Obie Trice After meeting Eminem and signing to Shady/Interscope Records, Obie Trice carved a name for himself for dropping the hip-hop classic album “Cheers.” Obie returns with a new album “Second Rounds On Me” which features more classics and proves that he is definitely a force not to be denied. Check out this exclusive interview as Obie hits up WHO?MAG with a gem!
Interview by Rob Schwartz
WHO?MAG: What’s the difference between your new album “Second Rounds on Me” and your first album “Cheers”? OBIE TRICE: The main difference is that this album has shown a lot of growth. I’m talking about a lot of social things on this album. I am also doing a lot of conscious things and do a few things different lyrically. I’m doing a double time flow. It shows a lot of growth as an individual since “Cheers”.
WHO?MAG: How did the line up come about for the “Cry Now” remix? OBIE TRICE: Basically we just wanted to get everyone on SHADY on it. We have Kuniva on it. He heard it and went crazy over it. Stat Quo wanted to hop on it. Basically everyone wanted to jump on it. Bobby Creek also jumped on it. At the same time we were showing everyone some light with the new line up to the SHADY/Aftermath label.
WHO?MAG: How has your transition into acting? OBIE TRICE: It’s kind of a big deal. The acting part that I got I actually got the script two days before the audition. I didn’t really have the chance to get into the role. It was nothing that I really couldn’t do. It’s almost like shooting a music video.
WHO?MAG: How did you get your material placed on HBO’s “Entourage” and on the EA’s video games? OBIE TRICE: The label sent it out to the producers of Entourage & they liked the song. So it became the song for the show when it first came out. The video game situation was the same thing. They sent music out, the publishers, and that’s how they did it.
WHO?MAG: How did you first link up with Eminem? OBIE TRICE: I linked up with Eminem through Bizarre from D-12. I did a song with him called “Detroit Boys” back in the day and he brought it to Eminem’s attention. We have been kicking it to this day.
WHO?MAG: You spoke at Proof’s funeral about black on black crime. What need to be the first step to decrease these actions? OBIE TRICE: The problem with black on black crime is definitely a poverty issue which starts with the families at home. It’s in our households. People need to stop all the jealousy and hating on people. I don’t know where they get it from. If you ask a person, “why don’t you like that person?”, that person will say, “just because I don’t like them”. That’s kind of a crazy type of individual. I feel basically it’s about the neighborhood, the areas they are in, the have-nots and who has.
WHO?MAG: I noticed you have a very diverse promotional campaign. What have you found to be the most effective? OBIE TRICE: The most affective way of promotion for me is by word of mouth. I think the streets are hearing the album and thinking it’s crazy. That’s definitely the best way I have been promoting it out here.
WHO?MAG: Has your incident this past winter when you were shot conceptually affected any of your new material? OBIE TRICE: I went back in and did “Cry Now” which is a song I made after my incident. I also went back in and did a song called “Violent”. For the Proof situation, I did a song called “Wake Up”. Those were the outcome after my incident.
WHO?MAG: What’s the main thing you hope to accomplish with the new album? OBIE TRICE: The main thing I hope to accomplish is to get the music out there and be heard. Everyone knows that Obie Trice is going to give them great music anyway. Also that I stepped up. I think this album is definitely a great album. I think people definitely have something to ride to.
WHO?MAG: What’s next fro Obie Trice? OBIE TRICE: I don’t have an itinerary in front of me, but I know we are about to go on tour and promote this album. That’s basically it. Just to rock shows and hit the whole country up.
