Murs & 9th Wonder, Fornever
SMC Recordings

Murs and 9th Wonder’s third album together (not counting the Internet-only My Sweet Lord) has a distinctly L.A. vibe, with guest spots from Sick Jacken, Kurupt and Suga Free. The beats are slightly rougher, too, as 9th Wonder adds live instrumentation to his familiar soul loops and even steps out for a rhyme on a celebration of “Asia Girls.” But Murs still has the crazy stories, from dating porn stars on “Vikki Veil” to ruing “Cigarettes and Liquor,” that makes this a solid if unspectacular entry in the duo’s growing catalog.

Two weeks ago, Murs and I spoke for a half hour for Rhapsody. It was part of a promotional push for his new album with 9th Wonder, Fornever. I posted the interview on Tuesday, April 13, the same day that Fornever was released. However, Rhapsody limits its posts to 1000 words, so I didn’t have space to include much of our conversation.

Below you’ll find an extended transcript. Much of the material falls under “inside baseball,” meaning that we discussed various subjects from an industry perspective. I love that kind of stuff, but you might not. Topics included his recent split with Warner Bros.; his annual Paid Dues Festival, which he organizes with Guerrilla Union; the recent controversy surrounding his comments on the lack of women at Guerrilla Union’s Rock the Bells festival; and, of course, Fornever. In fact, we got too sidetracked — I only had a half-hour — and I didn’t ask enough questions about his music.

I did some light editing to the transcript, but tried to limit my deletions to repetitive sentences, sentence fragments, et cetera. When I put a (?) in parentheses, it means that I wasn’t sure what he was referring to. For example, when he mentioned he dated porn star Jenna Foxx, I added a (?) because I may have misheard her name. I also added some brackets to clarify subjects we talked about: When he says, “I told my rep,” I added a bracket so it reads, “I told my [A&R] rep.”

One thing I should point out: When Murs says he has been criticized for speaking about the lack of women at Rock the Bells, he’s referring to a short YouTube video posted last September. In the clip, he tried to explain why there were no women on the bill, and some people claimed he demeaned female rap artists in the process. The video is still active on Okayplayer.com. Watch it for yourself and reach your own conclusions.

I’ve known Murs for close to a decade, so it was nice to catch up with him. One of these days I’ll see what Paid Dues is all about.

Plug One: So what’s happened with the Warner Bros. deal since your last solo album, Murs for President, was released?

Murs: Our relationship dissolved, and they were gracious enough to allow me to leave before my contract was up. It took about six months of me lobbying and asking very nicely to be let go. They made promises that they couldn’t keep, and that they didn’t feel comfortable keeping. I was cool with that, I respected their decision, but I also told them that I would like to go back and do what I was doing. I had a lot to learn from them, and they had a lot to learn from me. In the end, I ended up learning a lot, and they ended up not.

Plug One: Were you satisfied with the marketing campaign for Murs for President?

Murs: No, not at all. The people who worked on it did a really awesome job with what they were allotted. But a lot of the higher-ups didn’t provide the funding or the green light to take it to the next level, which was the whole point of my signing to Warner Bros. I never expected anything from them that they didn’t promise me, and when they stopped giving me what they said they would give me, then that’s when I got frustrated. I never felt entitled or blamed my lack of success … sometimes you don’t have a hit song, y’know? That’s not the label’s fault, but some people like to blame the label. But they didn’t try to make the record as big as it could have been. They didn’t put everything behind it.

Plug One: Just to be specific, what types promotion did they promise you?

Murs: I was told that we were going to radio, and they never went to radio with the record. I was told that I would have one big-budget video and a radio song, and well before the record was pressed and samples were cleared, they said, “Okay, we have one radio hit here. It could be this one, this one or this one. We’ll give you one radio push. We believe one of these three records can do it.” I was, like, cool, I don’t care; just go with the one that you want. I had my opinion – we fought over that for a while – but at the end, as long as we go to radio and get a decent big-budget video and we push this, I don’t care what we do. I don’t care which song it is. I gave you 14 songs that I believe in, and that’s why I picked these 14 because I believe in them. I’ll perform any of them every day of the week if I have to. I’m willing to kiss ass, whatever. I’m willing to do whatever I can. And they weren’t willing to go to radio. I had promises from the highest [executives] in the building. In the end, they wanted to go a different way. And the guy they put in charge – I’m not comfortable saying his name – the guy they put in charge of urban music…

I wasn’t really an urban artist to begin with. I had a great marketing director who is more on the rock side. He’s a marketing director for the Used. His name is Xavier Ramos. He’s a great guy. But all of a sudden, I became an urban artist, and this new guy in charge of urban music said that I didn’t have a hit record. I was, like, “Well, that’s crazy, because everyone else before you got here agreed we’ve got some type of radio thing, and you say we don’t.” He was responsible for bringing in new change, so I don’t blame him, either. But after that, I told my [A&R] rep, well, if I don’t have nothing to talk about with anybody. If we’re not going to radio, then there’s no reason with me being here.

Plug One: Which songs were under consideration for radio?

Murs: I think “Everything,” ‘Time is Now” with Snoop Dogg, and “Lookin’ Fly” with Will.i.am. And even “The Breakup Song,” which Big Von [from Bay Area urban station 106.1 KMEL-FM] was spinning a lot and continues to support, had some consideration. So we had three or four songs, and everyone was arguing which one it should be. Like I said, I wasn’t partial to either one.

We had single rights from Snoop Dogg and Will.i.am – and these are deals my manager and I cut. I didn’t do “favors.” There was nothing I could do for Snoop or Will. But I asked, and they did me favors and gave me single rights. So to have a single with the hottest artists … [Warner] did the same thing with Jay Rock’s record, I think. He had something with Lil Wayne, and [Warner] didn’t get behind that! I don’t understand that.

Plug One: It’s weird that they tried to market you as an urban artist. It seems like a lot of your success in recent years, and the reason why you got to Warner Bros., is because you were so big with the skaters and the alternative crowd.

Murs: Yeah, it was a mystery to me.

At the same time, there are a lot of changes going on at Warner Bros. I’ll never say “fuck Warner Bros.” or anything like that. It wasn’t that type of situation. But when they split the company up into three different labels – Reprise, Sire and Warner – the guy that brought me into the company went this way, and Warner went this way, so Warner did not have the alternative acts anymore. That was the thing. My marketing director was with Warner, but my A&R [went to] Sire. Everything changed. I had an opportunity to go over to another part of the building, but I didn’t want to leave, because we were so invested in [Warner] that I wanted to see it through.

So there’s a whole story there. But in the end, it was an amicable split.

Plug One: It seems like you’re almost lucky to have gotten your album out. They’ve signed so many underground rap artists over the years who never got any albums out, like Styles of Beyond and Reflection Eternal. [Shortly after this interview, Warner Bros. announced that Reflection Eternal’s Revolutions Per Minute would be released on May 25.]

Murs: I think the difference between me and other rappers is that I make very sound business decisions, and my team is amazing. We were in there three or four times a week until we got a record out. There was no stopping us.

The people who got let go are like, me and E-40. We both put out records at the same time. [E-40 released The Ball Street Journal.] Dude, he put out 42 songs today [the two albums Revenue Retrievin’ (Day Shift) and Revenue Retrievin’ (Night Shift)], because that’s how stifled he was being in that building for three or four years. And I have about ten albums coming out. People are, like, “Why are you trying?” I’m not trying. This is what I’ve been doing, and these people [at Warner] weren’t feeling it.

So I think for artists, you get a record out if you have the right people surrounding you and you’re determined. No fault to other artists, but [labels] will sell you a dream, like, “Wait, let’s get this buzz going. Let’s do this,” because they want to do everything they can to spend as little money as possible. They want to make sure you’re the next big thing before they go. They don’t just want to look before they leap. Nowadays, they want to measure the face of the cliff and the angle. They want to know which way the wind is blowing before they jump. It’s not the record labels of the 70s and the 80s anymore. There’s not a lot of money to be wasted, I guess. They’re trying to be more calculated, and I guess the technology has made them smarter, but music is about a feeling in your gut.

My team was amazing. We pressed them hard. …We pushed through, and 40 pushed through, but there are other people in there playing the game. It might pay off if you do exactly what they say.

That’s the other thing: I’m too independent minded. I’m not going to do certain things, and that’s not good when [labels] feel like they own an artist, and they need an artist to believe in their vision. I came to them because I have vision, and I have things to teach them, and I think they could have benefited from learning. I came in there with an A&R’s salary   as well as being an artist. They [initially] recognized my business acumen, and they didn’t take advantage of it.

Plug One: I was going to ask you about your A&R position at Warner Bros. I know you brought Supreeme in as well as other artists, I imagine. What happened to them?

Murs: Supreeme broke up. It was hard to get them off the label. Who knows if they’re off the label to this day? I tried to take them with me, but they broke up anyway.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to bring anyone else in…to be trapped there.

They’re still bringing in great artists. They brought in Blu after me, and [we had talked about me helping to] bringing him in. I hear they just brought in Theophilus London, who’s amazing. So I don’t know what’s going on. Hopefully all of the turmoil that was going on when I was there has subsided, and a lot of these artists will get a chance to come out, and we’ll get a Reflection Eternal record and all these records. Jean Grae record – she’s still over there, but I’m not sure.

Plug One: Earlier, you talked about how prolific you are as an artist. You’ve put out several albums over the past decade, and in the past two or three years you’ve put out retail albums [Murs for President] as well as internet albums [Sweet Lord]. Where does your work ethic come from, and how do you balance that with being an artist?

Murs: I have a punk rock record that’s ready to go, I have an electro record that’s ready to go, and I don’t want Fornever to be overshadowed by these other records, or these other records to be overshadowed by Fornever. I want to get all this shit out, but I don’t know how to do it. I mean, I know how to do it, but I’m trying to figure out the most efficient way to do it.

I think I get the drive from my mother and my grandfather. They’re entrepreneurs that have been in the dry-cleaning business for fifty years. They work 12-hour, 18-hour days six days a week. They’re crazy. And I’m possessed. I have a podcast that I make sure goes up weekly. A lot of rappers who have podcasts, they can’t even do them every week. I make sure I have a podcast every Tuesday, every Wednesday or whatever. I make sure I design all my merch. I make sure the festival gets done. I pick each artist, and I call each artist. I set up the backstage areas. I micro-manage, and I have too many ideas and it’s getting to the point where I don’t know if it’s beneficial to me, beneficial to my art. But I’ve built this career so far, and I’ve decided that, fuck it. I like performing with my band, I like the electro shit and if people can’t catch on, that’s fine. But I honestly feel that there’s not another artist as prolific, as dynamic, and as diverse as I am.

The new website is mursworld.com. my new vision is to have my own festival, I tour enough, and I’m putting out enough different kind of music where if I’m all you want to listen to, I think you’ll end up a great person for it. I have a weekly podcast. I have everything you need. I’m leaning towards the ICP [Insane Clown Posse]/Tech N9ne model, like, this can be your whole world. Fuck it – the other shit out there isn’t nearly as good anyway, and it all sounds the same. So tune in. I’m just like a radio station: I’m going to keep putting out content, and try to develop a direct-to-fan relationship without all the BS hype and marketing and all that other nonsense.

Plug One: Paid Dues has evolved over the years. It started out as a festival with mostly “backpack” artists, and then you guys did a tour one year [in 2007]. Now, as you’ve said in one of your video logs, it’s turned into a broader vision of independent music, as opposed to just “backpack” indie music.

Murs: That was the original goal. I like how people, critics and fans judge things. The original goal was to have Def Jux, Rhymesayers, Living Legends and Rap-A-Lot, like, all types of independent hip-hop. So Devin the Dude, UGK, and Geto Boys were the first three acts; then Company Flow, Aesop Rock, and Mr. Lif; Brother Ali, Atmosphere, and Eyedea & Abilities; then the Living Legends Crew, the Grouch and 3 Melancholy Gypsies. That was the original bill I built. We just didn’t know how to get Rap-A-Lot involved.

So my goal has always been to encompass everything, and we hope to get E-40 and Bun B involved next year as we continue to grow. But there’s definitely a backlash to it.

I also plan to make it a weekend thing and incorporate more graffiti and DJ’ing and B-boying, just to stop the division in hip-hop and promote more unity, like B-boying and Ice Cube or B-boying and E-40 in the same day, because, especially with iTunes, these kids have everything on their iPod. The next generation isn’t as segregated as we were. They listen to Murs, Crookers, My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday, and Mac Dre. It’s just music to them. And they watch “America’s Best Dance Crew.” They’re into limited edition Futura paintings.

For the people who are used to the old, segregated version of hip-hop, it makes them uncomfortable and they lash out. But Paid Dues has always been about the younger kids. It’s about having somebody whose 12 years old have a place to come and be safe, or 14 years old come and enjoy quality music. And I’ve seen everybody on Paid Dues perform live, and they’re no joke. They’re dope, and they’re good when they do it. And they love what they do.

Plug One: I think the one criticism of Paid Dues that has resounded over the years is that neither Paid Dues nor Rock the Bells have featured a lot of women in their line-ups. You’ve addressed it in the past; can you speak on that now?

Murs: I don’t feel right. I got a lot of backlash [when I spoke on it last year]. I’m not a female rapper. All I can say is no comment.

But this year, we have Dessa from Doomtree, who’s a female artist, and we have Hopie Spitshard, who is a female artist, and we have Angela Yee, who is a female radio personality. I don’t know how much more PC I can be. That’s all I can say about that. … I believe there needs to be a larger female presence, and I believe with Paid Dues I’ve done my part.

This year at SXSW I tried to check out a couple of female artists. I met with Invincible out of Detroit who has a great album out called ShapeShifters. So I’m well aware of the female movement. Psalm One is someone I’ve been trying to incorporate for years, and I owe her. Jean Grae has been on [the bill] in the past.

I don’t know about Rock the Bells. I don’t know what it’s like to be a female MC. But I definitely hear what people are saying, and to me I’ve addressed it this year. And I’ll continue to address it.

Plug One: It seems like a lot of the criticism that should be addressed at [Guerilla Union, the promoter that organizes Rock the Bells] is directed at you. But you guys are two different entities, right?

Murs: Yes, definitely. I have some influence over [Guerilla Union] because they’re my friends and business partners. But they run the point on that. I was asked that question [about female MCs] at Rock the Bells [last year] and I do feel strongly about it.

I love hip-hop. I would love to have more balance. I’m a huge Jean Grae fan, I’m a huge Lauryn Hill fan. I felt the answer I gave was my perspective. I don’t think it was wrong. I didn’t say anything disrespectful and if people took it the wrong way, I’m very sorry.

I have input, but I have no control over Rock the Bells. All I can do is react and respond to the need, and I think I did that this year with Paid Dues. [The 2010 edition of Paid Dues took place on April 3.] It may not be the female MCs that you’re used to or you wanted. But I think Dessa is dope. I’ve seen her out, and that’s what my requirements were. I’ve seen her with P.O.S. Like I said, I watch everybody that I put on my show. So if I haven’t had a chance to see you, that’s probably another reason why you’re not on Paid Dues.

I’ve seen Hopie Spitshard and I know about her work ethic. I’m a big fan of hers. And I’ve been on Angela Yee’s show, and I know how active she is in the hip-hop community. So to have her be the MC of a MCs festival, I thought that said a lot, too. It’s nothing that I want to be praised for. I just think it should happen so if there’s a younger girl in the crowd, she’s going to see Angela, Hopie and Dessa. I know Hopie has a new album out, and Dessa has a new album out, so if you want to support female MCs, they’re there, and if you support them and they’re able to book their own tours, then there’s no reason they won’t pop up on Rock the Bells.

I do bring people into Paid Dues to show them to Rock the Bells. If I have to start with being a feeder, I’ll start it. Hopefully my business partners [at Guerilla Union] will say, “Hey that was a good set.” Or, “Hey, Angela was a great host, maybe she can host Rock the Bells.” Now she’s in the door, now she can speak for female MCs. I’m not, according to Twitter, qualified to speak for them. But I brought someone who I think can. And that’s all I can do.

So I don’t think I owe anybody anything, and that’s the last time I’m going to explain myself about the female MCs. From now on, there’s no comment. I do not know your struggle, I do not know what it’s like.

Plug One: Let’s talk about your new album, Fornever. Can you get into that? This is the fourth album you’ve done with 9th Wonder.

Murs: Yeah, thank you for knowing that [I’ve released three albums with Ninth], too. You’re the only person that cares.

Yeah, it’s a great record. It’s more West Coast than any record we’ve ever done. It was recorded in Inglewood, California. I got to bring through a lot of artists such as Kurupt, Suga Free, Verbs, and [Sick Jacken from] the Psycho Realm, people that mean something to me and mean something to my city. Finally, after three albums, I’m able to get [Ninth] on my home court and let my city influence him for once. We have a tremendous co-producer, E. Jones, who works with 9th Wonder. Also there’s some live instrumentation, so everything’s a little funkier, live, and musically full this time. And I had guests from my hometown fill in. [9th Wonder] said he wanted to make 3:16 on steroids, and I think that’s what it is.

Plug One: There’s one song on the album, “Vikki Veil,” where you talk about dating a porn star. Is that a true story?

Murs: Oh, it’s a true story a few times over, my friend. There are three that I’ve dated, and it’s a merging of all three, and a couple of stripper stories. But I’m married now. That’s my wife’s least favorite song.

Plug One: Any names you can throw out?

Murs: Oh yeah, Roxy Reynolds, Jenna Foxx (?), and the other one I’ll keep quiet because she doesn’t work in the business anymore.

I wanted to do a song that’s not glamorous. It’s just very real-life. Even porn stars want to be loved and get married one day. That’s what all women want, and don’t ever think that’s not what they want. But they want it on their terms. It’s weird. It’s more drama. So the married guys at home that envy me, or the guys at the airport that saw me eat Roxy Reynolds out, it’s that song for them. I’m like, look, it’s cute, it’s fun, but it’s just as much of a headache as your girlfriend or your wife. The moral of that story is that you’re not missing out on anything.

Plug One: It seems that, whether you’ve made something specific about L.A., or are just simply doing your music, you’ve always repped L.A. as a broader vision than just gangsta rap.

Murs: I think Fornever is another step in that direction. It’s a complete L.A. album to me, and I think I’m the most balanced L.A. artist there is. I’ve wanted to do an L.A. record my whole life, and I never thought it would end up being produced by 9th Wonder, but this album sounds like L.A. Except for the song “Asian Girl,” which comes out of fucking nowhere. But other than that, it feels like an L.A. record. I’ve never called any of my records West Coast records, but I think this is a West Coast record. I think it’s what people in New York love about the West Coast. It’s universal because when you buy an OutKast record, you’re not from the South, you might not like all Southern music, but OutKast represents what you love about the South. I think this record represents what people used to love about the West Coast. It’s unapologetically West Coast, and it’s unapologetically hip-hop at the same time, like very traditional backpack hip-hop samples and dope lyrics.

Photo by Estevan Oriol.

100. 9th Wonder, God’s Stepson
HipHopSite.com
Released March 2003

9th Wonder inadvertently pioneered the album remix when online retailer Hiphopsite.com obtained a cappella recordings of Nas’ albums, and sought out three producers to rework them with original music. He was the first in the series (Soul Supreme’s Soulmatic and MF Doom’s Nastradoomus would follow), and he chose God’s Son. The resulting God’s Stepson spoke to the creative possibilities of reworking albums from beginning to end, as Ninth honed honing a widely-duplicated approach to soul loops that mirrored Pete Rock’s sounds in their lush, hymnal power. His production sounds sun dazed, turning tracks like Nas’ victorious “Made You Look” salvo against Jay-Z into an unexpectedly wistful rumination. Few have exploited the now de rigeur mashup trend with such grace.

Next up on Hip-Hop Smackdown: 9th Wonder vs. Phonte Coleman.

Isn’t it interesting when rappers start beefing with other rappers, catching weapons/drugs/robbery charges, and dating R&B singers just months before their albums are released? It seems like this is the indie-rap version.

The controversy stems from “Star,” an old Little Brother track recorded while 9th Wonder was still in the group. Remaining members Phonte and Big Pooh planned to package it on the iTunes version of the group’s upcoming album, Leftback, which drops April 20. According to Phonte, 9th Wonder’s management team blocked LB’s Hall of Justus imprint and its distributor, Traffic Entertainment Group from selling the track. So Phonte leaked “Star” via Twitter.

From Phonte’s Twitter page:

Aiight folks, backstory on Star:

This was recorded back in ’05-06 at Young Guru’s crib sometime after the release of Minstrel Show.

This was intended for Leftback as an iTunes bonus track but we just got word today that @9thwondermusic doesn’t want us to use it for whatever reason, and that’s fine.

In any event, I’m not gonna let anything or anybody stop me from getting music to my fans. Fuck that.

Enjoy. And as always, thank you for listening

When 2dopeboyz.okayplayer.com posted the track and the explanation, the following appeared on 9th Wonder’s Twitter page:

@NexPerSanus let people talk bro….only if they knew the REAL story.. about 22 hours ago via web in reply to NexPerSanus

Well, tell your side of it or shut the fuck up. RT @9thWonderMusic: let people talk bro….only if they knew the REAL story.. about 20 hours ago via UberTwitter

@phontigallo you are NOT a tough guy…….none of us is…so KILL that noise….. about 20 hours ago via web in reply to phontigallo

@phontigallo and niggas aint shuttin up about 20 hours ago via web in reply to phontigallo

Then the following appeared on Phonte’s Twitter page:

@bigdho “The industry” didn’t destroy shit. Each of us just eventually became the people we were destined to be, @9thwondermusic included. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to bigdho

I’ll be back in a minute to lay this LB/@9thwondermusic shit to rest. In the meantime tho, I’m ROLLIN @ some of y’alls responses…..lol about 19 hours ago via web

@chowbelle I’d never do no shit like this for publicity. This aint about Tigallo and 9th. This is about Phonte Coleman and Patrick Douthit. about 15 hours ago via web in reply to chowbelle

Phonte then posted a 13-minute webcam video to Vimeo.com. I am not posting it here, but you can watch it at 2dopeboyz.okayplayer.com.

A brief summary of the video: Phonte claims he and Pooh requested a sit-down with 9th in early 2007. 9th refused to meet with them, responding that wanted to talk over the phone. Phonte believes this wasn’t the manly thing to do and adds that 9th Wonder is “passive-aggressive,” among other choice statements. He challenges 9th to either explain to the public what really went down, agree to a face-to-face healing session with him and Pooh regarding Little Brother, or never speak publicly about the breakup again.

From 9th’s page:

Twitterfolk…I have maintained silence on the matter for LONG time..for this reason. I apologize to yall for steppin outta character… about 19 hours ago via web

Please don’t feed into this madness yall…real talk….good music will still be made by all of us….. about 19 hours ago via web

A LOT of things have been said about me in the media for quite sometime, thats the game….so yall don’t feed into our back and forth about 19 hours ago via web

No matter what is said about me from now on, no sweat…Just support LB, 9th Wonder, all of us who make good music…. about 19 hours ago via web

Since 9th Wonder left Little Brother, he has refused to talk about the group, good or bad — at least until now. Phonte and Big Pooh have mostly done the same. However, it was clear that the split wasn’t amicable.

I suspect that 9th Wonder stopped touring with Little Brother in 2005 because he realized he could make more money producing album cuts for Jay-Z, Destiny’s Child, Mary J. Blige, et cetera. Acclaimed collaborations with Jean Grae, Buckshot and others confirmed he was a significant producer and artist in his own right. However, fans wondered why 9th wasn’t at the LB shows, and his lack of promotion for The Minstrel Show led to tensions within the group, particularly since the album didn’t sell.

Again, all speculation.

Artists are human, too. Sometimes close friends don’t get along anymore, grow distant from one another. Bonds fray and break, leading to dissension, arguments, and fights. Some people hate to see their favorite acts fall apart. I guess they prefer a quiet break up, and a gentle disappearance into memory, without exposing any dirty laundry. Personally, I like more information, not less. It helps me appreciate what they were able to achieve when they were together.

The cover of Little Brother’s Leftback features clippings and publicity photos from its career. However, 9th Wonder has been airbrushed out of all the material. What’s up with that?

Last week, 9th Wonder posted a notice on Okayplayer.com’s message boards and MySpace announcing two new label collaborations with Stones Throw and Duck Down:

Starting in 2009, and with the blessings of Egon, PBW, and Dru Ha, I will be launching 2 labels at once, The Academy/Stones Throw and JamLa/Duckdown. This will be my shot, to put more music into the atmosphere, with the artists that I believe have what it takes. They are not striving to be mega PLATINUM superstars, but instead to make a noise loud enough to create a fanbase, a following, and to make money. Each label will have 2 different agendas, and 2 different paths, with an attempt NOT to cross the streams(see Egon in Ghostbusters). I believe that internet has created SO many pockets and demographics that crossing the streams will not become a factor, and each artist can reach the EXACT audience they want to reach.

9th Wonder didn’t give any details on who will be signed to JamLa or The Academy, or when that long-delayed The Wonder Years will finally come out.

It looks like the talented Jean Grae finally has a release date for Jeanius, her long-delayed album with producer 9th Wonder. It’s scheduled to hit stores on June 15. (May 28 update: The digital version was released to iTunes on May 27; the physical CD comes out July 8.)

Jeanius has a tortured history. It originally appeared on peer-to-peer networks such as Limewire way back in 2004; according to who you talk to (and when you talked to them), it was leaked by the artists themselves or someone in their camp. Everyone who heard it said it was amazing, so why didn’t it officially come out? Fast forward to 2005, when Talib Kweli’s manager Corey Smyth landed a distribution deal with Warner Bros. for the duo’s new venture, Blacksmith Records. One of Blacksmith’s first signees was Jean Grae. And it’s been a waiting game for Jeanius ever since.

Last month, Jean Grae posted an item on her MySpace page titled “Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself.” The post was widely misinterpreted as a retirement announcement:

Everyone who has been on this ride with me since the beginning and continues to be a supporter of music that makes you feel something true and vulnerable and honest by being just that.

It’s been a wonderful and awful journey all at the same time. Mostly leaning towards the wonderful part..lol.

Thank you for letting me share what I could with you and sharing yourselves back, as you have really been the reason that I kept on.

It’s always nice to know that you could be the voice of someone who didn’t have one, or know just how to say it.
No comment or letter or statement of appreciation has ever gone unnoticed.
I love to write, I love to be able to create imagery and a world out of just words.

I will always love what I consider to be true hip hop music… from the bottom of my soul.

I hope you will continue to distinguish those who are contributors to the evolution of hip hop and other black music as both an auditory stimulation and a culture, taking care that they are put in a position to do so.

Thank you listeners, whom I consider my friends and family….

Enjoy…. see y’all around..

It’s been amazing.. thank you again.

Days later, Corey Smyth explained Grae’s frustration when he told Allhiphop.com, “She’s real emotional when it comes to this music thing. She upset with the state of music. As talented as Jean is, [she is] real disillusioned with music.”

Oddly, Jeanius isn’t coming out via Warner Bros. Instead, it has been demoted to Alternative Distribution Alliance, Warner’s distribution line for indie companies. It’s similar to Consequence’s situation when his Don’t Quit Your Day Job! came out through Sony’s RED Distribution instead of Sony itself. However, unlike Consequence’s wildly uneven solo debut, Jeanius should be a great album. If the soon-to-be-released version is as good as the leaked edition from four years back, then Grae has finally made the classic her fans have been waiting for.

The track listing for Jeanius is below.

• 1. “iNTRO”
• 2. “2-32′s”
• 3. “Don’t Rush Me”
• 4. “My Story”
• 5. “The Time is Now”
• 6. “Billy Killer”
• 7. “Think About It”
• 8. “#8″
• 9. “American Pimp”
• 10. “This World”
• 11. “Love Thirst”
• 12. “Desparada”
• 13. “Smashmouth”

www.myspace.com/jeangrae

As most 9th Wonder fans know by now, Asylum Records has put the North Carolina producer’s major-label debut The Wonder Years on hold … for now. However, it’s full speed ahead for the second leg of 9th’s spring attack: a new album with Buckshot from Boot Camp Clik.

9th Wonder and Buckshot’s The Formula drops April 15 on Duck Down Records. It’s the follow-up to the duo’s 2005 collaboration, Chemistry. The project includes a few guests such as North Carolina singer Carlitta Durand, Talib Kweli and several members of M1 Platoon.

“Every song is dealing with a topic. Each track specifically has a formula,” says Buckshot in a press release. “I’ve always had a certain sound within Hip-Hop and 9th Wonder helps bring out my unique style. We share a comfort level that allows me to be at ease when it comes to recording and that natural sound translates into great music.”

Heads tend to scrutinize and fuss over 9th Wonder’s work; it’s why he’s one of the most influential producers to emerge this decade. Will The Formula meet his fans’ high standards? Check out the track listing below.

• 1. “Intro – The Formula” (feat. the Formula Crew)
• 2. “Ready (Brand New Day)”
• 3. “Be Cool” (feat. Swan)
• 4. “Go All Out” (feat. Carlitta Durand)
• 5. “No Future”
• 6. “Hold It Down” (feat. Talib Kweli & Tyler Woods)
• 7. “Whassup with U” (feat. Keisha Shontelle)
• 8. “Only For You (Lou)”
• 9. “Just Display”
• 10. “Here We Go”
• 11. “Throwin’ Shade”
• 12. “Shinin’ Yall” (feat. Arafat Yates & Big Chops of M1 Platoon)
• 13. “Man Listen”

www.9thwonder.com
www.myspace.com/9thwondermusic
www.myspace.com/bdithug

Durham, N.C. production wiz 9th Wonder is scheduled to kick off 2008 with two full-length albums.

The first, The Wonder Years, is scheduled for a January 26 release on Asylum Records. Guests on the album include Erykah Badu, Teedra Moses, Talib Kweli and Mos Def. The second album reunites him with Buckshot, with whom he made the 2005 album Chemistry. Their new collaboration, The Formula, comes out via Duck Down on March 18 and features guest spots from Kweli and Raheem DeVaughn. The first single from The Wonder Years, “Miss Diva,” features Kweli and Tyler Woods.

In an interview with HipHopDx.com, 9th Wonder said, “Sonically, people can expect bigger sounding beats, more expansion of my sound. There will be an element of classic, throwback R&B, but with a current twist. With this album, I’m not only defining myself, but I’m defining people in my age group. It’s not necessarily an underground or overground thing, you just want to find the music that fits you and where you are in your life right about now. That’s what The Wonder Years is for me.”

Other 9th Wonder credits to look for include Murs’ new album, Murs for President, which is scheduled for the spring; Erykah Badu’s upcoming album, Nu AmErykah, for which he produced the lead single, “Honey”; and tracks for underground associates such as Torae and M1 Platoon.

January 31 update: 9th Wonder’s The Wonder Years has been postponed. A new release date has not been scheduled yet.

www.myspace.com/9thwondermusic

The last several months have been quiet ones for 9th Wonder. Once widely hailed, and sometimes criticized, for his productivity — in 2005 alone he produced several albums, from Little Brother’s The Minstrel Show to Kaze’s Spirit of ’94 — he’s mostly stuck to the lab in 2007, even as wild rumors surrounding his departure from Internet faves Little Brother surrounded him.

9th’s absence will end this fall, however, with the incipient arrival of Dream Merchant 2. The first edition, released in 2005, was strictly an in-house affair with his longtime crew the Justus League. Volume 2 will be considerably more high-profile, with guest shots from Sean Price, Camp Lo, Royce da 5′ 9″, Saigon, Buckshot, Naledge from Kidz in the Hall and a slew of fam like Joe Scudda and Skyzoo. It will also include the “Brooklyn on My Mind” track with Jean Grae, Mos Def and Memphis Bleek that circulated earlier this year. And, yes, it will feature a Little Brother reunion.

Dream Merchant 2 will likely be just one of several 9th Wonder-affiliated projects that drops before the year is out. Others include Median’s Relief (due out September 25) and possibly The Formula, the sequel to his Chemistry collabo with Buckshot.

But first, Dream Merchant 2, which drops October 9 on Six Hole Records. The track listing is below.

• 1. “Mr. Dream Merchant (intro)”
• 2. “Shots” (feat. Big Dho & Sean Price)
• 3. “Merchant of Dreams” (feat. the Embassy, Skyzoo, & Torae)
• 4. “Brooklyn in My Mind” (feat. Mos Def, Jean Grae & Memphis Bleek)
• 5. “Sunday” (feat. Keisha Shontelle & Chaundon)
• 6. “Baking Soda” (feat. Big Treal)
• 7. “Reminisce (Take Time)” (feat. Big Remo & the Great Novej)
• 8. “No Time To Chill” (feat. Little Brother)
• 9. “It Ain’t Over” (feat. Jozeemo & Tyler Woods)
• 10. “The Last Time” (feat. Royce the 5’9″, Naledge & Vandalyzm)
• 11. “Saved” (feat. Saigon & Joe Scudda)
• 12. “Milky Lowa” (feat. Camp Lo)
• 13. “Backlash” (feat. Sean Boog & Buckshot)
• 14. “Thank You” (feat. D.O.X & O-Dash)
• 15. “Let It Bang” (feat. Ness & Skyzoo)
• 16. “What Makes A Man” (feat. Big Pooh & Buddy Klein)

www.9thwonder.com
www.myspace.com/9thwondermusic

Little Brother, the acclaimed Raleigh, North Carolina trio, is now down to two members. In a January 27 story on HipHopGame.com, Big Pooh and Little Brother manager Big Dho revealed that rising producer 9th Wonder is no longer in the group.

“Little Brother has decided, in the best interest of the group, for Little Brother and 9th Wonder to part ways,” said Big Pooh, who shares the group with Phonte Coleman. “There are no hard feelings and no beef. This is just a decision that had to be made so all three of us could move forward and continue to provide the world with dope music.”

Big Pooh and Big Dho also revealed that they are trying to leave Atlantic Records. “First, I want to say that Little Brother has not been dropped from Atlantic,” he told the hip-hop website. “At this time we are in the process of negotiating our release from the label due to a difference in philosophies.”

Since late last year the group has talked up its forthcoming third album, Get Back. The title is a reference to the mixed reception their second album, The Minstel Show received upon its release in fall 2005. Big Dho said it may come out on another Warner Bros.-affiliated label: “I think we may just put the album out on Asylum to close our deal, but it’s definitely a wrap for us at Atlantic.”

Rumors surrounding Little Brother’s status have swirled for months. When The Minstrel Show came out with less-than-robust promotion from Atlantic, many assumed the group would be dropped. Concurrently, when Big Pooh and Phonte Coleman completed several tours without 9th Wonder on the wheels of steel, many speculated that the producer was leaving the group. Talk intensified when Phonte told HipHopDx.com that 9th Wonder was only producing one track on Get Back. The outspoken Phonte, who set off several Internet storms with his MySpace blog posts last year, will undoubtedly say more about all this in the weeks ahead.

Little Brother will release a mixtape with DJ Mick Boogie, And Justus For All, on February 13. As a result of the recent police raid on DJ Drama and his Aphilliates Music Group (who put out a Little Brother mixtape, Separate but Equal, last year), And Justus for All will be a free download on the Internet. “Although outlets for mixtapes are scarce in the wake of the RIAA/DJ Drama drama, we are moving forward and will still make our music available for you to enjoy,” writes Phonte on his MySpace page.

While the fate of Get Back remains uncertain, the members of Little Brother are working on separate projects. Big Pooh is recording his second solo album, which is tentatively titled Dirty Pretty Things. Phonte remains a popular guest vocalist. He appeared on DJ Shadow and Darien Brockington’s albums last fall, and is featured on 4hero’s forthcoming Play with the Changes.

www.myspace.com/littlebrother
www.myspace.com/rapperbigpooh