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Ed E. Ruger is an MC hailing from Greensboro NC; he has played with some of hip-hop's greats, such as KRS-One, Public Enemy, The Wu Tang Clan, Wiz Khalifa, Yelawolf, Jedi Mind Tricks, The Clipse,Young Buck, plus many more, and is a regular on IllMuzik Radio.
Ruger has sold close to 10,000 CD's and has been featured over 1000 mix CD's, over 3,000,000 plays on MySpace alone and close to 100,000 hits on YouTube. He took time out to sit down with us and tell us more about himself, his music and his company Iconoclast Records.
Can you introduce yourself?
I'm Ed E. Ruger, an MC from NC. Head of Iconoclast Crew, 1/3 of Super Group Brown Bag Special & 1/4 of Dub Step/Hip Hop Group DuB-Boro. I stay busy haha
Where in NC are you located?
Greensboro, or as we call it G Town or DuBBoro.
When did you start emceeing?
I've honestly been rapping, writing poems, etc for as long as I can remember. I started making a career out of it around 2002. I'm goin a decade strong. Damn I feel old now haha.
You don't have a very southern style as it's normally defined, and as such do you believe that your music helps redefine what Southern hip-hop is?
I do believe I've had somewhat of an influence on our scene and I hear a lot of myself in younger cats around here, but to be honest NC is known for being a very diverse state, as far as styles go & that in itself has kinda meshed all those styles into the NC way of rhyming. We've never really been a place where cats conform. You always have the followers who do whatever is on the radio at that moment, but for the most part NC artists as a whole don't follow trends.
Please describe your style.
My style is a mixture of everything from Luda, Outkast & Scarface to Eminem, Tech N9ne & Snoop Dogg. Sounds weird because it is! It's from being influenced by the streets... the real streets, not Facebook Ave and Tweet circle, crime, poverty, drugs, weed, weed, ganja, dank and battling. It's funny though because I was deep into all that but at the same time I was looking up to cats that in car clubs, bikers, skaters, dj's and hell even my homies that made it to college. It's a mix of it all - man I never pigeon holed myself into the southern rap genre, let alone 1 lane in life - you gotta see it all man. Plus, I grew up on the golden era of rap and always loved southern rock, so that in itself opened my eyes to what music could really be. If you think about it they're both gone, Ggood southern Rock & the golden era of Rap. Although I do feel hip hop has grown and evolved into something that has the potential to be 100x bigger than the 90's, I miss the lyricism. Cats grind just as hard, spit just as raw and are just as hungry because they can make money independently. The downfall of that is you don't get that global exposure and media coverage. If that happens it's gonna be huge. I had to go on a rant, sorry haha.
Who are your main influences?
My family, my crew, my fans and everything I've been through in life. I try not to let music influence my music, if that makes sense. I'd rather my art imitate my life then vice versa, ya know? That's how I keep it honest and original. I just do what I know and vent on a beat. As far as MC's though, there are too many to name. Anyone that got everything they wanted outta life by following their dreams, those are the cats that influence me. The ones that live life on their own terms with their middle fingers up the whole time screaming FTW! Haha.
What do you like to do when you're not recording?
I love touring and rocking live shows. That's how we got our reputation. Iconoclast Crew has always been known for the crazy, energy filled sets dating back to Iconoclast Founder the late Tre' Stylez, RIP. I also watch alot of UFC, wrestling, rap battles, movies, write songs, make flyers, book our shows, put together beat battles & showcases for the up and coming talent around here. I stay busy with a lot on my plate but spending time with my family is by far my favorite. Chasing my daughter around and pissing my fiance off are the most fun haha.
Anyone you'd like to collaborate with?
I'm picky about collabs now because I have so many out there floating around. So now im very picky about that. I'd love to collab with J. Cole, Slaughterhouse, Yelawolf, Cory Gunz & Tech N9ne. Not to mention the legends that are a given. Jay Z, Em, Luda, etc. I've been blessed already with collabs from Bun B, Stat Quo, Sadat X, Wax, Rittz, KrumbSnatcha, Jellyroll, Haystack, Kaze, Bekay, Chris Webby & a few more in the stash. So far being picky has worked, I've also been on Breaking Bad with DuBBoro, The Boondocks Cartoon as well as sharing stages with everyone from KRS, Chuck D & Wu to Wiz, Yelawolf, Big Sean& KRIT. Been a great few years!
What do you think about the current state of Hip Hop?
Like I said before I think hip hop is in a great place and has a chance to have a renaissance of lyricism, but on top of the beats of today, which are much doper. The internet has given birth to a new side of the biz & at the same time taken it back to the roots. The artists are in control again and the industry just has to have time to filter the bullshit out. Hopefully it all goes in the right direction. Even if those cats never see the mainstream, cats like me who refuse to conform, will still be able to live off this shit we love and live everyday. So I think Hip Hop is alive and well.
I hear you mention The Iconoclast Crew a lot, can you tell us about that, who is in it?
Iconoclast was started by Tre' Stylez & JJ The Jenius. When Tre' passed I was passed the torch and ran with it, as best I knew how. Shit, I'm still running with it, but now I have an all-star line up behind me. I couldn't do half what I do without these guys.
JJ The Jenius is the producer/engineer who makes us all sound great. He's the music director of The Boondocks, done music for Breaking Bad with DuBBoro, Never Back Down 2 and is working with Adult Swim on some new shows.
Phillie Phresh is hands down one of the illest dj's in the Southeast and has been down with me since day one, so our chemistry on stage and on tracks is unmatchable. He's also a part of Brown Bag & DuBBoro.
Ty Bru is my partner in crime. He's the one that stays in the trenches with me. He's also a very established MC. IMA Nominee, SOHH True Grit, OkayPlayer.com feat MC. His last CD digitally distributed by Island/Def Jam. He's touring China right now for the second time and all while running his label MTTS.
Stitchy C, like Phillie, has been down from the get go. He's my right hand on stage and keep the energy crazy and the crowd on point. He's also a dope up and coming MC who's done shows everywhere, including Maxim Spring Break.
Last but not least the new dude Kain. I've been working with Kain for a few years but he recently stepped his game up to the point where we all thought he would be a great fit. One of the illest, most technically-sound MC's I've heard in awhile... and he isn't even 21 yet! This kid is a politcal science, pre-law student, involved with NAACP and tons of other things outside of music and is just an intelligent all around good dude with a great mind for what he wants to do. I never talk good about him while he's around so he should be happy. And he always steps up to the plate under pressure... he's gotta bright future.
There's a few cats that aren't necessarily Iconoclast but are still fam like Dubkiller, CarsonPalmer, Arsenik, Young Stacks, J. Rich, J. Bryant, Young Dirt & all of MTTS.
Will you be touring in the future?
We will always be doing smaller tours and shows around the Southeast, but ever since my daughter was born I decided to take a break on the road trips unless it was very beneficial. We make good money doing shows here, and now it's time to take that next step and jump on a national tour. So when that money is right and the time comes I'll let you know. Until then, you can catch us doing shows all over the Southeast.
Any shout outs?
Shout out to the fans reading this, the cats buying the music, the dj's spinning it, all the online stations supporting, shout out to PMG for keeping the shows big, all the artists who rock with us, Ndangr Species, Illpo, FSM, TFE, Eargasm, SOHH.com, HypeNC.com and all the people I forgot.
Thanks for doing this interview, we love playing your music on IllMuzik Radio - keep us updated!
Thank y'all for having me and for all the support! Make sure you go buy Ziplocked & Loaded off iTunes, Amazon, etc, Ty Bru's Triple Bypass & Dubkiller's BOOM are also on iTunes, Amazon, etc so cop those too. Make sure you subscribe to Youtube.com/IconcolastCrewTV, Follow @Ed_E_Ruger on Twitter and like Facebook.com/EdERugerMusic!
Ruger has sold close to 10,000 CD's and has been featured over 1000 mix CD's, over 3,000,000 plays on MySpace alone and close to 100,000 hits on YouTube. He took time out to sit down with us and tell us more about himself, his music and his company Iconoclast Records.
Can you introduce yourself?
I'm Ed E. Ruger, an MC from NC. Head of Iconoclast Crew, 1/3 of Super Group Brown Bag Special & 1/4 of Dub Step/Hip Hop Group DuB-Boro. I stay busy haha
Where in NC are you located?
Greensboro, or as we call it G Town or DuBBoro.
When did you start emceeing?
I've honestly been rapping, writing poems, etc for as long as I can remember. I started making a career out of it around 2002. I'm goin a decade strong. Damn I feel old now haha.
You don't have a very southern style as it's normally defined, and as such do you believe that your music helps redefine what Southern hip-hop is?
I do believe I've had somewhat of an influence on our scene and I hear a lot of myself in younger cats around here, but to be honest NC is known for being a very diverse state, as far as styles go & that in itself has kinda meshed all those styles into the NC way of rhyming. We've never really been a place where cats conform. You always have the followers who do whatever is on the radio at that moment, but for the most part NC artists as a whole don't follow trends.
Please describe your style.
My style is a mixture of everything from Luda, Outkast & Scarface to Eminem, Tech N9ne & Snoop Dogg. Sounds weird because it is! It's from being influenced by the streets... the real streets, not Facebook Ave and Tweet circle, crime, poverty, drugs, weed, weed, ganja, dank and battling. It's funny though because I was deep into all that but at the same time I was looking up to cats that in car clubs, bikers, skaters, dj's and hell even my homies that made it to college. It's a mix of it all - man I never pigeon holed myself into the southern rap genre, let alone 1 lane in life - you gotta see it all man. Plus, I grew up on the golden era of rap and always loved southern rock, so that in itself opened my eyes to what music could really be. If you think about it they're both gone, Ggood southern Rock & the golden era of Rap. Although I do feel hip hop has grown and evolved into something that has the potential to be 100x bigger than the 90's, I miss the lyricism. Cats grind just as hard, spit just as raw and are just as hungry because they can make money independently. The downfall of that is you don't get that global exposure and media coverage. If that happens it's gonna be huge. I had to go on a rant, sorry haha.
Who are your main influences?
My family, my crew, my fans and everything I've been through in life. I try not to let music influence my music, if that makes sense. I'd rather my art imitate my life then vice versa, ya know? That's how I keep it honest and original. I just do what I know and vent on a beat. As far as MC's though, there are too many to name. Anyone that got everything they wanted outta life by following their dreams, those are the cats that influence me. The ones that live life on their own terms with their middle fingers up the whole time screaming FTW! Haha.
What do you like to do when you're not recording?
I love touring and rocking live shows. That's how we got our reputation. Iconoclast Crew has always been known for the crazy, energy filled sets dating back to Iconoclast Founder the late Tre' Stylez, RIP. I also watch alot of UFC, wrestling, rap battles, movies, write songs, make flyers, book our shows, put together beat battles & showcases for the up and coming talent around here. I stay busy with a lot on my plate but spending time with my family is by far my favorite. Chasing my daughter around and pissing my fiance off are the most fun haha.
Anyone you'd like to collaborate with?
I'm picky about collabs now because I have so many out there floating around. So now im very picky about that. I'd love to collab with J. Cole, Slaughterhouse, Yelawolf, Cory Gunz & Tech N9ne. Not to mention the legends that are a given. Jay Z, Em, Luda, etc. I've been blessed already with collabs from Bun B, Stat Quo, Sadat X, Wax, Rittz, KrumbSnatcha, Jellyroll, Haystack, Kaze, Bekay, Chris Webby & a few more in the stash. So far being picky has worked, I've also been on Breaking Bad with DuBBoro, The Boondocks Cartoon as well as sharing stages with everyone from KRS, Chuck D & Wu to Wiz, Yelawolf, Big Sean& KRIT. Been a great few years!
What do you think about the current state of Hip Hop?
Like I said before I think hip hop is in a great place and has a chance to have a renaissance of lyricism, but on top of the beats of today, which are much doper. The internet has given birth to a new side of the biz & at the same time taken it back to the roots. The artists are in control again and the industry just has to have time to filter the bullshit out. Hopefully it all goes in the right direction. Even if those cats never see the mainstream, cats like me who refuse to conform, will still be able to live off this shit we love and live everyday. So I think Hip Hop is alive and well.
I hear you mention The Iconoclast Crew a lot, can you tell us about that, who is in it?
Iconoclast was started by Tre' Stylez & JJ The Jenius. When Tre' passed I was passed the torch and ran with it, as best I knew how. Shit, I'm still running with it, but now I have an all-star line up behind me. I couldn't do half what I do without these guys.
JJ The Jenius is the producer/engineer who makes us all sound great. He's the music director of The Boondocks, done music for Breaking Bad with DuBBoro, Never Back Down 2 and is working with Adult Swim on some new shows.
Phillie Phresh is hands down one of the illest dj's in the Southeast and has been down with me since day one, so our chemistry on stage and on tracks is unmatchable. He's also a part of Brown Bag & DuBBoro.
Ty Bru is my partner in crime. He's the one that stays in the trenches with me. He's also a very established MC. IMA Nominee, SOHH True Grit, OkayPlayer.com feat MC. His last CD digitally distributed by Island/Def Jam. He's touring China right now for the second time and all while running his label MTTS.
Stitchy C, like Phillie, has been down from the get go. He's my right hand on stage and keep the energy crazy and the crowd on point. He's also a dope up and coming MC who's done shows everywhere, including Maxim Spring Break.
Last but not least the new dude Kain. I've been working with Kain for a few years but he recently stepped his game up to the point where we all thought he would be a great fit. One of the illest, most technically-sound MC's I've heard in awhile... and he isn't even 21 yet! This kid is a politcal science, pre-law student, involved with NAACP and tons of other things outside of music and is just an intelligent all around good dude with a great mind for what he wants to do. I never talk good about him while he's around so he should be happy. And he always steps up to the plate under pressure... he's gotta bright future.
There's a few cats that aren't necessarily Iconoclast but are still fam like Dubkiller, CarsonPalmer, Arsenik, Young Stacks, J. Rich, J. Bryant, Young Dirt & all of MTTS.
Will you be touring in the future?
We will always be doing smaller tours and shows around the Southeast, but ever since my daughter was born I decided to take a break on the road trips unless it was very beneficial. We make good money doing shows here, and now it's time to take that next step and jump on a national tour. So when that money is right and the time comes I'll let you know. Until then, you can catch us doing shows all over the Southeast.
Any shout outs?
Shout out to the fans reading this, the cats buying the music, the dj's spinning it, all the online stations supporting, shout out to PMG for keeping the shows big, all the artists who rock with us, Ndangr Species, Illpo, FSM, TFE, Eargasm, SOHH.com, HypeNC.com and all the people I forgot.
Thanks for doing this interview, we love playing your music on IllMuzik Radio - keep us updated!
Thank y'all for having me and for all the support! Make sure you go buy Ziplocked & Loaded off iTunes, Amazon, etc, Ty Bru's Triple Bypass & Dubkiller's BOOM are also on iTunes, Amazon, etc so cop those too. Make sure you subscribe to Youtube.com/IconcolastCrewTV, Follow @Ed_E_Ruger on Twitter and like Facebook.com/EdERugerMusic!
