The Location: The top floor of a brownstone in Fort Greene, a couple blocks from the venue where our intrepid MCs will be getting down.

The Scene: 2 spliffs of some good-good are being passed, jokes cracked and varying appraisals being made about Method Man and The Roots’ upcoming new albums [which incidentally will debut at 8 & 9 on the Billboard charts only weeks later].

The Cast: Embedded Music’s newest signee, Loer Velocity, a laid-back cat who sounds just like his new album “Ready for a Renaissance”. Cool, witty and down-to-earth.

His friend and fellow MC, Sav Killz, whose name, intimidating size and shiny gold teeth belie a quick sense of humor and friendly demeanor. And Loer’s DJ, Joe, who is gonna be handling things on the decks that night once the interview-slash-blunt session is over.

Is this situation with Embedded your first time being signed to label?
LV: Yeah, basically…I have a crew, my man Donnan Links and E-Dot, [called] Not for Nuthin’. We released a three-song single on Embedded and that came out in 2004, 2005; it did alright, getting a lot of buzz now. At the time I had places to record cause all my peoples have ProTools and home studios, but I didn’t have my own set-up. Now I could always record over there for their projects or with them. Or if I had a one-off or something, but for me to record a whole project and spend time, I don’t have a spot like that. So knowing Ese [producer/founder of Embedded Music] from off the Not for Nuthin’ project and seeing him at different venues, whatever, we talked and he said I could record over there. And that was a first for me, really. Being able to spend time, because usually I would just go in and write a verse right there.

There is a perception in some quarters, rightly or wrongly, that underground hip-hop is oversaturated right now. What do you see as your place in the industry right now, what do you feel like you bring to the table?
LV: Well, everything you hear right now has a certain sound to it and sounds like it comes from a certain voice. I don’t sound anything like that. I have a whole different outlook on music itself. I’m coming from a whole different approach, a whole different era. I’m not out here in the streets hustling crack or drugs. I may have, y’know, in my past but I have a job, I work. I’m not saying I’m exploiting that angle but I know that that affects what I write, what I think about. I like animation, y’know, so I know that my thoughts are a little bugged out and I have a totally different pattern of speech and vibe over the track. I’ve learned that people either like it or don’t like it, but people who like it say my voice is like an instrument with the track. I think that’s pretty cool, because initially I didn’t notice…I think if you direct your shit how you speak and how you are, that shit is the best! Y’know, cause its easier for people to digest cause it has a natural, genuine feel to it, it’s like you talking to em.

Building on that, if you could compliment your specific talents with the work of one producer…money’s not an object, but they have to do every track on the record. Who would it be?
LV: We can sit and construct the album together? I mean, we both have mutual input?

Yeah
LV: Mmm…I think probably Pete Rock.

That’s funny, because earlier today I was having a conversation about how I felt like Pete Rock is not really bringing it like that anymore. Like that “Be Easy” single [off Ghostface’s “Fishscale”], everyone loved it but I thought that beat was weak as hell.
Sav Killz (blurting out from across the room): See, what it is, is there’s a whole new underground evolving right now. It’s a mass of ill niggas coming out of New York and none of these old school producers even…they should think like “Ok, we gon reach out to this next generation, we took care of the cats who came up in our era, now let’s reach out to these dudes. And they not doing that and that’s why a lot of old school producers ain’t been heard right now cause they stuck in that era.

You mean someone like Premier waiting for Nas to put some of his beats on an album?
Sav Killz: Exactly. Instead of checking to see who is really popping off right now.

You talking old school Pete Rock or new school Pete Rock?
LV: I’m talking about Pete Rock period, but of course the old school sound. Because if I had my influence, that’s what it would be anyhow, because I would be like nahh, maybe like this, y’know.

It’s funny cause that almost brings me back to the question of underground saturation, case in point would be The UN, a group Pete Rock basically put on, that had some middling success but in a different era probably would have been way bigger. Not that [UN or U Out] was the best album ever but it was an impressive east coast banger co-signed by an NYC legend, but it kinda just slid under the radar.
Sav Killz: Yeah, that coulda went far but they didn’t have the right muscle behind it.
LV: I think when you come with that sound, it’s gotta be something crazy. It can’t just be mediocre, or even just good anymore.

Well, this is our snitch issue, and you from the hood so let me ask you some questions. I read this article in the New York Times where this guy was saying that the “Stop Snitching” campaign was reflective of what he felt are the warped values of black youth today. What would you say to that?
LV: Well, hold on, I ain’t read it so let me be clear; this guy was saying that people SHOULDN’T be saying “Stop Snitching”?

Yeah.
LV: I can kinda feel that to a certain extent cause I feel like it’s gotten a little misconstrued. See, a snitch to me is if you and I commit a crime and I get caught and I say “Oh, but he was with me too”. That’s a snitch to me and that’s like “Take responsibility, you did what you did, you got caught. Let that other man deal with that…but I feel like now people are like, if I’m walking down the block and I see dude snatch an old lady purse or whatever and I don’t say nothing cause I don’t want to be a snitch? Naw, that’s fucked up.

Well, what about a more gray area because snatching an old lady’s purse is not likely to find many supporters, knawmean. How about you live somewhere and there’s people selling coke out in front of your building everyday. Is it snitching if you see people selling drugs?
LV: Well, good question…if you gonna take that stance I don’t think that’s snitching cause you basically an advocate for your community and healthy living, basically. Now, would I necessarily do that? That’s tough…if somehow I was able to walk past that and it not offend my living I would probably not do that. But if they were in front my door or if I felt like somebody was gonna get hurt I would probably try to address it myself but if I couldn’t handle it or it was right in front of my door, I might do that.

Devil’s Advocate, what about somebody who says that calling the cops, sending people to jail for selling crack, does it really benefit the community? There’s always more crack, more fiends and more crack dealers, so who are you really helping?
LV: Then we would get into a whole different conversation about why? Why, if you remove one person is there always another person ready to step up? Why is there always a need for that there? It comes from somewhere, it’s able to get in here and I guess someone doesn’t look cause how can we have homeland security and that shit is always here. But…I know a lot of people wouldn’t even agree with what I said cause my imagination just goes and I be like “what if this” & “what if then that shit happened” [laughs], y’know, I got a crazy imagination.