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This interview was conducted in April of 2000.
The first time I heard the "The Truth" (click to play) was on the Wake Up Show during the summer of 1999. I simply couldn't believe what I was hearing. One after the other, this MC I had never heard before is running down a seemingly endless list of the most famous MCs of the 1990s... and laying down searing, incisive -- often hilarious -- disses of each one. One after the other, without any regard for thousands wounded feelings... LP straight lined 'em up and shot 'em down.
How funny, that one of the groups LP disses... just happened to be guests that very night on the Wake Up Show... none other than the rowdy gruffnecks, Onyx. As soon as the track finished playing, Onyx jumped right in the mix. But we'll leave the details to the interview... so read on! Also present for the interview was King Shameek (KS), producer of "The Truth".
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EN: Where are you from?
LP: I'm from the Bronx. And I've lived in California.
EN: Whereabouts?
LP: L.A., San Diego, and Richmond, VA.
EN: Where you at now?
LP: New York, the Bronx.
EN: What are your musical influences?
LP: My favorite idols are Rakim and Slick Rick.
EN: How'd you get hooked up with your record label Ground Control and NuGruv?
LP: Yo Sha, you can take that one.
KS: I actually knew Bill from awhile back, he was out here in Jersey. I found out later on that he was over at TRC distribution. That was kind of like a last resort. I was going to a lot of labels in Manhattan and they were skeptical about signing the deal. Cause I guess there were cats they had done business in the past with... When I took it to Bill, he felt strong about it and he said "Let's do It."
EN: Let's get into this single... "The Truth"... LP, do you know any of the people that you mention in the song?
LP: Nope
EN: Have you heard from any of them since?
LP: Nope
EN: What's been the general reaction to the song?
LP: Everybody I know loves it. Everybody's feeling it. Let's see, it's like a song that me and my peoples basically conversate. I put together all of my people's and my friends words together. You know, how we feel. And how we talk every day, "This MC, and that MC..." and just put into a song. You know what I'm saying?
EN: Has it been selling well?
KS: I will say that we are getting a lot of college support. And there's been some cats out here on Hot 97, the Morning Show that have been playing it...
EN: Which Morning Show?
KS: They came on right before the morning show, Star and Buckwild... they were the first to play it out here on Hot 97. On their show they're always talking down about people, you know... they don't bite their tongues at all.
LP: Telling the truth! [laughter around]
KS: As soon as they got it, the next day they said they don't even normally play vinyl, but they said they had to play "The Truth". So they were really big on it. Telling us that we should call the show and get on the air for an interview.
EN: So LP, I gotta ask, has anyone threatened you yet?
[laughter]
LP: No, not yet.
KS: I think they're a little scared. Cause his moms and his grandma knows karate.
EN: So you've got "in-house" protection.
[laughter]
EN: What about radio stations? Have any radio stations refused to play it.
KS: No, not really, Everybody's been playing it pretty much. There's a couple of heads in the business. I'm not gonna say any names, but they are big heads in the business and on radio, well respected, that have been kind of scared to play it I think. I guess they know all these characters that we're talking about . [The dissed artists] go to their shows on a regular basis every time a single or album comes out.
LP: When we did the song. In my head I was like, I know this is gonna be an underground cut, cause it's mad real. You know, it's a controversial song. So when radio stations like Ed Lover was one... we met in Miami and he was like "As soon as you get it on wax, give it to me. I wanna run it." And it surprised me, cause I didn't expect for radio to play it. You know what I mean?
EN: Yeah, me neither
LP: The way I feel is that even though a lot of radio stations might not play it... those that are playing it... it's like a surprise. Because I didn't even expect it to be that big on radio stations.
EN: So when I first heard "The Truth," it was on the Wake Up Show. As it turns out, Onyx was on the show. Rev plays the song, and when it's over they cut to Onyx. Onyx admitted they were falling down laughing. But then they came back to their senses and were like "Oh shit... we got dissed!" And they said they felt that you were taking a cheap shot and that you are basically capitalizing on their reputations that they had been working hard to build up all these years. How do you respond to that?
LP: When we made the song, we knew it was gonna get a lot of negativity. Coming into the business for me, my thing is everybody's not gonna like what you make in this business. If there was one artist that could make songs that everybody liked, he would sell a billion records. So the way I feel is that my songs are just gonna always be from my heart and from my peoples to feel when I make it. So those that's not gonna feel what I make... I'm not trying to make songs for the world. I'm trying to make songs for the real hip hop heads. To me, I like when cats say "Oh he's probably just gonna make this one hit." Or "That's it, he's no good no more." You know, that makes me stronger. I strive off of cats doubting me. It makes me stronger. If you don't feel this one... watch the next one, watch the next one. So it's like, I heard about that too, about Onyx. My cousins told me, they live out there. So I laughed too, no doubt.
EN: They agree with you about everyone else except themselves.
LP: Of course, of course. My thing too is that if I was out, and I was real big and know and another cat came out dissing me. If you're right, you're right... you know what I'm saying? I can't stand fake cats. If I don't dress right, and you tell me.. and I know you're right.. I gotta hug you.. thanks. I can't be mad about that.
EN: So now that we know what artists you feel have fallen off, what artists do you think over the years have been able to put out dope shit?
LP: Yeah, that's a good question. I've been waiting for that too. Hey, when is somebody gonna ask me "Who DO I like". You know... that's out now. Let me tell you who I like now. I love Mobb Deep. Mobb Deep to me always -- at a time when it was Young MC and so many commercial, wack cats -- they came out and And I'll never forget that. I was in Virginia. And it was at a time, so many wack commercial cats out there. They came out and changed the game, and it felt so good to know there's real rap out here. And I wasn't led to going on some commercial rap, cause that's which way it was going for a minute. So I love Mobb Deep. They always come with some raw material. Theres a lot of other cats, you know what I mean. There's a lot of cats that I do like. I don't dislike everybody.
EN: Do you think that as far as your career, and the careers of MCs in genereal, that there is a conflict between artistic integrity and commercial success? Can an MC make money, support a family, buy a house, and yet still be respected by hardcore hip hop heads?
LP: Yeah, of course. To elaborate, too, on favorite MCs... I'm real proud... well, not just proud, but of cats like DMX... he's from the underground... to see he's number one. Jay-Z is from the underground... he's number one. It's a good feeling. Because I know so many cats in the streets that are gifted... my friends. And it just feels so good that they're now excited: "Well, if these cats from the underground are number one or number two on the charts, and doing their thing... we can do it now." As a whole, I feel better about the hip hop game. You know what I mean? That's how I wanted to come in the game. You know, imagine if I had tried to come out with the realness when all the commercial stuff was out... it never would of come out. I'm glad that it gives these other cats in the street the inspiration to say "OK, I don't have to sell my soul" You know what I'm saying? So I look at the game and just smile and I say, "OK, we're making a change."
EN: So you think things are getting better in general for underground rap artists?
LP: Yeah, definitely. Because when I look in the street and you know I'm out there and meet friends of friends that are rhyming, I hear a lot of cats with SKILLS. As opposed to just sounding awful. There's a lot of nice, unknown cats in the streets. The only thing that's gonna happen is that they're gonna keep taking over. Their gonna keep taking the industry. It's gonna get better and better. All the garbage MCs are gonna be washed out. Boom. You're really gonna have to have skills sooner or later. That's what I've always wanted to see in the rap game: is skills... creative. I know, you see it these cats making money. Back to your questions, these cats like DMX and Jay-Z... they're making money and they're from the underground. That's lovely. To see the Roots get an award. You know a lot underground cats, we know the awards is something we don't care too much about. We'll watch it. But just to see the Roots get an award is like "Oh, they're from the underground too." And that gives a lot more inspiration to cats. "OK, I might get an award up in here now!" You know what I mean?
EN:Yeah, definitely. My next question is if there is a connection between your name and El-P from Company Flow? It wasn't a dis against him or anything?
LP: No, no. Even my brother said he knows him. So maybe one day I'll get to meet him and we'll talk. That's how I feel.
EN: Cause I think a lot of people that are familiar with El-P....
LP: Yeah, I know.
EN: So we'll clear the air here and let everyone know that there is no connection.
SH: LP is the abbreviation for "Lyrical Perfectionist"
EN: How'd you come up with that name?
LP: Well, basically I am a perfectionist. Not just music. Anything in life, I try to be the best at. Just put it to rhymes. You know.. a name... just lyrical... love lyrics... kick lyrics...
EN: What other material have you released other than this single "The Truth"?
That's the only thing that we've released so far. We're finishing an album. And you know, everything is up in the air. So I don't wanna give dates.
EN: But you and Shameek are working on an album now?
LP: Yeah.
KS: There's a couple of other cats that are doing production too. Omen, he did tracks for Rocafella. And on the Memphis Bleek album.
LP: The main producer now is my boy J. Blanco.
KS: Yeah, he's this Italian kid from Brooklyn. That's the next artist that we're working with. We have a package on him that we're shopping. He's ill. He produces MCs as well.
EN: Guest MCs?
LP: The crew... there's too many to name. There's a lot of them.
KS: We came up with this name called We Eats. That's the name of our management company. We have a song on there called "We Eats" too. Which consists of the whole crew, which is basically all of LPs people from around the way.
EN: LP, Any last words, apologies, shout-outs?
[laughter all around]
LP: I don't say anything I regret, you know what I mean?
KS: Sorry for making a hit record!
[more laughter]
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