Chapter 13 is about to release their album Nevermore's Asylum on Internet label Neblina Records. Although Rashid Hadee and Young Valentine gained some popularity through mixtapes and compilation albums, this record should put the Chicago duo on the map. Hiphopinjesmoel.com hooked up with these cats to find out more about their golden era production, real life lyrics and background.
For those who don’t know you, tell them who Chapter 13 is and how you found out you wanted to pursue hip hop professionally.
Rashid Hadee: Chapter 13 is me, Rashid Hadee and Young Valentine. We decided to pursue hip hop professionally when we woke up one day and noticed we was broke!
Young Valentine: Yeah….It’s always been a part of our lives, one day we decided to go and get it.
Why the name Chapter 13?
YV: Cause we was broke, we had to consolidate our lives, and get things in order. Naw, it’s the name of our high school battle crew, we was freestyling a lot then and it raised a lot of eyebrows. When I came to Forest Hill, I heard of 13 and how they was spitting, so I battled to get down.
RH: Yeah, me and this cat named Skip Coon, one of the original members of the crew, came up with the name Chapter 13 one day when was conversating. We liked the way it sounded and it just stuck with us.
How long have you known each other?
RH: Since ‘97. We met in computer class back in high school. Young V had this Camp Lo CD which was very unusual for someone in Jackson, MS back then…
YV: I asked Rashid if he was digging Rass Kass, he was like yeah…It’s been on ever since.
What are the most important things you have learned from each other along
the way, what are your individual strengths?
YV: I learned that niggaz come and go, so just do you. I learned never turn your back on the real niggaz that will ride with you. That’s why me and Rashid are the only niggaz still reppin original One-Three.
How did you get signed to internet label Neblina Records?
YV: We dropped a song called “The Rebirth” and submitted it, they liked it and wanted more.
RH: I hooked up with Jerry Juliano on The LAWN message board and he just was really feeling our material from day one. Then I get this email about a compilation called Definition and we just jumped down on the opportunity.
Compared to a regular label, what are the major advantages of being signed
to an online label?
RH: Other than keeping our souls, it ain’t no other major advantages! We still starving artists. I still gotta ride a crowed ass train to work at 7:00 in the morning. (laughs)
YV: I can’t really tell, this is the first label we’ve been with, but it’s cool.
How would you describe your signature sound?
YV: My signature looks different every time I sign my name, and so does our sound. We don’t stick to a certain pattern, just whatever’s dope.
You are on several mixtapes, including DJ A-Beats’ Street Hop mixtape and Neblina’s most recent Fear & Loathing mixtape. How have mixtapes helped your career so far?
RH: They’ve given us more exposure, but no groupies yet unfortunately.
YV: Mixtapes is the shit, they move with the street. We’re street niggaz so we fit right in, and our music adds a new street element to the mixtapes.
What kind of reception have you gotten since your first album Legendary Aspectz in 2001?
RH: Legendary Aspectz got a lotta love back in Jackson around the time we finished it up. Everybody that bought the CD loved it. Some cats was getting their car broken into getting the CD stolen from them.
YV: It was ahead of it’s time man, it was ahead of it’s time.
You got a new album coming out, Nevermore’s Asylum. What’s the story behind the title?
RH: Nevermore’s Asylum is our old nigga-rigged recording studio. Also, Me and Young V produce under Nevermore Productions, so it just fits.
YV: It all stands for Never Again…You can only get this type of hip-hop from Chapter 13.
What can people expect from this album?
YV: A good intro into the world of Chapter 13, there’s something for everybody we feel.
RH: Just good shit to ride and listen to from start to finish.
Is it true that you will be using some Legendary Aspectz tracks for this album? Why is that?
RH: Yes it is true, and we did it just because we felt like doin’ it.
YV: Expect some new material never heard from Chapter 13 on this new album. If we mix some old tracks in, they will fit the tone and flow of the project….Straight fire on the beats and rhymes baby!
Which artists do you guys have on it?
YV: Chapter 13’s elite…The Allignment, Fetti Boyz….
RH: We got Young Slimm, Skinny Kenny, Cashmere The Pro and Zeale 32.
You guys make your own beats. Did you take care of the entire production of the album or did you work with other producers as well?
RH: Yeah we got my man Gensu Dean and my man Analogic on there. Me and Young V did all the rest of the beats.
What was your first piece of production equipment?
RH: We started out with a karaoke machine, 2 Yamaha keyboards, a DR-110 drum machine and a whole lotta creativity! (laughs)
What equipment do you mostly use these days?
RH: Since like late ‘98 we been doing everything on our computers. We started out using Cool Edit and Goldwave to make beats, then switched it up to Fruity Loops like 2 to 3 years ago.
Which producers have influenced your sound?
RH: We got a lot of influences such as DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Madlib, Manny Fresh, Nasheim Myrick, DJ Spinna, Kanye West, Dr. Dre, and The Alchemist just to name a good majority.
Who have you recently sold beats to or have you worked with?
RH: We’ve done some joints with Analogic, Nick The 1da and Gensu Dean so far. We got some joints with DJ Resident in the works. We only really been doing beats for peeps tied close with us like Abstract Mindstate, Skinny Kenny, Manov War, Verse from DC, Melatone, Joe Christmas, and The Fetti Boyz. Abstract Mindstate got joints with Special Ed, Kanye West, Common, GLC, Mick Luter, All Natural and others from Chicago over our beats. They’re about to put out a mixtape that I produced all the beats for that’s coming out in a hot minute. Something to definitely look forward to!
Do you work with the artists first-hand or do you send them beats?
RH: Both. We send cats beats via email if they ain’t in our town and let them do their thing. We really only been working first hand with cats that we know locally.
Young Valentine, Rashid has already dropped his solo album Dedication. Can we expect your solo debut in the near future?
YV: Yeah no doubt, but I’m focusing on the Chapter 13 projects right now, ya know. Ya’ll stay tuned, and don’t touch that dial.
Rashid, you are from Chicago. What was it like growing up there and in what way does Chi-City influence your music?
RH: Growing up was crazy for me. I started writing rhymes when I was 8 years old so I grew up thinking I would be the next “child star” and shit like that. (laughs) Obviously, that never happened so that’s like what drives me today. Kinda get pissed off at times like that, but that’s like my fire to be the best at what I do. Chicago is just like the most amazing city to me though. The scenery, the people, the strive, the hunger, the hustle, the ladies, and just the emotion I peep daily from myself and other people all influence me musically and personally. Just like they say in the song “Respiration”, I can feel the city breathing. (laughs) That’s real though, I just express everything through music and my everyday living man.
Young Valentine, you moved to Chi-City too right? What is the biggest difference between the scene there and the scene in Jackson, Mississippi, where you’re originally from?
YV: Chi-City more hip-hop oriented. There are more places to do hip-hop, freestyle and open mic spots in Chicago, know what I’m talking about. In Jackson, you gotta be out the trunk for anybody to see you, there’s no too many places you can go to and grab the mic.
What are your main resources for your lyrics?
RH: Black n’ Milds and Icehouse. (laughs)
YV: Blunts, Brews, Blacks, and Bitches(laughs)
How do you feel about the often-heard statement that any true emcee should be at least a decent freestyler and be able to stand his ground in a battle?
RH: Shit that’s real to me. I agree cause you gotta hold it down right if you gonna call yourself an MC. That holding down a live show is a major part too, but you gotta be able to spit some hot shit at any moment.
YV: Yea, you gotta be able to freestyle to express you swagger and personality. You gotta be able to control the crowd also. It’s all about being a dope emcee.
Are you planning to do a tour after the album is released in July?
RH: We ain’t got nothing definite right now but it’s something that we really wanna do. We love performing our music so a tour would be sooo great. Whenever that opportunity comes, we’ll be more than ready for it.
YV: Y’all stay tuned, we gonna fly through your spot soon.
What’s your most memorable performance so far?
RH: When we performed at Scribble Jam this year. We had Manov War up there with us. Some of our peeps from Jackson, MS came through. We got very drunk and had a whole lotta fun that day. Yeah that was one to remember. Man, we was sooo thankful for that opportunity right there for real. Can’t wait until the next one man.
YV: Rhymefest 2005. Me, Melatone and Gensu Dean did a show and KILLED it. We was spinnin’ breaks, and got em open with the songs. I’ve never done a show that crunk.
Which artists do you really enjoy listening to right now?
RH: I’m feelin’ Young Jeezy, The Diplomats, Jadakiss, Cassidy, Little Brother, Mobb Deep, T.I., and a bunch of others is in rotation but that’s the main cats.
YV: We jammin’ Dipset hard down here, Nas, Hova, Killa Cam, Jody Breeze, The Game U.G.K., Gangstarr and M.O.P.
What are your immediate goals?
RH: We just striving to be the best out and release a whole catalog of classics. That’s just what we wanna do and make some good money in the process too. We wanna make a name for ourselves because it’s a lotta cats that think we new to this, but really we been puttin’ it down for a long ass time now. It’s just time to finally get some shine and we know we can only do that from releasing some hot music.
YV: For sure, we wanna add something good to this game.
What else do you have going on in the future?
RH: After Nevermore’s Asylum drops you can expect my solo joint Dedication real soon after that. We got other side projects and guest appearances in the works too. We doing a lot of work with cats like Analogic, Gensu Dean and Nick The 1da so stay tuned in to us.
YV: We got some underground projects in the works.
Do you have a website where the visitors can find out more about Chapter 13?
RH: Everybody can check us out at www.neblinarecords.com and www.myspace.com/chapter13neblina for music, bios, interviews, pics…
YV: Get info and beats from www.soundclick.com/vincentvalentine
Thank you for the interview, any comments or shout-outs?
RH: Yo and thank you for this opportunity man. We wanna give shouts to everybody supporting Chapter 13 and the whole movement. Big shouts to my peeps at Neblina Records, Obsidian Blue, Nick The 1da, DJ KO, Analogic, Christmas, Sweetz, Mack P, 9th Wonder, Abstract Mindstate, Mick Luter, Point Blank Entertainment, DJ Scrap Dirty, all the NDOTs, DAP, Tislam, DJ Hyphen, DJ Cuzzin B, Gensu Dean, Augustine, KING, and my man Melatone. That’s it man, we outta here for now. PEACE.
YV: Chapter 13’s Nevermore’s Asylum IN STORES AUG. 16, Ya’ll Cop That. Peace
