Photo courtesy of Vic Spencer
A decade ago the late, great Sean Price befriended emcee Vic Spencer. Perhaps Sean P saw himself in the Chicago lyricist. Both men are famous for not playing politics and putting everything into their pen. Vic agreed to do an album on Sean’s imprint, Ruck Down, prior to Sean’s untimely passing in 2015. Keeping his word to his mentor, Vic Spencer delivered the long-awaited album on Ruck Down/Duck Down Records titled “The Apes That Was Left Behind.”
The Apes That Was Left Behind is produced by August Fanaon, PF Cuttin, Ras Beats, Psych Major, DJ Anthony Mase, TROX, Laev, Tek Beatz, TeV95, GodBLESSbeatz, The Custodian of Records, Awdazcate, Sxlxmxn, Level 13, Doc Da Mindbenda, Camoflauge Monk, DJ Lord Jazz, and Buscrates.
The 16-track release features appearances by DJ Anthony Mase Sadat X, Oh No, Pressha Dinero, IAMGAWD, Skanks the Rap Martyr, Philmore Greene, Rim Da Villain, Sauce Heist, Rome Streetz, Rockness Monsta, Illa Ghee, Rustee Juxx, Bernadette Price and the man himself, Sean P!
The Real Hip-Hop talked to Vic Spencer about his relationship with the late, great Sean Price, why Chicago doesn’t have a king, and his new album, The Apes That Was Left Behind.
TRHH: Why’d you call the new album The Apes That Was Left Behind?
Vic Spencer: It was called The Apes That Was Left Behind simply because that’s what Sean Price did after he passed, he left the apes behind. If you follow Sean Price you know his whole conceptual thing was with the apes, whether he’s fighting the apes or whether he was joined with the apes — either or. That was my thing, I was just continuing on his legacy.
TRHH: Why was it important for to complete the mission and release a project on Ruck Down?
Vic Spencer: Before he passed everything was real handshake type vibes. Ruck Down was a real situation under Duck Down but he ain’t really care about no paperwork or nothing like that. I felt obligated at that point. I shook his hand, he said “The word is bond, that’s how we go about things over here” and so at that point I felt obligated. We were just working on tracks and just building ideas off each other. When he passed it just dawned on me seeing all the other artists, all his other friends do albums and do things in this regard having all the proceeds go to his family. I was just figuring out an innovative way to do that from the heart. I just basically felt obligated, I ain’t gonna lie, I felt it was like a real sincere obligation. If Sean Price was alive I would be happy to pass on my masters to him. I still feel like he’s here in a sense since I’m doing the album and it’s under the imprint. I just feel obligated.
TRHH: On the song “Distorted Views” you have a line where you say “You are not a thug/Your rhymes stank like the inside of a boxing glove.” That made me laugh, but it resonated because if you’ve ever used an old boxing glove you know what that smells like. Take me into your approach when writing punch lines. Do you have the idea first or does it just come to you as you’re writing?
Vic Spencer: Mixture of both. That situation itself, Sean Price was telling me, “Man, yo, I was in this little boxing situation and I was about to put my fist in a boxing glove and it stanked so bad.” It was just real descriptive what he was saying and maybe a day later we went to the studio, so that shit was right off my head. That came from a real Sean Price conversation. Even he laughed at that shit [laughs].
TRHH: That sounds like a Sean Price conversation. That sounds like something he would say in a rhyme [laughs].
Vic Spencer: Yeah [laughs].
TRHH: The song “Fittsburgh” has a familiar sample and some familiar drums; take me into the creation of that song.
Vic Spencer: I’ve been wanting to work with Buscrates for a real long time. I’ve been a huge fan of Buscrates. He had a beat show, like when producers show off their beats. He had one of his shows and he was playing instrumentals and then he got to that! I went behind the DJ booth and I said “I need that there.” I didn’t know it was going to land on this album but I’m glad it did. Because I remember a lot of these beats just came to me, but only a few of them I went after myself.
So, that was one of the significant things about that Fittsburgh beat. I’ve been been wanting to work with Buscrates and he was on my album that dropped last year with Doc Da Mindbenda. They both co-produced the record and that was the beginning of things. And then I had this beat in the chamber. Shout out to GQ for putting me with Buscrates and thinking that it was a dope idea for us to connect. We’ve been connected ever since. Salute to Buscrates.
TRHH: The song “Ain’t No King of Chicago” sounds like a manifesto. Why was it important for you to make this statement?
Vic Spencer: I got into a lot of trouble by saying that I was the king. I might have said that one time like, “I’m the best rapper in Chicago,” and people that was in my corner that was rappers didn’t take fond of that. They didn’t like that, which burned a bridge, apparently. I was just making a statement that ain’t no king in Chicago. It’s really a whole bunch of guys that’s raw as hell and bring stuff to the table. It’s so many rappers out in the game you got to know what you’re bringing to the table. It’s all about what you’re bringing to it for sho. I might not say I’m the best, somebody’s gonna say I’m the best, somebody’s gonna say the other rappers is the best. It’s okay to be the best, but ain’t no king though.
T.I. was apparently King of the South, but a lot of people will argue that Scarface is the King of the South. It’s hand in hand. At least they are big stellar guys. Our big stellar guys didn’t have that approach. They didn’t have that “I’m the best in Chicago!” Twista never gave an ‘I’m the best in Chicago’ approach, Common never gave a best approach, even Lupe never gave a best in Chicago approach. It’s like an ego thing. I’m like shitting on egos and shutting everybody down. I feel like that’s kind of like my disdain for the game, especially the Chicago scene. I always gotta have a record or a bar in regards to “to hell with the Chicago scene” because of what I’ve endured in the scene. I got every right to speak on all of the things that I was speaking on.
Everything that I say don’t have to be directed towards my peers. It was basically directed to people that damn near is envious of me. When you say stuff like that you kind of bob and weave and trim the fat. You shake the tree a little bit and see who phony as hell and who not. People don’t want you to live up to that highest confidence level. That’s another thing, my confidence level is so high it don’t even matter who’s the king, I’m still feeling like I’m 16 doing this shit and I’m 40 something! I feel like I’m the best! I just feel like “Ain’t No King of Chicago” is just a “wake up, because it’s not” type moment.
It’s definitely one of those “to hell with all y’all rappers” but it’s also like bigging up all of my peers. I say it off top because you know you don’t want nobody to get offended. I’ve been through that so I say, “It’s niggas that’s raw as hell that sit at the table.” Which is what I really feel like Chicago is. It’s like we’re like a big ass buffet. Some people going to get everything that’s on the table, some people not, so it’s about what you bring to that table. I just make sure I know what I’m bringing to the table. I believe in what I’m bringing to the table, so my job is to make sure everybody else that’s going to feed off that dish know what I bring to the table.
TRHH: You mentioned the table and in recent months guys like you, Philmore Greene, IAMGAWD, a couple other guys have been getting together doing cyphers, doing songs, and doing shows. To me that’s so dope and positive because one, it shows unity, and two, it’s like the top guys. It’s like the top tier emcees in Chicago right now are unified, which could produce something very strong and very powerful. Take me into those pow wow sessions and building with those guys.
Vic Spencer: Yeah, absolutely. Just being able to look at my peers like mirror reflections. Nobody’s bigger and better than the next man. We’re all working individually, so it’s easier to work with guys in that caliber. Guys that have this catalog and this will to win, I’m always gonna look at them like it’s a mirror reflection, I’m always gonna wanna be around them, I’m always gonna wanna work with them. It’s a saying that it’s the “new Chicago.” Not the new Chicago like it’s a new wave of artists, it’s a new Chicago meaning that we ain’t hating on each other. We ain’t got the crab in the barrel vibes. That’s what we’re trying to prove.
We’re just trying to prove that even though we got these huge responsibilities in our own careers, we could be unstoppable when we come together — when we’re Voltron. So, I definitely been utilizing my peers a lot more, just getting into my like anti-villain mode. I’m still “to hell with rappers” but I still love to work with rappers. It just helps me keep that anti-villain edge — a nice balance. I’m always down to work with all the guys that are in that caliber. I look at people like Weasel Sims, and IAMGAWD, and Philmore, it’s like guys that are working as hard as me from the crib! They’re from the crib!
I always want to work with them, I always want to build with them, I always want to create with them, I always want to bounce off ideas with them, I always want to be on stage with them and go support whatever they’re doing. Just to let them know I ain’t looking for nothing, because when you go and support somebody you don’t think about yourself. It’s all about that person. I’m just trying to display that. A lot of people always say that Vic Spencer is the villain or the most hated, but when you look at my career I’ve been helping everybody or I’ve been working with everybody. The bad stigma is real, but I always look at that as a punching bag.
That’s also a component of why I work with my peers, because people look at me a certain way, they look at my career, and they look at different things that took place and they try to characterize me as an individual. But I put my mentality into everything that I do. If I’m a unified person then I’m going to display that. I’m going to display that in my music. I heard somebody say I’ve got some of the illest posse cuts. How could one say that but then say that I’m mad at other rappers? It don’t make sense! I got all the rappers on my album! A lot of point proving, a lot of self-love and a lot of unification like you said. Definitely a lot of unification going on. I just love those guys. I love guys that work as well as me.
TRHH: We can’t forget WateRR too.
Vic Spencer: We can’t forget WateRR. WateRR was just at my crib. I got some shit going on called Rap Camp and I just put together the hugest posse cut that I ever made in my career and WateRR is on there. So, salute to WateRR. You can’t forget WateRR, absolutely.
TRHH: What’s your favorite memory of Sean Price?
Vic Spencer: The phone calls, man. I love the phone calls. He used to call me almost every day – weekday. I’ll be at work in Englewood and he’ll be like “Englewood? Is that Chief Keef?” He reminded me of people from out of town and when they talk about Chicago they say “Chi-raq” and the only thing they think about is motherfucking Chief Keef and shit. I’m like “Bro, I’m still living. I’m here.” He would be like “Man, you are a real survivor, because what I see on the news is guys getting killed, it’s a lot of gang bangin, but here you are working in those same battlefields.” Hearing him speak about me and the type of a person that I am is always gonna be a memory. He said I inspire him and that’s always gonna be a memory for me.
The last time we spoke is always going to be a memory for me. He died on a Saturday morning, I talked to him Wednesday night prior about doing a record for me. I still ain’t dropped the record, so that always would be one of the greatest memories. As I’m thinking off my head another memory, when we recorded “Distorted Views” it’s also another song we recorded in that same studio session that’s on my album The Cost of Victory called “Jungle Gym.” We did those two songs in the same session and I remember when I was done recording my verse for Jungle Gym, because that was the first song we did, I came out the booth, I opened the door, Sean Price tall as hell and he’s standing there with his hand up looking for me to high five him. I had to literally jump up and high five Sean Price, so those are some dope ass memories that I have with him, for sho.
TRHH: Listening to you talk about the inspiration, this is kind of a personal thing but I dabble in producing. I send beats to people and Sean Price had tweeted that he was looking for beats for the Heltah Skeltah album. I sent him a beat and he’s like “This is dope, send me some more.” I was like “Whoa!” It just shocked me because I sent my beats to all sorts of people and they just get turned down. People not on his level turned down my beats, but Sean Price said my shit was dope! It put the battery in my back. That was it! He passed like 2-3 months later.
Vic Spencer: Crazy!
TRHH: I was devastated, man. I’ve interviewed him three times — he’s one of my favorite interviews ever. Just a real regular dude and funny as hell.
Vic Spencer: Yeah, regular funny dude. Super regular, man. We talked about so many funny moments. He done made me laugh more than anything. In person he’s not going to give you that rapper shit. He’s going to give you that, “Nigga, I’m not approachable!” But if you know him he’ll crack jokes with you all day! If you got on nice sneakers he will tell you your sneakers nice all day! When I was out there, “Vic, you got the ill sneakers, you got some nice sneakers.” He said that shit to me like 3-4 times. Or when we talking about somebody, “Yeah, man, that’s the guy that got the ill sneakers.” Their sneakers matter [laughs]!
TRHH: Oh, yeah. Such a funny guy and just so dope. You know, when he passed I remember Eminem and Jay-Z either sent money or took care of the funeral. I’m not sure, but it spoke volumes about what he meant to Hip-Hop when guys like those two guys looked out.
Vic Spencer: Yeah.
TRHH: And it still don’t feel right, man. He should be here.
Vic Spencer: Yeah, I always say that. I still listen to him like he’s still here.
TRHH: Me too! I was listening to him the other day.
Vic Spencer: Yeah, man. If he was here a lot of shit wouldn’t be going on. A lot of these rappers would not be on shit if he was here! They took my man’s out, whatever took my man’s out, I was crushed. But I knew that he wouldn’t want that for me. He would want me to go body shit because that’s all he ever spoke about like, “Man, you just continue to body shit. Destroy shit! Everything that you touch, you destroy it. You make sure you destroy it or I’m going to tell you that you didn’t.” Sean Price liked some of my songs that I feel like is the weakest [laughs]. Sean Price was one of those kind of people that his opinion was respected. People loved him when he blocked them like “I got blocked by Sean Price!” People are excited about that!
So, just to have him in that realm, have him in that circle, have him in my moment of isolation and let him listen to my music, man, that was just cold! And he’s telling me I’m nice. He pointing to Rim like, “Man, this is the rawest rapper in Illinois.” Hearing that in his kitchen, he’s saying that live and direct in his kitchen, that was just a wonderful feeling, man. I’m always gonna miss him, I’m always gonna be in debt to him and his family, I’m just glad that I was able to do it in a fashion where I wanted to do this. I really wanted to do this on my heart, on my soul. It was one of those moments, so I’m just glad I was able to do that and be a man of my word, because it took like four years to complete this album too. Get the features, make sure everything was right, everything, it took a while.
I was doing my best to try to not make it sound like it’s outdated and put a classic under my belt. I knew I was gonna be representing the vein of Sean Price and had to come with it. I’m just glad he’s on it — a real joint that we was in the studio recording. I got all of his homies on the album, all his peers, all his friends, people that he looked up to. That’s a beautiful thing — the apes that was left behind. These are his real people’s. I ain’t get nobody that he didn’t know outside of IAMGAWD and Philmore, everybody else he knew.
TRHH: Why should fans go out and cop The Apes That Was Left Behind?
Vic Spencer: Because I feel like a lot of my fans know that I’m a Sean Price fan. And I feel like a lot of my fans are Sean Price fans, and that alone should be your reason. And it’s official! You know how people make like tribute albums and when the artist pass away they put the album out, this don’t sound like that. This is not a corny way of doing a tribute album. I don’t even like it to be called a tribute album. It’s a debut album on a record label that we as adults grew up listening to — Duck Down. They might not be as pertinent as they was in the 90s, but they still made noise, they still had their moment in time that I will never forget. That’s just huge. My fans should go pick it up just off that alone.
I feel like my fans is in the late 20s to my age, 43, age bracket. If you’re in that age bracket you know about Sean Price. It’s also like I’m giving back to the family — that’s another reason. Anybody that streams it, plays it, downloads it off Bandcamp, I’ve been piling up the money. When it gets to a certain amount I’m just going to give it all to Bernadette. That’s how I’ve been playing it. I’m working on getting tangible merch, I’m working with a guy that’s going to put it on cassette, I’m working with another company that’s going to put it on vinyl, I already got it out on CD on DITCD.com. I’m doing everything behind the scenes. When I get the vinyl thing going that’s just going to open the floodgates. I want Bernadette Price to feel my fans love. This is another bulk of fans that loved Sean Price, too. And they know and understand that I loved Sean Price. That should be a great enough reason to go get The Apes That Was Left Behind.
If you really are a Sean Price fan do you feel like you an ape that was left behind? I do. I feel like I was a ape that was left behind. It’s like a double entendre, it could be like okay he left me behind to fend for myself, or damn, he really did pass – he left me behind. So, either way it just hit different. It hit different for me. I just want my fans to actually feel why that was important for me to do it and for me to extend the hand to that family. He was my idol. I feel like anybody that had the opportunity to be around him would have did the same thing.
Purchase: Vic Spencer – The Apes That Was Left Behind