LatinaBeatz.com

How long have you been making music?

I have been making music since I was a kid, singing, breakin’ and writing. My mother has a doctorate degree in music and my dad went to college on a speech scholarship so blame it on genetics.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up all over the place since moms & pops have been movers & shakers- plus I have a big family. I’ve spent most of my time between DC and Cali, so yeah- everywhere!

How did you come up with the name Mr.Rath aka Rathmatixx?

Rath is the combination of … the rhythm and the math. I also been told I got a relentless and furious style when I go after things like the mic and the stage. The matixx came about in 2003 when I was in the studio for three days bringing it, like its automatic. The two X’s at the end stand for that X-factor I got, that 2x factor.

Before the readers take a listen, how would you describe your music?

Machiavellian….plain and simple yet anything but that.

Do you do all your own production?

No, I’m like David Banner or Fizzy Womack in the sense I can make some bangers but I really got a vicious squad of producers I stick around like Descry, Ms.Tris, and G-Koop, just to name a few. They are much better and sharper musicians than me because I will be happy with just a simple bassline, drums and a couple chords while guys like Tommy Cognac, Descry and G-Koop will take the beat and make it so much heavier and detailed. I’m always trying to expand my community; I will link with any dope producer so beatmakers please send us your music.

You are set to release a number of different Free EP’s, each with a different producer, when will they be released, and can you tell us about them?

The first EP is called “Activator” because it’s the launch of something new and its featured producer will be Descry who is from Los Angeles. I’m trying to bring back that zone-out feeling when the studio was locked and there was nobody coming in and out, there’s a deadline and you got a limited amount of time to get it in. Like Dre and Snoop, Dilla & Tribe, Primo & Guru, RZA & Wu, Jay-Z & Just Blaze, Pete Rock & C.L., Khalil & Chace- that vibe gets made from the connection and soon you get an atmosphere throughout the whole experience, not like a whole lot of producers creating a gang of music going this and that way. Sometimes people want that constant vibe, zone-out music.

There are hundreds of thousands of mixtapes, what makes yours different?

My mixtape is different because it covers the past present & future of Rathmatixx and if anybody listens to the mixtape closely they will hear what I mean. It will make a lot more sense as people get deeper into this subterranean realm we are constructing but we wanted to take the mixtape from a different angle or at least from the original form of the mixtape. Emcees were hungrier on the older mixtapes, it was the opportunity for someone unknown or underground to really shine and drop a hot verse or a DJ to drop a hot new beat. It was that make-or-break moment that made DJ’s and Emcees hungry and dangerous. Now everybody is making mixtapes and 85% of it is lazy arrogant non-sense. There’s no rareness or exclusivity to it anymore- we bringing that hunger back.

Is there anyone who has put out mixtapes that you would like to collab with?

We have a few things on the backburner with a couple surprises so I dont want to give any spoilers out yet but lets just say we got projects from DC, ATL, LA, Baltimore, Detroit and the Cali Bay Area on deck and ready to rock.

Is here a particular mixtape that left an impression or inspired you?

There are a few new mixtape DJ’s I really like but I like digging up the old NYC and Chicago stuff when mixtapes sounded like somebody was making a tape in their room while a rent party was going on in the background all at the same time! That and the fact emcees used to rip it like it was serious yet fun- where’s the fun at now?

Where can we go to get them?

The EP’s will be released digitally. One day there will be hardcopies and a box-set but only when we put something substantial together and package it up with stickers, toys, movies, etc.

Lets talk about your Albums, you are re-releasing “Entermission”, with so many of your EP’s coming out, why release an album?

EnterMission is getting re-released because it’s a concept album, not really connected to the EP’s and we’ve made moves in 2010 since making more connects in Atlanta, California and Europe. There are some videos we’re working on directly related to what was started on EnterMission and we want everybody to have equal access to the world we are creating. Everyday somebody gets a Beetles or Jimi Hendrix album because as long as they haven’t heard it, its still new to them. That’s the definition of making timeless music. Somebody is getting an old NWA and Public Enemy record right now! They might have heard it a few times but never really listened and absorbed it fully. Until that happens the music is still new to the listener. EnterMission was packaged like a piece of art, I worked hard on making sure the whole enchilada was worth having, album, cover, case, the whole thing. Nowadays with so much garbage music, internet downloading and digital outlets available anything made hardcopy HAS to be something artistic and timeless- like that new Jake One & Freeway album. The EP’s are just audio snacks but the Enterprise catalog- EnterMission & EnterLewd(coming soon) are the main course.

What are you are currently working on?

Musically I am working on finishing “Activator” and its follow-up ”Dellagator” while making a few videos for the EP’s and EnterMission.

Community wise we are working with a few organizations that focus on health awareness, improvement, and education. Right now we are working with children and adults dealing with Diabetes and talking about the measures people(especially Hispanics, African-Americans and Native-Americans) can take to avoid or control the disease. We brown-skinned folks eat a lot of foods with high-sugar and saturated-fat but we don’t see doctors regularly or keep a regular exercise schedule and its killing us.

You have a basically a Media/Music/Lifestyle Company called SubKrew, what does it all include? what will be released under SubKrew?

SubKrew is basically a creative concept collective that is involved in music, film, fashion, and overall community building. At the start SubKrew was simply a production company but it has grown to represent art, business, people and a way of life. We have so many collaborations going on we have no problem staying busy. We have just finished some new designs for hoodies and in the Spring SubKrew will be releasing a few shirt designs. I got lots of irons in the fire with SubKrew but we take our time because right now the focus is music.

Lets talk about your next major album release “Enterlewd”, Do you have a certain concept? Features? Producers?

EnterLewd is the second episode of SubKrew’s Enterprise and its follows Mr.Rath aka Rathmatixx and his journey through this Country Calamity/City Circus also known as planet Earth. The album will feature my circle of producers like Descry, G-Koop and Ms.Tris but there will be new additions to the roster like Ceylon G. and Deacon LF. On the mic people will hear Paradoxx, Nerve, Big Chuck and some other folks from the SubKrew camp. EnterLewd will be more essence, deeper and focused so its going to take a few listens before all the layers can be peeled back- that’s what hardcore means right?

With a theme of “Entermission & Enterlewd” are you going to continue the word play for your next album?

Oh yeah you already know, everything has a cosmic design and I hope people can dig what SubKrew is trying to do. The ingredients all are in the kitchen but supper has to be prepared and I got like a ghetto gourmet multi-course meal coming. It started with EnterMission, it shifts into EnterLewd and continues with EnterMural, EnterVention, EnterFear, EnterSection, EnterNational, EnterView, EnterActive and EnterStellar coming in like 2020 if the Earth don’t blow up, get conquered by space-invaders or Revelations come.

Are you working on any Videos?

Im working on 7 videos, 3 for EnterMission, 2 for EnterLewd and 2 for “Activator”. There might be some more because we keep the cameras rolling all the time, the faces are blurred to protect the guilty though!

Any Shows, Tours?

We are working on select show dates but have not put a tour together yet. Promoters, booking agents, club owners please holler at us- we answer everybody’s request because we are still a grassroots, street-level indie operation. We understand teamwork makes the dreamwork- lets build.

Who is involved in SubKrew? who are the members and what are their positions?

SubKrew is a conglomerate, a delegation of raw representatives. We kind of like a baby Wu-Tang in the sense that we are a bit younger than them but got a lot of the same codes and loyalty. If it was like a hood presidential cabinet it would be like Descry as vice-president, Tommy would be Secretary of Labor, LatinaBeatz would be Secretary of Information, Paradoxx as Secretary of State, Don Imhotep would be Department of Education, Chuck would be Secretary of Defense, Tactixx would be Secretary of the Interior, D’Salaam would be Department of Agriculture, Nerve would be the Department of Urban Development, Prone would be the Department of Veteran Affairs, Ms.Tris would be Secretary of Energy, G-Koop would be Department of Transportation….etc. Everybody plays an important role and we got lots of departments, thats why EnterMission’s whole title is “EnterMission: episode 1- The Dellagetz”

How do you do delegate and pick what projects you will work on under SubKrew, as far as fashion, music, etc?

Anything that reflects a fluid, distinctive and passionate lifestyle is a good fit with SubKrew. There are a lot of themes we incorporate into our lifestyle like water, depth, faith, love, respect, things like that. Usually it something works it just clicks and starts making its own motion. If something take forever to motivate or get going then our energy is probably better served somewhere else.

You mentioned Film and even Toys, Have you had any experience in either entity? or are you staffed with Directors and Designers in those fields?

I was the kind of kid who got a toy and immediately broke it into pieces to see how it worked. It started out as making characters from different materials to make some crazy comic strip with a friend and then it transformed into making this stop-motion movie which we have been working on forever. Somebody found a box of characters I had been working on and things started rolling from there. I actually studied film in school and worked for a few television stations so I love working with visual arts. I have been blessed to know some really ill designers and graphic artist and we are working on some eye-poppin, jaw-droppin material.

Who are you currently collabing with?

Right now I am collaborating with the Aphilliates in Atlanta, I got some stuff cooking with Oddisee(a dope producer/emcee from DC), I got a Jazz project with a San Francisco jazz group, an electro-soul project, an independent film in the works down in LA. and some comic strip stuff getting put together in the midwest. I’m not trying to drop too many names or give out spoilers.

What’s the defining factor you look in someone in order for you to want to work with them? What do qualities and expectactions do they need to have?

A strong work ethic, enormous vision, distinctiveness, and above all, loyalty to the krew! The drive has to come from the love of creation and art and not some venture to just make money cuz money comes and goes, all day everyday. They need to expect to have challenges everyday, expect to have supportive people around you, expect for people to hold you to your word and put more stock in what you do, not what you say. Expect greatness and expect the unexpected.

Where can people go to stay updated with all of your projects?

The website (www.subkrew.com) should be up by the end of March but in the meantime

www.facebook.com/subkrew

www.twitter.com/subkrew

www.myspace.com/subkrew

www.reverbnation.com/subkrew

Basically google ‘SubKrew’ and you will find us.

Where can people contact you for Interviews-Collabs, etc?

You can contact us direct at subkrew@gmail.com or info@subkrew.com

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Tags: Hip Hop/Music News, Interview, music, SubKrew

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