my day with(out) The Pack
August 23, 2010 1 comment
sorry this took so long… it’s wordy, prepare yourselves
So remember when i was really excited to go do my first big girl interview with The Pack?
Well I got to meet with Young L, but unfortunately the others were unable to attend…
Here’s roughly how the interview went down:
I found L wandering through the lobby of the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. I sort of crept up behind him and was like “Hi… you’re in The Pack right?” (it’s tattooed on his arm.) He says yes and I tell him I was supposed to meet with them an hour and a half prior to do an interview. I let him use my phone bc he dropped his in the toilet while he was texting from the shower (don’t try that at home kiddies) and he hadn’t been in contact with anyone all morning, hence him coming down to the lobby to use the house phone (maybe the Biltmore doesn’t have phones in the rooms, whoknooowssswhocaaaaressss?) Anyway once things were settled he said he had time to sit down and talk for a minute. Score! Unfortunately I was so nervous and confused and awkward (we were just sitting there in a busy lobby) that I didn’t get the actual interview on camera, I just took notes like a stupid high school bio student.
hit the jump to read our exchange and much more!
So here they are… paraphrased obviously:
NatMJF: So first things first, what is your favorite junkfood?
Young L: Does calamari count?
NMJF: haha yeah, classy junkfood… What should we expect with the release of Wolfpack Party on August 24?
L: Diversity, energy, and a new style. There is a new person doing the mixing and mastering so it’s going to be a really exciting album.
NMJF: What artists have influenced your sound and style?
L: In high school was influenced by The Team, a group from the Bay area. Also heard a lot of Lil John, Ying Yang Twins, and Dipset at parties.
NMJF: What do you say to people who say your videos and music are too wild or extreme?
L: We kind of grew up “bad.” ”We’re just saying shit everybody’s afraid to say.”
NMJF: Yeah, I heard “Titties” last night…
L: “Haha, yeah we bring out the immaturity in people in a fun way”
NMJF: How does the internet help you guys?
L: We have the young generation on our side, so we want to be in the same place they are… which is on the internet
NMJF: So are you a master chef?
L: haha yeah
NMJF: What would you be doing if you weren’t rapping?
L: Definitely would be in school, but don’t know what after
NMJF: Any up and coming west coast artists we should know about?
And that was about the extent of it. We had a tiny bit of small talk in there, but for the most part it was quick and to the point. I did bring up his Mall Swag video, which he was impressed that I had seen. L was very, very nice, but was obviously flustered and distracted by the day’s events.
so as for the rest of The Pack here’s how my whole day went. About 20 minutes before the interview I got a call from their rep at SMC saying that she can’t find the guys and if I want I don’t have to come. But since I was already downtown I told her I’d take my chances and wait it out. So I got there, and waited and waited. I turned to twitter, and tagged them in tweets asking them where they were. Lil B responded saying he missed his flight to LA but if I needed anything to email him. So I did, but didn’t hear back. Heartbroken, (what i wanted most out of this interview was a private cooking lesson… maybe next time) I just waited some more. Finally found L, as you’ve heard. After that I heard from my contact that Uno was stuck, his car had broken down, but he should be back at the hotel within a certain amt of time… I was there at the hotel for a total of 3.5 hrs but unfortunately didn’t get to meet with any of the rest of them. It was sort of a huge meltdown of a day for all of them.
Around 10 pm I’m out at Geisha House in Hollywood for a friend’s bday dinner when I get a phone call from a number I don’t know. I obviously let it go to voicemail (i do not talk, i am just a texter.) Uno left me a voicemail to call him back. Then I get a text from him saying to call him asap. I’m like shit, what sort of trouble is going on? So I call him and he wants to do an interview then and there. I don’t have a pen, paper, no clue if my phone has the capability to record phone calls so I ask if I can call the next day, nope only tonight, so I say I’ll call him around 11:15. So I go back to our table and tell the girls what’s happening, talk to Marc, and we decide that I should definitely invite him and the rest of the Pack out with us. So I texted him with an invite for him and the guys to join us out at a club in Hollywood. He asks our ages, and if I’m on facebook (no ugly tricks for this guy) he immediately adds me as a friend and says… ok yeah you can come to my hotel for the interview tonight. Why won’t they come out with us? I ask, and he says that he doesn’t go out, and that he’s not with the other guys anyway. Eeesh, well I politely declined his invite to the hotel, saying I wasn’t driving “I’ll send you a car” eh, thanks but I can’t (had it not been a birthday situation, I might’ve forced my roommate to go into the trenches with me, but it was bad timing.) Then after that I lost the opportunity for the interview, which I regret.
So. Overall, I got to see a very silly side of The Pack. I do think their album will be worth checking out. It drops Tuesday the 24th so cop that shit. I sure as f hope that my next interview opportunity goes much better, but big thanks to Marc, Katie from SMC and Chad from Total Assault for making the interview happen. I definitely was geeked about it and the day was definitely worth it to get to talk to L and get invited to a hotel by a rapper… ah, just living out a midwestern girl’s dreams. So hey, Pack, next time you guys are in town hit me up! I want to cook with you… swag.
