Illuminati 2G

Justin: We’re here with the group known as Virginia Frontline! Start us off by letting everybody know how you’re doing at this time?

Virginia Frontline: Already! We’re doing well! It’s late but we’re ready to go have some fun tonight. It’s a good day in Virginia.

Justin: It’s Friday night, you gotta’ do it big, right?

Virginia Frontline: Yes sir! Every Friday night! (Laughs)

Justin: (Laughs) Absolutely. Switching gears, we’re gonna’ talk about Virginia a bit seeing as it is a good day in Virginia today. What was it like growing up in Virginia?

Virginia Frontline: We all grew up in different parts. Most of us went to school together in the country, just laid back. There was nothing to do but play Basketball and write raps. Some people who came up in the city had other things going on, but it’s just like everywhere else – Ain’t nothing change.

It’s country life. It’s the same thing like the city but we don’t have tall buildings – we have tall trees (laughs). That’s the only difference. We felt the struggle, and you hear that in us when we deliver our music to the world.

Justin: What’s the Hip-Hop scene like out there? We really only get to hear from The Clipse.

Virginia Frontline: Right. There are two different Hip-Hop scenes. They’re [The Clipse] certified as the North so they sound more like the people in New York. It’s a whole different sound from how we sound. The thing about Virginia is, it’s the best of both worlds. We’re kind of a mix of the south and the north. We have both of those styles in Virginia. Our sound is just so massive and different, Virginia doesn’t have one sound.

Atlanta sounds one way, New York sounds one way, and Virginia is a little bit of everything. It’s a three-dimensional state. That’s why everyone gets caught up in whether or not if Virginia is the south, or up north, or east coast.

Really, it’s the Mid-Atlantic. You heard it first from Virginia Frontline; this is the Mid-Atlantic. In Virginia, we’re representing the Mid-Atlantic movement. From DC, Maryland, Delaware, North Carolina, and South Carolina – we don’t really have anybody to identify us, but that’s over. We’re the Mid-Atlantic region and we don’t have to try and fit into the south. We don’t have to try to fit into the North either – we’re just the best of both worlds. It’s time for people to start fitting into us.

Justin: Ok. You’re talking about Virginia really being a different look than other major Hip-Hop locations. Do you think that works to your advantage? Or is that a disadvantage?

Virginia Frontline: I believe it works beautifully to our advantage. Everybody comes to Virginia to get there production. Out here, you have Timbaland, The Neptunes, Nottz, Danja Handz and Teddy Riley. Everybody comes here to get there music and there production, but nobody really wants to hear what we gotta’ say.

We have something to say and we have something that the world needs to hear. We have both of these regions in our hands, because that’s us. If you really try to think about it, everybody started from Virginia. When America was founded in I think it was 1619; everybody started in Virginia. Whether you like it or not, you came from Virginia – I don’t care where you’re from.

That’s beside the point. It works to our advantage, because we have the south flavor and the up north flavor.

Justin: I like that. You guys scrambled as an independent for five hard years specifically. Tell us about that.

Virginia Frontline: it’s just hard work. For anybody who thinks it’s easy, you can’t just get up in the morning and hop on Fruity Loops and make a beat and get famous next week - you’re dead wrong. It’s just hard work. You have to be consistent. You have to sacrifice time. We’ve been in the game for 10-15 years and we’re still not where we wanna’ be at. That speaks for itself. I don’t know anybody who became famous over night.

Even people that are already successful, they may not be at where they wanna’ be at. It takes constant work. If you’re happy with where you’re at, you’re kind of settling for less. It’s a lot of hard work and dedication. You always have to stay ten steps ahead because everybody is doing music now.

You have to think, what makes you any different than that other person who is trying to get to where you are. It’s just constant work everyday, but we love it. This is what we do and what we’re here for. We’re ready to show that to the world.

Justin: A lot of people are always saying through interviews, how the independent game is so much better and how many benefits there are to it. Although that is true if done properly, I don’t think people realize how much hard work you have to put into it.

Virginia Frontline: Hard work and your own money to. If you don’t have financial backing, you’re not getting anywhere – especially if you’re independent. It’s harder independent but the outcome is sweeter. If you think about it, you cut out the middle man when you don’t have the majors involved. The thing about the majors, you have a better chance of getting the good promotion and backing behind your project. It all depends what you’re in it for and what you’re looking to get out of it. Always remember you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate.

Justin: I like that, definitely some words to live by for the independent game. How has mixtapes helped out your recognition?

Virginia Frontline: if you’re independent, the streets are what are backing you. If you’re independent, you get your music out there through the neighborhood and the clubs. You have to start from the bottom and work to the top basically.

The way the game is set up, we’re in a real economic crisis right now. Nobody is really going to the store anymore to buy CD’s. The game is geared more towards Internet purchases right now. The mixtape game, especially if you’re giving out for the free promotion, it gives the people a chance to hear what you’re about before they actually spend there hard earned money that they don’t really have in the first place, to hear what you have to say. By the mixtape game, I think it’s holding the game up because that’s the way the people actually get to hear the artists. If they like this artist, they go spend there $10-15 on this artist because they already know what there about and like what there doing.

Justin: No doubt. What’s the label situation like at this time?

Virginia Frontline: We’re signed to CNI Entertainment. It’s an independent label that we’re signed to. Right now, we’re enjoying the deal with them. We have a good relationship. They understand what we’re trying to do. We understand what they’re trying to do and we trust them. It’s a beautiful relationship. Plus there from Virginia, so that’s a plus.

Justin: That’s always a good look right there. One of your premier group members, Boo-Da passed away in a car accident. Tell us about that situation and the effect it had on the group.

Virginia Frontline: That put us in a standstill for a minute. Everybody was trying to get over the situation that was going on. Everybody was hurt. It gave us more motivation and made us stronger to do what we gotta’ do for the group.

I was there when it happened. I can’t even describe that day. It all happened so fast. For me, he was my cousin but I looked at him like my big brother. To sit there and watch him go like that, I couldn’t really take control of the situation. The thing about how we came up and all of the things that we did, the thing about how he introduced me to music – that’s like my history. It just went right before my eyes. I still try to get a grasp of it today. I don’t think I’ll ever get a grasp of it. Every time I write now, make a beat or write a song, I always think about what he would say or how he would do it, because to me, I feel like I’m living for two artists now.

This started out as me and his dream and now that’ he’s gone, I feel like I’m carrying his weight on my shoulders. That’s pretty much it as far as that. It was a tough situation because he inspired all of us. From where we’re from, he actually was one of the first people that were rapping. He actually inspired a whole lot of people. There’s like 20 million people rapping where we’re from now, and he was actually one of the first to ever start rapping. For him to go was a real big disappointment. We still have his back and we’re still going strong from Boo-Da, Rest in Peace.

Justin: The group scrapped the single with Skillz as a result. How do you think his death changed the group’s musical direction?

Virginia Frontline: We just wanted to sound fresh. As a matter of fact, that was one of the things that he wanted. He was ready to do another project. When that happened, we went back to the drawing board and said “let’s do this one for Boo-Da because that’s what he wanted” and we just try to look at every song and think, “How would Boo-Da do it?” everybody is inspired by him. He was the foundation of this whole rap thing as far as us. We just wanna’ do it the way he wanted to do it. He wanted to do another project, so now we’re doing another project. We’re making sure it meets his expectations.

Justin: Ok. Tell our readers about the upcoming plans to release each member’s individual mixtape this spring.

Virginia Frontline: I guess it’s to introduce everybody from the group, by releasing our solo mixtapes, one by one. We’ve been doing group mixtapes for like six years but nobody has ever heard a solo project from any of us. Now, we’re doing it like instead of releasing an album.

Also, it gives everybody an opportunity to hear that we’re like the next Wu-Tang. We can do it ourselves, but we can come together as a group as well. There are some groups that can’t do that without the other members. They just don’t sound right.

We’re all talented and have something to say. We all have something to offer to the world and we feel like the world should hear it, one by one, and then as a group.

Justin: So is the ultimate strategy behind the move to get the fans familiar with each of you individually?

Virginia Frontline: Right. It’s like an introduction. We’re introducing ourselves to the world basically. Everybody will identify us and they’ll see who they know the most. Each one of us is so different but what brings us together is that we love our music. We understand what where we’re trying to take our music. We have the same common interests when it comes to that.

With music, it’s so different from who we live our lives, the things we do in our regular lives, but the music is what brings us together. That’s what makes us different also.

Justin: In addition to the mixtapes, is the group working on an album at this time?

Virginia Frontline: Yes sir! “The Work.” Look for that this summer. The album so far sounds so good. It’s gonna’ be one of the best albums you’ve heard in a long time, in Hip-Hop period. You can put that down. I don’t know if you’re recording this or writing it down, but you can put that down jack! Everybody is gonna’ love this album.

You’re Grandmamma like it, you’re sister will love it (laughs). Everybody will love it. We have something on there for everybody. We’re not one dimensional artists. We’re not gonna’ give you the same thing over and over.

Ringtone music and stuff like that, it’s all cool but we’re taking it back to the people being artists; not dancing, shaking your butt (laughs). This is not a dance trick. We’re not just coming with one type of music and then we’re gone. Once we’re in, we’re in jack. We’re going to take over once we’re in it.

The album is well rounded. It has something for everybody on it.

Justin: And why did you guys call it “The Work?”

Virginia Frontline: We put a lot of hard work into the project. We’re talking our lives and trying to get where we’re getting, where we’re trying to go. Everybody has there own situation and what they’re trying to do. It’s hard work making music. You’re 9-5 job may be hard work. It’s just talking about what you’re going through, trying to make it and trying to get money. It’s all about trying to make it work.

Justin: You’re talking about making it work and all, a question I like to ask independent or up and coming artists is, if we could grant Virginia Frontline one music-related wish, what would the group wish for?

Virginia Frontline: Oh wow. That’s a good question. One music related wish? For the single we’re about to put out be a hit and take us there; that’s my one wish. Do you want as a group or individually answer?

Justin: As a group wish. That one goal you could have guaranteed to be achieved in the future.

Virginia Frontline: Take over the game jack. We wanna’ be well respected and take over the game. The game needs a takeover and we’re willing to do that.

Justin: Ok, no doubt. That’s a beautiful way to end it in my opinion. I wanna’ thank you guys for your time. Do you have any last words or additional statements for the interview before I let you go?

Virginia Frontline: Tell everybody to make sure they check out our pages on MySpace. www.myspace.com/vafrontline. Check us out on there. Make sure y’all go check out “The Work” when it comes out this summer.