Voice Of The Metro

Before you all even read this, I apologize to you all and to the homie Carty-Yeah. As you all may know, VOTM was going through some changes for a while, therefore I hadn’t updated the site much or posted anything new for like…a month-and-a-half. That being said, this interview is classic, yet a lil behind on time. Still…enjoy it…this man has a lot to say. One of the most talented artists in or out of the DMV…Carty-Yeah!

Voice Of The Metro: Introduce yourself to the world, homie.

Carty-Yeah: What up, world? It’s ya boy, CARTY-YEEEEEEEEEEEEAH!!!! BKA Carty What It Is Y’all.

VOTM: Now, for the people that ain’t up on the lyrical young man that IS Carty-Yeah, give the people some history on you.

CY: I started off in radio back in 2001 at a Baltimore station called 92Q, battling people. Did that for 12 weeks, got retired, and pretty much that’s how it all started. Everything took off from there. I was 17. Then from there, I did WPGC, a local radio station in the Washington DC area. They had a Nas “One Mic” competition. I took that home, came in 1st place. ‘03 came, I did WPGC 95.5 Friday Night Mic Fight…can’t even remember how many weeks that was! (laughs) ‘04 came, did the WKYS 93.9 battle…can’t remember the exacts on that either. My most memorable battles were probably summer ‘04 ’til ‘05, I did the WKYS Friday Night Cypher. I was held down for 7 months. First to ever do that, made history with it. It hasn’t been done since, so that makes me the first and last to do that. Had a lot of fun around those times - I was young, hungry, and rap was more fun. Battled a lot of dudes in my day, man. (laughs)

VOTM: (laughs) I can dig it.

CY: It’s more business now. Niggas is gettin’ older. Time to eat!

VOTM: Yessir, for the whole DMV at that. So what do you have in the works right now?

CY: Right now, I got a project dropping in February probably, a CD sampler. Just letting the people know what I’m doing. It’s a mixture of a lot of music. It’s something different. You know the sampler comes before the meal. (laughs) So I’m just giving y’all something to hold you for now. I’m solo now, so I haven’t really done anything on my own as far as putting anything out. I’ve always been in groups. The most recent was Da Rhat Pak, which consisted of me, Concept, Mo C.H.I.P.S., and A-Dash-Be-EZ. That mixtape was crazy, by the way.

VOTM: Word. Any way for the people to get a copy of that?

CY: Come on, homie, it’s always a way…if you want a burned joint. (laughs) I don’t think any more official ones exist. Shit, I don’t even think I have one, but just holla at me.  http://www.myspace.com/cartyyeahdaincredible. I can probably have you download it someway. I’m sure I can get it to you somehow. People need to hear that, so you can see how we all grew as artists and writers.

VOTM: Definitely. Shouts out to Mo C.H.I.P.S. and the whole Spynehitaz family, by the way.

CY: Yeah, you already know! By the way, I got a throwback Rhat Pak interview on my page.  Check that out, interviewed by Kwasi from “Hip Hop Zone”. R.I.P. to you, my nigga.

VOTM: Oh yeah, y’all check that out! So let ‘em know…you’re unsigned? Signed? Deals on the table?

CY: Right now, I’m unsigned. No major labels on the table just yet, but doors are open. I’m in a fair position right now to definitely make that happen.

VOTM: True. Would you rather be on an independent or major label? You know the whole climate and financial net changed up over the years.

CY: I mean, independent is good, and major is good. Majors can get you to a wider audience, but independent artists get more of their benefits. It all depends. Independent artist always end up going major eventually, because when you’re getting it like that, they want a piece, and like I said, they can get you that audience you need that you couldn’t get being indie. So they kinda work hand-in-hand in a sense.

VOTM: I feel you. So now…we reach the DMV section of the questions…favorite go-go band?

CY: Damn…let me think. I’mma have to go with R.E. (Rare Essence) and BYB (Back Yard Band). R.E. has a lil’ favoritism because my mom used to sing with them back in the day. And BYB because they were just the group of our time. They was just the group for us, the raw shit.

VOTM: Favorite carryout?

CY: Danny’s (on H St.) and Golden China (in Temple Hills). Any one I know of will do, though. I don’t too much experimenting with the carry outs. I fuck with the Lucky Star on Landover Road too. They’re open to 4 AM all the time.

VOTM: (laughs) Big promotion for them! These Asians are going to be thanking you! Favorite clothing store?

CY: Clothing store around here? Indie or just in general?

VOTM: Anywhere. You can name both types, matter of fact. Do you.

CY: Indie, I fuck with Aja Imani and Alldaz. Shout out to Marlon and Kurtbone. And in general, I don’t really have one. I never cop from the same store.

VOTM: AJA IMANI! Marlon Luther King! (laughs)

CY: Yeah, Marlon Luther King. (laughs) His crazy ass!

VOTM: R.I.P. to the store in Capitol Heights. (laughs)

CY: Yeah, man. Had some good memories in that joint. Had my lil’ V.I.P. card and shit.

VOTM: So name some of your favorite MCs out the area.

CY: This a trick question? (laughs) There’s so many to name, bruh. I fuck with Mo C.H.I.P.S. Nah, on some real shit, there’s a lot doing their thing, though.

VOTM: So any last words for the people and/or shoutouts, my dude?

CY: Anymore questions you got for a nigga?

VOTM: Anything you want to cover?

CY: Niggas need to come together and make an alliance. All these different little movements that niggas got and they ain’t moving shit. Shit is like a trend now to say that you got a movement. I guess it sounds good to say. Like when people use the word “hating”, they overuse “hating”. Look, nigga…if I don’t like the shoes you got on, they’re probably ugly. I’m not “hating” on you, nigga. I don’t know you enough to hate you. So I think niggas should stop saying that because that word has a lot of power and by you saying it, that shit travels in the air and that hate spreads. All the real niggas need to come together and power-move. It’s power in numbers. There’s a lot of rappers out here talent…start acting like it. When New York came out, how many rappers did New York have doing it? When ATL came out, there was more than one rapper doing it. West Coast, etc. Let’s get the DMV like that! It ain’t just ONE rapper out here with talent.

VOTM: These bammas are trying so hard to be the FIRST to do it, and that isn’t what it’s about.

CY: Man, fuck that! If you are the first to make it, great. Bring more ears to the city. Craig Mack came out first. Then guess who was after? Biggie. And you see what he did. (laughs) I don’t mind being Biggie. Also in ‘08, we gotta be Anti-W.A.R. - W.ack A.ss R.appers!!!

VOTM: (laughs) Way to end an interview, my dude!

CY: (laughs) Had to shake it up a little bit. Be on the lookout though, y’all. In Feburary, CD Sampler dropping. DJ Xclusive from XM Radio and Billy Blass from Vintage Beatz are hosting it. And you know I got “Black & Mild” on there. Remix coming soon. Got a nigga from G-Unit on there…can’t tell you who it is just yet though. Be on the look out for that.

VOTM: Definitely. Thanks for the interview.

CY: No prob, homie. Thank you.

For more on Carty-Yeah, go to…

http://www.myspace.com/cartyyeahdaincredible