06/12/07

Montana Diary · 06-12-2007, 11:28 AM

A look at Stat's Shady/Aftermath debut, out this August 28. PLUS: Stat talks on Dre's "Detox"!

Stat Quo's debut album, Statlanta, is finally dropping in 2003. 2004. 2005. 2006. 2007. You think we lie. We do not lie. Stat came through VIBE last week and played us some tracks, snippets and sneak previews from his oft-pushed, much-anticipated record. He also talked about where he's been, and gave a little insight into the work behind another long-delayed album: Detox, which he's been working on with Dr. Dre in a top-secret hole in the ground somewhere on the West Coast. Not really about that last part, but as Stat put it, "We can live like groundhogs, so long as the music's crazy."

We didn't hear full songs, but an early assessment: we are excited. The man is bringing a broad spectrum of topics, feelings, smarts and pensive flows, over a strong soul-sample overlay and some of the hottest Dre beats in years. And the album includes absolutely no "snapping, trapping or crunk. No disrespect to anyone. But my neck fuckin hurts," joked Stat.

Tracks, all tentatively titled:

"Testify" (prod. Eminem, f. Eminem): A proper intro to Statlanta - replete with organ intro, clattering beat and gospel choir - that establishes Stat's preeminence.

"Next One" (prod. Eminem, f. Eminem): metallic, grindy synth with Em on a hook.

"Fire" (f. Bilal, prod. Dr. Dre): Why Bilal? "Dude is fire, and he's my good friend, even though he wears rings on his feet," Stat quipped. Dre lives up to the name of this one, with a spare, ominous piano and tambourine on the slow burn. Stat is "low, fresh, lean like a kickstand I guess."

"G.R.I.T.S. (Girls Raised in the South)" (prod. Dawaun Parker & Che Vicious): You know what it is: Stat puts his swagger on the Southern ladies.

"The Way it Be" (f. Scarface, prod. Dr. Dre): "This is one of my favorite songs," Stat said of the song's palette of rough life and class inequality.

"Stat Quo" (prod. Dr. Dre): He described this as an autobiography - where he came from, where he's going. It opens with the sound of pen to paper, scribbling, and lays it down on a more classically Dre-sounding, stormy production.

"Finger to Sky" (prod. Scott Storch): One of our favorites - a scorching hot club track whose chorus - "finger to the sky… and fuck the world" - will ensure it never sees the light of day on the radio. A shame, cause Storch is surpassing himself with a twerky xylophone-sounding beat. ?uestlove played drums live, too, and Stat's a self-proclaimed Roots fan. "It was kinda cool... he came down to Miami to play drums on it, and had his whole 'fro out."

"30 Minutes": This pays respect to women who have been abused and turn suicidal - his roughish voice translates really well to more serious tracks, showing his capacity to be emotionally evocative. Includes a sample by lesbian (?) Russian pop duo T.a.T.U.

"All Hood": (f. Nikki Grier, prod. Dr. Dre): Thumping bass and silky vocals by Nikki Grier (Pam's daughter) on this track about growing up in Atlanta.

"Goin Somewhere": (prod. Keezo Kane): Kane makes good on representing Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music with soul snaps and samples.

According to Stat, the album will also include features by Young Buck, Devin the Dude, Three 6 Mafia, and Dr. Dre and Eminem, of course.

The burning question: why has this album taken so damn long to come out? "I recorded a lot of records," explained Stat," but I was trying to make a cohesive album. And working with Dr. Dre - we know how long Detox is taking to come out. He's a perfectionist like no one you've ever met. Time doesn't matter - the music has to be right. We can live like groundhogs, as long as the music's crazy."

As for the four years the album was supposed to see the light of day, he explained, "That was just me bein impatient. It's hard to be working on something and seeing your friends making so much money, driving Lamborghinis, seeing them on awards shows, and you're just like, 'I was just at your mama's house!' It was hard. But I spent the last ten months working on the Detox, finishing writing for other artists. I went to South America with Dre on a private island just to chill. Well, it wasn't just me and Dre - there were some ladies, too. It was dope. I was standing in like, an $8 million crib, getting a massage. Not to floss or anything- it's just that I'm from Atlanta, and we don't even got a beach."

On working on Dre's insanely anticipated Detox:

"Me, Em and Dre just vibin. I have a lot of respect for them - it's about the music to them. If I had that much money, I wonder if I would be as about the music as they are. They still work like they're broke. A lot of people just go to the studio and make the record. Workin on Detox, we'd hang out, Snoop would come through. We'd go BBQ, hang out, but there's a studio there [in case we get inspired]. When you make music work, it sounds like work. When I heard "The World is a Ghetto," "Comin Out Hard," "Straight Outta Compton," it sounded like those places, I wanted to go there.

On Statlanta's lack of crunk, snap, trap or any other currently-popular ATL outlier:

"The first version of Statlanta had more 'Southern' production. But me and Dre and Em sat down and all said, let's do something else. We listened to how hip-hop was going and we wanted to show people you can go against the grain and do things your own way."

Working in Detroit with Eminem.

"If you've ever been to Detroit, the sun's like allergic to Detroit. And where Em works, it's some real grimy shit - it's the mood attached to the music. You get in there and can't help but start thinking about grimy shit. We'd just write about whatever. He's probably going to kill me for this, but we made a song about Smoothies. We'd order smoothies every day, so we made a song about it."

On releasing Statlanta in an entirely transformed record industry:

"When I was first signed, I was like, I wanna go platinum! And Dre was like, 'Platinum? Three million.' I was like, 'Three million?! I only got 50 people in my cell!'

Now the record industry is a little different. I'm excited [to release the album], but I'm also nervous, cause you gotta be with what's going on with rap. I think executives are at a loss. People aren't making as much as they once did. But I believe in my product, song for song, I feel what I'm talking about. We at war, shit. It's fucked up around here - the reality of a regular man, and a lot doesn't get addressed. If you get into my album, it's about the struggle of life."

SOURCE

Jay_Dubbs_Southside_28457 · 06-12-2007, 11:42 AM

good reading

YoungAl3xG · 06-12-2007, 11:44 AM

props good read

Quote:

"When I was first signed, I was like, I wanna go platinum! And Dre was like, 'Platinum? Three million.' I was like, 'Three million?! I only got 50 people in my cell!'

lmao

Dj Wiggles · 06-12-2007, 11:48 AM

major props man
i wonder if that smoothie song will come out...lol

hip_hop_101 · 06-12-2007, 11:53 AM

good read can't wait.Nobody can deny the strength of shady/aftermath artists.I like Stat he's different,but didn't he say a few months back he had some sick collabo with 50.And 50 said somethin like it was his favorite or probally the best joint he's been on since in the club.

Ed-ucation · 06-12-2007, 12:00 PM

props, can't wait to hear statlanta, I'm sur it's gonna be hot

MaK-DxB · 06-12-2007, 12:02 PM

Propssssss.....

Jhey · 06-12-2007, 03:54 PM

should be hot !

sunhead · 06-12-2007, 04:42 PM

this album gon be fire it will be better than curtis but wont sell better

$$Madskillz$$ · 06-12-2007, 08:46 PM

good producers on his album but he int really got a buzz

Jeff Greenbank · 06-13-2007, 12:08 AM

This should be one of the hottest album's on Shady/Aftermath! I can't wait 'till it comes out.

REIGN-MAN · 06-13-2007, 02:53 AM

Copping Statlanta

InfamousQBC · 06-13-2007, 03:01 PM

With The Description Of The Records & Production It's Buildin' Up Mad Hype. I Hope It Live Up That Hype. But He Got No Buzz, Betta Release A Single Now And Video So Maybe He Might Get A Chance To Sell Good Numbers.

NoRapName · 06-13-2007, 07:03 PM

When is the release date?

mEatwaD · 06-13-2007, 08:47 PM

propz. good looks and good read

Quote:

the album includes absolutely no "snapping, trapping or crunk. No disrespect to anyone. But my neck fuckin hurts," joked Stat.

lmao.

Tha Unit On Top · 06-13-2007, 09:47 PM

Look, we all no in this day and age of sales, Stat wont sell alot, maybe gold, but who cares. It sounds like he gonna have some crazy ass beats, Dre is bringing that fire for this album. He will have hot beats, good features with Dre, Em, Buck, so the shit will be hot. It may not sell alot, and some people dont like his voice, it does take some getting used too, but he aint on that bullshit snap music, he is on some real shit, so def will buy this album.

G Bird · 06-14-2007, 02:37 AM

This is one of the albums I'm waiting on hard, Detox is another one.

The Big Shaniel · 06-17-2007, 08:37 AM

good read man,
should be a hot album
i mean he was working on it for a long time...

GangstaMusik · 06-17-2007, 11:01 AM

Cant wait for Statlanta !!

06-12-2007, 11:28 AM	#1
Montana Diary Veteran Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Brampton, ON, Canada Posts: 2,819 Thanks: 166 Thanked 2,234 Times in 304 Posts	06/12/07 - FIRST SHOT: Stat Quo, "Statlanta" 06/12/07 - FIRST SHOT: Stat Quo, "Statlanta" A look at Stat's Shady/Aftermath debut, out this August 28. PLUS: Stat talks on Dre's "Detox"! Stat Quo's debut album, Statlanta, is finally dropping in 2003. 2004. 2005. 2006. 2007. You think we lie. We do not lie. Stat came through VIBE last week and played us some tracks, snippets and sneak previews from his oft-pushed, much-anticipated record. He also talked about where he's been, and gave a little insight into the work behind another long-delayed album: Detox, which he's been working on with Dr. Dre in a top-secret hole in the ground somewhere on the West Coast. Not really about that last part, but as Stat put it, "We can live like groundhogs, so long as the music's crazy." We didn't hear full songs, but an early assessment: we are excited. The man is bringing a broad spectrum of topics, feelings, smarts and pensive flows, over a strong soul-sample overlay and some of the hottest Dre beats in years. And the album includes absolutely no "snapping, trapping or crunk. No disrespect to anyone. But my neck fuckin hurts," joked Stat. Tracks, all tentatively titled: "Testify" (prod. Eminem, f. Eminem): A proper intro to Statlanta - replete with organ intro, clattering beat and gospel choir - that establishes Stat's preeminence. "Next One" (prod. Eminem, f. Eminem): metallic, grindy synth with Em on a hook. "Fire" (f. Bilal, prod. Dr. Dre): Why Bilal? "Dude is fire, and he's my good friend, even though he wears rings on his feet," Stat quipped. Dre lives up to the name of this one, with a spare, ominous piano and tambourine on the slow burn. Stat is "low, fresh, lean like a kickstand I guess." "G.R.I.T.S. (Girls Raised in the South)" (prod. Dawaun Parker & Che Vicious): You know what it is: Stat puts his swagger on the Southern ladies. "The Way it Be" (f. Scarface, prod. Dr. Dre): "This is one of my favorite songs," Stat said of the song's palette of rough life and class inequality. "Stat Quo" (prod. Dr. Dre): He described this as an autobiography - where he came from, where he's going. It opens with the sound of pen to paper, scribbling, and lays it down on a more classically Dre-sounding, stormy production. "Finger to Sky" (prod. Scott Storch): One of our favorites - a scorching hot club track whose chorus - "finger to the sky… and fuck the world" - will ensure it never sees the light of day on the radio. A shame, cause Storch is surpassing himself with a twerky xylophone-sounding beat. ?uestlove played drums live, too, and Stat's a self-proclaimed Roots fan. "It was kinda cool... he came down to Miami to play drums on it, and had his whole 'fro out." "30 Minutes": This pays respect to women who have been abused and turn suicidal - his roughish voice translates really well to more serious tracks, showing his capacity to be emotionally evocative. Includes a sample by lesbian (?) Russian pop duo T.a.T.U. "All Hood": (f. Nikki Grier, prod. Dr. Dre): Thumping bass and silky vocals by Nikki Grier (Pam's daughter) on this track about growing up in Atlanta. "Goin Somewhere": (prod. Keezo Kane): Kane makes good on representing Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music with soul snaps and samples. According to Stat, the album will also include features by Young Buck, Devin the Dude, Three 6 Mafia, and Dr. Dre and Eminem, of course. The burning question: why has this album taken so damn long to come out? "I recorded a lot of records," explained Stat," but I was trying to make a cohesive album. And working with Dr. Dre - we know how long Detox is taking to come out. He's a perfectionist like no one you've ever met. Time doesn't matter - the music has to be right. We can live like groundhogs, as long as the music's crazy." As for the four years the album was supposed to see the light of day, he explained, "That was just me bein impatient. It's hard to be working on something and seeing your friends making so much money, driving Lamborghinis, seeing them on awards shows, and you're just like, 'I was just at your mama's house!' It was hard. But I spent the last ten months working on the Detox, finishing writing for other artists. I went to South America with Dre on a private island just to chill. Well, it wasn't just me and Dre - there were some ladies, too. It was dope. I was standing in like, an $8 million crib, getting a massage. Not to floss or anything- it's just that I'm from Atlanta, and we don't even got a beach." On working on Dre's insanely anticipated Detox: "Me, Em and Dre just vibin. I have a lot of respect for them - it's about the music to them. If I had that much money, I wonder if I would be as about the music as they are. They still work like they're broke. A lot of people just go to the studio and make the record. Workin on Detox, we'd hang out, Snoop would come through. We'd go BBQ, hang out, but there's a studio there [in case we get inspired]. When you make music work, it sounds like work. When I heard "The World is a Ghetto," "Comin Out Hard," "Straight Outta Compton," it sounded like those places, I wanted to go there. On Statlanta's lack of crunk, snap, trap or any other currently-popular ATL outlier: "The first version of Statlanta had more 'Southern' production. But me and Dre and Em sat down and all said, let's do something else. We listened to how hip-hop was going and we wanted to show people you can go against the grain and do things your own way." Working in Detroit with Eminem. "If you've ever been to Detroit, the sun's like allergic to Detroit. And where Em works, it's some real grimy shit - it's the mood attached to the music. You get in there and can't help but start thinking about grimy shit. We'd just write about whatever. He's probably going to kill me for this, but we made a song about Smoothies. We'd order smoothies every day, so we made a song about it." On releasing Statlanta in an entirely transformed record industry: "When I was first signed, I was like, I wanna go platinum! And Dre was like, 'Platinum? Three million.' I was like, 'Three million?! I only got 50 people in my cell!' Now the record industry is a little different. I'm excited [to release the album], but I'm also nervous, cause you gotta be with what's going on with rap. I think executives are at a loss. People aren't making as much as they once did. But I believe in my product, song for song, I feel what I'm talking about. We at war, shit. It's fucked up around here - the reality of a regular man, and a lot doesn't get addressed. If you get into my album, it's about the struggle of life." *SOURCE* __________________

06-12-2007, 12:02 PM	#7
MaK-DxB 4800 VTC Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 1,694 Thanks: 264 Thanked 3,506 Times in 368 Posts	Propssssss..... __________________ If I Dont Look Good, You Dont Look Good, If You Dont Look Good, I Still Look Good

06-12-2007, 03:54 PM	#8
Jhey Boy Better Know Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Slough - U.K. Posts: 2,101 Thanks: 531 Thanked 106 Times in 31 Posts	should be hot ! __________________ PSN: Jhey The Second Emergence Day Is Here! Oh My Lord..

06-12-2007, 08:46 PM	#10
$$Madskillz$$ Christina Milian>>>>>>>>> Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Barbados Posts: 7,549 Thanks: 741 Thanked 475 Times in 109 Posts	good producers on his album but he int really got a buzz __________________ Christina Milian & Bria Myles!! AC MILAN~~LA LAKERS~~DALLAS MAVERICKS

06-13-2007, 12:08 AM	#11
Jeff Greenbank 26Knuckles26 Join Date: May 2006 Location: - Posts: 1,082 Thanks: 363 Thanked 822 Times in 82 Posts	This should be one of the hottest album's on Shady/Aftermath! I can't wait 'till it comes out. __________________ R.I.P. Proof ^^^^^^^ "I’d die for Em and save Hailie, brave maybe But just let them tears roll off my grave Shady."

06-12-2007, 11:42 AM	#2
Jay_Dubbs_Southside_28457 Veteran Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,427 Thanks: 1,415 Thanked 75 Times in 14 Posts	good reading

06-12-2007, 11:48 AM	#4
Dj Wiggles AHH!Get Away From Oprah!! Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: new york Posts: 1,679 Thanks: 356 Thanked 1,023 Times in 266 Posts	major props man i wonder if that smoothie song will come out...lol

06-12-2007, 11:53 AM	#5
hip_hop_101 Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Ontario,Canada Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	good read can't wait.Nobody can deny the strength of shady/aftermath artists.I like Stat he's different,but didn't he say a few months back he had some sick collabo with 50.And 50 said somethin like it was his favorite or probally the best joint he's been on since in the club.

06-12-2007, 12:00 PM	#6
Ed-ucation Veteran Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Montreal Posts: 4,462 Thanks: 345 Thanked 23 Times in 2 Posts	props, can't wait to hear statlanta, I'm sur it's gonna be hot

06-12-2007, 04:42 PM	#9
sunhead Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 58 Thanks: 11 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	this album gon be fire it will be better than curtis but wont sell better

06-13-2007, 02:53 AM	#12
REIGN-MAN R.I.P. PROOF ROTTEN APPLE Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: STRAIGHT OUTTA KILLA CALI Posts: 426 Thanks: 48 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Copping Statlanta

06-13-2007, 03:01 PM	#13
InfamousQBC Blue Diamonds Join Date: May 2006 Location: Southside Queens Posts: 10,699 Thanks: 8,373 Thanked 456 Times in 59 Posts	With The Description Of The Records & Production It's Buildin' Up Mad Hype. I Hope It Live Up That Hype. But He Got No Buzz, Betta Release A Single Now And Video So Maybe He Might Get A Chance To Sell Good Numbers. __________________

06-13-2007, 07:03 PM	#14
NoRapName Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 40 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	When is the release date?

06-13-2007, 09:47 PM	#16
Tha Unit On Top BISD Dropping In 09 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 3,670 Thanks: 238 Thanked 2,040 Times in 118 Posts	Look, we all no in this day and age of sales, Stat wont sell alot, maybe gold, but who cares. It sounds like he gonna have some crazy ass beats, Dre is bringing that fire for this album. He will have hot beats, good features with Dre, Em, Buck, so the shit will be hot. It may not sell alot, and some people dont like his voice, it does take some getting used too, but he aint on that bullshit snap music, he is on some real shit, so def will buy this album.

06-14-2007, 02:37 AM	#17
G Bird Travis G Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Midwest 715 Posts: 7,819 Thanks: 3,427 Thanked 1,839 Times in 210 Posts	This is one of the albums I'm waiting on hard, Detox is another one. __________________ I knock on the door, hope isn't home, fates not around, the lucks all gone / Don't ask me what's wrong, ask me what's right, and I'ma tell you what's life -+- Lil' Wayne - Tie My Hands -+-

06-17-2007, 09:46 PM	#20
youngbuck312 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Boston Posts: 299 Thanks: 150 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post

06-17-2007, 08:37 AM	#18
The Big Shaniel Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Brazil Posts: 3,173 Thanks: 181 Thanked 1,267 Times in 80 Posts	good read man, should be a hot album i mean he was working on it for a long time...

06-17-2007, 11:01 AM	#19
GangstaMusik Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 504 Thanks: 182 Thanked 29 Times in 4 Posts	Cant wait for Statlanta !! __________________ Fuck livin positive, cause negativity spreads faster - Lloyd Banks