Session of the Bronx and Hartford CT interview

Session Holds it Down for the Bronx

8/1/06 - LatinRapper.com exclusive interview

You Betta Ask Somebody! As goes the chorus on the DJ Green Lantern produced “Betta Ask Somebody,” LatinRapper.com’s Amen sat down and didn’t ask just somebody, but he asked Session himself about what’s going on with him, his music, and his future. For those of you who haven’t asked anybody yet, Session is the same man that stormed into the scene in 2002 with Tonedeff, PackFM, and Substantial for Extended Famm’s critically acclaimed “Happy F**k You Songs.” Realizing that success isn’t just about having the best bars, Mr. Jose Ch*nga is prepared to make himself, and the lucky people that co-sign him worth millions!

The rugged MC details his aspirations to be the next Hip-Hop superstar, and how he plans to position himself for dominance.

LatinRapper.com: For the people that don’t know, let ‘em know who you are and where you’re from.

The name is Session, a.k.a. Spicasso, a.k.a. Da Poh Rican, a.k.a. El Beyaco Malo, a.k.a. Jose Ch*nga, a.k.a. King Ding a Ling, a.k.a. Spanish Fly, aka I can’t think of no more. And I’m from the muthaf**kin’ Bronx, NY, but I also rep the Heartbeat, Hartford, CT – the sevent most dangerous city in America for those that think we sit around watchin’ grass grow. BANG BANG!

Let me warn you – I’ve got some tough questions lined up for you, like what’s your favorite color, what size shoes you rock, and how much you spend on groceries a week. I ain’t holdin’ s**t back!

Hahaha! That’s what’s up, fam. I won’t hold back neither, son! My favorite color is blue. I rock a size 9.5, maybe 10 if I wanna impress the ladies, and I don’t buy groceries – I buy beer.

So the “New Money” mixtape was a great start to getting the fans a bit more familiar with the name. What do you have planned for the near future?

Yeah, the “New Money” mixtape was just me throwin’ a bunch of s**t together and calling it a mixtape so I can make some money. My next mixtape, “Im Worth Millions” is really a more concentrated effort to put together a really well-put together product. Not to say “New Money” is wack, but it’s more a collection of songs.

No doubt. It’s definitely a good introductory CD for the heads that don’t really know what’s up. So you got this “I'm Worth Millions” slogan going – explain to people what that’s all about before random heads come out the woodwork askin’ to borrow some money.

It basically means what it says – “Im Worth Millions.” I’m a Spanish rapper, that reps bein’ a Spanish dude. I’m a chancleta wearing, Corona guzzlin’, “Oye Mami!” chasin’, packing 8 people in a small Toyota ass ni**a. Ain’t nobody reppin’ that s**t in this game right now. Latinos are the second strongest buying power in the nation. Reggaeton s**t is popping off, but that’s mainly for Spanish ni**as. I can reach both ni**as that love Reggaeton, and ni**as that just love Hip-Hop. You’ll hear it in my music, whether it be a quick Spanish reference, me talking about rice and beans, or a straight Spanglish verse – I’ma represent me being a Nuyorican. That’s me all day. I just know there’s mad people that relate to me. People that read this and be like, “That’s me right there." And even if you ain’t Spanish, if you in the hood, you got a Spanish friend that’s just like I described it, so the s**t ain’t alien to you. You know the deal. IM WORTH MILLIONS, BABY! ‘Cause I feel my ni**as will support me. Oh yeah, plus, I’m nice.

Speakin’ of Reggaeton, I remember a little less than two years back you did your own Reggaeton track on the "Oye Mi Canto" instrumental called "Toma!" Do you have any intentions to do some more Reggaeton tracks? And are you afraid we're going to see the Reggaeton movement come and go just as quickly in popular music as the 90's Latin explosion with Ricky Martin, J. Lo, Enrique Iglesias, etc?

Yes, I will do a Reggaeton track here and there. It ain’t gonna be all I do – just a part of the repertoire. I don’t really care where the “movement” goes; I’ma do what I want, and what my peoples wanna hear. Reggaeton ain’t going nowhere. Sure, it might disappear from the mainstream, but the s**t was around before that anyway, so who gives a f**k? But I’ma do Reggaeton my way, in Spanglish. There’s a difference between a Puerto Rican from PR and a Puerto Rican from NY. I’m representing the Puerto Rican from NY. Jeuuh! Shouts to my family in PR! Arecibo, PR all day, holla!

Hahaha! Peace to Vega Baja and Mayaguez while we’re at it. You mentioned being a Nuyorican, so let’s talk a little bit about the “Diamond Girl” track you leaked onto the net about a month ago and what the response to that has been like.

It’s been mixed as I expected it to be. A lot of people don’t get it, or don’t know about the old 80's track I took the beat and the hook from or nothing. But my Latinos know what the f**k is up. Some of these Italians are hollering too. It was just a track that really just represented what my little sister used to bump back in the day and my moms, too. I could give a f**k about those that don’t like it. I expected it. Some people go as far as to say "That ain’t Hip-Hop." What you think them Rocksteady ni**as used to break dance to, GENIUS? But yeah, I’ve gotten some pretty great offers from the opposite sex cause of this s**t, though, hahaha. I’m just representing who I am at the end of the day. Take it or leave it.

Yeah, you have to take the people who don't understand that Freestyle was once considered "Latin Hip-Hop" with a grain of salt. Are there plans to breathe some fresh life into more of these classic Freestyle records? I know you said Stevie B had shown you some love on the track, any more talkin' goin' on with him?

Hahaha, I don’t know man. Maybe "Let the Music Play." That s**t was tight, man.

Stevie B hit me up on MySpace! But nah, no talking. He hit me up, told me the track was hot, and then tried to sell me something on some Erik Estrada s**t. Hahaha, it’s funny, but you peep how ni**as use Spanish dudes to get at our market right? Im Worth Millions, baby! I’m that new s**t!

Speakin of Freestyle, what are the off-the-dome skills like?

ni**a, I’m wack. You come at me tryin’ to battle me, I’ma tell you that you won. I ain’t that ni**a that’s gonna hit you with a million written verses making pretend. I keep it real. I walk around with my shirt off and my belly poppin’ out with my chest hairs all running around crazy - STILL thinking’ I’m fly. I gives a f**k what you think is my point.

Hahaha, I got you. So you got this situation with QN5, the 2002 Extended F@mm album, but at the same time it's pretty obvious that you want that major deal that'll push you up above the independent market and give you an opportunity to showcase yourself. Is there anything specific that really turned you off to the indie scene and made you feel like it wasn't for you?

Man, I wanna be famous. I’m a superstar, b*tch! Nah, but for real - I just wanna live off this music s**t, man. I don’t wanna be a slave to having to drop an album every year or two just to live. I wanna make sure my kids is set. Besides, I'm Worth Millions, ni**a! HOLLA!

So what do you think is the most difficult part of being a Latino MC trying to break into the majors and superstardom, if anything at all?

Nothing. At least not to me. The s**t is the easiest time ever to break into this game if you have the work ethic to break through all the bulls**t that ALL ni**as go through anyway. I’m talented, my work ethic is crazy, I have good people around me, the timing is right, I’m a smart muthaf**ka, and I don’t give a f**k about no one. I don’t take “No” for an answer. I’ma be alright. Im Worth Millions and I can’t wait to be rich. It ain’t a, "I hope to be rich," - I can’t f**kin wait ‘till I’m swimming in cash like Scrooge McDuck.

The QN5 Spring Cleaning Tour was a real good look, what was that experience like?

I loved it, man. That’s what I wanna do. I wanna tour, I wanna visit places I would never think I’d be, and rock in front of a crowd. Livin’ the life of a 9-5, or even as a hustler, you’re trapped. You can’t go nowhere. You gotta stay there making that money. I wasn’t meant to be tied and bound up in one place doing one thing. I need room to breathe. The world is my playground and I wanna play everywhere. But yeah, I was with my peoples, having a great time cramped in a lil’ ass van. I’m a trooper, fam. I don’t give a f**k. I slept on the hotel room floor for almost all the stops ‘cause there wasn’t enough beds. I f**kin’ work. I don’t give a f**k what I have to do. That’s another reason I'm Worth Millions. I will not stop.

On a more serious note, everyone should know by now that you rep your Puerto Rican heritage with pride. Being Puerto Rican and living in New York with such a large population of Boricuas outside of the island, is your intention to be an idol musically, or do you aspire to evolve into a powerful Puerto Rican that people can admire fully?

Man, I just do me. Maybe as I get older and I start sticking my head into things other than music then my thinking will evolve. But I’m really just being me for right now. I’m not tryin to do anything but sell a couple records and make some money. I’m broke. Que sera, sera - what will be, will be.

Boom! It's been great talkin' with you. Now hit ‘em with the shout outs, subliminal disses to other rappers you don't like, release dates, websites, and purchasing info!

I don’t like you, you, you’re cool, f**k him, and that other dude is just wack but he's cool. Shout outs to my Pharcity ni**as! Congrats on getting Funkmaster Flex to drop bombs all over that record! Shouts to QN5, Tonedeff, PackFM, Mecca, CunninLynguists, Elite, and Domingo. Shouts to The Leegans, too, Debut, Toe Tag, and L.A.S. - them my ni**as. I’ma make some money off them if I pop first, holla! Shouts to Sara Kana and of course, Mala Reignz! “Im Worth Millions” mixtape is coming real soon. Check out www.myspace.com/spicasso for more info and new songs and s**t. HOLLA!