industry that hip hop does sell in Canada and they need to start backing it.

MM What do you think the reason is that they do not play hip hop? Choclair It’s like the chicken and the egg type thing. It doesn’t sell, but

success of Canadian rappers in the States will

change their mind set any?

Choclair I think slowly,

but it’s going to take more than one. It’s not going to just be myself, who has

some things happening in the U.S., that’s going to make someone at a commercial radio station

be like “hey let’s do a hip

hop station because

we're saying that it doesn’t Choclair did well inthe sell because it doesn’thaveyy g » | think th ey’re

any support [from the

going to have to see it

music industry]. Itis gonnaf}ike} “we could have at

have to take, on their part,

for them to give us an urban station for like two months and see the ratings

it, and they’ re always

saying that hip hop doesn’t ; ot me try

sell in Canada. Well, it doesn’t because we don’t

least 10 artists that we

could throw in on astation

in Canada.” Orit might

: just take that one guy to that it actually gets for them

to realize that okay, people .44 have an really will listen to a station open mind to like this. We’re still behind },. like, “you

open his eyes

know what?

Sin ae

have the support. MM How

; did you hook MM The major up with Guru commercial radiostation nq Memphis here won’t play hip hop, in pjee,? the record storesitsells ChoclairA numbertwobehindpop friend ofmine but they still won’tplayit 4, Morgan because they saythereis who livesin no urban area around here. New York knew his Choclair Yeahthatis anager [Bleek’s], sol always going to be the pretty much just said to thing, ohwell youknow him “yo, I’d like to work there is no urban area here, ., +h this Memphis Bleek

there doesn’t have to be an guy.” This is like back in

urban area — people are listening to hip hop everywhere. It doesn’t necessarily have to be an people in Beverly Hills listen to hip hop.

MM Do you think the

oe

summer of ‘98 and he was

like ‘I think I can make

that happen’, so he went and talked to the manger and next thing you know

everything got hooked up

and we were at D&D Studios recording. With Guru it was just an affiliation. Weare all on the same label... and also

just because they sampled my stuffand I was on the Reality Check 101 andeverything like that, that I think there

was alittle relationship between Gangstarr and Choclair that they felt that ‘this is something that would be good ifit happened’ and it defiantly turned out good. We sat in the studio and just banged out the track.

We worked on it together, the hook the verses, everything, and the track came out good. Those were two good hook ups.

MM How did the Lyricist Lounge Tour go? Choclair The Lyricist Lounge Tour was dope. We hit Atlanta, D.C., Philly, New York, Boston, Pittsburgh. You know it was good because it was my first tour in the U.S., and fora lot of the time it was my first time in alot of the cities. I got to meet a lot of people in different cities. I hung out with J- Roand Tash and Xzibit from tha Alkaholiks. I

hung with tha Outsidaz, I hung with Rah Digga fora little bit ‘cause he was at the New York show. You know you get a chance to meet people and build with them so it was cool.

MM Is there any chance that you will be coming to Prince Edward Island? Maestro came here last year and rocked it. Choclair Yeah!’ Il definitely try to get out East. A lot of promoters

don’ treally bring it [hip hop] out, I guess ‘cause it’s so far east. There is nothing really between Quebec City and like Halifax or Prince Edward Island or New Brunswick. I’mdefinitely trying to get out there. I performed twice in Halifax, that was actually last year for part of the release party. We went out there and it was dope.

I had areal good time, so I’mstill trying to get out there hopefully in the summertime, and if we get

out there we’ ll have areal good time.

MM Who is in The Circle crew besides Kardinal Official, Saukratees and yourself? Choclair You got Tara Chase, Julie Black, Solitair, Morvoro, Anthem, Y-Look, Srupulous, Bronzed, and Chow, so there’s a lot of people in there.

MM Will there be a Circle album in the future? Choclair There’s beena lot of talk about trying to do one so younever know. Right now we reall concentrating on our own individual careers. After that we’ Il have more weight to be able to put one of those albums together and make itreal successful.

MM How does it make you feel to see your video, as well as Kardinal’s and Saukratees’ all doing well at the same time? Choclair | feel great about it man because we worked hard to do the videos and in our careers. It’s good to see the industry, even though they don’t fully support us all the time, they got support

Cree eee