Rap wars

C-Dubb is a looming figure. Physically, he’s huge, and lyrically, he’s unstoppable. Nearly sold out of his 2007 release Shock Treatment, the new album Veteran Status (with guest spots from San Quinn, Doey Rock and Jay Tee from N2Deep) is due out in March. And remember Mahtie Bush, of Sac Hates Hip-Hop fame? Yeah, C-Dubb dissed him pretty hard with these lyrics: “Sac hates hip-hop? / No, Sac hates weak shit / and y’all the poster child for weak shit / I mean it.” Love him or hate him—actually, nah, just love him. It’s much safer. Busy with promotions for his new album, Mr. Dubb took a half-hour from his hustle to answer a weird call from SN&R.

You’re a white dude.

Yep, I sure am.

That’s working out all right for you?

It is. I mean, in a way, I feel it’s an advantage a little bit because it adds shock value to it, like, “Hey, this ugly white guy’s up there.”

So what have you been up to, man?

Just doin’ little shows, finishing my new album … recording.

How many albums do you have?

In March, we’re going to be releasing my eighth album [Veteran Status].

Jesus Christ, that’s a lot of albums.

It is, dude. Still underground, though; still too underground for me.

Shock Treatment is so good. Why are you underground?

I think what’s killing me right now … is I don’t have a big budget to market it real big. The game is so corrupt nowadays that it’s like nobody wants to take a chance.

I call [your style] Mobb Music, but is that what you call it or is it something else?

Oh yeah. I’m heavily influenced off the ’90s Mobb style. You know, I grew up on E-40, B-Legit, San Quinn … all them cats.

Your lyrics are pretty complex, and you have this crazy-ass rhyme style. Are you into all kinds of hip-hop, not just Mobb Music?

Yeah, definitely. I don’t really go back to the old KRS-1, those kinds of things … but I like all styles. I like everything from the underground Brotha Lynch [Hung] to Kanye [West]. But I’m not really into the, you know, what do they call it? I mean, uh …

Conscious hip-hop?

There you go. That’s not really my thing, but I respect it. There are some cats from Sac, Live Manikins, and they’re really clean and professional-sounding. It’s not my style, but I could listen to that and say, “Yeah, that’s dope,” you know?

Definitely. So tell me about the track about Sac Hates Hip-Hop.

Yeah, I mean, it came out with some anger at the time. All it is really is just my opinion on it. It’s nothing personal. I feel like if you want the respect, you go earn that shit. Get out there and just be consistent. Do everything you can. [Clubs] aren’t gonna want to give you [gigs] unless you bring money in. And I feel like the music bores the shit out of me, so I wrote on it.

If [the Sac Hates Hip-Hop crew] responded back to you, would you take offense to that?

I’ll tell you this: If somebody disses me in a song and if it’s really good and creative, I’ll go, “Ha! That was a good one!”

So if I wrote in this article “Fuck C-Dubb … “

I’d be like, “If it’s good and funny, you got me.”

I won’t do that.

All exposure is good exposure.

On your MySpace page there’s a picture of a baby wearing [a C-Dubb] shirt. Do you know that baby?

No, it was just something you get from the Internet.

I was reading this blog today and this dude from Davis said he doesn’t let his kids listen to rap because it contributes to racism.

It makes them racist?

Yeah, because they say “nigga.”

That’s weird. I thought you were gonna say something like “violent.” But yeah, every time I leave the studio, I just wanna join the Klan. It’s weird.

In your pictures, you always look pretty scary. Do you consider yourself …

Rawwwrrrrr!! No, my girl, she’d say I’m a laid-back dude. I’m a softie. … But don’t fuck with me, man; I’ll kill you.

OK.