[Interview] Sean Price: Random As F*ck

Sean Price has been putting it down in the rap game for years. No stranger to the grind, the Duck Down representer is back. After a string of critically acclaimed mix tape projects, he’s going the group route again with Guilty Simpson and Black Milk as Random Axe. TWV sat down with the emcee to discuss the formation of Random Axe, why the trio isn’t a super group and why the future of the Axe clan rests with Black Milk.

TWV: So, let’s get straight to it. Please talk a little about Random Axe’s new self titled LP that dropped on the 14. Black Milk is doing all of the production, but who else featured on it?

Sean Price: Yeah, well. Hold on a second. (Pauses). I got my wife going to get the album cover, man. (laughs). I just got a physical copy of it yesterday. I don’t know nothin’ man. I just went to Detroit and rapped and Black did the rest. I don’t even know the name of the songs (laughs). I’m dead ass serious.

TWV: (Laughs) How did you all get together? I heard a story that someone asked you to do a song with Guilty Simpson and you agreed and then asked who Guilty was. Is that actually how it happened?

Sean Price: That’s exactly what happened. I didn’t know really know who Guilty was. You know me, I was on my feature game, trying to get money. So all I figured was “great, another check, let’s do it”. But it turned from that to me actually wanting to work with the dude and get money together.I was impressed man. That boy go in. I’m still impressed. That’s my brother right there.

TWV: Do you consider Random Axe a super-group? That word is thrown around a lot.

Sean Price: I dunno if there’s anything super about us, but I know we all get busy. I know that. I wouldn’t say super-group, but we nice as hell. Black does what he does, I do what I do and Guilty is a beast. It’s a great album, that’s all I can say. Ya’ll can call it whatever you want to call it, “super-group”, “uber-group”, I don’t give a shit, we just get busy.

TWV: People know this isn’t your first time in a group dynamic. Obviously with Rock, you formed Heltah Skeltah and also with Fab Five. Have you noticed any differences between the three?

Sean Price: Well Fab Five wasn’t really a “group”. We did that more for promotion. We were the first new acts on Duck Down and they wanted to introduce the new acts to the world, so we did two tracks together and it took on a life of its own. People mistook us for a group, but we weren’t a real group. The difference between this and Heltah Skeltah is that Rock and I went picked the beats. But with this, Black gave the orders and we just followed suit. We didn’t really complain or argue,we just followed orders.

TWV:Do you guys see yourself doing this again or will it just be a one off?

Sean Price: I would definitely do another one and I think Guilty feels the same. But we gotta see what Black thinks. Black’s the boss, even though he’s the youngest. It’s on him, really. You know how eccentric these producers are (laughs). Next thing you know, he might on top of Mount Kilamanjaro eating hummus and talking about “fuck hip hop.” You know how eccentric those guys are. That’s my brotha though, anything he wants to do, I’m with it.

TWV: Are you guys bringing in anyone from your individual camps? For instance, are you bringing anyone in from Duck Down?

Sean Price: Yeah, Rock is on the album and I got Roc Marciano on the album too. They pulled in Fat Ray, Fatt Father, Danny Brown and Trick Trick.

TWV: How was it marrying the Detroit sound with the Brooklyn sound?

Sean Price: I love the Detroit sound, so it was easy. Black Milk is a hell of a producer. I had no problem adjusting at all. We do that, we label things and we shouldn’t. Someone can hear a down south beat and not know that the dude is from NY. So a sound is a sound. You can’t make the sound territorial. Like that Shorty Low beat for “Dey Know,” that shit is bangin’. I don’t care what area or state you’re from, it’s a bangin ass beat. So just enjoy the beat and get busy.

TWV:Are you going to tour as a group?

Sean Price: Well we’re going to Rock the Bells as Random Axe.You know what I’d like to do? A Random Axe/Slaughterhouse tour. We could call that shit “Random Axe Vs. Slaughterhouse”  just to get it hyped. Joell Ortiz and Royce, those are my niggas right there. I fucks with them. I don’t know Crooked I or Joe Budden, but I know Joell and Royce very well. I would love to have the billing like that, just to attract more people. We make it like we’re going against each other, like it’s a fight, may the best man win. But in the end we all win because we all get money.

TWV: Well anything you can do to make that happen, please do it. We’d all appreciate that.

Sean Price:I’d love to do it. It’d be dope.

TWV: Well finally, how about your solo releases. Kimbo Price the mixtape came out but when is your next official solo dropping?

Sean Price: I’m dropping Mic Tyson after Random Axe, but I might drop that in the winter. Me and Statik Selektah are working on a mixtape right now, so look out for that. I just did a song called “If You’re Under 21, Don’t Listen to This.” That shit is so hard. I wish I could put it out right now.

TWV: So that’s all Statik on the production?

Sean Price: A lot of Statik but a little Alchemist too. Be on the lookout for that. I wish I could play this “Under 21” record for you. I went in on that shit. It’s crazy, we got some shit.