Note: During our various upgrades over the years certain interviews have been "misplaced." We are now adding them back to our archives. This interview was first published on October 1, 2006.
How you doing Silkk? First off I wanna ask you the question everybody asks. That is how did you get your name?
I use to be from a clique in High School called "Flirts" and my name was Silkk, I decided to keep it and just add a last name. I came up with Calone when I mixed Capone and Corleone together.
Can you give us a quick background on your coming up. You’re from Belize City right?
Yeah, my mom had me when she was 15, we moved to Cali when I was 3 because of a situation that happened with my brother being kidnapped. Ever since I been in South Central. I just been adaptin to the life style. Everybody always talk about some kind of struggle they go through, in my situation it's been rough trying to live without getting caught up in some bullshit. I didn't even really take rap that serious as a career until I realised that I could really make cash off doing something I enjoy. On some real shit, every move that I make right now is to really better my family, especially my mom. With no father being around me and my brother's and sister's life, it's been hard on here from the start, and I feel this is my ticket to pay her back.
What made you take up rapping and when did you take it serious enough to make it your career?
I first took a liking to Kurupt and Tha Dogg Pound the first time they even dropped a song. Ever since then I was just supporting everything they did, well, everything Kurupt did. As time went by I started liking Fabolous, and around 2002 me and my boy C.Stylez started perfecting our crafts in music. He's been learning how to make beats as long as I been learning how to rap. We just catch on to shit very quickly.
Who are your influences?
Kurupt and Fabolous.
How did you hook up with Larceny?
It was a time that I was on one of these West Coast websites checkin' shit out and I seen Young Hootie's video for one of his mixtape cuts. Really, the type of person I am, I keep it 100, it's a lot of wack rappers trying to make it. When I heard Young Hootir flow, I was like "Finally after all these dudes trying to rap, here's somebody on my level". A couple weeks past and I find out about this MySpace shit and I seen that they had a page on there so I hit them up real humble like. T.K. said he was feeling my shit and the rest is a rap.
What would you like to say to people who have yet to hear your raps?
My music is majority Gangsta Rap but with a cocky East Coast flow. I'm not like these dudes that have no talent at all, I make my music for the hood because violence sells. In addition, I can also make music for females, clubs and real life events in the same motion that I make my Gangsta shit. The West Coast needs a nigga like me because there is so many niggaz on the West that does not have the capabilities to create a song like I can.
What has been your favorite track so far? “The Fast Lane” featuring Techniec is 1 of my favorites.
A track I did called "Walk Dat Walk". It says everything about a lot of these molded rap stars that fake their way to the top.
I’ve been hearing some stuff about you and The Game. And I also have the track "Pump No Fear". Would you like to touch on why you and Game have problems?
Honestly, Game is a good rapper, he holds down the West with no problem. I just hate the fact that this is a dude that dissed some many people cuz he felt like it, and says he's from Compton but tats L.A on his face. Compton is in L.A County but Game does not live in LA and he's not from L.A. What does that say on the back of his cd The Documentary?.....Compton! What ever problems he got with niggaz in Compton doesn't mean that he got to find another city to run to. To anybody lookin' in from the outside, it seems The Game is from Los Angeles, why not tatto "CPT" on yo neck? L.A don't need that, that's why I'm about to come out. Long Beach, Carson, Inglewood, Watts and Compton doing it big on the come up. It was time for L.A to have it's rapper, now this clown just got everbody outside of Cali fooled, if they only knew what goes on off camera. I didn't make that song for him, I made it because I like to get shit off my chest and not keep it to myself. A lot of his fans be in the forums talking 'bout I just did that song to get recognition and to make a name for myself and all this bullshit. I got tracks that's going to get me to the top, why would I make a diss song hoping that everybodies going to like me now. I'm not even that dude no more, I just wanted to say what I wanted to say, kind of like what he did, bit since the shots were directed at him, the people don't like that, too bad.
What tracks are you working on right now?
Tracks for an upcoming mixtape I got coming out.
StreetHop gave your recent video “Get Dropped” featuring City Boy and Young Hootie on our frontpage. It was a heavy track. Hopefully that was just the beginning. How was the whole video shoot, and what can we expect next time?
That was my first video, but things was real easy and we jus' did what we do best. The next video from me will be "Sticks & Stones".
How have things changed career wise since you signed with Larceny?
I feel like these is niggaz that's gonna take me to where I need to be, god would not have put them in my life unless it was for me to gain something from it. The buzz is really going to start to spread thanks to T.K. and Breezy. They live and breath this shit, that's the type of business men I need to be around.
Where do you see your career heading?
To the bank, when you mention rappers to go platinum from the West Coast, my name will be mentioned and not passed up.
Anything you’d like to say to people reading this interview about Silkk Calone?
Straight up, I'm a nigga that makes quality music on a level that most rappers lack. My motivation is money and as long as I keep it real, I don't got shit to lose but my life. You don't have to like it, just respect it cuz all I do is show respect.
14 Any Shouts?
Yeah... My new Larceny Family (City Boy, Young Rell, T.K., Breezy), DJ Nik Bean, my L.C.S. Fam (Pint, 12 Gage, C.Stylez, E-Rocc, Blacc, Mingo, E-Nuff, Stub, K-Macc, B.Flirt, Quikk) when the time is right, Belize along with South Central will get put on blast. Because as much as people like to hate, the reality is that I am the best coming out of L.A right now ( and that's on my momma!!!)
How you doing Silkk? First off I wanna ask you the question everybody asks. That is how did you get your name?
I use to be from a clique in High School called "Flirts" and my name was Silkk, I decided to keep it and just add a last name. I came up with Calone when I mixed Capone and Corleone together.
Can you give us a quick background on your coming up. You’re from Belize City right?
Yeah, my mom had me when she was 15, we moved to Cali when I was 3 because of a situation that happened with my brother being kidnapped. Ever since I been in South Central. I just been adaptin to the life style. Everybody always talk about some kind of struggle they go through, in my situation it's been rough trying to live without getting caught up in some bullshit. I didn't even really take rap that serious as a career until I realised that I could really make cash off doing something I enjoy. On some real shit, every move that I make right now is to really better my family, especially my mom. With no father being around me and my brother's and sister's life, it's been hard on here from the start, and I feel this is my ticket to pay her back.
What made you take up rapping and when did you take it serious enough to make it your career?
I first took a liking to Kurupt and Tha Dogg Pound the first time they even dropped a song. Ever since then I was just supporting everything they did, well, everything Kurupt did. As time went by I started liking Fabolous, and around 2002 me and my boy C.Stylez started perfecting our crafts in music. He's been learning how to make beats as long as I been learning how to rap. We just catch on to shit very quickly.
Who are your influences?
Kurupt and Fabolous.
How did you hook up with Larceny?
It was a time that I was on one of these West Coast websites checkin' shit out and I seen Young Hootie's video for one of his mixtape cuts. Really, the type of person I am, I keep it 100, it's a lot of wack rappers trying to make it. When I heard Young Hootir flow, I was like "Finally after all these dudes trying to rap, here's somebody on my level". A couple weeks past and I find out about this MySpace shit and I seen that they had a page on there so I hit them up real humble like. T.K. said he was feeling my shit and the rest is a rap.
What would you like to say to people who have yet to hear your raps?
My music is majority Gangsta Rap but with a cocky East Coast flow. I'm not like these dudes that have no talent at all, I make my music for the hood because violence sells. In addition, I can also make music for females, clubs and real life events in the same motion that I make my Gangsta shit. The West Coast needs a nigga like me because there is so many niggaz on the West that does not have the capabilities to create a song like I can.
What has been your favorite track so far? “The Fast Lane” featuring Techniec is 1 of my favorites.
A track I did called "Walk Dat Walk". It says everything about a lot of these molded rap stars that fake their way to the top.
I’ve been hearing some stuff about you and The Game. And I also have the track "Pump No Fear". Would you like to touch on why you and Game have problems?
Honestly, Game is a good rapper, he holds down the West with no problem. I just hate the fact that this is a dude that dissed some many people cuz he felt like it, and says he's from Compton but tats L.A on his face. Compton is in L.A County but Game does not live in LA and he's not from L.A. What does that say on the back of his cd The Documentary?.....Compton! What ever problems he got with niggaz in Compton doesn't mean that he got to find another city to run to. To anybody lookin' in from the outside, it seems The Game is from Los Angeles, why not tatto "CPT" on yo neck? L.A don't need that, that's why I'm about to come out. Long Beach, Carson, Inglewood, Watts and Compton doing it big on the come up. It was time for L.A to have it's rapper, now this clown just got everbody outside of Cali fooled, if they only knew what goes on off camera. I didn't make that song for him, I made it because I like to get shit off my chest and not keep it to myself. A lot of his fans be in the forums talking 'bout I just did that song to get recognition and to make a name for myself and all this bullshit. I got tracks that's going to get me to the top, why would I make a diss song hoping that everybodies going to like me now. I'm not even that dude no more, I just wanted to say what I wanted to say, kind of like what he did, bit since the shots were directed at him, the people don't like that, too bad.
What tracks are you working on right now?
Tracks for an upcoming mixtape I got coming out.
StreetHop gave your recent video “Get Dropped” featuring City Boy and Young Hootie on our frontpage. It was a heavy track. Hopefully that was just the beginning. How was the whole video shoot, and what can we expect next time?
That was my first video, but things was real easy and we jus' did what we do best. The next video from me will be "Sticks & Stones".
How have things changed career wise since you signed with Larceny?
I feel like these is niggaz that's gonna take me to where I need to be, god would not have put them in my life unless it was for me to gain something from it. The buzz is really going to start to spread thanks to T.K. and Breezy. They live and breath this shit, that's the type of business men I need to be around.
Where do you see your career heading?
To the bank, when you mention rappers to go platinum from the West Coast, my name will be mentioned and not passed up.
Anything you’d like to say to people reading this interview about Silkk Calone?
Straight up, I'm a nigga that makes quality music on a level that most rappers lack. My motivation is money and as long as I keep it real, I don't got shit to lose but my life. You don't have to like it, just respect it cuz all I do is show respect.
14 Any Shouts?
Yeah... My new Larceny Family (City Boy, Young Rell, T.K., Breezy), DJ Nik Bean, my L.C.S. Fam (Pint, 12 Gage, C.Stylez, E-Rocc, Blacc, Mingo, E-Nuff, Stub, K-Macc, B.Flirt, Quikk) when the time is right, Belize along with South Central will get put on blast. Because as much as people like to hate, the reality is that I am the best coming out of L.A right now ( and that's on my momma!!!)
