Punchline
By: Ryan Monk

Brookyln bred rapper, Punchline, first gained recognition through his appearances with his partner in crime, Wordsworth, on shows like the Lyricist Lounge, as well as guest spots on records with Tribe Called Quest (The Love Movement) and Mos Def and Talib Kweli's Blackstar. After releasing the EP with Wordsworth in 2000, Punch and Words continued to tour and work on solo material. From 2001 and beyond, after touring with Words, Masta Ace and Stricklin, the 4 emcees decided they had so much chemistry on stage that they should spin that vibe onto wax and see how the world felt about the supergroup. After the endless positive responses, they formed together as eMC and released their first single "Four Brothers" in 2006. Their debut album, "The Show," was then released on March 25th and has been well received by hip hop fans and critics alike. With flawless production from the likes of Nicolay, Frequency, Ayatollah, Marco Polo and Quincy Tones, as well as boasting guest features from Sean Price, Little Brother and Ladybug Mecca, "The Show" has remained one of the dopest records released so far in 2008.

Today, Philaflava had the chance to sit down with Punchline of eMC to talk about the record, internet bootlegging, the groups upcoming projects/solo projects, why he isn't feeling Lupe Fiasco and why European fans are better than their American counterparts...

Philaflava: So what’s going down, Punch. How is life after "The Show?"

Punchline: HA! Its all good, its a non stop ride. I am working on solo projects as we speak.

Philaflava: That’s good to hear! That's actually something I wanted to touch on later. Before that, did you all (eMC) get the response you all wanted from the record?

Punchline: Yes we did! And I am happy the public responded to it as they did, but there was a little problem...

Philaflava: What was the problem?

Punchline: eMC appreciates the love, but the fans were so eager and the album got leaked a month in advance and it hurt the sales of the album.

Philaflava: Ahh, man I saw that shit actually. I mean, the internet is crazy nowadays-- how do you feel about all the file sharing, album bootlegging and the leaks? How does that really hurt an artist and why should fans watch what they do?

Punchline: I am not gonna lie-- I get all my music off the internet. I just got Game's new album off the internet just now. I have two ways of looking at it: 1. As an artist I don't expect to see money off an album. We usually don't get too see the back end, so really, label owners are hurting more than the artist. As an artist it's good 'cause your material is getting out there to more people all over the world. 2. Without rejections from the label you can release whatever you like with out the say so of a company head.

Philaflava: So, if it doesn't hurt you all too much by downloading the album how should a fan support a group they want to see make another album? What's the best way?

Punchline: Best way is to come out to the shows and buy the album there, or buy the t- shirts and posters. It's still good to buy the album-- go to itunes or Best Buy, but in a minute that Best Buy thing will be over and done with. That is why companies are giving artist the 360 deals. Because money isn't made of CD sales anymore. Ticket sales, shows and merchandise make the money. Artist's make money off everything BUT the music nowadays.

Philaflava: Has it always been like that or is that what happened because of the digital era?

Punchline: Its always been like that, but its been more like that now that cd's and albums don't sell like that no more. I would have to say 50 cent is the last artist to get a decent deal. End of the day I think its good for the game.

Philaflava: Good, I’m always afraid that it's really hurting it in the end. So, how did eMC get together as a group? I know you all toured together a few years back...

Punchline: That's kind of the base of how we got together. I did a record with Planet Asia called "Head Honchos" and met a man name Jayef who was funding his project. At that time me and Words just finished the Lyricist Lounge Show and I stepped to Jayef and asked him if he would do a Punch & Words project. Doing that project led to us meeting Ace and going on tour with him. Ace and Jayef introduced us to Strick, and we did a bunch of tours and shows together. Chemistry was good and people got use to us being together. Then we did a track called "4 brothers" and then it was official after that.

Philaflava: The chemistry can definitely be heard on the record. How did the concept and the story of "The Show" come together? Was it all the Master of concept albums Ace's idea? Or, a group collaboration?

Punchline: Strick loved the way the last 2 Ace albums were put together, and he said he wanted to do something like that for the eMC album. So, Ace came up with the story line and we took it from there.

Philaflava: Is it hard to put together an album in a group setting like that, rather than doing a solo or a project with Wordsworth? Is there like a perfectionist in the group that will just make a night in the studio that much longer?

Punchline: Yeah, its like that a little bit. No one wants to get outshined on a track, but it is easier to do it actually, because there are less verses to write and four brains working at the same time.

Philaflava: Will this be the only eMC project the world will ever get to hear?

Punchline: No, there will be another! Everybody is doing solo projects first. Words has a solo project in the works, and then a Strick solo, and you also got Ace doing a project with Edo G.

Philaflava: What about another future Punch + Words Project? What's the word on your solo project (release dates, title, guests, producers...)?

Punchline: Words will most likely be up first up with his joint, but I am working on my solo now album called "The Reality Show," and Words, Masta Ace and Edo G are almost done with their project. After the solo then me and Words will do an album, but no dates yet on my solo and I want to keep everything else a secret. I don't want to build up any expectations, I'd rather surprise people, but I do have a mix cd out right now called Punchline On Smash vol. 1. It's on www.hiphopgame.com right now, it's free download, and it's also all over the net. You can google it and it will come up. I got a lot of features on there.

Philaflava: I also heard you are currently working on a cartoon. Can you tell us about that?

Punchline: Yeah, it’s called Kids Block and I'm doing it with The Trackmasters and Steve Rifkin. Its a hip hop version of Sesame Street. Very educational and hip hop heavy. It's in negotiations to networks as we speak, but we been taping episodes already.

Philaflava: Sounds like a cool little project. Over your career you have appeared on classics like Blackstar, Tribe's Love Movement and were a large contributor on the Lyricist Lounge Show-- How do you feel about your accomplishments in hip hop so far? Are you satisfied?

Punchline: It hasn't hit me at all. I still feel like I have work to do...a lot of work. I mean, that Tribe album was the last one the group did together and I am happy to be a part of it, but it has not hit me like that. It went gold and I still don't have a plaque for it. Jive records fronted. I just wish the original plan would have came to light from all of it. 'Tip had wanted to do a family project and he called us the Ummah Family. It was Mos Def, Jane Doe, Punch & Words, Slum Village, Tribe and Consequence. Now tell me that don't sound hot?!?!

Philaflava: Man, sounds absolutely RIDICULOUS. What happened to that project?

Punchline: Man, there was a whoooole bunch of stuff that never surfaced. Me and Words were apart of a bunch of family projects that never got out, but that project never made because coincindentally the group broke up (Tribe), his crib had caught on fire and then he was going through his pop phase, which shut everything down and that was that.

Philaflava: What about the Lyricist Lounge Show? Why did that only last two seasons?

Punchline: What happened was Tom Green. The Tom Green show came around at the same time as the Lyricist Lounge Show and all the writers of the Tom Green Show replaced the original writers of Lyricist Lounge. The writers that had great chemistry in the first season. The writers who had everything hip hop oriented, writers who understood us were now replaced by these Tom Green writers who didn't know ANYTHING about hip hop, didn't know anything about us and just focused on the same type of stuff Tom Green was doing and tried to mix that with the rap. There was just mad clases on the set, people were beefing and I know Def Jeff just upped and walked away from the whole thing because he just couldn't mess with it anymore. It gave him a headache. After that, they put whatever episodes left on the air and that was the end of the that.

Philaflava: Tom Green killed hip hop.

Punchline: Haha, basically.

Philaflava:The Lyricist Lounge show was all about having fun with hip hop, making it less serious-- how important is that attitude within hip hop?

Punchline: Man, it's very important. Basically, you don't see any fun in it now. You got people having fun, but then people calling them weirdos. The best example I can give is Souljah Boy-- everyone is dissing that, but he's a kid, it's for his age group/age-range and its just fun, I mean, at the same time it's fun for the people that are into that. Me, personally, I'm not. But, you have to have that balance and acts like that and right now it ain't there. That's why shows like the Lounge are needed.

Philaflava: Have you all ever talked about doing it again? Perhaps on a smaller scale? A smaller network?

Punchline: Man...the actual Lyricist Lounge dudes even parted ways, Danny and Perry and the other guy, and they mostly do parties now, do gigs and concerts at some local venues. They just did that Crooklyn Dodgers re-union in Brooklyn and stuff like that, so no go on the Lounge.

Philaflava: Do you think true lyricists are becoming extinct? And as far as the new generation of artists, do you have anyone out there that you think is holding it down?

Punchline: Yeah, I actually got two right now and the rest is just a bunch of HYPE! But, the main two for me are Joell Ortiz and Joe Budden. Originally, it took me a minute to warm up to Joe Budden because I thought he was something else, but then I heard him on his mixtapes and on the internet and he really gets at it and his lines, punchlines and everything is on point. Him and Joell just get busy. These other cats got the name, but ain't really ever living up to the hype to me.

Philaflava: So, you talking about like an artist like Lupe? You believing in that hype?

Punchline: Nahhhh...not a Lupe fan. It's no diss. I like the beats, I do listen to some of the records, but I'm not a fan like that. To me, and this is my opinion, no dissing, but when he rhymes its hard to understand him. He's talking about "Fire Breathing Dragons" and shit like that-- I really don't get it.

Philaflava: (Laughing) I feel the same way about Lupe, man.

Punchline: Yea, its like being weird is the in-thing nowadays, you know what I mean?

Philaflava: Weird thing about Budden is he just destroys shit on his Mixtapes and then we got that first single that leaked from his album and it sounded like "Pump It Up Volume 2"...

Punchline: Yeaaaaaaaaaa...I know!! He has that BATTLE. I think I've seen him on the internet where he said something like the people that like him going at it like that, his freestyles and introspective stuff he does for that audience and then he tries to entertain another audience with the "Pump It Up" and "Touch and Go" stuff. Trying to please both those real different audiences and I mean the last rappers that could even do that was Biggie and Pac, but nowadays its all or nothin' and I don't think he has it down pat yet.

Philaflava: What about New York-- do you feel that New York is still holding it down, or do you think they have lost a step? I keep on hearing different variations of opinions from big time New York artists...

Punchline: Hmmm...I'm going to have to say that the streets are holding it down. I mean, it all depends on what aspect you are looking at it from. There are a bunch of lyricists from New York that are holdin' it down on the battle circuit. As far as record sales, 50 Cent and Jay-Z are about the only dudes that can still sell, but the way the game is now that don't even matter anymore. Fans are so big on sales and the business aspect of it and they don't even care about the actual artist like that.

Philaflava: Well, that's what I was trying to get out of you when I asked about the eMC bootlegging. I mean, you can go on the internet and with these blogs combined can find just about any record ever made with the click of a mouse. Who the hell is going to buy a new record if it's for free and you can get it a month before it drops...

Punchline: It's crazy!! I mean check it-- last week I got the Ice Cube album, I got Game's album today, I got that Jay Electronica mixtape and yo, I wouldn't buy that shit at Best Buy...no Jay Electronica, man. (Laughing) I HAVE to get it off the internet- it's right here! I mean, hopefully artists can work out something where they get residuals off sales of computers or something. I mean, the computer game is killing 'em.

Philaflava: What other 2008 albums have you been feeling?

Punchline: I've been bumpin' my man Torae's album, Daily Conversation, been bumping Nas's Untitled album...

Philaflava: You feelin' that one a lot?

Punchline: Nas' rhymes are always on point, it's just those beats, man. But yea, other than that bumpin' the Mood Muzik 3 from Budden and I still bump that American Gangster album. Everything else I give a listen, but those are the main records I've been bumpin'.

Philaflava: I'm not going to ask you that cliche Souljah Boy and Ice-T question, but that whole thing got me thinking-- Why do you think, unlike Rock n Roll-- where you have 70 year olds dudes still rockin' on stage to sell out arenas, that hip hop fans stamp a certain age limit, or expiration date on their artists? What are you feelings on that kind of attitude as a vet in the game?

Punchline: I think its messed up. Let me give Masta Ace as a good example; in the states he don't get the same love as he does over in Europe. I can understand his frustrations on it too. He'd rather put an album out and run on over to Europe and do shows over there to that audience, because the American audience doesn't appreciate a dude like that. It's messed up that people think that way just because somebody is older age wise, or still rockin' an older style doesn't mean you should count them out the game like that. But, also on the flipside of that, as an artist you got to keep up with the times. Older artists that still want to be around and compete gotta move with the times. Not saying you got to do what the next man is doing, but do you and understand you got to spit the message to a new audience. You can't still be spittin' that same old school rap from back in the day.

Philaflava: Yea, i guess a good recent example is Ice Cube's new album...

Punchline: Yea, I listened to it and he does sound like the old Ice Cube, but I mean...

Philaflava: The beats are on that southern tip...

Punchline: (Laughing) Yea, exactly...iiiiii Dunnnnooo about that style he tried, but that record with Musiq Soulchild was dope. Other than that I don't know about anything else on that.

Philaflava: I was kind of shocked. Sounded like something Bun B would rock.

Punchline: Yeaaaa...I felt the SAME way. Well there you go though-- a great example of an older rapper still valid in the game is Bun B!

Philaflava: You were talking about the difference between Euro fans and American fans-- why do you think Euro fans seem to love and embrace hip hop acts, as opposed to the stagnant crowds and "haters" that seem to be seen more in America?

Punchline: Well, unlike Europe and every other place in the world, everyone in the States are rappers. Everybody in the crowd is rappers themselves, so they look at you like "you aren't iller than me" or "I can do better than that on stage. I'm better than that dude." There's no more "Wow, that artists really impressed me and I learned a lot from this cat." Everybody feels that they can do it, so the appreciation and respect for it is just tossed out. Over in Europe there aren't as many rappers, there are more fans of the music and they look at it in a totally different point of view.

Philaflava: Any other websites, mixtapes, stuff to look out for from you and your camp before we wrap it up?

Punchline: Yeah, i got my blog up that I release exclusive freestyles on and release new music from myself and others on at punchsplanet.wordpress.com. The mixtape is also on that blog, or you can google it and it'll pop up everywhere called, "Punchline On Smash Vol.1" and I did that with my man DJ A. Vee.