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ThaFormula.com - Does the label have high expectations this time around as far as sales go?

Iriscience - To a certain extent.  They have high expectations anyway if they wanna sign you.  They want you to sell 10 million records pretty much, even if they don't tell you that, that's basically what they want.  But we don't put any pressure on ourselves and we don't really care to be honest.  We just do what we do and if they don't like it that's cool to.  We can have a whole different conversation, I'm not mad at that.  So far they kinda let us do what we need to do and it hasn't really been that big a deal.  They are starting to understand our fan base now.  The fact that they can't just plug us in and do what DMX and Ja Rule does.

ThaFormula.com - What's the record deal like and was it good for you guys?

Iriscience - We signed a 4 album deal.  It was decent man.  Ultimately it was a good deal.  I mean their was alot of points that I would have addressed differently with our lawyer.  Our publishing is ours and we were very involved in the deal, but were not lawyers.  It's like any other hustle, it's a game.  After a while you pick up veteran tricks and see things before they happen.  

ThaFormula.com - How much of a struggle is it to get a record deal. I mean you guys got a major deal without having to sell out one bit.  That's something that's really rare nowadays.

Iriscience - For us we put it on the line everyday.  If you want something you have to be willing to give whatever it takes.  If it takes more then you got, you have to find a way to get it.  Some people are afraid of that little area between where they are and where they wanna be.  It's like they wanna teleport instead of walk.  You gotta carry your weight and you gotta be able to make it from one place to another.  You have to find a way to build that bridge you know and that's just how we do it.  I mean it does get frustrating.  I've never not wanted to create, I've never not wanted to write poetry and rock crowds or anything like that.  But I have many times at least once a day hated dealing with the industry that goes along with making records and sellin records and everything.  But it's a part of what we do.  I'm not happy when the IRS wants 50%.  I'm not happy with alot of things that you have to deal with as a professional artist,  but at the same time I get to do me for a living.  I get to be myself and see the world.  I feel blessed and I definitely appreciate where I'm at.  So as much as I might complain and have bad days and everything, I appreciate the fact that I'm complaining still about something I love.  

ThaFormula.com - Do you ever wish that you were doin what your doin now during the golden years of rap with Pete, Gangstarr, Tribe, Boot Camp all droppin incredible hip hop?

Iriscience - A s much as I wish that my environment was kinda like that, but as far as what we do.  See the fact is we grew up during that time and we were so influenced by that, that our influences are showing.  Our ability to learn and apply is showing and that's something that I feel like it's the perfect time.  As far as what's happening around us.  It's kinda like it's darker and it just means that were shining brighter and their's alot of people still, like De La, Gangstarr, people that are from the era that we grew up.  Back then letting your group shine as a unit was something that was really being stressed back then.  It's much easier to focus on one and that's how the DJ kinda got fazed out.  It was easier to focus on one mc.  That's how alot of groups started breaking up and some of these great solo artists. Cause alot of labels were like "listen, your group is cool, but you, your the cat, so let's pull you out" and for us, were very crew oriented, but at the same time we encourage each other to do other projects and work on other people's records.  You know "Go get you money".  

ThaFormula.com - Ok once you get your money from the label, where do you make your money from there?

Iriscience - The major money to make is in shows and merchandise.

ThaFormula.com - Is their alot of money to be made in merchandise?

Iriscience - That depends on your group.  I mean if you get out there and you really market yourself and people like your group and the gear that your making and they feel connected and wanna support and build with you like your building with them, then the merchandise will sell.  If you just take it for granted and just press up a couple of T - Shirts and throw them on a table some place, maybe they won't sell.

ThaFormula.com - What exactly is Word Of Mouth?

Iriscience - Word Of Mouth is our management company. It's also kinda like a family too.  The last couple of years we gone on a word of mouth tour, which is us and Jurassic 5, World Famous Beat Junkies, and the second tour Supernatural came with the whole tour.  You know it's a close family and tight business.  It's definitely a team that's in the trenches for us.  Outside of makin records, they are very much involved in making things happen, but that's what they get paid to do. Basically to get things crackin.

ThaFormula.com - Do you consider Joey Chavez and Alchemist part of Dilated?

Iriscience - I consider Joey and Alchemist Dilated.  They are not part of necessarily the group, but that's kinda like our base.  See Joey, Alchemist, and Evidence grew up together and learned how to produce together.  They all started making beats together and that's something that's consistent in our group.  That's how we like to hear things.  Joey has a particular sound that is Dilated Peoples.  Alchemist has a particular way of approaching beats which is Dilated Peoples.  Cause they know us, they grew up with us and they been with Dilated Peoples since Alchemist was just Al and their was no group called Dilated Peoples.   

ThaFormula.com - Now I was listening to the track "Self Defense" off the new album and it sounds to me like it was directed towards Eminem.  Who was that song directed to?

Iriscience - You know, their's alot of people that talk man.  We just put up a little sign just to let people know to just respect the fence man.  Respect our property and our area.  It pertains to alot of different situations.  It was kinda loosely based on just particular energies that are out there, but if I have a real serious beef with somebody and it's time to get into it, then I'll definitely handle the problem man to man.  It was just that way for a reason.  It might apply very strongly to certain issues, but we squashed that beef already.  Cats from D12 called us, squashed the beef as far as crew to crew and that's something that we did a little while back.  So their's actually no beef anymore and as far as were concerned it's all good, but it's kinda like you know, somebody breaks into your spot, you might have to get the guard dog and put the sign out.  So it's just lettin people know to show respect here and that's it, it's mutual.  

ThaFormula.com - Now, we recently did an interview with Mell Man and he told us that he was doin a track with you guys for the new album.  What happened with that?

Babu - Personally, I know Mell from Fat Beats.  I met Mell when he first moved out to L.A and he used to come by in his truck and say "Yo, check this out" and just crank beats in front of the store for me.  And if you know Mell and I mean besides just knowin him on the radio, you know that he's got crazy beats.  He had this incredible beat that we wanted to work with, but time schedules and time frames not permitting, we just weren't able to do it. 

Iriscience - But we just bumped into him on the airport not to long ago doin a photo shoot. He was catchin a red eye out of town and we were about to leave and you know we talked about it.  It's something that hopefully in the future we will get together.  It's good to see people in L.A. building bridges and connecting and showin love and going outside the boat a little bit and working on different things.  And to be honest we knew that he had heat cause you listen to the stuff he has done, but as far as he would have something that's specifically suited for what we needed, he had that to and it just shows that we are diverse in our approach to things and he's diverse in his approach to things and out of that good things come, so hopefully in the future their will definitely be something popping.

ThaFormula.com -Well I got a chance to hear some of those beats in the the studio with Mell and I gotta agree that he's got some incredible shit lying around. But he doesn't get the props he deserves from people out there.

Iriscience - He's not like super high profile. You know as far as being in the scene partying and jumpin up around and he's not up in your face as much as a lot of people are.  But as far as producers and DJ's, they know what's going on with Mell.  

Babu - It's just a matter of time for him.  Were lucky to be exposed to someone like Mell and hopefully we might hook up and do a remix or something like that in the future.

ThaFormula.com - Is their a difference recording in New York?

Iriscience - It's thick out there man.  The vibe in the city is thick too.  The scene is really concentrated.  People are really concentrated.  The first time we walked into D & D studios to record a song, Primo, Guru, Freddie Foxxx, M.O.P, Pete Rock, Big Shug, Grap Luva, Group Home, and all kinds of people were just in various studios.  Afu - Ra and cats out there recording like it's nothing.  I was like damn this a video shoot or something, what's going on in here.  That's how it looks, but everyday because it's so serious over their.  When we went out their to record, it was like a really strong vibe, a really strong energy out there and we tried to capture a little bit of it in our "Worst come to Worst" video, but you know we actually recorded "Worst comes to Worst out there. ( You can stream the new video here 56k or 110k ).  We did like 5 or 6 songs out their, maybe even more I think.

ThaFormula.com - Was recording at D & D everything you expected?

Iriscience - The weird thing was that it really was.  You know you look up at the wall and it's like Platinum and Gold records and you look at every single one of them and it's Biggie, Gangstarr, Nas, Jay - Z, it's all these people that have blown up recording at D & D and it's like they blinged out just like any other studio, but it's all hip hop music.  I mean they got other music and stuff, but it's like you get a sense like this place, they might have to pick this whole studio up and put it in a museum one day.  You know what I mean, it's that type of vibe that you get when your there.  I mean it's half the album that we did there and we started some stuff out there that we finished out here.  At any given day, Primo would be in his room workin on our track,  Alchemist will be in another room workin on another one of our tracks, and Juju might be layin a beat for us,  or the Beatminerz might be in there workin on "Trade Money" and we would just be runnin crazy cause we just took over D & D for a while you know.  But it was a blast every night cause you know Teflon was over there and you know whoever was around would just be coming down hangin out, partying whatever.  Also the cats that run D & D are some real cool people.

ThaFormula.com - How was the Rocksteady that you performed at?

Iriscience - We performed the last night I think of the weekend event, but I'm actually from Rocksteady crew and Zulu Nation so for me it was like a homecoming.  You know I'm not a dancer,  except maybe to grab somebody at a little dark club and shit. Other then that I'm not a dancer, but I been part of Rocksteady crew since 92.  Crazy legs had been callin me for years to come out there, but were always on the road or were in the studio and that was the first time last year that we were able to make everything happen and get out there.  

ThaFormula.com - Now you guys seem to tour alot with Jurassic 5, but I notice that neither you nor them make any guest appearances on each others albums. Why is that?

Iriscience - See we don't really like them, we just have the same management (Laughs). It's kinda weird man, like the timing of everything has kinda been weird like that.  I mean we have freestyled together hundreds of times you know touring and all that and it's something we don't take lightly. Obviously, it ain't gonna happen on Expansion Team, but you never know man.  The Jurassic album is still comin out and their still workin on that.  If not then we'll find a mutual place and meet up and do it, but it's gonna happen.  And as far as Beat junkies on the cut with Numark and Cut Chemist we might have to make a movie for the video like Michael Jackson.  It's gonna happen man.  I mean we shot the video and they came down for the video shoot.  Were both hustling groups and were kinda like on a little different schedule.  We linked up to do the tour, but as soon as we got off, we started recording and they went back on the road.  So now they are workin on their album while were gonna be on the road promoting our album and it's kinda like everybody is workin, but when everything aligns properly it's gonna be dynamic.   

ThaFormula.com - Now Ev and Babu are both producin this time around.  When is Rakka gonna get behind the boards?

Iriscience - It's like I approach everything like a science man so I feel like I'm still workin on my formulas and stuff.  Something is gonna happen for the future, please believe it.  I deal with the machines and everything like that, but their's alot of different things going on and everybody gotta play their position and do what's necessary to be done.   

ThaFormula.com - When is Babu gonna get behind the tables?

Babu - Never

Iriscience - Man! Let me explain about Bab's. Me and Babu have had many freestyle sessions on the road.  Get Bab's inspired properly, his instrumental tape and a CD in a deck and we can go for hours.

ThaFormula.com - Why do you think freestylin is comin to an end on wax.  I mean a few years back you used to have freestyles in skits or just a freestyle track on an album here and there.

Iriscience - The whole song Dilated Junkies.  If I'm not mistaken, I just freestyled the whole thing.  I just did a freestyle for space and Bab wouldn't let me change it.  He's like Nah! you gotta keep it like that.  It was literally just off the dome type freestyle.  Alot of the stuff that I record for the album was either straight up freestyle or was just me siitin in a booth sayin mmm! let me rip that and just freestyle 4 bars and build on it.  So it's a big part of what we do live on stage and on the radio I love to freestyle.  

ThaFormula.com - Why do you think real DJ albums like Q - bert, Mixmaster Mike, etc.  have not done well commercially.  I mean it seams like DJ's like Clue and Flex are the only ones that have done well.

Babu - Their so ahead of their game that they are going over people's heads and it's not their problem, I think it's the people's problem. 

Iriscience - It's just starting right now where people outside of hip hop are starting to respect turntable music, scratch music, and that's also helping to keep it strong within the hip hop culture.  For us Babu is an important part of the group.  He's not just my DJ, I'm his MC you know what I'm sayin.  

ThaFormula.com - How big of a blow was losing the Wake Up Show out in L.A. for all the rappaz out there?

Evidence - It's terrible man. It leaves alot less on Saturday nights, but see the Wake Up Show is still syndicated worldwide. It's just not in L.A. anymore.

ThaFormula.com - How much did the wake up show help you guys?

Evidence - Come on man! That's on of the main reasons were here.  It was real cause when I didn't even have a record deal I rhymed with Big Pun and all them and if you were underground, you better be ready to show your skills cause you were gonna be in their with platinum cats, so it was like a bridging gap and a place for everyone to stay sharp on their skills and since that show it's alot easier to not have to freestyle everyday cause you know you don't have to go to the wake up show.  I remember drivin in my car and kickin a freestyle pretending I was on the Wake Up Show and seeing what I would do in a battling situation.  It was one of the most interactive shows that we had.

ThaFormula.com - So why exactly did they cut it out in L.A?

Evidence - They weren't really willing to play commercial music. The station was like you can have your spot but you gotta be willing to play X amount of basically records that they played all day.

ThaFormula.com - So basically you can't get nothing played on the radio nowadays unless your paying?

Babu - Or if you fit a format.  

Evidence - You gotta really fit what's happening right now. You gotta come into the zone and just land right there.  You gotta have the hot the hot track that comes in at a certain time and the song fades out before 3:30.  You gotta have a little singing.  You know their is alot of stipulations that go into it.  You can't just make a record and go hand it to them.

ThaFormula.com - Does the label ever tell you that?

Evidence - You would be surprised what goes on behind the scenes.  Were fighting alot of ideas all the time from the label.

ThaFormula.com - Now on the track Night Life, you have a girl singin on the hook.  Was that something you wanted to do or the label?

Evidence - Yeah, it was something I wanted to do.  It's not really that different cause it's still Joey Chavez on the beat.

Babu - Were just regular people man and females are a big part of our life.  So I think it was just us saying, I'd like to hear a girls voice.  

Evidence - But it's like you almost have to listen with a magnifying glass to hear the singin it that cut.  That song is actually a really hardcore kinda cut and I like girls and anyone that's fighting women is fighting themselves.

ThaFormula.com - Exactly, but alot of these kids are quick to point something out like that.  They are quick to say Oh they are startin to sell out already.

Evidence - So what happens if I have someone like Medusa singin on the track?

ThaFormula.com - Right, which leads to my next question.  Don't you think it's time for alot of these real hip hop heads to start to open up, especially when half of the underground shit out there is wack?

Evidence - I just think good music is good music.  You know "Saturday" is one of my favorite De La Soul tracks of all time and you hear the singin chorus on that one.

Babu - But I think for us to, we probably went through a faze when we were like that.  I know maybe like 6 years ago I was like that.  I couldn't hear anything but something like MF Doom type shit all the time!!  But I listen to everything man.  You have to and were not gonna lie were trying to sell records.  We listen to the radio cause you have to know what's out  there.  

ThaFormula.com - See were not trying to cover one certain type of hip hop. Not commercial or underground.  We just try to cover what we feel are dope artists doin great music, especially when half of the underground shit out there is wack.

Evidence - That's how the Wake Up Show felt.  You know if your wack your wack.  If your pop and your wack, your wack! If your underground and your wack, your wack! If your wack your wack!!

ThaFormula.com - Now I know you have seen Sway on MTV. What do you think about that?

Evidence - Their is so many things that go into effect about him being on MTV.  Him being on MTV could be the reason we were sitting right next to Funkmaster Flex on Direct Fx or maybe him talkin to somebody who talked to somebody.  So havin hip hop people in the pop world is like havin your friend that becomes a cop.  It's just one more person on the team.

ThaFormula.com - But to alot of people out there, they see Sway as a sell out?

Evidence - Well, they haven't had a chance of payin bills yet either.  When you have responsibilities and you think, I can live off of hip hop!!  But I understand cause I'm of that mentality and the reason our music sounds the way it does and we don't make music for MTV and the radio is because we are the same people.  It's just that we been exposed to other shit now.  Now I can look back and say, OK at least I understand it now.  That doesn't mean I have to go do it, but knowing is so much better than not knowing and having options is better then not having options so now that I've gotten to hang out with people who are the pop stars, you know who are the big wigs sayin ok this is how it is.  I get to see it and at the point I can say, "Do I wanna do that or not".  I chose not to, but some people say I do.  But we been a group a long time and were not really gassed off the whole thing.  We respect it more then anything and because of it being in the game for a long time, we saw alot of people who went up, straight down and they talked shit going up and they had to face the same people they were shittin on going down.  So we just kinda been like why do it cause we seen so many people do it.  As far as the girl on "Nightlife", that's my homegirl Noel whose really dope.  I did the chorus and the beats going blum, blum , blum, blum, and I was like make up some words, don't even say shit, but just end it on Nightlife.  So she went blum, blum, Nightlife, you know what I'm sayin (laughing).  It was layered and I would have used it and sampled it just like that.  You know, I just think it's time for people to step up.  You got Planet Asia gettin a deal with Interscope, we landed this deal with Capitol and Jurassic with Interscope.  Their is certain people that are starting to make a name for themselves right now and I think it's just time regardless of whether your an underground rapper or polished cat.  To say, "You know what, I gotta do for myself right now and I can't wait to ride the wave of any scene.  I need to stand out of the group, myself.  If the scene ain't crackin right now, you gotta make it crack for yourself.  People gotta take the initiative and don't be scared.   

ThaFormula.com - Well you know, were just trying to show people that their is nothing wrong with being on MTV, as long as your not sellin your soul.

Evidence - The last line of work the angles is, don't go to them, let them come to you.

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