A few days ago, I got to sit down with Brooklyn’s newest MC blowing up on the scene, BK Cyph. He has a lot things going on for him like his weekly series at 2dopeboyz.com and onsmash.com, his single “Never Sold Crack,” and his freestyle “My President Sold Crack” over Young Jeezy’s “My President is Black.” He took a break from dealing with all of this to have a long conversation about the crack epidemic in the 1980’s, “My President Sold Crack,” “Never Sold Crack,” Senator John McCain, and so much more. Now, Hip Hop on My Mind would love to present to all of you the first installment of exclusive conversations with artists, producers and more. These conversations are more than just an interview. After you read this, don't forget to check out the links below.
DJ Daddy Mack: Whats up BK Cyph? Thank you for meeting with me today.
BK Cyph: No doubt, homie. It's nothing. We go back. We are doing this for Brooklyn.
DJ Daddy Mack: Yeah. No doubt. We are.
Let’s start with your whole concept of “Never Sold Crack.” What made you want to come up with this concept? How did you hook up with Acafool, who is well-known in his state?
BK Cyph: Oh man Acafool, that's the big homie. I get a lot of love in Florida.
So I've had the concept to do “Never Sold Crack” for years. I had a meeting with an A&R at Sony and dropped off a demo. He was feeling the rhymes, but felt I didn’t have any street cred because I didn’t rhyme about hustling. I was like, “I never sold crack, why would I rhyme about it?”
From there, the concept was born. I wear that on my sleeve, that's my battle cry. I never sold crack, but I'm still from the hood, Flatbush, Brooklyn. I always dreamt of having little kids, singing “Never Sold Crack.” I brought the concept to a few producers, but none of 'em could make the track as big as I wanted it to sound. One night, Acafool hit me up and said “Cyph, I need to produce your single.” A week later, we had a hit record.
DJ Daddy Mack: That is an interesting journey. So you were keeping it real. Staying true to yourself. To have kids singing that is a great dream considering the music that is out there today.
In this day, mostly people my age laugh at your concept. I know a few of them who do. I, personally, don’t get it. You are coming out with something positive, catchy, and has a party feel to it. How do you respond to these young and even older people who have these negative feelings about your whole Mr. Never Sold Crack concept?
BK Cyph: They laughed at 50 when he did “How to Rob.” They laughed at Kanye West when he said he wanted to rap. I don't sweat that shit. I'm in this for the long run and a few haters ain’t gonna stop me.
You wanna know something funny, these dudes may have funny shit to say on the net, but their favorite Rappers give me HEAVY respect for doing what I do and representing what I represent. Jeezy showed me mad love and told me he respected me for coming out and saying that I never sold crack. Jim Jones showed me heavy respect for being myself. Plies has shown me a lot of love too. I fuck with that dude.
I played “Never Sold Crack” for Plies, and he was supportive. He told me fuck the haters; you got a hit record. That's Jeezy, Jim Jones and MOTHERFUCKIN PLIES.
They rep that thug shit, that street shit and they all respect me. So, the haters will fall in line eventually.
DJ Daddy Mack: Wow. So you were getting cosigns from the artists who these haters love. I'm sure that you are making a difference out there without you ever knowing the effect of what you do.
You mention Rappers who are frauds and Rick Ross in the same line of “Never Sold Crack.” But later in “My President Sold Crack,” you seem to throw something out there with your “real Ricky Ross” mention. So, were you saying Rick Ross the Rapper was a fraud?
BK Cyph: No, no, no. In “Never Sold Crack,” the line is “I ain't Rick Ross. I ain't AZ. You ain't Boy George, homie you crazy?” I wasn't talking about any Rappers in that line. Rick Ross was a real hustler that the Rapper named himself after. AZ was a real hustler in Harlem. But, everyone knows about the real Rick Ross and the real AZ, but how many people know about Boy George?
Now, tell me I ain't from the bottom. I dare you to tell me that I ain't from the hood. If you were from the hood in NYC during the 1980's, you know about Boy George. They used to say he had a car like Spy Hunter and use that shit to outrun the cops. That's some urban legend shit.
DJ Daddy Mack: Word? Dang. I'm sure young people like me did not know about Boy George. So in that line were you talking about those real hustlers?
BK Cyph: Yeah. I wasn’t talking about any Rappers in that line. I was talking about the real hustlers. I'm still a rookie in the game. Who am I to talk about Rick Ross who has established himself as a bankable artist? AZ is a legend, and he's from Brooklyn. I respect that dude and I'm a fan.
I know when I mentioned Boy George, dudes must've thought I meant the Karma Chameleon dude. [LAUGHS] But, the hood knew what I meant.
DJ Daddy Mack: I'm glad you cleared that up.
In “My President Sold Crack,” you talk about the government’s role in the crack epidemic. You do a great job with explaining it. Explain President Reagan’s role in this for those not clear on that since young people like myself don’t know much about it and for the older people who think it was all Oliver North.
BK Cyph: I mean Reagan backed it. He set the policies that led to the Iran-Contra scandal. He was responsible. It’s just ironic that in trying to subdue the Sandinistas in Nicaragua, the hood was introduced to crack-cocaine. The profits from crack helped to try to over throw the government in Nicaragua.
Then, Nancy Reagan comes around and is the face for the “war on drugs.” That shit is the ultimate hustle. You give us the drugs and then turn right around and vilify us for selling it.
DJ Daddy Mack: Wow. I was talking to someone the other day who thought that Nancy Reagan was this nice lady until she saw the recent VH1 rockdoc on N.W.A.
BK Cyph: Yeah, I missed that N.W.A. special on VH1, damn. But, the Reagan administration fucked us up and we're seeing history repeat itself in 2008.
DJ Daddy Mack: What do you mean by that?
BK Cyph: Have you seen the news? Every week, some old lady is getting mugged. That shit is some 80’s shit. Crack is back. We are about to see more violence in the hood. Look at Wall Street, Wall Street ain’t eating. So, if Wall Street ain't eating, you know the hood ain't eating. It's a trickle down effect.
There are no jobs out here. The government is cutting funds. Kids are graduating college and going to work in McDonalds. What else is left to do but hustle?
DJ Daddy Mack: McDonalds? That is very serious and scary considering I'm an outgoing college student myself.
BK Cyph: It’s bad out there. I got my Bachelor's Degree and was working in a mailroom. At least, I was lucky to have a job.
DJ Daddy Mack: Dang. Soon a Ph. D will not be enough to get you a good job.
BK Cyph: Yeah, it won’t be enough. The American economy can’t support the amount of kids graduating. It’s fucked up; they told us to go to school, to study and work hard. We did what we were told, and now we're fucked.
DJ Daddy Mack: I see.
What made you want to do “My President Sold Crack?”
BK Cyph: Well, you heard Jeezy's “My President is Black.” I had to put my twist on it. And for the record, I was the FIRST Rapper to re-do that record. Remember how everyone freestyled over Lil Wayne's “A Milli”?
DJ Daddy Mack: Yeah. [LAUGHS]
BK Cyph: When I first heard Jeezy's record, I knew everyone would rhyme over that. So, my plan was to be the first and have my shit so ill, that NO ONE could follow me after that. But, Rappers are dickriders. So, you know everyone is on that joint now. But for the record, Cyph had the very first “My President” freestyle. Respect to Jeezy for the inspiration.
DJ Daddy Mack: For me honestly, when I hear that beat, I think of “My President Sold Crack” not “My President is Black.”
BK Cyph: That's an honor, but we needed the original. We needed that record. It was great to have Jeezy and NaS on the same record to deliver that message. Killer Mike had a dope version too.
My version is like Lupe Fiasco's version of Kanye West's “Diamonds Are Forever.” Kanye had a DOPE RECORD. But, when Lupe got on it and freestyled about the blood diamonds, he made a name for himself.
DJ Daddy Mack: Over 2000 downloads for your record is very impressive.
BK Cyph: Yeah, that was in like one day. For a brand new Rapper, that's pretty good. But, I don't sweat that shit. Just gotta keep working.
DJ Daddy Mack: I see. It is funny how an unknown artist can come along and make a record better than the well-known artist.
BK Cyph: I don't know about all that. I respect Jeezy. The record was just different. If there was no original, I could have never done what I did.
DJ Daddy Mack: I respect Jeezy to some degree. But, I just think you did a better job, and I'm sure a few people would agree.
You mention President Bush in that record, and you make this connection that him and President Reagan are one in the same with the line: “He ain’t selling crack no more. He in it for the oil. It’s an all out war.” What are the similarities between these Presidents? One that I can think of is that Bush’s father was Reagan’s Vice President who then became the next President.
BK Cyph: The Bush family was tight with Reagan. It’s the same line of thinking. They run the country in a similar way. There is no concern about the American people. It's all about an agenda to rule the world. Look at how fucked up America is today, the war, the economy. We haven’t been this fucked up since the Reagan era.
DJ Daddy Mack: Rule the world? Very strong. [LAUGHS]
BK Cyph: Those motherfuckers are trying to rule the world. That’s real talk. Bush’s whole international policy is on some get down or lay down shit. Saddam didn’t wanna get down and you see what happened to him. But, the truth is we are losing this war.
DJ Daddy Mack: Just like what Katt Williams said in his special The Pimp Chronicles Part 1.
I feel you on that. But, I don't think Bush is smart enough to rule the world. Dick Cheney is the brains in my opinion. He is trying to rule the world. A new book came out about him called Angler: The Cheney Vice Presidency. It is insane all the sneaky shit he did.
BK Cyph: Don't let Bush fool you. Yes, he is like a bull in a China shop, but he is plenty smart.
DJ Daddy Mack: Bull in a China shop? What do you mean by that?
BK Cyph: Meaning that he is a clumsy motherfucker, but he knows what he is doing.
DJ Daddy Mack: Oh I see.
BK Cyph: He stole the election and the American public did nothing about it. That's some thug shit.
DJ Daddy Mack: Word. He did steal it. I did not understand it during that time, but now I'm like why people did not do anything about it?
BK Cyph: Because Americans were afraid. We like to lease our Hummers, our cell phones and stimulus checks. We don’t wanna lose that shit. Look at the economy now. We're losing all that excess shit, all that luxury, we're losing it.
Now, what will they take from us next? The only things left are food, clothing and shelter. Once they start fucking with that, you’ll see a revolution.
DJ Daddy Mack: Interesting.
Recently, Senator John McCain was linked to Iran-Contra affair in the 1980’s (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081007/ap_on_el_pr/mccain_iran_contra). This also happens to be around the time when he voted against the Martin Luther King holiday (http://www.democrats.org/a/2008/04/john_mccains_re.php). What’s interesting is that “My President Sold Crack” is about the Iran-Contra affair; you do shout out Senator Barack Obama in it and show no love for Senator McCain. What do you think about this link? Also, since you shout out Senator Obama, is it safe to say you support him?
BK Cyph: I support Obama. But don't get it twisted, it's not like if Obama wins that all of our problems are solved. We still have to hold him accountable; there is still a lot of work to do.
DJ Daddy Mack: I agree.
BK Cyph: As far as McCain being on that board that supported the Iran-Contra scandal, it’s not surprising. I mean he supported the war and the troop surge in Iraq.
DJ Daddy Mack: You are saying that some things don't change?
BK Cyph: I'm saying our politicians are like wrestlers. They say rap is like wrestling, but nah these fuckers are worse.
DJ Daddy Mack: [LAUGHS]
BK Cyph: We trained Bin Laden, he was once an ally.
DJ Daddy Mack: We gave him weapons too.
BK Cyph: Yup.
DJ Daddy Mack: To me, it is like saying “Please use our weapons to do great harm to us.”
BK Cyph: The fact of the matter is one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. Bin Laden was once our “freedom fighter.” You don't think the Iraqis see Bush as a terrorist?
DJ Daddy Mack: Oh I know. Some people here think that.
BK Cyph: We have to defend our country; there is no doubt about that. But, this war is not about defending America. The American people have nothing to gain from this war.
DJ Daddy Mack: I agree.
Going back to the “Never Sold Crack” record, you talk about not dissing people who do sell drugs. What do you really think of the real Rick Ross, other big time bosses, and small time dealers? Sure you mention that President Reagan poisoned the low-income communities, but what about the middle men? Do you think they are at fault as well?
BK Cyph: As far as "Never Sold Crack" goes, I'm not passing judgment on anyone. I know a lot of dudes who sell drugs, but that record was a statement. I didn't sell drugs, simple as that.
DJ Daddy Mack: I respect that.
BK Cyph: I think our community has a long way when it comes to saving our own people. We need to stop the self-destruction of our communities, BUT, “Never Sold Crack” is not that record. I'm sure I will lyrically address that down the road.
DJ Daddy Mack: I see.
Since you are blowing up on the internet, what do you think about the internet movement with artists like Mickey Factz and Crooked I? How do you feel about all of the weekly series out now?
BK Cyph: Mickey Factz is my dude. I'm proud of everything that he has accomplished. Crooked is just an amazing talent, and he started that weekly series shit. Mickey took the torch and ran with it. Then, I was approached by Meka from 2dopeboyz.com to do a weekly series for their site. I didn't just wanna freestyle or do something that Crooked or Mickey did. So, I came up with the idea to tell a story over the course of 15 weeks and that’s how Never Sold Crack: The Series was born.
Now, the weekly thing is getting kinda played, if I'm being totally honest. Seems like folks are doing to for the wrong reasons. I won't name any names, but certain dudes are really putting some trash up. And the people see it, the people know the difference.
DJ Daddy Mack: I don't play attention to a lot of these series. I do agree that some of these artists are being lame with it. It is hurting their reputation. On another note, I am disappointed that Mickey stopped.
BK Cyph: Mickey called me after I put up the first episode of NSC: The Series, he was like “Dude that idea is crazy, that shit is inspiring.”
DJ Daddy Mack: I respect Mickey for that. I know that some artists hate on others so hard. It is that “King of NY” effect. That effect can really kill the music.
What is the main storyline for your series?
BK Cyph: It follows a few characters, Jorge, Stacks, Felix and Isabel. It’s just a street story that shows how we are all connected in ways that we don’t imagine. It’s my hip-hop version of the movie Crash.
DJ Daddy Mack: That is very interesting.
Is it harder for you to put out records because you are getting this buzz on the internet? Do you find yourself saying “man, they ain’t going to feel this?”
BK Cyph: No, it's not hard to put out records. You just gotta put out the right records, the right way and at the right time. I just constantly challenge myself to get better with each record. There is no other Rapper out who does what I do. I fill a void in this game.
DJ Daddy Mack: Are you growing as an artist? If so, how are you growing? What is the difference between the old BK Cyph and the new BK Cyph?
BK Cyph: I don’t give a fuck about swag and all that shit. I just give the people the truth and constantly make records addressing topics that no one has ever thought of touching. I was always dope, fuck that. But, yes, I am getting better, and I am growing.
I've always felt unappreciated. It’s just gonna take some folks a little longer to appreciate BK Cyph. That’s cool; I'm in it for the long run.
The new BK Cyph is just more honest. What folks don't realize that there is little to no exaggeration in my rhymes. You can check me on any song lyric, those shits are all true.
DJ Daddy Mack: Who were your influences in music and in general growing up and why?
BK Cyph: Musically, I was influenced a lot by Scarface, 2pac, Jay-Z and Slick Rick. In real life, I've just been influenced by the people around me. Some of whom I can't name. But, I can say that the people who do know me respect my music because they can attest to the fact that it’s 100% true.
DJ Daddy Mack: What do you got going on now? What is coming up next for the people?
BK Cyph: My new mixtape NSC2: Rhymes R EZ, Life Is Hard. I also have a collaboration mixtape coming up with the Incomparable Shakespeare. The people will finally get to hear a body of work from BK Cyph.
DJ Daddy Mack: Great. Shakespeare is doing his thing as well. Tell me more about those mixtapes.
BK Cyph: With NSC2, it’s more about life shit, not rap shit. Rapping is easy to me, rhymes are easy. Life is hard. I have two kids and a family I’m trying to hold down. Putting food on the table is hard. Raps? Man, that’s the easy part.
The mixtape with Shakespeare, I can't reveal too much on that. Watch, after that one people gonna feel a whole lot different about who Cyph is and what he is capable of. You already know Shake is sick.
DJ Daddy Mack: Cool. Is this apart of his bi-weekly mixtape series?
BK Cyph: Yeah, it will fall in line with his schedule.
DJ Daddy Mack: Cool.
Well, thank you for having this great conversation with me. Good luck to you. Keep doing you. Take care.
BK Cyph: Thank you. Peace.
BK Cyph's MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/bkcyph
Make sure all of you check out exclusive Bk Cyph tracks here: http://hiphoponmymind.blogspot.com/2008/10/dope-sht-2.html
Listen to and download "My President Sold Crack" for free here:
http://www.zshare.net/audio/176134251ca3b311/
Listen to and download "Never Sold Crack" for free here:
http://www.zshare.net/audio/1420439885552b63/
Get more including tracks from both of his weekly series here:
http://2dopeboyz.com/?s=BK+Cyph
http://content.onsmash.com/?s=Monday+Morning
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