This Cali native rapper, Mac Lucci, who rocks heavy with Snoop Dogg, is definitely a fan of rhythm and the BLUE. But just because he does the rap thing doesn't mean that he doesn't appreciate the singers too. Mac Lucci chopped it up with us and talked about everything from Funk music, his sound, R&B chicks, B2B and more. Check it out.
My sound: I call my sound G.F.C.M and that’s Gangster Flow & Car Music — my music is basically a gangster sound with a real smooth fly twist. I grew up off of Tupac, Dog Pound, Ice Cube, Scarface, people like that, but I also like to listen to smooth Sade lay back records as well, so I kind of mixed that all into one sound and Gangster Flow & Car Music. [My] gangster music is inspired by having the finer things in life, so a gangster prestigious sound.
Funk Music: Funk music influenced my sound, because you know we all use samples of records and we grew up on funk music in the west coast…G4. I am a new generation, so I grew up off Warren G and what Snoop was doing and I kind of mixed that sound with a newer twist, but what I was doing with the Gangster Flow & Car Music, sometimes we sample old records and give it a little twist and stuff like that.
Sample It: It’s actually a new record that I just did; I don't remember the name of the very original record but it’s from Ice Cube's "Friday"…from his soundtrack. It’s a crazy club record, so that's the one right now that I am rocking with.
"Friday": "Friday" is a record produced by our production team Built to Ball; it’s a real up-tempo record that’s banging real hard in the clubs. It has a real knock to it and it’s just off the hook.
Snoop Dogg: Through my hustle in the streets out in the West Coast, I was creating a real big buzz for myself selling my music out of my truck. I created a big buzz; I got around Snoop Dogg at a video shoot and he was interested in me and my partners. He asked us to rap and I rapped for him, next thing you know we was going back and forth all night. The next day he invited me back to the video shoot and they all told me I was going to do a record with Snoop, so I was real excited, but really he had like 15 guys there to battle me; he wanted me to be unprepared to see what I was going to do on the spot and I ripped all the dudes down one-by-one. From that point on he put me up under his wing.
"Funny Hoes": Snoop became my friend over the years, so it was just a situation where we was chilling, and he was working on this record, and he was like 'yo I want you to be on this record right here,' and he played it and on the record he was already on the part of the hook saying: 'And imma always stand tall like a gangsta, ill take you to money, I aint fucking with them funny hoes.' I came in with the hook then I came in on another part then I dropped a verse real fast. But its like working with my big homie, he’s such a cool dude and he’s big in the game, and such a cool, regular, humble guy that it was like hanging with the homie, but it was such a great experience. I have a lot of other records with Snoop, so it’s always a great experience working in the studio with him.
Influencers: I look up to Jay-Z; I think that Nas is one of the dopest lyricist ever…Scarface. I like what Cash Money is doing right now, I like what Rick Ross is doing with his record label right now, so I am inspired by all those type of guys.
The Face: Scarface, he’s like the don, his voice is just so powerful. He is a great storyteller; he’s just somebody that I feel is one of the top people in the game, so I would love to work with him.
The Rap Reality: When I was young, 17 years old, I had a baby on the way and that’s when I first picked it up. I picked it up as a hustle and then I started rapping and the first thing I did was go to New York, and I moved out to Brooklyn for a minute then Queens. I really started developing a love for the hip-hop game and from that point on I dedicated my life to it. When I first stepped in the game, that’s when I knew I could do it because I believed in my hustle, my grind and my talent.
Good Girl: A Girl that knows how to cook, a girl who's classy in the streets but sexy in the sheets, a girl with brains, smarts, has confidence, loyal, and not insecure.
Sexy R&B Chick … I like Keyshia Cole because she’s hood, she’s confident, she sexy. Rihanna…I like her style, she’s real fly and she’s confident with hers too.
The West Coast Rapper: A west Coast rapper has a different aspect and outlook on life because of the things that we grew up around, things we seen: the culture, the gang banging, the hot weather, the women, the weed. West Coast artists are going to be real influenced by that and the struggle and the grind. I think artist period are different; I would not just give it a reason. I think that some people just have that spark inside of them; we all have ghettos, and we all have weed, money, and everything that everyone else talk about.
Colors: Yes, but we’re getting into the party side right now, it’s a lot of artists coming out and different artists from different gangs are actually working with each other and extending a hand to one another. So we’re trying to bridge the gap through music, and the streets is a part of culture; it’s going to always be there.
Stand Out: Stay in my lane, stay focused, stay busy, and just keep my eyes on the prize.
My R&B Countdown:
Lay your head on my pillow – Tony! Toni! Toné!
Pretty Brown Eyes – Mint Condition
Weak – SWV
Jodeci
Sade I love all of her music
Erykak Badu.
In todays R&B, it would be Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Rihanna, I’m in love with that new Beyoncé record right now, "Drunk in Love". I’m not going to front, I called one of my female friends and asked her, is it wrong that I love this song so much? She was like 'no'. I love that record, I really do.
More to come: I have a movie coming soon called "California Hustle" that I wrote and co-directed; I have an album called BMW, which stands for 'Bitches, Music and Weed,' expect a lot of features on there. I have the Built to Ball clothing line coming soon. There are hats, sweaters, T-shirts; just look out for Mac Lucci and Built to Ball.
Album: Expect the album around summer time; I don’t know an exact date as of yet.