Slaine : The 2.0 Action Recon Interview

Slaine has endured a great many ups and downs since the last time we talked with him. His acting career has flourished. The very anticipated release of his solo album was pushed back by a year. He has released two incredible mix tapes, and he has recently gone through a divorce and his tour schedule has brought him to all corners of the earth. While he was in town on the Raps Of the Titans tour Action Recon got some time to sit down with Slaine and talk about what we can expect from Boston’s favorite MC, check it out below.

Slaine and I before the show in Toronto

1) Let’s start with what we can expect with your new album “A World With No Skies 2.0” that is dropping this month. It has been a long road to get this out, how did you get through it and explain the process to us?

Well the first version of the album was great, I loved the first version of that album, but we ran into some problems with the samples and were not able to get them cleared. So the label had to put the album on hold and we were hoping to get the whole thing cleared up by last January. The problem was by the time we found out about the sample problem the album had already been shipped to the digital distributors and the album ended up leaking from one of those distributors. Once that happened it seemed kind of pointless to clear all the samples because by the time that was done people would have already had the record for a good four moths. So basically I had to go remake the album, half the songs are still the same and the rest are brand new. You could say I had to reinterpret the record, so 2.0 is not really like part 2 its more like 1.5 but there is a lot of different stuff on the record. While I was making 2.0 I was also going through a divorce so there is a lot of new and different shit that I was going through that was not there on the original version of the album. It sounds like a much different record and I held back on nothing in making it, I brought in a lot of live musicians and tried some new things to get a different sound and feel.

“A World With No Skies 2.0″ Out August 16th, 2011.

2) Between the delay of the original “A World With No Skies” you have put out two mix tapes and spit on countless other collaborations. Did the frustration with your album drive you to work harder and give you more inspiration to write lyrics?

Well basically I had been working my whole life to put out a solo record, but along the way I got really involved in the groups that I was working with like Special Teamz and La Coka Nostra. So when I finally had time to make a solo record and it never came out I felt like people needed to hear some music from me. I had been promoting the fact that I was working on this solo album so I really wanted to put something out for people to have. That is why I spent those two weeks in the studio making “The Devil Never Dies” mix tape so there would be new music to drop on the what was supposed to be the release date of my solo record.

The stuff I did with Statik was just something that we had talked about because we had been working together on various other collaborations. So in June of this year we spent a week and a half in the studio and came out with the “State Of Grace” mixtape and I just basically put that out to help promote my new album 2.0. Everything I do I seem to do in binges, I will go into the studio and just go bananas for a few weeks and then not do anything for the next three weeks. That’s just how I work.

3) Since we last talked your acting career has really blown up. You had a huge roll in The Town, have done the Bad Blood movie and just finished filming a movie along side Bradd Pitt, Sam Rockwell, Ray Liotta and James Gandolfini called Cogan’s Trade. What is that movie about and how was the experience working with those guys?

It was dope man. I mean I primarily worked with Bradd Pitt and the majority of my scenes in the movie are with Bradd, but its great to be in a movie with all those great names and talent. The script was really good and really well written so I am looking forward to seeing the finished product.

The movie is really about these two junkies, kind of wanna be gangster dudes who rob a mafia run card game and then there is price placed on their head and everybody’s trying to get these two guys. Bradd Pitt is the only legitimate gangster and the rest of us play kind of like wannabes.

4) There are some new tracks on Skies 2.0. What can we expect from these songs and give us some idea of what topics we are dealing with here in the lyrics?

The new stuff and really anytime I write usually reflects what I am going through at the time. What ever is going on in my head during the process of recording the album is what ends up on there, that’s really what the push for me has always been when it comes to writing lyrics. Where ever my life is at, that is what ends up on the album.

First single form Skies 2.0 “You” is now available on iTunes.

YOU by SlaineHipHop

5) All the members of La Coka Nostra seem to be very busy doing their own projects at the moment. When will we see another Coka record and is it something that is in the works or not?

What we are looking at right now and this is not set in stone, but we are working on a new EP right now and will be going into the studio with that sooner than you might think. Then after that we might be looking at doing another full length.

6) You recently released the first single from Skies 2.0 called “You”. How has the response to this song been? Are people supporting you and putting their money where their mouth is?

It’s been good, its been real good. Singles these days are a tough thing because people are constantly getting bombarded with so much shit that a single does not really have the power that it used to. I think mix tapes are the new singles now, I have gotten more response from “State Of Grace” then I have from “You” just because there is so much media out right now that the bigger the splash the more attention it gets. New songs are a dime a dozen, they come out everyday, but a whole mix tape is something that demands more attention.

Slaine doing work.

7) You have put out a lot of free music in the last year. Are people actually supporting you and putting their money where their mouth is the way they should be?

We’ll see. I really hope they all support me on my album because that’s kind of what the push has been for, that is reason I have been doing all this. At the end of the day thought its not really about record sales, its more about me being able to get out my debut solo album. Its about me getting my music and my voice out there to the fans, but if you don’t support me it definitely hurts my ability to make music and get it out there. So hopefully the record does well and I get the support that I need on all fronts.

8) How has the live experience been as of late? You did a few shows with the Heavy Metal Kings and have been on the road lately? Are people responsive to the new tracks?

Ya man the response has been great. I mean I am still touring and trying to connect with people everywhere I go and getting more and more people to listen to my shit while still doing the music I want to make. Hip Hop these days has gone in such a different direction so to still do what I want to do and stay relevant at the same time is difficult, but something that has to be done.

“Zombie” Ft. Son Of Skam from Skies 2.0

Zombie (Featuring Son Of Skam) by SlaineHipHop

9) I have always admired how much you wear your heart on your sleeve in your lyrics. It takes a lot of sand to put your self out there to the world like that. How is it for you to do that? Are you ever hesitant or do you just truly write what you feel and use it as a form of therapy?

Writing like that is the only way I know how to do it and there is no doubt that it has caused me a lot of headaches in my life. Maybe sometimes I put myself out there too much, but when I’m recording I don’t even really think about that. Writing that way has just become second nature to me, I don’t even think about what people will think of a song when I am making it because if I do then I am cheating myself out of the experience.

Action Recon : It’s probably one of the main reasons you put out such good music.

Slaine : Possibly. (laughs).

Action Recon : It’s true. (laughing)

Slaine laying down the title track from his upcoming release “A World With No Skies 2.0″.

10) From all that you have been through in the last year what is the one life lesson you would take from your experiences?

Well I’m not sure because I’m still bitter and angry about it. So I might say don’t trust anybody, your basically alone in this world and I know that’s a dark thing to take away from all this, but that’s just how I feel right now. I don’t want new friends and I don’t trust a lot of people out there right now. I used to be a lot more trusting, but I have been betrayed now by so many people in my life. Its been a hard year man, its been tough.

11) Slaine that brings us to the end of the interview. Do you have any last words or shout outs that you want to throw out there?

Ya I want to give a shout out to Action Recon for always covering my stuff, shout out to everyone who supports me, it’s important that if you are a fan of my music to actually go out and buy the album and come to the shows because if you don’t then well I can’t really do it anymore.

That is the end of the Slaine 2.0 Action Recon interview. Thanks for reading and be sure to get out there and support our man Slaine. Check the links below for further information on Slaine and the pre-order links for his new album as well.

Slaine Facebook

Slaine Twitter

A World With No Skies Pre-Order Link

ITunes “A World With No Skies” Pre-Order Link

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