Jesus, where do I start with this one? This interview is more like two old friends just kicking back and shooting the breeze - because that's exactly what it was. Problem takes us on a roller-coaster ride through a wide variety of topics. Even DJ Nik Bean jumps in at one point to ask the young Compton rising star a few questions! Enjoy the read.... 

We are sitting here with Problem and right now he is web-surfing. He’s currently viewing Mariah Carey on Mediatakeout.com ….

Problem: I gotta get on here. I need to start me some fuckin’ rumors!

[Laughs]Well, you have to screw one of these famous chicks in order to get on.

Problem: Trust me. As soon as I get to one of them, I ain’t going to have to say anything. They are going to say it all. I’m going to be the one backing up [laughs].  

So how are you doing these days?

Problem: I am blessed. I am fuckin’ blessed.

The last time I hooked up with you was at the Snoop Dogg Ego Trippin’ studio sessions with DJ Quik & Terrace Martin. Since then you’ve been signed!

Problem: Yup, to Universal Republic. Shout out to my A & R Emron & Alisa Applegate. I’m having a good time right now.

How did the whole deal come about?

Problem: It came about from the record “I’m Toe Up” about a year ago. It was produced by Disko of Inglewood. I worked my motherfuckin’ ass off, if y’all didn’t know. I worked that record for a long time and it was able to grab the attention of some big wigs – and here I am right now.   

They contacted you?

Problem: They contacted one of the DJ’s at Power 106. He hit me up and told me that Universal Republic was looking at me. I got a call within 15 minutes from Alisa Applegate. I was actually at Warren G’s studio when all of this happened. Then Emron who is now my A & R called me after that. A week after that I went to New York for our meeting and the rest was just negotiations and getting everything right.

The Universal Republic label has some big names on there like Amy Winehouse, but there isn’t much rap. Was that a concern of yours knowing that this isn’t a rap tested company?

Problem: No disrespect, but the rap tested companies ain’t doing shit right now. My thing is, if I can go somewhere and be the main focus, that’s all I need. All I need is a rope and I’ll make a building out of it. For some reason in this game, you only get respect when you sign on that line. I don’t know why because there are people that work a hell of a lot harder then these signed artists. But getting signed was all that I needed and after I did that, it’s a wrap.

How good was the deal? Are you able to talk specifics?

Problem: I don’t want to talk specifics because I like to hear what everybody thinks anyway. I’ve heard so many like it’s a ghetto-hero-type story [laughs]. Someone once said that I signed for like 2 point something Million and told my baby mama that. Her crazy ass called me and thought that it was poppin’. I didn’t sign for 2 point something, but I’m definitely ok.

I’m sure that the family must have been going nuts, like, “We’ve got a super star in the family now. Where’s my Lexus?”

Problem: Oh man. I’ve got a gang of new cousins. In my family we’ve always had Lexus’. Now it’s the Mazaratti/Lamborghini talk.

Hell, I thought that I was getting a Lexus [laughs]….

Problem: Aw, we can get you that. My auntie wants an island. She’s been hitting me about an island [laughs].  All bullshit aside though, we’ve been working hard like a motherfucker and I feel like I deserve everything that I’ve got and am about to get. I’ve climbed the ladders and came out of nowhere.

What was the celebration like within your family when you signed?

Problem: They all wanted to celebrate, but I didn’t want to celebrate because I told them that I haven’t done shit yet. Let’s not take anything away from signing, but at that time I didn’t even have a release date, although I do now. Also at that time the song wasn’t poppin’ like it is now. I only celebrate when it’s time to celebrate. It isn’t time to celebrate – there is more work for me to do. The family tried to throw me something and I was like, “Naw. Fuck that.” It ain’t time to relax! It’s time to turn things up!

Going back to the label, did they express any type of concern about signing a new artist from the West Coast? I know that label execs aren’t exactly knocking the down the doors of new artists out here.

Problem: Honestly, the word West Coast was never even brought up in my meeting. To tell you the honest-to-God truth, it was never brought up. They heard my record, enjoyed it, and thought that they could help me take it to the next level. They asked me what direction that I wanted to go and I explained it. They knew that I wasn’t typical when they first saw me. I just had a listening event for a lot of DJ’s and promo people and the key words they said was, “We are trying to break a West Coast artist and you know how hard it is.” That made me catch my breath like, “Damn. We really have a mission ahead of us.”  The West hasn’t been down, but we haven’t been the sought after Coast in a few years outside of The Game and the recent success of Glasses Malone – other than that we haven’t had anything. Right now the Coast is so angry but also so ready to latch on to something new. They are ready to support and honestly I feel it. I go to clubs and people throw up Dubs saying “West Coast.” We want it back. It’s going to take something different to get it back. The biggest song of the spring was Sensual Seduction and that wasn’t typical Snoop! It took something different.

Different from the typical West Coast funk sound? Explain…

Problem: Different but not. Being from the West Coast whether it’s L.A., Compton, Watts, Long Beach or just California period – we are all looked upon differently just from starting the gang thing. That’s going to always be there. What I am talking about is taking chances musically. For a while we had gotten so stereotyped that if we walked in to these labels and didn’t have a certain get up on – they wouldn’t believe that you were from the West Coast.

I saw a person write as feedback to your song “I’m Toe Up”, asking why all of these West Coast artists trying to sound like the South. How do you respond to something like that?

Problem: 808 beats and snares are from the South? Because I swear to God that NWA used that 20 years ago. Stop me if I’m wrong but all of that boom-boom-bap-bap-boom-bap [mimics the Dopeman beat], that was all Dre, right? C’mon man, get that fuckin’ bullshit out of here. That’s what’s wrong with music now, everybody wants to classify it saying, “That sounds like the East Coast, that sounds like the West Coast or that sounds like the South – No! That sounds like a snare, a high-hat and whatever the fuck is on it. They can kiss my ass honestly. If it sounds like the South to you, then turn it off on your iPod and listen to whatever the fuck you want to. Music is a thing of choice, nobody forces you. It’s not like going to work. You listen to what you want to listen to. I don’t hate on what anybody else is doing. I may not like some of the music that’s out, but I won’t be like, “He’s fuckin’ stupid for doing that.” That artist did what the fuck he wanted to do and he had a certain fan-base that he was trying to reach. So those people who say those things can suck me sideways.

Ok, so what’s the next plan of attack for you?

Problem: Right now I just did this tape with DJ Nik Bean called “The Streets Is Mine.” It’s basically free-styles that I already had and some different songs in 07’. Then there is the “Deal or No Deal 2: I Got the Deal This Time” with Dow Jones. Then there is the Ego Trippin’ Mixtape.

What is the Ego Trippin’ Mixtape?

Problem: It’s kind of based around the same as the album, where I am not going to have no DJ’s or nothing – it’s going to be all me.

No tags or anything?

Problem: No tags. If there is yelling, it’s going to be me yelling, “Bring that motherfucker back.” Then we also have the Locke High Mixtape with Terrace Martin and DJ Drama, presented by Snoop Dogg. Then we have the T-Lee project. We also have Marliek, K-Aktive and The Derange Entertainment family coming out. All of these things are done and ready. The biggest thing that I have to worry about though is what my next single is going to be.

Do you have any clue on what your next single will be?

Problem: I’m narrowing it down. Honestly anybody that is reading this probably won’t dig it, because everybody on the Internet wants you to “go hard.” It’s not about that right now for me.

It’s about making the hits, huh?

Problem: Making the hits and about having fun. Fuck being mad. Do you know how pretty it is in California? We are always talking about who’s getting shot. Have you been on Melrose and shopped? God damn, do you know how many bitches be out there? That’s something to see man. Why can’t anybody talk about that? Even on Sunset on Friday’s or Hollywood Blvd. on Saturday nights, why can’t anybody talk about that? That’s us too! I’m so in to the block, hell, I’m still on the block right now. Motherfuckers pulled out a chopper at 2:30 in the afternoon on a Saturday and shot the whole block up, just a few days ago! So nobody can tell me shit about nothing – about what’s hood and what’s not. I’m going to focus on something else though, because that story has been told plenty of times.

When might we see the next single?

Problem: I don’t know because “I’m Toe Up” is going fuckin’ crazy right now. I’m going to milk it like a fat cow. I might just come with another remix, you never know. But the next single is definitely coming.

Are the details of your album finalized? Like the name and the release date.

Problem: What I am going to try and do, but I know they won’t let me do, is call it P.O.P. To me, putting out a record nationally puts you in a position of power – and that’s what P.O.P. stands for. My dream date to drop it would be September 13^th, the day that 2Pac died. That’s just some personal shit for me. It probably won’t happen like that but that’s what I want to do. As far as the sound, I am going everywhere. Sometimes we are happy, sometimes we are not. Sometimes we want to fuck, sometimes we want to fight – sometimes we want to do everything. That’s what the album is about. I am going to try everything. You only get one first album and I am coming out doing anything that I want to do. The label is letting me fly. The biggest artist on my label is Amy Winehouse and you saw that her first single was Rehab. I got the freedom to do whatever the fuck that I want.           

Let’s talk about your writing. You recently wrote some of the songs on Snoop Dogg’s Ego Trippin’ album – two of the best one’s in my opinion in Press Play and Neva Hafta Wurry.

Problem: Shouts out to Snoop because there are 30 million motherfuckers that could have wrote for him. For him to give me that opportunity was big, not only for me but for the Coast. For someone that everybody says doesn’t help out artists, I can name at least 6 motherfuckers that are young and got checks from that album. The whole experience changed me and the way that I do music. When Snoop got on Power 106 and said that I had something to do with the album- that sealed the deal for me.

When you wrote the songs, did he sit down with you and direct it? Or was it all just you crafting it?

 Problem: A lot of it was Terrace Martin. He’s probably the biggest influence on me right here and right now as far as everything. He didn’t have to give me a chance to do anything. He used a lot of his chances on me. I could have really fumbled the ball and fucked him off of some shit. I pretty much followed his lead the whole time. So pretty much what he and Snoop told me to do, I followed that – as far as the melodies. A lot of those melodies, Terrace came up with. I just put words to them [Problem mimics the Neva Hafta Wurry words and flow] – that’s all him. A producer when he makes a beat, he knows what the fuck he wants it to sound like. That’s why he’s a producer instead of a nigga that makes beats.

How was it writing Snoop’s life though? That was a deep song and you kind of had to get in to his mind for that one.

Problem: I’m from the West Coast. If you can sit behind a microphone and interview yourself and say that you weren’t a Snoop Dogg fan at some point in your life – then you are a liar. Everybody knows what happened to Snoop from the beginning to now. It was big for me. It was like I was reporting. I caught some flak from it though. I was at a barbershop and a nigga got at me like, “Why are you getting at Suge in that song.” Ain’t nobody getting at Suge. Everybody knows what the fuck happened between them. Let’s be for real. We all know the situation. I just reported what I knew.

What kind of reaction did Snoop give you for the song when he read what you wrote?

Problem: I actually wasn’t there when he first heard it. Terrace was there though and he said that a nigga was like lifting weights. I actually got a chance to sit behind the boards for it though, just me, him and the engineer. It was one of the first songs for Ego Trippin’. It was such a special moment for me, like for this nigga to even care about what the fuck that I think.

Did he change up some of your stuff? Or did he use everything that you wrote?

Problem: Snoop took whatever I did and enhanced it. The vibe on that song is so crazy. I swear on this, I was fucking with a female when the song came on Music Choice – and that fucked everything up because I stopped what I was doing. I was like, “Damn! This is crazy.”

Whoa! Can you put yourself on blast like that? Not too long ago, you were acting like a married man.

Problem: I don’t give a fuck! Even if I got married, she would know that I fuck with other bitches. And that’s how it goes – and before rap – that’s what a lot of niggas can’t say.

I remember when we went out to Vegas together and we kept running in to females at the Casinos that you knew out there!

Problem: Oh yeah – grade A bitches. All of you reading this, if you know Jason, that is who I am.

[laughs] This dude was like, “That bitch here gave me head and I fucked that girl there.”

Problem: And that’s not a good thing, but it’s a god-damn good thing. We aren’t supposed to be promoting that type of stuff. But yeah, I’ve definitely had my fair share of women.

Ok, I interrupted you. You were doing something with this female when you heard the Neva Hafta Wurry song being played…..

Problem: It fucked up everything! She was like, “Baby. That’s your jam.” And we had to stop everything to listen to it like I had never heard it in my life. I swear to God, this was like at 3:30 a.m., on my momma. I love this music.

Tell us about the Press Play song….

Problem: That was an accident record. We were actually waiting for another song to be mixed. Dj Quik was just fucking around with the MP. Then Terrace was like, “Stop! Hold on!” He started calling horn players and fuckin’ musicians. People started coming up to the studio. I was like, “What the fuck is going on?” [Problem starts mimicking the Press Play horn play] That shit started happening! Then he went and gave me the whole flow of the song [mimics the start of the Press Play song flow] and told me to use that. I went to my car and started following the pattern. He’s inside building the music while I am doing this. When I come back in to lay the verses, the shit sounds totally fuckin’ different then it was! So I started to lay the verses and they were like, “Oh shit! We need Kurupt up in here too!” Terrace was like, “We need Kurupt for one of those Next Episode type hooks.” Terrace then gave me the flow for the hook. Kurupt walks in, “Hey Cuzz. What’s up?” Then he started laying down the hook to the song [mimics Kurupt’s hook flow]. Nigga, that shit got finished and we threw that to Snoop and it was a wrap like, “I’ve got an ultimate record. That’s it.” That day was magic. That showed me something because we were like waiting around for this and that – and that motherfucker came about. I swear, Ego Trippin’ changed my life. I bumped in to everybody and I got the respect of vets. WC walked up to me and he was like, “My nig. You are doing something good for the Coast. Keep that shit up.” I was like, “What the fuck? This nigga knew who I was.” The Game came through and I fucked with him.

What was the 3^rd song that you did for Ego Trippin’?

Problem: Let It Out – that was a Teddy Riley record.

Are you still working with Teddy Riley for your own stuff?

Problem: When he gets back from China, we are supposed to get with each other. I’m pulling out all of the cards for my record. I’m going to have some Dj Quik shit on there, some Teddy on there, you know.

Is Universal Republic giving you a big budget for your album?

Problem: These dudes are spending their money. I’ve been signed for about a month and half and I’ve been in the studio for the album alone about 6 times. Anybody that knows how much these big studios cost, that’s anywhere from $1800 to $2500 a day. They fuck with me – I’m good. I ain’t trippin’. They always keep me in the loop. I’m excited dog, I’m excited. I’m not one of these types that gets a deal and thinks that I got it. I’m trying to get 9 people deals off of my deal. If I can help people get money, then they won’t have to ask me for shit.

DJ Nik Bean comes in to participate in the interview and ask Problem some questions…..

Problem: C’mon Nik Bean! Ask me a question. See he’s sitting there thinking. I make interviewers get nervous.

DJ Nik Bean: Is this for Raptalk? AllHiphop.com?

Problem: It’s for whoever – America.com

DJ Nik Bean: Nothing is off limits? I can ask him about beefs?

Problem: I have no beefs. I’m a vegetarian [laughs]. I love everybody – and for the first time I feel that everybody loves me.

DJ Nik Bean: What about the stuff that happened at Bob Hernandez’ birthday party?

Problem: Oh shit. I’ve got to give a shout out to Bob Hernandez. I couldn’t make it that night because I had to do some promo shit. I heard about the things that happened at that party. But anyway…. My nigga Bob, had I not been busy, I would have made it out there. I heard the party was a blast. A lot of good guys came up and did their thing. Why is everybody laughing at me right now? Nik Bean you are laughing? Styles, you are laughing?

[Editor’s note: This is the party where Bishop Lamont and J. Wells had their much talked about brief run-in ]

Problem: I don’t get in to that crazy shit and I don’t want to get in to the names or whatever. Whatever happened, happened. Let’s just get passed it and keep it West Coast. I’m glad that I didn’t have anything to do with it or that nobody messes with me anymore. I’m just a little rap guy singing rap commercial records [laughs]. I’m trying to win the West Coast ringtone rapper of the year award [the whole room laughs].

Styles takes back the interview from DJ Nik Bean…..

He admits it!!!

Problem: You know why? Y’all can say what you want about Souljah Boy, but nobody in this room has more money than he.

Are you going to make up your own dance too?

Problem: My dance is the way I move through life.

No snappy little dance?

Problem: I got a bunch of different dope dances. Anybody that knows me – I’m not a gang member and will never profess to be one. But I’m probably the most hood nigga that a lot of these niggas will ever see. I come outside with no shoes on. I drink Kool-Aid. If my food falls on the floor, I pick it up and eat it.

If you make it big, are you staying in Compton? Or are you moving on up like The Jefferson’s?

Problem: Fuck no, I’m not staying. And if any of you niggas want me to stay, fuck them, cuz that’s bullshit! If you really love a nigga, you want him to advance. You want to see him with rich neighbors.

Calabasas, here we come!

Problem: Fuck that, I’m already there in my mind. And I want everybody that’s there to come with me. I told niggas that I’ve already put in my time. I’ve been there in the hood all of my life.  

A lot of people that are just now hearing your music, don’t know that you can actually go on the mic. Right now everybody thinks that you are just “toe up.”

Problem: If they don’t know, they can get the Streets Is Mine Mixtape, the Deal or No Deal, and all of the other mixtapes coming out. Start backtracking on me if you want. Google Problem, the Compton rapper Problem, not the word itself because a gang of other shit will come up. Google me and check me out. I’ve been out here smashing. I really feel like I’ve paid some dues. That’s why I’m having such a good time right now.

DJ Nik Bean: I remember going to the Gardena swap-meet and seeing a bootlegger with your shit.

Problem: Oh yeah. That wasn’t the bootlegger – that was us [room erupts]!!  

DJ Nik Bean:  That’s when I started to respect your grind because it wasn’t just some Internet shit. A lot of rappers don’t go beyond the net to the streets.

Problem: I tell the people in my camp all of the time, “Don’t let another nigga outwork you.” Nothing beats hard work – I don’t give a fuck what it is. You can be the wackest rapper in the world but if you work hard, you will get on. Sacrifice, hard work and dedication – you will get on. There is a spot for you in this game because this game is filled with a lot of people that don’t work hard. It took a little longer for me to get signed then people originally thought, but I’ve been rapping for 5 years. On my 2^nd Round Knockout Mixtape just about 2 or 3 years ago, I got my first song on the radio called “I’m A Problem” produced by Dae One. Yo-Yo spun that on KDAY. Styles knows! He’s been there from the beginning. That’s why whenever he interviews me, it’s like us reminiscing. It’s funny to see it manifesting. You always told me it would though.

Yes, I did.

Problem: He was always like, “Don’t trip Problem. Watch. You are going to do it.” Let me speak on something else. We need release dates! Now every rap nigga out here don’t have a deal but we do have artists with deals now. You’ve got Jay Rock, Bishop, Glasses, Hot Dollar, Roccett, Topic and myself. We need to get release dates and that’s going to take the Internet fans and the Street fans. We need to make it so that even if there’s only 1 of those 7 that you like, let’s all get behind them and push them out.

I see a lot of fans say, “Mixtapes are great but lets get some Albums out.”

Problem: It ain’t us! I’ve heard records from everybody that was named. Incredible records that can fly! When we get proposed release dates, the streets need to make sure that we keep those dates. Lets rush out and keep the West Coast alive. That’s the only way it’s going to work. We need to make sure that Glasses sells 250,000 his first week. It has to happen or that will end up pushing my release date back because the labels will be like, “Oh that West Coast shit still ain’t working.” That pushes Bishop’s release date back and so forth. If you want this West Coast shit, then support it motherfucker!!  Don’t say, “I want it. I want it”, and then want it for free! Go to iTunes! Certified should be the biggest shit going. Why is that not #1?

Cuz they already downloaded it for free….

Problem: If you ain’t got 99 cents for it, then you ain’t with the cause and you are worse than the motherfucker sitting around worrying about what Souljah Boy is doing. As soon as you got it for free, you downloaded it and burned it for all of your homies. C’mon fellas – all of you people that sit there and type up all of that bad-mouthing about us – and we the artists got to sit there and take it. Help out and lets get it right.   

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