RapTalk.net Exclusive Q&A Interview Session w/ Charon Don

Raptalk.net is back with another question and answer session this time with Pittsburgh native, Charon Don who recently released his debut album "Art Of Life" with DJ Huggy on Good Hands Records. He sat down with Rap Talk to speak on the music scene in his hometown Pittsburgh, his thoughts on the state of Hip Hop and his label situation. Make sure you check out the new single from the album called "Just Wanna Know" featuring Reef The Lost Cauze at the end of the interview.

Dub MD: Charon Don, What's good?
Charon Don: Life is good bro, i have no complaints nor regrets.

Dub MD: For those who don't know, could you just give a short review of what you've experienced in your rap career up until now?
Charon Don: I mean, i've experienced total forward progression and success from the first day i started taking the music serious which was someday in the year of 1999 (laughs) , but yeah, I'm just grateful to be able to continue to share the gift with more and more people everyday. From rocking more shows, traveling, networking, recording etc, I'm continuously learning and building. I was performing and recording for years around the city and state. I got up with Good Hands Records and put out a 12' entitled "Keystone Cops", then dropped a verse on Chief Kamachi's "Cult Status" album, then the label dropped "Black Candles" which features Chief Kamachi, State Store, Reef The Lost Cauze and myself. Next came Reef's album which i layed a verse for and then came me and my deejay's (DJ Huggy) first solo album to be internationally distributed "The Art Of Life" so it's been a nice journey.

Dub MD: Coming from Pittsburgh, what do you think of the Pittsburgh music scene right now?
Charon Don: The scene down here has got alot better with more artists taking their music more serious. Back in the day more heads were performing and there was more of a culture here laced wit mad B-Boys, writers, deejays and emcees but somehow it slowed up leaving just the emcee and deejay wit only few writers and B-Boy crews, but it's looking good. On an indie tip you got a lot of heads on the come up who are ridiculous! and on the major you got my boy Wiz Khalifa who just got signed to Warner Bros making moves and Pittsburgh Slim who just signed wit Def Jam also reppin. So like i said it's only a matter of time and many heads down here can sense that so everyone is in their zone tryna put their best catalog forward. it's a real good time for the city musically.

Dub MD: A lot of people are saying "Hip Hop Is Dead" lately, how do you feel about the current state of hip hop?
Charon Don: I personally feel the culture is in it's withdraw stage which is the last stage anything has to go thru before becoming "clean" or "pure" again. What we are seeing in the culture is all the dirt, filth, and scum in which the industry has put into the minds and budgets of the artist, but people can only take the stinch of garbage for so long before they move the filth and create a clean, fresh environment. It's coming close to true artsit who take it back to the skills, with the worse it seems the closer we get to what this music an culture started as. We just gotta stay consistent and patient, everything moves and grows in its own season.

Dub MD: You've got a new album "Art Of Life" with DJ Huggy out right now, what can heads expect they go and pick that up?
Charon Don: They can expect the unexpected! It's Hip Hop, Raw, Honest, Street, Conscious, Spiritual, Cultural, Ill Production,Versatility, New, Old. etc. It's a great album, one to surely be labeled a classic!

Dub MD: With this album, what artists & producers are you connecting with this time round?
Charon Don: DJ Huggy, my homie Diezal, who also did work on the Juju Mob's "Black Candles", and that'a bout it. They are my hard heading producers and they both have different styles so it was enough.

"I personally feel the culture is in it's withdraw stage which is the last stage anything has to go thru before becoming "clean" or "pure" again. What we are seeing in the culture is all the dirt, filth & scum in which the industry has put into the minds and budgets of the artist."

Dub MD: Out of all the artists you've worked with so far, which ones did you feel you had the best connection with on the track?
Charon Don: Each artist i built with had their own unique energy and chemistry so it's not a question of who i had the best connection with because it's all natural and love when two or more artists go hard on the same tip lyrically, it's a lovely experince in which is shared with everyone on the album or i wouldn't have put it on the project. (laughs) Straight up!

Dub MD: What's your label situation like just now?
Charon Don: Just now it's good bust to be honest i would love to be doing alot more with this music. It's hard because as an artsit you want all promotion and opportunity that you feel you deserve, especially if you're a new crew like Hands Down. But i'm looking into how to get on a tour and more shows as well as better promoting ourselves. I'm gratful though, Good Hands knows out ambitions and talents so it's all good hopefully things will continue to progress and get better. I'm always writing, Huggy's always producing, hint, hint..

Dub MD: If you could describe yourself as an emcee in 4 words, What would they be?
Charon Don: 4 words ain't enuff! (laughs) no. How bout "Inspired, Honest,Unique & Unstoppable", wait, is that word?

Dub MD: For your fans who haven't seen you perform yet are you planning on going tour anytime soon?
Charon Don: Hopefully. any promoters or artist tryna collab on a tour or future shows keep us up on it cause performing comes first to us, we love it! Please get at us and /or the label for any opportunity.

Dub MD: What is on tap for Charon Don for the rest of 2007 and beyond?
Charon Don: More promoting, writing, recording, etc. Come on man you know how it go! It's never ending, I love this grind yo!

Dub MD: Do you have anything to say to the fans? anything you wanna get off your chest? any shout outs?
Charon Don: Yo thanks for checkin me out it's been a privelege. Go check the "Art Of Life" album and let me know what you feel on it. Big up to RapTalk.Net, Much love to Dub MD. Defintely keep up wit me via myspace at www.myspace.com/charondon and the website www.handsdownmusic.com. Love out to Hands Down, Juju Mob, Goodhands and the whole fam! One Love.

Check out the new single from Art Of Life entitled "Just Wanna Know", Right click & save as to download:
Charon Don - Just Wanna Know (feat. Reef The Lost Cauze)
http://media.raptalk.net/audio/Charon Don - Just Wanna Know feat. Reef The Lost Cauze.mp3

DUB MD

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