S. Samuel
After this week's release of their Where Do We Go From Here? album, producer Vice Souletric Beats opens up about the project's overall vibe and why his partner-in-rhyme G. Huff is comparable to rap veteran Rakim.
Discussing his emphasis on his technique for manipulating soul beats, Vice revealed what motivation he took heading into the LP.
“With me as a producer, I definitely have a soul foundation,” Vice told SOHH. “For anybody who listens to my stuff, they can definitely tell who the influences are. The thing I think that separates me is that I still have more of an original sound with the way that I construct the beats and have a different live instrumentation sound. I try to keep it original and I think that’s the thing that made cats like Pete Rock, Kanye West and DJ Premier. It’s not only because they sound good it’s because they’re original. I think I have a distinctive sound and I think that’s the most important thing when you’re doing a soul record. You don’t want to sound like 9th Wonder. You don’t want to sound like Pete Rock. You want to always keep your own distinct sound.” (SOHH)
Vice also explained why he feels no other emcee closely matches up to Rakim than his rap comrade G. Huff.
“You want people to put you in that same lane as the J. Dilla‘s and the Alchemist‘s, but you want to have your own sound so I made sure that I kept it original on each record,” Vice added referring to the new Where Do We Go From Here? album. “As far as the rap-production side, I definitely have been influenced by Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth, especially with the way me and G. Huff came about putting this album together. We wanted to make sure to let people know it’s hip-hop and we wanted to be able to reach out to the commercial artists too. So influences include Pete Rock, DJ Premier, 9th Wonder and G. Huff is influenced by cats like Snoop Dogg, Guru, Tupac Shakur. He’s a realistic emcee. He’s like a blue collar emcee. His lyrics and his style come from growing up in Youngstown, Ohio which is like one of the toughest cities in the state. I think he’s closer to Rakim than any other emcee that were to listen to his voice and his presence on the mic.” (SOHH)
Earlier this week, Vice opened up about why fans should support their new LP.
“Reason number three is because the album is very conceptual but catchy at the same time. We’re not getting all preachy on here but we do touch on realistic subjects that cats can relate to. But we also have a lot of partying and bullsh*t, things of that nature, that cats can get down to as well. The project came together very organically. G. Huff was going through a lot of personal stuff in his life at the point when we met and decided to do this. That’s why he sounds so passionate on a lot of the tracks. I would say almost every track on here is influenced by something that was going on in his life.” (SOHH)
Last month, Rakim talked about the lifespan of most emcees.
“It’s a blessing to be in the game this long and to have your work recognized after 25 years,” Rakim said in an interview. “It’s a big thing. The MC’s lifespan in the game is maybe seven years, 10 years, 12 years, so to be around and to get respect at this point is a blessing.” (MTV)
Chekc out some footage of Vice Souletric Beats & G. Huff below:
