A FIRESIDE CHAT WITH BLACK ROB


I am going to put what is left of my credibility on the line and say that Black Rob is the most interesting rapper to take the hip-hop scene by storm since Snoop. B Rob's debut, Life Story, on the Puffy Combs label Bad Boy Entertainment, is certain to be the hip-hop release of the year. And next to the N.W.A. reunion, it's been the most anticipated release (four years in the making) in years. B Rob is the real deal, about as real as the streets get these days after Madison Avenue and corporations water them down. All the hype doesn't seem to phase B Rob. He still puts his pants on, one leg at a time and that is a mirror reflection of his thug roots. Two singles on the album are sure to be hit parades. "Whoa," which will be "the" buzz word in the urban cities and burbs of America and "Spanish Fly," a infectious melody that has top forty radio play written all over it. Buy this album now and be the first to unleash it on your friends. You will start a trend and starting trends is what makes you cool. How do you think I got to be so hip? Read on and keep it real, unedited and in his own words (Black Rob was subsequently jailed on felony gun charges, missed court dates, but I can assure you that it had nothing to do with his appearance on the Roadshow and this whole rumor about JLo and I is unfounded. Ben Affleck don't look like me.)


FRED JUNG: Let's start from the beginning.

BLACK ROB: I've been doing it since I was a kid. My sister gave me my first rhyme of paper. They were super rhymes and she just told me to learn it. Read the words and learn how to say it. So when I heard it on the radio, I used to read the words with it. I mastered the whole rhyme and I didn't have to use the paper no more. So I used to go around with my friends and I was about eight, nine years old, ten years old and I used to go around with my friends and I used to sing it for them and they would say, "Yo, that's dope." I liked the reception that I got when I sung somebody else's song and so after that, I just started writing my own rhymes, when I was about ten or eleven and I have been doing it ever since. It is what I love and I'm still here 2000 and I'm like the hottest thing smoking right now. That is just with doing something that I love.


FJ: Influences?

BLACK ROB: My life influenced me. I never heard no rapper that influenced me because my rhymes don't sound like nobody else's rhymes. So I can't say that this rapper influenced me or that this rapper is the reason why I am here today. Naw, what influenced me was my life. Being messed up in the streets and wanting to do something about it.


FJ: Any words of wisdom?

BLACK ROB: Advice? I tell everybody basically the same thing. I've been through so much. We're talking about half of my life being incarcerated and being homeless and sleeping on the streets and doing drugs. Just being out there man. Alls I can tell somebody is all that I did and happened to me, Fred, I always stayed true to this rap. That's why it is paying off for me. When you are true to something, eventually, it pays off for you and I just stayed with it. I was very patient. I'm in the right game because my patience is very high. I got a lot of patience and it just paid off for me. God was looking over me. All the times I was in the streets, he never let nothing happen to me where it was life threatening. I never been involved in nothing too much where I had to shoot my gun off. Basically, I raised myself out here on these streets. Through all that, I still was writing rhymes. Even if I was sleeping in a movie theater, I would buy a notebook pad and write my rhymes and keep them on me. So wherever I went, my rhymes went with me. The only thing that I could tell somebody that is trying to get into this business or trying to do anything for that matter is to stay with it. If you are loyal to it, it is going to pay off for you in the long run. You have got to have a lot of patience.


FJ: Rappers always claim "the street." I'm still trying to find it on the map.

BLACK ROB: Basically, I didn't use the streets. I used the streets for negativity. That was my negative stomping ground. Manhattan, 42nd Street, 86th Street, all up in the Bronx, down in Queens robbing. That is all it is.


FJ: What is the thug life?

BLACK ROB: I don't even know what the thug life is. I couldn't even tell you what the thug life is. The thug life, that is something that Tupac made up because real thugs don't talk a lot about what they are doing. Real thugs are like me. I'm a real thug because I'm quiet. I don't have to go to the party and be fronting, looking at everybody's face with a red bandana and a knife out. That's a stupid thug. That's the going to jail thug. B Rob, now I represent. I come out and give everybody respect. But when you play me, that's when I get wild. That's a thug.


FJ: What can other thugs learn from B Rob 101?

BLACK ROB: Well, I'm still quiet. They can learn a lot from me. I'm self-educated. All they've got to do is watch me and read about me and they're guaranteed to learn something. If me and you were hanging together right now, Fred, and you was in this room right now, you would learn something about me. You would learn how carefully I say my words. How I don't mess up too much. B Rob is like, I can't really explain it to you, but Black Rob is the greatest, Fred. Biggie was the greatest, but when I was coming up like I said, this has been my thing forever. I done have people come up to me and say, "Yo, you the best rapper that I've ever heard in my life." You hear me? When people come at you like that, yo, I mean, you ain't got no reason but to be great. I look at it like I can't be the best because I'm not even on the radio yet. I don't have a record out and so it never went to my head that I was the best. I still give all rappers props when I see them, "Yo, it is hot man. I like that." And that's from the heart because if Rob don't like you, Rob ain't going to say nothing to you. I'm just real grounded. I've got kids. I'm a little bit older than a lot of rappers. I just know where I'm going with my music. I don't want to be talking about I'm killing somebody and I'm slinging this many drugs when I'm really not doing that. I can catch the backlash in a magazine like yours. You can interview somebody from around my way if you really want to know about me and they might say, "Naw, he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Black Rob, no, he never been in jail. Who told you that?" So the only thing that I could do is tell you the truth and be honest with you because my life is like an open book. I want you to know about me.


FJ: What did you do for your daily bread?

BLACK ROB: I used to rob so many people, Fred. Rob cribs. But anything that I'd do, I always had morals and scruples about it, man.


FJ: Honor among thieves.

BLACK ROB: I mean, it wasn't like I was prejudice or nothing like that because I'm not prejudice. I've dealt with Caucasian women. I got Caucasian cats down with me. It was just a way that my mind was set. Older brothers that were around my way used to tell me, "Hey, Rob, don't rob no black people man. Don't rob nobody in the hood because they've got as much as you got." So I used to go rob where I thought the money was at,
which was the Caucasians. So that's why I was down there robbing them. I never really robbed my own people. That never was like my style. I'm a good guy, Fred. I don't have no family really. My moms, she don't really care about me. She never did. But I still love her because that's my mother. I raise myself. You see, my moms can't give an interview. You can't go interview my mother and she'll say, "Well, I've raised that boy since he was thirteen years old and he lived in my house until he was about fifteen." Naw, you are not going to get that. You are going to get, "I'm sorry. I see him now and I regret not taking care of him and showing him the way." That's what you're going to hear. With Black Rob, it's all right. It's all right. Being in the movie theaters and being on the streets and robbing people and going to jail, I learned so much. I got my GED in jail. I got a two-year degree in jail. That's just me. I did that. Nobody had to stab me in my back and say, "Yo, go to school." That is what I chose to do. I chose to use my time wisely and step my game up.


FJ: How much time did you do?

BLACK ROB: We're talking at least seventeen years of my life, Fred.


FJ: Was this for one pinch or for multiple?

BLACK ROB: It was multiple. When I came out, my situation was still the same as when I went in. So guess what? I went back to robbing people. And I went back to jail. Came out again. Situation the same, went back in. Came out. Situation the same, went back in. Ninety-four was the last straw, Fred. I said, "This is it for me. My rap game is up to par. I'm like the nicest wherever I go." And so I met some people and they turned me onto Puff in '94. From then on, I've been down with Puffy.


FJ: When did you hook up with Puffy?

BLACK ROB: I met Puffy in '95. I knew this cat who used to be my manager. He is no more because he tried to take the money from me that I was making at that time. I wasn't even making money. Bad Boy was sending me money to live on. He was robbing me for that. I had paperwork and statements that said that I was going to get this and I only got this and I went to Puff and I told Puff and Puff made it his business to get on that cat's ass to find out where my money was at. So after that, I fired the kid. It took me two years to get out of my production deal with his company and that's what pulled on Black Rob a little something.


FJ: Is that the reason why even after you were signed, it took so long for the album to be released?

BLACK ROB: Right. Right.


FJ: Where were you when Biggie was shot (I mean assassinated)?

BLACK ROB: When I heard that I was in a hotel, Fred. I was in a hotel chilling at a hotel downtown and when I heard about that, I had just, me and Puffy were just together that night. The previous night before that because he brought me to the hotel because I had some problems with my baby's mother and he said, "Yo, Rob, come down here and stay with me." So I went to the Marq hotel and Puff left that morning and I heard about it that next morning, five, six in the morning, he called me and said, "Yo, Biggie dead."


FJ: That must have been some tough shit to deal with?

BLACK ROB: No doubt, Fred. And I didn't really get to rock with the man. It messed me up because he was cool with me. He used to like my stuff. He used to say, "Yo, Black Rob is serious." He used to steal my tapes. He used to scheme on my tapes. "Yo, get that tape dude. That tape is crazy." If Big was still alive, Fred, there would have been some big things happening.


FJ: You would be collaborating on some projects.

BLACK ROB: Definitely.


FJ: Think Jennifer and Puffy are going to make it?

BLACK ROB: Definitely. They're going to be alright. Puff know what he's doing. And New York City, that is our city. Ain't nothing happening out there that we can't take care of. Because as you know, Fred, if you do something in the city, it can be taken care of in the city. If you do something out of state, that's your ass. If it is state and the state come in, you fucked up because you can't pay the state. The city, you can pay the city a little fine or something. Get some probation out of the deal because they want to keep you in the city. Puff, he going to overcome this.


FJ: The media is going to try to bring Puffy down and you along with him because you are Bad Boy.

BLACK ROB: Yeah, but you know what, Fred. Let me just say something to you right now. Black Rob ain't a trouble maker. Black Rob don't roll with trouble. Black Rob roll with positivity. Everybody around me is respectful, older than twenty-eight years old, been through what I been through and so we're just coming to get this money, make these albums, and you all can put the rest in a letter.


FJ: What is "whoa?"

BLACK ROB: "Whoa" is the first single. "Whoa" is "whoa." Like this interview. When they read this interview, it's going to be like "whoa."


FJ: So what's "whoa?"

BLACK ROB: Black Rob say "whoa" to everything, Fred. Everything is "whoa" to me. Anything that you see, anything crazy that you see, you might see the price on the dress and be like "whoa."


FJ: Is "whoa" a good thing or a bad thing?

BLACK ROB: It can be whatever you want it to be. "Whoa" could be good or bad. Like for instance, POs ain't "whoa." I got a PO right now that is trying to slay me. Eventually to me, he's not "whoa." The police officers that harassed me the other week, coming off the highway, they're not "whoa." They didn't even give me a chance to speak my peace. They didn't even ask me who I was, where I was going. They just wanted to harass me. They not "whoa." The fat girl with the rings around her stomach, talking about, "I ain't that nigga." She is not "whoa." She's not real. You might have a big truck at the club, rimmed down, fully equipped, that's "whoa." That is like, "Whoa, did you see that?"


FJ: Rock stars do just as much stupid shit as rappers do, but hip-hop catches most of the heat.

BLACK ROB: Right. That's because rock and roll been here forever. And hip-hop is just a way for black brothers to get out of the ghetto. They don't want that. They want us all in the ghetto so they can genocide us, Fred. They want us all in one spot, so they can kill us all. They don't care. And rock and roll groups, come on, Fred. All they be doing is screaming. I can't hardly understand half of the songs that they make. AC/DC, you know what that is, that means you go both ways. AC/DC is you a guy, but you mess with guys and girls. Ozzy with the biting, I don't even want to get into it. The only rock group I liked was Journey. Van Halen was fine. I liked Steve Perry. He sings some good songs. I listened to that. That is one of my all time greatest albums.


FJ: Did you get a lot of play while listening to Journey?

BLACK ROB: Yeah, yeah, hell yeah. Journey is popular.


FJ: Give me your take on rock/rap bands like Korn and Limp Bizkit.

BLACK ROB: Lately, I have just been focused on Black Rob. A lot of music that has been coming out, I really haven't heard it unless I get in the car and I hear it. I don't buy no albums. I don't want to hear no Limp Bizkit. I wonder if they got my album because I doubt they do. I don't really listen to a lot of rapper's albums because I don't want none of that stuff to rub off on me.


FJ: Who's got flavor?

BLACK ROB: Black Rob got flavor. Nas, Jay-Z, West Coast because they are getting ready to turn it up because Dre got back on board, they are making some hot joints. The productions are tight man. They coming back around and when they drop the N.W.A. again, it's over. It is over.


FJ: How do you like N.W.A. bringing Snoop on board?

BLACK ROB: Naw, I don't like that. They should have just kept Snoop where he was at and bring them like they brought him before.


FJ: Have it a trio with Cube, Dre, and Ren.

BLACK ROB: Yeah, don't have him be on no N.W.A. because he ain't down with them. If Eazy were alive, he would have totally disregarded that. Like, "What do you mean? Hell, no." They bring in Eminem, come on. N.W.A. never made no records with nobody else.


FJ: It was just Ren, Dre, Eazy, and Cube.

BLACK ROB: Right, it was just those four. Even Snoop wasn't on an N.W.A. album. The only person that was on an N.W.A. album was D.O.C. and he can't even talk no more. He is basically sitting back doing what he do. He writes. And I respect that. He doesn't want to jump on no N.W.A. album.


FJ: Is rap the only true music of the streets?

BLACK ROB: Naw, R&B is hot too. Them R&B singers talk some real shit, Fred.


FJ: Who are some R&B singers that you like?

BLACK ROB: I like Carl Thomas. He's burning right now. I don't even want to talk about it. I'm going to let you get it for yourself, Fred. It is slamming. Donell Jones' new album is hot. I like Destiny's Child. They're hot. I like Kelly Price. She's hot. Brian McKnight. There is a lot of artists out there right now that I'm feeling, R&B wise because it is the truth. Destiny's Child's "Say My Name." That song is one hundred percent the truth. I've been through the same shit. My girl call me and she's like, "Yo, what's up. Why can't you just say you love me? Why are you saying it so low?" That is the same shit.


FJ: Corporate and Madison Avenue is trying to water down hip-hop, does it need to stay raw?

BLACK ROB: Hell, yeah. Hell, yeah. I refuse to have a watered down album. That's why it sounds the way it do. I didn't have everybody and their momma with their input on the album. There was only two or three people working on the album at a time. Basically that is because that is my life. That is me. There is nothing watered down. I didn't go get a hundred people to be on the album. I didn't go get the top rappers because nobody come get me. I'm not on nobody's album, but my immediate family and it's all good because I will shine without anybody. I'm on now. I'm in the door. I'm with Bad Boy. I'm with a top album, still. Still. I'm good, Fred. I'm good.


FJ: Rapping is story telling, do you have many more stories to tell?

BLACK ROB: Oh, Fred, do I. I've wrote a lot of rhymes in my lifetime. There is a song on my album called "Jasmine." I wrote that song in '89. I always knew what music I wanted with it and when I brought it to Bad Boy, we came up with the beat that we've got on it. That right there sealed the deal.


FJ: If Black Rob had a business card, what would it read and rhyme it for me.

BLACK ROB: It would say, "Yo, if you want to see Black Rob, use these seven numbers right here and you might get that 'whoa.'" You might get that "whoa." This is Black Rob. Use those seven digits properly and you might hear that "whoa."


FJ: Anything left to prove?

BLACK ROB: Nope. I never had nothing to prove. I just wanted to prove to the world that I could be on the radio too. A record ain't commercial until the deejays pick it up and make it commercial.


FJ: They're picking it up now.

BLACK ROB: Yeah, Fred. And it is so "whoa" that you would think it would stay underground, but never. Now, it is commercial all of the sudden. My album is the top R&B/hip-hop. I don't sing, but I got singers on it. Black Rob is over shining a lot of people right now and it feels good. Everybody is happy. We don't care about money. People talk about how money is the root of all evil. I understand that, but once your family recognizes and everybody is doing their own thing, it's all good. The people around me are still doing what they're doing. They are just rolling with me now. They ain't got nothing to prove dog. We're just out to make hot joints.


FJ: Well, they're rolling with the right man.

BLACK ROB: No doubt.


Fred Jung is the Editor-In-Chief and like Joey is looking for hot girl. Comments? Email Him