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It's been a minute, but this 20 year old hungry MC is putting Compton back on the map. We've watched his stock rise first hand, and now he's making it known to the world as he stars on Showtime's "The Next Level," an MC battle that will make any 106 & Park MC run with their tail between their legs. Be sure to check Spit Fiya's episode as he crushes his way through tha finals.

ThaFormula.Com - Let everyone know what city you're representin'…

Spit Fiya - The City of Compton.

ThaFormula.Com - Have you stayed there you're whole life?

Spit Fiya - Yeah, I've stayed there my whole life.

ThaFormula.Com - How old are you?

Spit Fiya - I'm 20 years old.

ThaFormula.Com - Comin' from Compton people are automatically gonna assume your style, but you're comin' with somethin' different, describe your style…

Spit Fiya - Yeah, people automatically assume I'm gangsta or somethin'. My style is universal, I can rap fast, I can rap slow, I can tell stories, and I can rap about life.

ThaFormula.Com - I know that one of you're biggest influences is Twista, but who else are you influenced by and what is it about Twista's style that grabs you?

Spit Fiya - Well my two main influences are Timbaland and Twista. The first time I heard Twista I was just like, "wow!" I didn't know that anyone could rap that fast and do that with their mouth, just come off the top freestylin an you're able to understand every word he says. And with Timbaland, I know he's not really considered a rapper but every time out he's different, just creative you know? So basically Timbaland and Twista mainly, oh and Mad Skillz, definitely Mad Skillz. It's like all the people I look up to are super talented, but they're the underdogs.

ThaFormula.Com - Because their so different it's harder for them to get on because the labels don't think they can sell it…

Spit Fiya - Exactly.

ThaFormula.Com - Now are you worried about that at all yourself? Because you're style's different too, and is kind of combination of those three people you mentioned.

Spit Fiya - I've thought about that ya know, how people are gonna like me or adapt to me but I can't really worry about that, I just have  to rely on my skillz.

ThaFormula.Com - I remember the first time you came by the store (ThaFormula Records) and were freestylin with the guys from Little Brother, I didn't know there were any other MC's there besides Little Brother and I went in the back for a minute and then all of a sudden I heard you come and everyone in back came out to check you out, you're style definitely grabs people's attention.

Spit Fiya - You see, I want to be in a category like..I notice right now everybody wants to sound the same, everybody wants the Joe Budden "Pump It Up" crap. I'm not knockin' him but everyone wants to sound like that. You know a love song, or a Neptunes song. It's not like back in the day with guys like Biggie, Jay-Z, Nas, or Rakim all of them, they had a lot in common. They were creative, had wit, they could tell a story, they could talk about life and they could write songs and a lot of people don't do that no more. They're all into that partyin' shit you know. I want to be like someone like Big L, a lot of people compare me to Big L.

ThaFormula.Com - How long have you been rhymin'?

Spit Fiya - I've been rhymin' since I was 8 years old.

ThaFormula.Com - 8 years old? What, you were the baddest on the playground? (laughs)

Spit Fiya - (laughs) Yep, and see the thing is everyone says I was destined to be an MC because I learned how to rap from Dr. Seuss. (laughs) You're probably wonderin' like "what the hell?" but basically, my cousin used to rap (he's incarcerated right now) and my mom used to always try to get me to rap with him. I wasn't into it at the time though, but my mom used to read me Dr. Seuss books all the time when I was younger. I wasn't a good reader, but I could really remember stuff. When it would come time for me to read to her, I would just go off memory and say the whole book. One day I was just like "what if I flipped the words?" Like "One Fish, Two Fish…" I would just flip the words. "This is how we do this/the rhymes get foolish/one fish, two fish, red fish…" (laughs) You know I would just flip the patterns and that's how I developed my freestyle. Basically I owe everything to my mom.

ThaFormula.Com - What kind of material do you write, or what fits you style best?

Spit Fiya - I've just been tryin' to write singles. (laughs) I have dreams and aspiration of leavin' my parents house real soon. But I like to write everything. Like right now I'm workin' on a couple life songs, you know. I like to be well rounded like Big L, or Biggie or Nas. They used to write about stories, or about life and they could make singles.

ThaFormula.Com - And they could make their life stories singles!

Spit Fiya - Yep.

ThaFormula.Com - So how do you keep you're skills sharp, are you out there hittin' the streets all the time?

Spit Fiya - Freestylin'. All the time, that's all I do. If I'm not writin', I'm freestylin'. You know what I'm sayin'? Music is my life. I mean there was even time when there was this female I was real close with, and she was tryin' to make me pick between her and music. I had to let her go.

ThaFormula.Com - To the curb! Damn.

Spit Fiya - Yep, that's like tellin' an English major not to do English, or tellin' the President not to represent the United States, or a gangster not to rep his set.

ThaFormula.Com - That's some funny shit…

Spit Fiya - I remember this one time, I was rappin' for Steve Harvey. It was at this model competition and they were also havin' a talent competition. There was nothin' but R&B acts, I was the only rapper there and I won the whole thing. Raphael Saadiq was in the back, listenin' to some dude freestylin' for him. I seen that and I was like, "ooh, I'm get in on that." I didn't know the guy was tryin' to show of for Raphael Saadiq though because at the time I didn't even know it was him because he was wearin' like big coat and I just didn't recognize him. So I start rhyming and I throw a couple bags at him, so he started dissin' me back, and I get him back better. Then the guy in the coat keeps jumpin' on me after I drop my line, and you know, I'm from Compton, so I'm like, "back up off me!" But I keep goin' throwin' lines at the guy and then like 4 or 5 more times the guy is jumpin' on me. About like the sixth time I turned around and realized it was Raphael Saadiq jumpin' all over me, he was like "You're the truth, you're hot."

ThaFormula.Com - That's crazy! Now you cited Timbaland as a big influence, but are there any other producers out there you're feelin' and who you think would flow well with your style that you'd like to work with?

Spit Fiya - I like Primo, I like 9th Wonder, that's the man right there. I like Just Blaze and that's about it. Oh and you can't forget about Dre, how can I be from Compton and not be down with Dre? (laughs)

ThaFormula.Com - You're appearing on a new T.V. series on Showtime right now, what's it called and what's it about?

Spit Fiya - It's called "The Next Episode." They're lookin' for the best unsigned rap artist in America you know what I'm sayin'? They took 5 cities, LA, Atalanta, Detroit, Philly, and New York and they went by who had the nicest buzz in that city. They didn't hold auditions or anything, they just went by who had the nicest buzz on the streets. They narrowed it down to 2 from each city and chronicle a day in the life of an unsigned artist and then put them in a freestyle battle against each other. The winner from each city goes on to the finals in LA. It's hot, the competition is real good. The same people that did "8 Mile" are producing this, Interscope and Paul Rosenberg.

ThaFormula.Com - Yeah I read about that. I also read that had different "known" artists from each city hosting the event…

Spit Fiya - Yeah, Proof from D-12 hosted the Detroit battle and Big Boy (from KPWR Power 106) and DJ Babu did ours in LA.

ThaFormula.Com - Is there anything you can tell us about the show, I know contractually there is a limit to what you can say until it airs but what can you tell us?

Spit Fiya - They really are tryin' to find the "Next." You know how you see on "106 & Park" and everything is censored, you can't talk about this or whoopty whoop…

ThaFormula.Com - Yeah, this is Showtime though so it's cable TV no hold barred huh?

Spit Fiya - You can say whatever you want. They have rounds where you have to go Acapella, one round nothing but metaphors, one with a live drummer, one with a beat box, you have to really be up on you're game. They even have a round where you have to switch up you're styles. I think that was the easiest one for me because you know I have to be versatile!

ThaFormula.Com - No doubt. Congrats on the show, I'm lookin' forward to checkin' it out. Any last words for the people…

Spit Fiya - Big shouts out to Little Brother, Crooked I, Timbaland, you gotta sign your boy! DJ Babu, Ness Lee from the Atlanta show, and COMTON'S BACK! Put that in bold! I always say that, because we've got to show people that it's not all gang bangin' there's real Hip-Hop in L.A. and Compton.

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