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Q&A with 607 Localist quizzes Little Rock's most prolific rapper
Words: TJ Deeter Pic: Kat Wilson
607 (AKA Adrian Tillman) is Little Rock born and raised. Easily the A-state's most prolific rapper and arguably its most talented, he's released more than 20 CDs of original material since 1997, first, as a member of the Traumah Team (607, Mr. Morbid, Random Black Dude, and Bizarro), and more recently, as a solo artist. As a co-founder of the hip-hop collective “Under the Ground,” which hosts regular shows at Vino's and a podcast, he's is often mistakenly pegged as a backpacker or alt-rapper, but a quick survey of local rap releases of all stripes finds 607 to be damn near ubiquitous. From Big Drew to Big Keys to Conduit to Grim, it seems that just about everyone and every crew is down with our man (including local pop-rock outfit The Easys, who're in talks with 6 to do a rap-pop album). Maybe that's because dude is damn near ubiquitous in person. Any given night you venture out, whether you're heading to NU or Bada Bing or Whitewater, you've got at least a 40% chance of seeing our man meeting and greeting. He'll be the dude with the silver briefcase, which is currently filled with his latest album, Devil's Violin. Several weeks ago, Localist publisher TJ Deeter sat down with 607 at Chili's. Here's what they talked about: Localist: You've put out over 20 something CDs, about one every three months, and your most recent is Devil's Violin ? 607: Devil's Violin , yes. Localist: Are you already working on the next one? 607: I 'm thinking about calling it Coffee Shop Poppy Cock. Localist: Coffee Shop Poppy Cock? Interesting title. Actually, Devil's Violin is an interesting title. Tell me more about that. 607: It just about a nigga being confused about his role. A lot of times you get caught up in doing so much different stuff, you forget who you're doing it for. It all starts out with good intentions, but sometimes you end up doing certain stuff and you're like, “Damn, am I really doing this?” Localist: So with all of the CDs you've put out, have you ever thought about letting a fan take all your CDs and make a greatest hits set? 607: Yep. Matter of fact, I encourage the fans to buy the CDs and do it themselves. Localist: (laughter) 607: I'm not going to do it. My whole career is going to be greatest hits, because I just call these things rough drafts. Localist: So you feel like songs would be left out? 607: I go left field sometimes, and sometimes, I'm right in the middle. Trying to narrow that down would be crazy. I'd have to make a “greatest hits” and then put a colon for three different greatest hits like, “Greatest Hits: The Weird Shit”, “Greatest Hits: The Party Shit”, “Greatest Hits: The Political Shit.” Localist: Tell me a little bit about the production of the music. How do you do it and where do you it? 607: I do it at the crib mostly. When I do the Scratch the Surface albums at the end of every year, (more hook-driven albums) I really get a lot of help from a whole bunch of outside sources. Most of the time it's 85% me, and 15% Random Black Dude. Localist: What do you use? 607: I got a VS-840 and a keyboard—a Roland VS-840. It's a digital eight-track mixer. Localist: I noticed that you have some interesting samples—Basement Jaxx, Edie Brickell, Depeche Mode. Is this stuff you listen to, that you decide to put on there? 607: Most of it I listen to. Sometimes I just come across it and then I pick it out. Some stuff, I'll start listening to because I sampled it. I heard Basement Jaxx, watching this anime called Appleseeds. It came on with the opening credits and I was like, “Damn, that's a powerful piece.” So I sped that up a bit, amped it up, and put my little spin on it. Localist: Where do you normally perform shows? 607: In the rock, the two main stages are Whitewater and Vino's, then you got other shit, Sticky Fingerz—I've been to all the spots. Juanita's, lots of house parties… L: Club Bada Bing? 607: Bada Bing. Anywhere there's a sound system I've probably rapped there before. L: Why have you typically use Vino's and Whitewater? 607: That's the only shit that's crackin'. You know what I'm saying? They drawin' folks that want to hear what a nigga got to say. Vino's is our main stage, where we draw on folks that want to hear some different type of shit. I gotta keep going back there. Cause that's (for some people) the only time I see them. So they'll come out, stick around, see what's going on, buy the new shit then go back to whatever hole they in. L: When you do your shows, what are some of the obstacles you run into performing live? 607: As far as organizing the show, it's pussy ass niggas coming with these dumb mentalities. Those that ain't rapped on stage before, sometimes, we the first place that a nigga perform on stage. L: You're talking about Under the Ground, right? 607: Yeah, Under the Ground. They come with this attitude that everybody owe them something. Teaching them the fundamentals is really the hardest thing, but when we perform, the only thing is trying to deal with the different sound systems. And trying to tame the beast of a wave file, you know what I'm saying? Localist: What do you think about people saying stuff about rapping over CDs? 607: I say, “Fuck them!” I never ever tooted my own horn, but if you mention the best rap around here, people bring my name up. It's not because I'm a good rapper most of the time. A lot of people are just like, “I can't understand what these people are saying.” Localist: Why do you think so many people do that? 607: Rap over vocals or complain about it? Localist: Typically, in hip-hop, you have a DJ. Why do you think people around here use CDs? 607: A lot of times on the big levels, people don't rap over their own vocals. They'll just have some instrumentals, maybe some ad-libs in the background, and a hype man. At this level, I can't afford that. I rap over the vocals so I can get the message across. I'm playin' White Water Tavern. I'm not fixing to throw some Madison Square Garden-type shit. I'm trying to showcase my talent, connect with the fan, connect the thought; that's it. I'm not going to get lost in the dreams of my hip-hop forefathers by doing everything the way they set it up cause this is different times. You know, you used to put cloth diapers on kids, and that shit's unsanitary! Localist: There are people that make this distinction between rap and hip-hop, do you think there's a difference? 607: It's getting so big, it's going to have some little sub-genres. A lot of people just do that to try and elevate themselves. You don't ever hear anybody really trying to make that distinction, unless they really want to let you know, they on this side. And that side is better. Localist: I have a calendar that features pictures of a lot of different local rappers for every month of the year. Most of the pictures are typical rap promo shots—guy holding up his chain, guy sitting by his car with spinners, sittin' on dubs. When I got to your picture, though, you were sitting on your briefcase reading a book. Tell me what you think about the stereotypical image of rappers we typically see and the image you want to present for yourself. What do you bring to the rap industry to make it your own thing? 607: I let people know it's ok to be themselves. I was raised crazy. I sort of had a terrible childhood; I sort of didn't. I'm just letting people know it's ok to be a regular person, who really don't make sense. In my music, I'm also trying to say, it is not ok to be unaware of yourself in your surroundings. Localist: So that's why you typically talk about lots of different subjects? 607: Yeah, I just try to talk about being alive. All different attitudes, every emotion—everybody, no matter who you are, no matter even if you felt it for two minutes, everybody has felt every kind of way you can feel. Localist: Well, I think maybe that's what separates the great artists from the not so great—the ones that have a lot of different faces, who diversify, and change through time. 607: You know, some people are artists and some people just do it for a hobby. Localist: Lets talk about rap in our community. Within the rap industry there is so much emphasis on having beef. When I first started looking at all the different rap groups around here, I realized people were very supportive of each other. 607: There was beef for a little bit. That's mostly just some preconceived notion that everybody had. If you really dip and delve into the scene, it ain't really no beef it's just us as artists. But, just as people we have differences and there may be a period of time where we just don't interact with each other until we got over the obstacle that we came up against. So it's not beef, and it's not hating; it's us being the pioneers. We're trying to learn how to be adults, artists, and businessmen at the same time. Localist: So you think that overall there's a positive thing going on? 607: There has to be, ain't nobody got hurt. Localist: Yeah, that's true. It's great seein' so many different people on stage all rapping together. 607: I'm a weirdo motherfucker, and you know E-Dub [who guests on Devil's Violin], for example, is totally different. Everybody just came together. Localist: That's cool. 607: We're all on some totally different shit. I don't even know if you get that type of stuff in other cities. Localist: Yeah? 607: You know, Tech 9 do the type of music that he do, and you got a lot of gangsta music in Kansas City. I got up there to do a show and all I see is, three SUVS outside all wrapped in their promotional stuff with a big screen on top. The one in the middle is displaying how they were messing up Tech 9. They had a little parody of them messing up Tech 9. Localist: So, Little Rock actually has a really good vibe, compared to other places you've been? 607: It's only like 250,000 people. We have to have a good vibe. It's not big enough. A guy from another table walks up… Guy: What's goin' on with the money, mayne? 607: What's up, man? You heard the single on the radio? The Stevie Wonder single [“Made 2 Luv Little Rock” off Devil's Violin]? Guy: I ain't heard it, but someone was just tellin' me. 607: Track #3 (hands him a CD from the briefcase) Guy: Okay! Appreciate bro. Localist: Who was that guy? 607: Ice Smiles. He used to be with Official, now he's with Trap Stars. See what I'm sayin'? We on some totally different shit. Localist: Y ou always have your briefcase, selling CDs. We hear stories comin' from Houston about people selling $10,000 worth of CDs out of their trunk in a couple of months. Do you see that kind of thing going down here? 607: It'll go down here. It's just gonna take consistency and growing consumer consciousness. It's going to take certain people to make folks aware of being aware. It could happen. There's plenty of money to be made. Localist: Knowing that's a way you try to make a living or hustle money, what do you think about downloading music via the internet? 607: Downloading is cool to an extent. Downloading is like your kid smoking weed. You know there ain't no way you can stop it. Be concerned about it to a point, but know when to not get all retarded about it. Cause being extreme about it is just going to make it worse. Localist: And it's just going to happen. 607: Like Metallica. I made it a point to download all their stuff as soon as that happened. Hell I'm not going to re-buy And Justice for All. I'm gonna download it. You know why? Because that dude was an asshole. I wish I could send him video footage of me downloading their music, and me smiling, then spending $10 on porn. Localist: So what is it like to try to sell CDs around here, what's a day in the life of the rap game for you? 607: During business hours, if an album is about to come out, then I'm working on it. Then I go out after five, and promote the next album. Go out and sell copies. Like now, an album just came out, so I just chill out make a bunch of calls. I'm on the phone trying to make shows happen, close the flier printing, and all the business shit during business hours. Then after five, I'm out wherever people at—West End, Chili's… Localist: So you actually have business hours that you work on, that you schedule yourself? 607: Yeah, not really. I guess America set them up because the only reason I'm not out during that time… Localist: But nobody's making you. 607: Nobody's making me do it, but everybody's at work. I can't sell too much. Know what I'm saying? But then after everybody gets off work about five, six o'clock, I'm out. Localist: Selling your CD? 607: Moving the units and just being aware, having my face in a place, so people can see that I'm alive. It's just like hollerin' at a chick. You go up and you see the chick, you say “What's up?” That's cool. The best thing would not to be to try to get her number right there, cause for some reason the second time you see her, she'll feel like she know you. When you speak and stuff, she might just give you her number. Localist: Yeah? 607: It's just like that with CDs. People have seen me out. If it make you buy a disc that's cool, it's gonna be one of the times you actually get some shit with a message in it. You know, that's why I just try to be out and be in places. That's a day in the life of me. I'm going wherever there are people. Localist: Tell me more about what you do to promote yourself locally or nationally. 607: Locally, I don't really have a plan. I just started working on stuff like that this year. I'm going to do the regular stuff, the posters and the postcards and stuff like that but I think my biggest promotional tool is consistency and being serious about stuff. Anybody can get posters printed up and all that but, you know, if you live by your word and be in places on time, get people to come to a venue where there's like ten people there and you still perform like you just love to perform (which I do), and love to get your message out there. To me that's my biggest promotional tool; that's what I really emphasize. Localist: So are you playing outside of the state more? 607: Yeah, you know last year… Localist: You went to Philly? 607: Philadelphia , St. Louis , Kansas City, Dallas . I'm gonna try to go to Tallahassee, Tampa… Localist: What kind of reaction did you get? 607: Oh, it's hell. Localist: Really? 607: It's hard doing shows out of town, if you ain't already got a following, or you ain't got product in stores that ain't been getting people prepared for you. People just kind of look at you. No matter how good you are you suck out of town. Localist: Do you see more of a crowd reaction to performances here in Little Rock? 607: Sort of, but not really. Little Rock is a community of artists. Some people come to Little Rock and get discouraged. We're conscience on a different level. We're not conscience as consumers, we're conscience as artists. So people are critiquing and people are listening. That's probably why you got so many people asking questions about the CD thing, and I sort of understand that. Cause there's a bunch of artists around here, so you're not gonna get away with just anything. Localist: There's scrutiny as well as support? 607: Right! What was that group, that sang “If You Steal My Sunshine?” Whoever made that song and the people that made the song about Abercrombie and Fitch. Those groups wouldn't have made it out of here, cause immediately in Little Rock we'd be like, “That's bullshit. You go back to your room with that. We don't do that.” Localist: Don't you think it's kind of interesting that even though the rap thing is a huge business, what do you know, people are selling their own CDs on the corner. Why do think that is? 607: Back in the day art was young, you know, a lot of artists, they had great art, it's beautiful,but they weren't about the business. Some of them were lucky enough to slip through, and sold shares in the clothing lines, like OutKast. But you hear a lot of artists complaining, like Grandmaster Flash complaining, a lot of them signed good deals but they got ripped off cause they was just artists. It's the evolution of the artist. This is not just an example for rappers, this is an example for all artists. You're gonna have to be just as about your business as you are about your art or you're not going to make it. Watching that growth has been painful. Localist: Right on. 607: That's why stuff like that is happening, because you got folks now that are selling because they're all about the business, and not about the art. That had to come, now they're not going to get ripped off, and they're showing the artists how to do it. Now you got other folk, like me, watching, coming up, and I'm going to try and do both. So it's just necessary growth. Localist: What do you seek to gain overall from doing this, and is there ever a point where if something doesn't happen, whatever that is, where you just won't do this anymore? 607: I seek to gain stability. That's the minimum thing, but what I want to gain ultimately is a voice, a voice that speaks to a lot of people like a giant bullhorn. When I stop getting excited about presenting my message to people I'll probably stop doing it, but I don't know when that's going to be. Local Picks: www.6-0-7.com
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