Audio The Fixxers
Can U Werk Wit Dat

MP3: So I want to talk about the new single, the new record, and The Fixxers, the new group. I know you guys go way back and you've been working together for a long time, but when did you decide to come together on this new project? Quik: Last year. AMG: About this time last year. Was there anything that sort of sparked it, or did you just come up with the idea randomly? AMG: Oh, a few things sparked it, you know, we lost one of our crew's founding members last year. A dude by the name of Big Bass, and we ran into each other at the funeral, you know, we hadn't hollered at each other in a minute. So, we just chopped it up and you know, "listen to this, hey, listen to that, hey check this out, hey check that out." Quik: And then I went to jail. And I was in there thinking about it. I said, well, when I get out of this—all I could hear was the Tom-Tom Club. [singing] "Whatcha gonna do when you get outta jail? I'm going to have some fun!" So yeah, he had some beats, I had some ideas, and you know, we did--normally what we usually do when we get together, but this time, we made a pact to like, do it as a team. You know, I had to put my ego down, I had to really check myself because I was just negative and hard headed. There's been a lot of growing man, we went through some growing pains and I'm here. I couldn't ask for anything more. It just seems so worth it, you know, we worked for it. You know what I mean? The first single, "Can U Werk Wit Dat" took off like crazy. Did you guys—were you surprised at how quick and how big it blew up? Quik: Yeah, man, yeah. I'm still surprised! Me personally, because you know, when you do music from the heart you never know if people are going to like it or not, you know, and especially if you're doing something different than you've ever done before, which is kind of, in my world, this is very different. You know, I had actually sacrificed whole big budget records, you know what I'm saying? Like, I had to give up what I thought was real music, only because it just don't seem—it don't seem commercially feasible these days. So, you know, I took a big chance and I was surprised to see how well this worked. And then you know, we got a little backlash, people was like, "Well, you know, they're showing how easy it is to do a hit record these days with the computers and all that." They don't understand there's a lot of syncopation and a lot of music theory in this. And that record is—even though it's simple, you know, like AMG said recently, that record might very well end up being Muzak. Right, I can see that. How far deep into the album are you guys? AMG: Five songs. Quik: About half and half. Okay, right on. And it's going to be called Midnight Life right? AMG: Midnight Life is the album, yeah. Do you guys have a street date that you're shooting for? AMG: Well, it's supposed to be for August, September. I know we definitely going to probably have a new single out by July. Yeah, we just writing man. You guys go way back, you've worked together many times over the years, does that make it easier, like the chemistry when you get together, does it just kind of flow out? Quik: If you want to believe that, yeah, (laughs) but, because we're older now, it takes us—to me it takes more sacrifice because you know, I got to be conscious of you know, not stepping on G's toes, you know let him be free musically, and I have to be still disciplined to do what I do technically. So, you know, it's give and take man, and with a brother it's always easy, because, you know, if there is a disagreement the hatchet is always buried right before we leave the studio. And tomorrow's always the next day. So it's just—it's growing man, it's maturity. It's maturation. Right on. Now, in hip-hop especially, there's a perception and reality of it really being a young man's game, you know, and it's always like—I think compared to most genres people—a lot of the younger fans and the younger generation in hip-hop, doesn't really check for the originators and the pioneers. Quik: Traditionally. Yeah. Quik: Now, in a sense that's kind of a double standard because there are a lot of people topping the charts in hip-hop, you know, I don't want to just name drop them, but we know who they are, and we're the same age as them, and they might be a little bit older than us. And at the same time, they don't catch the same flack because they manage to, you know, be visible in other areas. So, they get kind of a broad band of respect as opposed to just being musicians. You know. So, I understand that, but at the same time that's really a double standard. And the one mountain that I can stand high on, just saying that, you know, I was always into rap music anyway and rap music and hip-hop were different back in the 90s. You know, our s*** was more edgy and street. And then that, ultimately, somehow they got cross-pollinated and it became this weird kind of thing for a minute, you know. At the same time, you know, I still got that to fall back on, that to me it's still technically rap music. Dr Dre did rap music. You know what I mean? I hate to just be name dropping but this is real s***. And these are the things that people don't talk about now because they want to kind of bury it. It's like, out with the old, in with the new. I heard that. But what good is the new if it don't make no sense? When you come from nothing, you know—apples just don't appear in the f***ing sky, they have to be rooted on a—you know, they stem from a tree that's been there for years. AMG: There's another thing too, about the age situation. Is that, you know, hip-hop is based on newness. You know what I'm saying? One of the early words was 'fresh.' You know what I'm saying, that's new and you got to have fresh kicks on, you got to—so the whole concept of something new has always been good. But if something is seasoned, it's always well received. You know what I'm saying? So I don't think it's a big deal. It's like, you know, we are here in LA, where the tires don't move as fast and we don't have a lot of records coming out, so it will probably feel like, when you've been out 4 in years instead of having a big, huge record out, in like a lot more years than that. You know what I'm saying. Because there ain't a lot of action going on out here. So, you know. I feel you. Now, do you guys feel that you get the respect and the recognition that you deserve for putting it down for so long and making so many classic hits? AMG: Well from the fans, yeah. You know, we just want the corporate respect and we want the dough. You know what I'm saying? We want to be positioned to where we can make real moves and do other things along with the music and along with the culture of our side of hip-hop. Nice. So what do you guys, on a personal note, what kind of music—what are you guys checking for right now? What are you feeling? AMG: What do I listen to? Are you talking about new people? Yeah, just you know, anybody that's come out in the last couple of years, that's really impressed you? AMG: What's the girl singing… Quik: Corinne Bailey Rae and Amy Winehouse. AMG: No not her. Quik: Amy Winehouse. AMG: All right nigga let me get it out, damn! I don't listen to Corinne Bailey Rae, that's him. Quik: Okay. You know why, because she's coming from somewhere like real cool and simple. AMG: Damn! Uhhh, Timbo's new stuff. I don't know, a little R&B, a little of this, a little of that. You feeling Amy Winehouse there Quik? Quik: Yes, of course. Yeah, she's good man, I like her, I like that whole throwback style. Quik: She's got kind of a, she's got a Lauren Hill influence though. Yeah, no doubt. I can hear that. Now, I read in another interview that you did that you guys are not going to flood up the album with too many guest spots like everybody else does. Is there anybody that you are confirmed to be working with or that you're trying to get at for the album? Quik: Go ahead G. AMG: So far we got— Quik: Jim Jones. AMG: Jim Jones. Young Joc. I think Jeezy is going to get on something. We just did a song with the Mexican sensation, Frankie J. And we're positioning to get Cee-Lo on this record we're working on right this second. And a couple of other features, you know, we're going to have some features on here. Okay, cool. AMG: You know, people always want to hear you with other people. Well as long as you don't overdo it I think it's all right. AMG: Well, we're just doing s*** that makes sense, you know what I'm saying? You know, makes sense, and the people are cool. We're not going to just try and get anybody to make a record with, because who cares about that. It would sound foreign or something, you know. I hear you. Now I want to ask you Quik, are you still doing anything with Suga Free or 2nd II None or any of those guys? Quik: We talk, like, we hung out and did a couple of shows just recently with 2nd. And, you know, it's just sometimes it's just being real. It's, you know, this is a young man's game and if you've been out of it and you ain't had your ears in the streets in a while and really being open to the things that you know, are going on, as opposed to just being like, you know, hard and stuck in your ways, it's kind of hard to sell that s*** now. Some of the things I'm hearing from my boys is, you know, it's nothing that I want to play around the house. Right, I hear you. And are you guys going to be doing a tour? I know Quik, you were touring with a live band last year, right? Quik: Yeah, yeah, we did a couple of spots at a House of Blues, but it wasn't even really a tour, it was just like, we did like 3 shows, all House of Blues shows, and you know, even though musically, and just visually, it gives you another look, it's a real dope look. But, you know, it's labor intensive, you got to deal with so many egos. It's costly. It's way costly, like you won't make money doing it, you'll be doing it for the love of the music. And right now, at 37, I can't afford to be, you know, doing it for the love of the music. You know, I'm not that, you know, I'm not that financially situated to where I can just blow money and be out there working my ass off on stage at night just to come up to zero. I'm cool with that s***. So, no move live band for me. Okay, right on. Now I just want to ask you one more thing and this is something that I ask a lot of people but with you guys specifically I think it's even more valid because you're both veterans in this game and you've been through a lot of different deals and situations and you know, put out a lot of material. Everybody wants to rap now, everybody wants to be a producer, everybody wants to start a label and be a mogul and this and that. You know, what kind of advice would you guys give to the younger cats, the sort of next generation that's just now trying to get on. Quik: Everybody ain't going to make it! AMG: (laughs) That's the reality. Quik: You know, so don't put all your eggs in one basket, because, you know. AMG: And a lot of these guys, they're doing it because—and ultimately man, we did it because we saw people that we admired and loved doing it, but we did have some skill and taste behind it, and worked toward building, you know, building your skills up. You know, this whole thing now is just like real cut and paste and you know, "I want to be a mogul." Who the f***? What are you talking about? You know man, young kids are like, "I want to be a mogul." What do you mean?! Quik: And they have no real musical grounding. AMG: Yeah, yeah, no musical grounding, they got no musical background. And I'm talking about, even if you're trying to just do it through the music, it's like, who said they want to be a mogul? Say you want to be a successful person first. You know what I'm saying? It starts with the person. The business--just because you want to be a mogul that don't mean the business just arrives, and just says, "You know what, we're going to get you all this s***," and blah, blah blah. What would you add to that Quik? Quik: Ditto. Same thing he said. Okay, right on. What about, outside production, are you still, is there anybody else, you know, in your camp that we should keep an eye out for? Quik: Yeah, yeah, we just hired four real cool artists, one girl named Mia Lee, and we want you to know right now, she's a dope writer. Beautiful girl too, she's a dime. Now, Mia Lee, is she a R&B singer or a rapper or what? AMG: Yeah, yeah, she's got a rap, R&B, hip-hop style, you know, all this s***'s about the same now. You know, all these goddamn categories is about the same. {laughs) I hear you. AMG: Yeah, she's actually pretty, niggas gonna love her. Quik: Real swishy. AMG: Yeah, she's swishy. Right on. So you guys got any last words for all the fans out there? AMG: Well thank you. You know what I'm saying? Thank you, number one. And remember, it ain't over til it's over. Like I told somebody the other day, it's like, the key to longevity in this business is, staying alive. You know what I'm saying? Alive with the trends and the markets, you know, just staying current in the marketplace. You got to know what's going on man. Quik: Yeah, you got to research. AMG: And if you go back to the basic hip-hop rules man, you got to be fresh. You know what I'm saying? Totally. AMG: These people that think it's something else, they ain't looking for all these answers and they looking—it's like, first of all, you got to have the talent and you got to be fresh. Yeah, that's crucial. AMG: You know, how about that one. Definitely. Quik: Yeah, I always thought it was talent based too. And so, maybe I was misled and I'm the exception to the rule, but I thought it was talent-based first and everything stems from your talent. All your potential. Somebody will see that and take a chance on it and invest in it. And you know, y'all make money together, y'all get that dough together, because you've got talent and they've got the business, or whatever. Or if you're doing it yourself, you know, there are some exceptions, you know, I love what Jay does, I love what Diddy does, so it's like, you know, real s***. You know, they put down a lot of groundwork to do that s***. I mean they're, you know, we didn't see them do this 24 hours a day. Who knows just how hard they were really working to be where they are, and we know that it did take a lot of work to get there. Absolutely. Well hey, thanks for taking the time to talk to me you guys, I appreciate it. Quik: Thanks Brolin. And good luck with the album, I look forward to hearing it. AMG: Thank you, Midnight Life. We love the moon. (laughs) That's what's up. All right, take it easy fellas. Quik: Respect.