After countless unmixed releases via Bandcamp, we can’t really expect when you will drop something anymore. Tell me about your unorthodox method of releasing stuff.
Well for us, we started off in a digital era. We were never on any labels; we were into getting our music out there. For us, it’s almost keeping up with the tradition that we’ve always had with our fans. If we got that we want the fans to have and their waiting at the time, we don’t have a problem giving it to them. We’re not owned by anyone or locked into anyone. It’s cool with us. Every now and then we do that and the love from the fans actually is what creates the love to get the records created. Pretty much every record we’ve done, labels have hollered at us to get the record rereleased or released. They may hear about it before it’s done or they’d hear about it after we’ve done gave it away.
Like Nature Sounds with HerFavoriteColo(u)r or the Jesus record.
Exactly. HerFavoriteColo(u)r was, I think, two years late. Jesus was like a month late.
Tell me about New World Color. What is it. Who’s in, the crew?
New World Color is a label that me and Mainframe are starting. Mainframe started Sound In Color, which was the label that put out Below The Heavens. We actually learned a ton from Sound In Color, by the time I left, I was the head A&R there. I signed Ta’Raach. I was gonna put out some Miguel records. I was working with our staff, which we thought was the illest. The label actually fell apart but the mastermind behind the label was Mainframe. We started working on that Ox records for a while, we created Johnson&Jonson…
Ox released Jay Stay Paid right?
I think.
Wait, I’m thinking Jay Love Japan.
Both of those records were signed to Ox. Including a Baatin solo, a bunch of other records. You had an ill roster of shit that was about to drop. The one big record that was never created, as opposed to the rest that were created, was the Blu and Oh No… I mean, the Oh No and Exile record. That would have ill.
You and Mainframe working on something new?
Yeah, actually. Mainframe has about six albums about to drop on New World Color and I have about three from other artists that we’re trying to get finished up exclusively for the label. So me and Mainframe’s relationship kind of creating, like the produce/emcee relationship, to two independent label heads.
When I interviewed Mainframe, way back in 2010, before Danny Brown really popped off (pre-Hybrid), he told me about a Danny Johnson record. It was gonna be a purple baby produced by you and Mainframe. Is there anything coming from that?
The purple baby. Yes, the Danny Johnson album will be one of the six that are coming out on New World Color. Hells yeah.
So Danny Brown + Blu + Mainframe?
Well we’re just got production on it. Yeah, Johnson&Jonson produced it and it’s all Danny’s raps.
Wow. Alright man, any last words you want to sign off with?
New World Color, look out. New World Color, look out. Make sure you cop that Blu & Exile album that dropped.
