Interview with Never of Low Down, Minority Militia, and Low Town Records

You have found the fifth interview of Boomin' Words From Portsmouth. This time, we spoke with Never of Low Down and Minority Militia, not to mention the owner of Low Town Records. This interview took place over the course of a few days in March of 2001:

Boomin' Words From Portsmouth: 1. When did you start rapping?
Never: I started rappin when I was 14 years old…….That was in 85, but I didn’t start taking it serious until I was about 18…….I’ve been hooked since....

BWFP: 2. Who were your influences getting into the rap game?
Never: As far as rap, my biggest influence and teacher is 2-Pac and definitely N.W.A. and the rest are all east coast artists…..Run D.M.C., Doug E. Fresh, and other old school fools……As much as I hate the east coast, I learned a lot from the veterans back in the days……A lot of people think that it was only a 2-Pac, Biggie war but it goes a lot deeper than that…... All the people I know including myself have never called a truce……As far as music in general, my biggest influences are probably Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley and Roger Troutman…........

BWFP: 3. How did Low Down first come together as a group?
< Never: I started Low Down in 1991 with a dream to have a tight ass group……I like solo albums but like N.W.A. I always liked hearing more than one voice on a record so I hooked up with all the other tight artists in my town and the rest is history in the making.....

BWFP: 4. Who were the original members?
Never: The original members were myself, Hurrikaine J, Mickey D, Akay, and Kracc.

BWFP: 5. How many CD’s has Low Down released?
Never: “The Dirty Dozen” was our 5th Low Down album, however, Low Down has been on over 55 CD’s to date.

BWFP: 6. What has been the most successful Low Down record to date?
Never: “Valley Of Death” turned a lot of heads and was our most successful so far.…...

BWFP: 7. How did Low Down team up with the Darkroom Familia?
Never: Back in about 94, as far as the central valley goes, Low Down and Darkroom were the only people releasing shit, so we teamed up and did many projects together...

BWFP: 8. When did you first come into contact with YGD?
Never: I met Droop many years before we ever rapped together……He’s a good friend and someone I will know for many years……Even though he has a busy solo career, he always makes the time for an old homie... His solo shit is off the fuckin hook and he is definitely bout to blow up in a major way…….His Killa Valley album has songs on there that blew my fuckin mind…….Its Untouchable

BWFP: 9. Ever had any plans of working with Brotha Lynch Hung or anyone else from the Siccmadel/Black Market camp?
Never: Brotha Lynch is one of the sickest muthafuckas around and my dream came true just recently when I got to do a track with him and Droop and Hurrikaine for Droops album…….I think the track is called “You Know I Had To Gat Ya 2001”...Its sick as fuck...

BWFP: 10. What do you enjoy more, rapping or producing?
Never: In my mind they are both equal…..Some days I just cant write so drop a beat and on other days I cant make a beat so I write you know…..Rapping lets me get shit off my mind and droppin beats lets me explore my creativity and tryin out new shit……….

BWFP: 11. How long did it take you to record your solo CD?
Never: I didn’t take too long to record it, maybe three or four weeks, but I wrote the whole album probably in a month and was prepared when I hit the lab…..Im working on a new solo but on this one Im gonna take at least 8 months to finish……It will be Global……….

BWFP: 12. How did the experience of making a solo compare to making a group album?
Never: The thing that made doing the solo tight was that I picked any beat I wanted, as long as I felt it, where as if it was a Low Down album, we would have all picked the beats since we all have a little different tastes...

BWFP: 13. What is your favorite track that you've made?
Never: I really hate to give you this answer, but I put my heart in every track I do, so I could never pick…..Also I tried to count how many tracks we’ve made since 91 and it was over 400 if you could believe that……

BWFP: 14. Why did you decide to stay with Dogday Records when Darkroom left?
Never: As far as that goes, Darkroom had a fall out with them and left……I represented Darkroom to the fullest however there were people who musically I no longer wanted to work with and I had no say so…..I had to continue my dream of Low Town Records and put on only the rappers who are really livin like they are rappin...

BWFP: 15. Will Low Down continue to work with Darkroom in the future?
Never: It’s a better question probably asked in time……..??????

BWFP: 16. What are your 4 favorite CD’s of all time?
Never: Brotha Lynch “Season of da Siccness”……….Dr. Dre “The Chronic”……..Lil Wyno “Back With A Vengeance”……..N.W.A. “Straight Outta Compton”

BWFP: 17. How and who came up with the concept of the supergroup Minority Militia?
Never: I came up with it a while back because there are a lot of militia’s out there who share some of the same beliefs but none with minorities……Anti-Police, Anti-Government and Plenty of Fire Power…..

BWFP: 18. Since there are so many members of Minority Militia, could you name a few of them?
Never: Hurrikaine J, Lil Wyno, Young Droop, Never, Mickey D, NC the Necro, M-Double, Kaos the Assassin, A.L.G., Stone Kold, Skarface, Gezus, D.J.MT, Tokztero, Young Myth, Tiny Locs, Kracc, V.I.P., Project Affiliated, M.C. Breeze, Speedy Locs, Nolove, Wicked Will, Jabber, Cutty Face, Low, Bugsy, 30-30, Young Chill, Young G, Twista J, Mad D, Spook Dawg, Tito B, Lil Man, Busta Brown, T.H.C., 12/19, P-Dise, Baby Fluff, Mr. Chico 1, Lil Loco, Big Doe Doe, Eleven Toez, Inferno, Lil Never, Angel, Akay, Brownie, Brotha Zo, Mad Dog, Juice, Lil Moe, Sam the Man, Ben Locs, E-Clipz, Stress, A.D., C-Man, Bullett Locs, Big Ron, Lucky, Indo, Big Vic, Boogie, Sharky, Konflikt, Ray Ray, Killa, Tone Blunt, Yukon, Big Wyno, Skooby……just to name a few

BWFP: 19. Are any members of Minority Militia planning to make solo CD’s?
Never: Theres probably too many to name but the solo’s in the works for Low Town Records are Lil Wyno “Back With A Vengeance”…….Hurrikaine J “Blame It On My Stressin”…….Young Myth “The Devilz Intention”………Baby Rico with an all Spanish Rap Album, Mickey D, NC the Necro and a few more...

BWFP: 20. With all the different backgrounds and affiliations, is it hard to keep things under control when recording tracks for Minority Militia?
Never: Not a problem at all…….Everybody doesn’t hit the studio at the same time but if there is any kind of conflict, there is a mutual respect for our studio and if not they could take it outside……Bizzness is bizzness…….

BWFP: 21. What made you guys decide to re-release some of your older material?
Never: When those albums came out our fan base wasn’t as large and our distribution didn’t reach what we are reaching now so It was something the group and I have been wanting to do…….Its called Low Down “Underground Classics 1994-1998”

BWFP: 22. Will anything else be re-released?
Never: Sometime in the future we plan on putting out our first Low Down Album “Comin’ Up And Atcha” which was a black & white and only 500 copies were ever made…….It has material from 1991-1993…….

BWFP: 23. What other Low Down/Minority Militia projects are there in the works?
Never: We are currently working on a Low Down/Minority Militia Video & Soundtrack which is a Low Down documentary of how were livin and smokin and we will do a new soundtrack and feature about 5 new videos on the movie…..its called VALLEY KINGS - Low Down/Minority Militia

BWFP: 24. Will we hear you rapping in Spanish on any coming releases?
Never: Even though spanish was my first language, Im gonna have to leave the spanish rapping to the professionals……My little homie Baby Rico will blow away anybody who says they could rap in spanish...He’s bad ass……..

BWFP: 25. Any plans for a nationwide or other tour anytime soon?
Never: No plans for a tour as of yet but we hit any shows we could……On Cinco De Mayo we will be doing a show on the biggest strip in San Jose, California with a lot of homies and food and alcohol and all that…. Right here in Merced we don’t get the opportunity to do a lot of shows because of the cops and all….They don’t want anything to do with rap but fuck em’

BWFP: 26. What do you think of the Merced Police Department?
Never: Well considering we have at least two or three ex-police officers from the Merced Police Department doing Federal time, I hate the muthafuckas with a passion cause just about all of them are crooked and hate us and love to arrest us...Personally I would like to give a big Fuck You to Officer Dunnagan of the Merced Police Department for being a punk ass bitch…….

BWFP: 27. Do you have any hobbies or things you like to do in your spare time?
Never: I like smokin weed and kickin back with some good homies and I enjoy playing basketball and shootin some pool and I like smashin on fools when I’m drunk and most of all I like spending time with my wife and my kids...

BWFP: 28. Is there anything you would like to say to your fans in closing?
Never: I do all that I do with this music for the fans so anybody who supports us gets much love and thank you’s from all of us in Low Down and Minority Militia...I get lots of letters and e-mails from fans and no matter what I will always respond because this music means that much to me...Peace ....Never

Thank you very much to Never for agreeing to an interview here on Boomin' Words From Portsmouth.

Now go check out the Low Down/Low Town Reviews in the Darkroom Familia page right here on Boomin'.

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