D. Craig:
I had the opportunity to chop it up with King Medallions about the new album, digital crate digging, what seems like endless projects underway, and his relationship with Fashawn.
The Interview:
D. Craig: For those who haven’t been following Planet Asia for the past dozen years or so, who is PA, who is King Medallions?Planet Asia: Ooh, Ooh…
DC: (laughs)
PA: I’m the gatekeeper of the underground. The don, I’m the don. They know me man, everybody knows me, man.
DC: Indeed. So you got Black Belt Theatre droppin’ later this month… both the title and the artwork seem to have a theme to it, sort of a Blaxploitation meets kung fu. What’s the concept behind it?
PA: Really it’s just an action-packed album. That’s what I wanted the cover to be. You know, it’s action-packed and you got the yin and yang symbol for the dualities that I represent. You know, the strong black male with the afro, the chick, the women, nah’mean. You see the gold chain… it’s like, it’s everything that I embody already. Nah’mean? That’s how I look at it.
DC: And what about musically, as far the sound goes?
PA: The sound is definitely raw dog, crate music… I call it crate music, that’s what the majority is. You have some electrical music on there too, but I’m just sayin’ for the most part it’s crate music.
DC: Already. Where do you think this album stands in your discography, or is it too early to say? Does it need to marinate on ya’ a little while or do you feel this is gonna be something special already?
PA: You know, I think it’s something for the Planet Asia fans. If you’re a Planet Asia fan, it’s something you can just vibe to. You’re gonna love it if you’re an original Planet Asia fan, nah’mean? That’s how it pans out. I did this for the cats that really know what Planet Asia is about. It ain’t like I went to the side and tried to do something different… I gave ‘em exactly what they wanted.
DC: No doubt.
PA: Know what I’m sayin’, like… I kept it hardcore and interesting. But you know, I’m excited to see what’s gonna happen with it when it comes out. To see how people are gonna accept the album and what’s gonna be people’s favorite songs, that’s what I’m waitin’ on right now.
DC: You got a favorite song yet?
PA: They change and vary; it depends on how I feel on certain days. Like yesterday I was feeling the song with me, The Jacka, and Mitchy Slick. That’s one of my favorite joints. Some days I be on the intro to the album or one day I might like the joint with me, Willie The Kid and Fashawn or the joint with me and Paul Wall, nah’mean? They vary.
DC: Cool. So to backtrack a bit, like you were saying, you’ve been doing this for a long time. Personally, I think one of the things that makes you, you… is the fact that you undoubtedly rep Fresno and Cali to the fullest, but you’re also a very unique artist with a defined style. On “All Hail the King” off the Pain Language project with DJ Muggs, you say, “I make music that I like to choose to hear, so know what I’m about you gotta use ya ears.”
PA: Right.
DC: Could you expand on that for your fans? What is Planet Asia’s music is about?
PA: It’s for people that listen with their ears and not their eyes, nah’mean? You know, this new generation… they listen with their eyes, not their ears. You gotta really be passionate about it. Like, how you gonna know something is dope if you’re not even going off your own opinion? They just rolling with somebody else’s opinion. They just rolling with the pack because everybody else says it’s dope. Like, you don’t really take the time out because you’re so scared to be yourself. You gotta be able to be like, “Hey, I don’t like that shit…” or ‘I like this shit over here,” nah’mean? A lot of people are scared to like dope shit because they think it might be the un-cool thing to do. And I really feel like that, nah’mean?
DC: Yeah.
PA: You know, we’re livin’ in a time where the fans are checking the SoundScan. When were the fans ever supposed to give a fuck about what the record sold? Now everybody checking the SoundScan like they really know what the fuck it takes. Like, just listen to the music. Don’t worry about how many accolades the artist has. Honestly, me and my friends — and the people that I do music with, people that are actually in the music industry — a lot of the times we don’t even listen to the popular shit. Nah’mean? Like we deliberately go on the internet and look for no-name artists.
DC: It’s like digital crate digging.
PA: You know, we might find a dinosaur dude that never made it. We listen to shit like that because it fuels what we do. It’s about liking what you really like, know what I’m sayin? Like if I go hang out with The Alchemist, he might show me something from like 1993, some dude that didn’t make it out of Alabama or whatever. We look for dinosaurs, know what I’m saying? A lot of artists that I work with, that’s what we do.
DC: It’s like, you’re a Hip Hop head first and foremost…
PA: Right, right! I get my energy from where you might not think, even where people that listen to my music might not think. I listen to all kinds of black-market type music. Nah’mean? The energy that I pull from it, it’s a genuine energy.
DC: I feel you. And speaking of that new generation and the way things have changed, a lot of cats are talking about the so called New West, and even some back and forth between West Coast veterans and some of the younger cats coming up. Do you have any thoughts on that or the music of this generation?
PA: Well, there’s always gonna be a new this or that. If that’s the case, next year there’s gonna be a New West, and the next year. But when it’s all said and done… it’s like, say whatever you’re gonna say, but 10 years later, 12 years later… that’s gonna prove if when you were saying you were the New West, if it mattered or not. When Planet Asia first came out… imagine if when I first came out I was saying “New West” and wasn’t really relevant today? What if I had said New West back then but didn’t accomplish anything? Like, if you’re always putting weight on your shoulders. My whole thing was I never… I rep where I come from, but I don’t go into the studio like, “Yo, I’m making this for the West Coast.” It don’t go like that. I go into the studio to make good music. It’s universal.
DC: Exactly, that’s what I saying about how you undoubtedly rep where you’re from, but at the end of the day, you have your own defined style and sound.
PA: Yeah. You know, I’ve been called “East Coast.” Cats have told me, like, “Oh, you do that real Hip-Hop!” and I’m like, yo, what is that? I just do… I just do me! I do whatever I think sounds good. Imagine if all the great artists that we call legends today would have had the mentality of just trying to do what’s popular. Like doing what they think people want. We don’t get classic albums made like that; those were chances that were being taken. Nah’mean? Go back to the legends, they didn’t know their records were gonna do what they did. That was an experiment in the studio.
DC: Do you feel like the older emcees have a responsibility to help out the younger generation?
PA: You know, that’s a tricky question cause you can help people. But at the end of the day man, I’ve been in this for a long time. I’ve been through that lane before. It’s like artists are gonna be artists. You know, like I was gonna be Planet Asia, regardless – period. In my opinion, there’s no such thing as putting someone on. When you get in a position where you’re a step ahead or have some success in life, you were meant for that position or else you wouldn’t be in that position. So I just feel like that’s how it is, not everybody is going to make it. Not everybody is gonna be a superstar. Not everybody is gonna sell platinum records, know what I’m saying? Some dudes are gonna be dope and never sell a record, it just happens. Sometimes one of those dinosaur dudes, a dude that’s dope might make that one hit and change his life. There is no book to this shit, man. I don’t believe that you can be put on. I believe you can have an opportunity. A lot of people have had opportunities and fucked it up.
DC: Speaking of opportunities and younger cats, some would say that you played a big role in Fashawn being where he’s at, you know, inviting him on tour and kind of taking under your wing for a time.
PA: Well, let’s make this clear man. I gave Fashawn an opportunity. I didn’t put anybody on.
DC: Yeah.
PA: You know, it’s like sayin’… let’s say I just got through eating. And he walks by like “Yo, I’m looking for this one joint where they sell this kind of food” and I’m like, “Yo, it’s right here.” That’s all I did, I just pointed him in the direction. Now, at the end of the day, he took it upon himself to work hard in order to get where he is. You have to want that. Like, Fashawn wanted to be Fashawn. He was gonna be Fashawn with or without Planet Asia. Planet Asia was just that dude that was there at that time. It could have been anybody. At the end of the day yo, he was gonna be going to studio and recording, putting out mixtapes, doing his thing, and getting out there. You can’t stop a person that’s willing to work. Yeah, I happened to be there and if you willing to work, I’ll put you on like that. But it’s not “putting you on.” It’s like I can point you in a direction and then it’s on you to choose how to handle that situation. They put themselves on. Fashawn put himself on. He had enough courage to just ask Planet Asia, “What’s good?” A lot of people have talent but they don’t have enough courage to do certain shit. Nah’mean?
DC: Yeah, I mean he was already putting out mixtapes and what not.
PA: Yeah! He was already doing what he was doing. It could have Evidence, it could have been The Alchemist, Just Blaze. It could’ve been anybody. At the end of the day, Fashawn goes to the studio. I don’t make Fashawn go to the studio. (Laughs)
Nah’mean? I don’t make him shoot all these crazy ass videos. That’s him. He’s doing what he’s supposed to do. So can I say I put him on? Nah, I didn’t put him on. I’m not an egotistical dude; I pointed him in the direction. And I’m saying this for the young artists that see this and to know that that’s what I mean – you put yourself on. Kanye West put himself on, even though Dame Dash was there.
DC: He was presented an opportunity, but he had to take advantage of it.
PA: That “Through the Wire,” that was out of his pocket. Imagine if he hadn’t believed in himself enough to put the twenty thousand or whatever out of his pocket and make that video. Who is to say we would have the Kanye that we have today? And you talking about a man that was in a fucking car accident before that. So you gotta have drive man; it’s all about the drive. Will.I.Am is another one, nah’mean? You gotta just not be scared to be yourself. It might be crazy when you first come out man. Some people might not understand it, it might take a little time, but if you work hard enough and you’re known for making good music but just haven’t gotten there yet, just keep grinding. I believe in that man – hard work.
DC: No doubt man. On another note, besides Fashawn, who are some other young West Coast artists that you feel are really doing their thing right now?
PA: I think Schoolboy Q is doing is thing. All these cats, Blu… there’s another cat comin’ out named Omar Aura. I got a video out with him called “Get High” if I’m not mistaken. He’s pretty dope. There’s a lot of new young dudes coming out the town, man. I’m loving what’s going on in music right now. And the way the music business is right now and with the corporations… you’re kinda forced to just do what you love. It ain’t like they cutting ten million dollar checks right off the bat, like they used to. Nah’mean?
DC: Yeah, absolutely. So what’s next? I know your new album is about to drop, but it seems like you’re constantly on your grind. The General Monks album just dropped, Camouflage Jackets, Cracks in the Vinyl with Madlib… anything else up your sleeve?
PA: Man, I’ve created so many different projects that are done; some are ready to come out. This is like the introduction for everything that’s about to drop. Like Durag Dynasty Click – me, TriState, and Killer Ben, produced by The Alchemist. Another solo album called Boats, Based On A True Story – that’s for the clothing line we got going on right now. My man TriState got a solo album coming out. Cali Agents will be back out soon. There’s just a lot of different projects, man. Me and my man TzariZM got an album coming out called Via Satellite. I’m like a jazz musician at this point, man.
(mutual laughter)
PA: Collect all my joints man, I’m gonna keep y’all interested. You ain’t gotta wait two years to get a Planet Asia album no more.
DC: Speaking of Cali Agents, I was gonna ask you about that next. A lot cats that have been listening to you for a minute have been wondering when we could expect a new Cali Agents album. So that’s something your fans can definitely anticipate?
PA: We just wanna do it right, nah’mean?
DC: Yeah.
PA: We just wanna make sure it’s done right. That’s about it. We wanna make sure it gets marketed right and that the fans know it’s coming out. That’s our only concern at this point. When we do a Cali Agents record, we want the people to know it’s coming nah’mean?
DC: Definitely. Well, to end on a lighter note, what are you currently listening to? What’s in the ride, what’s on the iPhone?
PA: I’ve been listening to a lot of that Gangrene album, that new Gangrene with The Alchemist and Oh No. And I’ve been listening to this cat out of Ohio named Ampichino. Ampichino and Freeze, they got a group called Cop Heavy Gang. It’s an independent album, but that’s like my favorite shit right now. That’s that underground shit I was talking about, nah’mean? People need to hear that. I listen to music for the good music. So when I listen to something like that, I feel like it’s gonna be the next wave, know what I’m sayin’?
DC: Yeah.
PA: I feel like I’m the only artist that promotes other artists like that, nah’mean? You’re not gonna get too many artists that promote other artists outside their camp, but I’m genuine like that. It’s all about influences and if I can influence the game or the curve a certain way by saying who I’m listening to, maybe someone will be like, “Yo, let me get check what that’s about.”
DC: Exactly, I’m gonna go check ‘em out when we get done with this interview.
PA: Yeah, check ‘em out, man. I’m into to the independent culture, nah’mean? But yeah, the Cop Heavy Gang is some street shit and the Gangrene is more about Hip Hop shit.
DC: Got a favorite album from 2010 or 2011?
PA: I really liked that Rick Ross album. I can’t front. Teflon Don. That was a good album.
DC: Already. Well cool man, any last words for your fans out there?
PA: Yo, Planet Asia got love for his supporters. Go get that Black Belt Theatre on February 28th. Gold Chain Military is the movement. GCM is the movement. Gold Chain Music forever. It is what it is. Shout out to KevinNottingham.com.
DC: Alright, well I appreciate your time for an interview. On a side note, when I was like 13, Grand Opening was like one of the first CDs I ever bought. Before that I’d just be listening to my brother’s shit, but yeah… I’ve been listening to you for a long time and I’m a big fan – I look forward to the new album.
PA: Wow! Man, I appreciate that dude. And I always be checking the Kevin Nottingham twitter and shit man, Planet Asia be seeing that.
DC: We appreciate that.
PA: One last thing. You can pre-order the album through Nature Sounds and Wandering Work Entertainment.
Source: KN.com
