Myspace caught up with hip-hop Freshman, Big Sean and Wiz Khalifa while at the "Rock The Bells" Concert in Los Angeles. The pair discuss everything from being a part of hip-hop's newest era, Performing at "Rock the Bells", keeping up with the competition and more.
Myspace: A Tribe Called Quest’s “Midnight Marauders” was a different brand of hip-hop, focusing on lyricism, but also social consciousness and positivity. How important is maintaining a positive message in today’s brand of hip-hop?Big Sean: Having a positive message doesn’t necessarily mean rapping about abstinence. Just for instance, letting people know you gotta keep a certain order. If you doing some party shit, it’s not cool to fight and do all that. It’s cool to enjoy a good time, lay back, smoke something, chill with the baddest girls ever, chill with the realest people ever. I always try and keep that message instilled in all my songs. It’s just how I live.
Wiz Khalifa: If you’re a positive individual, that’s gonna come out—no matter how you put, no matter which way you put it. I rap about smoking weed and fucking bitches all the time, and somehow people tell me it’s a release for them.
Big Sean: Everybody loves smoking weed and fucking bitches.
Wiz Khaifah: (laughing) Once or twice.
Myspace: Mixtapes and the Internet were keys to both of your success so far. How vital have non-traditional methods of getting your music out there been for you?
Wiz Khalifa: I put my first mixtape out when I was in like tenth grade. That was when the Internet was kinda poppin but it wasn’t as accessible for everybody else. We were just adapting to the game. I seen whatever I did for myself was the best thing. With mixtapes, you gotta keep dropping material, or at least have people buying into what you got going on. So that’s when the mixtape thing popped off better and that led to more shows. My shows come strictly from the Internet whereas back in the day somebody have to go on the road and literally pass out CDs. I started through the Internet and it got me to where I’m at now.
Big Sean: Mixtapes are so important. Honestly, the avenues that mixtapes open are crazy. I’ve gotten my own fanbase, my own following, and that’s strictly from blogs, strictly from Internet sites, strictly from putting music on MySpace. It’s a beautiful thing to even get paid for a performance without having anything on the radio. What more could you ask for. I’ve really stressed the importance to my label, how important mixtapes are.
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