Harlem MC Dub Chops It Up With BBB!!!

What's going on Dub? Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to do this interview. Why don't you give the BBB viewers a formal introduction just in case they might not be familiar with you and your movement.

BBB, Whats going on man?. I appreciate you taking your time to even making this happen. I go by the name of Dub, Team Aura is the label. Shouts out to the whole Team Aura, the whole movement. I'm from Harlem, you know? Just taking everything a step at a time. Not trying to fit in, I'm trying to stand out.

That's what's up, Harlem, NY is in the building! Every artist starts somewhere when they begin their journey in the music business. When did you get into hip hop and when did you decide you wanted to fully pursue a career in the entertainment business?

I was around music my whole life. My cousin Computa was always in and out the studio and my Pops always had his nose in the music. I remember I wrote my first rap when I was 8 years old, its crazy now that I think about it. That was a long time from now. I never woke up and thought like "yo I'm going to be a rapper." I was in school and my Pops was shopping the music around. I remember going up to Sony at 14 years old, and they wanted to sign me. I wasn't even really serious about music at the time. We took them a song with a hook and a verse on it and they was ready to cut the check. At the time, I was playing basketball thinking I was going to the NBA so I put music on the back burner. Long story short, I started writing more often and going to the studio more and it became a passion for me. Now everything is history. I'm still going to the labels, still running around doing the things I got to do. Ya feel me?

Wow, so basically you were born with music your blood, that I think will be a key asset in your career, a lot of people have to work hard to get what you were born with. I respect that you waited until you were ready to fully pursue the music thing a lot of people chase the lifestyle, but you actually care about the music, that's what's up.You've been around music your whole life, but you are in the class of newer artists in the game right now, what do you think your responsibilities are as far as being a new artist in the game?

I would have to say grabbing the ears of the listener and keeping them waiting for the next song. I got the music that I feel a lot of people can relate to. I'm talking about from the latest trends in fashion to the problems you got going on around you. A lot of artists are scared to step out of the box and try something new. If I do a song or something and it's not a song that I would "usually" do, I know there's somebody somewhere that's going to feel the song.

Being a versatile MC is very important, I would say that is one of the biggest things lacking in game today, I like the approach your taking. Speaking of approach, let's talk about your style, one thing that jumped out at me when I first heard your music is your punchlines and the way you deliver them. How did you come about shaping your style and what MCs helped inspire you to get where your at with your style.

I kind of think it was trail and error. Like when I play certain songs for people and the line doesn't "hit" like I would want it to, then I know something isn't right. I got it down packed now. Its only going to get better. (laughs). As far as inspiration, I would have to say Jadakiss, Fabolous, Jay-Z, Kayne...people of that kind. These are people that when I hear new music, it change how I feel. A lot of other artists don't do that for me.

Learning from mistakes is a great way to get better at almost anything. It appears you have it down to a science now. You not only can rap well, but you can engineer and produce. Out of those three things what do you want to get better at? Are we going to be seeing any Dub produced tracks hitting the streets soon?

I'm not to sure, I did previous beats in the past out of boredom. I wouldn't even call myself a producer but hey I did produce before. I definitely want to get better at engineering, mixing and mastering because I'm big on quality. My quality has got to be out the roof or I don't really feel the music as much. I got a track I produced on my last mixtape entitled "Live Young Die Rich" featuring one of my homies Shakez. It was kind of hot, but I'm a little unsure about the whole production thing. Maybe. Maybe not.

Keep your eyes peeled folks, never say never Dub. (laughs) A lot of entertainers use their new found fame and fortune to propel themselves into other aspects of business. After you do what you want to do in the music business, do you plan on starting any other business ventures?

Most definitely. I want to get a clothing line started. We already got some t-shirts, hoodies and things like that. Its called "Aura Signature." I want to definitely expand that and get it popping even bigger. I also got my own movement under Team Aura entitled "FMM (Family. Money. Music)". I want to find a home base for that so everybody running with me can eat. We all in it for the same thing.

'Aura Signature' I like that name, your going to have to send me info on that, it sounds like something I wouldn't mind wearing. You mentioned you are looking for home for your FMM movement. The major labels are hurting right now. A lot of artists are taking the indy route for getting their music out. Do you think major label deals are a thing of the past with this new digital era upon us?

Hell yeah, the whole state of the game is crazy right now. We are going to most likely take the indy route but if a major approach us with a situation, why not check it out. Everything is digital now though. You could do it all by yourself, you don't even need a major backing you. So yeah, indy might be the way to go now that I think about it.

The digital era is what the name of the game is now. You are amongst the elite pack of MC's and artists who have utilized the internet to get their music out faster to the fans. Why do you think labels and artists still haven't realized the internet is the easiest and quickest way to get their music out? It seems like a no brainer to me.

You and me both. I don't even know. The game is crazy man. I just hope the game gets cleaned up quick because there are a lot of hot artists out now. I think that if the game was like how it was in the late 90's a lot of the real artists would be good. I'm not taking anything away from the people who do dance music, but it's to a point where the ones who really are spitting get over looked because you aren't making a "superman" or "lean with it, rock with it." I don't feel that's fair.

I feel ya there, I get down in the club or at parties to that stuff, but hip hop is more than just a dance song or new catch phrase. Let's switch gears for a moment. I ask everyone I interview about this because this is a very important topic. Who do you want to win in the 2008 presidential election? What do you think of this fuckery known as the Bush Administration? Are we going to see any politically motivated songs from Dub?

Yeah most likely. I feel I got to touch on everything, there's people who would want to hear me talk about the political stuff definitely. I missed out on the past few speeches so I'm a little loss. I got some catching to do but either way, I'm with Obama!



I too am rocking with Obama in the '08 election. I will be happy when the Bush regime is out of office. Ok, back to the music, we've seen the material you've been feeding the streets and e-streets with. You got a mixtape coming out soon called "Family, Money, Music." This one is going to be big. Break down who you all got on the tape, what's the production looking like, and what you hope to accomplish by dropping this one.

Yeah, the mixtape was supposed to be released August 2nd but due to some things I had to push it back a little bit. It's hosted by Dj Absolut, I got a few of my dudes on the mixtape and a lot of up and coming producers. I got production from Battle Roy (Bad Boy), Araab (D.U.K.E Productions), Joe Milly, Young Los (Gain Greene) and Ajayones just to name a few. I'm just going to throw this one out, get the name seen and heard, get music out there and get the buzz up a little more. I'm dropping another mixtape right after this entitled "The White Linen Affair." It's me rapping over all the R&B stuff, freestyles to songs. It's going to be crazy. I'm also going drop one right after that, I'm not to sure what I'm going to name it but that's the one that's going to have them go "He's next!"

Wow, you have a schematically planned attack, I dig that, I will be definitely looking forward to those tapes, especially "The White Linen Affair" that's a cool concept, keep me in the loop on that [laughs] It appears you got your game face on and plan on making a definitive mark on the game. Any last words or shout outs you want to give the e-streets?

Yeah. Shout out to BBB for making this whole thing possible. You know how we do!. I want to give a big shout out to my pops Teff. Thats the big homie. For all the fans that been showing support me and riding with me, I really appreciate it. I need ya'll. Shout out to my right hands Grand and G.S, The whole Team Aura. Oh yeah, shout out to to O.T.S Wolfpack Gang and all that. If you are trying to contact me, hit me on the myspace, www.myspace.com/teamauradub. I tried to tell them, the take over starts NOW! BBB, Let's do it!

That's definitely what's up, the Dub era is now, please don't sleep! you will not want to have to catch up later. Thanks once again for taking the time to do this interview Dub, I wish the best for you and yours in the future.

Thanks man, if you ever need anything just holla at me. You know I'm here cause you been here.

HIT UP THE HOMIE DUB'S MYSPACE NOW!!!


WATCH OUT FOR DUB'S NEW MIXTAPE "FAMILY, MONEY, MUSIC" COMING SOON!!!