Black Truth News: Do you have anythng out at the moment?
Big Mel: I got my mixtape called “Tales of a Hustler”. When we were bulding the Rap Factory; I went on tour called the “Mini Chicago Tour.” I went everywhere from Monday through Friday; but it wasn’t anywhere to go on Saturday, so that’s where we kind of created the Rap Factory. I still got my 3 song CD; I got videos that’s on Youtube that’s not on the CD, everything working in good timing for me.
Black Truth News: What would you like people to recognize the Rap Factory as, when it all said and done?
Big Mel: It’s like the Mecca for Hip Hop in Chicago and the Midwest. I want it to be almost like the Tunnel in New York. Then we like the idea of Rap Factory to become an franchise; because it needs to be a Rap Factory in every town. I mean Hip Hop has taken over, its a culture, it’s American culture. Spread it all over the world, it’s room for a Rap Factory everywhere. Local people should support local people, that’s how we keep the dollar spreading.
Black Truth News: Explain to the people the process of your grind?
Big Mel: First and foremost, I want to let them know, ths shit didn’t happened over night. It’s been years in the process, 10 years in the makng; we been constantly trying to make this dream a reality. Much love to all you niggas that’s been in it one year, 6 months, and still doing your thing. This shit for me took a long time man. When I wake up; it’s for my phone ringing, people wanting to get this and get that. People want beats; and people want me to manage them. I wake up making deals and promoting for the next week because we open weekly. We got a hot show going on every weekend. People don’t know how hard that is. I don’t thnk we have the respect we should have. Nero and I; built this muthafucker from the ground up. We don’t get the proper respect we deserve but we don’t give no fuck. Ths shit is win or lose. People hate on us, but we don’t care it’s a grind. You know got a group too, called the Nomads, it’s like eight of us, and we got projects too; it never stops, the calls never stop, graphics, media, videos, constantly networking and connecting people. I’m a family man as well and I work; It’s a 24/7 grind.
Black Truth News: What motvates you to get up and grind everyday?
Big Mel: Its my people, my family. The people around me, to be able to put them in a poston so they can eat; also the people who believe in me not to let them down.
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Interview by: Jarrod Horton
Illustration by: Rebecca Austen-Baker
This First Appeared in The Black Truth News Volume 3 Issue 6 June 2012