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1/9/2006 What's good Rain? I'm good. I'm excited about this mixtape coming out, "Only in America," you know how we do it! Why did you choose "Only in America" as the title? Only in America can people in the hood go from nothing to something. You really just have to go out there and get it. What did you want to give the people with "Only in America?" I'm just trying to show them everything. Everyone has dreams, but only a few people step forward and make it happen. I'm trying to touch everybody. I tried to touch songs on everything so not just one group of people can relate to it and listen to it. What tracks do you want people to check for? I want them to listen to the whole thing straight through! There's a song on there with Cory Gunz that's crazy, "Around Me." I like "Ask Me Anything." There are some crazy songs on there like " Hard 2 Say" and "Let Me Be." You've been on a lot of other mixtapes. How important has that been to your career? That just helps you get out there. Any kind of exposure is good, whether it's the mixtapes, local shows, or the internet. You have to hit the mixtapes for the streets. Once the streets are calling for you, the labels are going to holler. What else have you been doing to get your name out there? I'm just trying to be different. I'm working with Cory on his project. I'm on his new mixtape "Season Finale." I'm doing everything. Any show, showcase, party, you're going to see me. Look for me in every spot in '06. They're going to see me. Cory told me that you guys linked up in the Bronx when you'd visit in the summer as a kid… My father's from Brooklyn and my mother is from the Bronx. I used to go up and visit my family. My mother is in North Carolina and my father is in the Bronx now. I used to come up every summer. Cory and I used to battle, then we started making music together and we formed The Militia. How did your trips to the Bronx influence your writing? The Bronx is the Hip Hop Mecca. For me to be from North Carolina, where at the time I was a little dude and nobody was rapping, and then going up there where everybody is a rapper, you have to keep up with everybody and make sure your lines are good. It was serious for me to make that transition when I moved up there. North Carolina is a hotspot right now for talent, how's the Fayetteville scene? I live in the Bronx now, but I go back and forth. My mother's still down here and I have two studios that I go to here. There's a lot of rappers down there trying to get on and I wish the best for everybody. I support everybody trying to come out of Fayetteville. There's so much talent down here. Labels don't even know the half of it. I'm going to be the one that puts us on the map. North Carolina has a lot of diverse styles. Where do you fit in? I'm Carolina to the heart! Everybody has their own style, some are more crunk and some are more conscious. I'm trying to be in the middle and do everything. That way, whenever you mention North Carolina, you have to say my name. You dropped out of high school when you were 16, looking back on that, was that the right move? I don't think that was one of my best moves. All my friends were getting locked up and in the streets doing crazy stuff. I didn't want to do that. I felt that I couldn't make my music happen in school. That's how I wound up in New York. Everybody thought that I would have a big downfall, but I went up there, made things happen, and didn't bullshit. Now everyone in my family supports me. As long as everyone sees that I did it for a reason, they'll support me. Do you regret that decision at all? I wouldn't say I regret it. Nah, I don't have any regrets. I feel like there's no Plan B now. All it's going to do is make me grind harder. I can't take "no" for an answer now. There's no regrets. It is what it is. Do you have any plans to go back? I'm going to go back to school. You're known more for being a part of The Militia instead of being a solo artist. Does that ever get frustrating? I don't get frustrated about that. I know it's going to take me to put out these mixtapes and prove to the people that I'm more than "Cory's man." We are two different people. The Militia is our camp. Once my mixtape comes out, people will understand and respect me as a solo artist. What's up with The Militia now? Right now, we're taking everything one step at a time. Cory's album is bananas. That's coming out crazy. We're going to work on a Militia album right after Cory's album. Once Cory's first single drops, we're going to look for a Militia deal. How do you and Cory work together? It's crazy. We work at the same speed. I was always more advanced than the people I rapped with, and Cory was always more advanced with the people he used to work with. We'll be in the studio all day and night, just banging out joints. It's real when we're in the studio. How's the label-hunt going right now? My whole thing is that I'm not running up to the labels looking for deals. I'm trying to get them to come to me. I got some labels hollering at me on the low right now. I feel like if I put these mixtapes out and get my buzz crazy in the streets, I'll get the right deal. What's the most difficult part about getting noticed in the game right now? A lot of people listen to Hip Hop and they might hear their favorite rapper and try to act like them. You can't do that. You have to be different. Nobody's being different. You have to have your own style. You won't blend in unless you're trying to blend in. I'm not trying to blend in. You've got a real unique flow. How did that develop? Me being from NC, you might hear that Southern accent, and me living in the Bronx, you might hear the more lyrical flow. That's an advantage I have over other people. You can hear me on a Down South beat spitting well thought out lyrics. A lot of people aren't doing that and that separates me from everyone else. You've talked a lot about being original, but do you feel that biting has become acceptable today? People act like biting is all good! I understand if people want to say a Biggie line to show love, but when you take that whole person's style, that's biting. You can like 2Pac but don't shave your head and go get a bunch of tattoos. You have to be yourself. Do you! Coming from the South into New York, I think you would have an interesting perspective on New York Hip Hop. What do you think is wrong in New York? I respect New York Hip Hop, but people have to do their own thing. I respect what Tru Life, Saigon, and Jae Millz are doing. Everybody has to be them. Be New York! New York is the birthplace of Hip Hop. Don't be scared to be from New York. The South is doing their own thing. Do what you do. Have you thought about your debut album yet? Let's get a deal first, then I'll think about it. You know The Militia will be all over it. There's so much talent on my team that I don't have to go outside looking for features. I just want my album to be a classic like "Illmatic," "Reasonable Doubt," and "Ready to Die." You're working on a lot of different things. What are your priorities each day? As soon as I wake up, I'm in the studio. I'm in the studio all day. If I'm not in the studio, I'm in a club showing my face. I love this. I love making music. My main focus is trying to get on. I've got a studio in my house in New York, so I wake up and I'm recording. What do you want to say to everyone out there? Check out my mixtape, definitely listen to it. I'm just trying to bring a breath of fresh air to the game. Everyone's talking about the same thing all day. When you pick up the mixtape, you'll understand everything I'm talking about. You can get at me on my email rain910174@gmail.com and hit me on www.myspace.com/rain910. If it's official business, call me at 347.387.9839 or 910.257.3392. Download Rain's mixtape here 1. 730 Intro 2. Cory Gunz Intro 3. Spell Check 4. I'm Back 5. What U Want 6. Hell No 7. Testify 8. Too Late (produced by Rik Marvel) 9. Jerm (Militia) Interlude 10. Around Me ft. Cory Gunz 11. Under Dig (produced by Crack City) 12. Gotta Go (produced by M Rell) 13. I'm So Fly ft. Big Cas 14. Top Feels Better 15. Hard 2 Say ft. Lauren Hill (produced by Inkredible) 16. Ask Me Anything (produced by Lokken Load) 17. Preemo Voicemail 18. Diamonds 19. Shoplifter 20. Jack Boyz ft. Traffic 21. Let Me Be 22. Heard Em Say

By Brian Kayser

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