Main Flow is an underground legend. I was able to converse with him through the magical porthole future technology called Skype. He proved to be a chilled man, who handled my eclectic interview technique well, providing a too-rare glimpse into the life of one of the illest emcees out there. Main Flow has worked with artists from all over the world and represents international hip-hop to the fullest.
How’s life in San Diego?
Main Flow: It’s great man, just chillin with the family, beautiful weather. The hip-hop scene is not really developed here, I’m one of the top emcees here.
How long you lived there?
Main Flow: I been here since 2000, so about 10 years. Rob Dyrdek, he has a show, the Rob & Bigs show. The white kid, the skateboarder, he bought me out here and I ended up staying.
You’ve done a lot of collabs with foreign cats?
Main Flow: I have man. I like to take the time out to work with artists and develop more than just coming to countries and doing concerts. I like to work with the artists in different languages, I’m not afraid to do that. A lot of bigger artists, they don’t have time to do this. So that’s my way of making up ground too and just being more or a real dude than them dudes man. And it’s educational for me.
You speak other languages?
Main Flow: Poquito Espagnol…
A lot of Spanish speakers there…
Main Flow: Yeah, my kid speaks Spanish so.
The new album…
Main Flow: It’s dropping next month. I’m waiting on my artist to finish up the graphics and stuff man, it’s taking a long time right now for some reason, but, its all positive, it’s gonna be a banger. I need to develop my swag back in Germany ’cause I was a lot bigger years ago and I know the Germans are a little more picky…
(There is a minor confusion where Flow thinks I’m German). What about the 2nd Mood album with more political lyrics?
Main Flow: Not too political, just we read a lot man. Back in that era of Hip-Hop, we wanted to set ourselves aside and be different from these other rappers.
What books can you recommend?
Main Flow: Behold a Pale Horse, Celestine Prophesy, The New World Order. I read a lot of dictionaries though, you know ’cause I like to find out where these words come from. There’s a book called ‘The Peoples History of the United States’.
Do you know ‘Lies My Teacher Told Me’?
Main Flow: Nah that sounds like a hot one though.
(I start showing Main Flow some books at this point) When you coming out to Europe again?
Main Flow: Yeah, I like DJ Sarah Love. They bought me out there with this little production company called Kung Fu. I cant wait to come back out there man. Harry Love was the other DJ I was thinking about. I need to get with him. And on the bigger side of things, the more commercial side, I wouldn’t mind getting with Tim Westwood out there man.
Westwood is a freak.
Main Flow: Its apples and oranges man, I’m an underground dude, I need that marketing man.
Yeah he does run it. So, tell me something personal about your life that you might not normally say in an interview…
Main Flow: You know, steadily working on getting into the inside track where it’s all green, the pedals down and we keep it moving. I enjoy stopping a little bit, coming home to be around the kids, but the reality is there’s a big competition out there and I like to be in it. I’m in shape, I’m ready, I write every day, I do business.
I do everything myself, I manage myself, finance myself, so I’m looking to put together a really thorough team that believes, ’cause I keep hearing the same thing. I’m one of the most slept on people out here man.
No doubt.
Main Flow: But the good point about it is I’m not going down, I’m going up. Things that I wanna do that if I woulda been blown up already I wouldn’t be able to do. I’d be trapped into some deals and situations where right now everything is clear. If the Beastie Boys wanna sign me I can ride with them, if Nas needs somebody, Sony Universal, whatever you know. I’m pretty much ready.
Everyone needs to wake up.
Main Flow: I’m learning. I been coming over there (Europe) since 1998. There’s obviously more things that I want to accomplish, but we’re in a good place right now.
Yeah I wanna hear the new Mood album.
Main Flow: I’m heading out to Cincinnati this week to finish that up. We’re done, we’re in the mixing stages and its a great album. We don’t have any Tek or Kweli on there right now, but it’s no problem.
Parting words for the people of the world?
Main Flow: One love. All praises to the most high for making everything happen, me being here. And just working on the balance for hip-hop, ’cause I hear a lot of complaints, and everybody keep telling me, yo ‘we like your type of music as opposed to this type of music so I think it’s time to start kidnapping some of these CEOs and holding them for ransom man.
Appreciate the interview. Shout out to my kids Mekhi Adin and Neorah Havva. That’s the future right there, they on my albums too.
The subjects discussed went on to include 50 Cent, Prince EA and King Louis amongst others.
Make sure you get the new Main Flow album ‘Return of the Castle’ and the new Mood LP when they drop…
By: Esh | For international hip-hop: http://www.myspace.com/ibmcs
