THE MR.CRISIS BLOG: 11/06/08

By La'Juanda Knight

The New Problem

At the core of Mr. Crisis is a visionary. Unlike some of the other newcomers to rap, he has made the sound decision to take control of his rap career and allow his hunger to be what drives him. Even after signing a bogus production deal in his teens, to having people bail out on him at the last minute, none of that has derailed him from making his rap career happen.

Situations like that only steered him in being more hands on in his career. He directs his own videos, chooses his beats, and is the master mind behind his promotion. Finally, he knows what he wants and the route he needs to take to get there. His story telling lyrics are a stand out, just check his tribute song for TuPac "Changes 2008," and what he feels is going to aide him in bringing back the essence of Hip-Hop. No more rhyming at the lunch room table. He is known around New York as “Every Week Heat” because every week he puts out heat. Practice is over and Mr. Crisis is the problem.

AllHipHop.com: What inspired you to rap?

Mr. Crisis: I was growing up and living with my Grandfather. He was into a lot of soulful music. Otis Redding, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye. I grew up liking music. What inspired me to rap was that my friends use to be rapping at lunch time. They used to always make me want to rap. I started sneaking and writing stuff. I never told them I was writing until the next year I started rapping.

AllHipHop.com: Why were you hiding it? Were you embarrassed?

Mr. Crisis: I couldn’t rhyme on beat. [laughs] I had to practice until I could do it.

AllHipHop.com: What do you feel you have to offer the rap game?

Mr. Crisis: well, I don’t just rap and I got vision. I do films, I direct my own videos, I shoot my own videos, and I direct my own videos. I think I’m a new voice. There are a lot of old rappers that keep coming out, especially from New York. New topics and new stuff, I don’t compare myself to Biggie, but I paint a lot of pictures like he did. A lot of people don’t paint pictures any more. They talk about their jewelry but they aren’t taking it back to the essence.

AllHipHop.com: What do you feel is the essence of Hip-Hop?

Mr. Crisis: The old New York. Biggie and Jay Z. Storytelling. That’s where it’s at.

AllHipHop.com: Why are you taking such a hands on approach to your videos?

Mr. Crisis: The people, who do the videos, the directors, seem to take their time on getting the work done. I don’t want them to take their time. When I want something done. I use to have a guy I was dealing with and he would take a month just for a video. I rather knock people out the way and do my own stuff. Any way, I feel like nobody can do my own stuff better than I can. My raps are like visions. So, I can bring my raps to life my own way.

AllHipHop.com: Terror Alert part 2: Line Em’ Up and I’ll knock Em' Down earned you Street Album Of The Year. Did you expect to receive that amount of recognition from it?

Mr. Crisis: Honestly, I didn’t expect it. I did the mix tape just to satisfy some of the fans I had. When I got the award it was like wow I get an award for my works. That was a blessing. I did feel like I deserve it though because I put in a lot of work on the mix tape. I had flyers everywhere.

AllHipHop.com: Tell me about your self promotion. You have people wearing your t-shirts.

Mr. Crisis: Yeah. I have a street team. It consists of six people. We put the flyers up and wore the t-shirts. It was just my promotion for my mix tape. I thought of it.

AllHipHop.com: Tell me about the DVD?

Mr.Crisis: I have Terror Alert Part 3: Dumbing Out. Every song that I recorded, you will see me in the studio. You see me going through the process of making the video. It is like a documentary. I want to give everybody a visual so you can see what goes on. How I write my raps and record.

AllHipHop.com: Give me a description of how you write your raps and record.

Mr. Crisis: I’m not gonna front like some other rappers and say I never write my raps because I do. I write my raps but all my hooks, I never write my hooks. I get a lot of beats and I put it to the side and then I work on it later when something comes to me.

AllHipHop.com: Where did you get your name from?

Mr. Crisis: First my name was Crisis after 9/11. People were saying I was a problem. I put the Mr. to it to separate myself. I’m grown now so I’m Mr. I’m a grown man with the flow now.

AllHipHop.com: I feel that. They showed footage on Rap City of the award show where you won Street Album Of The Year. Has that coverage aided you as of yet?

Mr. Crisis: I had a lot feedback from regular people. Not from labels. I’m not really expected that much feedback yet. That mixtape I just rushed to do it. I’m trying to get on The Basement.

AllHipHop.com: Who was your inspiration besides Biggie and Jay?

Mr. Crisis: I love Kanye right now.

AllHipHop.com: Why do you love Kanye?

Mr. Crisis: He got that hunger. He sold all those records but he is never satisfied. That’s how I am. I put my heart and everything into when I perform.

AllHipHop.com: What do you want people to know about you?

Mr. Crisis: I want people to know that I’m Black, young, hungry and I’m ambitious and my work ethic is crazy. I’m cool and down to earth and I need this.

AllHipHop.com: What projects are you working on right now?

Mr. Crisis: I have Terror Alert Part 3. I got a mixtape coming out for Aaliyah. A tribute to her using all of her beats.

AllHipHop.com: That is going to be hot for the ladies. Is that why you did that?

Mr. Crisis: I made one song off the “One In A Million” track called “One In a Billion” and the feedback from the ladies was crazy! All her old beats were crazy.

AllHipHop.com: Which songs of hers are you going to use on the mixtape?

Mr.Crisis: “One in a Million,” “Rock The Boat,” “More Than A Woman,” “We Need A Resolution.” “If Your Girl Only Knew,” I switched mine to “If Your Man Only Knew”. I like different stuff.

AllHipHop.com: When will that be released?

Mr. Crisis: August.

AllHipHop.com: When can we expect Terror Alert Part3 : Dumbing Out?

Mr. Crisis: That is dropping after Father’s Day. I’m putting a lot or original songs on there this time. I stepped my game up from last year. I want people to see the progress.

AllHipHop.com: What happen with the production contract you had when you were a teenager? What did you learn from that?

Mr. Crisis: The guy set up some people from Tokyo to do a song and they were going to pay me but I never got the beat from the guy. My cousin was my manager at the time and he never got the CD. I didn’t let the guy know until the day of and he was like saying nah its too late .I told him I could write something in fifteen minutes and he was still like no. I went to the studio and he told me no again. I was able to get out of my contract because I was under 18. When I really got serious is when I put my first mixtape out. I use to see cars going by blasting my stuff and that let me know people liked my stuff. .