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Photograph By Patrick Jacobs |
Phatmag: Has anything amazing happened to you since you were in London? Any crazy girls, any shooting, anybody stalking you?
Amad-Jamal: Actually, some pretty crazy things have happened to me since I've been in London. Yes. Of course I've been stalked. I'm Amad-Jamal (everyone laughs). No but as well, just the phenomenal energy and love that everybody has been showing me. Like I said, I came here and my record was sold out and that was a very big surprise for me. I dropped my record and then I came to Europe so I haven't really had a chance to feel the reaction of what my people at home think, you know what I'm saying. But I've been checking on a list and em, you know, Power 106 at home is one of the biggest stations and also one of the biggest affiliates in the United States. The biggest record pull is the Heavy Weights Record Pull which is run by Truly I which is a member of the Fantastic Four with J Rock of the B Junkies and Mr. Chuck - I'm number 2 of the top 30 list of the their favorite records right now and that's saying a lot. Gavin voted them the best record pull in the nation in the year 2000 and we haven't even got to 2001 and in that pull I've got the number 2 record with the likes of Jay-Z is under me, Memphis Bleak, some more of my crew members, Soul Scientific, my man 13 who's on ABB. He'll also be appearing on my album - 13. Their feeling it but as far as London goes....man...everbody opened up to me. The DJ's man, I've rubbed shoulders with Ja-Rule, I've been to countries I never thought I'd be at. I've been on radio shows a lot of people who have said that when they were here, they've never even been on. So the reaction to the people and the way I've been added on....like I said, I came here with one date in London, two dates in Europe and now I've been to four countries in Europe and I've rocked at least 10 shows in London alone in various scenes, you know what I'm saying....out in Reading at the college, in town at The Social for the underground hip hop scene, at Deck FX you know what I'm saying....
Phatmag: How would feel if your stuff blew up in Europe and not the US. I mean really took off like it does - it could do..
Amad-Jamal: Actually, I wouldn't be all that mad you know because actually the underground artists in LA, we look to Europe like... you know what I'm saying...as a measuring stick - not particularly for our music but for our vibe. Because people here are more open to that and more like I said, in LA is so big you kind of get laid back and blasČ cause like you say even here in London, they bring the best of the best but there's a different kind of respect for musicians and music here in London and Europe in general. They'll pay to see you even if they don't know you, you know what I'm saying. They'll come out and support you and they'll give you their real opinion of what's going on whereas everyone at home is 'kind of awsome...yes, yes' except for the people that you know. Girls will lie 'oh yeah, yeah, yeah. You're performing now? Right, right, Right....I saw your video' and you ain't even got a video. So, they're all on it like that. So how would I feel? I wouldn't be so mad but I would be mad if LA as a whole, wasn't showing me love. LA as a whole, if they wasn't showing me love, I'd be pretty upset because my experience come from LA.
Phatmag: But you'd be earning £'s as opposed to $'s
Amad-Jamal: Man. And the £ is worth 40 cents more than my dollar and I wanna earn that £ baby
Phatmag: So how long would you stay mad for? (Everyone laughs)
Amad-Jamal: Well errh. But no I wanna frequent this place because I love it. You know if I could come here seasonally, I would be very happy.
Phatmag: On a personal tip...just getting away from the music for a second...is there a difference in the way you feel as far as safety goes as a young black man walking free in London...nobody stepping to you - not that it happens in LA - but no attitude, no aggression - you just blend into the whole, black, white, Asian, African, Turkish....everything? How do you feel? Do you feel insignificant?
Amad-Jamal: No. I feel in love
Phatmag: Do you feel free?
Amad-Jamal: Free? Yeah. I feel more free than I do there yes and I think it's because the presence of authority there is weapons and fear
Phatmag: And how does it feel not seeing a gun for... how long have you been here? Two weeks?
Amad-Jamal: Man great!
Phatmag: No gun, nobody's approached you with a gun.....
Amad-Jamal: Actually I've seen a couple of pieces
