Joe Scudda: Open for Business

The North Carolina wordsmith is a true poet on the microphone who has been lacing Southern hip-hop heads with diamonds on wax, whenever he's hit the booth. As a prodigy of 9th Wonder (Little Brother, Jay-Z, etc.) Joe Scudda has proven his worth time and time again. Keep your eyes and ears open for more from this Southern God, and watch out for his solo album Open for Business to hit stores this year.

MixtapeKings.com (MTK): I know all of your fans want to know, so I'm just going to ask right away, whats next for Joe Scudda and Hall of Justus?

Joe Scudda (J-S): Well, for me, I got my solo album about to drop. We'll I'm actually finishing it right now, its going to be called Open for Business. I don't know exactly when it'll hit the shelves, currently I'm still wrapping it up now, you know, finishing songs. The production is on point, I mean, I got 9th [Wonder], Khrysis, Evidence, Alchemist, Don Cannon... you know there are a couple of other big names that I've done joints with but were just figuring out if were going to use them. And of course, I got a couple more surprises.

MTK: Being from Georgia and being currently located in Raleigh/Durham, how do you feel the South has affected your music and your rise in the hip-hop industry?

J-S: I mean being in North Carolina, especially in North Carolina, your stuck in the middle, I mean we're not deep south and were not you know the traditional "east coast", so you get a good feel of everybody and everything. But as far as people thinking southern music is all about one thing, that's not true, you look at us or Atlanta. I mean, all they see is one side of Atlanta, there is a whole different side of Atlanta hip hop, like a group called Hollyweerd. They're a new group in Atlanta right now that's doing a lot. There is always two sides to every coin. There's always something out there that people don't know about yet.

MTK: Being the forefather of the music that we love, what influence do you think the blues has had on your music, H.O.J.'s music and southern hip-hop as a whole?

J-S: It's had a great influence, a lot of music form the south is soulful and heartfelt because a lot of times people from the south haven't grown up with too much. You can just hear the pain in a lot of music that comes from the south, that's a lot where blues comes from. Also, just stories and stuff like that, its definitely an influence on our music, I grew up listening to all that.

MTK: How has 9th Wonder progressed your career and influenced your approach and the creation of your music?

J-S: Well, 9th is like my big brother so everything that I do he has some kind of influence. If it weren't for him, I probably wouldn't be doing this music stuff, he's the one that really got me into doing it real tough. I mean regardless of music, that's my homie we talk about whatever, I mean he's got a big influence on what I do. I didn't know what a 16 was or a hook was so he helped me. But our whole team help each other out because we're all good, everybody gives their real opinion on the songs. If they like it they'll tell you, if they don't they'll tell you that, too.

MTK: How have Prodigy's remarks about Phonte's blog on HipHopDX.com affected H.O.J. and the Justus family, any comments on these inflammatory remarks?

J-S: Ehh, I'm not going to say too much. I mean whatever that is, I don't really get into all that. This whole beef thing is out of control in hip hop period. We don't really pay too much attention to all that. That probably isn't what your looking for, but that beef doesn't have anything to do with Joe Scudda, so I don't concentrate on that.

MTK: How has being a white emcee affected your career? Have you faced much adversity due to your skin color?

J-S: Well, to me, people use that as a cop out, for the fact that they're wack and no one wants to give them a shot. Come on, man, it's not because you're white, its because you suck. Listen, people aren't going to turn away from dope music, I mean I don't really think about it ever, it has never been an issue for me. I don't understand that. I don't pay attention to it, and the only way something can affect you is if you let it affect you. I mean if you think about it and dwell on it its going to affect you, if you don't give a fuck it doesn't really matter. I could give a fuck, I mean people know me, I'm whatever, you like it or you don't like it, I'm going to do me regardless.

MTK: "The Saved" track with Saigon, is a great track all over. I mean, 9th Wonder kills the production, you and The Yardfather spank the track like a bad child, and it's a nice use of the Snoop sample seen in Reasonable Doubt (D'Evils). 
J-S: Yeah, I love that song, that verse was close to my heart, because I was talking about my dad and everything was about what my pops was going through. I mean, I love that song right there.

MTK: Also, your work on Cry Now Laf Later is killer, what are your thoughts on that album?
J-S: Oh Jozee, man, that's just the tip of the iceberg. He has so much stuff and talent that he's just going to kill people. I mean, he does his thing in Durham, and actually, I had a show with him, but we had never met. They introduced us and I seen him and it just so happened to be, it was Joe, my boy from growing up, so I knew him from like '94, middle school, but I didn't know he was Jozee Mo. I was like "Oh my God." We got back tight again, I hadn't seen him in like 12 years. Then, he had to do a two-year bid, and then when he got out we put him down with the team. That was crazy though, I didn't even know he was the dude I knew and he didn't know that I was Joe Scudda

MTK: Joe, it's been real, I know you've got to go, but any last words?

J-S: I mean the album, Open for Business, is definitely on its way. Go get all the H.O.J stuff, we just dong our best, trying to put out this good music. We actually just got done with the Playaz Circle video shoot. Phonte shot the video with Playaz Circle, and we in Atlanta right now at Glady's Chicken and Waffles, I got a show in Athens, Georgia on March 27. So come out if you can, I just appreciate all the love, my album will be coming this year, just keep on supporting your boy.