B-$tack$
Hip Hop Enquirer Magazine had the chance to chat with emerging artist and Durham, NC hometown favorite B-$tack$ about everything from the trials and tribulations of being an Indie artist to his upcoming projects. B-$tack$ definitely has the grind mentality to make it as an Indie artist, and at the writing of this interview he is already enjoying a handsome position on the Billboard charts as his smash hit song “No Comprende” has risen to #72.
Check out what rapper B $tacks had to say in an exclusive interview conducted by our own Taryn Edmondson:
Tell us about who is B. Stacks and describe your music.
I’m just a young black artist, twenty years old and I’ve been putting out projects for a few years now. My first project was in 2008. It was my “Product of the South” mixtape, and I recently put out the Code Red Mixtape hosted by DJ Scream, and I have a lot more coming out soon.
Growing up in North Carolina, did you feel like there was a void in Hip Hop for North Carolina Artists?
I mean, it’s a bunch of states in the US. So it’s a lot of states that I haven’t really gotten their time to shine. I don’t think it’s a void, I feel like the time just hasn’t come yet. It’s a lot of talent in North Carolina, just like there is anywhere else.
Since you didn’t have any “hometown heroes” who were your musical influences?
I just like music, period. I like music and that’s why I do it. Everybody has a story like “oh this particular artist or group persuaded me to do music.” For me, I really just like music and it was a neighborhood thing. But I do admire the people that have had success and longevity and stay consistent. Everybody should pay homage, and give respect to those artists, I feel.
So who are the artists that you feel have had longevity and success in the game?
You know! It’s self-explanatory. The top people in the game right now are Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Kanye, and Rick Ross. These are the people that everybody else are admiring right now in the mainstream arena.
If we listened to your iPod right now, what would be the most recently played artists? Would it be you?
Laughs: I don’t put that music on my iPod. I put my own music on the iPad. I go to different websites to listen to new music. But right now, I’m listening to the artists that I see breaking through like Meek Mill, Wale, J. Cole.
In the future, what producers or artists are you looking forward to working with?
It really depends on the time period. If it happens this year, the people that are on top this year. I always want to work with the best people. I can say I want to work with such and such, but if it takes five years, then that person may not even be here anymore.
As an Indie Artist, what challenges do you feel you face that signed artists don’t have to worry about?
It’s simpler than people think; it’s just a matter of having the machine behind you. Once you get signed to a major label, they put the machine behind you. But if you’re an indie artist, you gotta work twice as hard to put your name out there, to put your company out there. So it’s like you work hard, you put in all the groundwork, but by the time a major deal comes around, you really don’t even need them, if you did everything correct. It’s different now.
How was it working with Sonny Digital, the producer of YC’s “Racks”?
That was a great experience. That was something that I was glad actually happened. Platinum producer Sonny Digital produces the majority of the new project. He’s the same age as me, he’s 20 and I actually respect his work, he actually respects mine. So it was more than just business, we actually communicated about things other than music. We hangout when I’m in town, I made a friend!
So you feel that it’s important for the artist/producer relationship to go deeper than just music?
Yeah, it’s about the chemistry. Anybody can give you a beat, but if they don’t respect your music, it’s like do whatever you want; it’s up to you. When Sonny and me met, he had no idea what I sounded like. The first song we did was “No Comprende” and everybody kept pushing the song, and believing in the record. So it started playing in the clubs, and we shot the video and that was it.
What projects are you working on now, and we can expect to hear more from B. Stacks?
I have my single “No Comprende” out now, and it’s on my project Big Business Vol. 1. That record is always getting spins on the radio in different cities. It’s really breaking through, it’s like number 72 on the Billboard charts. Big Business Vol. 1 coming this month, it’s already recorded, now we’re just working on mixing and waiting on the dj’s to put their finishing touches on it.
Check out the music video for B-$tack$’s hit single “No Comprende”:
For more on B. Stacks follow him on Twitter: @thisisbstacks and check out his Youtube channel: youtube.com/thisisbstacks as well as visit his label’s website at: www.facultyent.com.
Follow us on Twitter: @HipHopEnqMag
