This is Part 1 of the "Artist by Artist Interview Series", Nasa's sit down with Short Fuze of W.A.S.T.E.L.A.N.D.S.

I asked Short Fuze a lot about Chicago and the scene there, what inspires his music (solo and with the group on "After Years of Television") and made fun of the Cubs. Enjoy.

Nasa- How powerful was Obama's election to people from Illinois? I could feel it from New York, but do you think it's like getting closer to the Sun, is it even hotter closer to the source?

Short Fuze- It was extremely powerful, I was at home watching the coverage at Grant Park on T.V. and I still felt overwhelmed. I had a few friends that went down to the rally and they said it was the most incredible thing they experienced. I think because this was a candidate that was genuinely put in office by the people. I remember when he gave his acceptance speech, I shed some tears. One, because I realized I was witnessing a moment in time that history would talk about decades down the road. Secondly, because at that moment I realized that at that moment the shackles of the worst administration in history was finally over. I remember waking up the next day and hopping the bus for work and just feeling the turning point. People were in better moods it was an uplifting feeling, I could actually feel the vibe of hope. I just think people have to be realistic and accept that Obama might not be able to change everything at once. Plus, its cool to think the president is from Chicago. I just don't like the fact he is a rabid White Sox fan, he talked alot of shit about Cubs fans on Sports Center. He almost lost my vote...lol

N- Did you go outside at all, were there any celebrations near you? Were you tempted to go to Grant Park at any point that night?

SF- No I didn't...I wasn't tempted at all, honestly. By the time the thought crossed my mind, there where hundreds of thousands of people down there. I had went down there during the Bulls last championship and that was crazy, so I can imagine what it would have been like for an historical event of that caliber. But, in retrospect it would have been cool to see that in person. People where on the radio that day selling their tickets to the rally so that was kind of crazy.

N- What's your opinion of "Mid-West" Hip-Hop, and what does that mean to you, if anything?

SF- That's a good question. When I first started recording my own demos when I was 13 years old, I would just try and emulate my favorite MC's. But as I got older and developed my style and we figured out as a group where we wanted to go with our music, I felt proud to represent the Midwest. There are so many different styles of Hip Hop here good or bad: Common, Twista, Do Or Die, Psychodrama, Kayne West, Qwel and Galapagos 4, The Molemen, The Opus and thats just the Chicago area. You obviously have Rhymesayers casting a rather large shadow over the Midwest. W.A.S.T.E.L.A.N.D.S. has always been heavily inspired by our surroundings, artists, environments, etc. We always set out to do something different from anyone everytime out. I think every artist feels that way but, here it is even more important because were still not considered a heavy weight within the scene nationally or underground. In our area, W.A.S.T.E.L.A.N.D.S. is looked at by the locals as the standard setter. I always try and give back my knowledge to other artists, but its still kind of nerve racking because were still trying to figure things out too. I love the fact that Midwest hip hop is unique in the fact that it is recognizable by your geography in most cases. Especially in Chicago, like you could tell Twista is from K-Town and Common is from Stoney Island. Even with us we are influenced heavily by New York hip hop but, once you figure it out there is a Chicago element in our music.

N- Why do you think there are so many nationally known and underground heads in the scene from Chicago, but at the same time it's almost like Chicago doesn't get it's due. It's like if someone blows up from CHI, they just blew up, but if someone blows up from New York, they blew up and their from New York. Do you know what I mean?

SF- I think its a combination of a few things. One, were a still very well known as a house music city, I don't know what its like anywhere else but, here hip hop and house was hand in hand for a long time. Not so much anymore, when I was growing up b-boys would hang out with the dj's. Second, it goes back to us not supporting each other like we should. I feel like N.Y.C. heads pub each other alot more and the same w/the Cali heads. Thirdly, I think those on the outside still look at our scene as if its still in its infancy. Because we were the last in the ring as far as the 3 major cities, we still don't get the credibility we are due. Plus, I also think that because we all have our own styles when record label people came here early on, they had a hard time "classifying" us in a particular sound.

N- What's the difference between what Hip-Hop in the Mid-West before and after artists from that area of the country started to actively participate in releasing records?

SF- You know as sad as it is, its always been the same. People do not help each other here. I think because were still somewhat new to the national scene, a lot of people still have that element of jealousy when someone makes it. Like unless in the circle of artists, you are essentially excluded. Common had to leave here because didn't get support from home, some of us like to hold each other down. It's real cutthroat here, when we originally planned out "Guests Of Honor" in 2004, we wanted it to be a Chicago compilation. I wanted to create a bridge and network within the scene here and know one wanted a part of it. I was one step away from booking a show at the U.I.C. Pavilion and my primary backer who had a bigger name backed out because I couldn't guarantee a specific amount of money. When I see other cats around the way its all love until, you mention something about doing something together. Everybody is out for self here, there are some cool and talented cats here don't get me wrong. But, its few and far between. I remember in 1998 I got my first show and instead of my friends coming out and supporting they all went to see DMX.

N- Why do you think that is? Is Chicago a city that's just too big of a city to inspire a "community feel" like that, I've never been there myself.

SF- No I don't think its that at all. I think its just that we are all competitive here and want to be the next one out and so badly sometimes that we forget to check our egos at the door. Plus, unfortunately there are a lot of star fuckers here. You could swear Jay-Z was from Chicago the way we pumped him. The town went ape shit when Twista was on that "Is That Your Bitch?" joint. At times people would rather support others than their own. Remember Common's beef with Ice Cube? Ice Cube had a line in a song where he said he sold more records in Chicago than Common. Which at the time was unfortunately true, not so much anymore but, that took a jumpstart from Kayne. Which kind of sucks because I think his dopest albums were before Kanye got involved. Sadly, I think this will never change. I mean on a smaller scale I jumped ship to a New York label because thats where I was appreciated. Would I change anything? No, but I wish I got a little more love at home. When we went N.Y.C. for Yule Prog, thats honestly the 1st place we where that people appreciated what we where doing and knew what the fuck we where talking about.

N- Has Kanye West had as much influence on the Chicago scene as it seems from the outside?

SF- No. He has affected more suburban hipsters more than anything. It's kind of funny because when he first popped there where alot of heads here that tried to take his pass away. People on the national scene might think that ego is something new but, Mr. West has always had that ego. Some people were happy he blew but, there where alot of cats that were like, "Oh shit, not this mother fucker..." I shit you not. A lot of people wanted Lupe Fiasco to pop first. Kanye is like that family member that won the lottery, you hope he would come back and help you out but, he just shit on cats that where there when he was struggling like them. Did you know he stole "Jesus Walks" from Ryhmefest? That should tell you enough right there. Don't get me wrong, he has his fair share of dick riders but, its not as rampant as you might think. Where it matters Common and Twista are the city heroes, because they never forgot.

N- Besides yourself or anyone in your crew, who is the dopest emcee in Chicago right now?

Hmmm...thats a real hard one. I'm changing the question. How bout who was the dopest MC that no one really heard?
That's Young Buck from Pyschodrama. It was a group comprised of Young Buck, Side and Nucense. Ask anybody that was on the scene in '98 and '99, they ran the underground. They were killing a series of mixtapes called: Chi-Bangin', they were supposed to be next ones, they signed a deal with Suave House (8Ball and MJG's label) and just got fucked. An unfortunate perfect example of what is like to get raped by the industry, they put out a couple singles, then the album got shelved. Suave House wouldn't release them, the group broke up and from then on, they where relegated to mixtapes because they couldn't release anything official. Young Buck is best known for his two verses on Twista's "Adrenaline Rush". Check out some of his lines: And I'm calibrated at 360 degrees, see that's 300 niggas thats gon die by 60 slugs to do this deed, we too much for the industrialists to fuck with this, on the brink of fuckin' up some shit, dismantle deduct some shit, it's hard to imagine what niggas got nerves to do, so I guess I just take that fuckin' nerve from you, then think what I'm on the verge to do, and I got the urge to ooh let semi close your curtains fool, from killin' the verses fool, I be one of the worstest dude (you the who? ), I'm the worstest lurkin' bout 9 Millimeters above your surface unleash these thangs and I defeat your purpose bitch, You hurtin'. You have to listen to the song to get the intensity of it but, that song and that verse are gospel. I opened for them in '99 at McCormick Place when they opened for Big Pun and I fucked my verse and I got booed off stage. That sucked. I wish for more than any MC I have known, that he got his chance to shine. It never happened and its sad how the industry just eats people with no regard.

N- Ok, gun to your head- you have to pick an emcee in the underground in Chicago that you would say is dope that's making music right now, who is it?

SF- Love him or hate him...for me its Qwel. I think its because I know where he came from, so I know what he's talking about in his songs. When he came out he was the only dude here that would rock shows with a live band and kill it. I used to call him Jim Morrison because back when we used to rock the Hot House together, he would have the lights dimmed and just vibe out. Plus he has always shown me mad love on the scene.

N- What was the first Hip-Hop tape/CD you ever bought, or were purchased?

SF- 1st tape was, Eazy E's "Eazy-Duz-It", The Boyz is always hard....lol. I was like 11 years old laughing at the curse words. 1st cd was, Keith Murray's "The Most Beatifullist Thing". He was always dope to me, so it was extra special to have him on our album.

N- Between the Wastelands release that is already out ("After Years of Television"), your solo LP, the Taiyamo Denku LP and other projects, your crew has a lot going on with Uncommon. Was it hard to hand over that much control after releasing your own records for so long with Chi-Mil?

SF- It honestly wasn't that hard. Me and you had a lot of conversations before I made the decision to give up control and I felt comfortable doing so because you understand what we are trying to do. I have had this type of situation on the table before and in the past, I didn't feel comfortable doing it because we weren't that individuals best interest. With Uncommon I feel like we have a home, I mean I wish I could have continued to do ChiMil on full time basis but, it got to the point where it started to consume me and take away from me artistically. I feel super confident in Uncommon, what we're trying to do, you have the same vision that I had for ChiMil so it was a natural transition. One day I might try and revisit ChiMil but, as long as Uncommon wants us, we are here to stay. I think we bring alot to the table for each other, you inherit a group that knows how to execute releases, we bring a fan base that might not have been as prominent, you do the same for us, by allowing us to tap into your fan base. Plus, for the first time in our release history, I have someone who actually gave a fuck about our album enough to help promote it. I remember how impressed you where when I turned it in, that solidified my confidence that I made the right decision. Plus, it never hurts to have multiple people with the same vision aligned on your side. Thank you for respecting my company enough to allow us to put our logo next to yours. You know I'm Uncommon to the bone, I have 2 tattoos repping the logo. Where's yours? haha.

N- Ha, If I were to get a tattoo it would be two different things, something with the Uncommon logo and something for my wife. With that said, as passionate as I am about both of those things, I'm not a big tattoo guy. I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything, haha.
N- You guys were out here for "Yule Prog" this past year. Unfortunately, you fell down a tall flight of stairs at the club, just moments before your set was to begin. Do the hairs on your back still stand up thinking about how close that was to being tragic? They do for me even, haha. Explain, if you can, just how insane that fall was.

SF- Yeah, (laughs). Every time I think about it I laugh though. One because just my luck, here I am in New York sharing the stage w/ Vast Aire and Despot, in a city I dreamed about rocking (BROOKLYN!!!) and I fall down a flight of stairs 30 min. before showtime. When I first started to fall, my 1st reaction was, "Oh my God I hope I don't kill myself." Then it was, "I hope I don't injure myself to the point I can't perform." Then I thought, " I hope I didn't fuck up my shoes I just bought"...lol I shit you not. It was like in slo motion, I fell forward from the 1st step, managed to turn myself around and kind of slide down the stairs. I hit the bottom of the stairs and got the wind knocked out of me. I remember thinking, "Get up, Get up...breathe. Then I thought, "Oh shit, what if somebody opens that door and sees me laying at the bottom of the stairs?" What would they think? Then I tried to text someone, my brother I think, but there was no signal. When I finally got up I felt like I broke a rib, there was a nice bruise there for awhile. Then to top it off, I get on stage and forget my verse to a song that I had been doing for 5 years. That fall let me know that someone in the clouds loves me. Because I thought I was going to break my neck but, at least I have a legendary moment in N.Y.C. underground history...

N- How can you be a Cubs fan when the White Sox have such a rich history of sporting some of the sickest uniforms in MLB, from the White and Black to the guy holding the bat in the 80's?

SF- I won't front, The Sox do have some sick jerseys. Truth be told a few years back, I saw a throw back Ozzie Guillen jersey and I almost copped it, but I knew I could never live it down. I don't hate the Sox, I rooted for them in '05. I was actually pretty upset that Cubs fans where rooting for a division rival over a hometown team. With that said, we have a rich history on jerseys too...how can you front on that powder blue joint that Big Boi sported on the back cover of "Stankonia"? I was happy the Sox won because I got to see baseball history but, it wasn't the same as if the Cubs had won. If you're not from here, you have no idea how important a Cubs World Series is. We would trade our Super Bowl and our six rings for that, no joke. You feel that pressure...and for the players to say they don't pay attention to it is bullshit.

N- Is it true that the yuppies root for the Cubs and the "Real people" root for the Sox?

SF- That's the perception, but, I'm real. haha. I think its due more so to the location of the ball parks, Wrigley Field is in a nice neighborhood on the North Side. And Comiskey Park (I will never call it US Cellular) is on the South Side, across the E way from some projects. Don't get me wrong, the Cubs have their fair share of yuppie fans but, so do the Sox. I just think its glorified more because of the whole "lovable losers" label. I know plenty of Cub fans who would stab someone, myself included.

N- What's the difference between Underground Hip-Hop today and say, 10 years ago in 1999 (musically speaking)?

SF- It's not as believable. Back then, if someone was on record telling a story I believed it whether it was true or not, because they sold me on it. A perfect example of this is, Biggie's "I Got A Story To Tell". I highly doubt that he got caught by a Knicks player having sex with his girl and then rob the dude when the situation gets tense. But, it was so well written and delivered that I almost want that story to be true because he put you right there in middle of it. You can see all this unfold in your head, now and days shit is so simple that there is no element of surprise. I recently read an interview w/ The GZA and he said that sometimes less is more when it comes to writing. Meaning that, artists are so overly descriptive that it simplifies things too much. Like Biggie never stated he was in the bedroom but you knew it because he gave you enough elements to put it there. Today, rappers are like, "I'm in the club, I'm doing this and that..." There is no imagination. Real or not, make me believe you.

N- What about the shows, do you get the same feeling when your at a venue as always?

SF- Yes and no, again if the artist is believable. The first time I went to go see the GZA and he rocked "Cold World" it was the same vibe as hearing it on record. But, when I saw Eminem at The Up In Smoke Tour, it wasn't the same feeling when he did "Role Model". It was dope but not the same as on record.

N- What city that you haven't performed at already would you like to rock the most?

SF- Los Angeles.

N- Why is that?

SF- Because I feel like they would have an understanding of what we were trying to do, same feeling as I got in New York.

Check back in the next couple of days to read Short Fuze's interview of me and other artist by artist interviews in the future.