NP: What's going on A-Eye? How's everything been
going for you?
A-Eye: What's up with you man?
Everything has been going real good.
NP: Congratulations on the release
of your first album.
A-Eye: Thank You.
NP: Could you start by telling
the readers a little about yourself and where you’re from?
A-Eye: Ok. My stage name is A-Eye.
I'm From Noxubee County, MS, which is a small town. I have been
rapping since I was like, eleven. It all started with Outkast.
NP: So could you give us the
name of the album you got out and who helped you put it together.
A-Eye: The name of the album
is "Da Premiere." The album was put together by Orlando
Abrams and myself. Orlando is my producer and is also the CEO
of Certified Music ENT. I met him riding by one day. I stopped
and free-styled for him. Since then, we have been putting it
down.
NP: So how many tracks you have
on the album?
A-Eye: Well, we got fourteen tracks and six edited tracks.
NP: Did Orlando do all the production
on the album or did you get some tracks from different producers?
A-Eye: Yeah, Orlando produced
all the tracks on the album.
NP: So who all you have featured
on the album?
A-Eye: Well, I have Pistol P,
Pookie Love, AD Rush. Just a couple of cats on the album.
NP: As a rapper out of the Golden
Triangle Area in Mississippi, how do you feel about the music
scene in the area, and also, how do you feel about the music scene
as being a new independent artist?
A-Eye: As for myself, I feel
I have the only complete album basically coming from a solo artist.
As far as talking about the right thing and conversation, I feel
I have the best album. On the local scene, everybody wants to
sound alike. As independent artist, I feel they are scared of
stepping out of their area. They’re trying to keep it local.
I want to take it farther than local. I want to be mainstream.
I'm not going to settle for local. I want to be mainstream, and
I'm going to take it mainstream. It's a job for me now. It is
not a hobby for me no more.
NP: What are some of the obstacles
you encounter as being a new independent artist as in trying to
sell your product?
A-Eye: Well, I get turned down.
But when people turn me down, I still tell them Thank You. I appreciate
people just looking at the CD cover, even though they might say
No. But it seems like the more people say No, the more people
say Yeah! I have sold 600 copies in
Columbus, MS, and now I'm 750 strong. Basically, I have done better
than what I thought I was going to do. I sold myself short. I
thought I was only going to sell at least 300 copies in Macon,
MS, but I did not know I was going to sell so many in Columbus,
MS. Some people sell them-
selves short, but me, I cannot quit.
NP: Mississippi is a slowly growing
state. In your opinion, what is it going to take for Mississippi
to become more recognized?
A-Eye: Grind. They have to get out and hustle. Sell they CDs.
They have to stop dropping an album and let it sit. They have
to get out and sell it. The more rappers get out and hustle like
David Banner did, maybe MS would have came up sooner. Some people
drop they albums
and go to clubs looking for fame. If they would just get off they
ass and shake their CDs (sell their CDs), things would be better.
NP: Do you have any other projects
in the works, and are you planning on working with any other artists?
A-Eye: I want to, but it is so
much hate. A lot of hating is going on. My style and the other
artists styles in the area, is just not going to mix. I got a
whole different style. I'm rapping to make it financially. They
are rapping to get the club hype on Friday nights - just in one
spot. So it is going to be hard for me to collaborate with a lot
of these artist around here.
NP: So is there anything else
you want to say to the readers before we end this interview?
A-Eye: I just want to say Thank
You to everybody who bought the album. I feel like this.... I'm
hungry man. I'm going to bust my ass just to see something move.
I'm not going to quit now. Thank you to everybody who supported
me.
NP: I appreciate you taking the
time out for this interview and congratulations again on the album.
NP: Thank you and everyone at
The New Power.
For more info, call :
(662) 425-6181
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