Street Life – The Unkut Interview

According to his MySpace caption, those are not Street Life’s boots.

Method Man‘s loyal right-hand man and road dawg Street Life talked about growing up in Staten Island, makes it clear that he wasn’t feeling the last Wu-Tang album and hints that this might be the second last solo album from Tical. The Meth Lab is out 21 August.

Robbie: Did you grow up in Staten Island?

Street Life: Yeah I grew up in Staten Island, Park Hill and Stapleton.

How would you describe Stapleton when you were a kid?

There wasn’t that many guns out, it was just more fights and maybe a couple of stabbings. That was better than gunshots though. I was around twelve years old when I was in Stapleton, it was cool. Stapleton was my introduction into Staten Island, then I moved to Park Hill. I got most of my experience by growing-up in Park Hill versus Stapleton – Park Hill’s where all the drama unfolded at. That’s where the legend was born!

Were there many DJ’s out there then?

There were a couple of dudes that used to DJ down on Staten Island, but most of my stuff came from the radio. More than anyone, KRS-One influenced me to rhyme. I heard that, I heard Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick. Those were more of my people I was looking up to.

Back in that ‘South Bronx’ and ‘Bridge Is Over’ era?

Yeah, that brings back a lotta good memories when you hear those songs. Those were the rec room days. Those were the crew days, when everybody had crews with the jean suits. On the back of your jean jacket you used to have a big graffiti mural, with the name belt. You had all of that shit going on back then. That was the fat shit back there! That’s when everything was fun, before the guns. You might have a little fight, a little scuffle, that was about it. If somebody did have a gun? Out of ten people, maybe one person had a little .22 or something. Now I could tell you eight of ten [people] with a fuckin’ gun!

Why did you want to start rapping?

It was just a hobby that we used to do when we was younger and kinda escalated into other things. It’s always been a passion. I started getting paid for it, then it got a little more serious.

Was Method Man’s ‘Mr. Sandman’ the first record you appeared on?

Yeah, ‘Mr. Sandman’ was the first track that was on wax, that I got paid for, off the Tical album. It was all uphill after that.

But you’d been making stuff before that?

We used to make tapes in the hood, demos and thing like that. Me and my little partners, just bugging out, making little songs. That’s how everyone around the way knew I could rhyme when I was a shorty. Then the streets came and RZA came and everything else came after that.

What was the story behind the original version of ‘Box In Hand’ you were on?

I shoulda been on that Ghost one too [the LP version] but I didn’t make it to the studio that night. There’s a verse where Ghost said everyone’s government name that’s supposed to be on that track, but I don’t know what the hell happened.

You’ve released a few compilation CD’s already. Are you planning on doing an official album at some point?

Those albums were just little samples of songs and things like that, nothing too serious. I didn’t put nothing major out yet. Right after this Meth Lab drop I’m thinking about putting that album out – official album, official release, official everything! It’s gonna be a big melting pot, a big bowl of jumbo [gumbo?]. I got names on there as far as producers that tear shit up but there’s no one producer I’m focusing on – maybe Mathematics. I got some hard shit.

How much time do you spend touring?

My whole life is touring, that’s all I do. At least nine months out the year I’m on the road.

It must be tough to be away from home for so long.

Yeah sometimes, but I don’t complain. It keeps the lights on.

Any stories from the road that you can share?

It’s so much things. Some of the shit you had to be there [for].

What are some of your favorite songs you’ve done?

I think all my shit’s been good, actually. Overlooked and underrated. I did more guest appearing than anything.

You were recently on the A Better Tomorrow album, right?

Umm…do I have to claim that? I guess so. Yeah, I’m a track on there. [laughs] I’m not claiming that one!

What’s The Meth Lab album all about?

It’s just me, Meth, a couple of our homies, going back and forth, just brainstorming. It’s just a lotta good hip-hop songs when you listen to it. The way the game’s going now, you’ll definitely be pleased and digging these songs. All beats, rhymes and lyrics. True fans of hip-hop will love it. It’s a good sound. It’s actually a set-up to the Method Man Crystal Meth album, to get you warmed up. That’ll be out next year. Trying to finish up the game strong and then ride off into the sunset.

You’re both planning to retire?

I feel like there’s another one after this for me and it’ll be a wrap after that. Time to go fishing. It’s been a long time, I wanna do other things at this point in my life. I’m sure Meth wanna do other things in his life. Meth wanna do more acting, he’s been real successful in that.