U.G. Digital Mag: I’m sure. Definitely.
Apollo Brown: Usually it’s sampled with drums, and the whole nine years. I left it really raw. I chopped it up how I wanted. I’ve always loved that sample, and it makes for good music. It speaks to me.
U.G. Digital Mag: The minute it came on, it was what I was looking for musically. More than anything, I love when our classics can be taken and flipped into something new and just as groundbreaking as before. Truthfully, the entire album speaks to me in this way. What thought went into the project, before you even got it off the ground?
Apollo Brown: I wanted to go back to the basics, and get back to when I started making music. The idea was to keep it really minimal. I incorporated the minimalistic thought process. I really wanted to have fun making beats without being overcritical and adding too much. I said let’s keep it real raw and bare bones. A lot of people are starting to notice that I didn’t add any drums. A lot of people who are familiar with me know my drums are prominent and hit how they are supposed to. With this album, I didn’t add any. All the drums you hear are the original samples. I wanted to go back to a time when it was super fun and you made beats just to make beats. I’m taking it back to a time when you weren’t worried about placements and where this is going, certain quality margins and standards for the industry, and getting it on this program or on the radio. Like I said, you made beats just to make beats. That’s how it was when I started.
U.G. Digital Mag: I feel like you have done that. I love that you say “when it was fun”. It’s why people gravitate toward not just what you put out, but they’re also moving back toward the nineties and what was out then. There’s a level of originality that you’re bringing that we haven’t seen in hip-hop since that era. You’ve been consistent in all that you do and release. What did you want this album to do upon release, and then also, I think Planet Asia is one of the dopest and he’s always consistent as well. Why did you opt this time around for Planet Asia? I can’t wait to connect with him too because he did some work with Prodigy in the past too.
Apollo Brown: I went into this with no expectations. Just wanting to have fun. I didn’t have goals to sell copies. We called it “Anchovies” for a reason. It’s not for everybody. You never asked someone if they like Anchoives and that say they’re OK. You either love them or hate them. There’s only two types of people, they either love them or hate them. That’s just what it is. They’re not for everybody. My expectation was that people would love it. I hope my fans or new listeners love the album. I hope they see what I was going for and that they get it. Asia, he’s amazing. I love hearing him rap over my shit. He’s an amazing emcee, and a west coast legend. He has the voice, delivery, and content. He has all three elements. Sometimes you have an emcee with only one of the three, or two of the three. He’s a raw and dope emcee. It’s been a long time coming. I wanted to do one with Asia a few years back but it never materialized. I’m proud of it. No expectations, but ultimately, I hope people love it. It’s something the fans wanted. People were asking me when I’d do it, and the same for him. I hope the fans enjoy it and know we put our all into it.
U.G. Digital Mag: I love the blending of genres. You being from the midwest and he from the west coast. As you get older, what do you feel you want your music to effect and change in hip-hop as the years go on?
Apollo Brown: You have to ask whether you want to be successful, or be significant. I would much rather be significant.
U.G. Digital Mag: But I would easily argue that you’ve been both.
Apollo Brown: It depends on how you look at it. Success is relative. I feel like I’m successful. I have a beautiful family at home, I can pay the bills, I can do the things I want to do, travel, and so on. But mainly, I’m successful because I have people around me who love me the most. It’s all one person’s opinion with success. Significance is important for me. I want to be able to leave a mark. If I die tomorrow, my catalog speaks for itself. It’s just like how Dilla left this earth. When he died, he became the best producer of all time to certain people. You gotta give people their flowers while they can still smell them. A lot of people wait for people to pass before they say all these good things about them. What stopped you from giving them their props while they were still here? I’ve had people come up to me and say they’re not trying to dick ride, but the music is dope. What is that? Like, it doesn’t make any sense. You give me a compliment, but try to preface it with not being a dick rider. I’m not going to think that. I’m going to say thank you because I appreciate it. That’s stupid, but that’s the world we live in. It’s not even like that. But I want to leave a mark. I’ve worked with people from different regions and era, singers, female emcees, male emcees, made different types of music, and I just want people to know I love to make music and I cared about everything that went into it. I want my music to resonate in people’s ears and hopefully they have a feeling from it. Whether it’s angry, happy, or sad, I don’t care. It’s a lot of music that gives no feeling at all. I need to listen to something that takes me somewhere. I want to leave people with a feeling, and hopefully I’m doing it.
U.G. Digital Mag: I agree 100%. I’ve wasted so much money on music, and I say with the utmost sincerity. I question why I’ve spent the money sometimes.
Apollo Brown: Not just the money, but your time. You can’t get that back
U.G. Digital Mag: Exactly. But even with the advance copy of this, I still bought it this morning. I have to support those that put the effort in. What are your three best songs in your mind?
Apollo Brown: That’s a hard one. The songs on these albums are like my kids. I love them all, just differently. It depends. One could be my favorite one day, depending on my mood, then it could change. To take three, I would say “Get Back”, “You Love Me”, Fire”, they’re all dope.
U.G. Digital Mag: Even “Deep in the Casket” is a favorite for me too.