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Red Cafe told Mixtape Daily that the working relationship
between him and Diddy is like peanut butter and jelly. "He brings
tracks in that he feels my voice would marry," Red said. "As well, I
bring in what I been doing. He fell in love what I been doing already.
The city fell in love with what I been doing already. So we don't wanna
change that. It's a little of both."
Diddy putting out his first Brooklyn MC on Bad Boy since
Shyne? Say no more. We had to bring it to you. Red's been a beast on
the underground scene for a while. Masses, say hi. You'll be getting to
know him well very soon.
This Week's Main Pick
Street Kings: Red Cafe (featuring Diddy)
Holding It Down For: NYC
Mixtape: Welcome to Bad Boy
Real Spit: Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn, right in
front of Red Cafe barber salon. It's the area where he laid his head as
youngster, and it's the same spot he's invested back in. Cafe's
"Hottest in the Hood" record has had a monster buzz this year. So much
so, Diddy has jumped into business with the Brooklyn veteran of the
underground rap circuit.
"He's been in the game for a minute. He's a well-respected
lyricist and MC in the whole New York hip-hop scene," Diddy explained
to us while sitting in his midtown Manhattan offices. "But he's not the
average New York rapper. He has something special. That's why we signed
him."
Diddy has partnered with Akon to release Red's debut.
"We thought it would be a great idea to collaborate, to put our
forces together, to ensure the success of Red's career," Diddy added.
"He's been hustling on the scene for, like, seven years now. Maybe
longer than that. He's just now coming into his own. It's a 50/50
split. It's no secret to the deal. That's the best way to do
partnerships with your friends and family. Hopefully, we can join our
forces together and take Red to the place he needs to be taken to. He's
one of the dopest MCs right now, and he's honed his craft. The type of
music he chose to rock on top of makes him a unique MC."
"Just from knowing what Diddy brought to the table and what Bad
Boy brought to the table, it's a pleasure to be a part of that," Cafe
said about joining forces with PD. "Now it's about making sure that
same chemistry comes to life in today's time. The good thing is
Shakedown [Red and his company] are already moving. It's almost like a
turnkey operation for Diddy. He does his things, adds his sprinkles to
make it bigger. But it's already got legs. But I'm happy to be here."
Cafe's mixtape Welcome to Bad Boy came out recently, and he's working on a sequel.
"The part two is gonna be all original. That's how you gotta do
it, because now it's a recession, but it's a drought for good music.
I'm not gonna leave the people to look elsewhere for salvation. I gotta
give them what they need: East Coast music."
Joints To Check For
» "Hottest in the Hood." "For me, when I put out the
record, it was beautiful for people to embrace the record," Red said.
"It's cocky to say you're the 'hottest in the 'hood.' You already know
how hip-hop is. Hip-hop is very cooperative. For me to say that and
people to embrace it, especially in my position with no album out, that
was a special thing. At the same time, I want to acknowledge everyone
else. I feel I'm the hottest in the 'hood, period, but it may be
somebody else hot in their 'hood. You gotta acknowledge them. I pass
the baton. I go in different 'hoods, I go in D.C., they got a whole DMV
version of 'Hottest in the Hood.' In Philly, it's the same thing. In
L.A., it's the same thing. It's different from the remixes we did.
"But reaching out to those guys, everybody wanted to do it," he
added. "[Lloyd] Banks hollered at me personally. Busta, Rick Ross,
Jadakiss, Fabolous, Juiceman, Juelz Santana, Kardinal Offishall — I got
verses from everybody. It was too much. You had Uncle Murda, Papoose,
Juganot — everybody wanted to be a part of it. It was beautiful."
» "Co-Sign" " 'Co-Sign' is a record I felt needed to be
made," he said. "A lot of people don't recognize people's talent as far
as mass appeal until they get co-signed by someone else. They'll be
like, 'Damn, dude is hot. I'm not sure I'm supposed to like him or not,
though.' They wait for the co-sign. They wait for the dude that's up to
say, 'Dude is crazy! Listen to homeboy.' That's what the 'Co-Sign'
record is about. I don't need anybody to co-sign me. I'm hot, and I
know I'm hot."
» "General" (featuring Maino). "Congratulations to
Maino, congratulations to Brooklyn, congratulations to the Tri-State
for supporting that record and making sure it came out. The 'General'
record, we about to shoot the video for it. It's a record that was
necessary. It was necessary for the two guys that's waving the
Tri-State flag right now to get together and do something like
'General,' do something to represent all the generals across the
country and outside the country."