Concluding my discussion with Percy Carey, he talks about battling DMX, missing out on his spot on Live At The BBQ, working with Kool G Rap and the continuing process of recovery from his injuries.
Robbie: It seems like there were two separate leagues of MCs. Guys like Mikey D didnt care about making records because they were so focused on street respect for battling. Is that how you felt?
MF Grimm: Thats exactly how I felt. At the time, people I was with and things of that nature, money wasnt an issue. It was a street rep. You wanted to be known for that. Dont go against him! Dont waste your time! I bring up DMX, because he came to me. We were at a Def Jam Christmas party, and he wanted to battle me. His boys were from the street, and my boys were from the street, and they all knew each other. They were just talking about it, I dont think your boy is better than my boy! What? So it just started that way. I wasnt even in the mood that day, but I had to. Far as Im concerned, I destroyed him. I like X. Then he turned around and battled Jay-Z, thats the way it was.
How does street battling differ from an organized battle?
If somebodys with his crew of thirty people, and youre just with your girlfriend, are you going to get a fair, non-biased result? Possibly not. Same as boxing, theres no dispute if you knock him out. The object isnt to try to make the crowd ooh and ahh, the object is sometimes to make the persons crew approve you. To the point where theyre like, Hes good! Certain people, you just make them quit. They cant take no more. They aint go rhymes left, then you got it! That situation with me and DMX, there was a crowd! Harry Allen was out there, it was a Christmas party. If its one on one, one of you will know! When youre punishing somebody, they can feel it! Theres no denying it.
Would you have a catalog of rhymes for these battles?
When I first started, I would just improvise and go off the top. After that, I started writing. I get offended when people say, Youre not an MC if you dont go off the top! Making like writing is a crime. As a Black man in America, I take that as an insult, I feel like its subliminal bullshyt where people want to get you away from a pen and paper. Back then, freestyle was two different things it was a written that no one ever heard before, or it was off the top of your head. How dare some one say that because I have seven thousand rhymes in my head that Im not equivalent to somebody making something spur of the moment! From the moment I lost that battle with Supernatural, I dedicated myself to being a writer. No more battling. Imma learn to be like Edgar Allen Poe.
There was an article in RapPages about a song with B-1, you and Freddie Foxxx over a Lord Finesse beat. Do you remember that?
That was a song from my album, it was called Takin n*ggas With Me:. Ive dying to find someone who has it. When I got shot, there was a report I was dead, and the studio that my reel was in, they stole my reel. Everything was on there. That was on there, I had stuff by Dante Ross, SD-50s, that was a crazy album, man.
Was that for a label?
Because of the Battle for World Supremacy, there was a gentleman there named Kevin Woodley, he was an A&R for Atlantic Records and he was interested in signing me. The day I was meant to have a meeting with him I got shot.
Fate has dealt you some difficult cards.
Its only difficult when youre dead! All you can do is keep going. But I understand what you mean, youre right. Without struggle theres no progress, theres a reason for it. Youve got to search within and understand why youre the one that has to go through that journey and not try to push it onto someone else.
Do you think an engineer has that reel in a box somewhere?
I dont know. Thats a hot song. That was for my album, B-1 was on it, Finesse came in and did the beat and Freddie Foxxx happened to be in the studio that day, and he heard it. He came in and he was like, Yo! Let me get on this! Im like, Yo, get on! He blessed us and ripped it. I tell people about it now and they dont believe me!
How long did it take to recover after you were shot?
Its hard to say, cos Im still recovering. Its been going on almost twenty years. I can feel my legs, I can feel my toes now. Everything changes. Im always getting sensation back. This is a never-ending situation, its still happening as we speak. It took me a while to get my lungs back six months, a year. I had two collapsed lungs. I got shot next to the throat, had to learn how to talk again. There was a lot of internal trauma and damage. Although its been nineteen years, thats still nothing compared to the amount of damage that took place. I should be dead, so to take that long to recover is nothing.
At what stage did you want to get back in the booth?
They said I wouldnt talk anymore, thats like telling Michael Jordan he wouldnt play ball anymore! You wont walk and you wont talk. All I could think about was I wont talk? My legs I wasnt really thinking about, but talking? I was like, Ive gotta figure this out! I couldnt use my arms either, I was paralysed from the neck down. I knew I was gonna fight back, in regards to my body, but my throat? All I ever wanted to do was be an MC, so I fought hard for it. Its changed a lot, but Im getting stronger.
What was the first step when you were able to talk again?
I went right into the studio and I made Crumb Snatchers.
The song from the Scars and Memories album?
Yeah, it had a lot of stuff that was never released, but there are a lot of songs that people will never hear, because those reels are gone.
You had a nice buzz from that Take Em To War song with G Rap and B-1, right?
It was a good time for that. I worked hard on it in the studio, but Epic Records wanted to go with the one with Nas on it. They used Take Em To War and Money On The Brain to promote the album all the stickers and mixtapes but for the video it was the one with him and Nas. I was kinda disappointed in that, but it is what it is.
What was the story with you and Joe Fatal getting into an accident with a taxi driver while you were driving G Raps car?
He wanted to get out and fight, and I knocked him out, which I regret now. We were in traffic, so we didnt want to leave the car! So the cops came, I got locked-up. They held me longer because of the situation or whatever, and thats when they recorded Live At The BBQ. Thats why I missed being on it. I cant go back in time, I wish I could. That changed everyones lives on that record! Those were so good times, hanging at Large Professors house, watching him destroy the SP-12. We would go to my mom house and get records, then go to his house and watch him kill the record.
Were you working security for Kool G Rap at that time?
Nah, I would say it was more brothers. He was like an older brother,he was a good dude to me. No security. I learned a lot from him about life. He was a good person to me.
What do you recall about your first record, So Whatchu Want?
That was around the time, probably before that. The first verse of So Whatchu Want was really my verse for Live At The BBQ. I decided to keep going, like why let it go to waste. It was an independent label that we all started. Think about it, that was an independent label back then. We pressed it up ourselves and put it out, like fukk it! It started everything. It was produced by Sean C from X-Ecutioners and Knobody, they went on to do Cant Knock The Hustle and Dont Want To A Player, Big Pun. It sounds a little muffled, thats my fault. I went into the studio to mix and master it and I messed it up. They werent there for that.
Were you friends with B-1 at that stage?
We were together before 4,5,6. We were a group. It was me, B-1 and Grandmaster Roc Raida. It was great, hes like a brother to me.
Youve mentioned that you werent happy with the version of Do It For The Kids they released on Fondle Em?
Looking back, I was a little bit of an a$$hole about it. Thats one they liked. Bob to this day is one of my dearest friends.
I liked the Hunt For The Gingerbread Man project you did.
Yeah, Stricknine, hes a cool dude. It was fun to me because thats an Australian release, and you see the impact it had over here, it was even more fun. Ive never been to Australia but I feel like Im part of it because of Hunt For The Gingerbread Man.
What do you attribute your references to Joseph Stalin and other concepts in your lyrics?
Id have to go back to my mother. No matter I was trying to get into, she would always make sure I had a book in my hand. A dictionary, just something. She would try to make sure that I was focused, even when I wasnt focused. When I was a kid she got me turntables and a microphone. She would always give me books about creative writing when I was young.
Whats your favorite book?
I would just say Watership Down, thats a favorite
Good read
