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Interview Podcast Audio Wise Intelligent
The Talented Timothy Taylor

Wise Intelligent: Hey, what's good Brolin? MP3: How you doing? I'm good. Right on man. So first off I want to talk about the new album, The Talented Timothy Taylor, dropping this month. It's been like ten years or so since your last solo joint. What can you tell us about the album? Oh, man, the album, it's an incredible record, you know what I mean, it's filled with a lot of issues that's facing the community from whence I come. You know, that being the black community. And it's different from the Poor Righteous Teachers records in that it's the most personal record I've ever made, you know what I mean, it's more like a personal view of Wise Intelligent. It's pretty much an interview, you know, that's why it's The Talented Timothy Taylor, going back to my name, and things of that nature. Let heads know, the record is like a step-by-step process showing you what it took to develop Wise Intelligent, you know, from where did I come. Whereas before, like the Teachers' records, we were dealing more with the immortal side of things than the rising above the physical world and striving to be god. You know, whereas with this record, I'm dealing with that battle, I'm dealing with that battle and opening up inside of that and showing you what I went through, you know what I mean. I'm dealing with really personal issues. In other words, I'm dealing with the mortal self, you know what I mean? The mortal side of me. So the album, it's a ill record, it's a throwback to the era when the illest emcee was based on his skill level as opposed to the level of marketing dollars behind his project. You know, it's a throwback to where talent and substance meant something to the culture. You know, so it's a ill record man. Now I know you got some songs on there talking about family, talking about your mom and your sister, and you were saying how it's your most personal record. Was being like that, was that harder for you or easier for you than doing the group albums with PRT? Oh, this was a lot harder, you know, this is a lot harder in that, like I said in one of the records, on "Passing The Time," I said, you know, "I'm not an emotional emcee / my heart eludes my sleeve." I'm not usually the guy to just talk about the things going on. I don't like to concern people with my problems, I just deal with them, you know what I mean. I don't like to make excuses for the way I am, you know, or for the way I think, or my circumstances, I like to just deal with them, you know, and don't bring anybody else into that.

But, with this record I felt like, you know, I had to speak on that. You know, I wasn't born a God, let's put it that way. You know what I mean. So, I had to show heads I've come from where you come—a lot of heads don't think that Wise Intelligent has ever done the things that they do. And sometimes, my fans, they might misinterpret me and not understand that I've been the same person that you are and I've been through those same struggles that you're going through. You know what I mean.

I've been on the corner, I've been on the corner holding the package. I've done the robberies, I've done the stickups, I've been incarcerated, you know what I mean, as a youth. I've been in homeless shelters. I did all of that, you know what I mean, I've been through all of that. I'm the same guy you are, I've been through the same struggles. Those are the struggles that shaped me, and made me Wise Intelligent. So it ain't like, you know, you're talking to somebody—when I say that I don't think it's a good thing for you to be on the corner selling crack, don't think that I'm saying that because I never did it. Don't think that I'm saying that because I grew up in the suburbs and went to college and graduated college and got a degree and so on and so forth. No, I'm saying this to you people, trial and error, you know, and that's what the album is about. Going through some of my trials and tribulations, you know what I mean. Let heads know that I've been through it. That's what's up man. And this is basically the first of a seven album series, is that the deal? Yes sir. Seven album box set and The Talented Timothy Taylor is the first release from that box set. This is first period. The next album will be Wise Intelligent as the Unconquerable Jesus Jones, and that will be second period. You know, we just going to keep it moving. Right on man. And this is through your own label, Intelligent Muzik, right? Yes sir. With [indie label] Shamen Work. Cool. Now, you know, I wanted to talk also about, personally, I was a huge fan of [your first solo album] Killin' U For Fun. I still play that record, I thought that record was great. I know that it got a little hemmed up with the cover art [real photos of lynching] and there was some controversy and whatnot. Were you happy with how that came out or were you disappointed with that whole fiasco? Oh, of course it was level of disappointment, you know, because I find it ironic that the black artist can talk about killing other black people into infinity, but as long as we start putting, you know, faces on some of the crimes that was committed on us, against us, you know, it's a problem when the imagery is painted with different colors. They have a problem with that, so I definitely had a problem with that. There was a lot of going back and forth. Because I just don't see, I don't understand the double standard. You know, I don't understand the double standard. We could talk about killing and murdering all day long, as long as it's us killing us. But when we want to write a song about the police killing us, you know, like what happened with Young Buck, with his album—with the song being pulled off of his album, the song that addressed police brutality. I mean, at a time when Sean Bell had just got shot 51 times, you want to yank this song off the album? This is probably the most pertinent record on his album coming out at this time.

You know, and it needs to be put out, because that's what hip-hop is, you know, hip-hop's social relativity and political relativeness, is being censored, and that's a bad thing! So, when I put that record out, you know, and they said "no, you got to change this cover," I'm like, "but yo, this is a actual historical event. This is something that really happened, you know, why are we afraid to put this out? This needs to be known!" You know, we need to know that this hatred for all things black did not begin with us. But we're embedded in a society that taught for over 300 years that the black life was worthless. You know, so, we have to deal with that. And going back to that cover, it demonstrates the root of this, you know, it shows you that this is a time concept or idea that was embedded in you by your enemies. You know, so, you need to refrain from that attitude, and understand that this is learned behavior. You know,soI was definitely disappointed because they kind of took a lot of the punch out of my point. I hear you man. I know that there was a little PRT reunion, like a couple of years ago. I saw you guys out here in the Bay. Aside from that, what have you been up to, the past few years that people haven't really heard much from you? I know you've done some guest spots here and there, but have you just been focusing on music or working on other projects or what? Building Intelligent Muzik. Right now we're waiting for 501-C3 status for the not for profit. It's a youth program that we're trying to get popping in our community, you know, and that's pretty much our focus. We have a lot of plans, we got a lot of things to get popping off relative to Intelligent Muzik. The music program being one. You know, a magazine that we're throwing around right now. So, we just busy. We've been busy. You know, we've been busy trying to make this thing pop off and trying to turn it into a empire. You know. That's what's up man. Now, I know a lot of your blogs and stuff, you know, you post "it's no longer smart to be dumb." And you know, I think it's plain to see, anybody that turns on the TV or the radio that, you know, pop culture in general, but you know, hip-hop in particular is just flooded with really vapid, ignorant imagery and messages and whatnot. Do you feel like the time is now, like the time is right, people are sick of it enough that they're finally going to embrace—like mass culture and the corporations and stuff, do you feel like that they are on the verge of maybe embracing seeing, okay, this isn't working and giving more shine to positive music such as your own? Or do you think it's just still going to be stuck in the cycle? You know, I believe that the people are going to embrace whatever's propagated, en masse. You know, I guess that's why a lot of times they, you know, like in the Yiddish culture, there's a lot of Yiddish culture and things of that nature, they refer to the masses as goyim. You know, and they refer to the masses as cattle because if they're fed they can be led. So, the masses are being fed and led. You know, and they're going to go wherever the media—whatever the media propagates that's what they're going to gravitate to, that's what they're going to become. You know, and it's very rare that the masses go out and seek something contrary to what's being pushed on them. No doubt. It's very rare. And those people that do go out and seek, become the underground. (laughs) They become the underground, they become that 5 percent of the population who sees what's going on and don't want to be a part of it. So, I believe that now is the right time for Intelligent Muzik and Wise Intelligent, simply because the dumbing down process has reached its pinnacle. It's not just in hip-hop, it's in films, it's in the education system, it's in politics. You know, I mean, the president has been dumbed down. The president is dumbed down. The population he's presiding over is dumbed down. The students are graduating dumbed down because the school systems are dumbed down. You know, everything is just dumbed down. America has some of the most undereducated graduates on the planet today. And that's a problem. You know, so, I think that it's reached its peak. And Intelligent Muzik is just, you know, another nail in that coffin. You know, we just another nail in that coffin. We're trying to just perpetuate, we're trying to speed up the death. We're trying to take the dumbed down era off of the life support. That's what's up man, that definitely needs to happen. So, July 17th the album drops. And are you going to be doing a big tour to support it once it's out? Yeah, I'll be jumping on the road in August, beginning August 2nd. So, yeah, we're going to get it in. Without a doubt. That sounds great. I'm digging the album a lot, I've been listening to it a bunch is the past week or so. I just wanted to ask you one more question and this is something that I ask a lot of people. You know, nowadays every kid wants to rap, everybody wants to be a rapper, put out records, run a label, this and that. What advice would you give to the young kids? You've been doing this a long time. What advice would you have for the young cats that's on the come up that's just trying to get out there? Listen to more intelligent music. Listen to more Wise Intelligent. You know, and understand that hip-hop is about you being you, not you being what you're seeing. You know, hip-hop is about you bringing who you are to the table as opposed to you letting someone else impose upon you who they are and you becoming that. You know, hip-hop is about the diversity of individuals. The diversity of ideas. You know, in theory. Hip-hop is neither a snap nor a snare. Hip-hop encompasses them both. Hip-hop is neither a white tee or a button-up, hip-hop encompasses them both. You know, so be you, first and foremost, you know, and definitely listen to more intelligent music.

That's what our youth program is about, it's about explaining to hip-hop kids that you know, this is what hip-hop is, it's not necessarily the rapper. It's not necessarily the DJ, it encompasses all of these things and we want to expose them to the many careers that exist around the emcee. So, I want the youth to know that, you know, when you're thinking about and considering being a emcee, think about that hard, and think hard and decide within yourself am I really a emcee. You know what I mean. I might be the manager. That's the problem with this era, we've got managers, producers, and so on and so forth, who are emcees now. Right. Everybody wants to be a star. Exactly, I mean, come on, dude, just be a manager, you're a manager, be a manager and leave it right there, you know what I mean. So to the youth there, listen to more intelligent music, it'll help. That's what's up. Hey, well listen, Wise, thanks a lot for taking the time to do this man, I appreciate it. The album is slamming, and next time you make it out to the Bay I'll definitely be there. Respect. That's what's good, man. I'll see you in a minute, we'll be out there as soon as we get off the east coast, we jumping out there. That sounds good man. Aight. All right, take it easy, have a good one. You too. Peace.