JiZO:
Wasssssssap Camino!!!! Thanks for accepting to
do this interview with
jizo-entertainment.com. Please tell
us a little bit about yourself. Where were you
born and raised? What do you call home now?
Camino: No doubt Thanks for having me. I
was born and raised in Pasadena, Cali..I still
call Dena Cali my home.
JiZO: So, what was it like to be "you"
growing up?
Camino: I had a up and down childhood. I
was into video games, sports, etc. Pasadena is
such a diverse city where i grew up with
virtually every racial background you can think
of . I learned to adapt and learn from people's
stories and appreciate what and where they came
from. But with such diversity there is always
tension between certain races. That's when i
learned to protect myself and ran the streets
with my childhood friends. I wouldn't say I
banged in a gang or anything but I had to do
what i had to do to survive in the streets.
JiZO: How did you exactly come up with
the name "CAMINO"? What's the story behind it?
Camino: I used to have a 1965 chevy el
camino outta high school. I used to ride around
Pasadena with the cleanest El Camino and people
around the block were calling me Yo Camino, so i
guess it kind of just stuck with me.
JiZO: How long have you been in the rap
game? What inspired you to become a "rapper"?
Camino: I been involved in rap since 95
when i used to be a on air personalty / Intern
for Tre Black for KKBT in Los Angeles. I was a
teen back then, but i never could imagine that
one day I could be a rapper or producer. I
really started to get serious with rap in 02
when i saw Jin do his thing. I guess you can say
Jin made me wanna pick the mic up and start
doing this rap.
JiZO: What kind of music did you listen
to when you were growing up?
Camino: I grew up listening to Al Green,
Marvin Gaye, Prince, Eric B & Rakim, King Tee Mc
Eight, Kam, NWA, 2pac and LLCool J.
JiZO: Can you please describe your music
for people who've never heard it?
Camino: I would say my music is Real. I
rap about issues or situations that i've seen or
done first hand. A lot of people would say it's
Gangsta rap but I would describe it as realism
to the 110th degree.
JiZO: When you write your lyrics, who are
you speaking to? Do you have a particular
audience that you're mainly targeting?
Camino: When I write my music I usually
write to the masses, I don't really categorize
myself as an Asian rapper rather a rapper whose
ethnicity is of Asian American heritage.
JiZO: Right now, so many artists just
buy tracks from the "hot producers" and they
don't really have their own sound. What's your
take on that?
Camino: Music is Music but I remember
listening to a NWA track before and everyone
knew that Dre made the beat and it was super
westcoast with it. But there are too many great
sounds in all regions, personally i'm feeling
the south right now and DJ Toomp is one of my
favorite Producers.
JiZO: "Rap" has been going on well over
20 years now, and it's gone through so many
changes. Do you think it is at a good stage
right now?
Camino: I would say there are too many
ringtone rappers right now and whacked artists
like Lil Mama and Soulja Boy. If I offended
anybody by saying that i'm sorry but the
industry is too watered down for real hip hop
heads to support these artists. There are
artists such as Ras Kass and Crooked i who i
consider legends and they have no deals.
Something is wrong
JiZO: It is now 2008 and a lot of people
are still looking down on "Gangsta Rap" and
still don't recognize it as the art form that it
is. How do you feel overall about being an
"Asian American" trying to make it in this
industry? Are you constantly faced with all
kinds of stereotypes or has everything always
been running smooth for ya?
Camino: I've been lucky and haven't gone
through what other Asian American artists have
gone through. I just have the belief that if you
make good music then race shouldn't matter. But
i know that the powers that may be look at it
much different. But there are some assumptions
that Asians can't spit or we aren't street
enough. I beg to differ I think Asian Americans
are very talented, we just need more of us in
mass media.
JiZO: So, how did you hook-up with guys
like G-Unit's Spider Loc? You seem to be pretty
well connected man! I understand that you are
currently down in H-Town recording with Paul
Wall's group the Grit boyz? With features like
Far East Movement and Crooked I on your upcoming
mixtape, I can tell that it is gonna be really
dope!! Can't wait!
Camino: First and foremost I don't know
how you guys can deal with the Texas weather,
its hella hot and humid now in Houston haha. But
I've just been lucky getting with the right
people who believe in me and want me to succeed.
I hooked up with Spider Loc through my good
friend Crash who manages SPI. I got with Crooked
through DJ Hideo who I knew through going
clubbing and on a homie level. FM is a group
that I believe will blow up like the Black eyed
Peas or even bigger they are my Fam for sure and
I have the utmost respect for their grind and
hustle.
The whole mixtape isn't gonna have 1 sound
there’s gonna be something for everyone and I
hope the masses will enjoy it.
JiZO: When is your mixtape supposed to
be released? I heard you gonna let everyone
download it for free? Is this true?
Camino: Second week of May, and YES!!
free....you can't beat free, I'll have a link up
on Jizo if you guys don't mind
JiZO: As an artist, What do you do to
keep your finances flowing? Do you have a full
time job (you don't have to tell me about
possible illegal activities...hahaha)?
Camino: NO COMMENT lol
JiZO: So, what have you got lined up
next?
Camino: Man I have so many projects in
the works its really hard to name them all now
but in a nutshell I'm the official face of
Mizati Wheels company..go visit them at
Mizatiwheels.com go cop a set of rims, I just
hooked up with Norman Hopson who reps alot of
the young Hollywood and you'll see me on
something real soon. Musically I have alot of
diverse projects dropping like bird shit.
JiZO: Any future album release?
Camino: We are working on my debut indie
album now..no set date yet
JiZO: I saw the pic of this beautiful
little girl on your myspace? Is that your
daughter?
Camino: Yessssir that’s my love of my
life and that’s the reason why I do this!
JiZO: What's the most difficult decision
you ever had to make so far in your life?
Camino: Divorcing my lazy ass wife LOL
JiZO: Is there anything you want add?
Camino: Just wanna give props to all the
asian graff artists, hiphop heads, back packers,
fashion designers. On a personal level I wanna
shout out my Houston fam and management T Nguyen
& Brittney Tran, Jimmy Boi, Thai for pushing
that real, Remtek clothing, FM for supporting my
ish, all club promoters who believe in me.
JiZO: Thanks again Cami-no! I truly wish
you the best in your musical career! If you ever
need to come party in D-Town; just hit us up
aite!!! We are party ani-mals down here in TX!
Camino: Yessssssssir...it's a bet FAM!
