I'm a artist, actor, and now author. I built my rep in the streets for battling other rappers, killing shows and going on small tours from NYC, NJ, Maryland, VA, Detroit and the Carolinas. Being able to entertain put me in the loop with a lot of street guys and people in the music industry as well. Meaning I could get booked to do a show with the drug dealers but also get booked to do shows with up and coming rappers like Uncle Murda and be on stage with my hometown heroes from Brownsville, M.O.P.
How did you meet Noire?
I got the legendary DJ Cutmaster C to host one of my mixtapes that
was buzzing a few years back. It had the streets on fire and I got a
phone call one day from a guy who said an author liked my music and
wanted to work with me. So I'm thinking, who is the author and how could
they help me when I do music and they write books. I found it was
Noire, an Urban Erotic Fiction writer. I didn't know who she was at the
time, but when I did my homework and mentioned it to a few of my
girlfriends they were head over heels about her work. That's when I
started seeing her book G-Spot in every house I went to and I knew she
was the real deal. So I started providing lyrics for a few of her books,
which lead me to being a character, which lead to me doing a soundtrack,
and then a movie for the Noire Brand. The relationship grew and now I'm a
part of Team Noire and a official author with a legend in the Urban
Erotic fiction game.
Tell me about "Empire State of Mine$!"
Empire State of Mine$! is an Urban Erotic Thriller. We kept it in traditional Noire fashion with a mean twist on it. Along with my imagination and personal background from the hood, it came together lovely. It's dark, it's grimy, it's funny, and in depth. It combines the old school and new school slang and hood principles from how I grew up to how things are now. Sex, Money, and Murder. All the things that people crave in this genre with a love story, tragedyk and triumph intertwined in it. It's versatile and that's what I was aiming for.
What was it like working with Noire?
Noire is meticulous and working with her you have to have every area covered. It's intense and she forces you to expand on your ideas and be very detailed. These are the things that separate her from the rest of the authors. These are the things that her fans demand from her and she has to deliver. So I had to have that same approach and the more I fell into that mind frame, the better my writing became. I had to become those characters and breathe life into them. I thought about them even when I wasn't writing. To the point where they have their own voice in your head.
Describe your writing process?
I probably have the least traditional writing process to stir up my creative juices. I have to have music playing and different things to put me into my character and scenarios. Sometimes I go on a walk by myself and think about my own past and personal experiences to kick start ideas for plots and places. I can't just sit in one spot and come up with things, my best motivations and inspirations come when I'm in a good groove basically.
What made you want to write your first book?
I wanted to diversify my skills and broaden my rep. It's like nothing I've ever done before. It's so intricate and detailed. Plus my the natural flow of being around one of the best authors in the game, it was the next step in my progression. I know a lot of people who like to write and are good, but never take it to that next level for some reason. I had the opportunity to lock in and try to expand my natural creativity into another craft. I think I did a good job for the most part. When you are a creative person you should always try and push yourself to see how far you can go. I took another step with that by co-writing my first serial novel.
What were some of the highs and lows of writing "Empire State of Mine$!"?
The highs for writing Empire State of Mine$ were watching my characters develop and taking on lives of their own. The personality that they took on and being able to draw from people I knew in my own life to help create them. I loved that part. Some of the lows were fighting through mental fatigue and trying to keep my creative engine running. At some points I wouldn't think about the book intentionally for a while just to reshape my thoughts and I would come back and write better.
Are you still doing music?
I will always do music. I took a step back from the studio while I focused on writing this book because it took all my thoughts and energy to be the best author I could be. I'm known for my music and that's kind of second nature to me. I still have bars and songs on deck.
Is there a "Empire State of Mine$!" mixtape on the way?
I'm going to let the fans decide if they want to hear a Empire State of Mine$ soundtrack. If it's in demand then I would love to drop with something hard. Maybe five songs, one for each borough. None of that pop song lollipop stuff either, just vintage Reem Raw straight outta Brownsville shit.
What can your fans expect from you next?
The fans can expect more books and podcasts from now on as I try to build my own brand and continue the legacy of Team Noire. I want to become a personality more than just an author. I don't want to limit myself to one thing. I'm an entertainer and a creator. I want to try my hand at a lot of different shit. So make sure you stay on the lookout for Reem Raw!!
Listen to the whole interview on SoundCloud here.
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