Online Exclusives - Thursday, July 2, 2009 14:21 - 10 Comments

SIHHN - Heat

THE  SOURCE . COM – When  did you first start rapping?

HEAT – That  was  back  in 1994 in a familiar tunnel in Atlantic City , NJ .
Me and my friends used to meet up in this tunnel and just freestyle. I used to beat box for my friends to rap, they asked me to rap one time and I just killed it . They then encouraged me to take it serious.

THE  SOURCE . COM – How was school for you during these years?

HEAT – I was like a freshman in high school when I started rapping and I also used to play ball in ATLANTIC CITY HIGH SCHOOL. I got kicked out once and I was allowed to come back because they wanted me to play ball for the school. I got kicked out again when I was in my junior year. I am a good person from the people that know me, but with school , I was off the wall.

THE  SOURCE . COM –  What’s the difference between making mixtapes in the underground and actually making albums?

HEAT – Making mixtapes in the underground scene comes with a whole lot of freedom, you could really do what you want with your mixtapes. When it comes to albums, you have to be serious. Making an album comes with some commercial sense, that’s your money right there. Mixtapes are for the streets, you have the freedom to express yourself the street way.

THE  SOURCE . COM – Why did you decide to go independent after you had already been with two labels.

HEAT –  What happened was when I was with BLACK WALL STREET, the contract took so long to be signed, I dropped two mixtapes whiles there and worked on an album. With TOP OF THE WORLD, the deal got sour, the owner of the label had money to invest but didn’t know anything about music and made things difficult for me . I’m now with GRANITE INC, an independent label made up of me and my other two dudes but I’m the only artist on the label as of now.

THE  SOURCE . COM – ÒBACK FROM HELLÓ is your upcoming project, what does the title mean?

HEAT – I called it ÒBACK FROM HELLÓ because my whole career, I had been rolling with this dude in NEW JERSEY DEVIL who didn’t want my career to function. When I got a deal with TOP OF THE WORLD I tried to pull him in and get him a deal but it never happened. He got jealous of my deal and started hurting my career. I got out of TOP OF THE WORLD and did not have to deal with DEVIL again, hence the name of my album, ÒBACK FROM HELLÓ. It also comes from my name HEAT20because I spit hard lyrics and there was a period of my career that saw me out of the game for two years and the album signaled my return.

THE  SOURCE . COM – What impact did working with THE GAME have on you?

HEAT – THE GAME is a cool dude. He’s my man, I lived in his crib and everything. I was at his video shoots, interviews, and a lot more, seeing everything he was doing, and the success. He has got me more focused and motivated.

THE  SOURCE . COM – With nine underground releases, 30,000 records sold, do you think you’re ready to take off?

HEAT – Oh yeah , I’ve been ready to take off, with all the works done already and what is coming out, I think I’m built up now for the game. My promotion is also tight. I have connected with THE SOURCE and that is also helping me promote my career.

Take A Listen To HEAT
heat