Loon’s sitting in the offices of Bad Boy’s new home, Universal Records. While P. Diddy’s the man signing his checks, this Harlem pretty boy is writing out a check of his own right now. Obviously, he can handle his B. I. After being the first artist signed to Clive Davis’ Arista Records and writing the majority of the lyrics for Mase’s Harlem World project, Loon is more than ready to drop his debut. Armed with beats by the Neptunes, Trackmasters, Bink!, Buckwild, Megahertz, Mario Winans and Shok, collabos from guests like Kelis, Trina, Missy, T.I. and Carl Thomas and backed by Puff, Loon can’t miss. He’s rocked the stage with Britney Spears and *N SYNC and ruled the red carpet. Puff has set up him up nicely. And now it’s time for Loon to return the love. The young’un with something to prove lets us know why he’s so similar to Puff and how Mase changed the rap game for good.
What’s the chemistry like with you and Puff?
It’s excellent chemistry because Puff, regardless of what people might want to say, he has kept me out of range of whatever accusations and rumors of him doing bad business. The chemistry that we’ve developed stems from our upbringing: We’re both natives of Harlem, his father was a street legend, my father was a street legend, his moms was one of them real sexy women that everybody knew about, my moms was a street legend. Just being exposed to the same environment and the same type of things in ghetto Harlem, we’ve been able to touch bases regardless of the difference in our status and career. We can always meet eye to eye on that level. All the style and charisma that Puff possess comes from Harlem. That’s like a melting pot for that type of style and swagger. Our chemistry is genuine. We have our ups and downs. That happens with partnerships. You got to disagree in order to agree. I’ve been thankful to be able to work with Puff and have a guy like that in my corner. Once again, we’re both on a mission to continue proving ourselves. It’s a joint effort and mutual respect and drive that we share.
What do you say when people say you sound like Mase?
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What people don’t understand about rap music is your voice is not going to change. Everybody uses the same format. If you really listen to the way people arrange words and rhymes, it’s either a re-enactment of an old school flow or when people use compound words, that’s sort of like Kool G Rap. There’s a father to each style that’s being used today. But your voice is yours. I have a smooth tone. Mase had a lazy tone. But it sounds similar because it projects the same type of delivery. I think there’s a lot of difference in me and Mase if people take time to sit down and listen and understand where he was coming from at the time and where I’m coming from now. Mase appealed to women but I kind of targeted women. The things that he said to women were more like, no disrespect or anything, but high school. I talk a little more collegiate. I’m addressing a female from an emotional standpoint and not so much showering you with diamonds and cars. But it’s the same approach just different angles. I think people compare just to find understanding. I don’t let it bother me because I know at the end of the day who I am. And as long as Harlem don’t ridicule me or get the misconception of what I’m bringing to the table, I could care less about what someone on the outside looking in would have to say. If you think about it people say Fabolous sounds like Mase. I think 50 Cent sounds like Mase right now. He used to rhyme like Jay-Z. If you want to point the finger, don’t point at Loon because Loon been doing what he doing as long as Loon been breathing. I love Mase and what he brought to he table. He made it less complicated for artists such as myself, Fabolous, anybody that’s coming with that more laid-back type of flow. We’re going to get ridiculed. Nobody took credit for R. Kelly looking like Aaron Hall. Ridicule is like a disease and it’s growing in this game. It’s so sad because what it does is it places consumers in that state of mind. When consumers are seeking substance and some type of difference in a person. You would want to allow them to search on their own than to try to set grounds for them to make a decision based on what you planted in their head and what they see. You don’t have to judge a person immediately. Take your time.
Did you see it coming when Mase retired from rap?
I seen that Mase at the time was creating a lot of situations that was becoming overwhelming for him that he couldn’t handle. I seen a lot of signs of desperation as far as trying to find an escape route without leaving what he had established. But I guess at the end of the day he had no choice but to walk and leave everything behind to pursue happiness. Because at the time I don’t think he was happy. And with all the success and accomplishment to be unhappy after that is really the worst form of unhappiness.
