BTN: What was your process for selecting beats for this album? Did you search the internet, in-house, or do you do them yourself?
VN: It’s a little bit of all three. I got two or three producers that I know very well and they give me stuff every now and then. But I actually didn’t use any of them on this project. I was riding and popped a CD in and it turns out this guy is from overseas and doesn’t even speak English. I write when I come across shit.
I usually write to the beat and that inspires me. I let the beat talk to me. There is this one cat from D.C and another dude; I don’t know exactly where he is from but when I heard the beats, I started connecting with them. The feeling is kind of based on Illmatic, but instead of nine joints, I got eleven. I got a record called “Smoke break” and that’s like my “Halftime.” The only person who probably notice the similarities is you (Laughs) and Nas himself.
BTN: How long have you been putting out music?
VN: I started out with a group called Boe & Villa, back in 97 and I was 17 years old. In 99’ we put out an album, after that, we were on the Erik Sermon album, we did the Funk Master Flex “Flip Squad All-Stars” all this was in like 99. So I have been grinding since then, I’m still part of the duo, but I went solo in 2007. I started recording on my own and put out my own mix-tape. I have been grinding since the 90’s era.