INTERVIEW: La Coka Nostra’s Slaine talks about Hip-Hop & his upcoming movie starring Leighton Meester

Throughout his solo career or as member of hip-hop supergroup La Coka Nostra, Slaine has always made his mark on Hip-Hop thoroughly felt. Working with everyone from Tech N9ne to Skam2 to having his own movie starring Leighton Meester, he’s entering a new stage of his life, evolving from street-influenced artist to street-influenced boss. Never have things seemed so good for the Boston-bred MC, a great time to talk to him about what’s going on in his head.

What’s happening in your career right now that you’re excited about?

I’m excited I have a new album out. I spent like two years working on this project even though I had other things that were coming out, this is the one I’ve been working on the most during the same time frame. Anything you’ve been working on that long, when you put it out it’s a feeling of relief. I’m excited to tour, I just got back from Australia I was there with La Coka Nostra, it was my first time there. I have a movie coming out in December that I invested a lot in, I was there with it from the time it was a script to now. So we got major distribution for that and Harvey Keitel, Ben Barnes, Leighton Meister (Gossip Girl), a lot of good actors are in it. I’m excited that at this point in my career I can start a project conceptually and see it through until it’s put out worldwide.

What was the influence for your album “The King of Everything Else”?

I don’t really think of outside things that might influence me. I want to present the truth of the situation of my world. This album I wanted to present my world the way it is now. There’s a lot of changes in my career from when I started, from selling mixtapes hand to hand in the streets and starting my own casting project, squatting in a warehouse with no hot water or electricity, to now where, I’ve travelled the world and made some money. This album reflects the train wreck that my life was, even though a lot of good has happened to me. Put it like this: You can bring the kid out the streets but you can’t take the streets out the kid, the album is a reflection of that.

What about Hip-Hop influences?

Early on, when I was like 10, Beastie Boys, RUN DMC, Slick Rick, NWA, Eric B and Rakim, Big Daddy Kane. As I got older, Cypress Hill, House of Pain, Beatnuts, Nas, Diddy, Wu-Tang. My influences were from all over.

You have an acting career. What feels better acting or rapping?

It’s different. They’re both storytelling and creative. Music is more personal to me, acting is more fun. Rapping for me is therapeutic I’ve been doing it since I was 9. Acting is new to me so it’s still exciting I like to make movies, they’re both different I like them both. Whenever I get a chance to do either I’m happy.

What can your fans catch you doing when you’re not working?

It’s changed a lot. I used to be in bars a lot quite a bit I’ve quit drinking. So I’m spending more time in the gym, watching more movies. Even when I’m not working, I’m listening to music and definitely working on improving my health.

Who handled the production for your album and how is your relationship with your producers?

Me and Louis Bell are essentially always creating new sounds, not really sampling. He produced most of my three original projects. He can play instruments, he can make what I have in my head come out. We have our own language, he’s an amazing producer. Other than that there’s Statik Selektah, DJ Lethal (La Coka Nostra), OshBeats and a producer named Arcitype. I have pretty good relations with all those guys. I only work with a handful of producers, I don’t take beat submissions. I stick with the people I’m comfortable with.

How do you usually pick your beats?

We make them from scratch. We go to the studio with ideas and we build the beats, we pick the sounds together and come up with the melodies. I might have a 4 or 8 bar verse as the basis and we take it from there. I don’t really work with pre-made beats.

Any plans for touring this year?

I just got back from Australia, I have a short run through the North East for the next two weeks. A couple of west coast dates in October, Europe in November. That’s what I got planned up until Christmas.

Who would you love to work with?

I’ve worked with so many people that I admire and respect: Cypress Hill, DJ Premier, Tech N9ne, Mad Child, Vinnie Paz. People I haven’t worked with, I would love to Nas one day, he’s been a great influence.

What are your 5 goals for 2015?

Continue improving my health. Do something in the Cable TV world, there’s so much good TV now. For the first time, there’s more amazing and original TV than Movies. With Netflix, there’s so much high quality content. I have some collaboration albums that I’m looking forward to releasing, it should be a good year.