But even then, others leave more lasting questions. Artists, musicians and poets who pass on prematurely always beg the question: What would they had created if they hadn’t passed? And, how would that have inspired other artists and individuals?

When Camu Tao passed away in 2008 it was devastating. Camu, born Tero Smith, left a gaping hole in the hearts of his fans and turned the lives of his friends, family and Definitive Jux label-mates upside down. Not only was the death saddening for those with a personal connection to him, it came at a time when Camu was preparing some of his most-anticipated work musically.

“Camu’s passing is a constant reminder to me to follow the path I need to in my life”

“Camu was, in one way or another, one of the most important creative forces and inspirations to almost everyone associated with him,” El-P told aboveGround about his fallen friend. “He was a wild soul. He was a genius who never got the chance to see his dreams come to fruition.”

The MC and producer was working on various projects at the time of his death, including production for Cage’s upcoming release (I Never Knew You EP, released for free in 2009). But, even more importantly, Camu was preparing his first solo album on the Def Jux imprint.

The former-Weatherman and Nighthawk member was devoting nearly all of his time plugging away at what would be a defining moment in his bright career. Almost one year after his passing, El-P, the founder of Definitive Jux and close friend of Camu’s, announced that the album, named King of Hearts, had been completed posthumously and would be released in October of the same year. That deadline came and passed, and the two-year anniversary of Camu’s death rolled around on May 25 of 2010 – still no word about the album.

“My bigger fear was Camu never being heard.”

But, the delay was not in vein.

“I was waiting until I could find the right situation for the record,” explained El-P, “I didn’t want to throw it out there until that was in place.” And the right situation, it seems, has finally come.

Next week, on August 17, Camu Tao’s final record, King of Hearts, will finally see the light of day via Def Jux and Fat Possum Records. With it, a wave of relief for fans and a triumph for those who surrounded Camu in life – a proper send off for a friend.

“What can I say? [Camu's passing] changed me more than anything that has happened in my life,” El-P said, “Everyone knows time is short here but I think it takes this kind of loss to really feel that for what it means.”

“Needless to say Camu’s passing is a constant reminder to me to follow the path I need to in my life and to try my best to let go of some of the petty stresses and conflicts that at one time seemed relevant but now feel like child’s play.”

Putting together the remnants of his lost friend’s life work wasn’t easy either. It was a taxing trial for El-P to piece together the album from the rough music that was left incomplete.

“It was hard for me, but amazing at the same time,” he said, describing the process, “it felt simultaneously sad, thrilling, important and maudlin.”

In much the same fashion as the Jay Stay Paid album, completed by the late J Dilla’s friend Pete Rock, Camu’s final album seems a fitting tribute to someone who dedicated their life to the pursuit of making memorable music. Forever to be remembered by the one last effort, it also seems to be a lot of pressure on El-P to complete the vision and stay true to Camu’s message.

When asked if he was afraid of releasing an “unfinished masterpiece”, El-P simply replied, “No.” He continued by explaining, “My bigger fear was Camu never being heard.”

It seems so in line with the final wishes of anyone who picks up a mic – being heard is the most basic goal of any MC. And with that, it leaves little doubt that El-P will serve Camu’s legacy accordingly and release an inspirational last memento from Camu’s final efforts.

“I think people will appreciate the raw creativity of the record,” he said in closing, “his music is powerful even in its raw form and needs to be out there for not only his sake, but for music’s sake.”

El-P has done his part to preserve Camu’s memory, now it’s up to the fans to spread it far and wide.

Camu Tao’s King of Hearts can be pre-ordered from from Def Jux website. It hits stores on Tuesday, August 17.

First up, #20-11, these may be considered “honorable mentions” to some, but we thought they were just too good to leave un-ranked.

20. Black Sheep – From The Black Pool Of Genius
19. Sadat X – Wild Cowboys II
18. A.G. – Everything’s Berri
17. LMNO & Kev Brown – Selective Hearing
16. Murs & 9th Wonder – Fornever
15. Diabolic – Liar And A Thief
14. Everliven Sound – Freedom 2
13. The Strangerz – 2nd To None
12. Marco Polo & Ruste Juxx – The eXXecution
11. Guilty Simpson & Madlib – OJ Simpson

Check out the next page to start our countdown to #1.

aboveGround Magazine: Your album is composed more of a story, why did you decide to format it like that?

PackFM: I formatted it the way I did because I felt like people shouldn’t just be listening to songs with a record like this, I felt like it should be an overall experience. So while I was writing songs I was thinking of the scenarios that inspired the words and I just laid it all out. In the end it makes for a more interractive listening than just the best 15 songs I could do.

AGM: What are you trying to change within the rap game? I ask this because you say in I F*cking Hate Rappers “The first step to changing things is getting people angry”.

PFM: The standard of music needs to be the priority. If people were more concerned with how good an artist’s music was, rather than who they got beef with or what groupies they’re fucking, we wouldn’t have the issues we have now. And, a lot of people are becoming quite complacent with things and just accepting this steady decline. So someone needs to draw attention to this and let them know, if you don’t act now its only going to get worse. So you gotta get them pissed off so that they want to take a closer look and actually do something about it.

“If hip hop were a woman, she’d have one loose pussy”

AGM: A lot of people like where hip-hop is going though, so I’m guessing you don’t like how hip-hop is right now?

PFM: I think there is definitely more good hip-hop in 2010 than let’s say 2007. But the standard of music is still pretty low. There’s nothing that encourages people to push the envelope a little and be a great artist. The art of making an album is dead and being replaced with monthly mixtapes. Songs aren’t made to be digested; they’re made to fill blog content for the day. So, yes, there is some great hip-hop here and there, but the overall picture is pretty sad. It’s going to take more than one good Jay Electronica MP3 to convince me that things are alright.

AGM: Damn. Thats so true. People always go for the mixtapes. But when the album dropped did you have any fear with the reception of the album? I ask because people might not see the artistic freedom in the music and just see it as dissing.

PFM: If I had any fear of how the record would be received I wouldn’t have been able to say most of what I said. I just spoke my mind front to back, I don’t care what anybody thinks about how I feel, you either agree or you don’t. I’m down to have a discussion with anybody any day. The only thing I care about is that it sounds good musically and is enjoyable to listen to. As for dissing, I didn’t diss anybody on the record. Not once. Nothing I said was disrespectful, just references that highlight what I’m thinking. People just look for a reason to sensationalize things. But there’s no dissing anywhere on this record.

AGM: Why do you think people look for a reason to try and sensationalize things?

PFM: Because, who wants to deal with the truth? Let’s say someone looks at what I said about Dilla Changed Your T Shirt. They’re going to say “Pack dissed Dilla” rather than take a step back and realize that I’m not dissing Dilla at all, but I’m actually talking about them, people who hopped on the Dilla bandwagon after he died and wore the t-shirt just to seem down. So its way easier to just be like, “Pack dissed Dilla and is hating,” than to admit that they probably never heard a Slum Village record in their life.

AGM: True, True, and that’s a shame within itself. It also seems that anyone with a computer mic wants to be a rapper. And not even a good one. Why do you think everyone and their mother is trying to rap? You touch on that a few times throughout the album

PFM: People rap because they want to be rich and famous and they can’t sing, act, play an instrument or suck at sports. So what’s left? Rapping. They figure anybody can make words rhyme and talk over a beat. Essentially they have no respect for the art and skill that goes into creating great rap music. Ask most of these rappers if they were offered all the fame and a lot of money and the only condition would be to never rhyme again ever, they’d do it in a heartbeat. A lot of people rap because they love the music and the culture, but just because you love to eat food doesn’t mean you’re a chef, so just because you love hip hop doesn’t make you a rapper.

AGM: Do you ever regret getting into hip-hop? In the album you have a line like, “I used to love her till i found out this hottie was a whore.” Do you think people would put you in that box of “I just rap for the money and fame”?

PFM: I’m not rich, and I’m not famous, so I don’t see how I could fit in that box at all. I don’t regret any involvement in hip hop. I love this culture with a passion, lets never get that twisted. But when it gets to the point that everybody on earth is fucking with it just because, rather than having a real passion for it, it takes away from you enjoying it yourself. So the following line is “I can’t wait til she ain’t fuckin’ anybody anymore”. If hip hop were a woman, she’d have one loose pussy.

AGM: {Laughs} word. Have you noticed any criticism/anger from rappers coming your way for doing what you did on the album?

PFM: Rappers seem to like the concept the most, oddly enough. It’s like that Chris Rock skit where the chick is dancing to the most degrading song to women “He aint talkin ’bout me though!” The most criticism I’ve seen is from people who just don’t get it. I blame that on rappers though. Because so many rappers have tried to tackle similar subject matter, but they all say the same shit and after a while fans start to write off anything remotely close to it. But, I think anyone who actually takes an hour out of their day to simply listen to the words and the music will find it kind of refreshing.

AGM: No doubt, it really was. You saw our rating for the album. Last question for the interview — Where was the autotune on the album? You know you could of made it pop with that on it. {Laughs}

PFM: Ha! I think its hilarious that after Jay-Z said no more autotune, like 90% of the rappers stopped doing that shit.

AGM: {Laughs} No doubt. Na, but for real though, any last words or shout-outs before we wrap up the interview?

PFM: Yea last words as always – buy my shit. I really mean it though, if you want to see good music make it to the top, there’s only one way, and that’s through your pockets. The industry has proven that people are more than happy to buy garbage, now its time for people with taste in music to be accounted for.

PackFM’s I F*cking Hate Rappers is available now. Click to order from the QN5 website, or from iTunes.

The New York MC who used to kicked it with Dr. Dre and was shot on the day he was supposed to sign a deal with Atlantic Records has come out of these tribulations with his head held high. Even after a long-lasting lyrical shoot-out between Carey and his old friend and collaborator, DOOM (formerly, MF DOOM), he seems at peace and ready to reenter the game as a new man.

I got the chance to chop it up with GRIMM about his album, we discussed his life and how he’s changed. After the interview I came up with a list of eight things that were shared with me that will help our readers — and all of GRIMM’s fans — better understand him as a person, and this album as his masterpiece.

1. He Thought He Was Done

After The Hunt For The Gingerbread Man dropped in 2007, he thought he was done making rap records. In fact,  after his ground-breaking triple disc, American Hunger, in 2006, he said he was focusing on TV.

“At the time, my sister had passed away and I was going through a lot of personal moments,” he said, “so I was at the point where I wasn’t interested anymore. I was just focused on comic books and television.” The MC went on to write for various magazines, including Marc Ecko’s Complex, about comic books and graphic novels and then worked with DC Comics. “I wasn’t sure if there was anything else I could bring to the rap game. If you can’t bring anything else to the game, then it’s time for you to get out to make space for upcoming MCs.”

He decided it was time for him to come back after reading books on being a writer. He learned to tap into his creativity, he said. “It took four years for me to cope with my sister’s passing,” he told me, “So, I wanted to make a hybrid to show my appreciation [for graphic novels]. An audio graphic novel. I wanted people to see with their ears and hear with their eyes.”

2. He’s Not The Same MF GRIMM

“I try not to go back. I don’t want to be seen as the drug dealer my whole life,” he said somberly. He explained how he’s come to grips with the fact that children from around the world hold him up as a role model in many ways. “I get feedback from all over the globe. Serbia, Germany, places where, as I understand, it’s a lot harder. Lebanon — where kids are stepping on bombs — I get mail all the time from kids all over the globe. Kids who have either read my book or understand the choices I’ve made. And, they know I’m trying to come back, that’s really what my focus is right now: Giving back. I took so much for so long. I owe them.”

“I took so much for so long. I owe them.”

3. He Wants His Fans To Understand He’s Not The Same

When asked if it’s been hard for him to leave his old life behind, he said it’s probably more difficult for his fans to move forward. “I think it’s harder for the audience to accept if you evolve. People want to hear you rapping about picking up a gun and hitting a guy in the head.”

“I’m more conscious of children looking up to me now. I know a lot of rappers say ‘I’m not a father, it ain’t my responsibility,’ but back in the day the village used to raise the children,” he said. “That’s just me speaking. I’m not speaking for anybody else.”

“Look, when I came into this I was a kid — 14 — now, like I just told you, I’m going on 40. Would you expect the same things from someone going on 40?”

4. His New Album, You Only Live Twice, Is An Entirely Fictional Album

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“It’s a crocodile ‘dunn’-deal,” he tells me when I call him to confirm the date of our interview. I had heard his music, but never spoken to the New York MC before today. I can already tell from our short conversation that he’s going to have some interesting opinions, and after listening to his new album, The Good Sun, I’m convinced that he might make for the best interview I’ve ever done.

Homeboy Sandman rolled onto the New York circuit in 2007 with a strange cadence and oddly-smooth flow. His first EP, Nourishment, was critically acclaimed and served as a springboard for his success. Shortly thereafter he released a second-round of his debut, Nourishment 2 (Second Helpings), which featured all of the original tracks from the first album and five additional songs (it was dubbed an LP — his first actual album). In 2008, he continued to build upon that success, releasing his only free release, There Is No Spoon, a mixtape with DJ Baby Drew and his latest, and most well-known, album, Actual Factual Pterodactyl.

Now, poised to drop his fourth release in less than four years (The Good Sun drops on June 1), he’s ready to spread his gospel even further. A complete distribution deal through Fat Beats means his music will be available all across the country. I got up with Boy Sand last week while he was in the studio and we discussed the new album, what his beef is with hip hop, and who’s behind the spread of wackness he’s been complaining about.

aboveGround Magazine: Let’s talk about the new album, what was the process like? Almost 2 years recording time?

Homeboy Sandman: Well, I wasn’t recording this album for 2 years. After Actual Factual Pterodactyl came out I was recording other stuff. The first song on this album I think I recorded at the beginning of last year. I didn’t even know it was gonna be on this album but it kind of set the album in motion, a song called “The Essence”, but I used it for my video that came out around the same time, so when that Vimby video came out is when this album really started.

Most of the writing took place in the second half of last year, because that’s when I really found the soul of the album and was able to grab hold of that and weave that spirit through all the songs and really understand what the project was about.

But the process is very much me sitting down with a slew of beats, selecting ones that have an optimistic sound – an illuminating sound – I like organic, I like grit – a phenomenal sound – and me moving around the world, different places in New York, speaking with different people and realizing different things, and taking that and letting that all come out on the paper, man.

And, my writing process – I’m actually writing a song about it right now called “The Miracle”, cause my writing process really comes to me straight from God. The album’s called The Good Sun, I’m a very spiritual person, just very much about God.

AGM: Is that on par with the way that it has worked [on your previous albums], or how has that process changed?

HS: For me, every song is different. I normally start with the beat and I listen to that and I try to say what the beat is saying on it’s own. I very seldom listen to music with lyrics on it. The beats I rap over, they have a story that they’re telling and I want to find out if I have a story to tell that corresponds with that and then tell my story over it – kind of a double whammy effect.

But, the writing was a lot more personal on this disc. I was going through a lot of things in my personal life. I’m maturing as a person. I’m changing as a person.

You know, there are a few real artists in hip-hop. You know, like artists that fans will get to watch grow, like people watched Stevie Wonder grow, people watched the Beatles change and people saw John Lennon going through what he was going through. And hip hop, because so much of it is defiled and dastardly, it’s just kind of made to be for the next five minutes. But, there are real artists in here who are taking you for a trip through [their] life by listening to their songs.

So, the process is always a little bit different.

AGM: You said you were going through some personal things – how has your life changed [throughout the course of your career]?

HS: Well, ever since I determined I was going to be an MC I haven’t done anything else. For a while, I just chopped everything else out of my life. I wouldn’t even chill with people, I wouldn’t chill with my family. I was just like “Yo, I gotta rap, I gotta write, I gotta do everything.”

I’m getting better at balance. I wasn’t really even talking about life growth issues – I wasn’t even listening to music! It wasn’t until this album that I started listening to music. I wasn’t even like a person for my first couple of albums. And people would tell me, and I understand, like “Yo, these records are slammin’ but there’s not a lot of connect-ability here.”

I always had a fear that if I didn’t spend 24 hours a day writing, that I wouldn’t be as strong the next day. You know kind of like a guy that gets in the gym and doesn’t want to take one day off because if he does he doesn’t think he’s going to be as strong.

But, I’ve realized now that that’s just not the case man. Sometimes you take a day off, let the muscles rest.

AGM: So you just kind of learned to breathe a little bit in between?

HS: Yeah, yeah, yeah, a little bit of space to breathe.

AGM: When it comes to making music, did you have a lot of knowledge coming into that or did you just experiment until you found something that you thought sounded good?

HS: I’ve always had a talent as far as musicality. I used to play the saxophone, I played for seven years and I excelled at that. And, I was also fortunate to be raised in a household [where] my father used to play all kinds of stuff. From hip hop to classical and jazz, whatever was out, even some country tones even some blues tones.

So, this is something I’ve always had a natural aptitude for. But when it came time to write songs – not all my songs go with the conventional format, which is 16, 8-bar hook, 16, 8-bar hook, 16, 8-bar hook, and even – actually, I didn’t even know how to count bars at first. It was my boy YG who taught me how to count bars. But, I just had a feeling for how long, you listen to enough hip hop and you know when a 16-bar verse is coming.

I remember one of the first songs I wrote – actually, the first song I wrote, “Kain News”, from my first album, which was a news broadcast – I outlined it like a paper. I was an English major in school, with a creative writing concentration, so before I would write something I made outlines: This is what’s going to happen in the first paragraph, second paragraph, third paragraph and whatnot.

So, early on I was like this is what I’m going to write about in this rap record: The first half of the first verse will be about this, the second half will be about this, so early on I would structure something like that.

Other than that, I take a lot of pride in my hooks. I definitely understand the importance of a good hook.

AGM: You’re calling this your “first commercial release”, what does that mean?

HS: This is my first commercial release due to the fact that Fat Beats is doing the distribution. High Water Music is putting it out. This is going to be the first release that I’m not selling hand-to-hand for the most part. Pterodactyl, while it’s been selling and is selling significantly online, the majority of the sales from AFP was hand-to-hand.

So, this is going to be the first one where cats can walk into the store, which is a milestone for me.

AGM: You’ve put a lot of emphasis on live shows, in a couple of interviews I’ve read with you. What is it about your live show that you think makes it so dope?

HS: I was talking about this the other day. I LOVE music. I love it. If I didn’t do this for a living, I wouldn’t be alive. I know in hip hop there’s a whole bunch of garbage taking place – people are doing it like it’s the cool thing to do and these people wasn’t born with no gift to do it and maybe they should be doing something else – whatever.

But, this is not me. I LOVE my music. I love every single rhyme. When I get up on stage I’m in love, man. I do get a lot of positive feedback about my live show and that’s because I’m up there – imagine how much fun I’m having – I wouldn’t rather do nothing else. If you ask someone, “Yo, what do you want do with your life? You can do whatever you want.” How many people actually get to do that? I get to do that! And, I’m just so jovial; I’m in a state of bliss when I’m up there. And I really think that transfers man.

I take the time to make sure everything that I write is at a level where I can’t wait to say it. So a lot of energy comes through in my live show. You come to my show and there’s an energy transference that people aren’t used to, especially in hip hop.

I mean, my favorite crew of all time is the Roots crew. My favorite MC of all time is Black Thought. You go to a Roots show and they’re known for amazing shows. I had the honor of rocking the stage with Black Thought at the last show ever at the Knitting Factory and he was doing a solo set, he didn’t have the band with him, but he got up on stage and it’s the truth. The truth is there. Here’s a brother telling the truth, and he’s nice with it.

You don’t see that all the time in hip hop because you go to a hip hop show and there’s someone up on the stage trying to play a role. People aren’t stupid, they got an innate sixth sense that says, “that wasn’t that fresh,” even if they don’t understand why it wasn’t fresh.

I was telling someone the other day, it’s a sad thing what’s going on the manipulation of hip hop. They got people brainwashed thinking smiling is bad. If you heard my album you know I got “Mean Mug” on there. These cats think smiling is bad. They think happiness is bad. It’s ridiculous stuff going on, but if you get in front of someone and you’re happy it shows them. There’s good things going on at my live shows because there’s good things going on in my music. People relate to that. And, people don’t get to hear that very often in hip hop. But, I think you get that anytime there’s a real musician in front of you, but so many cats doing rap aren’t real musicians.

AGM: So, do you think someone like me – I’m 1,000 miles away – that never gets to see your live show, am I missing out on something that’s a crucial piece of Homeboy Sandman?

HS: You’re definitely missing out on something. You should take the opportunity as soon as you get it.

I take a lot of pride in my live show. I take a lot of pride in my recorded music. Some cats you get the record and you’re like “Yeah they’re all right,” but you see them in the live show and it’s like “Yo, this cat is slammin!” I think you can tell I’m slammin’ from either my record or my live show. But yeah, I think it’s something that’s worth your time.

AGM: You talked about this a little bit in the last question, but you’re kind of vocal about what you think is wack, or what you don’t think is made by musicians. What really bothers you about the music that’s being made out there?

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Tell the homies:

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