Artistic Integrity

Known simply as Naledge to fans of Kidz In The hall, the self styled ‘Chicago Picasso’ enlists the support of taste-making DJs and magazines to launch his artfully titled solo debut. Sure it’s not an official album, but lengthy, collaborative mixtapes get more play than the old standard.

‘Chicago Picasso’ is hosted by Mick Boogie and DJ Timbuck2. Click title to purchase tracks or the entire mixtape @ iTunes. Indie hip hop vanguard Duck Down Records last year signed Kidz In The Hall (Naledge and producer partner Double O) to a deal that allows latitude and creative freedom according to University of Penn grad and Chicago native Naledge.

He isn’t garnering heavy media attention like Drake or Mickey Factz, but this may be a small price to pay for avoiding pigeonholes. Before the release of ‘Chicago Picasso’ Naledge linked up with Mike TV & RFM to talk about misguided producers, Duck Down Records and the reason people can’t believe he’ll work with them.


Mike TV: Do you think you’ve grown as an emcee and song writer since KIH made ‘The In Crowd’ last year?

Naledge Born: You have to grow; if you don’t grow then you’re going backwards. The way I operate, I’m always working, so when y’all was listening to that I was already making new stuff. I was listening to ‘The In Crowd’ for a year before y’all heard it; I was listening to ‘School Was My Hustle’ a couple years before ya’ll heard it; I listened to this mixtape a year before ya’ll heard it; I’ll probably end up hearing the next KIH album, which is coming out in October – I played most of these records for six, seven months, so I’m always working and I’m always on to the next thing. And I just try to create good music for people to enjoy. I don’t have to think ahead because even if I make a song now, it probably won’t get released until next year. You gotta be thinking on some next level shit or just changing up on that. This is an art form, so it should always be evolving. I shouldn’t be tryna give you the same formula just cause it worked last time.

Mike TV: Are there any distinct differences between the ways you approach a solo Naledge Born project as opposed to KIH projects?

Naledge Born: There’s no difference; the only difference is I had the final say-so on a lot of things. I still create the music the same way; it’s just that if Double O disagrees with something [then] we talk about it; on this…it’s like it’s my project so, LOL.

Mike TV: Right. You’re the boss!

Naledge Born: I ask for his opinion on things, but if I disagree I just kept it moving and still went with it. We talk regardless and he’s always around me when I’m recording. I worked with him on this project as well – he had three joints on there. So it’s always music being created, but I think the biggest difference is it’s more personal. A lot of the KIH stuff is more a joint effort; a lot of the stuff I’m talking about is more general. The stuff I’m talking about on this project is more Naledge-centric. Even the title, ‘Chicago Picasso,’ is a statement. The KIH aren’t both from Chicago; I’m from Chicago. So it’s a bigger statement for me to put a solo record out because everything is gonna come from a certain perspective; this album was made on my own. It wasn’t made in conjunction with Double O or as KIH. There’s a lot of collaborations on this record; there’s a lot of different producers on this record. Everything is different. The sound is really what you’ll get that’s different. The lyrics and the way I approach making music – it’s all the same; the beats aren’t all Double O, so obviously there’s a certain thing that you probably accustomed to hearing me over and you’re like ‘Wow! I never knew what he would sound like on this kinda beat.

Mike TV: True. That’s what I found myself saying as I heard it.

Naledge Born: It’s like ‘He can rap on these types of beats too!?’ I get people who make beats and they give me CDs full of Double O beats, and I’m like ‘Dude, if I wanted Double O type of beats I’ll go get Double O, LOL.’ Making this project I worked a lot with Nez & Rio – producers with Brainiac – and they have a different sound; they have their own sound. That was what inspired me to wanna bring them into my circle and that’s what inspires me to work with people – when I don’t have to direct them; when they just like ‘I got some hot shit! Listen to it.’ And then it’s just like ‘Wow, he’s right,’ and then I just rap on it. People who put me in a box and have a certain perception of me will never get me cause I don’t have a box, I just go with the flow.

Mike TV: So I got the promo stream of 'Chicago Picasso' and I noticed that it’s registered to CMJ and there’s another stream provided by URB magazine. Shed some light on that for the people. What’s that about?

Naledge Born: At the end of the day we just want people to hear it, but we don’t want people to steal it, LOL.

Mike TV: I feel that, but what’s the actual relationship with the mags? Why is it that two music rags are behind that?

Naledge Born: Honestly, URB has been a supporter. It just fit. There’s never any agenda with who we partner up with; it’s people we believe in who believe in us.

Mike TV: Speaking of partnerships & support, on a scale of 1-5 how do you rate Duck Down’s effectiveness at helping Major League and KIH reach your music and business goals?

Naledge Born: They’ve consistently given us…they’ve consistently given us…I guess… they’ve consistently given us a lane to come out. They’ve given us freedom; they’ve never limited us; they never tried to change us into something we weren’t. They just let us operate how we operate. That’s been great for us – having a partner that allows us to be…free creatively and gets it out to the public.

Mike TV: So is that a four, a three, a five?

Naledge Born: Everything has room for improvement, so I guess it’s like a four.

Mike TV: I went to Howard University with A. Pinks who’s on “Blessed By God." How’d you catch wind of him and why’d you wanna do this particular joint with him?

Naledge Born: It’s weird. Our managers are cool. I’ve known him for the longest; we had hung out and been around each other before we made a song, so it’s kinda weird because we been in the same circle for the longest but never recorded nothing together; we would always be like ‘man, when we get on a record together…’ People think I be blowing smoke and I just start sending them beats. He was like ‘Aw man, I thought you was just talking.’ I’m like, ‘Nah, I wasn’t just talking.’ He came to the video in LA – the “Love Hangover” video. He’s actually in the video if you watch closely. But yeah…we got the song done; it’s dope. It’s actually for the producer Analogic who’s actually a real fresh producer out of Jersey; I met him at a beat battle, which is random cause it was sponsored by Rawkus and it seem like it was ages ago, but we kept in contact. It’s another situation where I was like, ‘Lets exchange information; I like your stuff.’ And I don’t think he took me seriously either. I was just talking to him and I was like, ‘Naw, send me some joints!’

Mike TV: Why people always think you’re playing man, LOL?

Naledge Born: I think people think because I’m in a group…I think it’s situational and other artists do do that; they just say, ‘Hit me up any time;’ they give you a number they don’t really answer or they give you an email they don’t really look at. If he had a beat CD on him at that moment I think he felt like I would’ve listened to it, but when months go by and then I hit you like, ‘Man you was supposed to follow up and you didn’t follow up;’ I think that surprises people cause they’re like, ‘Wow, he really thought about me.’ We ended up doing two joints – three joints actually – and that was one of the joints we did together. The other joint was “Southside Shit;” there’s another joint that’s on his project that’s coming out.

Mike TV: That’s one of the cool things about ‘Chicago Picasso;’ I’m getting put on to a lot of dope emcees & producers I don’t know much about.