Urban World

TRUTH INTERVIEW

Black Out Entertainment (also known as BOE) was formed in late 2008 by producer H-Money and rapper/producer Truth. Within months they had offers from major labels around the world before eventually deciding to make a home with Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins’ company “RJ Productions”. Having already worked with artists such as Kelly Rowland, Jamelia, Alesha Dixon, Laura Izibora, FDM and Craig David in their base in London they set about working with some of the biggest names in the music industry such as T-Boyz, P Diddy, Lloyd, Mary J Blige and Whitney Houston in their new home in Los Angeles With a mission to find the best unsigned talent and birth a new dynasty...
You have carved a music career in production in the US despite being from the UK, how do you think has influenced your creative offerings?
The sound in the US is a lot harder equipment wise so we have adapted our sound somewhat to adjust to the changes – it’s influenced me to go harder in everything that I do being around cats like RJ who have done this for so long and been so successful. Out here [in the USA] u feel the pressure and just turn it to energy and use it!! -they love the fact that we have our own UK influences and have fused that with the US and the rest of the world to create what we do!

How did the group H Money come about?
Blackout Entertainment is a production house that Harmony and I formed a long time ago. We stand for Real Music in the game - real music is Respect Energy And Love. We’re not saying our music is any realer than anyone else’s’ in that sense we just have a real formula to make it with! So we signed the company off in December last year and then got signed as the dynamic duo to RJ and EMI US where they have had us working with the cream of the crop of US artists now for a minute! Asides from that we put on and worked with a hell of a bunch of UK acts before this i.e. Bronz n Blak, we did the majority of Fundamentals music before they got signed, Jamelia a few years back Shola Ama, Kele Le Roc the list is way too long to mention.

There is a small community of UK urban acts crossing the pond such as JD, Sway and most successfully Estelle – How has the US reception been to you guys?
The US reception has been crazy! We hit the clubs in LA all the time and meet people who are always receptive to what we do, the US artists show mad love when they see or work with us! We already worked on a few big projects this year....had the pleasure of meeting the legend that is Whitney Houston! She had such incredible energy and inspired us so much that night, I couldn't sleep! I ended up on the phone to the UK for hours talking about it! We also worked with Mary J Blige and a whole bunch of well known artists so look out for the projects....we will keep you updated!
I know JD personally he is a great producer but foremost a great person and an avid hip hop fan as well so we get on real well, in fact I have already worked with him so look out for that, I'm sure he will come visit us soon hopefully !

What do you think of the current state of UK urban music and which UK Hip Hop or Grime artists do you think have the potential to cross over to the UK.
I think UK music is in great shape right now, you have artists like Tinchy Stryder and Chipmunk etc who are doing their thing......N-Dubz as well, they are all showing kids from this country it IS possible to succeed within the entertainment industry. Every artist within the UK scene has been working hard for years for the success they are achieving now so I feel like the only way is up from here!!

You are of Asian and Kenyan decent, how does this influence your music (production/ rapping style)?
Yeah I'm actually Indian by race however I spent most my time as a kid in Kenya in East Africa as my parents were born and raised there. I don't let or believe my race influences my music as a whole,  but being around so much African music as a child probably influenced my beat-making. As far as rapping, it definitely influences me in that I come from a very political country in all aspects so that comes out a lot in my rhymes....I’m proud of being Asian and East African that means I stand for a huge amount of people that don't always get spoken for in rap music so I like to carry that flag! I don’t feel like I have to stick to any type of straight London style spitting – I come from Kenya, lived in London and moved onto California where I now live so I gotta cater for a whole bunch of people with different cultures so when I rhyme it’s for everyone not just my hood !!

Tell us about your most recent single – “English Rude boy”
My first single coming out off my mix-tape TS2 (Tru stories part 2) is a song called 'English Rude boy'! It's a song that is supposed to represent our street culture here in the UK! it's more of a vibe thing than anything....we had a ball making the beat, it was a late night session with Harmony that birthed the production.....we wanted to keep the beat extra simple hence the lack of actual chords or anything in the beat....I free styled a 16 on it and came up with the 'I'm a English Rude boy” chorus. The response has been nuts and the haters are definitely coming out but they make you not break you so we are loving every minute!!

Who are your musical influences/ some of the biggest names you have worked with?
My biggest influences as an artist coming up are the greats man, Jay, BIG, Pac Nas and Snoop, I believe if u want to be the greatest you study the greatest ! As far as the new school I love Kanye, Fabolous, Lil' Wayne and Jeezy ! As a producer I love Kanye beats, Just Blaze Dr.Dre etc Anyone that makes that crack I will listen to and probably love ! As for people we have worked with - Whitney Houston as I mentioned before, Mary J Blige, we have worked on Diddy new album this year as well as 50 Cent also !! We are just now waiting for these projects to manifest so watch this space and you will see things unfold !! Just expect great things from the Blackout Ent camp......Also watch out for our new signing Shad who is an Incredible RnB/Pop artist !! He's on his way so y'all be prepared!!


What advice could you give to any artists wanting to make moves in the music industry today?
My advice would be Grind hard as hell - I got to the position that I am now in from living IN my studio for 5 or so years! We aint have a shower, was bathing out of the sink with cold water, there was rats in the building also it was in the middle of Tottenham on an industrial estate that everybody knew about so I was on my own all night with 30 grand worth of equipment. I had to stand my ground and it bought out a whole new side of me and made me real resilient to things.....So now when the haters talk it actually means nothing! Also within the industry people are going to say anything they want about you so that experience gave me the thick skin needed to overcome the foolishness! Asides from that learn your craft - get to know music itself! Just because you’re a rapper doesn't mean you don't have to know chords or how music works! It's all the more reason! Don't come out prematurely because that's your one chance and it may never come again!! Just stay on your game always and don't listen to NOBODY telling u can't do things u CAN!!

I would like to thank Urban World for this opportunity to talk, thanks to Toya for working around my stupid schedule!! All the readers and listeners you make it possible for all of us to do this, My team B.O.E. as always, Real music forever and make sure you put your B'z up when u see us !! peace 100 !!