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11/28/2005 How've you been Desi? I've been good man. I've been good. I've been busy trying to get the word out about this Asamov album and doing the at-home stuff with the kids and wife… What made you want to start your label, 6-Hole Records? I've been a Hip Hop Head since day one. It got to the point where listening to music wasn't good enough. I had the finances to get it going, and these guys needed an outlet. They needed someone that had the capability of putting them out there. They needed the label and I wanted to put out some quality Hip Hop. Hip Hop today needs an injection of freshness, and this is my part in giving back to the Hip Hop community. What made you want to work with Asamov? I've known them for a long time. I've known them since they were all solo artists and they were all on the scene down here, whatever scene there is. They were all down here doing their thing. We're all like-minded in the types of music we like. We stayed in touch. If they ever dropped anything, I'd cop it. Me and Therapy are really good friends, I know him better than I know the rest of the group. They needed a way to get their music out, somebody who believed in them. I was the catalyst in getting their music out. How does being a Major League shortstop compare to running a record label? Baseball is something that I've been doing my whole life. Sometimes playing baseball in the big leagues is a little easier. Batting in the Major Leagues, you have to deal with failure a lot. You have to know how to make adjustments on the fly. You have to be tough and determined in whatever field you're in. You have to work hard. I take my baseball attitude to the office and just go at it. How do you balance your time during the season? During the season, I dedicate a few hours to 6-Hole. It's usually not too hectic. I dedicate a few hours before I go to the park to handle some of the day-to-day things. I have people that work for me. I wouldn't be able to do this on my own. I do what I can. Obviously I'm a lot more hands-on during the off-season. The first album you put out was Big Pooh's "Sleepers," why did you want to work with the J.U.S.T.U.S. League? Me being an upstart label, I want to be here for awhile and I want to be known as that label that Rawkus was known for a few years back. Cats would buy anything on Rawkus because they knew it would be dope. That's the type of label I'm trying to build. I had the opportunity to get 9th Wonder's compilation. He's close to blowing. I had the opportunity to sign those guys and I jumped on it. I felt like signing those guys would help brand the label as far as what 6-Hole puts out and what to expect from us. It was a business and personal decision, because I won't put out anything that I don't like. How's 9th Wonder's compilation coming? As of right now, it looks like it's going to be pretty dope with some of the names he has on it. I can't wait for it. It was supposed to come out around this time. Things are taking longer than expected, plus he wanted to take his time on it. There's a lot of 9th Wonder out there, so it's not a bad idea to take some time and come out with it next year. What other projects are you looking to put out on 6-Hole? Right now, we're really concentrating on this Asamov and the 9th Wonder album. We haven't made all our decisions yet. Both Therapy and Willie Evans, Jr. (both members of Asamov) have solo albums ready to go. I don't know. We have some decisions to make and some different options. We haven't decided what we want to do. What do you want people to think of when they think of 6-Hole Records? I don't know. I want to be known for putting out dope, creative Hip Hop. I want to be known for not compromising anything. I want my artists on the label to have free reign and creative freedom. I can't just let anything go, but for the most part, I sign artists to 6-Hole because I like what they do and the releases speak for themselves. How involved were you in the Asamov "And Now…" album? I was fairly involved. They turned in a couple of different albums before this one and we tweaked them around. The first one they sent in, we didn't even use it. It was a whole different group of songs. We're happy with the one we decided on. Their songs in the past have been hot. I don't think they've done too many songs that I didn't like. "And Now…" came together. It has a cohesive sound. This sounds like they matured a lot. They sound much more polished and much more ready to be introduced to the music world. Do you feel like athletes in the past have made it hard to be taken seriously in the music world? In the most part, in our society, athletes are looked at as only athletes that can do nothing else than play their respective sport. That's the way a lot of people think. It's the "dumb jock" stereotype. A lot of guys get out there for the wrong reasons, for the money and the fame. For me, I just want to put out really good music. I was upset with the state of Hip Hop and how it's perceived on a mainstream level. If you ask nine out of 10 people on the street about Hip Hop, the majority of their statements will have a negative connotation. That's not what Hip Hop is about. The Hip Hop that everyone sees is only a small percentage of what Hip Hop is about. I felt that I acted as a Hip Hop activist to show the world what Hip Hop's about. It can open up some eyes and change some minds. What music did you grow up listening to in Georgia? Grandmaster Flash, Kurtis Blow…it's weird with me being from down there to have an affinity for the more underground and East Coast-sounding stuff. I like Hip Hop as a culture. I like the art forms…the guys in Asamov are graf artists, they DJ, they breakdance…and that's how we approach it. We're performing our art. As far as athletes, this is what it is for me. It's an art form to me, and I feel like I can make a statement with the music I put out. We're doing it for reasons other than the obvious reasons of getting a gold or platinum plaque. It'd be great to sell a lot of records and make some money off of it, but that's not the prime objective. What are your plans for baseball right now being a free agent? I'll probably start talking to people soon. Right now, I'm not a baseball player. I'm trying to sell some records. Baseball, that's the job that pays the bills and the first love of my life. I feel like I have a few years left. I want to play about four more years and shut it down. Then I can start teaching my boys how to play. What do you want to say to everyone out there? Just be open to the music you listen to. Be open. Don't let anyone tell you what's hot and what's not hot. Choose your own path in the music you listen to and really check for anything that 6-Hole drops, from Big Pooh to Asamov. We're really dedicated to putting out real, creative Hip Hop, and we want everybody to enjoy it, so listen up.

By Brian Kayser

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