Hodge, The Godfather of Interviews

AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH 2 LIVE CREW RAPPER FRESH KID ICE

HODGE- Welcome Chinaman! Damn man, with a career as famous as yours where do I even begin, lol.

HODGE- Well, let me start off by saying mad props on your live set from the SHANGRI-LA tour a few years back. It was the first time I’d been lucky enough to catch one of your shows in my area man. And now with the official announcement from VIOLENT J about you

performing at this years GOTJ, I’m psyched to say the least. During your set, are you gonna be performing mostly tracks from your new album Freaky Chinese, or a random selection from your numerous platinum 2 LIVE CREW albums?

FRESH KID ICE- We’re gonna do a lot of stuff from the 2 LIVE CREW albums. That’s what most of the juggalos wanna hear. Plus I’m gonna do a few things from the Freaky Chinese album.

HODGE- Now aside from the fans being able to witness you perform your many hit songs live, a lot of the anticipation for a 2 LIVE CREW performance is due to the fact that, well lets face it, you’re famous for bringing out some of the sexiest females one could imagine on stage with you. For years fans have wondered where you find these girls. C’mon man, do you rob the local strip clubs of their talent when you roll into town?

FRESH KID ICE- Well, a lot of times we find a lot of them in the strip clubs but we pick em up from different parts of the country. Every girl brings something different to the stage so you gotta watch and see the special treatment they do on ya. You gotta always keep an eye on them.

HODGE- Now, because of the internet, artists don’t have any surprises on their albums for fans anymore the fans just download that shit off the net before it even hits stores. I noticed a lot of Juggalo sites had the songs you collaborated with ICP and ABK from your FREAKY CHINESE album. This made many juggalos have less desire to buy the album when it came out, because they thought they already got the ICP related songs for free on the net. It’s a damn shame really because one of the albums standout tracks (In my opinion) is the song Come with Me. Not only is that song a lot darker than what you’d expect from the CHINAMAN, it’s also kind of a tribute song to ICP and the whole Psychopathic Family. Did it bother you that so many websites were giving away your music, before the album was even out?

FRESH KID ICE- Well, when you start to do a lot of things Underground and try to stay underground ya know, most of these tracks are meant to be heard by the fans and not to be on radio or anything. As long as they know what to think of it. I feel the respect even more that way, than if they were to hear it on the radio and buy it.

HODGE- It seems to me that when 2 LIVE CREW entered the rap scene in the 80’s, you guys must’ve been way ahead of your time. When I happen to turn on my radio these days, I hear countless cheap imitation groups out there trying to be you man. I mean even LIL JON reminds me a lot of what 2 LIVE CREW started way back when. People might hear your new song Hypnotized and say damn who’s this guy trying to sound like LIL JON when in all actuality, you were making this style of music before he was even old enough to buy a 2 LIVE CREW cd. Do you consider those groups paying homage to what you created, or just blatantly trying to make a profit from your game?

FRESH KID ICE- Groups like LIL JON and most the groups out the south they do give props to 2 LIVE CREW for shaping their careers, in different interviews and so forth. They had one in Murder Dog Magazine where they interviewed LIL JON. He said that the closest group sounding like him is 2 LIVE CREW, ya know what I’m saying. It means that most of them did get their style from 2 LIVE CREW. From the lyrics, to the sexuality, to all the hype.

HODGE- And it’s often very obvious that they are copying you. The biggest difference is how 2 LIVE CREW slipped humor into your music the humor with these copy cat groups is lost.

FRESH KID ICE- Well, the humor in a lot of it is lost because we’re in the age where everybody is trying to be a thug. And music is a way to release yourself.

That’s why theirs always room for groups like ICP and so forth because they have humor in the music and that means something to the fans. It takes them to a place where they can just go and have a good time and not worry about anything, you know what I’m saying. And that’s to me what music is all about taking away from your problems and just having a good ole’ time.

HODGE- Can you clear up this ongoing internet rumor about an old cd you appeared on called Masters Of The Bass. The cd came out around 1991 and features a collaboration track by FRESH KID ICE and ICP. Now, back in 91 I doubt the multi platinum 2 LIVE CREW ever even heard of ICP at that time. They were still on their first Jokers card, lol. Who was on that song with you?

FRESH KID ICE- See, what it was, it was called ICE COLD PRODUCTIONS. It was a production company that I had a long time ago. Then when we started discovering about the INSANE CLOWN POSSE, I just killed that production company.

HODGE- In your illustrious career you’ve collaborated with many known rappers such as- ICE-T, THREE 6 MAFIA, THE LUNIZ, and recently with ICP, ESHAM, and ABK. Is their any artists out there you haven’t yet worked with, but would like the opportunity to work with someday?

FRESH KID ICE- Me, I’d like to work with whoever wants to work with me. I think that I learn a lot from each artist. Each one brings something different to the table and even though I’ve been in the game for a lil while, each of these groups and artists have taught me a lot. Both in the studio and out the studio.

HODGE- It’s no secret that some of the wildest and most sexually explicit things to ever happen at a concert have come from the girls on stage at a 2 LIVE CREW concert! I can’t even write this shit down cause it’ll break up marriages if people knew what has gone down at your shows, lol. Now, in most music stores you can find the 2 LIVE CREW Greatest Hits dvd. How, about a dvd of some of that explicit stuff I mentioned earlier? Are you ever gonna release that or put up some of the footage on your website www.chinamanrecords.com?

FRESH KID ICE- We put out a couple of DVD’s called 2 LIVE CREW’s FREAKFEST. We made a volume 1 and 2, but theirs also an un-cut volume. Later on what I’m trying to do is a FRESH KID ICE/FREAKY CHINESE series. Just get a whole bunch of crazy things going on and just put em out there ya know, and sell it basically on the web or underground.

HODGE- I know some of the guys from DIGITAL UNDERGROUND and they do that stuff. It’s really taken off. It’s a big deal on the DVD scene now.

FRESH KID ICE- Well, what had happened with those guys is that we gave them one of our FREAKFEST videos while we were in Detroit doing an oldschool thing. And from then on they started doing their own thing.

HODGE- Now your success has taken you all over the globe man. Can you share with me just one crazy tour story that happened during your career?

FRESH KID ICE- Uhm I suppose the craziest thing was being on tour in Japan and watching some of the band members get head from the fans on stage and so forth. Cause we’re talking about a country that’s so laid back and that type of stuff just happens over there, ya know what I’m saying. It was wild and we were just trying to make sure we got out the country, lol.

HODGE- With the GOTJ coming up you’ll be spending a lot of time around ICP and the rest of the artists on Psychopathic Records. Can we expect any more Collaboration songs to come from this?

FRESH KID ICE- Yeah we were talking about a couple things. We’re trying to hook up with them right now. I got a few tracks right now that we can hopefully come up with.

HODGE- A lot of old school 2 LIVE CREW fans have speculated on the internet that theirs a lot of tension between yourself and some of the other members from 2 LIVE CREW. I even heard a rumor that a former 2 LIVE CREW member (not a founding member) used to try to make a profit off the groups name on his own tour? What’s the real scoop man?

FRESH KID ICE- Well, during the years with 2 LIVE CREW we been through a lot of issues and stuff with old record labels. But, I don’t even get into the tension with the rest of em. Cause I always try to wish em luck and help them wherever I can ya know. But the thing is, if you’re going to do anything dealing with 2 LIVE CREW, you have to represent the group properly. And make sure if you go out there and perform the songs, make sure you give the people what its worth. Their money’s worth and then some. Cause that’s something that we hold to our hearts ya know what I’m saying.

HODGE- I like to play a word association game towards the end of my Celebrity Interviews. Basically, I’ll just throw out an artists name and you say the first statement that comes to mind. Ready?

FRESH KID ICE:

YUKMOUTH- Wild & Crazy.

ULTRAMAGNETIC MC’S- Old School.

TOO $HORT- Strictly street and came up straight out the trunk.

LUKE- Very witty, cunning, and very lucky.

KILLER MIKE- Hardcore.

ESHAM- The pioneer of Detroit.

TWIZTID- Very talented.

DIGITAL UNDERGROUND- They were full of talent. Just look at all the artists that came from them.

MC BREED- He put Flint on the map.

ODB (R.I.P.)- Whoa. Wild & Crazy and may he find his peace.

GHETTO BOYS- Dirty South Pioneers.

HODGE- Alright man, that about does it for my questions homie. It’s been an honor to interview a rap pioneer such as yourself. Any last words for your fans reading this?

FRESH KID ICE- Keep supporting 2 LIVE CREW and FRESH KID ICE. Grab the FREAKY CHINESE album (feat. ICP). I’ll see you at the gathering. It’s gonna be wild. We gonna be up all night partying. It’s gonna be something hella!