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14 Leaders of Tomorrow! OCTOBER 1997 MBC Wolverine OBSERVER
ENTERTAIN M ENT
my people.
Q: What do you most hope to achieve
with this new LP?
A: Of course, I want to get paid, but I
really want to build Kilo. That’s really
what I want to do.
Q: Who has influenced you musically?
A: My stepfather was a DJ. He played
bass music, “Set it Off’ and things like
that. So that was my music. That’s why I
don’t see how people call it bass or booty
music. It’s music, just a different form. I
also respected Prince, Stevie Wonder and
Michael Jackson growing up. All of them
give 150 percent in their performances to
their fans, which really impressed me.
Now that I’m an artist, I still try to use
some of the love that I have for my idols
in my music.
Q: How would you describe bass music?
A: I see bass as a spin-off or new birth of
disco music. If you look at it and compare
the two, you’ll see it’s got a little bit of
house, which is really an adult disco type
of bass.
Q: What has changing labels and signing
with Organized Noize/Interscope
Records done for you?
A: Organized Bass is really Kilo. I got
some money (with this record deal), so I
was a little bit more relaxed. I didn’t have
to worry about the bills. I bought me some
things. I love the challenge of this
business — it’s what makes any success
you have worth the sacrifice and hard
work it takes to make it.
Q: What’s different about the new LP
vs. the old one?
A: I took my bass music to another
level. The days of “shake that a., b....
and let me see what you got,” are gone.
Women don’t want to hear that. They
listened to it at first because it was new
and (so shocking), but these days they
want you to have some class about
yourself.
Q: Who is your audience:
A: 1 am from the streets, a part of the
streets, and a product of the streets. So
the people I can reach are my people who
may not be touched by any church.
They’re good people, but they want their
own beliefs and they want to do their
own thing — they know right from
wrong.
Q: Let’s talk about “It’s Tricky.”
organizedbass
A Conversation
With Kilo
By Tomika DePriest
Q: Describe this new LP.
A: My roots are positive
rap. That’s why my
first hit, “Cocaine”
did so well — it was
positive. This
album is full of
positive songs that
I really want to uplift
A: It’s saying...it’s tricky for a woman
to make her money (as an exotic dancer).
She’s saying to men: “It’s tricky for you
to come in here, sit down and see me
naked and give me money, then I go
home with your money. And you can’t
touch me, just watch me.” That’s tricky
in and of itself. You got to be bad to
do something like that.
Q: Bad meaning...?
A: Bad meaning bold...it takes a lot of
courage to make a living that way.
Q: What’s your objective in this
bass game?
A: I want to break barriers. “Whoomp,
There it is,” did real nice in NY and all
over the world, really. But, there ain’t
no lyrics in it. People are checking for
lyrics. You’re not gonna last on top
without lyrics. (A lot of bass artists)
ain’t got no lyrics — that’s why you may
see them do one successful album and
not hear from them again.
Q: What bone do you have to pick
with bass music?
A: I’m personally tired of shake your
a../sh../b.... music. It’s nice to be nasty—
because I am nasty — but I try to be more
of a lover type that says things that will
get you some (rather than) things that will
get you slapped.
Q: Where are the women in bass?
A: I don’t know. Bass is really bold. It’s
really, really bold and women don’t have
anything to say over it. Not yet, ‘cause
(the record labels) haven’t found out what
sells. Right now it’s just treated more like
a gimmick, although there’ve been a few
women bass artists in the past. Like 357 —
they were on Easy E’s label and Dr. Dre
did the bass.
Q: With six albums under your belt,
how do you feel about your status as a
pioneer bass artist -- do you consider
yourself a success?
A: I started in like the fourth grade doing
rap during LL Cool J’s time when he first
“blew up.” I saw this guy on TV in his
gold chains with sweat dripping off and I
said, “It must be nice to do that...” And I
said I want to be in entertainment. I really
got to be what I wanted to be. Looking at
some of my classmates now, they really
didn’t get to be what they wanted to be in
life. My dreams are fulfilled even now.
I’m successful in that perspective.
“Student Profiles”
NAME
HOMETOWNE
HOBBIES
MAJOR
DATE OF BIRTH
WHO I LOOK UP TO
FAVORITE MOVIE
FAVORITE ACTOR/ACTRESS
CAMPUS AFFILIATIONS
MOTTO:
FUTURE PLANS:
Corev Lamar Henson
Atlanta, GA
Reading, drawing, photography,
listening to people
Mass Media Arts
12/15/75
Parents, grandparents, teachers
from Washington H.S. (Atlanta)
School Daze, Tales from the Hood
Red Foxx, Della Reese
Alpha Lambda Chi community Service
Fraternity, Sigma Lambda, Mock Trial Debate
Team, Residence Hall Assistant,
Georgia Club
Excuses are tools of incompetence, that build
monuments of nothingness, and those who
specialize in them seldom do
well in life
A career in film making and later Vice
President of student Affairs at a HBCU