CRAC (blu)

*photo by Kyla

Blu: What do you need me to say?

What’s up?

Blu: Nothing much, what’s going on with you Andres?

Nothing much

Blu: You out there in San Diego? How’s the weather there?

It’s aight, it’s sunny and it’s cool. How is LA?

Blu: Los Angeles is very beautiful at this time of year.

You and this guy named Ta’Raach have made music together right?

Blu: Definitely, me and Raach City always make music together.

How did you guys initially start making music?

Blu: First of all we knew a mutual friend named Aloe Blacc. He called me over for a song and he told me to come through to record this song with this producer named Ta’Raach. I said, I’m down. Came through did the song in one take, Ta’Raach said, no, you gotta do it again. Second take, boom, took it in the second take. He said, that’s marvelous, we should work together sometime. So a few months later we hooked up there. We hooked up for a week and actually, in one week we did the entire first version of the CRAC record there,

Oh really?

Blu: … then we were evicted and I went the Europe and I came back and we became great friends after which we began to be lunatics together, and that’s about all I can say.

What made you want to work with each other?

Blu: I guess Ta’Raach thought I was a pretty cool artist here. He was coming out to California working with many different artists at the time and I linked up with him thought ht song with Aloe Blacc. I admired his work a lot, hey was my favorite song at the time. I was like, wow, this is very awesome here. I used to express it to him all the time, make jokes about the lines in the song. Like when he said he took a part time throwing the moon across the night, that was very, very interesting there that he would think like that as a person. I wanted to know who he was therefore he said, come over for a week we should do a lock out. I said I’m defiantly down to do a lock out, I’ve never done that before. Did a lock out for seven days, and it was pretty crazy there.

So you guys made that first version, what’s the deal with the Piece Talks?

Blu: The piece talks, the one that’s coming out in April, is a more updated version of the same record. Like how Radiohead gave out the download version of the record then they put it back out a little different, newer songs and I believe better quality also. We’re doing the same thing it’s just a three year gap.

How would you describe the music you guys make as CRAC compared to the music you guys make individually?

Blu: Much more fun, much more focused on the energy than getting a particular message across. I would say we both focus more on our lyricism separately and when we’re together we focus more on the chemistry and having fun and creating great songs that amuse ourselves I would say.

Did Raach handle all the production on the record?

Blu: Ta’Raach did do all the production on the record, from A-Z.

Raach has some beats.

Blu: Oh yes, Raach has very, very good beats, you should hear what he is working on now. His solo should be a blast, it should destroy the whole industry.

Can you expand on what CRAC is? I know CRAC is an acronym

Blu: Yes, it stands for Collect Respect Anna Check, but it’s also a mind state and an attitude with which we approach this industry here. They try to give us that fat dick everywhere we go and we say fuck that. That’s basically how we approach the music. we do everything we want to do just like they try to do anything they want to do to us. Some people think we have a very crass approach about it and I guess that’s what it means. The acronym is what we really stand for, respect first and then a check also.

What would you want people to take from the CRAC LP?

Blu: I personally would like motherfuckers to have a lot more fun and loosen the fuck up with their music. they’re either too serious, shooting the fuck outta somebody, doing drugs, selling drugs or selling their bodies or something very lunatic on their records. Just get in the studio and have fun; it’s not that serious. Have a good time and make music, if you’re talented it’ll show, don’t’ stress yourself out, breaking your neck about it. Just do it.

Now is this CRAC thing planned to be just a one-time thing or ongoing?

Blu: We plan on working together forever in many different ways. Ta’Raach is going to be definitely executive producing another record of mine, my next solo album. We always create songs together and I believe at some point, I’m sure we’ll get together and do another CRAC record, we’ve always planned on it. Before, we plan on CRAC expanding with different members and giving them to have an outlet and to be the majority of the focus on the records.

So CRAC isn’t just the two of you?

Blu: Well, we’re expanding on it more now. We want to get it down pat before we say that.

Moving on a little bit, just to update people on your own situation right now. I’ve heard that you’re working on like, thirty-seven different projects right now…

Blu: Me here? Me?

Yeah

Blu: Oh no, definitely not. Not thirty-seven.

Well, maybe not thirty-seven exactly, but a pretty sizeable amount of projects.

Blu: Well we’ve got a handful for 2008. After that it’s a little more relaxed there. I’m working on a major record, a soundtrack, I’m producing two EP’s, I have the CRAC record coming out and the Johnson & Jonson record coming out. Hopefully all those will be out by fall.

So the Johnson and Johnson is the joint with you and Mainframe. That joint’s been getting a little notoriety due to its availability.

Blu: Laughs

Can you talk a little bit more about the other projects you were talking about, the EP’s…

Blu: I’m producing a EP for this fellow from Brooklyn named Sene. To me it’s like Tribe Called Quest again or something along those sort of lines. Feel-good fun music you know, Sene is from a different coast so he brings a different perspective. I’m just on the production end so I’m focusing on trying to make his lyrics stand out, something a little different than what the public is used to hearing and what he is used to rapping on. That is called a Day Late and a Dollar Short, we’ll have that EP out very soon. I should have some production on his solo record also. I’m also putting out a digital release of CashUsKing very soon, maybe in a month or so. That’s just to get things going on his behalf. He has a lot, a lot of very dope music he’s going to put out. He did some music with me about a year back so we want to just put that out, see what people think of it. I’m also doing a soundtrack with those artists featured and other artists like Mike Holden and other LA artists. I want to keep it California based. I also got some singers I’m working with as well.

Now you said you were working on a soundtrack. For what film?

Blu: It’s a film there called God is Good. That’s all I can really say about it right now.

Ok. Can I ask if you’re involved with the film as well?

Blu: Yes, I am. I’m the co-writer.

Oh, crazy.

Blu: Don’t tell anyone that.

Ok. Allright.

Blu: That’s a joke, I know whatever I tell you gets out.

Everything? Not everything.

Blu: I’m just playing.

Allright. Yo, when did you start producing?

Blu: In the middle of 2006 I would say. I started out on my own; I’m always learning little techniques from Exile. I was looping a lot with Johnson & Jonson, then I began to layer loops, some call that producing but I just think I’m a beat maker. I’m also producing projects but I’m not a producer per se, you know what I mean.

What inspired you to start? Did you always want to go into producing?

Blu: No, actually Exile always used to tell me I should produce. I used to say no, I would never produce, I remember clearly saying that to him more than one time. It was funny because when I started to work with John I got into ProTools and started to learn ProTools a lot, even recording myself for Below The Heavens I started learning ProTools a lot. With Johnson & Jonson we began to just loop up records to rap on them, mixtape style. I learned how to loop and sequence and everything, chopping and things of the sort. So I started being creative and just playing around with the chops just to freak something in the loop. I made a couple beats one night being bored, high and intoxicated and all those good things that make you want to be creative. I said fuck it, I’m just gonna make some beats, started rapping over a few and played them for a few friends, they liked them, I said do whatever the fuck you wanna do with them, I don’t mind, it’s just a little break a little beat there.

What’s your favorite beat so far?

Blu: My favorite beat that I’ve made so far? I don’t’ really have one there. I like my beats, how they feel, but I don’t think they’re the greatest beats or anything. I like the songs that are created from the beats moreso. They bring out a different style and attitude and approach in a person.

How do you find time for everything you do?

Blu: I do have my hand in a lot of things, that’s how I like to stay but everything doesn’t work out how you plan on it working out. You just have to do it. I try to focus on what I want to do in life moreso than anything, and I try to do those things, even if someone is there to back it or put it out or support it or buy it or listen to it or whatever. I don’t give a fuck. I did a rock album a few years ago that will probably never come out, called Bob Smiles, if somebody finds that, that’ll be pretty funny.

Laughs

Blu: It’s just different things. You gotta do what you wanna do, it’s your life.

Most definitely

CRAC – The Piece Talks — INVEST IN THIS.