REAL TALK: CREED CHAMELEON

KALANI: Underground hip hop, hip-pop. What's your place in Hawaii hip hop?
CREED: I guess in the same place where every hawaii hip hop head is at...in search for a better place to promote and make music where the majority of people unwillingly listen and support this independent cause.

K: What went into the album?
CC: a lot of dedication and heart.

K: Talk about the title, how did you come up with it?
CC: i was just sick of people labeling us "hawaii heads" being too laid back and that we don't work hard at all. that's why i named it siq of lazy. "SIQ" of all the lazy minded critics thinking hawaii hip hop music will never make it.

K: Specifically speaking, how does this album top your first?
CC: Well my first album was a underground burnt CD style album which was distributed in limited supply. but comparing to my second album, love potion cyanide, it's got more tracks, more featured producers and emceEs, and more topics and issues that i haven't spoke of on the first and second.

K: If the first album was put out there to introduce you to the world,
what is the purpose of the second album?
CC: I guess the second and third one is for the world to get acquainted with me.

K: Hip hop is always a hard sell in Hawaii, as an artist how do you try
to change that?
CC: By keeping that "aloha" mentality that is hardly shown nowadays, making "real" music that the local people can relate to, and being oneself while building relationships with others that will definitely have them wanting to help support.

K: Collectively do you think Hawaii hip hop artists are unified or is
everyone kind of on their own seperate grinds?
CC: Everyone is on their own grind but not really hating on one another. it used to be so bad where other crews would just bash on one another in order to reign supreme on the hustle. but lately, it's been cooled down and that's a good sign. I say, everyone get on there own grind...cause if one of us makes it, all of HAWAII makes it.

K: What are some topics that you touch on that listeners and supporters
might find interesting?
CC: I talk about certain issues that hawaii and the independent hip hop scene face on the islands. not only that, i talk about political, global and personal issues on the album too that people might find controversial.

K: How does the direction of this album differ from the first one?
CC: this is directed a lot more toward the public masses as to the hip hop listener. I wanted to branch out to different listeners and see if i could conjure up some magic with that

K: What messages can someone get from the album?
CC: Some positive and negative ones. maybe some insight and some eye-opening truths that are just hard to swallow. i wanted to have multiple messages mixed all in one.

K: What tracks are you most proud of?
CC: I'm proud of the track, "See You Again" which i had HOT 939's own Lowie Boy sing on it. It was one of my R&B/Soul experiments i've wanted to work on. also, it's a song about my father who passed away when i was 19.

K: How have you grown during the period of time between albums?
CC: Tremendously. i've changed my whole regimen. i guess i'm just getting old. but i don't see myself quitting anytime soon.

K: When its all said and done what will make this project a success?
CC: The support of my super crew (SIQ Records) and the people that have inspired me to write these songs...HAWAII.