Masta Ace is a legend.  Straight up.

If you like Hip-Hop at all, you’re sure to find at least one tune that will hit the spot in the New York MC’s diverse back catalogue - be it classic old-school posse cut “The Symphony” from the late 80’s, the monster bassline of 1995’s “Sittin’ On Chrome”, the mature reflection shown on his critically acclaimed “Long Hot Summer” LP from 2004 or any of a hundred or so other tracks he’s recorded over the course of a twenty-year career.

Relatively unknown amongst casual listeners, Ace is nonetheless hugely respected among those who know the genre.  He’s influenced more than one generation of up-and-coming MCs and left his mark on the developing style of one Marshall Mathers from Detroit, MI.

His latest project is a collaboration with Edo G, another crucial figure in the development of Hip-Hop through the 1990s and beyond.  You can find more details plus some ill videos at www.aetheduo.com .

There’s a rare opportunity to catch both MCs playing live when they touch down for a set at Fresh Jive at the Elbow Room, Leeds on Saturday November 28th, with support from local acts including Verbal Contact, East Park Reggae Collective, No Change,  Alphabetix, J Bravo, Defenderz of Style and DJs T-Breaks, Sinical and Prolific.

In advance of the show, we were lucky enough to secure an interview with the Masta himself which is reproduced below for your education and entertainment.

What was it that first caught your interest about Hip-Hop and made you invest time in developing your skills?
When I was young, Hip-Hop was just the thing to do.  Either you were a DJ, a dancer, a writer or an MC.  I dabbled in them all but rapping wound up being the best fit because I liked writing poetry in grade school.

The tapes that used to be recorded in clubs like Harlem World made their way down from the Bronx and we did our best to copy those tapes.  First they were instrumentals, then eventually rap lyrics were put behind the breakbeats.

When you first started out, did you expect that you would still be MC’ing and releasing material at this point?
I had no idea that I could continue to make a living rapping and making music.  Thanks to the touring market overseas in Europe and on other continents, I have been able to extend my career an extra ten years or so.

How do you feel your own style and your approach to making music have changed over that period of time?
I’ve always been an artist who wanted to try something different every time I created music.  I get bored easily so I’m always trying new approaches and styles lyrically.  That’s what keeps me writing - the desire to say and do something different than the last time people heard me.

Did you ever seriously consider doing anything else with your life, either before your career took off or at any point since?
Hell yeah.  I graduated from college with a marketing degree with an emphasis on advertising.

My plan was to become an advertising exec/ copywriter.  I wanted to create TV and magazine ads for a living – all those funny beer commercials and stuff.  It just so happened that I won a rap contest while I was home on Christmas break from college and the rest is history.

How do you feel the Hip-Hop scene has evolved over the last twenty years?
Hip-Hop is ever-changing, evolving and repeating.  We have seen in the last few years the new dance craze of Hip-Hop songs return from the 80’s.  When I was young, there were tens of songs out introducing a new dance and that has recently made its way back.

We sometimes forget what was hot when we were young.  I can’t hate on the new artists for making those songs.  From the ‘Wop’ to the ‘Stanky Leg’, it’s all Hip-Hop.

I see lyricism coming back strong too though.  More cats getting their write on and giving some creativity back to the game.

Were there any key moments that stand out for you as defining or changing the direction the scene has taken?
There are several defining moments in the last 25 years that have changed the landscape of Hip-Hop – here are a few:

1980’s

LL Cool J (“I Need A Beat”) - brought the use of large multi-syllable words.
Eric B & Rakim (“Eric B Is President”) – brought the use of rhyming multiple words in a given line
Big Daddy Kane (“Raw”) – introduced the metaphor in the form of “punchlines”

1990’s

De La Soul (“Three Feet High & Rising”) – introduces skits and interludes to the LP format
N.W.A. (“Straight Outta Compton”) – introduced the West Coast to Hip-Hop in the form of “Gangsta Rap” and multi-platinum sales
There are soooo many more – Run DMC’s rock collaboration in the 80’s, Bad Boy Records and Notorious BIG go platinum for NYC – but the ones I listed impacted me directly as an MC.

Do you feel any changes that have occurred could be called particularly positive or negative?
All changes are good.  Even a trend that seems negative in Hip-Hop like the East Coast – West Coast beef taught us valuable lessons and eventually fused Hip-Hop so that any artist from any coast can make any kind of music.

Your 1993 album “Slaughtahouse” is notable for being one of the first releases to react to and criticise the gangster image projected by some rappers.  What were the key points you were trying to make and do you think they are still relevant?  (To put it another way, would you add anything to it if you re-recorded it today?)
Yeah I feel the main points are still relevant today.  Look at the fake thug posturing on the internet these days.  Everybody wants to portray how tough they are and speak about guns and drug-dealing when the majority of them never touched the lifestyle first hand.

I wouldn’t add anything to that album because it was made for that time and era and it fit perfectly.

There are a lot of younger Hip-Hop listeners nowadays who might want to get a feel for your back catalogue without necessarily knowing the history.  Are there any tracks you would particularly want them to hear to get an overview of what you’re about?
Yeah I would say “Music Man”, “Brooklyn Battles”, “Mad Wunz”, “Jeep Ass Nigguh”, “Jack B Nimble” , “Saturday Night Live”, “Letter To The Better”, “I Got Ta”.

How much do you know about UK Hip-Hop – can you name any particular acts you’re aware of?  Do you have any opinions on the scene if you are aware of it?
I know Roots Manuva, Seanie T, Estelle, Karl Hinds, Tim Westwood, DJ 279, Mark B & Blade, Blak Twang, The Cookie Crew, Rodney P and Monie Love are classic UK artists just to name a few.  I either know these people personally, collaborated with them or I’m aware of their music.  There are many more though.

You’ve performed and recorded as part of several crews in the past, including Marley Marl’s Juice Crew, your own Masta Ace I.N.C. collective and more recently as part of eMC (with Punchline, Wordsworth and Strick) and alongside Edo G.  What do you feel to be the main advantages and disadvantages of working solo or with other MCs?
The main advantage of collaborating is a smaller writing workload to get an album done.  It’s still a lot of work because I am usually responsible for pulling the project together concept-wise and mixing it.

The biggest disadvantage is having to compromise a bit creatively.  You realize that not every one of your ideas will make the cut.

Tell me a bit more about your current collaboration with Edo G – how did it come together and what do you both bring to the table?
We bring our collective fan-bases, twenty-plus years of experience each and the collective desire to continue touring the world with our music.  It came about because we toured together in 2004 and had collaborated on each other’s albums as well as several songs by other artists.  The original idea was a mix-tape and when producer Supreme One came through with funding it turned into an album.

Words: Analogue