New Interview - C-Lim

INTERVIEW BY: Doxx

For anyone who might not know you, give your background, the albums you put out and some of the industry things you've done.
My name is C-Lim. I also go by Slim Loc 1 and The C Monster. I was born in Sacramento, raised in Stockton, been back to Sac for the last ten years. I signed a deal in 2000 with Diamond Life Entertainment and released my first album, What Dat N Like, featuring Tray Deee, Lil Keke, Bad Azz, Big Syke and X-Raided. Sold about 25,000 copies. After that I started my own label, Northstar Ntertainment, and released the album, Spoils Of War, under my alias Slim Loc 1. In March 2005 released Star Wars, a joint venture with Black Armor Records and my boy Big Rock.

What was that like since you just came out and all of a sudden you were doing songs with Tha Eastsidaz who at that time were pretty big?
It was a beautiful thing. Tray Deee showed me major love. Back then I wasn't smokin' that much, but he made your boy blow big weed. We had fun, it was a new experience for me. I still had a lot of non-believers back home in Stockton and Sac speakin' low of me, not thinkin' I'm gonna do my thang with the movement I had goin' on, but you can't never just sit back and wait or buy into what all the haters believe and shit. You just gotta keep doin' it movin'.

The last year or so we haven't heard too much from you. You did the Star Wars album, but since then there hasn't really been too much known about what you've been doin'. Let us know what's goin' on now.
Man, I been doin' a lot of networking. I stay busy runnin' to the Magic in Las Vegas, the Billboard awards, bein' all over the place showin' my face. What I got in the works right now is this Brotha Lynch Hung Presents C-Lim project. I'm workin' hard with Brotha Lynch right now on some shit. Also you gonna catch me on his new album. We squashed all our stuff and we workin' together now. Also I'm workin' on a project with my boy Kavio. The Boss Gang, that's our group.

That's Kavio from West Coast Mafia?
Yeah, Kavio from West Coast Mafia. Shout out to West Coast Mafia. I been workin' on that and I got a couple solo projects that's in the closet right now. Mainly I been concentrating on shoppin' a deal so if there's any A&R's out there that's looking' for an up and coming, talented young man like myself, holla at ya boy.

What label is that album presented by Lynch coming out on?
I'm not really knowin' yet. It might be like a joint venture, Siccmade and Northstar Ntertainment.

The album with Lynch and how everything is squashed... How'd that come about 'cause I know you guys had your differences or whatever?
Well, Lynch is like family. A lot of people don't know that we kinda more connected than what you would think. His wife do the business with my sister, Lexxo, which is also my artist. Lexxo do the business with his wife, Zigg Zagg. On top of that we just basically had a misunderstanding. I got word back to him, he got word back to me that everything was one hundred and next thing you know we was on the phone choppin' it up and that was the business. I was just at the studio with Lynch about two weeks ago.

That's good that it all could get worked out like that and end up bein' somethin' beneficial for everybody.
Yeah, I got major love for Lynch so make sure that gets out to the world. Ain't no hatin' and on top of that I got major love for my boy Hollow Tip too. We squashed the beef so send a shout out to that man. Keep it movin'.

So all the beefs are squashed?
All the beefs are squashed.

That's good man 'cause for a while there was too many of 'em.
Oh man, how many did I have goin' on? I had so many beefs goin' on it was ridiculous.

You're from Stockton and Sac. What kind of connections do you have with Bay artists?
My boy ADR (of Triple 6) just brought me out to the Bay. That's my boy. I got much love for ADR and the Apartment 3 movement and shit. AP.9, that's my boy. I do the business with AP. I do the business with Messy Marv, B-Legit, Mistah FAB, Yukmouth, Too $hort, T-Nutty, JT (The Bigga Figga). Matter of fact, I just seen JT up at the rally at San Quentin for Stanley "Tookie" before he was put to death. Rest in peace to Stanley "Tookie" Williams.

What was the scene like out there (at the rally)?
Oh man, it was like the biggest rally San Quentin ever had. I was up there, Snoop Dogg was up there, JT The Bigga Figga was up there, media galore. It was real emotional. The police was on edge because it looked like somethin' might be goin' down, but we kept it all positive. Man, we had to park like two, three football fields away and walk to get to the event. Luckily you're boy is lightweight celebrity so somebody picked me and my little camp up and brought us to the front, but we was walkin' for a hot minute. It was real positive though.

What's been the reaction out on the streets?
Don't nobody really believe in that death penalty bullshit. I did a interview with UPN 31 news and Channel 13 news and the media basically wanted to know if there was gonna be retaliation or if the Crips and Bloods and all the gangstas are gonna start trippin' if they put "Tookie" to death. What they don't understand is that, like I said on TV, "Tookie" sent a positive message and he wasn't about all that bullshit so it wasn't gonna be no negative stuff jumpin' off if he was put to death which unfortunately he was. I sent that message out, let 'em know I don't think any of the Crips is gonna do anything.

In the Bay Area we still have the street shit, but now a lot of music out here has shifted to the hyphy movement. What does someone like you who does the street shit think about that kind of music?
I'm with that more laidback gangsta shit, but I'm feelin' the hyphy movement. There's hyphy people all around me right now out here in Sac. I'm feelin' the movement, but really I think what's about to kick off the movement is that Thizz movement. Thizz Entertainment and all that, that's who's gonna really jump the Bay off. I think that they got the big potential to put Northern Cali on the map how it's supposed to be. I'm feelin' all that shit.

Did you ever have any dealings with Mac Dre before he died?
We ran into each other a couple of times just from promotin' and little shit like that, but I never got to get down and do no tracks with him. I always had major love for him. Matter of fact I did do a track, but I wasn't there in the booth with him. I just laid my verse up at Hachet's studio up in Oregon and then he laid his verse and it went out on a compilation.

Do you know which compilation that was?
I can't remember. I think Celly Cel was on the song too now that I think about it.

Back to that new album presented by Lynch. Do you have a title yet?
Naw, naw man. I got a few good titles, but I don't wanna leak them yet. We got a few good things jumpin' off. And your boy Lynch on his project, he got some big things jumpin' off too. So y'all make sure y'all get ready to cop that Dinner And A Movie because he got some surprises for y'all on that one.

Who are some of the artists down in Southern California you've worked with?
Bad Azz, Tray Deee, Kurupt. There's a lot of artists that I haven't worked with, but I talk to like my boy Daz Dillinger. Shout out to Daz. Kill Kill, my boy Kay9ine. Pretty much anybody in L.A. I pretty much done messed with 'em or they know who I am from WC to Jayo (Felony) even though he ain't from L.A. he from Diego. I'm on that new Jayo & Spice 1 album and one of Jayo's solo albums too so make sure you look for that. Pretty much anybody you can name man, they know who the hell C-Lim is. I done did the business with 'em.

I know you did some work with Bossalini Clothing...
Oh yeah, big shout out to Bossalini Clothing out in San Francisco. My boy Gene Steptoe, he's the CEO. I was at the Magic with 'em this past February doin' it real big. Right now he's tryin' to pick up some different retail outlets to get his clothing in. He got some new sportwear comin' up, different t-shirts, all type of outerwear. Bossalini still holdin' it down. I'm still representin' Bossalini Clothing so if y'all see it, cop it.

You were tellin' me you were just in the new Lil' Flip video?
Oh yeah, me, Kavio, the Boss Gang. Shout out to my boy Black Al Capone, my boy Lil' Flip, my boy Red from the Clover G's. We flew out and filmed some stuff over there at the Long Beach hangar. Then we did it movin' to the hood in Long Beach and filmed some pieces. You'll catch me at the end of the video. Just look for the hat that say C-Lim on it.

What's up with that Boss Gang album with Kavio?
Man, we got so many different things goin' on right now. He got his new album, Hittaz On The Payroll comin' so he concentratin' on puttin' that out right now. Then he got a album comin' with Black Al Capone from the Clover G's. We just got things lined up so whenever we have a chance to record is pretty much when we can work on the Boss Gang album. The Boss Gang is comin', please believe.

Related:

• Download C-Lim's new song - "Stop Snitchin'"
• Watch Lil' Flip's video - "What It Do" (C-Lim is in a few shots during the backyard party scene at the end. Keep an eye open for the "C-Lim" hat.)
• C-Lim on MySpace
• Bossalini Clothing 1 / Bossalini Clothing 2