Interviews

THAT NJ ISH: Mike Zombie Talks His Rap Career, His Dream Collabs, Where He Stands With OVO, & More

Julie Aly Leave a Comment

Mike_Zombie_That_NJ_Ish_Interview

Last week Marisa, Drewski, and myself launched That NJ Ish on LifeIsTremendez.com. The four-part series will put a spotlight on a different artist from New Jersey every month, and feature new music from them, exclusive interviews, freestyles and more. When Marisa and I decided to create That NJ Ish, she mentioned featuring Mike Zombie and it was almost a no-brainier. Many know him as “Zombie On The Track,” the mastermind behind instrumentals such as Drake‘s “Started From The Bottom,” DJ Khaled‘s “They Don’t Love You No More,” and more. Although he’s signed to Drake‘s OVO imprint as a producer, many fail to realize that Mike is also an unsigned rapper and he can actually rap. The Willingboro, New Jersey native released his first mixtape, The End Of The Beginning, in 2013 and Rebel Without A Cause in 2015. Since then, Zombie had liberated some heat including “Hella Crack 2” with Mir Trillz, “Autograph,” “You A Dub,” and more.

Mike Zombie is one of those guys that commands attention unknowingly. It’s not his height or his bright red hair that draws people in, it’s his aura. He’s not necessarily a “funny guy,” he’s not loud, or the type that necessarily wants to be center of attention but he is. Although this was my first time meeting Mike, it feels almost as if I’m catching up with an old friend. As we stand in Suvas in Jersey City, I asked him some questions about rapping verses producing, his dream collaborations, what it’s like growing up in South Jersey, his standing with OVO and more.

Interview by: Julie Aly
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(Video) BET’s 2015 Year-End Wrap Up

Marisa Mendez Leave a Comment

Marisa Mendez x BET

Earlier this month, my good friend Kathy Iandoli asked me to be a part of a panel of experts to discuss 2015 for BET‘s year-end wrap up, so of course I said yes! Along with some of my favorite people like Sway In The Morning‘s Tracy G, YouHeardThatNew/Beats1‘s Lowkey, The Source‘s Simone Amelia, The STASHED‘s Kazeem, ThisIs50‘s Jack Thriller and more, we discussed all the highs and lows of 2015.

Check out the clips below. Such an honor to be a part of this!
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Interview: Smack White Talks Jae Millz – Who He’d Love To See Him Battle & If It Will Happen

Marisa Mendez Leave a Comment

Smack White x Jae Millz

Growing up in the Smack DVD era, my favorite battle of all time was Jae Millz vs. Murda Mook on 125th St. in Harlem. Since then, Mook has remained a fixture on the battle scene (though becoming much more exclusive with his battles), while Millz opted for the mainstream, and went on to leave battling for a record deal with Lil Wayne‘s Young Money imprint.

In recent years, battle rap has become much more popular on a mainstream level, and it’s birthed stars like Hollow Da Don, Tsu Surf, Arsonal and more, but longtime fans are still itching to see Millz get back in the ring – especially with Mook, as it’s long been a debate on the winner.

Over the summer, Millz responded to the chatter, and took to Instagram proclaiming he wouldn’t bring his jersey out of retirement for any less than $100k. A small exchange with Smack White himself ensued, but not much came out of it. When I caught up with Smack a while later, I had to get his take on it! Check out what he had to say below.
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Interview: T-Pain Talks Threesome Etiquette While Married & Why He’s No Longer Interested In Making Hit Singles

Marisa Mendez Leave a Comment

T-Pain

Back in October, I caught up with T-Pain while we were on the red carpet at the 2015 BET Hip-Hop Awards. Since his long-awaited Stoicville: The Phoenix album was set to drop this weekend, I planned to release the interview at the same time…but it looks like it’s got a little more marinating to do before we get it.

I didn’t want to hold on the interview much longer, though, as Pain dropped some interesting gems about why he’s no longer focusing on singles, as he feels albums are what will maintain your legacy even after you’re gone. Find out what Teddy Pain had to say about not wanting to be known as the “strip club man” any longer – plus the etiquette he and his lovely wife follow to bring a third party into their bedroom!
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