| BIG MEEKS:
THE ORIGINAL TENESSEAN DON DADA SPEAKS ON ALMOST EVERYTHANG
HE LOVES.
‘Hands down, one of you’re all-time
favourites, I’m in the CD-player of your neighbours’
kids!’, Eddie Meeks, one third of Atlanta trio
Prophetix, raps on the track ‘ATF’. And
believe it or not, it’s true. I went to the house
next door to investigate and Eddie Meeks’ solo
album ‘After This…I’ll Holla On Everythang
I Love’, released on Asylum/Domination Rec October
2005, was in heavy rotation…
What’s good Eddie Meeks?
Everythang is good!!! I love life, I love living, and
I swear to God I ain’t ready to die!!
Why did it took this long, about 8 years since
the ‘Larger Than Life’ EP, to make a solo
album?
Well actually, it only took a little over two. I’m
not the type that wants to be in the spotlight all by
my lonesome. I‘ve always envisioned having my
people around me whether it’s a group thing or
a solo thing. There was also a point where we had to
switch labels in order to get my album out.
Did you get with Domination through DayByDay
ENT?
No. I went straight to DJ Fisher and Domination for
the direct hook-up.
What’s the biggest difference between
recording an album with a group and recording a solo?
There’s really no huge difference except for
the fact that all the concepts, ideas and creativity
belong to only one person. At the end of the day, you
still have to write and record. It has to be done regardless
of how many people are involved.
Different than on the Prophetix album ‘High
Risk’, you have production names that people are
less familiar with, was that with a specific purpose?
Not really. We usually get the word out to our label,
and producers that we know in general, when we are in
the market for beat CD’s. However, we won’t
be doing that on the next official Prophetix album.
All of the beats will be done by Jon Doe. When you got
somebody like Jon Doe on your team, there’s really
no need to go else where.
One of the producers on your album is Willie
Evans Jr from Asamov, how did you hook up with him?
Jon Doe is real cool with Mr. Jeigh and the guys from
Asamov. They were in Atlanta one weekend and Willie
hit me with some joints and a verse for my album. I
like them cats. We’re all in the same struggle.
You were also on Cadence’s ‘State
Lines’ with ‘ATF’, how did the remix
of that track end up on your new album?
There’s really no rhyme (no pun intended) or
reason behind it. It’s just something that worked
itself out. I really like how it turned out too.
Let’s talk about Asylum Entertainment
for a minute… Who exactly founded it?
I, with the help of some friends and investors, formed
Asylum Entertainment in 1995.
What has come out yet?
Asylum Entertainment has released over 8 independent
records including ‘Larger Than Life’ b/w
‘Gunclappin' (1997), ‘Larger Than Life The
EP’ (1998), ‘Da Unfold’ (2000), ‘Art
Varies From Head To Head’, the ‘HDZ Project’
(2000), ‘True Urban Grit’ (2001), ‘High
Risk’ (2002), ‘Bigguns’ (2003), and
‘Meet Jon Doe’ (2003). We plan to continue
to release good music.
If you were to be signed to a big label tomorrow
and they gave you a budget to re-issue the ‘After
This…’ album, what would you change?
I wouldn’t change anything. They couldn’t
and wouldn’t give me enough money to change anything
on my album. As a matter of fact, I’m willing
to issue a challenge right now to all the majors to
even have the courage to make me an offer. The only
thing I would spend there little dollars on is marketing,
promotions, payola, and touring.
How do you look back on the Prophetix release
of ‘High Risk’?
That was the jump-off for a lot of the notoriety and
opportunities that we get today. We’re still filling
orders for that album right now. It was definitely a
good look and I’m thankful and grateful that I
was part of it.
Do you still play it every day?
Not everyday but I still play it from time to time.
I still enjoy it too.
Before he really blew up, you guys worked with
MF Doom, how was that like?
Well, we would have liked to work with Doom on it but
it really didn’t go down like that. We were hitting
the stage with Doom and some other artist from Atlanta
one night and at sound check, he hit me and Mello in
the head with a beat CD. It was unlike any other beat
CD that we had ever received. It only had one beat on
it. When we took it to the studio to let Jon hear it,
he loaded it in the VS and we dropped our verses on
it right then and there. The plan was to get the beat
in it’s individually tracked-out form from DOOM
and make it super official but Doom hit the road before
we could do that. It’s hard to get in touch with
Metal Face when he’s on the road. Hell…It’s
to get at Doom period!
What comes first: Prophetix or Eddie Meeks?
Don’t take this as some egotistic shit but EDDIE
MEEKS comes first. I take a backseat to no one.
You were down with Thareeko, was that your
first partner-in-rhyme?
Thareeko didn’t rhyme. He was more into diggin’
and production. I met him in my College dormitory back
in the early nineties. We were in a five man crew called
the Insane Cirkle before it became Eddie Meeks &
Thareeko.
What is he up to these days?
He’s into art these days. Painting to be exact.
Being from Memphis, and your album having Blues
influences, do you listen to Blues often?
I sure do. My father and my Grandfather were heavy
Blues listeners. I feel like some of the songs I write
are the Blues. I know this industry, by today’s
standards, gives me the Blues quite often.
Do you often come in Memphis?
I go to Memphis every now and then. My whole family
still lives there.
How would you compare Memphis to Atlanta?
They’re both very similar in a lot of ways. I
feel very much at home in both cities but musically,
Atlanta is a better fit for me because of the hip-hop
community here.
Did you know that Atlanta is a ‘sister
city’ of Brussels?
No I didn’t. I do know that I want to visit Belgium
in the very near future to tear some clubs up.
Which ones do you prefer; Memphis Grizzlies
or Atlanta Hawks?
The Grizzlies. They actually win games.
You performed with JT Money and the Poison Clan,
how was that like?
It was an experience. Imagine loud ass pyrotechnics
going off in a big ass club with about 100 people in
it. Classic shit!!!
Which South rap do you like?
I can tolerate Three 6 Mafia, Scarface, Outkast, and
UGK. The rest of it is useless and mindless.
Have you ever seen a Big Foot/Sasquatch?
No I haven’t. But, believe it or not, I can relate
to Bigfoot in many ways. I totally understand his struggle,
his hustle, and respect this gangster.
How did you tumble into the rap game?
By playing ‘King Tim III’ (by the Fat Back
Band, ed.) and ‘Rapper’s Delight’
(y’all know!, ed.) wayyyyyyy too much. Because
of that, I honestly believe that hip-hop saved my life.
Can you name us some of your all-time fav
rap albums?
BDP – Criminal Minded
Big Daddy Kane - Long Live The Kane
Eric B & Rakim - Paid In Full
EPMD – Strictly Business
De La Soul - 3 Feet High And Rising
De La Soul – De La Soul Is Dead
Grand Puba - Reel To Reel
Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride To The Pharcyde
All Run DMC albums
Souls Of Mischief - 93 Til Infinity
MC Lyte - Lyte As A Rock
PE - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
All ATCQ albums
Black Moon - Enta Da Stage
GZA - Liquid Swords
You get the point.
What was the first rap album you bought?
I honestly can’t remember. The first one that
was given to me as a gift was ‘Long Live The Kane’.
X-mas of ’88.
What was the last rap album you bought?
Smif & Wessun – ‘Da Shining’
in 2001 (laughs)
What was the last book you’ve read?
‘What your CEO wants you to know’.
When was the last time you got drunk?
2 weeks ago.
Will hip-hop ever pay your bills?
It has the potential to do so but I doubt it.
Please leave a comment:
MF Grimm
No comment.
Jermaine Dupri
Follower.
Outkast
Southern powerhouse.
Ludacris
Give up the acting and keep working on your rappin.
James Scienide
Insanely dope!!!
Jax
Will beat you in your head !!!
KRS-One
Schizoid, but he took real good care of Mello and me
when we went out on tour with him. He is the one and
only Blastmaster.
Crunk
Dead.
College
Overrated.
Haagen Dazs
I spit phat shit like your ass get on Haagen Dazs !!!
What can we expect from you in the future?
Consistently good music.
Shout outs?
Only to those that matter. You know who you are.
THANKS!!
©pf, January 2006.
Useful links
www.prophetix.net
www.myspace.com/prophetix
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