INTERVIEWS - GENA

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Gena is one of the premier artists coming out of the Saint Louis/ East Saint Louis rap scene. Not only is he receiving nation wide attention for his skills on the mic, but Gena is also making a name for himself as a producer. Underground Rap Scene called up with Gena to see how everything is in the ESTL:

Undergroundrapscene:

Hey Gena, Before we start this interview I just want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk to me.

Gena:

No problem.

Undergroundrapscene:

So lets start with your home town, what was it like coming up in East Saint Louis, who were your influences, and how did you get started in the rap game?

Gena:

Well I was born in East Saint Louis and I’ve been rapping since I was thirteen. I started because I saw kris Kross performing and felt like they weren’t doing anything that I couldn’t do. I first started rapping on a Karaoke machine, and I have been making my own tracks since I was thirteen years old. I actually produced my first big single, “Dope Boy Fresh.”

Undergroundrapscene:

Can you tell us what the Saint Louis rap scene is like?

Gena:

I mean St. Louis is finally trying to work together, ever since I did that song with Kyjuan and Chingy I have been getting a lot of love from all the fans, DJ’s, and Artists in Saint Louis. Saint Louis even has a radio show called Midwest Wednesdays on 100.3 the beat where they play all the local artists.

Undergroundrapscene:

So is there any controversy in the STL rap scene or is everyone just coming together and helping each other out?

Gena:

We still got the haters, but there’s a lot more support than there used to be.

Undergroundrapscene:

Alright I know your connected with Basement Beats and DJ Bishop of the Hittmen DJ’s, could you tell us a little bit about how you met them and what it was like working with them?

Gena:

I met DJ Bishop first. It was about a month before I met Basement Beats, and I met him through Rob Evans. DJ Bishop always liked my beats but we never had time to get together and do a mixtape. So, Rob Evans introduced me to DJ Bishop and then Evans introduced me to Basement Beats. It was after I got with Basement Beats that DJ Bishop produced my first major mixtape.

Undergroundrapscene:

And I understand that your first major mixtape was Fuck You, Pay Me?

Gena:

Yea the first mixtape we put out was Fuck You Pay Me vol. 1, which sold thousands of copies in the streets and created a huge buzz around my name. Then we released vol. 2 probably like five or six months ago.

Undergroundrapscene:

What’s your View of the Mixtape scene for underground artists? Did it open any major doors for you, and would you recommend it to other artists trying to make it in the rap game?

Gena:

Shit man…I still get a lot of hits on my myspace and shit because of how successful my mixtape was and because of the buz that it created. The mixtape scene is real important. You have to hit the streets. Give the people a taste of what you are doing first, because before they are willing to buy your album they want to hear what you sound like. I look at mixtapes as a pre album. Nobody wants to buy something from someone they haven’t heard. I take the mixtape scene very serious.

Undergroundrapscene:

Besides Mixtapes I hear you’ve been getting your name out through movies (Apocalypse and A Beauty Queen) and video games (NBA Ballers Phenom)? Would you suggest movies and video games to other artists as a mean to get their music heard, or was it a bad experience for you?

Gena:

Hell No, Any exposure is good exposure. That’s just a blessing being involved in that. That shit was fun, and one of the basement beat guys is real tight with Midway so he produced the track for the basketball game. Yea that was a lot of fun, If there is goin to be a NBA Ballers Phenom 2 I’ll deffinently do it again.

Undergroundrapscene:

So are you working on an album or mixtape right now? Do you have a new single?

Gena:

Yea, I’m working on my new album. It’s going to be called “Cross the Bridge” and it should be out late this spring. I got a lot of features on therr. I’m waiting to get in the studio with Nelly, but I got Chingy, J-kwon, and Smitty from Florida on there, I got a lot of songs.

Undergroundrapscene:

Do you have a single for the album yet?

Gena:

Actually we just got my first nationwide single yesterday, the single is, “where they at?” featuring Lil Wayne.

Undergroundrapscene:

What was it like working with Lil Wayne on that track?

Gena:

Well we weren’t in the studio together, but he is possibly going to be on the remix to the song.

Undergroundrapscene:

So is the song getting a lot of play in Saint Louis? Is it on the Midwest Wednesday radio show?

Gena:

Actually, we haven’t even given the song to the radio yet, but it is getting a lot of play in the clubs.

Undergroundrapscene:

Alright, so like you said earlier, you aren’t just a rapper but you produce beats too. I know you have produced tracks for artists like Murphy Lee and P-Dub. What was it like working with artists like that?

Gena:

It was cool man, but I just had to sit back and think these guys are just like me. You know what I mean? We just had to sit back and chill and make music. Like one of the songs I gave Murph, we were just sitting back in the studio chilling and that’s how that came out. Man all the artists in Saint Louis show me a lot of love and I appreciate that.

Undergroundrapscene:

Now I’ve seen the video for Dope Boy Fresh. What was it like working with Kyjuan and Chingy on the track and in the video?

Gena:

It was like a dream come true, even though it was a low budget video. It was fun as hell. A lot of people came out to support the video. It hit number one in Saint Louis. Shout out to Dana he was the one who produced the video. It was all just too much fun.

Undergroundrapscene:

So I hear you have your own Label, how’s that going?

Gena:

Well my label is a joint venture with basement beats, which basically means that my label cosides with basement beats. Basically it’s like a G Unit, Aftermath thing. And I have my own group called TTO. TTO is made up of Booskie, Jay Get’em, and myself.

Undergroundrapscene:

So have you released anything with TTO yet?

Gena:

Yea, they been on all my mixtapes, and after I release my first major label album, I am going to do an album with them.

Undergroundrapscene:

Now I want to talk to you about Baby Huey for a second, I know you have worked with him before and even recorded one of your biggest singles, “Bang” with him. Recently, Baby Huey changed his name to Huey and exploded onto BET with his hit song, “ Pop, Lock, and Drop it.” I just want to know how you feel about his success and whether or not you feel that Huey had something that made him stand out of the pack or if you feel that this is just Saint Louis’ time to shine and that a lot of STL artists are going to get onto BET in a minute?

Gena:

This rap game is like the NBA, everybody don’t make it, and there are a lot of players in it. As for me and Huey, we just hooked up. We both had the number one songs in Saint Louis last year. So it was just right that we got together. We both got deals at the same time but I passed on mine. He has good people behind him, so its good that he got his shot, but I choose to sit back and think about all my options, but 2007 is GENAMANIA.

Undergroundrapscene:

Getting away from music real quick when you aren’t around music what are you doing for fun?

Gena:

Man right now man, my life is like very little fun right now. I mean its fun, it just revolves around music. I got a one year old son, so if I’m not working on my music I’m with family. But I’m working every day trying to get money.

Undergroundrapscene:

So before we end here, are there any tips you want to send out to an up and coming rapper? Anything you learned from promoting your music on or off tour?

Gena:

Any up and coming rappers, just stick at it man. Just stick with it and never be afraid of doing something that other rappers ain’t doing. Just do you and I promise you you’ll get there, that’s if your hott.

Undergroundrapscene:

So is there anything else we should know?

Gena:

Yea Basement Beats got a party coming up with Diddy. It’s going to be a Superbowl party and Basement Beats are headlining. Shout out to the whole basement beats fam. Kanjia, Wyshmaster, Wally, Koko, and Stand Up Entertainment.

Yea and about that major deal, Its coming, I’m cool about it right now cause the longer it takes I’m just getting better. But this year you will see me on that shit.

Underground Rap Scene:

Thanks a lot for your time