STILL A MAJOR FIGGA: DUTCHIEMAN

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA | DUTCHIEMAN

INTERVIEW TERRELL “REALIFE” BLACK

“Great things don't happen when people try to plan great things. If it ain't organic, it ain't really a great thing. So that's just how I look at it.” - DUTCHIEMAN

VALIDATED: Being from Philly, what’s your earliest memory of Hip Hop culture? 

DUTCHIEMAN: Honestly, I want to say like, the EST era, the Larry Larr, Steady B era. Philly radio really used to play a lot of Philadelphia artists. In the 80’s, in the 90’s, and the 2000’s, they played a lot of Philly artists, and a lot of Philly artists made it mainstream. So yeah, I would say the EST days. 

VALIDATED: How did you get your start as an artist and at what point did you decide to take it professionally? 

DUTCHIEMAN: I would say at like age 17. I was rapping since I was probably like 8 years old. But I had ended up meeting one of the members of Major Figgas when I had moved up to Erie Avenue when I was a young boy, and he was doing some great things in music and he introduced a nigga to how to write 16 bars. I’m doing an audio book right now as well called “How Not To Get Fucked By The Industry”. I talk about a lot of that, how I got started, but it was just more so like, you know, everybody can remember when cable first started, you know, a certain age can remember when cable first started, so they had a thing called the jukebox, remember?

VALIDATED: Yeah.

DUTCHIEMAN: And this, I can remember like, 1991 - 92 when Snoop and them started, you know what I’m saying, just acting up. Biggie and Pun and Boot Camp Clik, the Roots and people like that, like, I was inspired by the more hip hop side of it. And then, that breakthrough with the late 90’s going into now, when the money rap started. I didn’t rap like that. Everybody who started rapping when I started rapping was lyrical. So, I’m happy that there are guys like Griselda and them that’s bringing that part back. 

VALIDATED: So, you mentioned you’re doing a book, what made you decide to do that? 

DUTCHIEMAN: Just everybody just kept asking questions, you know what I’m saying? And you get tired of just answering the same questions. So I figured I’d just answer all of the questions that I feel people would want to know and put it in a literary form. So whatever people want to know, you can just go out and get the book and find out.

VALIDATED: True that. When can the fans expect it?

DUTCHIEMAN: I’m actually working on it now. I’m about four chapters in so, it doesn't take me long. It's an audio book so I have to put it together the right way. I don't want to rush greatness. And it's kind of hard because you've got to remember, this story has no ending as we speak right now. I've been tapping in on it though, it’s something that I'm going to get done. I came up with the idea in between my first solo project that I released with my second solo project I released, “Projectiles and Cognac”. I just came up with an idea like, “Damn, I’m going to do an audio book.” A lot of people have been asking me a lot of questions. So I said, “Damn, let me give the fans what they want.”

VALIDATED: So Major Figgas, how did that group come about? 

DUTCHIEMAN: It's tricky, man. Some of us are from Erie Avenue, some of us are from Nicetown, some of us are from South Philly. Majority of the group, we all grew up together. You know what I'm saying? Bump J is a member, Rollie is a member that I grew up with. Abliva and Gillie, we all came from Erie Avenue. Spade is from Nicetown and Bianca is from South Philly. So, they came along, more so from just being hot in the city and niggas knowing about them. And just at that time, man, it was crazy. Because the scene was all about battle rap. It was no social media. So you had to just be hot as hell to get notoriety in the city. So just to touch in on it and make it quick for you, like I said, Bump was just a major part on how I got together with certain people. Wallo had an idea to become a rapper, he was already rapping, and I met Gillie through a mutual friend and Bump already knew him, so we just was rapping. We were the hottest niggas in our neighborhood and it just happened. It was organic, man. That's all I could say. It was organic. Like I said, none of us really all grew up together, like we hung together every day. We just grew up in the same neighborhood, so we knew who each other were. I mean, I could say after Wallo went to jail, after coming up with an idea for Major Figgas, Gil kept it going. And, you know, us going to the same studio and all of that, we just was around each other, being in the same neighborhood, and we was the top of the line of what we were doing. 

VALIDATED: To get off topic for a minute. Philly rappers, it definitely seems like it's a different pedigree. When you talk about Major Figgas, Beanie Sigel, Cassidy, and Meek Mills, and they’re all spitters, it seems like with Philly rappers, it’s just in them to be bar heavy.

DUTCHIEMAN: I mean, to be all the way honest with you bro, it's like, I don't know where it comes from. I think it's something in the water out here, bro. It's so many fucking rappers out here. I think it's just from growing up and people in Philadelphia talk in a certain way, you know what I'm saying? And their uncles and grandfathers and fathers, they've got a different type of slang in Philly then everywhere else. And I just think that we take that slang and let it transcend through our lyrics. And I think that's what strikes people about Philadelphia saying that we are spitters, I guess we’re great wordsmiths. We put them joints together, you know what I'm saying? I guess it's just this language, man. And talking with the right language when you’re on them tracks. So I think that's where it comes from, bro. I think it's just God given to Philly. 

VALIDATED: So y'all released the “Figgas 4 Life” album independently, which landed you guys a deal with Ruff Nation Records and Warner Brothers Records. The success of the record and the single, “Yeah That’s Us”, were you guys surprised or did y’all know what y’all had on y’all hands already?

DUTCHIEMAN: Well, before we put out the album, we had already put out like so many mixtapes in the hood, and Gillie was doing his thing, and Dutch & Spade was doing their thing and everybody else was doing their thing. So, it was like, when we put that album out we knew it was going to have a crazy impact, because it was what the streets was waiting for, for us to put out an album. We had just put out crazy mixtapes and crazy features and shit like that. But you've got to remember, all of that stuff came out around the time when me and Spade was on Cameron's album, and we were on Funkmaster Flex’s, The Tunnel. You know what I'm saying? So, it was like… it's crazy, bro. You're shocked because you're a nigga that comes from nothing, and you're in the crib and y’all just rapping on corners and shit like that, to ending up in New York in some of the biggest executives in the game’s offices, you know what I'm saying? That's a shock. Nobody expects shits like that. Great things don't happen when people try to plan great things. If it ain't organic, it ain't really a great thing. So that's just how I look at it. I think it was just like, meant to happen. I never expected that shit to be that way, to have 5 record deals in my life. I'm humbled, man. I'm humbled by some of the things that God has given me, and I thank him every day. 

VALIDATED: RuffNation Records, what's that record label mean to Philly hip hop in general?

DUTCHIEMAN: Well, upon us going to RuffNation, we really didn't… You know, at that time, it was like, as artists, we dug into what was going on with the business, but we were kids, so you really don't know for real for real, who Chris Schwartz is until you get a chance to meet the guy and understand that he was responsible for the Fugees and people like that. So once I found out, the label meant everything to us, because they were willing to give us an opportunity and they never tried to rob us, they actually gave us what we wanted, you know? So that label meant a lot. Chris Schwartz did a lot for a lot of great people and helped out with a lot of the cultural things that happened with the Fugees, so that was dope. 

VALIDATED: So you've got some acting under your belt with the film “The Cookout”, any plans on taking another acting role?

DUTCHIEMAN: I've been looking for some auditions lately. I want to try the “CSI”, shit like that. I want to try to step it up a little bit and go for some “Law and Order” and stuff like that, try to get on some of those types of shows. I've been reaching out to my big homie LL , and you know, for just him following me on Instagram, it just made me just like wow, like, “Damn, LL knows who I am.” So I’m reaching out to guys like that, you know, just seeing what's going on. And I got a few other people in LA that I've been reaching out to, just waiting for them to get back with me. 

VALIDATED: You’ve teamed up with Philadelphia Multimedia Company, 11 : 22, what can you tell us about the collaboration? 

DUTCHIEMAN: It’s my management company… part of my management company. I have two different managers. I've got a personal and business manager. So, he takes care of my business management, my man Hennessy Kev, salute to him. So he just takes care of the day to day interactions, the features, and me and my team take care of putting the music out, putting the merch together and doing all of that.

VALIDATED: So, your 2nd solo project, “Projectiles and Cognac”, the EP in 2020, what's been the response to the project? 

DUTCHIEMAN: I had great responses. I mean, salute to Jadakiss, salute to Freeway, salute to Big O, salute to my man 38 Spesh. It was just dope, bro. It was dope that they blessed me that way. Salute to my man Teefy Bey, and free my man Teefy Bey, he’s also on the album. It turned out to be a great project. It was something that I put together throughout the pandemic when it started, and just locked in the studio day to day and called a few of my friends, and they blessed me. Oh and  EVO, the producer that also worked on “Indigo” for Chris Brown, he gave me some tracks for that joint. I’m getting a great response from it. So, I’m actually ready to drop again. “Numbers I Can Deal With” is the 3rd album about to drop within the next month. 

VALIDATED: With the rappers that you picked, what was it about them that made you select those?

DUTCHIEMAN: You know, the title itself, “Projectiles and Cognac” came from the place that I was in. I just felt like I was taking a lot of shots from life and those were the projectiles, I started to indulge in Hennessy to cope, so it was a lot of projectiles and cognac going on. So, while I’m coping with it, I’m sitting in there and I’m listening to beats, because I really was about to give the music shit up, because I just didn’t have no feeling for it no more. After my mom died, I just didn’t want to do this shit no more. I did a lot of that shit for her and my brother, and a lot of other family members that liked to see me do it, but it wasn’t that I lost love for it, It just wasn’t giving me the same feeling no more and then once I got in there and understood that it was just the loss of my mother that was distracting me, and me gaining my faculties back, I just, you know what I mean, I hit them. I picked up that phone and when I heard different tones and different sounds and getting my gage correct for what I’m doing. Kiss was one of the niggas I tried to do a record with before and me and him have a great relationship. So, I was like, “Yo, bro, we really never did no record.” He was like, “Nah, we really didn’t.” And so, he started working on “Ignatius”, and I was working on “Projectiles and Cognac” at the same time, and I got a phone call from him one day, he was like, “Check your email.,” and he had sent me back “Obama Care”. And I just was like, “Wow,” and then he played me the intro to “Ignatius”, and it was like, wow, this shit just happened.

And then 38 Spesh, that’s my nigga like from me going to go support Benny The Butcher and I actually got a chance to meet 38 Spesh after listening to him on the Griselda shit and then starting to listen to the Trust Movement you know, I called him, I called my youngin’ Drama B2R, told him I needed a hook and he blessed me. I called Freeway, I told him I think it would be dope for Major Figgas and State Property to do something at a high level. He called me, sent me something over, we knocked it out. My man Big O, I always like his charisma and his lyrical content. And he a fly jersey nigga. I told him, “Come on, jump on the album.” I called EVO, “Yo, I need some beats.” He just coming from working with Chris Brown, sent that pack over. I banged out on that joint, and there goes “Projectiles and Cognac”, baby. 

VALIDATED: What’s your favorite track off of the EP and why?

DUTCHIEMAN: It would be the one with Big O, “Hoffa”, because I just think that I really tapped into my lyrical side. I tapped deep into me being intricate with the flow and the execution, so it would be “Hoffa”, that’s my favorite joint.

VALIDATED: As you mentioned a little bit earlier, your third solo release , “Numbers I Can Deal With”, is coming soon, anything you can tell us about that? 

DUTCHIEMAN: If you thought “Projectiles and Cognac” was something, this is going to make “Projectiles and Cognac” look like I just started rapping. This right here is going to make it look like I’ve been doing what I need to be doing. I’ve got some great features on it. I’ve got OT The Real on there, I’ve got Conway The Machine on there, I’ve got Shyheim the Rugged Child on there, and I got Peedi Crack on there. 

VALIDATED: So what’s your thoughts on the resurgence of the 90’s to early 2000’s mc’s in the game?

DUTCHIEMAN: I just don’t think it should be looked at like that. I just think it should be looked at as everybody’s brain needs bath and niggas is working. If niggas is gonna work, they’re gonna  work, and if they’re not, you won’t hear shit from them. That’s how I feel about it. I don’t judge it by age or when a nigga came out because look at like at Meth, Meth can pop right in and out whenever he wants to. Look at Nas, Nas pop in and out, look at Hov, they pop in and out. 

VALIDATED: So, other than the music and the possible acting, and the book, is there anything else coming? 

DUTCHIEMAN: I want to start opening up some little businesses that I have ideas for, but I don’t really want to talk too much about that, I just want to show people with that, but I’m ready to step into a lot of different avenues, man. I think I’m going to manage some artists as well, like, just trying to help out. 

VALIDATED: How can the fans follow and support you on social media? 

DUTCHIEMAN: Just follow me @dutchieman_ and that’s pretty much it. 

VALIDATED: Any last words for the people? 

DUTCHIEMAN: Yeah, man, make sure y’all get ready for “Numbers I Can Deal With” and go download “Projectiles and Cognac” on all platforms.