Artist Of The Week – Uncut

After eighteen years of hard work Uncut is finally ready to shine. A survivor of Father Panik Village, a notoriously violent section of Bridgeport, CT, Uncut has opened for the likes of Biggie and Fat Joe and appeared on the Free Mongo series of mix-CDs. Uncut, who’s a member of Mongo Maddness’ Deviouz Dollarz team, has spent the bulk of his career educating other artists, but now at age 30 he feels it’s time spread knowledge globally. This week I sat down with him to find out more.

Adam Bernard: OK, first off, what makes you unique in the rap world and why should people care about you and your music?
Uncut: People should care about my music because it tells the whole story, not just bragging, flossing, fronting and stunting. I'm also original, you can't pinpoint a style because I'm so versatile. I can bring you wherever I want you to be once you start nodding to the track.

Adam Bernard: You're readying the release of your mixtape and album at the age of 30. You told me in the past that 30 was your cut-off age for getting your music career jumped off. Why 30? And how's the Uncut movement going?
Uncut: Well I said by 30 because by 30 I feel like you’re a grown ass man, you shouldn't be living with you're mom, smoked out, talking bout I'm bout to get on. You should've been got up, got out and got something by the age of 30. As for the movement, I like to call it spring cleaning cause we got rid of all the bullshit we ain't need, well, I'm 30 now, the mixtape is just waiting for the host and I’m six songs into my album, which is titled Dead or in Jail. I gave it that title because I feel like that's where most people will end up if they don't open they're eyes to the world around them. I’m actually glad it took so long because it gave me time to grow as a person and see that there weren't as many people with me as I thought. I recorded 29 of 32 tracks for the mixtape alone. I mean I turned on the equipment, pressed record, moved vocals, mixed down, even edited the curses all by myself so it took me a while to learn everything that I wanted to have done. I ain't mad though cuz if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself. Now I appreciate it more because I don't owe anybody shit. Me and Mongo (Maddness) go half on the bills, so we gonna split the check in half. That's the only person as dedicated and focused as me and he ain't even an entertainer.

Adam Bernard: How did it affect you when Mongo Maddness was sent up for 18 months?
Uncut: I think it hit me the hardest when Mongo went in. He was on his way to pick me up from a accounting job I had at the Connecticut Post. He's always late so I just started walking. If I wasn't so impatient I would've been locked up too. Needless to say I felt bad even though it wasn't my fault. I knew that the people pretending to hold Deviouz Dollarz down were just talking out of their asses because he and I did all the footwork, so I moved to Florida a few months before he went in because I was homeless and ready for a change. At first I traveled back and forth to lay down tracks and try to keep the ball rolling, but once I noticed how a little fame and a few groupies made damn near everybody on the team big headed I let him know that things were out of control, unorganized and nobody would listen so I was going back to Florida and I wasn't returning until he came home. Ask Mongo who was the first person he saw once he got back to Bridgeport.

Adam Bernard: Patience is obviously a virtue that you have. What are some of your other virtues that you feel have helped you get to where you are today?
Uncut: Being humble, that's a big thing with me. Arrogance will only get you so far, stay focused and thrive for perfection. Versatility and persistence are important and knowing that the last shall be first and the first shall be last, meaning one day we ain't gonna have to listen to no bullshit with a hot beat and a catchy hook.

Adam Bernard: Finally, what do you feel is the number one issue affecting the Hip-Hop community today and how would you go about changing it?
Uncut: I feel the number one issue affecting the Hip-Hop community today is ignorance. It has infected the music industry and now it's cool to pop E, sell drugs and get shot. The Hip-Hop community has been watered down by corporate sponsors who could care less that glorifying the struggles we go through in the ghetto will only cause more children to end up Dead or in Jail because the only people they see in real life flossing are the drug dealers and the rappers, not emcee's, the true masters of ceremony. Rappers are pretending to be the drug dealers to look hard when they know if they push R.E.C. on any piece of equipment talking that tough shit and they really been through it they are snitches. It's no difference if the interrogating officer pushes record or you do, a statement is a statement.

Check out Uncut on the Free Mongo Mix CD's at deviouzdollarz1 & deviouzdollarz2. He also has a number of MySpace pages including bridgeportconnecticut/ deviouzdollarz / creampheenz /mellskitchen & bridgeportlab.