Problem Keeps It Independent With His Next Album

While many rappers claim to be students of the game, few have spent as much time studying their craft as Problem. The Compton-based mind behind "Like Whaat?" and the recent DJ Drama-hosted The Separation mixtape has spent years soaking up insights and lessons from working with some of the West Coats biggest stars—Snoop Dogg, DJ Quik, Kurupt—while still keeping his ear tuned to the emerging sounds of contemporary California hip-hop. As is often the case, with a big brain comes big ambition.

Having recently announced a string of headlining tour dates, Problem hopped on the phone with XXL to discuss his upcoming album, the value of staying an independent artist and why he doesn't fuck with e-mails when it comes to his music. —Dan Jackson

There was a tweet recently from your manager saying that you'll be heading back to the studio soon. What are you hoping to accomplish with the album that you weren't able to do with the mixtape?
It's not necessarily what I didn't do, it's just the next chapter. Everything I wanted to accomplish on The Separation, I did, so I'm turning a new page, starting a new chapter. I wanna bring back that feeling that you used to hear on old Death Row records, old Ice Cube records, not even just what they were saying, but that aggression, that energy of the music. I want that feeling of everybody all in one room, no e-mail shit, just real inspiring music that's gonna be timeless. That's what I'm trying to do now. That'll be Diamond Lane America. We're gonna collectively put this thing together and have it be like the music we grew up listening to, so we can bring it to a younger audience, a new generation, so we can share that felling we had when The Chronic dropped.

I've seen you mention in other interviews that you hate making music through e-mail. So do you only make music in person in the studio?
I try to, but when you do favors for other artists, sometimes you have to use e-mail because you might not know this guy, but you know the person who asked you to do it. In those instances, when it's for other people's stuff, yeah, I'll do it. But for my stuff, no. I don't do e-mails. I put up on you or you put up on me. Wait till I'm in town or when you're in town, that way we can have the same energy on the record, like we're competing to make the best record. It's not just, "You put your voice on there for this project." I'm not with that. I'm more about the music. I want the music to stand out, not the features.

Who are you working with production-wise for the next album? A lot of League Of Stars or new people?
I'm probably gonna produce the bulk of it, just cause I wanna be very hands-on it with it. But the beats, of course, I'll have stuff from League Of Stars and a couple other producers. It's gonna be pretty close-knit project. I'm not gonna stray too far production-wise. It's gonna be a lot different than what y'all are expecting. Very aggressive. Diamond Lane America. Be ready.

I know you had the deal with Universal in the past, so are you looking to get another deal like that or are you done with big labels?
I have a deal. I'm signed to a big label. I'm signed to Diamond Lane Music Group and in my mind that's a very big label. What are we not doing that other labels are doing? You get what I'm saying? We're independent, but we're majorly independent. I love everything about it. If a company wants to come get into bed with us, that's on my CEO to decide if that's the best move, but right now I'm signed to Diamond Lane Music Group and I'm not looking to sign anything else.

What's the best part about being on an independent label?
The best part about being on my independent label is that it's a group of guys that I know have each other's best interests at heart and will give me creative freedom. I can go to the studio every day and I try to be the best I can be. There's nobody over my shoulder telling me to do this, telling me to do that. They trust me to do what I'm going to do and I trust the staff to do what they're going to do. And it's a great bond. I can talk to my CEO. A lot of artists, they never talk to the CEO of their label. I can call mine on the phone and have a conversation with him. That's my friend, that's my brother. Him being on a label with me—I mean, he's with me right now.

What was your inspiration when you started the label?
We were just a group of guys sitting around. We talked the way it was and we could take our mental resources and our physical resources and put them together and try to change the music game. At first it sounded like a lofty goal, but looking back now, two years into the game, we're right here amongst the power players. I'm excited about our position.

I saw on Twitter recently, you said you like your music more months later because you're too busy critiquing it in the moment when you're working on it. Are there particular songs of yours that you've gotten more into lately?
I just re-listened to The Separation probably last week and I was like, "Damn, this shit really was crazy!" I was listening to it just as a fan of music, instead of like, "Why is this hi-hat so low? Why did I pronounce this that way?" Because I engineer and produce, I know to pay attention to certain things. But now I can listen to it the way everyone else can. So I'm like, "Wow, this shit really went up. I like the way it's put together."

Looking back at your Deal Or No Deal mixtape or your even older material, how do you feel about it?
I hated my voice. [Laughs] I hated my voice back then. To me I was always saying cool things, but I probably didn't believe it as much as I believe it now. That's very important. But only I hear that. Other people are like, "Nah, that was cool." But I'm like, "Really? Was it really cool? Shit, I wanna be amazing." I'm trying to be one of the best.

How do you think you got better and improved in the last few years?
Repetition. That's the best way. If you do something everyday, you're bound to get better. I do this everyday. I wake up and go to the studio and I stay there until the sun goes down. I get some rest and I come back. Also, some artists are closed in and they think that their way is the only way. I'm not like that. I listen to other people's music and I say, "Oh, that's dope. How can I apply that to my way of doing things?" I'm real open to learn.