The Pre-Sunday Drive LoveJones Interview!

Since first dropping his singles The Get Up & Walk On The Moon, we’ve been supporting the LoveJones movement. Since then many other blogs have come around and been helping push him to the forefront of the blogosphere. The Phys Edison produced Sunday Drive is Mike Jones a.k.a. LoveJones first album and will be dropping very soon. We got up with Mike to discuss the new project and learn a little more about what Sunday Drive is about.

FlawlessHustle: What’s good LoveJones?

LoveJones: Whats happening, sir.  Watching and dancing to white men cant jump credits – you know, might be my next photo shoot.

FH: Chillin man! I wanted to give the readers a better taste of who LoveJones is. Tell me a little bit about yourself.

LJ: Well I was born and raised in Topeka Kansas, capital city. Went to school at the University of Kansas and played soccer throughout high school. I really started gettin’ into hip-hop just as a fan and a fanatic early west coast shit Coolio, Lady of Rage, Death Row days. I started writing when i was 15 but really just poetry and creative writing no songs or anything attempted to freestyle a little in high school but i really got into writing hip-hop.

FH: Would you say the golden era has influenced your sound as you put out music?

LJ: Definitely Death Row shit  G Funk,  Twinz, Dove Shack,  Murder Squad, Domino -  but I was also really into Wu-Tang. Attempted to memorize 36 chambers. Masta Ace‘s Sittin on Chrome was a big album for me, then got heavy into Outkast & Dungeon Family. If anything came out around Kast,the Wu or Death Row I bumped cause it was associated. Bone Thugs were huge for me too.  Id say those are the foundations and really where I fell in love  and then of course later on the whole Rawkus Era like Common, Blackstar, Pharoahe, J Dilla, The Roots &  all that Okayplayer shit really sealed the deal for me

FH: Your new project is with Phys Edison, how did you two link up?

LJ: Funny shit is, last Feb ’08 I was hating my job and really needing a change so I went to a job interview at a recruiting firm. I KNEW I didn’t want the job but went anyways. I was gonna recruit people for jobs and shit, and I met this cat in the waiting room. (He) said his boy made beats, and of course I got the “yeah, you and everyone else,” attitude but he gave me his info anyways. I didn’t really have a producer at the time. I was just doing mixtape shit and listened to some of Phys Edison‘s music on myspace. It was dope so I hollered. We met up where he gave me  beat CD’s. I played them that night and heard the get up and that was the first song I wrote (for Sunday Drive).

FH: So which other tracks were selected from these CD”s?

LJ: Some songs didn’t make the cut, and the rest are are on the album, plus the instrumental interludes.

FH: Will we ever get to hear the other tracks that didn’t make the cut?

LJ: this group Diatribe did a song with Dres of Black Sheep on that beat  so I didn’t get that one. Dag.  (Haha)  The other one, I don’t know. I’d have to listen to it. I’m not one of those cats who thinks everything I make is dope. So I’m picky with what gets out  I’m not tryin’ to put out  songs in a year  Lil’ Wayne style.

FH: So when was it during your career that you released Love Potion No 9th? And what made th stick out to you as an artist?

LJ: My guy Shitty Ranx put me on to Little Brother like  right when The Listening came out  and that shit blew my mind  it was amazing to me  cuz every beat knocked regardless of what the song was about.
FH: LB is tight as fuck. I have to agree with you.

LJ: Every 9th beat has that undeniable head-nod. Phonte is my fav M.C. of all time, straight up.  So, I fell in love with LB and 9th. 8 months after I moved to Chicago I was fucking around,  but really couldn’t find a producer I really clicked with so I downloaded  9th‘s  beats (I’m sure everyone has that shit too).  And came up with the whole  love potion number 9th shit  like  this is perfect!
FH: And your boy did the artwork for the project?

LJ: I found David (Hildreth) on the Okayplayer message board and saw a Black Thought piece he did and was like “Yo, I need your assistance.” (www.davidhildreth.net) He did artwork for Love Potion No 9th & my 2nd album which is a few songs from being done. no doubt 3rd one will begin soon too(Haha).
FH: As for Sunday Drive, tell me a little bit about the concept behind it.

LJ: Well first we were just recording random songs. It went from “The Get Up”, “They Gon Hate”, “Sucka M.C.’s”, to “Downtime” and I started writing more joints like “Downtime” and wrote a song called “Sunday Drive” and it just clicked. Big light bulb moment, as cliche as it sounds.
FH: So if you had to define the sound what would you describe it as?

LJ: Man, just like soulful, smooth, laid back, reflective hip-hop. Phys Ed is really heavy into soul samples and slower beats beats that let your mind wonder. And ’08 was a rough year for me so I just wrote everything I was feeling. From hating my job to problems with my girl to just adjusting to real life.  From being in Kansas in college and not worrying about shit to fuck man this is real life. I actually wrote Love Potion The Hangover before Sunday Drive but only recorded like  2 or 3 joints and that’s when i found Phys Edison. Lets call it fate. (Haha)
FH: You’ve been in some competitions as well right?

LJ: I did this online competition on Ursession.com where a lot of producers submitted beats (9th wonder being one of them). There was a J Dilla beat, Evidence,  Thx who is one of my favorite producers and you record songs and people vote. Well before I was on my online grindin’ shit i just put the songs up and assumed dope music would prevail. Not so, but I wrote  joints, and submitted them. The Bump and Fit Right are still the shit to this day.
FH: So how’d you come up with the name LoveJones?

LJ: Man I couldn’t even tell ya. My real name is Mike Jones, so I cant really use that but that’s how everyone knows me. I’m transitioning to Mike Schpitz full time cuz people think LoveJones is and R&B singer but yea  Ladies Love Jones. (Haha)

FH: It’s like LL man, I feel it.

LJ: Ladies Love Cool Jones I’m not as cool as LL tho and not quite as ripped. (Hahah)

FH: Do you have any shows or a release party where cats can flow through and see you?

LJ: I just got put on the Columbia College talent show and I’m performing at my guy Papi Jamons release party for his album. I took a break from shows for a bit to really get these  albums done then I’mma hit the scene extra hard now that more people know me and the music.

FH: You’ve been getting love on a lot of blogs, people are really beginning to feel ya. What’s your feelings on coming up as a white rapper in the game?

LJ: I mean I really try not to think about it. It’s just the first thing people notice and (they) will make their assumptions just by seeing a picture and have an idea of what I sound like. But its cool man, I plan to compete with everyone,  not just be and ill white dude and I try not to use being white as a gimmick. It’s the most obvious thing to do.

FH: Where can heads pick up Sunday Drive?

LJ: Facebook, Myspace, Flawless Hustle hopefully every blog out there.

FH: Where do you see yourself going in the game? Like in – years where do you see yourself?

LJ: Honestly I’m cool with wherever it takes me. Of course I got my superstar aspirations. Kanye sized tours and Jay-Z money but as long as I can afford to do music I’m cool. Ultimately I wanna be able to put cats I respect in a position to succeed in the game too. Its difficult to get in the game period and I think a lot of talented people get bogged down and frustrated with all the unwritten rules u gotta follow. It’s discouraging. Especially when u see someone blow up in months because of one cosign or one song.  So I wanna be in a position to help cats make the most of their resources and get to where they wanna be.  It’s time to build a new Rawkus records but more business minded not just the illest music but good business practices as well.

FH: How do you come up with the concepts that you write about? What fuels you when you write?

LJ: Most of the time the beat guides me. I write without music and try to get a beat to fit what I’m writing, but that’s harder for me so really I just write where the beat takes me. I get a lot of my fire from challenging myself to write and say something in a way I haven’t heard before. I know when I listen to music I listen to some shit that is said in a way that you’re just like “damn, I should’ve thought of that.” I try to do that every time I write. I get a lot of motivation from the bullshit I hear too  just like  “man lemme write something better.” (Hahah)

FH: Will Sunday Drive feature other artists?

LJ: Nope  just me and Phys Ed however I’m putting out two remixes to the get up and Sucka M.C. with my crew of M.C.s called “The League of Ordinary Gentlemen” and that is sort of a precursor to my 3rd album.

FH: That’s a dope name. How’d you guys come together?

LJ: (They’re) just cats that I have come across that I respect and have showed me love.  I don’t wanna give away names yet but shit is gonna be crazy.

FH: You were in the Stik Figa video, how’d that come about?

LJ: I’ve known Stik since when I was with a group called Full House. Stik went to my high school but we didn’t link up til my crew full house started doin’ shows and when full house split cuz my bro moved away and we sucked Stik brought me in with his crew only ones with my man Adullessence so that’s just family.

FH: You mentioned your next projects. Will this new album be a joint with Phys Edison as well?

LJ: my second album  is called  Have You Seen My Stapler? and all the beats were done by Slot-A and The Gift. Shit is WAY different from Sunday Drive like no one is gonna see this shit coming. We got “singles”  on that shit – like every song, basically.

FH: What’s been your most memorable time as an emcee thus far?

LJ: I would say right now.  Dropping Sunday Drive,  and people really liking the music.  It’s my first real project that I’ve put out and promoted  and its personal too. So having people feel that is amazing!

FH: Which cut would you say is most personal on the Drive?

LJ: I would say either “Downtime”  or “Had a Dream”.  Both are just like,  me as an open book.  You kinda witness me growing from a boy to a man on track (young man I should say).  I still got a snuggie  and watch terrible movies got some carpet skates too.

FH: Any last words for the readers of FH?

LJ: Hell yea. Get Sunday Drive!  Listen to the album all the way thru – it flows. Burn that shit, email that shit, post that shit. Just get it out there. Cats will listen and realize the music is no bullshit. The next  albums are gonna SMASH cats like I’m warning people right now, straight up!  I appreciate any and all feedback and shout out to everyone at Flawless Hustle for being the first site that fucked with me.