Exclusive: Statik Selektah Talks Forthcoming Album, ‘Population Control’, Names His Favorite Tracks
Statik Selektah talks with us about the aim of his new record and the tone brought by his new class of rapper friends.
In a recent interview with aboveGround, Statik Selektah opened up about his forthcoming new album, Population Control. The veteran producer addressed his process for picking artists and revealed his favorite cuts from the record.
As a hip-hop veteran, producer and DJ, Statik Selektah aims to showcase the talent of hip hop’s “official” new artists with the release of his fourth solo upcoming album he said in the interview. The Boston artist revealed that while previous projects were darker content wise and reached out to artists who were already established for features, Population Control takes a new direction in taking the sound of a feel good album and featuring upcoming artists of a new generation.
“There’s just so many different parts to hip-hop nowadays; there’s a lot of cats people haven’t heard of in our world and there’s some kids who are selling out shows who don’t even know what XXL is,” explained the critically-acclaimed DJ.
He continued, explaining the concept of the album is to show hip-hop’s new generation who he approves from it and to introduce newbies to veteran MCs they may not know already.
He said an over whelming amount of new rappers emerging was what influenced him to create the album.
“Everybody wants to be a rapper now, everybody wants to be a DJ. It’s like some people gotta fall back and be the manager, some people got to be doctors. Population Control means not everybody is supposed to do this but here’s some cats who do it good,” Statik said about the record’s title.
The Beantown producer revealed his criteria for picking rappers he thought deserved to be showcased was for them to have the whole package; to have been able to create a buzz, be a lyricist, be innovative and know how to rock a crowd. All qualities he feels his selected features have. “I put [MCs] on the album I feel can hold their own,” he explained. “I think its been a couple years since we’ve had a [new] generation that stands on their own. I’m proud of them.”
He named his favorite tracks on the album, mentioning “Play the Game”, which features Big K.R.I.T. and Freddie Gibbs as well as “New York, New York”, which boasts appearances from Styles P, Saigon and Jared Evan. He also said he is excited to see the success of featured artists like Chris Webby and especially Mac Miller.
“When he [Mac Miller] did that song ["Groupie Love"] no body knew who he was and now he’s one of the biggest rappers out in less than a year, it’s crazy,” he said about the young MC.
Static Selektah’s Population Control is scheduled for release on October 25 via his own ShowOff Records and Duck Down. It’s slated to feature appearances by Big K.R.I.T., Talib Kweli, Styles P, Mac Miller, Sean Price, Brother Ali and many more.
Check out the full tracklisting for the project below.
1. Population Control f. Sean Price & Termanology
2. Play the Game f. Big K.R.I.T. & Freddie Gibbs
3. Groupie Love f. Mac Miller & Josh Xantus
4. New York, New York f. Styles P, Saigon & Jared Evan
5. Sam Jack f. XV, Jon Connor & The Kid Daytona
6. Never a Dull Moment f. Action Bronson, Termanology & Bun B
7. You’re Gone f. Talib Kweli, Colin Munroe & Lil Fame
8. They Don’t Know f. Pill & Reks
9. Down f. Push! Montana & LEP Bogus Boys
10. Let’s Build f. Chace Infinite, JFK, Mitchy Slick & Wais P
11. Smoke On f. Dom Kennedy & Strong Arm Steady
12. The High Life f. Kali, GameBoi & Chris Webby
13. Half Moon Part f. Skyzoo, Chuuwee & Tayyib Ali
14. Black Swan f. Nitty Scott MC & Rapsody
15. Harlem Blues f. Smoke DZA
16. Gold In 3D f. STS & Dosage
17. Damn Right f. Joell Ortiz & Brother Ali
18. Live & Let Live f. Lecrae
19. A DJ Saved My Life f. DJ Premier, DJ Babu, Scram Jones & DJ Craze
20. 4Gs f. Ea$y Money, Termanology, Scram Jones & Wais P
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