than a big city like London or New York, you know what I mean?

Explain your childhood and the part it played in hip hop for you?

Yo, man, I'm not proud to say, but I had a pretty mundane Caucasian upbringing. And there is nothing wrong with that. But, its like..a lot of our heroes in hip hop have led extraordinary lives.

Right.

But, y'know, I'm basically a kid who grew up and fell in love with it (hiphop). From the outside looking in, I grew up in a relaxed environment. I don't want to call it the 'burbs, but it wasn't the city. I would say it was in-between. I was a lover of music and I was an only child, so my imagination was going every which way. Always alone...Making faces in the mirror, doing dances...just being stupid and creative. Basically, as I fell into this hip hop shit, no one was really around. I didn't have a neighborhood where cats were battling on the block or anything. And I just pretty much realized that I wanted to make songs, and I had to do it on my own to have a finished product. In the long run, it was a blessing. It turned out to be the best thing. It was kids everywhere that was into this shit. But, back into Maryland, I was just into the crib, exploring my CD's and shit. I wasn't really out going to shows or anything.

Yeah. That's cool, man. No doubt. So, the next question: how much of a Kool Keith fan are you, anyway?

Hey, I'm just a big fan of Ultramagnetic MC's. I feel like they are a very significant group in the history of hip hop. These days now, I can't say I listen to too much Keith

because, for whatever reason, he isn't what he used to be.

Well, part of the thing with that is he's trying to reach towards the Black audience...I don't know how the hell you do that shit...

Well, y'know, artists in general start to see their fan base pop up at their shows and they start to feel like "I don't know if I can relate to my fans". I don't want to speak for anyone else, but maybe in his case he wants to make sure that all of his fans aren't college kids who think he is all about some space shit. I mean, he grew up in the projects and he probably wants to see more of his people. And, hey, I don't know what to say...I think that De La went through the same shit. But, I can't speak for them. I don't want to say that they are trying to do this or do that because I have no idea. I do feel that may be happening with Keith: that he wants to make sure that Black folks are buying his records, but I don't know if he is going about it the right way.

I don't think he is going about it the right way at all. I think he should just make the music he believes in and just forget about that shit.

You know what you should add to that? Add this: I have no idea what that man is going through and he is in control of his own affairs. I shouldn't try to make any judgement on it. I mean, I'm entitled to my own opinion, but I don't want it to be misconstrued to be me telling someone how to live.

Do you listen to artists outside of yourself? I only ask that because I have read some other artists say some old off the wall bullshit like "I only listen to Patti Labelle records", but yet they are hip hop artists.

Yo, man, I listen to a whole lotta shit, but as far as new