The Lincoln Log

Honest Bob with a crowd of fans surrounding him.

Among many things, the Bay Area is known for their unique street-influenced music and talented rappers. In the Bay was coined the term “Hyphy,” which is also a genre of music. Local Bay Area rapper Honest Bob, who has just released a new CD called “Boss Game,” provides evidence of the fact that rappers can be more than just a rapper. He raps, but is not limited to that career. Honest Bob branches out to all different types of entertainment, from being a comedian, to a local TV show host, and also a mentor to students in yours truly, Abraham Lincoln High School. I got a chance to sit down with him during one of his weekly mentoring visits and talk about his new CD, as well as his other projects, and also his life in general.

M.Z: How long have you been rapping?

H.B: I’ve been entertaining all my life. I’m not limited to just rapping. I’m also an actor, singer, songwriter, and a television host for a local TV show on channel 29 called Hypnotic. I created the B.A.R.S. Awards [Bay Area Rap Scene Awards], and I’m currently shooting for a new TV show that will air on the WB called “The Bay Show.”

M.Z: What are your major influences in song writing?

H.B: I sang before I rapped so in terms of song writing, just music in general, it can be anything, like I said; I’m not just limited to rap.

M.Z: Do you play shows around the Bay Area?

H.B: All the time, if I’m not rapping at a show, then I’ll probably be hosting something because I’m a comedic host as well, so I host lots of events.

M.Z: I understand you participate in a mentoring program in Lincoln every Wednesday, what do you teach these kids?

H.B: I teach them life skills, including drug prevention and gang prevention. I also hook them up with jobs, but I’m primarily here to do drug and gang prevention. However, for me, it’s not limited to those, because I know that to tell someone who comes from a struggle, or a struggling background to not hustle or not to partake in a certain lifestyle, it’s unrealistic, and they wouldn’t listen to me. So I have to give them a better option because I understand them more, and give them opportunities to thrive in this community.

M.Z: What do you plan on achieving with these kids?

H.B: I always want to put the youth in the position to realize their fullest potential, because so many people are dying young as a result of making choices that hinder our growth. My goal is to put them in the position and give them knowledge or as we say on the block, give them “game” to reach their fullest potential.

M.Z: Who are your role models and who motivates you to be who you are today?

H.B: I think that my inner self motivates me, and my inner self would have to be God. My mentor is a guy by the name of Jack Hua, he’s the co-founder of Omega Boys Club.

M.Z: What do you talk about in your lyrics on the CD Boss Game?

H.B: I don’t necessarily talk about the message that I provide at school, I talk about more about my past and what I see in the news reports or of the culture that I’ve been and am a part of.

M.Z: I understand you have a new CD out, would you like to say anything about the CD? What’s the main theme of it and what message are you trying to send through your CD out to your listeners?

H.B: I would say my album is just party music. It’s called “Boss Game” and features Too Short, Keak da Sneak, Mister F.A.B, The Federation, The Pack, a lot of people who are very popular right now. Just in terms of the CD’s content, it’s street music and also hustling music. There are definitely songs on there that provide messages. I recently shot a video for a song called “Ghetto Life,” which is a message driven song. The song “P.O.W. [Prisoners of War]” is also message driven. I also definitely have a lot of party songs, or what I call, hustle music for people caught in the struggle who it can relate to, and there’s also Hyphy music on there too.

M.Z: Are you currently signed onto a record label?

H.B: I have my own record label, called Powermoves Ent. I have other groups who are signed onto this label, there’s a solo artist called Young B who will be coming out this summer.

M.Z: What makes you different from other rappers?

H.B: I’m not just a rapper, I’m an entertainer. I also have the ability to rap and sing. Most rappers hire a singer to sing the chorus portions of their song, but I’m hired to sing other rapper’s choruses and I also sing my own.

M.Z: Who has supported you in your struggle in life?

H.B: My mom and a lot of other people, but my mom provided me with unwavering support.

M.Z: Do you have any last words?

H.B: Go to www.myspace.com/honestbob and add that, also add my label’s profile Powermoves Ent. Look out for “The Bay Show,” which I will be hosting, airing on channel 20 on the WB. You can find out anything about me by going to my MySpace page. Also, pick up the album “Boss Game.” If you can’t find it in stores, pick it up online.