LIX - Hip Hop Interview

Where are you from and what was it like growing up there?
I Lived in Seattle, Washington most of my life before moving to California for a little while. Growing up out there is hard, because there’s no Hollywood or New York City anywhere near us. If you want to be in the entertainment industry you really have to move to get discovered, or you join a gang to help build up enough money and unity to make some kind of noise. It's really tough. But everyone on the westcoast is very open -minded, and we love to party.

How did you get your name and is there a story behind it?
Yes, there is definitely a story behind my name. When me and my friends would have parties, I would always mix up different kind of alcohol, and give special names to the drinks. I would drive the girls wild. So, my friends would tell me I made good elixirs. So, my friends said that should be my rap name. So, I started calling myself Elixjah, after the prophet Elijah But, a lot of people couldn't pronounce elixjah (pronounced elix-sa) the right way, so they started calling me E-Lix for short, then it finally became just Lix.

Was there a situation or a person who inspired you to rap?
Yes, LL Cool J really made rapping look cool, then there was Snoop Dogg. Seeing him and Dre' in the Deepcover video, really did it for me. Ice Cube and the Lenchmob had a cool message also, and N.W.A made me want to become a Gangster.

Tell us about your latest release.
My latest release is called Thug Passion : The Under Dogg. I named it after the late and great Tupac Shakur. Because to be a thug, you truly have to have some kind of passion for this entertainment industry, or it will swallow you whole. The reason it has two titles, The Under Dogg, is because I am also Under the Dogg Pound Imprint, and a lot of people don't want to see the Dogg Pound influence hip-hop anymore, so I feel like we are the Under Dogg's that the people are rooting for.

What do you prefer, playing live, recording in the studio or battling?
I prefer playing live. I like the crowd participation, and the energy. But, the studio is like my second home, and once in a while a good battle is healthy.

How would you describe your personality? What do you enjoy doing?
My personality is very aggressive, and confident. A lot of people say that I have an ego, but I don't. I am just very comfortable with who I am, and I speak to people with authority. I enjoy hanging out with friends, going to the clubs in New York, travelling, reading, and editing video. I am also a big dvd collector, I hate to rent movies so, I try to buy them right away. Other than that I work out, party, and flirt with cute girls.

How did you go about setting up independently?
Well, first I had to figure out what I wanted out of owning my own record label. Next, I incorporated in the US, and got my upc codes. Next, I looked online to see what the best options were for self-distribution, and I hollered at Snoop Dogg and JT the Bigga Figga to distribute my album for a while. Then, when that was done, I decided to go global, so now I am patiently waiting for itunes, napster, rhapsody, and cdbaby to upload my music to their stores in the next week or so.

What’s your favourite clothing label?
Right now, I wear a lot of Rocawear. I also look for Snoop Dogg clothing, Phat Farm, and Makaveli Brand. I like clothes that I can relate to. LRG has hot gear, and so does Bapes. I will start wearing them soon.

Forget the budget, what would be your dream collobo?
Well, I have always wanted to work with Snoop, Daz and Kurupt on an album. That is my biggest goal. I also want to work with Nelly furtado, Young Jeezy, and Jay-Z. I would like to get a few Doctor Dre' beats, and have Christina Milian on a few hooks. But my dream collab would have been working with Aaliyah. She is something special.

With so many artists out there, what are you doing different to get heard?
Well, I don't think there are many things a person can do to get heard anymore. Everything has already been done. I let my spirit guide me, and try to make some damn good music. My music appeals more to women, and street thugs. So, my message should melt women’s hearts, and let thugs know that I’m as real as it gets. Some say I could be the next Pac - Like character. We'll see.

Now is your chance to get something off ya chest! Anything getting you down or any opinions you need to voice?
Yes, I'm afraid of the future, ya'll respect the one that got shot, I respect the shooter. I don't promote black on black violence. I want everyone to try as hard as they can, to get the word n*gger out of there songs, and vocabulary, and I want people to understand the code of the streets a lot more clearly. It was designed for a reason.

f-pac music