Rasheed Chappell

Press - Kevinnottingham.com

Producer extraordinaire, DJ Premier presents his annual top 25 albums of the year list. Game at #1? Really? Thoughts? Opinions? Bueller?

25. Large Professor & Neek The Exotic – Still On The Hustle
24. Edo G – A Face In The Crowd
23. Ill Bill & Vinnie Paz – Heavy Metal Kings
22. Greneberg – Greneberg
21. Action Bronson & Statik Selektah – Well Done
20. Apathy – Honkey Kong
19. The Away Team – Scars And Stripes
18. Kanye West & Jay-Z – Watch The Throne
17. Torae – For The Record
16. Bumpy Knuckles & Statik Selektah – Lyrical Workout
15. Common – The Dreamer, The Believer
14. Maffew Ragazino Sr. – Rhyme Pays
13. Bad Meets Evil – Hell: The Sequel
12. Drake – Take Care
11. Statik Selektah – Population Control
10. Random Axe – Random Axe
09. Malcolm And Martin – Life Doesn’t Frighten Me
08. Royce da 5’9? – Success Is Certain
07. Phonte – Charity Starts At Home
06. 50 Cent – The Big 10
05. Reks – R.E.K.S.
04. M.O.P. & Snowgoons – Sparta
03. Evidence – Cats & Dogs
02. 9th Wonder – The Wonder Years
01. Game – The R.E.D. Album

Honorable Mentions: Fresh Vetz “Fresh 2 Def”, Pharoahe Monch “W.A.R.”, Raekwon “Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang”, Rasheed Chappell “Future Before Nostalgia”, Sadat X “No Features”, Showbiz & KRS-One “Godsville”, Skyzoo “The Great Debater”, The Regiment “The Panic Button”, The Roots “Undun”.

In closing, he releases a statement.

For all of you dumbfucks that are late or not hip to my yearly list, this is my own list of what I was bumpin’ for my enjoyment in 2011… Even though there were so fuckin’ many LPs that came out, I wish we had time to do Top 40 but fuck that… So if you don’t like my list, make your own… I ain’t mad atcha… Hate it or love it, I don’t give a fuuuuuck !!! - 2dopeboyz.com

As a hip-hop fied and one who truly cares about the culture it's always a blessing when a fresh, young emcee comes out and sweeps the rug with most of the veteran's work of the year. That this scenario would happen in 2011 with brand new and dope releases from artists like KRS-One, J-Live, Raekwon, Pharoahe Monch and Timbo King seemed unlikely. But that is exactly what happened when newcomer Rasheed Chappell released his critically acclaimed debut album "Future Before Nostalgia" on Kay Dee Records earlier this year. I can't imagine many heads dissapointed by this drop, and if you have yet to pick it up - do so while you still can @ for example UGHH or cut out the middle man and get it from Kay Dee Records. I recently got the chance to ask Rasheed himself some questions about this album, so check it out and enjoy!

c7: Peace, How are you doing?
Rasheed: I am doing GREAT! Feeling good, enjoying life.

Could you give us a quick breakdown of the title "Future Before Nostalgia" and what it means to you?
The title actually came about after recording "Building 8" we were working on an album entitled "Nostalgia". We wanted to give people a warm-up, it was supposed to be a mixtape but it morphed into an album the more we worked. The title serves as a bridge to what has inspired Kenny and I musically but also a glimpse of what we hope to be.

It was very refreshing to see you using a back-to-basics formula by sticking with one producer for the entire project, especially since the chemistry between you is so evident. How did you first hook up?
[Speaking on the 2008 single release, "Dope Muziq" / "Resurrection"] Well Kenny is a DJ first and foremost so the 7" was his way of introducing his fan base & DJ's to him embarking back to his hip-hop roots. I was happy with the turnout of that single, it's become a collector's item these days ha ha! I am blessed for that & yeah, those were some of the first songs Kenny & I recorded. The producer of the B-side, Maleet, was the link to Kenny and I. He actually produced "Resurrection" and he played that song for Kenny. Kenny liked it, asked to meet me and the rest if "future before nostalgia", ha ha!

What's your personal favorite joint of the album?
Ahhh, my FAVORITE joint on the album, probably "The Genesis"! I feel it tells the entire story of the album and the ideas and mood behind it.

What was the idea behind the album opener "Invocation" and the closening "The Future" which really sews the LP together in a major way?
It's funny, with both those records Kenny had a clear idea of where he wanted them on the album before I wrote a single word. With "Invocation" he came to me and said "THIS is gonna be the intro" ha ha. He has visions I guess and so I wrote it with that in mind. Same thing with "Thankful", so many people are responsible for me being here and I just wanted the world to know their names.

Was it a conscious move to only use songs that made the album a coherrent front-to-back listen; no skits, no filler?
Yes and no. I couldn't think of any skits and by the time I did it was too late ha ha. I have never really done them, I might in the future thought if it makes sense and fits the story line.

How long did the recording of the album take, everything counted, and did you think the LP would have the impact on the underground scene as it has?
The album took about two years to complete. Kenny always said that there is no time limit, let's just get it right. I was anxious to release music at different periods of the recording process but I am happy we waited and put the right songs on the album. I am just thankful people listened, I had no idea it would be received so well, I had hopes but no real idea. I honsetly feel like I have SO much more to give so I just take it as a blessing.


Were there a lot of songs that got cut from the album and if so, are there any chances fans will get to hear any of those in one way or another?
We recorded about 60 songs for this project, some will be used on the next album, some for different projects because they didn't fit the vibe of this project.

Only one alternate version [of anything from "Future..."] exists and that's for "Shut It Down".

Your music has a boom-bap quality to it and it's refreshing to hear someone with well thought out socially conscious and personal lyrics. What are some of your main influences and what do you listen to?
My main Hip Hop influences are so varied, I grew up listening to my older cousins music such as Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Public Enemy, BDP, Lord Finesse and others. When I finally got a chance to have MY Hip Hop I was into Nas, Wu-Tang, Mobb Deep, The Roots, Common and others. Outside of Hip Hop I am a huge fan of old Soul and R&B courtesy of my parents. I listen to everything honestly, Rock, Jazz, Reagge. I listen to the lyrics first and if they draw me in, I listen.

Any producers or artists out there that you would like to work with at the moment or in the future?
I am a fan of so many artists and producers out there like Nas, Raekwon, Premier, Alchemist, Evidence, just too many to name, but right now I want to focus on our sound, perfecting my craft and etching out my own legacy.

Last but not least I want to ask you what the future holds for Rasheed Chappell?
God willing more music, more LIFE and more oppurtinity to fulfill my dreams!

Many, many thanks to Rasheed Chappell for taking time out and doing this interview. "Future Before Nostalgia" is available in stores and online NOW so make sure to support the realness. As an added bonus, check out this recent freestyle where Rasheed goes IN over the classic DJ Premier beat for Nas' "New York State Of Mind". Of course hailing New Jersey, this is the "NJ State of Mind". - The Lost Tapes

One of the most popular phrases in Hip Hop over the last six years is, “Hip Hop Is Dead“. I hear people say that today’s Hip Hop can’t compare to the Hip Hop of the 90's. Before Mills and I started the 7th Boro, I was one of those people. That is until I started digging through the internet and came across this MC named Rasheed Chappell. When I first heard him rap he reminded me of Nas. I know you’re thinking that this is a crazy comparison but listen to “Future Before Nostalgia” and you’ll understand what I mean. It is like Rasheed is a 90's throwback with a modern style and delivery.

The Passaic New Jersey native was gracious enough to kick it with the 7th Boro and answer some of my questions.

Stroy: Rasheed, I’d like to thank you on behalf of the 7th Boro for taking time out to make this happen.

Listening to your album “Future Before Nostalgia”. it’s evident that your love for Hip Hop runs deep. What is the inspiration behind Rasheed Chappell the MC?

Rasheed: The inspiration behind Rasheed Chappell the MC is the same as Rasheed Chappell the man, that’s one of the reasons I don’t use a stage name. LIFE is my biggest influence, what I see on a day to day along with my personal experiences. Musically I was always drawn to artist that had music that spoke to me on a personal level or helped me escape & imagine I could achieve great heights.

In an interview with legendary producer Kenny Dope, he compares your vocals/lyrics to Q-Tip & Nas. How do you feel about those comparisons?

I respect Kenny’s opinion, especially since he comes from that era. I thinks it’s a huge honor to be in the conversations with legends & to be working with one as well. I tell Kenny all the time he has his legacy, I want to build my own. Nas & Q-Tip are ICONS so to achieve any measure of their success would be great.

LIFE is my biggest influence – Rasheed Chappell

Being the brother of a house music DJ, the name Kenny Dope is a household name to me. How did you and Kenny start working together?

We met through a producer named Maleer that Kenny was working with. Maleer & I were working on some Hip Hop, he actually produced the b-side to my first single. He was with Kenny one day & just played him the joints we were working on. Kenny took a liking to it & he just recently told me that he knew from our first meeting if I followed his lead things would be ok ha ha, I call him the psychic now.



Your album has some of the craziest song titles, “Picasso In Print” being one of my favorites! How did the title “Future Before Nostalgia” come about?
Thanks, I like title ‘Picasso In Print” also ha ha. “Future Before Nostalgia” was supposed to be for a mixtape that would lead into our album “Nostalgia”.The more we worked the more it started to sound like an album & not a mixtape, so we decided to make it an LP. The title represents the homage to the music that has had an influence on us & us looking to the future.


Rasheed Chappell-Picasso In Print (My favorite track off Future Before Nostalgia)



Whats next for Rasheed Chappell?

Next…stay on this path and continue to receive these blessings that have come my way. Continue to work on music & grow as a person.

Rasheed, this is the part of the interview I call the Quick 5. It’s kind of out of the box but we like to have some fun in the 7th Boro.

Q.1 – If you could perform at any landmark (U.S or Worldwide), where would it be and why?



The courtyard at the housing projects of Sedgwick & Cedar because that’s where it all started. (Sick answer!)



Q.2 – If you could of spit a verse on any classic 90's album, which album and which track would you go in on?



Wow any album, that’s a GREAT question…wow I wouldn’t mind having a verse on “Scenario” or you could have just let me talk on the intro to “Illmatic” ha ha.



Q.3 - Being from New Jersey, who is your favorite MC from the Garden State?



No favorite they are all my Aunts (Latifah, Lauryn) & uncles (Treach, Redman) so no way I could choose just one.


Q.4 - If you could make your own version of Wu-tang’s Triumph (a collection of MCs), who would be featured on it? Who would be on production?



Rakim, Nas, Black Thought, Rae & Ghost (back to back), Mos Def, Common, Scarface, too many to name man, ha ha. Produced by Preemo, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Kenny Dope & Alchemist ha ha.



Q.5 - Last but not least, Big Pun or Big L?

To be a BIG is a BIG deal so rest in peace to both L & Pun as well as Biggie. All 3 of those brothers were special and are missed by their families and by Hip Hop.

Rasheed, I’d like to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to rock with the 7th Boro.

If you haven’t purchased Rasheed’s “Future Before Nostalgia” album, you can do that here.

Support Great Hip Hop! Bless.

- 7thboro.com

It’s funny how these days artists have to be placed in a specific category. Are you a street rapper? A party rapper? Conscious rapper? Some artists don’t fit any one category, nor want to, including newcomer Rasheed Chappell. Instead, his style can be summed up better in two words: lyrics and beats. It’s a very simple concept, one many feared went out of style after the Golden Era of Hip-Hop. With the release of his debut album Future Before Nostalgia, Chappell reminds us that is not the case. The project boasts of intelligent rhymes, head nodding beats and great samples. There are no features instead one legendary producer and a poetic cadence that is reminiscent of an early Nas. BrooklynBodega.com caught up with the Jersey native to find out what all the industry buzz is about. Check out what Rasheed has to say about working with Kenny Dope, what he’s learned from DJ Scratch and how it feels to have Large Professor as a fan.



Brooklyn Bodega: You worked on Future Before Nostalgia for two years. Why did it take this long? ??Rasheed Chappell: The reason the album took this long is because we wanted to get it right, we could have released a project sooner but there was a specific sound Kenny had in mind and a particular mood I tried to capture lyrically and I think we did what we intended to do. I am very pleased with the final product and response to the music.
?Brooklyn Bodega: What was the creative process like in the studio with Kenny Dope?

Rasheed Chappell: It was different than any other producer I have worked with — very organic. It was almost as if he brought himself back to when he was just beginning. I say that because he has worked with EVERYBODY, yet he treated me like an equal. It was never “I’m Kenny Dope so we’re doing it this way,” it was a total collaborative effort. I must admit I was a bit intimidated at first but by the 3rd or 4th “listening session” I was at ease.?

Brooklyn Bodega: My fave song on the album is “The Genesis”. You told me that is one of your favorites too, why is that? What others stand out to you??

?Rasheed Chappell: I like “The Genesis” so much because to me it captures the entire mood and idea behind the project and at the same time lays out my influences and inspirations. I love the feel of that song, I had initially laid two different verses for that song and Kenny was like, “That ain’t it.” I took the track home sat for a few days came back and at the end of the session we were both like “yeah, that’s it!” [Laughs] I love all the songs on the album in their own unique way they each tell part of a story, asking me to choose is like asking a parent to pick their favorite child. [Laughs] I really like performing “Building 8?, “Picasso In Print” MIGHT be my favorite beat on the album Kenny LACED that one. I love them all.

Brooklyn Bodega: This album is pivotal because it’s you letting everyone know who you are. What’s the most important thing you want people to take away from it?

Rasheed Chappell: The most important thing is just that, I want them to know they are getting ME, no alias, no stage name or pseudonym but Rasheed Chappell the person. This music is my view of the world in song form, candid conversations I’ve had with God, myself & friends are shared on this album.

??Brooklyn Bodega: A lot of people, myself included feel like this album is something that could’ve easily come out in the 90’s. It’s that strong that it feels like it gives a nod to the golden era of Hip-Hop where there’s a focus on beats and rhymes. Were you consciously trying to create that vibe while recording?

Rasheed Chappell: It was a conscious effort to focus on beats and rhymes. We were blessed to have DJ Scratch add his touch to a few tracks as well as Mell Starr to really give it that feel. The 90's were indeed golden and played a heavy influence on me as an artist. Our goal was not “let’s sound like then” but “let’s make something they’d be proud of” you also have to remember Kenny is from that era, Scratch is from that era so it wasn’t a stretch for them to get into that beats and rhyme mind frame to sonically get the album where it needed to be. My goal was to just NOT get out shined by KD’s production. [Laughs]

Brooklyn Bodega: You make a lot of references to the nation of Islam throughout your album and spirituality in general. I personally see a trend of successful emcees having knowledge of self when you look at artists like Rakim, KRS One, to even Wu Tang. How important is knowledge of self for an emcee in your opinion?

Rasheed Chappell: On a personal level I think having knowledge of self, of God and others is key. I was raised in a household where my pops didn’t eat pork and my mom took me to church on Sundays, I would hear excerpts of Malcolm X speeches while saying a bedtime prayer with my Great Grandmother. So religion in many forms has been present in my life and at this stage I feel I am more spiritual than bound by any one faith, I feel an alignment with the Most High or God or Allah or The Universe is something that globally we lack as a people which results in many of the issues we face today. But that is a topic for another time; let me get off my soapbox. [Laughs]

Brooklyn Bodega: So your album release party goes down and there are so many heavy hitters there. You walk in and see someone like Large Professor. What are you feeling/thinking at that point?

Rasheed Chappell: The album release party was honestly like a dream because all my family & friends, fellow emcees & Hip-Hop legends came out; it was surreal to say the least. To see Large Professor there and have him tell me he’s a fan was like wow! The icing on the cake I must admit was Ralph McDaniels; he might be the most influential person in my career. His show showed me what Hip-Hop looked like, how it moved, it put faces to the artist I would listen to. Video Music Box is an AMAZING part of our culture and when he plays my videos it really means something to me. The fact he came out to support was something I will cherish forever.

Brooklyn Bodega: You have dropped an album that is getting a lot of buzz and acclaim. Does that put you in a different place mentally? What new pressures/challenges do you face as an artist having dropped a successful album vs. an artist preparing to drop a debut album?

??Rasheed Chappell: I am in a different place mentally but my focus is the same, I want to create timeless music. I am a person who works well with pressure I have overcome a lot of adversity in my life so music is my outlet, the only pressure comes from me to top my last verse or song. Being on an indie I don’t have the demands to make a radio song or club record. Kenny told me flat out he wanted to make a classic album, there was pressure in that statement but I said to myself he wouldn’t have said it if he didn’t think I was capable of it. I have been told there is no feeling like the 1st so I’ve been holding on to it since July 12th so I’ll let you know if that feeling changes when we drop the next album. [Laughs]

Brooklyn Bodega: What drew me to FBN were the intelligent lyrics it holds. It’s a very poetic album in a similar vein to Nas’ Illmatic album. You actually published a book of poetry right? How does writing poetry influence you as a mc?

Rasheed Chappell: The book My Soul Exposed is different because there are no rhymes, no cadences, no beats it’s just me and my emotions I am not bound by bar structure or timing both are extensions of me. I take the aspect of making abstract things concrete or vice versa and try to incorporate them into both. I haven’t written “poetry” in a while I might have to now. The Nas comparisons or Illmatic comparisons I should say it really huge. That album is amazing a perfect album and for people to hear that or relate to my music in that way is extremely humbling.

Brooklyn Bodega: What came first the poetry or rapping?
??Rasheed Chappell: They really started around the same time but my 1st rhymes were not poetic at all, very teenage testosterone driven rhymes. [Laughs] I didn’t think the two could coexist & find a happy medium until I really became serious and began to study the lyricist like Rakim, Nas, Big Daddy Kane, Lord Finesse & others that came before me. I still try to always maintain that balance of poetic and profane.

Brooklyn Bodega: Who did you look up to growing up in the game? ??

Rasheed Chappell: Video Music Box, if it was on there I absorbed it. Brand Nubian, ATCQ, Kool G. Rap, EPMD, Run-DMC — so many artists have influenced me I couldn’t honestly name them all.



Brooklyn Bodega: You recently came on the Legendary Halftime Show and got to spit in a cipher with Souls of Mischief and Evidence. I was able to witness that but for those that didn’t can you talk about experience? I know you are a huge fan of Evidence so….

??Rasheed Chappell: That was an incredible experience I am a fan of both Evidence & Souls of Mischief so a collab with both or either would be fine with me. [Laughs] That night was crazy, it was raining, people went to the wrong addresses but the planets lined up so we’d have just enough time to build, hear music, share a cipha and exchange info it was meant to be. It’s moments like that where I feel most like a fan or at minimum the newest member of the fraternity. I could have only imagined these moments two years ago and now they are happening…so blessed.?

Brooklyn Bodega: What important lessons have you learned about being an artist in this industry from working with greats like Kenny Dope, DJ Scratch, Mell Star and more?

??Rasheed Chappell: Be professional, simple and plain no matter how talented you are if you aren’t professional no one will want to work with you. Kenny also says don’t second guess yourself if your spirit is moving you in a certain direction musically go with, go thru the whole creative process then evaluate it after. Mell Starr has taught me to have fun and enjoy the now.

Brooklyn Bodega: What’s next on the horizon? Now that the album is out what is your focus?

??Rasheed Chappell: I always say the next is now, got some shows coming up during CMJ week, new videos to release, just read a review of the album in XXL Magazine TODAY so I’m in a good space. My focus is to get back in the studio and keep making records.

Follow Rasheed Chappell on Twitter @RasheedChappell

Follow Navani Otero on Twitter @Navani



Read more: http://0351de3.netsolhost.com/WordPress/2011/09/27/rasheed-chappell-discusses-future-before-nostalgia-illmatic-comparisons-future-projects/#ixzz1r7fsuXyc - Brooklyn Bodega

When you can garner the typically reserved endorsement of 90s hip-hop luminaries such as DJ Clark Kent, DJ Scratch, Lord Finesse, and Large Professor, you know you’re on to something. Breaking tradition, New Jersey native Rasheed Chappell is the first hip-hop artist signed to Kenny Dope and Keb Darge’s archeological hub reserved for all things dusty and funky. Representing for the 30 & over emcees, Chappell brazenly enters the stage with a formidable flow and a lyrical cache devoid of pop clichés and lazy linguistics. In the vein of Staten Island emcee N.Y. Oil’s 2007 album Hood Treason, Future Before Nostalgia aims to hurl a maelstrom of critical thinking at hip-hop’s fragile house of cards.

Though the title suggests his priorities place progression ahead of reminiscing, the album’s sound and feel discernibly references the tail end of golden era hip-hop. A time when OFWGKTA antecedent Wu-Tang was on a swarm, artists served beat downs to hip-hop journalists on the regular, and DJ Premier still used a bell. Over the course of sixteen tracks, Chappell brilliantly dishes his critical observations on the layers of life from a perspective shaped by poverty’s bittersweet paradise. The pensive “Building 8” preens like a bonus cut from Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. “Ghetto Children” adeptly refracts the psychological damage wrought by poverty and promulgated white supremacy through a lyrical prism that ponders “the worth of a soul versus the weight of a dollar” buttressed by an impassioned Nation Of Islam sound byte.

Chappell outlines his intentions for the game with a heaping side of braggadocio, billing himself as “the top seed in the Eastern Conference” with a “flow extraterrestrial” on the lead single “What I’m Here For (featuring DJ Scratch).” Chappell’s constant citing of the maladies of public housing and America’s broken social scene may come off as redundant and banal to some. And while his predilection for golden era references (evidenced on “The Genesis”) bears a striking resemblance to The Game’s early modus operandi of incessantly dropping CliffsNotes on the West Coast’s hip-hop heyday, Future Before Nostalgia’s intention reaches far beyond merely regurgitating platitudes from yesteryear. Produced entirely by Kenny Dope, Future Before Nostalgia is a valiant attempt to temper hip-hop back to a balanced state by addressing concerns that contemporary hip-hop seems to have become increasingly indifferent to. Throwing lyrical Molotov cocktails at contemporary hip-hop’s swag over substance ethos, Chappell’s debut serves as an impressive reminder that the scales of hip-hop’s tipping point continues to teeter with anticipation.

-Rico a.k.a. Superbizzee - Okayplayer.com

When you can garner the typically reserved endorsement of 90s hip-hop luminaries such as DJ Clark Kent, DJ Scratch, Lord Finesse, and Large Professor, you know you’re on to something. Breaking tradition, New Jersey native Rasheed Chappell is the first hip-hop artist signed to Kenny Dope and Keb Darge’s archeological hub reserved for all things dusty and funky. Representing for the 30 & over emcees, Chappell brazenly enters the stage with a formidable flow and a lyrical cache devoid of pop clichés and lazy linguistics. In the vein of Staten Island emcee N.Y. Oil’s 2007 album Hood Treason, Future Before Nostalgia aims to hurl a maelstrom of critical thinking at hip-hop’s fragile house of cards.

Though the title suggests his priorities place progression ahead of reminiscing, the album’s sound and feel discernibly references the tail end of golden era hip-hop. A time when OFWGKTA antecedent Wu-Tang was on a swarm, artists served beat downs to hip-hop journalists on the regular, and DJ Premier still used a bell. Over the course of sixteen tracks, Chappell brilliantly dishes his critical observations on the layers of life from a perspective shaped by poverty’s bittersweet paradise. The pensive “Building 8” preens like a bonus cut from Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. “Ghetto Children” adeptly refracts the psychological damage wrought by poverty and promulgated white supremacy through a lyrical prism that ponders “the worth of a soul versus the weight of a dollar” buttressed by an impassioned Nation Of Islam sound byte.

Chappell outlines his intentions for the game with a heaping side of braggadocio, billing himself as “the top seed in the Eastern Conference” with a “flow extraterrestrial” on the lead single “What I’m Here For (featuring DJ Scratch).” Chappell’s constant citing of the maladies of public housing and America’s broken social scene may come off as redundant and banal to some. And while his predilection for golden era references (evidenced on “The Genesis”) bears a striking resemblance to The Game’s early modus operandi of incessantly dropping CliffsNotes on the West Coast’s hip-hop heyday, Future Before Nostalgia’s intention reaches far beyond merely regurgitating platitudes from yesteryear. Produced entirely by Kenny Dope, Future Before Nostalgia is a valiant attempt to temper hip-hop back to a balanced state by addressing concerns that contemporary hip-hop seems to have become increasingly indifferent to. Throwing lyrical Molotov cocktails at contemporary hip-hop’s swag over substance ethos, Chappell’s debut serves as an impressive reminder that the scales of hip-hop’s tipping point continues to teeter with anticipation.

-Rico a.k.a. Superbizzee - Okayplayer.com