level you got to look at the radio stations their shutting out the independent…its just like everything else. It's like independent business period you got a mom and pop coffee shop Starbucks comes on the block and shuts ya'll down because it's Starbucks. So it's like whoever has the most money is winning so its capitalism at its finest and that's America. Since the independent labels don't have the money to pay the radio stations, it would be cool if the stations played a Nelly joint and then played a De La joint. I would be cool or if they played a Jay joint and then played Little Brother but that's not how it is though. I just want to be known for putting out good music regardless of whatever is out right now. I just want to be know for putting out classic music, the same way Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye…you can play whatever you want to play right now but you through on a Marvin Gaye joint everyone comes on the dance floor and even if they don't get on the dance they will say I remember when I heard this song I was in like middle school, I had a crush on this girl. Don't get a twisted I'm trying to get paid but at that same time I want that classic feeling to come across.
