Although I ignore pretty much everything that turns up randomly in my email, the notes for this album caught my eye:
“Shoutout to New York for giving me my entire style of production that I essentially ripped off from producers much better than myself. Shoutout to my worthless deadbeat of a father for abandoning my mother but leaving me well over 2000 records to sample from because you had no means to take them.”
Turns out the album was a good listen, so I reached out to it’s producer and had a quick talk to him to find out his story.
Robbie: Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
Cole James Cash: I live in the Bay Area, I’ve lived here my whole life, with the exception of when I was in the service. New York rap is almost all I listen to. I’m heavily influenced by guys like DJ Cam, DJ Krush, Ninja Tune, Mo’ Wax, so it’s been really rocky for me as far as gaining rappers to see my vision in the Bay Area.
You re-chop some classic breaks on the project, which is always good to hear.
You thought I was out here trappin’, whoadie? [laughs] I tried to have an entire story that I really ripped-off from a movie called The Price of Glory. I have a lot of fight archive footage, so the second half of the album I tried to apply that to the last fight of the movie. You could say I re-scored it.
How long have you been making music?
I used to perform under a different name. I used to be known as C.I.A., I started off as a house music/drum and bass DJ. Are you familiar with C-Bo and Killa Tay? My friend from back in the day, Dobad The Assailant, he encouraged me to start producing. I got affiliated with him, Killa Tay started this label. C-Bo went and signed with Young Buck – remember when he was starting his shit back in ‘08? What ended-up happening was…nothing. I made all these beats, I had all these projects, I met all these rappers – E-40, The Mob Figgaz, AP-9, The Jacka – they all loved my stuff.
Then what happened?
I started sending my demo to all these labels and rappers but got no response, so I decided, “You know what? All these people that are making it aren’t making it on talent, They’re making it on image!”. So I’m going to take my favorite comic book character, Cole Cash, and add my name to it to avoid copyright issues, I’ma start wearing a mask and obscuring my identity and I’m gonna start creating concept albums.
What are your influences?
The second Onyx album, All That We Have Is Us, The Genius’ first album and the Group Home album had a huge influence on me as a teenager. I didn’t hear Nas’ Illmatic until 2002, because Nas wasn’t big over here. My dream artists to work with would be Ghostface Killah, Kool G Rap, Nas, AZ and E-40, because I’ve always respected his work ethic. He had the entire East Coast hatin’ on him.
That story about E-40 setting-up Biggie was crazy.
We’re very close-knit out here, we don’t take well to being disrespected. No New York MC has ever successfully shitted on the Bay Area. Biggie had shitted on E-40 for some small reason, and basically he brought Biggie out to a show in Sacramento and there was nobody there. They set him up – they were gonna kill him, until Biggie begged for his life.
What else are you into?
Back in college I knew a couple of porn stars. One of ‘em was AVN Award Winner, Veronica Jett. I like big girls. Rest in peace to the big homie Killa Sha, but me and him have similar tastes. He’s going much bigger than me, I’m in the 170-220 lbs range. To be honest, the average female out here weighs that. One of the one’s I’m the coolest with goes by the name of Desiree Devine. She’s probably 6 feet, 250 [lbs]. That’s the homie right there.
Stream or download Cole James Cash’s The Price of Glory album below:
Aight Robbie, now you gotta do some spice1, tha click, 415, Richie Rich and other yay area rapper posts, ha. Sounds like a less spastic bay area madlib to me. Thats good. Beats are nice, it’ll be good music for my commute when sway in the morning is on that bullshit or some screamo dj is looping his adlib over and over.
I have Spice 1’s first album and MC Ant but that’s about the extent of my knowledge about the region.
thanks robbie, the rappers name is “Jacka”
for the 3 people who read this interview me and samhill have linked up and are going to have several tracks together, so my search for rappers has ended.
This is is super dope! I would love to hear E-40 or San Quinn, or Mac Mall over some of these beats! That would be some ill ish! Great job Cole James Cash!
ironically i djed a show and gave san quinn some of these beats and he never got back to me, i gave him a cd at a show where i was opening for him with my contact info.
i like the idea that Unkut might become the go-to spot for talented producers to link with MC’s worth a shit.
Too many beats ending up in the wrong hands/never being rapped over nowadays and i can only make so many blend tapes.
Dope find, Robbie. This is the new ‘Source’.
Awesome find. This guy is entertaining as well. Remember Mannish? Just listened to that album the other day.
@ Cole James:
Haven’t heard your music yet but I read this interview. I dig Your drive and love for the music. I will check your joints out. Keep grindin’. BTW, I digs the big girls, too, lmao…
Checked them out. Nice. Good flip of “The Edge”, too…
I HAVE KNOWN THIS NIGGA FOR GOD KNOWS HOW LONG AND I REMEMBER HIS FIRST BEAT FROM BACK IN 05 OR 06. I TOLD YOU A LONG TIME AGO TO DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO AND STOP TRYIN TA WAIT FOR OTHER NIGGAS 2 CARRYU AND FINALLY 6 YEARS LATER YOU LISTENIN 2 A NIGGA. THIS NEW SHIT IS TURNT UP BUT I REMEMBA U HAD EVEN HOTTER SHIT THAN THIS. I REALLY HOPE U TAKE IT FURTHER THAN YOU DID. THIS NIGGA WAS MAKING A NEW BEAT EVERY THREE DAYS AND THEY WERE ALL FIYA. U STILLS SHOULDA CAME TA LA FOR DAT MUSIC CONFERENCE WIT ME BUT WHATS DONE IS DONE, AND FUCK KREAYSHAWN FOR REJECTING SOME OF DEEZ TRACKS THAT HO DONT EVEN WRITE NO WAYS.
ATWATER DON
Keep doing ur thing Cole. – Ray
Great Job @ColeJamesCash! I love how the listeners are taken on a journey with each track, each soundbite, each dialogue. I was invested in your main guy and rooting for him! The vibe was old school hip-hop and listening to The Price of Glory brings back memories from back in the day… Mad props!
1. The fuck is with ppl wearing doom masks?
2. Where else is the e40 biggie story?
GX to answer your question, Robbie didint print it but i wore masks like that when i used to bomb. Spiderman, Grifter (who shares my name) etc. Back then i used to fashion my own masks in school and wear them circa 1999 when i was in high school hitting up the fences and trainyards. i hadnt heard of MF doom until i returned from the service in 2004.
I am also a big admierer of luchadors, from tienebles, el santo, mystico etc but thats another story. its more of a wrestling/graf thing than a villain thing like doom. im much more goofier and self deprecating than doom.
The e-40 biggie story is googleable friend. Robbie asked me about it and most of us here in the bay area know about it, i didint mean any disrespect, but what happened was true. I have never bought a 2pac album in my life, but i own all of bigs stuff, so it wasnt meant as disrespect.
@cole james cash I didn’t see it as disrespectful at all was just interested to read about it. Thanks.
Yeah doom isn’t the first person on earth to wear a mask no doubt but that last photo looks very similar I figured that was your mask.
Nice beats will bump the whole thing nxt time I got a decent drive, for the full cinematic experience. Peace.
I love seeing unexpected shit like this when visiting the site. Salute Cole James Cash… music sounds good.
So happy for you sweety. I knew you’ll make it big with your music. :-)