There’s something about Phat Kat I like. I’m not sure what it is. He says it’s because he’s sexy. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but his warm character is definitely engaging. Phat Kat, who worked with J Dilla in the early days has been through a lot of ups and downs in the industry. With labels and management folding etc, he has had to fight to be where he is.
But where other artists have disappeared, he has continued to create quality hip hop.
“My whole thing is as long as I’m true to myself, and just stay focused on what Kat doing, and not worry about what going on around me, mean I’m always stay current. Can’t nobody beat me, being me”.
I asked him about his current tour.
“Yea we just out here grinding, collecting these pounds every spot we go… we just tryna give people they moneys worth, I been hearing a lot of cats after the show saying a lot of US artists just out here grabbing some money, and not really giving 100% performance. We ain’t about that, we wanna just leave it all on the stage and give people they moneys worth”.
When spitting, Phat Kat has a heavy tone, and lyrically delivers hard. In my opinion, it makes him stand out from other rappers. “Its because I’m sexy”, he shrugs.
On the Carte Blanche album Phat Kat collaborated with Truth Hurts on the track ‘Vessels’. “I wanted a dark opera feel to it”, he states, “when I heard her on the Rakim joint, the ‘So Contagious’ song her voice was like so amazing, I just had to work with her, so we made it happen”. It felt like, “you working with your sister or something, she’s just so cool”.
“Nasty Aint It” is the first track on the Carte Blanche album and Phat Kat’s favourite. “It captures all the elements of hip hop. That song is like what hip hop is all about”.
The production on the album ain’t to be messed with: “Black Milk, Dilla of course, young RJ, Nick Speed, you know just all cats that I deal with on a regular basis”. Having such creative people around you, “challenges you to come up with good concepts, and good music. I mean, if you around great people, then its gon rub off on you. I can only give what I’m getting back from the guys around me, so we challenge each other and make good music”.
When I ask him where he draws his creativity from, he tells me: “Well I love to play golf. Its all about concentration and consistency. I mean, there’s not a lot of consistency out here, yea, they may have one hot song, but the album be garbage… I just try, that everything I do is better than the last”.
It seems Phat Kat hasn’t been given all the credit he’s been due in his career, and isn’t perhaps as well known as he could be, although; “I don’t really care about the MTV, and all that stuff, you know, being all out in the limelight. That’s cool, I mean yea I love that but, I’m just a regular dude. I’m a blue collar MC, I like to interact and get down and dirty with the people. I like performances because you can interact with the crowd, and the energy that you get from being, on stage you not gonna get that in the studio. People tonight really knew and understood what I do. I mean that’s what drives me”.
London stand up!
Of all things, he misses his dog most when he’s on tour. “Yea, I miss my dog. I miss fat fat (laughs)… My sister looks after him while I’m away”.
Now signed to Look records, he speaks positively about his experiences. “It’s good. I’m able to be myself, you know, with out label execs saying, no you gotta go back an do it like this, do it like that. There’s none of that. I can just be me, I can be an artist. And there’s not a lot of artists on major labels that can say that. Like puppets they got a hand up they ass”.
Aint that the truth.
By: Jay Diamond | www.unityradio.fm | www.myspace.com/ladyjayuk Check out my podcast for interviews.
- http://www.myspace.com/phatkatakaronniecash
- Cold Steel Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz0XZl2Lkx4
- http://www.lookrecords.com
