[Interview] Sheek Louch "The Iron Sheik" [Sixshot.com Interview]

Sheek Louch - The Iron Sheik
Posted: 1/30/2008 4:43:37 AM by Serge Fleury


Finding a Hip-Hop group that has a solid record of consistency can be a difficult task. These days, most performers are all about looking out for 1. Tandems rarely last, and the odds of Paris Hilton knowing the square root of 24 is far more greater than a Hip-Hop trio staying together well over 10 years without one shred of animosity between them, unless you're talking about Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch of The LOX.

The three amigos from Yonkers have stuck it out through the "shiny suit" days and publishing right fiascos long enough to be considered one of the best groups to ever enter the Hip-Hop arena.

Even with only two group projects under their belt (1998's Money, Power, and Respect and 2000's We Are The Streets) the MC's from the land of Y.O. have kept their fans captivated with solo efforts. Ten albums between three artists isn't a bad turn-a-round, not to mention a slew of mixtapes, and countless guest spots.

Everybody knows that that Jada and Styles have shared most of the limelight appearing on songs with Jennifer Lopez and Mariah Carrey, while Sheek seemed to be lost in the mix.

Nine times out of ten the main reason why somebody would want out of a group setting is because they're not getting as much attention as somebody else.

But instead of dwelling on that fact, the often silent partner made his presents felt with his debut album Walk Witt Me back in 2003 which sold over 600,000 copies, and his second effort, After Taxes in 2005, adding another 400,000 sold to his cause. Silverback Gorilla is poised to be his tri-fecta, as his animal-like work ethic resembles just that (going from 256lbs to 232lbs of pure muscle). So for all those that used to think of The LOX as a two-man show, you now have to include the man that has his eyes set on putting the game in the camel clutch.

How has 2008 been for you so far?

It's going great. So far so good, we'll see. It's going to be a long year; it's going to be a good year.

I dig it. Your album is called Silverback Gorilla. Any meaning behind the name?

Nah. It's really like a metaphor. You know how people say it's a concrete jungle out there; it's a jungle. And I feel like I'm one of the most fiercest mothaf**kas in this game, if it is a jungle. It could be wolves and snake-ass people out there; you know what I mean. So that's just how I'm taking it.

Is this project in the same lane as your other releases?

Um. This is way different, way different. I try to give it my all, and just try to prove myself like I did on the first one. Instead of people being like; "Oh he's just the third n***a from The LOX." But after people heard Walk Witt Me, they were like; "Aight, homie got some sh*t!" And with my second record, After Taxes, I just had to step it up even more.

Then I hit them with the Kiss Ya Ass Goodbye, and the Carl Thomas joint. On this one, I got concepts on the album, and the tracks are fire, and my lyrics have just improved. I'm a monster with it; I'm nasty. I'm just nice. That's what it is. (Yeah, yeah)

Speaking of your other records, they both separately sold in the half a million range. Any worries about this one?

You know, it's not no pressure lyrically and creatively. Because I got mad people on the album, the tracks are fire, and my concepts are hot. As far as sales right now, we'll see. Because right now, it's ridiculous "B." Right now, being on a major don't mean sh*t right now. It don't mean nothing, I don't care who you are, or what you are. I truthfully feel that if 50 [Cent] and Kanye [West] didn't have that— and nothing against those two brothers; I like their albums all that. But if they didn't that whole "who's gonna sell more" or whatever, they wouldn't have did the sales that they did, with how the sales are right now.

You got hit records on the radio, and people ain't selling nothing. You look at the charts and the sales, and you'll be like, "GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE!" "THIS SONG IS ON THE RADIO EVERYDAY!" And they're nowhere, NOWHERE. For me, I'm a give all my street people, all my jail people, and all my n***as in group homes and the mainstream the music that they love from "Sheek." And we also at a time where we need some good music out there, man. And it ain't just about a ringtone; it ain't just a ringtone. Ya dig?

I definitely dig it. When The LOX first came out, it seemed like you were in Jada's and Styles' shadow.

I was in their shadow a lot! Hell yeah! Because at the time I was like "Yeah, we gonna do this LOX-thing" and I wasn't thinking about a solo project. Like 'Kiss automatically was like; "Let me do a solo." Then Styles kind of like got brought onto it. And even when Styles decided to do one, I wasn't really on it, it happened way later. I started doing some freestyles, and my homies were like; "YO, FAM!" I got to the [radio] station, and I was just tearing it down. Now I'm just straight "Sheek Louch." I walk on that stage, and I don't give a f**k who's on that stage. It's like that.

So you must feel real good about your ability now.

Yeah…

It also seems that you've really perfected your craft.

Man I work. I go to the studio, and I put that pad and pen down and get it popping. I come from the club with ideas. And doing these freestyles and mixtapes; you got no choice but to get better and better and better. And I just try certain sh*t, and don't be afraid to do certain songs. Look at my new single. I got a joint called "Good Love". It's a Red Spyda track and I ain't talking about killing nobody on the record, you know what I mean. I just shot the video, and people are loving it. The song is coming back crazy, and people are picking it up. It's ridiculous. So you know, I'm just trying it all fam.

You said that people are picking it up. Do you find it hard sometimes to get that radio play that artists need?

Um. Nah, nah. You know something? Videos are more like that; you got music all over. Plus you got mix shows now, where popular DJ's have their own slots. There's a lot of that going on, so they're spinning whatever is hot.

On the main countdown, it may be the only main eight songs, but immediately right after that you got like mad other DJ's coming on, and they're holding it [down]. And that's real important. Because if you leave it to just the "top 8 at 8", you might have just one joint on there at the most. Videos is hard, because people ain't spending as much money on videos, and that's rightfully so. Because they're only spinning the same 5 videos all week long on the countdown.

I've heard about a lot of artists paying for their own videos. Have you ever had to reach in your pockets?

Nah. When they doing that, they're just doing it for probably YouTube. These artists— unless it's like certain people; they ain't going out there like; "Here's $50,000.00 let me spend on this video."

The LOX have always functioned with no friction whatsoever. Why is that?

For one, them is like; that's my brothers. You got groups that's been put together through this manager and that manger, and people introduced them. But nah, that ain't our story. We in the same 'hood, regardless of our houses and all that sh*t is other places. But when I go to the 'hood, I see them. We own the same studio together, we own the same carwash together, and we just own certain things together.

Actually when we're done with this, I gotta holla at 'Kiss about something. I go to their shows and so on. We did something over at B.B. Kings, and it was ridiculous. It had great reviews and everything, it sold out like on the first day. They called it a "reunion joint." They've been coming to my shows for the longest, and we've been on stage together for the longest. So it wasn't no reunion. Ya dig?

Yeah I dig you on that. Live, Suffer, Celebrate. When is the world going to hear it?

We started recording. We been started recording. If I bring you to the studio, and you hear these 20 songs we got, you'll be like; "Damn, y'all need to drop this tomorrow!" "F**k everything else!" That's what it is. [Laughing] The only thing in the hold up, and I apologize to everyone that's been waiting for this LOX album.

But when 'Kiss went to Def Jam, which was a great move. Jay-Z wanted to take everybody, and the whole project over there to Def Jam. But Jimmy Iovine at the time was like; "Nah, this LOX album is gonna be right here, I can't let this go over there, or nowhere else." "When it finally comes out, it's gonna be right here."

So that's why it's been stalled. And at that time, we was ready to drop like a while ago. And if you wanna call it "beef" or what-have-you, 50 [Cent] was talking 'bout; "Yeah, I'll push the album back, I'll do this and that." And we was like, "Damn these people have waited mad long for a LOX album." To have somebody tamper with it, or f**k with it if he is that strong to do that. You know what I mean? That don't make no sense, they want this album, and it's important. And to have somebody say "Yeah, I'm gonna mess with it, I'm gonna push it back", that didn't make no sense. So we stalled on that.

I hear you. Also you've been in the game for over 10 years. How do you still find that same intensity to keep putting out records?

These young boys out here is making it easier. [Laughing] Because for one I'm in the best shape of my life. All three of us are. I look like a new artist, and I feel like a new artist. Trimming up, and working out hard and all that. But lyrically, [these] dudes don't care.

When we came in the game, it was hard to get on a DJ Clue mixtape; it was hard to get on a Doo-Wop, a Graig G, and all these people. But now [these] guys don't care about so much about their album or none of that. They're just doing one song, and they're trying to get a dance for it, and they're not aiming or targeting nobody. All they want is that one ringtone song. Other than that, [they] don't care. You know what I mean? So [they] make it easy when we come out spitting and making a hot record. So people are like; "WOW!" "We ain't gotta listen to this other bullsh*t no more, we got this."

But it still seems like Hip-Hop is a different game. Do you feel as if you're competing with younger Hip-Hop acts as well? Like if you were coming out the same day as Soulja Boy.

Nah. Because I think our lane, is our lane. I think like our fan base is our fan base. They know what it is already. Say we're talking about Soulja Boy, and once again I ain't got no problem with him, or none of that. When he first dropped that song, and if I had to drop an album with it, I'd be like; "Alright damn, everybody is with this whole "dance thing" and this and that." But the difference will be the next song that he drops; which will probably be nothing to compete with; you know what I mean. It won't be sh*t. No disrespect, but it won't be nothing. Because that little thing is over with, now let me hear something. You follow what I'm saying? It's that much easier. It's over, but its not over, you know.

Have you ever felt like you've been a hard artist to market, or "the powers that be" weren't marketing you right?

Nah everything was done on my own. As far as me falling back when 'Kiss and Styles was trying to do their own thing. I was like; "I ain't with it" and that's what it was. And then when I came out, everything went crazy, from Walk Witt Me to After Taxes. Plus I was jumping on everything, and people were like; "Sheek, you killed that." And as for being marketable they on me. Put it like that. They on me.

Are you and J-Hood on speaking terms?

Nah I don't talk with the n***a, know what I'm saying. He's taking the high road and I wish him luck in whatever he do and God bless him and his family and all that. I know his mother; you know what I mean. The way he went about things was real cowardly, and he ain't show his face yet in Yonkers.

He say he be in the Bronx, you ain't from the Bronx homie, you from here. And he ain't showed his face yet, YET. We ain't trying to do no harm to him, [Laughs] but he hasn't showed his face. And the way he went about it was so cowardly, and trying to get a gimmick. But God bless him. It is what it is.

You know what he could've done? He could've been like; "Yo, things ain't going right over there, but they're still my homies, but I gotta move on and do my own thing." "But yo, them is my n***as." You know what I mean? That's EASY, that's EASY to do. "Them is my boys, but I gotta do me now." And that way, we're still in support of you, and we let you off, and it's all love. So go 'head and whenever you need us, we'll be there; as opposed to jumping out the window.

When you jump out the window, you burn bridges. And you f**k other things up. There's people that f**k with us way more than your young-ass. They're going to be like; "I ain't f**kin' with you!" "You stupid?!" "These are my n***as."

Is there a possibility of reconciliation?

Um. I don't want to talk to him, I'll talk to his lawyer or whoever. I don't wanna be around the dude, I don't want nothing to do with him. I turned my back. You don't need permission for anything from me. "I'm lookin' for 'Hood" "Get him" [Laughing] "Louch" ain't there no more.

Earlier you talked about getting into shape. Was that a conscious decision on your part?

I've been in the gym hitting my weights, but I tried to diet, not to sound funny and sh*t. I was like; "Yo, I don't want no more Mac-N-Cheese, I don't want no more fried chicken." And I tried it, and I ain't go back to all those steaks everyday, or none of that sh*t. You know what I mean? I started jogging and all of that. And I got a little three-year-old, and I'm chasing him around, and it's crazy. So after I tried it and I seen results, I was like; "Damn alright!" "This is what I've been missing!"

You talked about chasing your son around. How has your life changed since he entered it?

I wouldn't change it for nothing. Before I was way more gun-ho. Like; "I don't give a f**k!" "Whatever!" "Lets do this!" Now I know I gotta make it back home. At the end of the day, I GOTTA make it back home. I'm not just doing it for "Sheek" I'm not just doing it for "Sean Jacobs" I'm doing it for little Sean. You dig? So I wouldn't change none of that. Do you got kids fam?

Nah not yet, but I have 3 nephews. And they're like my kids.

Hell yeah. And them is your little duns all day.