The ceaseless Hip-Hop pendulum’s arc, defying the laws of physics, has become suspended in the atmosphere of pre-packaged perfunctory MCs. During this mystifying era V.I.C. appeared offering his highly successful, yet highly commercial “Get Silly.”
 
Due to his timing, V.I.C. has been dismissed as another inane quasi-rapper. The novice MC faces an arduous challenge of escaping the abyss of being considered a one hit wonder. With the release of Beast, on Aug. 26th, V.I.C. tries to prove to the world that he embodies some of the necessary inertia to help propel Hip-Hop’s arrested pendulum back to the lyrical Promised Land.

The wisdom V.I.C. he possesses surpasses his mere 24 years. Although he is a neophyte in the rap arena, the self-assured MC is optimistic that his hunger and his humility will be rewarded with longevity.
 

AllHipHop.com: How would you characterize your relationship with Hip-Hop?

V.I.C: My relationship with Hip-Hop, nothing makes me happier.

AllHipHop.com: Now, your current profession demands that you have a secure swagger.  With that being said, what do you say to those who think you’re just a manufactured MC?

V.I.C.: I say, wait and see. Time will tell.

AllHipHop.com: You met up with Michael “Mr. Collipark” Crooms and Derrick Crooms on several occasions, giving them different CDs and demos. How’d you battle against the discouragement if any, when they weren’t initially receptive?

V.I.C: I wouldn’t say discouraged with them. If V.I.C. felt any discouragement, it was more towards God. Because, my faith was in Him concerning my career. I was standing on scriptures. I was standing on faith believing in Him. He was the one who looked out for me, not man. ‘Cause I know when you’re giving [out] CDs you can’t listen to them all. Not everybody is ready to be in the Industry. And I know at the time I wasn’t. So, every time I got rejected I didn’t see it as, “You’re wack.” I just took it as I needed to go back to the drawing board.

AllHipHop.com: When you wrote “Ridin' Batman” did you realize that it would be the catalyst that would capture their [Michael and Derrick Crooms] attention?

V.I.C.: When I wrote “Batman” I knew it would capture anybody’s attention. I thought that it was so flying high since I used the old school original Batman [series] theme music and put it in the hook. I knew it was hot. Before they got it I was performing it. I was catching a lot of attention off the song, before them.




AllHipHop.com: Your lead single “Get Silly” is an undeniable success.  What can we expect from Beast when it drops?

V.I.C.: What you can expect is to be blown away. The reason why I say that is because I don’t feel people are going to expect [for] me to come the way [that] I’m coming. Being as my first single was “Get Silly”. They pretty much put in a category of [being] a dance rapper. I feel like once people get the album and once people get the core of V.I.C. they’re gonna know the game has yet another true artist.

AllHipHop.com: Now was that a marketing ploy to put “Get Silly” first to grab attention and then you could come with more lyrical tracks? Or was that just the way it happened?

V.I.C.: That’s just pretty much the way it happened. I mean, we had set out to go straight to the club. That’s first and foremost when you’re working with Collipark, he’s gonna advise you to go the club, first. But me being me, even with “Ridin’  Batman,” it was like a childish themed song, yet still, adults liked it. ‘Cause of my swag on it and how I deliver. That’s the same thing I was going for with “Get Silly.” [It’s] Something that the kids can get into and [it’s] something that adults dance to at a club.

V.I.C. “Get Silly” Video




AllHipHop.com: You secured an array of respected artists, such as: E-40; Bun B; Polow Da Don; Jermaine Dupri; Hurricane Chris and even Soulja Boy on Beast. How did this come about?

V.I.C: Basically, it was all love. We didn’t call, they were reaching out to us. They said, “The song was silly and I want to show some love.” I felt like that was a blessing with me being a new artist to get love like that from artists that are already established.

AllHipHop.com: You’re originally from Queens, NY.  Is that NY influence reflected at all in your lyrics?

V.I.C: Oh yes, most definitely. I mean, that’s what [a lyrical presence] I love. I don’t just go get some paper.  I sit there and think about everything I say before I say it. Everything is well thought out, all my words fit together really well. I feel like that’s the Northern side of me. I really love lyrics and I’m paying attention to what I’m saying.

AllHipHop.com: Following high school you were working as a self-taught barber, practicing your technique on your brothers. Did you ever have an inner conflict? You were cutting hair but did you feel like you were supposed to be doing something else?

V.I.C.: Oh yeah, all the time. That is what was motivating me though. I just knew I wouldn’t be doing it for long. So, when I was cutting hair I enjoyed it. I liked cutting hair. I didn’t love it because my heart was in music.

AllHipHop.com: How do you plan to maintain your established fanbase and appeal to others?

V.I.C: I don’t set out to try to maintain a fanbase. I’m a real artist, so I’m going to be changing a lot, change is nothing for me. I’m not trying to maintain.  All I’m trying to do is to keep it advancing. And if my fans like me they like me, I’m not trying to keep up with them. I want them to keep up with me.

V.I.C. “Wobble” Video




AllHipHop.com: What’s been the most valuable life lesson that you’ve learned that you can apply to your career?

V.I.C: That you’ll never get bigger than God.

AllHipHop.com: Does that help to keep you grounded?

V.I.C: Yeah, because I know that you’re a person just like me. And not only are you a person, you are God’s daughter. So, if I slap you I’ll have to deal with Him. If I talk to you wrong, I’m going to have to deal with Him. If I harm you in any way I’m going to have to deal with Him.

AllHipHop.com: What inspires you to keep living the way that you’re living?

V.I.C: God and my father. I would have to say my experience with God, at a young age, I felt like He’s always been there. The reason why I am the way that I am is [because] he [my father] makes me feel like a person and not like somebody that has to live up to a bunch of rules.  I do me, I enjoy my life, but at the end of the day I know that I got him. He’s not critiquing and criticizing everything I do, he’s trying to help me get better.

AllHipHop.com: Which artists do you listen to?

V.I.C: Well, I don’t listen to who I’d like to listen to. Because, I’m a strong believer in protecting my own swag. When I was coming up, I’d always sound like the person I liked. Right now I don’t listen to rappers, I listen to myself so I can keep my creative flow genuine and me and not sound like anybody else.

AllHipHop.com: How do you define personal success?

V.I.C: I feel like personal success is achieving the goals that you set out to achieve.

AllHipHop.com: What goals have you set for yourself?

V.I.C.: Well, my goal was to make it, to get in the Industry. I feel very successful even I don’t do nothing else. I feel very successful to be a rap star, to be known around the world for what I love to do. That was one of the highest [goals] and it was granted to me.

AllHipHop.com: Are you setting any more goals, or are you good, since you’ve achieved the highest one?

V.I.C: I feel like [the] sky’s the limit now. I feel like I don’t have to make goals anymore. I feel like all I have to do is think now and whatever I think I can do it. I feel like I’m not far from anything.

AllHipHop.com: Do you mind if we get a little into your business. Are you currently in a monogamous relationship?

V.I.C: Oh no. No monogamy.

AllHipHop.com: On a social networking site there are pictures of you with a well known adult entertainer. Is there anything between you and Pinky?

V.I.C.: No. She’s just a friend.

AllHipHop.com: Who do you think is going to win the Presidency? Who are you going to vote for and why?

V.I.C: Obama. For one, I think that he’s really intelligent. I feel like he always has the right answer for every question. He don’t just rush to run his mouth, he’ll sit there and thoroughly think about what you asked and will give you an answer.

AllHipHop.com: Do you have any closing comments. Is there anything else that you’d like to expound upon?

V.I.C: To all my fans just keep God first in all things. Anything is possible!