ilikehoagies
08-11-2007, 09:08 PM
Rugged Intellect
http://artofrhyme.com/imagez/rugged_int.jpg
Tell us a little about yourself. You're from Canada right?
Rugged Intellect: I'm the Renaissance man Rugged Intellect out of Montreal, Canada. Just holding it down.The album just came out, it's called Renaissance Music - The Introduction. I just represent lyricism and Hip Hop at it's finest.
How would you say the Hip Hop scene in Canada differs from the US? Is there a difference?
Rugged: I'd say the difference is that Canada is more on the outside looking in. It's like people in Canada, we are trying to get into the industry whereas in the U.S. the industry is already there. That's one of the main differences. In Canada there aren't many outlets for exposure in terms of getting your music out there. There's not many Urban Stations there. It's a way smaller population as well and it's a smaller demographic of people that buy Hip Hop. It's a lot harder to try and make a living selling Hip Hop music in Canada.
Your debut album is called Renaissance Music: The Introduction. Tell us about it and why you chose that title.
Rugged: What I tried to do is bring back our core values that made Hip Hop such a rich and diverse art form in its glory days. You know the "Golden Era"? So it's kinda like re-introducing these values to the younger generation of Hip Hop fans, but also introducing myself as an artist. As a person who does Hip Hop for the masses, while giving the opportunity to pick up a dope quality Hip Hop release. Dope lyrics, dope beats, crazy collaborations and you get to know who I am and what I represent.
You have worked with a lot of legendary names. In particular a song with Kool G. Rap called "All Fair". Can you tell us a little bit about the experience working with one of the greats?
Rugged: Working with Kool G. Rap was definitely an honor. I always look back at Road To The Riches and it's one of my favorite albums. 4,5,6, you know. It was really an honor for me to work with someone that influenced me. Kool G. Rap was an influence on a lot of artists. He pioneered the rapid fire, multi-syllable rhyme style that a lot of people choose to go with nowadays. Doing that song "All Fair" was definitely a good look. It gave me chance to get my name out and let people hear G. Rap with an up-and-comer like myself. Collaborating with people like that, legends, it adds that depth of authenticity.
You have gotten good reviews from well known media outlets. How has the response been from your peers?
Rugged: On a personal level, mostly everyone likes the way the album came out. My entourage is happy for me, cause they seen me struggle and they seen me make the necessary sacrifices in order to put this album out. At the end of the day I basically side-tracked my whole life to put this out. So on a personal level the reception is good. They seen what I put into it. It really took a lot to put this album together. We live in a capitalistic world and when you got limited finances, man I'm from Canada! I'm traveling left and right, sleeping on people's floors. At the end of the day it was worth it. It's definitely a beautiful thing to have people embrace it as they have.
You were signed to Artistic Parole in 2004, which went bad. What label are you on now and whose distribution?
Rugged: I tried to get a deal at a few different companies but they all turned me down because I guess I wasn't known, or they didn't want to take a chance. So I had to create my own outlets. I created my own company which is called Renaissance Music. I basically launched it with this album. Expertism Music Group which also help me put this together. Adam Sampler, he made a couple beats on my album. So basically after I was turned down I went to Traffic Entertainment based in Boston and got a distribution deal. That's all I really wanted. Distribution so the world gets a chance to hear the album. Everything is independent. We handle everything ourselves. In many ways it's better cause you get to pay attention more to your own project. In other ways it's limiting cause you don't have the budget to compete with the larger companies.
You were mentored by the producer Domingo. Can you tell us about how you guys met and a little bit about the chemistry?
Rugged: After the deal fell apart with Artist Parole, I came back to New York from California where I was staying at. Me and Domingo had been talking through a mutual friend. When I got back from New York we met up. He was a real believer in my talents. We basically agreed that we would do this together and whatnot. He extended his help as an industry veteran, in terms of helping me get people on the record. He taught me sides of the industry I probably wouldn't have seen till way later. The chemistry is just banging out some dope tracks. So yeah, the album wouldn't be what it is without Domingo's input and belief of my talent when I though it was a wrap.
I noticed you have a video featuring Ras Kass called "Next Dose". Do you have any other videos planned?
Rugged: At this time I don't have any other videos. As you've seen in the video we made it relatively low budget. Everything we do is kinda low budget. You know, youtube exclusives. I definitely want to make more videos. That's one of the benefits of being with a big company, they can help you do that. In Canada you got like government grants. A lot of artists get government grants to do stuff like that, to shoot videos. It don't make sense to me cause Hip Hop was primarily anti-government, anti-authority. So for a Hip Hop artist to get a grant from the government to do a Hip Hop video is kinda hypocritical. A lot of people are like why don't you do that? They'll give you twenty grand! I rather do it myself and not kiss the ass of the powers that be that keep us down in the first place.
Whats your tour schedule looking like?
Rugged: I just did a show with Ice-T. I did a show with Souls Of Mischief, Slum Village. I'm really looking to lock down a string of dates. It's a matter of connecting the dots. For the time being I don't have a booking agent, but I'm definitively looking to get out there. A couple of European cats hollered at me. I might be doing Europe, that would be real good. I definitely want to go back to the west coast again. I love the west coast. If there is any booking agents reading this interview they can hit me up.
So what lies ahead for Rugged Intellect? Any ideas or visions you'd like to share with us?
Rugged: I come from a school of Hip Hop. I mean I'm a young dude, I'm twenty four. But I feel like an old man right now. I feel the stuff that I grew up on is no longer what's there. I come from the school of lyricism and real Hip Hop. I look up to guys like Master P, Russel Simmons, just the whole independent self-made entrepeneur. That's definitively where I'm trying to take it in the future. Use whatever success I get as an artist and help put other artists to go on and do good things. I got a lot of ideas for compilations of real artists, real producers. Not even necessarily involving myself. I want to do some like dream team compilations. We'll see if that ever happens.[laughs]
Any of those dream team ideas you want to share?
Rugged: Rakim and Just Blaze, Ghostface and Andre, just crazy combinations of artists you would never expect. I feel like the people that are in power right now aren't really respecting the culture enough to do those things. What is it to Jay-Z to take a million dollars and make something like that happen? Then again you know, since it's Jay Z they would probably charge him more since he's not a regular person.[laughs]
Is there anything you'd like to add?
Rugged: Basically thanks for the support I received up to date. I urge everyone to check out my album Renaissance Music: The introduction. For those who don't know there's some classic collaborations on there with Kool G. Rap, Ras Kass, Heltah Skeltah, R.A. the Rugged Man, A.G. and Party Arty from D.I.T.C. The album is really good and you know, I'm just trying to network. Producers, booking agents, let's make it happen. Check out myspace.com/ruggedintellect. We are going to keep representing dope Hip Hop definitely.
Drew
http://artofrhyme.com/Interviews/AORInterviews.php (http://www.arizonabeats.com/forum/redirector.php?url=%68%74%74%70%3a%2f%2f%61%72%74% 6f%66%72%68%79%6d%65%2e%63%6f%6d%2f%49%6e%74%65%72 %76%69%65%77%73%2f%41%4f%52%49%6e%74%65%72%76%69%6 5%77%73%2e%70%68%70)
http://artofrhyme.com/imagez/rugged_int.jpg
Tell us a little about yourself. You're from Canada right?
Rugged Intellect: I'm the Renaissance man Rugged Intellect out of Montreal, Canada. Just holding it down.The album just came out, it's called Renaissance Music - The Introduction. I just represent lyricism and Hip Hop at it's finest.
How would you say the Hip Hop scene in Canada differs from the US? Is there a difference?
Rugged: I'd say the difference is that Canada is more on the outside looking in. It's like people in Canada, we are trying to get into the industry whereas in the U.S. the industry is already there. That's one of the main differences. In Canada there aren't many outlets for exposure in terms of getting your music out there. There's not many Urban Stations there. It's a way smaller population as well and it's a smaller demographic of people that buy Hip Hop. It's a lot harder to try and make a living selling Hip Hop music in Canada.
Your debut album is called Renaissance Music: The Introduction. Tell us about it and why you chose that title.
Rugged: What I tried to do is bring back our core values that made Hip Hop such a rich and diverse art form in its glory days. You know the "Golden Era"? So it's kinda like re-introducing these values to the younger generation of Hip Hop fans, but also introducing myself as an artist. As a person who does Hip Hop for the masses, while giving the opportunity to pick up a dope quality Hip Hop release. Dope lyrics, dope beats, crazy collaborations and you get to know who I am and what I represent.
You have worked with a lot of legendary names. In particular a song with Kool G. Rap called "All Fair". Can you tell us a little bit about the experience working with one of the greats?
Rugged: Working with Kool G. Rap was definitely an honor. I always look back at Road To The Riches and it's one of my favorite albums. 4,5,6, you know. It was really an honor for me to work with someone that influenced me. Kool G. Rap was an influence on a lot of artists. He pioneered the rapid fire, multi-syllable rhyme style that a lot of people choose to go with nowadays. Doing that song "All Fair" was definitely a good look. It gave me chance to get my name out and let people hear G. Rap with an up-and-comer like myself. Collaborating with people like that, legends, it adds that depth of authenticity.
You have gotten good reviews from well known media outlets. How has the response been from your peers?
Rugged: On a personal level, mostly everyone likes the way the album came out. My entourage is happy for me, cause they seen me struggle and they seen me make the necessary sacrifices in order to put this album out. At the end of the day I basically side-tracked my whole life to put this out. So on a personal level the reception is good. They seen what I put into it. It really took a lot to put this album together. We live in a capitalistic world and when you got limited finances, man I'm from Canada! I'm traveling left and right, sleeping on people's floors. At the end of the day it was worth it. It's definitely a beautiful thing to have people embrace it as they have.
You were signed to Artistic Parole in 2004, which went bad. What label are you on now and whose distribution?
Rugged: I tried to get a deal at a few different companies but they all turned me down because I guess I wasn't known, or they didn't want to take a chance. So I had to create my own outlets. I created my own company which is called Renaissance Music. I basically launched it with this album. Expertism Music Group which also help me put this together. Adam Sampler, he made a couple beats on my album. So basically after I was turned down I went to Traffic Entertainment based in Boston and got a distribution deal. That's all I really wanted. Distribution so the world gets a chance to hear the album. Everything is independent. We handle everything ourselves. In many ways it's better cause you get to pay attention more to your own project. In other ways it's limiting cause you don't have the budget to compete with the larger companies.
You were mentored by the producer Domingo. Can you tell us about how you guys met and a little bit about the chemistry?
Rugged: After the deal fell apart with Artist Parole, I came back to New York from California where I was staying at. Me and Domingo had been talking through a mutual friend. When I got back from New York we met up. He was a real believer in my talents. We basically agreed that we would do this together and whatnot. He extended his help as an industry veteran, in terms of helping me get people on the record. He taught me sides of the industry I probably wouldn't have seen till way later. The chemistry is just banging out some dope tracks. So yeah, the album wouldn't be what it is without Domingo's input and belief of my talent when I though it was a wrap.
I noticed you have a video featuring Ras Kass called "Next Dose". Do you have any other videos planned?
Rugged: At this time I don't have any other videos. As you've seen in the video we made it relatively low budget. Everything we do is kinda low budget. You know, youtube exclusives. I definitely want to make more videos. That's one of the benefits of being with a big company, they can help you do that. In Canada you got like government grants. A lot of artists get government grants to do stuff like that, to shoot videos. It don't make sense to me cause Hip Hop was primarily anti-government, anti-authority. So for a Hip Hop artist to get a grant from the government to do a Hip Hop video is kinda hypocritical. A lot of people are like why don't you do that? They'll give you twenty grand! I rather do it myself and not kiss the ass of the powers that be that keep us down in the first place.
Whats your tour schedule looking like?
Rugged: I just did a show with Ice-T. I did a show with Souls Of Mischief, Slum Village. I'm really looking to lock down a string of dates. It's a matter of connecting the dots. For the time being I don't have a booking agent, but I'm definitively looking to get out there. A couple of European cats hollered at me. I might be doing Europe, that would be real good. I definitely want to go back to the west coast again. I love the west coast. If there is any booking agents reading this interview they can hit me up.
So what lies ahead for Rugged Intellect? Any ideas or visions you'd like to share with us?
Rugged: I come from a school of Hip Hop. I mean I'm a young dude, I'm twenty four. But I feel like an old man right now. I feel the stuff that I grew up on is no longer what's there. I come from the school of lyricism and real Hip Hop. I look up to guys like Master P, Russel Simmons, just the whole independent self-made entrepeneur. That's definitively where I'm trying to take it in the future. Use whatever success I get as an artist and help put other artists to go on and do good things. I got a lot of ideas for compilations of real artists, real producers. Not even necessarily involving myself. I want to do some like dream team compilations. We'll see if that ever happens.[laughs]
Any of those dream team ideas you want to share?
Rugged: Rakim and Just Blaze, Ghostface and Andre, just crazy combinations of artists you would never expect. I feel like the people that are in power right now aren't really respecting the culture enough to do those things. What is it to Jay-Z to take a million dollars and make something like that happen? Then again you know, since it's Jay Z they would probably charge him more since he's not a regular person.[laughs]
Is there anything you'd like to add?
Rugged: Basically thanks for the support I received up to date. I urge everyone to check out my album Renaissance Music: The introduction. For those who don't know there's some classic collaborations on there with Kool G. Rap, Ras Kass, Heltah Skeltah, R.A. the Rugged Man, A.G. and Party Arty from D.I.T.C. The album is really good and you know, I'm just trying to network. Producers, booking agents, let's make it happen. Check out myspace.com/ruggedintellect. We are going to keep representing dope Hip Hop definitely.
Drew
http://artofrhyme.com/Interviews/AORInterviews.php (http://www.arizonabeats.com/forum/redirector.php?url=%68%74%74%70%3a%2f%2f%61%72%74% 6f%66%72%68%79%6d%65%2e%63%6f%6d%2f%49%6e%74%65%72 %76%69%65%77%73%2f%41%4f%52%49%6e%74%65%72%76%69%6 5%77%73%2e%70%68%70)