RapTalk.net Exclusive Q&A Interview Session w/ Panama aka Da Spanish Kid

RAPTALK.NET caught up last week with New York emcee Panama aka Da Spanish Kid for another exclusive Q&A session. Panama has been doing this thing on the mixtape scene for the past couple of years and has also secured himself a spot on the cast of the hit TV series "The Wire". Panama talks to raptalk.net about his career so far, his thought on hip hop and what hes got in the works for the future...Enjoy!

Dub MD: Panama, What's good?
PANAMA: WHATS GOOD MY DUDE, YOU ALREADY KNOW, I'M HERE STILL BREATHING AND TRYNA GO HARD IN THE GAME. NO TELLIN WHEN IM GONNA CRACK THIS GAME IN HALF YA DIG, BUT UNITL THEN I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO WHAT I DO!

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?
PANAMA: FIRST AND FOREMOST, I AM PANAMA AKA DA SPANISH KID AKA HBO’S NUMBER ONE STREET BULLY. SINCE I BEEN IN THE RAP GAME THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN OVERWHELMING AND A BLESSING. I AM RECIEVEING NOTHING BUT LOVE AND RESECT FROM WRITERS, ARTISTS, AND DJS. I BEEN SPITTIN FOR ABOUT 4 YEARS OR SO, BUT REALLY TOOK THE GAME SERIOUS LAST YEAR AND EVER SINCE I DECIDED TO DO THAT MY GRIND IS NOT BEING OVERLOOKED BY ANYONE. I ACCOMPLISHED SO MUCH WITH APPEARANCES WITH HIP HOP WEBSITES, ARTISTS, AND MIXTAPES. HONESTLY, RIGHT NOW I AM JUST LOVING THE RESPONSE AND STAYING HUMBLE WITH EVERYTHING I DO, BLESS

Dub MD: Coming from Brooklyn, what do you think of the New York music scene right now?
PANAMA: YES YOU ALREADY KNOW, I AM A BROOKLYN NATIVE BUT I SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN TWO DIFFERENT AREAS, THE BRONX AND B'MORE. I JUST HAD TO CLEAR THAT UP FOR MY SUPPORTERS AND FANS. ANYWAY, THE NEW YORK MUSIC SCENE RIGHT NOW IS AT A LOW IN MY OPINION BECAUSE I FEEL THAT WE EASTCOAST ARTIST ARE NOT DOING WHAT WE NORMALLY DO, SPEAK ABOUT OUR ISSUES, EXPOSE OUR SLANG AND SWAGGER, WE ARE NOT BEING NEW YORK AND MAKING PEOPLE FEEL THAT. I THINK THE MUSIC IS STILL GOOD, BUT I THINK IT IS GOIN IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.

Dub MD: What do you think of commericialisation of hip hop right now, do you think its showing disrespect to its pioneers?
PANAMA: COMMERCIALIZE OR POP CORN RAP IS THERE FOR A REASON, ITS NOT JUST NEW YORK YA KNOW, THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT IS WAS FIVE YEARS FROM NOW AND THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WHAT THE SOUTH. WE AS ARTISTS ARE BECOMING MORE CREATIVE WITH PRODUCTION, LYRICS AND IMAGE, IT SEEMS THAT THE MORE CREATIVE AND FRESH THE SOUND SOUNDS LIKE ITS CALLED “MUSIC”. THIS IS AN ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS WHERE PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR THE MUSIC THEY WANT TO HEAR, SO IT WILL BE CHILDISH AND UNPROFFESIONAL FOR ME TO DISS ANY ARTIST THAT IS DOING HIS THING AND DOING IT WELL.

Dub MD: Do you have any new projects in the works? whats it called & what can heads out there expect?
PANAMA: ACTUALLY I HAVE A FEW PROJECTS IN THE WORKS YA KNOW, I CURRENTLY HAVE TWO MIXTAPES THAT ARE READY TO GO AND CONNECT WITH THE WORLD YA KNOW. MY TWO MIXTAPES THAT I AM ABOUT TO HIT THE GAME WITH IS CALLED “PANAMA CANAL” HOSTED BY DJ SQUIRREL WYDE FROM 92 Q THE NUMBER ONE RADIO STATION IN B'MORE, THE SECOND TAPE IS CALLED “MR. NORTH DAT CRUZ WITH THE SOUF” HOSTED BY MY DUDE DJ BLURRAY, ONE OF THE BEST DJS TODAY IN THE GAME!! RIGHT NOW IN THE LAB AND STILL COOKIN UP MUSIC, I AM PUTTING FINIISHING TOUCHES ON MY MIX ALBUM “RING SIDE SEATS” WHICH WILL FEATURE MANY ARTIST THAT I DEAL WITH IN THE GAME. THIS TAPE WILL BE HOSTED AND CO-SIGNED BY DJ L-GEE, DJ BLURRAY, DJ K-DOT AND HIPHOP.ORG. MEANWHILE I STAY IN THE LAB AND THROW OUT EXCLUSIVE FREESTYLES OR SONGS FOR THE DJS TO EAT UP...LMAO!!

Dub MD: With these projects, what producers & artists are you connecting with?
PANAMA: WITH RING SIDE SEATS, I MAINLY CONNECTED WITH MY MAIN SUPER-PRODUCER BLACKJAB, THERE MIGHT BE BONUS TRACKS FROM PRODUCERS LIKE THE BARON BOYS AND CIRCUIT, BUT RIGHT NOW ITS ALL ABOUT MY LITTLE PIT BLACKJAB, HE HAS THAT CRACK AND HE WILL SOON TAKE OVER B'MORE FAR AS PRODUCTION. FAR AS ARTISTS I CONNECTED WITH LO-SMOOTH (BROOKLYN), ST. LAZ, RATED R, Q DA KID (SO SO DEF), AWTHENTIK (THE FIF), SPARKDAWG (GREEN CITY), YUNGTEXXUS (DESERT STORM SOUTH), PAY$OZ (TEAM RSINAL), THERE IS A FEW ARTISTS THAT I ALSO DEAL WITH THAT IS SUPPOSE TO BLESS THE KID LIKE MY DUDES STORM P, NUCCI REYO AND ROCCET FROM CTE OTHER THAN THAT YOU WILL GET A LOT OF PANAMA AKA DA SPANISH KID

" I FEEL THAT WE EASTCOAST ARTISTS ARE NOT DOING WHAT WE NORMALLY DO, SPEAK ABOUT OUR ISSUES, EXPOSE OUR SLANG AND SWAGGER, WE ARE NOT BEING NEW YORK AND MAKING PEOPLE FEEL THAT. I THINK THE MUSIC IS STILL GOOD, BUT I THINK IT IS GOIN IN THE WRONG DIRECTION"

Dub MD: Whats your label situation like just now?
PANAMA: RIGHT NOW MY LABEL SITUATION IS YE RECORDS, STANDS FOR YOUNG EXECS “WHERE EVERY MAN IS A BOSS AND YOU TAKE ORDERS” ITS RUN BY ME AND MY PARTNER SHAWN SMITH JR. WE CONTROL EVERYTHING AND CURRENTLY WE ARE LOOKIN FOR A STREET TEAM AND A&R’S

Dub MD: With you having your own imprint "Ye Records", When did you start the label & what artists do we need to check for in the future?
PANAMA: ALL DAY, I STARTED MY LABEL 3 YEARS AGO AND TO TRUTHFULLY HONEST WITH YOU THE ONLY ARTIST YOU SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR UNDER MY LABEL IS ME, BUT AFTER I COME OUT AND SET BOTH FOOT DOWN I WILL SEND MY PITS PUT YA DIG (BARBA, MJ, DUNGIN)

Dub MD: You've featured on a countless number of mixtapes, how important do you feel mixtapes are to an up coming artist?
PANAMA: I THINK THE MIXTAPE SCENE IS OVER SATURATED AND SOMETIMES THROW A FEW ARTISTS OFF WITH THEIR BUZZ IN THE GAME. SOME MIXTAPES DJS GET THEIR TAPES REVIEWED AND AWARDED FOR LIKE MY DUDES SUPERSTAR J, DJ BLAZITA, DJ SURESHOT, DJ PIMP, DJ BLURRAY ETC THE MIXTAPE SCENCE IS WHERE YOU FIND YOURSELF, WHERE U CAN JUST LET LOOSE AND SAY ANYTHING YOU WANT AND NOT WORRY ABOUT SOMEONE REVIEWING YOUR MATERIAL. I THINK ARTISTS SHOULD TAKE FULL ADAVANTAGE OF THE MIXTAPE CIRCUIT BUT DO NOT STAY THERE FOREVER, KNOW WHEN TO SEPARATE ALBUM CUTS AND MIXTAPE TRACKS YA KNOW! MIXTAPES WILL GET YOUR NAME OUT ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A HOT DJ BEHIND YOU THAT DROPS CONSISTENTLY AND PEOPLE ARE FEELIN THEM IN THE STREETS.

Dub MD: What do you think is your most defining and unique characteristic that sets you apart from every other emcee out there?
PANAMA: I AM A BREATH OF FRESH AIR AND I AM ME ALL DAY, THERE IS NO CHANGIN' THIS YA DIG, MY WHOLE SWAG IS UNIVERSAL MY KING, YOU LOOKIN AT AN ARTIST THAT IS A FULL BLOODED PANAMAMIAN, KNOWS WHAT ITS LIKE IN PANAMA, BORN IN NEW YORK, BECAME A MAN OUT IN B'MORE. LIVE THE CITY LIFE AND SUBURBAN LIFE, ATTENDED SCHOOL FOR ACTING IN COLLEGE, SPEAK FLUENT SPANISH AND TRAVEL SOUTH EVERY YEAR TO VISIT MY FAMILY IN TEXAS, I BRING ALL THAT TO MY MUSIC YA KNOW! I LOVE DOIN THIS, I ENJOY MUSIC AND I LOOK AT THIS PROFESSION AS A CRAFT NOT JUST A QUICK SCHEME TO GET MONEY BECAUSE I WANT LONGETIVITY AND RESPECT FROM EVERYONE I ENCOUNTER, BLESS

Dub MD: If you could describe yourself as an emcee in 4 words, What would they be?
PANAMA: LIFE, UNIVERSAL, REAL AND HUMBLE!

Dub MD: What is on tap for Da Spanish Kid for the rest of 2007 and beyond?
PANAMA: WELL FOR THE REST OF 2007 A LOT PEOPLE DON’T KNOW I HAVE MY OWN CLOTHING LINE THAT I CO-OWN WITH MY MAN ANDRE WILLIAMS ITS CALLED “BMORE CREATIVE” WWW.MYSPACE.COM/BMORECREATIVE. AS OF TODAY WE DRESS AND SUPPLY CLOTHES TO A FEW INDUTRY FRIENDS LIKE METHOD MAN, LUPE FIASCO AND THE WHOLE CAST OF THE WIRE. I AM ALSO A PROFESSIONAL ACTOR SO I AM CONSTANTLY AUDITIONING FOR NEW ROLES AND FAR AS MUSIC I AM GOING TO CONTINUE TO GO HARD UNTIL I CRACK THIS INDUSTRY WIDE OPEN, BLESS

Dub MD: Do you have anything to say to the fans? anything you wanna get off your chest? any shout outs?
PANAMA: I JUST WANT TO SHOUTOUT MY SUPER PRODUCER BLACKJAB, MASTERING ENGINEER ANTONIO CORCELLA AND MY CAMERA MAN ALEX PRUDOVSKY.I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR SHOWING LOVE TO MY CAMP, FREE AGENTS (BARBA, DUNGIN, MJ) AND MY LABEL YE RECORDS. CHECK ME OUT AT WWW.MYSPACE.COM/DASPANISHKID AND HIT UP MY CLOTHING LINE THAT I RUN WITH MY PARTNER ANDRE WILLIAMS (HEAD DESIGNER) @ WWW.MYSPACE.COM/BMORECREATIVE. FOR EVERY ARTIST OUT THERE READING THIS, DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN YOUESELF BEFORE GETTING SIGNED.I'M ON MY OLD SCHOOL HUSTLE WITH THIS GAME. I WANT TO SHOUTOUT MY DUDES IN THE BING KENAR & SYRUS (HOLD YOUR HEAD UP) MY COUSINS SPARK DAWG, YUNGTEXXUS, JMAR AND DEVIN. BIG SHOUTS TO SHAWN, MOMS & POPS, BROTHERS & SISTERS YA DIG!…FRIENDS & FAMILY. HEART, MIND, BODY AND SOUL TO EVERYONE THAT SHOWS LOVE! ONE, BLESS
P.S. I WILL BE THE BEST ARTIST TO EVER BLESS THE MIC SO TAKE A TRIP WITH HBO’ S NUMBER ONE STREET BULLY

Check out this brand new track from Panama called "Keep My Paper Runnin" (feat. Flawless), Right click & save as to download:
Panama aka Da Spanish Kid - Keep My Paper Runnin (feat. Flawless)
http://media.raptalk.net/audio/Panama - Keep My Paper Runnin feat. Flawless.mp3

DUB MD

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