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6/5/2006 What's up? I'm chilling, you know what it is, just working hard. What have you been up to lately? I've just been grinding and finishing up stuff for the album, that's what I've really been focusing on now. The album is called Law and Order. How's Law and Order sounding right now? It's crazy right now. I don't want to put it any category, but it's something different from what's in the game right now. It's not crunked out, it's not all party joints, it's my thoughts on how life is in Baltimore and how hip-hop is. I think we're lacking messages in the game right now, whether it's positive or negative messages. Why the title Law and Order? Actually my independent album is titled Law and Order also. Just so people don't get them confused, they're two different albums. The big thing missing right now is originality. Without no laws, you won't have no order. Whatever way you follow, it has a cause and effect. Music is making a lot of money, but the quality of music is shit because people are chasing the money too much. They're getting caught up in watching somebody be successful off one thing and instead of being original, they'd rather follow somebody else's blueprint. I'm focusing on the quality of music. A lot of artists who have hit records are having their albums brick. I'm having my album be original. On a personal note, growing up, both of my parents were incarcerated. That part of my life gave me that drive to take my life in a different direction. I put all that into my album and the music. That's really helped me a lot. Growing up in Baltimore, there's a lot of poverty and a high drug rate. It's easy to get in trouble and it's hard to be smarter. You can have a real negative outlook growing up there. My parents were getting high, and I don't want to make them look like junkies, but I think all of that applies to my music. My grandmother thought I would take that negative route. I did what I had to do to survive, but all that negativity made me turn another way. I wanted to turn a negative into a positive. I had to really prove people wrong with my music. I couldn't go another way, and it wasn't school. I was still doing street music and I had to prove to people there could be that negative side and I could still give a positive side. A lot of artists writing about the streets and poverty and in some sort of way it seems like they're promoting that. I can't knock them because if that's what you believe in, then I think everyone should fight for what you believe in. I'm not knocking anybody for their message, but my message is a little different. Is it difficult coming from Baltimore right now? There's a positive and negative side to that. You can look at it as a negative thing, but if I do pull it off, it's going to help me in the long run. If I pull it off, I'll be big. My music is so sharp that I don't think you can deny it. You can be white or black or any race and feel it because it's real music. I really think it's going to be good for Baltimore. I believe people really want to hear it. The Baltimore style and the Baltimore lifestyle is different. It is going to be harder but I think it's like shocking the world. Would you rather be coming from Baltimore than a city that's already established? I'm definitely happy coming from Baltimore. Some have said I'm more of an East Coast/New York rapper. This is my territory. In New York, it's not like I'm afraid of competition, but they're already established. Baltimore and DC is in their own place, and I really feel this is the best place for me to come out because no one's really running it. A lot of people would say you're brave for signing to Virgin. I used to go to meetings when I was 16 to see one of JD's A&R's when I was in another group. My mother used to tell me I would get signed by Jermaine Dupri. Columbia put their offer up and Virgin put theirs up and it was the best one on paper. I'm all into doing new things. JD told me I was from a new area and he popped ATL off when it wasn't jumping, so he understands that. I had to let them know I wasn't trying to adjust to what the game is doing, I'm trying to do me. We're like the underdogs. I'm a new artists and southern music is running the game. No lyricists are getting play. I'm an underdog signed to an underdog label. I'm excited about that. If I were to go to Def Jam, I would already be overshadowed over there. Over here at Virgin and not being at So-So Def is dope. I can do what I want, and that's a golden opportunity. Have things been going well at Virgin so far? Yeah. When I do get that chance to step out to the world, everybody will be on the same page. Why did Virgin sign you? It was the independent grind. I've been grinding with the N.E.K. for four years and we put out different mixtapes. We were really getting it on in the streets. It was hard to get BDS on the radio. I give a shout out to Victor Star. He came through 92Q and really opened the door for that. Off the N.E.K. grind, people really started feeling my music. We did the mixtape and we sold 20,000 mixtapes for two or three dollars so we could keep it popping. We were doing our own shows and parties. It was our own industry down there. I had a video that broke to BET and I was getting some BDS. My album did 3,500 on the Soundscan in Baltimore. A lot of majors wanted to pick it up and put it out. At the time, we could have pulled the album off the shelves but we didn't. We didn't want to waste it. I'm the same person but I'm growing because I've had different experiences. A lot of people said my first Law and Order was a real classic even though it was an independent album. This album is better. I'm letting them know how I feel right now instead of going too far in the past. Did the first Law and Order do well for you? It did well. It sold more than mainstream artists in Baltimore. I got a lot of love for my city. That's why I keep them on my back. The world needs to hear what BMore has going on down here. When are you looking to drop the official version of Law and Order? Probably in October or November, around that time, when it's right. We're pushing the "You're Wrong" joint produced by NO ID, that's the first Bossman single off the album. We're going to do a video for this one. We're not too worried about this one. Then we're going to go to the next single and drop the album. I'm really trying to build this and take people through the stages. You're not going to get the total picture of Bossman in one song. You also have the Yellow Tape mixtape with DJ Envy and Big Mike, how's that doing? It's popping now. We were in the streets selling it. We got the ghetto cheese bus with TV's and shit. We probably gave out a good 35,000. I know they're getting out there and people are getting with the movement. Is there a reason you didn't put your face on the front cover? I did that for a couple reasons. I always liked to just give people my symbol and let them wonder about you. I think that's always a good thing. I wanted it to stand out and catch you. That's always a good thing. Is the album pretty similar to Yellow Tape or are they in two completely separate lanes? I think it's different, and that's a good thing to me. They should be different. The mixtape is more fun, not to say my album isn't fun. The mixtape is about letting verses out, and the album is about letting emotions out and the album is more personal than a mixtape. You shout out N.E.K. a lot, what's that? It's N.E.K. all day, that's my clique, my family. It stands for NorthEast Kings. There were originally five members. There's myself, Dollars, and Tony Manson. About the Kings being in the name, that's not to sound cocky like we're the kings of rap. In anything we've done, we were those niggas who were on top. We didn't want to sound like we were better than other people, but we wanted to set high goals in life. You've got this producer 1Up who did a lot of work on your first Law and Order. Who's that? He's been down with us for a long time. I have other producers too who I've been down with forever. 1Up really guided me a lot through the game. I'm not knocking it because there's always been this kind of rap, but there used to be more balance. He really kept me driving and helped me show myself as an artist. What producers do you want on Law and Order? I definitely have 1Up. He'll probably do half of this one. I got Rockwilder, Chad West, Chucky Thompson, No ID, my man Rob Lee from BMore, he's got two joints on there, and that's pretty much it. Are you going to drop another mixtape before the album drops? Yeah. We're working on the Beast of the East mixtape. I'm going to put the DVD out with it so people can start getting some visuals. We're trying to grind it and make it work. We're trying to get the "You're Wrong" record out there now. People need that record. It's got a good message out there. It's telling you to be yourself and don't be nobody else. Everybody's got a story to tell. What's the next move right now for Bossman? We're about to shoot the video for the "You're Wrong" record. We're going to hit the road, do some shows, and finish the album. Once I finish the album I can get back on the mixtapes and get on the DVD's and get my name out there. Grind, grind, grind, that's what I'm on right now. What advice do you have for young artists trying to get in your situation? Be your own boss at the end of the day and be yourself. That's what a lot of artists aren't doing. They're all getting caught up seeing an artist shining on something today. People try to follow other people too much. That's the whole industry right now. That's my advice to every unsigned artist right now. You can't borrow from other artists but you can learn from what they're doing. People need to be themselves. What do you want to say to everyone? I hope you enjoy some real music. If I say "hip-hop," people think Common and Kanye West or gangster rap. It is what it is as long as it's real music. I just want you to hear what BMore has to offer. Keep your ears open and let's make this hip-hop shit last even longer.

By Brian Kayser

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