Photo courtesy of Masta Killa
The unheralded hero of the Wu-Tang Clan is back with a new album titled “Balance.” Masta Killa’s fifth solo album is a 10-track release courtesy of Nature Sounds Records and can be purchased on mkbalance.com. Balance gives us the grittiness that made us all fall in love with the Wu, as well as sprinkles of Reggae, Soul, and R&B scattered throughout.
Balance features appearances by Wu-Tang Clan members RZA, Raekwon, Cappadonna, and Method Man in addition to N.O.R.E, AZ, Uncle Murda, Head I.C.E, Jamall Ray, AB Money, Big Bub, and Snoop Dogg. The album features production by Easy Mo Bee, Nick Price, DJ FX, PF Cuttin, and RZA.
The Real Hip-Hop had the pleasure of talking to Masta Killa about his magnificent family lineage, why it’s imperative to eat to live, Wu-Tang Clan’s Final Chamber tour, and his new album, Balance.
TRHH: Why’d you title the new album Balance?
Masta Killa: I think that’s what the world needs right now, brother. Musically everything can’t be one way. It’s just about bringing balance back to the musical universe. I think good energy is what the world needs right now.
TRHH: You dropped Loyalty is Royalty in 2017; why has it been 8 years since the last Masta Killa album?
Masta Killa: You know you can’t rush perfection, man. You know you can’t rush a good meal, man! A good meal has got to take its time to simmer and come right! You can’t rush that.
TRHH: I appreciate that because there are so many artists that drop 2-3 albums a year and they get lost in the sauce.
Masta Killa: Now look, if you want a microwave meal then you can have that! I’m trying to give you something nourishing, something healthy, something to grow on that you could appreciate. Something nourishing for the soul, for the spirit, for the art form of Hip-Hop that I love.
TRHH: “Glad to Meet You” is kind of a different song with two icons; your brother Meth and Snoop. How did that song come together?
Masta Killa: Aw man, my man Nick Price produced the beat. Sometimes immediately when you hear something you can already know whose voice you can hear. Automatically I know my brother Meth would sound great on this, and I always wanted to work with Snoop. He’s one of my favorite emcees. So, I reached out to my man M80 and he made that happen, and here we are.
TRHH: On the song “Building with the Abbott” you say, “All the animals are poison, not just the pig.” Explain to the people why all animals are poison.
Masta Killa: Our bodies are living, you should only feed it life. When you feed your living cells with dead cells, which that’s what you’re doing when you eat an animal, no matter what animal it is, you are now beginning to poison your system because you are living. When your skin tears if you give it the proper aid, what happens? It repairs itself. Our nails, they rejuvenate, they regenerate. Hair, you cut it, it regenerates, it rejuvenates.
Feed your body life. Now when these dead cells accumulate they become cancerous. We don’t understand how did this happen. You weren’t born that way, some of us are, my prayers and spirit goes out to those that are affected like that. But when you know, you have to do better. That’s why I say all the animals are poison. It’s not for us to eat.
TRHH: On the second verse of “It’s Been A Long Time” you speak on black leaders of the past and what they gave to us, but you end the verse by saying “In all ghetto hoods are serious times/So, the mind frame gotta change, that’s how we end the bind.” Because we don’t have the number of leaders that we had in the past how do you think we can change our mind frames?
Masta Killa: See, history is there so we can learn from it. Anyone who is there who came and strived for a positive, righteous cause, we’re supposed to take the positive from that and then pick it up and do our parts. That’s just striving to live righteously every day.
TRHH: On “Hip Hop Forever” you give props to many of our legends. Why was it important to you to pay homage on this album?
Masta Killa: I always pay homage. Because if it wasn’t for that then it wouldn’t be no me. I was listening to something before I ever thought about doing it. I was listening to something, to someone. I remember when my cousin gave me Cold Crush tapes and Treacherous Three tapes. You should always pay homage because that’s where it all came from.
TRHH: You got to work with Easy Mo Bee on this album, the legend. What was that experience like?
Masta Killa: Yes! That’s my brother, man [laughs]. Me and Easy Mo been doing it for years. But just like certain artists that I worked with on this album you might know somebody for a while, but until the right opportunity presents itself and all the stars align where it’s the right time to build, that’s what you’re witnessing right now with this album Balance.
TRHH: I recently saw a video saying that you were related to Marvin Gaye and Nat Turner. How did you discover this and does it give you a sense of pride that you also are following in their footsteps of giving positive messages to the people?
Masta Killa: I mean, for any one of us it’s always good to know your history. It’s a positive thing. Definitely. My parents were beautiful people, my grandparents were beautiful people, so I always had beautiful examples of life. I’m blessed to say that. Even if I chose to go left I had examples within my household of what it was to be a righteous person.
TRHH: Wu-Tang Clan is about to hit the road on The Final Chamber Tour…
Masta Killa: Nah, nah, nah. We not about to hit the road, we are on the road, brother! I had to jump off the rehearsal stage to come and talk to you right now. This is the final chapter tour! You better get out here and come check this out. We are getting ready to give the people something that they never saw before. The whole Wu-Tang Clan is in the building and Balance is what it is right now! That’s what we’re doing and that’s what Wu-Tang always does – bring balance to the music universe.
TRHH: Who is the Balance album made for?
Masta Killa: The universe! Everybody! Everybody! Everybody! Listen, its beautiful music. It’s good energy. How you feel about it?
TRHH: I love it, man! I love it. You threw some different stuff in there that I enjoyed, You always got the stuff for the ladies. It’s dope, man. Super dope.
Masta Killa: I appreciate you. I appreciate you, brother. I appreciate you. Thank you for your time, thank you for having me, brother. I appreciate it. Let’s keep winning, man. Let’s keep giving the universe what it needs.
Purchase: Masta Killa – Balance