HipHopUG.com interviews Swedish music producer Nevahmind about suspending his solo album, his experiences with Conspiracy Of Mind and RedPhone Records, and his departure from the hip hop game.
Nevahmind is a Kosovar hip hop music producer based in Sweden and former member of the discontinued Conspiracy Of Mind group. He has produced beats for Canibus, Diabolic, Chino XL, Phillip Morris, Beast1333, Just-1 and more. In October 2010, he officially resigned from the hip hop game.
Nevahmind full bio on HHUG
Nevahmind full bio on HHUG
HHUG: Before becoming a hip hop music producer, you were a bass player in a metal band. What caused the transition from being a bass player to a hip hop music producer?
Nevahmind: I am still a bass player in that same metal band. I was always interested in music in it's various shapes and sounds. One guy I was in high school with knew that about me and he approached me with a request if I could make him a beat. Keep in mind that I have up till then never made music using a computer, only live instruments. So I went to my music teacher and asked him how I could make a beat and he showed me this new software called "Cubase". This was back in 1997. So he installed it on a computer in school and showed me the basics.
So I sat there everyday after school and also during boring classes, hehe, and finally I composed a "beat". This guy loved it and he wanted to use it at a music talent show. After a couple of weeks and more beats from me he asked me if I wanted to for a group with him and explore this Hip Hop thing. We did.
The groups name was "Razzia", we took that name because we always came late to class and our friends thought that the way we rushed through the door into class reminded them of a razzia. Hahhahahaha!
We did a bunch of shows, talent shows, school shows and shit. But I had problems with the group thing because I also played in a metal band and played basketball. After a couple of months (6-7) I decided to leave the group. Later on I found out that the guy got arrested and after he got released he moved to an another town, and that was that.
HHUG: In January 2010, you released The Grand Deception with Just-1 as Conspiracy Of Mind, which disbanded in March. What caused for Conspiracy Of Mind [COM] to split up?
Nevahmind: Well, this is an interesting question that I know many people want the answer to. I felt like this whole Hip Hop industry is fake and a pile of shit to be honest. All of the "BIG" names that were featured on the COM album were paid to be on it. None of them actually approached us with the interest to be featured on our album. Then again why would they, who the fuck were we? They didn't know about us really.
Now, I want to give Matt Charette all the props for being such a clever business man and a fearless manager. The amount of cash money Matt and Just-1 invested from their own pockets into COM and me personally is commendable and to be respected highly!
My perspective was this:
"Ok, we will get all these assholes to feature on our album, we will pay them and take advantage of them to propel our music, to steal their fans and keep on building from that." We all within COM agreed on that.
We got all the features we wanted, the album was done, sent to CD Baby, iTunes and so on. Now we were all expecting payback...nothing. Chino XL the snake in the grass bitch, promised on several occasions that he will promote our album, he never did. When our manager got us on XXL Mag THEN Chino said something like: "Oh cool ,we made XXL mag." Motherfucker you ain't done shit for us to make XXL. WE made XXL, you were at the gym getting buff!
Then the album sales were mediocre, in that regard that we at LEAST tried to get Matt's and Just-1's money back, to attempt to break even if possible.
Remember, all of us 3 worked our asses of day and fucking night for COM We all had big personal problems besides the music thing. Problems that would make anybody just hang in the towel and walk away from the music. But we stuck it out, we fought with our bare knuckles because WE BELIEVED IN US AND OUR MUSIC. We ignored our lives and jobs and everything.
After we released the album in October or November we took a break from music and concentrated on promotion. I felt more and more tired and exhausted from that 1 year process of making the album and everything else in that regard, and I finally got burned out and hit the wall. I was a fucking wreck to say the least. It went so far that I was now considering ending COM, a group I initiated, came up with the name for, made logos and various web-designs, made all the beats for, mixing, mastering, promotion and so on and so on. (Just-1 and Matt Charette called me NASA and Mr. Everything judging by the work I put in.)
So in the month of March I contacted Just-1 and told him that i've had enough and that I'm ending C.O.M. and leaving RPR. Damn, this was fucking hard for me, I felt destroyed by this. But it had to be done.
And that was that.
HHUG: Also while being with COM you were integrated with RedPhone Records [RPR]. How was your experience with RPR and how is your relationship with them now?
Nevahmind: My experience with RPR was short-lived. I left shortly after RPR was formed because I felt that RPR was going in a direction I wasn't comfortable with. They wanted one thing and I wanted something else. So we parted in friendly manners. I have no relations with RPR today.
I'm sure the readers want more details, but to be honest there is no more to it then what I just said. I wish RPR and their staff all the best and infinite success!
HHUG: You had announced on producing your solo debut project - The Beatdown - featuring Phillip Morris, Beast1333, Nightwalker, Born Visionz, Geno Cide, & Unionen. What inspired or caused for you to initiate on this project?
Nevahmind: I have for a long time wanted to make a solo album. The main reason is that I felt I was better then many other so called producers out there. "Better" meaning that I took the time to perfect the beat, and after the vocals are done, perfect the overall song. And also I was bored and needed something to do, hahaha!
HHUG: Since you announced that you suspended The Beatdown, what are the reasons for this decision?
Nevahmind: The reasons are simple: I asked my self, "Why do I want to do this?" and I couldn't find the answer to my question. When I was with COM and RPR I felt a belonging and of course I wanted to extend the RPR catalogue and include all of the RPR emcees on the album. But when I left them I felt that this album is just a waste of my time. Why should I sit here and make beats, cover art, mix, master, promote this album? Why? For whom? What would I gain from this? Nothing is the answer. These so called "fans" want everything for free, well fuck you, for free! So I decided to suspend the album and give the songs for free listening.
I don't do anything anymore just because I can, you know? I want a purpose in everything I invest my time in. You can ask people who know me about my work ethic and how much and how hard I work for something once I'm passionate about it.
HHUG: For fans that were eagerly anticipating The Beatdown, where can they listen and/or download the unreleased album?
Nevahmind: For now they can listen to it at http://myspace.com/nevahmindbeats. Later on I will compile them into a folder and give the fans high quality .WAV files of the songs. Fuck MP3s; it destroys the quality of songs and the sonic experience of music.
HHUG: Do you still plan on producing more music, and/or what plans do you have in store for the future?
Nevahmind: I have produced a couple of songs with Cruz DurrtyJada for his upcoming solo album. In fact me and him almost joined forces under the "THE VIKING SYNDROME" banner, but I felt that I couldn't AGAIN go through having a group and all that that requires.
I have to tell you that though, his album is something else. This guy takes - his - time! And I love it! We took like 2 weeks to make one song, e-mails back and forth, telephone discussions, samples of the song in different forms, different tempos, topic changes. This guy is not an emcee, he is a MUSICIAN. It felt very refreshing to had worked with him on these songs. I don't know exactly but I think me and him made 5 or 6 songs for his album. He told me that he would love it if I wanted to produce the entire album but I have addressed that as an answer below.
I don't plan on producing anymore music what so ever to be honest. I simply don't have the time, energy and interest in making music anymore. I'm absolutely not sad over this fact, in contrary I am happy about it because I am now much more happier then I was before.
Since I left COM I felt drained of all my energy and will to do this. So now I don't do anything I don't have to do. I had unfinished obligations that I have now for-filled and all is good. I'm on a new page and a clean slate.
But if anybody serious would approach me with proper funding I would consider a collaboration.
HHUG: Your production has been well received by the underground hip hop community, in fact Conspiracy Worldwide Radio's introductory theme instrumental was produced by yourself. Who are your top 5 favorite music producers? Top 5 artists?
Yeah, the Conspiracy Worldwide Radio's intro is the beat I made for the Canibus collabo on COM's The Grand Deception album.
Let me put it this way: I have hated hip hop since the year 2000. That's the main reason I continued making music when the millennium shift occurred. Because I wanted to prove that hip hop is not shit as the songs you hear on the radio and other music outlets are. I wanted to put my imprint on the music while I was there and doing my thing.
But prior to that my top 5 producers are, in no particular order:
1. Pete Rock
2. DJ Premier
3. Marco Polo
4. Swiss Beats (the first 3 DMX albums)
5. Stoupe EMK
Top 5 artists in no particular order:
1. Steve Vai
2. Jedi Mind Tricks
3. Dream Theater
4. Heltah Skeltah
5. Opeth
HHUG: Thank you for taking the time for this interview. Any closing thoughts?
Nevahmind: Thank You for the interview HHUG! I just want to extend my gratitudes towards everybody who has ever supported me and all the projects I was involved in. Thanks for everything and who knows maybe you will hear some of my productions in 2018 IF the 2012-12-21 doesn't wipe us all away! Hahahaha!
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