Fat Cap magazine: SLAUGHTERHOUSE interview (originally featured in FatCap #19)

On the second floor at Blå in Oslo we met the rap super group Slaughterhouse.

Founded in 2008, and released their self-titled debut album in 2009 and existing of Crooked |, Joe Budden, Joel Ortiz and Royce Da 5 ‘9, it’s a sweaty powerhouse of rappers we chat up with after their energetic performance.

But how did the story start?

We all participated on Joe Budden’s Halfway House project, we did a record with him, and it was called Slaughterhouse. It pretty much started from there. The fans appreciated it from the get go, they loved it immediately and asked if we would do more music together. We had a little sit down after that where we went, "listen to this”. So we started from there, and the fans contributed to the start of the group.

You have different backgrounds and represent L.A., Detroit to New Jersey and New York. Of many rappers, why pairing the four of you together? Were there a deeper thought behind the composition of the group?

I think Joe had. I think he was going for what he thought was the hottest dudes on the net. That’s it, it was like that. When we put out the first song out we didn’t know it was going to be received like it was, it was crazy. So when we all looked at the reactions to the song it inspired us to keep working together, and eventually the fans made us and kept us together as a group. We decided to go ahead and do a whole album together, start something new and something else.

You did the Slaughterhouse album on Koch (E1 Music). The record sales are at its all time low. What do you think about that and why did you go major?

Regarding the record sales: As a group it puts us in front of a bigger audience, more people to listen in on what we are talking about. On the question on going major we get a chance to get on TV-shows, in magazines, some of those major things that there are more of on this level than on an independent level. I don’t think that major labels would help us music wise, but we get the bigger audience, and bigger stage to perform on and from.

You are a major group, possibly the biggest group in rap we’ve heard of in many years. Together as a group you’re already what can be called a super group.

Thank you very much.

One of the songs on the Slaughterhouse album, “Move On”, addresses Hip Hop journalists bringing up old issues and asking the same generic questions every time. Basically telling them to move on. You’re saying that you have expressed everything there is to say, has there been any reactions and are people more reluctant to ask about these things now?

Yes and no. You're actually kind of doing it right now. (laugh). No, but the meaning of the song was that you have these little thing that gets big, and then, hold up! We wont talk about that no more! Move on, because we did. The motherfuckers don’t know us! So we wanted to put it all out there. Like Eminem did with 8 mile, let them know exactly who we are and who we were. We couldn't say it all before, but know everybody knows whom we were, where we came from originally. We were someone before the group, we have our histories and it’s behind us. We have moved on from there.

So it was a way to start fresh?

Yeah, exactly. Get on some new shit.

As you might know we are a graffiti magazine. Were any of you ever involved in the graffiti scene or any other elements of the Hip Hop culture?

All we do now is rap. But when | (Joel Ortiz) was young | used to draw graffiti. When | was in school I would be shitty at working, but | was drawing graffiti. | used to pass the time that way and | loved it. I had a big graffiti book that my cousin in Brooklyn gave me when | was nine, and that gave me an in sight into the graffiti culture. We would spray-paint all over the walls.

Do you (Joel Ortiz) know some local artists from your area?

| remember Domain. He used to go around and say; “My name is Domain, | own the A-train”. There was no place in Brooklyn you couldn't see his name. Even in some of the most awkward and crazy places, like wicked spots on the edge of the rail track roofs. He would have been hold from his feets. It’s ridiculous what lengths they would go to get their names up.

What about you Crooked I, tell us a little about who you see up in L.A.?

(Crooked I) My main man was Double S. If you ever go to L.A, and you are in South Central California, there is a street called Slauson Avenue. You ride down the whole avenue, and the whole street is just bombed, by incredible artists. Even the homies 83rd Street Gangster Crips and Rollin 60s has their shit up there. Great artwork. Check it out, Slauson Avenue.

So, why go for the group name Slaughterhouse?

It goes back to where it all started, the first record. It was named Slaughterhouse, so when we looked for a name it fit. We also used it in freestyles. Like “We put the other rappers in the meat locker. Slaughter them up”. So that was it. Murder, murder, murder. Kill, kill, kill.

Note! The interview was done i 2010, before they signed to Shady/Interscope. Welcome to: Our House (2012) the only and last album they released on Shady was sadly filled with wack beats and corny hooks. Their career as a collective pretty much died after that album.

The interview was originally featured in FatCap #19

FAVORITE SLAUGHTERHOUSE TRACKS