I recently had the honor of chatting with Rockness Monstah and Sean Price (a.k.a. Ruck) of Heltah Skeltah. During our 15 minute conversation we had a chance to talk about the new album D.I.R.T. (Da Incredible Rap Team), their feelings on the impact of the Internet on hip hop, whether they'll be making their way back down to Houston anytime soon, and my favorite part of the conversation - niggery ginger bread. Peep their words.

Rock - Yo?

Enigmatik - Yeah.

Rock - Yeah, we here. You there, Ruck?

Sean Price - Hello? What's this called?

Enigmatik - This is Enigmatik with Boo Goo Doo Boom out of Houston.

Sean Price - Boo Goo Doo Boom?

Enigmatik - Yes sir.

Rock - Houston.

Sean Price - Blogspot dot com, right?

Enigmatik - Yes sir.

Sean Price - Oh, ok.

Enigmatik - 'preciate you guys taking the time out this evening to talk with me.

Sean Price - It's all good.

Rock - No doubt, no doubt.

Enigmatik - For the uninitiated who have yet to respekanize your gangsta, give the people a little introduction to Rock and Ruck.

Sean Price - Yo, what's good...this is Sean P, one half of Heltah Skeltah, 100% Sean Price. You know me from the Boot Camp Clik, ya nahmean. I'm 1/8th of the Great, I'm 1/5th of the Fab, I'm one half of Heltah Skeltah. Yeah. That's me.

Rock - I go by the name of the Monstah Rocko, a.k.a. the Rockness Monstah. You can call me Big Rock or Rocko, whatever y'all wanna call me. Ya understand? Heltah Skeltah, Boot Camp, Mag Force, you know for those who do know. For those who don't, now you do.

Enigmatik - That's wassup. You two have been in the game and have been making classic music for a while now. What are some of the biggest changes you've seen since you've been in the game?

Sean Price - You know...uh...downloading.

Rock - (laughs) Yeah, downloading.

Sean Price - You know what I mean, that's the big difference.

Rock - And massive expansion. It's just growing, you know what I mean? Pause. (laughs)

Enigmatik - You mention downloading is a huge thing, in your opinion is it good or bad for hip hop?

Sean Price - Both. It's bad cause you're fuckin' my money up. But it's good, you know....I can't front, I was on Limewire the other day lookin' for a James Brown song, you know what I mean? So it's hard to really complain about it when you're part of it and you're doin' the shit your damn self.

Enigmatik - Yeah.

Sean Price - But give it a grace period; there's no grace period. I mean, I don't mind...if you're not bootlegged, you're not hot. So...just saying that, I don't wanna be bootlegged, but if I'm not bootlegged I ain't poppin'!

Enigmatik - So it's a double edged sword almost.

Rock - Yeah, the game is changed that much.

Sean Price - Yeah, so you know I don't wanna be bootlegged but secretly I do.

Rock - (laughs)

Enigmatik - So basically, you want might want to have somebody get maybe one or two joints and check and see if its poppin' and then cop it when it drops, right?

Sean Price - I mean, that's an excuse people say 'I'ma just download it and listen to this joint and if it's bangin' I'ma go buy it', but they be lyin' though. Niggas be lyin'.

Enigmatik - So overall, fuck downloading.

Sean Price - Yeah. You know what, give it a grace period. Don't download, you know uh...don't download the new G-Unit album, ya nahmean? But next year, when you see it and you didn't get around to gettin' it or you probably had it and fucked it up and you see it...download it again later.

Enigmatik - Gotcha.

Sean Price - Give it some grace period, give it a grace period. You know what I mean? Give it a grace period. That's what I'm sayin'.

Enigmatik - That's wassup, I feel that.

Sean Price - Like if somebody Limewired Magnum Force right now, I'd be like 'That's wassup, my nigga."

Rock - Word up.

Sean Price - Ya nahmean? You can't even be mad at 'em.

Enigmatik - I had the honor of seeing you two perform here in Houston a couple of years ago while you were promoting The Last Stand album. What type of impression did Houston leave on you and what are your feelings on the South as a whole?

Sean Price - I mean I'm not gonna let the show dictate how I feel about Houston, 'cause if I did that then I'd be like 'Fuck Houston!" (laughs hard) Cause the show was bullshit! (laughs hard) Nah, I'm not gonna let the show dictate how I feel about the state, cause you're gonna be mad at me now.

Enigmatik - (laughs) Nah, man, speak the truth!

Rock - I will say this, I will say this, I do love Houston. I did have a lot of fun in Houston. I hung out with my man Crime. He's a dude that's notorious down there for makin' the grills and all of that. We got to hang out with Crime, he took us to a few other spots and shit, you understand what I'm sayin? I love the way the girls dance in Houston. It's fuckin' amazing. Space in between, like you know that, that personal space?

Enigmatik - Yeaaah.

Rock - Personal space is forbidden on the dance floor in Houston and I appreciate that.

Enigmatik - (laughs) That's wassup.

Sean Price - But Houston was cool though man.

Enigmatik - Cool, cool. You guys gonna be making your way out to Houston again?

Sean Price - I mean based off the last show I wonder if they want me back there! (laughs hard)

Enigmatik - Hey, I'm doin' my part to spread the word!

Sean Price - Yeah, you know. Have show, will travel, you know.

Rock - You put the big signal in the air, we'll appear. Heltah Skeltah sign in the air.

Enigmatik - Growing up in Brooklyn did you two ever think that you'd be traveling around the world hearing people who barely know English spit your rhymes right back to you?

Sean Price/Rock - "Hell yeah/no."

Sean Price - Hell yeah. I did man. I always had these dreams of me rockin' the stage, ya nahmean? People cheerin'...yeah, yeah. I knew it.

Rock - I wasn't sure, not when I was young. I had no idea.

Sean Price - I didn't know I was gonna be a rapper doing it, but I knew I was going to be entertaing a big crowd of people. I knew that.

Rock - I knew I was gonna be famous, but I had no idea what it entailed, you know what I mean. I didn't ain't know about all the world tours and shit like that. I knew I was gonna be on TV. I thought I was gonna be an actor or somethin'. Which, by the way, I am also. I got a couple of movies comin', a couple of roles beckoning right now. I'm in a movie called All Or Nothin, and another one on the way called Community Service. Gettin' my little Denzel on, my little fake Denzel on. My fake ass Denzel.

Enigmatik - When are those coming out?

Rock - Soon. I don't have an actual date, you know what I mean? But you can check me out on my Myspace page. When I find out, I'll post it up.

Enigmatik - Cool, cool.

Rock - The movie is done, one of them is already done, ya nahmean? That's soon.

Enigmatik - That's wassup. Now what's the craziest thing that's ever happened to you guys while you've been touring?

Rock - Uh....coonquitos.

Sean Price - Oh, coonquitos, yeah.

Rock - Where was we at? In Spain...

Sean Price - In Spain, they sell these ginger bread minstrel show cookies and shit.

Enigmatik - Wow (laughs)

Sean Price - And it was called 'coonquitos.' Like 'coon', like 'nigga you a coon.'

Rock - Like 'coon, eat those!'

Sean Price - Yeah, coonquitos. Yeah, that shit was foul.

Enigmatik - Yeah, Spain is wild. You see those pictures they had of the Spanish basketball team making fun of the Chinese people?

Sean Price - Yeah, I just saw that.

Rock - Nah, I didn't see that.

Sean Price - They stretchin' their eyes and their mouth.

Rock - Wow. (laughs) Ain't that some shit.

Sean Price - Yeah, they wild out with that...the coonquitos. They wild out with that, man. They got like niggery ginger bread men with big red lips and shit.

Rock - Big red lips and shit.

Sean Price - Minstrel show cookies and shit.

Enigmatik - 'Niggery ginger bread.' That's a quote right there. That might go in the next rhyme maybe.

Sean Price - (laughs)

Enigmatik - It's been a long time since the last Heltah Skeltah album but it definitely seems like the bond remains strong with you guys.

Sean Price - Oh yeah, we peoples, man! Always that, family, ya nahmean?

Rock - Just cause it ain't been no Heltah Skeltah albums, there have been some SEVERE video game ass whoopins, birthday parties, fish fries...you know what I'm sayin...get togethers and types of shit like that.

Sean Price - The barbeques and all that.

Rock - Yeah, barbeques and shit. A couple of strip clubs. All that. We do all that shit, ya know what I'm sayin'? Ain't nothin' that...the music shit ain't have nothin' to do with our bond.

Sean Price - Just to y'all music people it seem like we're never around, but you know.

Rock - That's the niggas that's on my block, know what I'm sayin'?

Enigmatik - That's wassup. Now tell me a little bit about that D.I.R.T. album, Da Incredible Rap Team.

Rock - Aw, that shit is incredible.

Sean Price - Yeah, it is what it is. It's the incredible rap, just incredible raps on that bitch, you know what I mean? Niggas are goin' in, havin' fun, doin' what they do. You know, we're not tryin' to reinvent the wheel or...you know? We did what we always do man, find a beat and tear it down man. Ya nahmean? And we have fun doin' it. Hopefully you guys enjoy it too.

Enigmatik - Definitely. I took a look at the track listing and I was personally glad to see that you guys kept the guest appearances light. Nowadays it seems like artists are spotlighting everyone in the game but themselves.

Rock - Yeah a lot of times that be 'cause they can't rhyme that good. A lot of times.

Sean Price - Yeah man. They're weak with it, you know what I mean?

Enigmatik - I'm definitely looking forward to hearing that album; you guys were saying some wild stuff on the "Everything Is Heltah Skeltah" joint. What are your favorite cuts from the album?

Sean Price - "Everything Is Heltah Skeltah", I mean the whole album is hot, ya nahmean? But, um...we got this joint called "Hellz Kitchen." And my man Evidence, when we first did it, Evidence from Dilated Peoples produced it. When we first did it, you know, the beat was cool ya nahmean? We did it, and he was like 'yo, I wanna freak it.' So we sent it back to him and then my man Dan The Man got to mixing it and it sounds even crazier now, man. It sounds like a electric oven cuttin' on - tic tic tic, and then you hear 'whoosh', ya nahmean? It's crazy man. It's crazy.

Enigmatik - What about you, Rock?

Rock - Aw, shit man...it's so hard for me to pick a favorite on that album like...ya nahmean...like, it's real good. A lot of times when you record, you might...sometimes, any artist knows this, there's been a time when you can go in the stuido and not get out what you really wanted, ya nahmean? What you wanted, the finished product isn't exactly what you wanted. But like on all of these songs I was gettin' like, I was gettin' exactly what I wanted on these songs as far as like everything, ya nahmean? It's just so hard, you just name one - "D.I.R.T.", ya nahmean? I love "D.I.R.T." I love "The Art of Disrespekanization." Um...shit...it's just difficult man. I even, I love the fuckin' intro, the intro was crazy! Ya understand what I'm sayin? It's beautiful, check for all those. I can't choose, fuck that, that's my answer.

Enigmatik - That'll work. Yo Rock, when's your solo album dropping?

Rock - Um...I'm gonna put out Shell Shock: The DVD first. Ya understand what I'm saying? We got Shell Shock out there right now, I'm shoot the videos. I'm in the process right now. It's halfway done. I'm doin' videos for every single joint on there cause there's not enough images of Rockman out there, ya understand what I'm sayin', so I'm about to do that. That should be out after D.I.R.T. Probably right after Ruste Juxx album. Hey, when Ruste shit comin' out, son?

Sean Price - October...uh, I don't know. The second week of October.

Rock - Yeah. So, ya nahmean, we got a lot of shit goin' on. I'ma blast Shell Shock: The DVD sometime in the meantime. I'll have a better idea when it's done, but we're workin' at a rapid pace. But then we got mad stuff, then we got motherfuckin' Monstah Music. It all depends on whether I feel like the game is ready for it, you know what I'm sayin? Everything is a setup for the next project. Sean Price put out Monkey Barz, and Jesus Price. Well, the Triple Threat Movement as a whole was settin' up the next movement for The Last Stand. And then Jesus Price in between or however. We was just swingin' 'em out there. All of that, The Last Stand and Chemistry, all of that set us up for right now. Sean Price beatin' the pavement and all that. Now this is settin' us up for the next wave, ya understand what I'm sayin? It's more flights in this building and we tryin' to climb to the top, baby.

Enigmatik - You mentioned Sean's albums...wassup with Mic Tyson, when's that dropping?

Sean Price - I don't know. I ain't even start yet. I ain't even gonna lie to you, I ain't even start yet. I'm puttin' the finishing touches on this Random Axe project I got. Random Axe is me, Black Milk, and Guilty Simpson. So I'm puttin' the finishing touches on that. And then after that, I'm workin' on a mixtape like a prequel to Mic Tyson that's called Kimbo Price. Ya nahmean? So after Random Axe, we'll start workin' on that. And I'm goin' on tour with Ill Bill and me and Ill Bill got a album together - it's called The Pill, so. I don't know, I got a lot of stuff man.

Enigmatik - You guys have any words of advice for anyone looking to break into the rap game?

Sean Price - Yeah, don't never try and fuckin' disrespect Heltah Skeltah or we will end your shit real quick.

Rock - Yeah.

Enigmatik - That's a good word (laughs). Well, I got a couple of questions that were submitted to me that I need to ask. My boy Zilla wanted to know: Does Sean Price smell like hydro?

Sean Price - Nah. Sour Diesel and Haze.

Enigmatik - Sour Diesel and Haze...all right. And my boy King wanted to know if you had anything else cooking with the Justus League.

Sean Price - Oh...Khrysis is on the new Heltah Skeltah album. You know, Khrysis is my personal go-to guy, you know what I mean? So, always. Khrysis is coming out with an album and I have a song with me, Phonte, and my man Torae that's crazy. That's real crazy, so yeah.

Enigmatik - All right. Besides hip hop, are there any issues going on in the world that you want to give your views on?

Sean Price - Nah, fuck that. We don't give a fuck about them.

Rock - Yeah, fuck that. Unless you mention our name - good or bad - we don't give a fuck about that.

Enigmatik - All right, one last question - Hip Hop: Dead or Alive?

Sean Price - Hell yeah! You heard Monkey Barz, Jesus Price, The Last Stand! You know, this is the most asked question. Sometimes I flip it on the interviewer when they ask me what I think the state of hip hop is, I'll say the state of hip hop is Nebraska. When niggas say that it's dead, it's niggas sentiments at the time. Niggas ain't seein' what they grew up on. Go to New York's mixtape circuit to see it alive. Niggas are keepin' it real. Dilated...Prodigy, puttin' it down.

Rock - And then you got the mixtape circuit. We sit back and wonder if a nigga will put an album out, but go to local bootleg spot in New York and there they are. Niggas ain't given them burn. I would say who they are and say their names but fuck that. Y'all know the rules of the game.

Sean Price - Hey, I mentioned two, they cool with me.

Rock - Yeah, thats cool, those his peoples...niggas that we don't fuck with, I ain't puttin' they name out.

Enigmatik - Well, that's all I got for y'all. To me, you two are some of the dopest rappers to pick up a microphone and it's truly an honor to be able to chat with you. I definitely appreciate it.

Rock - Rock filthy, not guilty.

Sean Price - No doubt. Peace.

Labels: Heltah Skeltah, Interviews, Rockness, Sean Price