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Detroit, arguably the country’s hotbed for beat maestros and lyrically tight emcees, has been luring global fans within recent time to focus on more than just the 8 Mile and its most successful rapper, Eminem. Although the city’s musical history will always lie with the accomplishments of the Motown era pushing soul music in the forefront, Detroit’s current shinning stars aren’t too keen on carrying out tradition by synchronizing soulful dance-steps, all dressed in silky satin suits and wing-tipped shoes. Born in Southfield, Michigan, rapper PARADIME is one of the most loved sons of Detroit’s hip hop soil, and is the furthest cat away from singing any high notes. Instead, as his name ironically suggests, the Irish-green, microphone fiend arrogantly negates himself from being any sort of paradigm, unless of course out-drinking partners and bar brawling suddenly became a practice for the community to aspire towards.
Replacing Uncle Kracker as Kid Rock’s DJ on tour, PARADIME is the man instilling the hip-hop sense of the show, having also lent his writing skills to both artists in the past. And now he’s concentrating on his latest LP titled, 11 Steps Down featuring Kid Rock, D-12, Tash (of Tha Alkaholiks), Uncle Kracker, Guilty Simpson and Trick Trick. It’s his third release on his fully operated Beats At Will record label – an imprint far from just a 2-Way Pager and e-mail address company. Again, just like the significance of his name, the album’s title has a somewhat intoxicating twist to it. There were ‘11 steps down’ to his cousin’s basement where in the early 1990’s he first began to lay down his recordings, but today, already with two albums under his coat, PARADIME thinks it’s even more fitting to use such an old title to describe his current lifestyle. “It became a double meaning because in an alcohol rehabilitation program, it’s a 12-step program. The first step is admitting you’re an alcoholic,” he laughs. “So I’m still 11-steps down on a 12-step program.”
Humorous, witty and bluntly honest, PARADIME’s life to the listener is sort of harmless and always entertaining from the outside looking in. He might just be that artist that edges you on towards the bar, the babes, but hopefully not the DUI or getting your butt kicked! Similar to watching Brad Pitt’s character portrayal of ‘Mickey the Gypsy’ in the movie Snatch, it seems as if ever since PARADIME was little, he’d develop into such a personality. “I was a smart ass in school, I’m an Irish, Catholic kid, my family drinks,” he admits. “It’s in my nature to be a sort of a bar brawler! There’s a sense of humor to everything that I do. It could be the deepest, ruthless, wildest song, but I’m probably gonna say something smartass or funny in it too.”
In 1999, PARADIME dropped his debut Paragraphs LP, focusing on introducing his skills to world, then in 2001 came his Vices LP, taking you on a ‘wild on’ tour of what he felt most comfortable expressing. In 2004, PARADIME himself, Mike E. Clark, Sicknotes, Wayne Gerad and AMF, are handling the solid production spinning and swinging on 11 Steps Down. With songs like the auto-biographical “Mr. Dime,” the alcohol heavy & title track “11 Steps Down”, “Prescription Pills” and “No Good 4 U” –– he’s offering a much more mature approach than demonstrating just his skills in rhyming or his outrageous antics of being out on the town. “I got more of a business mind, and I got the other feelings of the first two albums on this one,” he confidently states. “I got the shit more appealing to audiences, without changing what I’m doing because I’m more conscious of what I’m doing and how it works.” Other stand out tracks include; “Round Here”, “Hypno n Henny” and “No More” a tribute to friends and family lost along the way in life’s journey.
Detroit hip hop, already put on the map by cats like Slum Village, Jay Dee, Eminem, D-12, Obie Trice, Royce Da 5’9 and Phat Cat, is now ready with the release of 11 Steps Down to unleash yet another one of their beloved local emcees. Not just only hailing from Detroit, PARADIME was one of those emcees that proved himself, and his love for the scene gave him nothing but love in return. “I was up at the Hip Hop Shop, and all those old school battles - the ones 8 Mile glamorized the shit out of. It’s a big community, either you in or you’re not. It’s like a fraternity, and I got a good position where all of these cats are down to help me out. Any enemies that I got, nobody’s ever heard of. Everybody that matters is on my team out here.”
With a label name like Beats At Will, you know the manpower and decisions behind the music must incorporate some real hip-hop culture. Just recently signing Guilty Simpson to his label, PARADIME has no shame with his association to Kid Rock, Uncle Kracker and their rock n’ roll image, admitting that dwelling in the city, he’s a hip hop artist to the core and somewhat of a hip hop junkie. After years of flunking out of school with a flagpole, he’s finally found his serious love as head of his label by day, emceeing by night and still being the full-time DJ on tour with Kid Rock. Add in a few brews – make that more than a few – and PARADIME thinks he’s already reached heaven. “If I got a PARADIME show today, then I got a Kid Rock show the next day, then I gotta run home and be in the studio with Guilty Simpson, it’s a blast to me - just like a F@#%$ field trip!” |
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