Local Artist: Strangeez

Strangeez

By: Attiyya Anthony

I’m mad that I’m 10 years late.

With nine albums under their belt, and preparing for their 10th—it’s clear that Rod and Rude of the Strangeez have been doing their thing. Ears perked up when their last album “Beyond the Fame” dropped in 2005, with corner store anthems like “Coasting” and “Good Life” featuring Lil Boosie, and club bangers like “Stop” and “Bounce with Me.”

On the surface, the Strangeez are two typical hood niggas— rapping about weed smoking, female chasing and money stacking, but unlike those other catchy-hooked, major record-deal southern artists— the Strangeez don’t just rap about being real, they live it.

Staying real seems to be an underlying theme to all the things you guys do-- even in the case of refusing major contracts with record labels like DefJam, Interscope and Slip-n-Slide Records that many rap acts would jump at. What was the reasoning behind not taking one of those deals?

ROD: We saw it as whatever they were offering we could do it on our own. Those deals were for rappers looking for chains and cars, but they end up owing all that money back to label. We on some life-changing shit over here, we eating— we ain't countin’ pennies.

RUDE: Money makes the world go round, but we ain't in it for the fame. We like what we’re doing— we’re able to eat and pay the bills.

So, honestly, all the money and the celebrity status didn’t appeal to you guys at all?

RUDE: Money isn’t everything. I could step up to some of these niggas who got money and be like, ‘What you gonna do?’ And they gonna fold— they ain’t gonna do shit, because money ain't got anything to do with it. It’s about what you got inside— it's about heart.

ROD: Our last album sold almost 4,200 digitally in 28 major chains like Best Buy and FYE. Our "Ride Wood" album in 2003 sold 4,600 copies and was in 41 chain stores. And you can find us in a million corner stores. So, we’re good. We gave up that trying to be famous shit a long time ago.

Now you guys have established your own record label-- Major Weight Entertainment. You guys also have a recording studio, distribution company, upcoming TV show, magazine, and do club promotion. What do you have to say to those that thought you wouldn’t make it?

RUDE: I’ll make another song for them and let them hate some more.

ROD: If they don’t hate… It ain’t real.

Are you guys trying to be role models?

ROD: No, we examples of what not to do.

You guys have a very unique style? Where do your musical influences come from?

ROD & RUDE: Scarface, Jay-Z, Biggy and Tupac.

RUDE: 2 Live Crew.

ROD: We first called ourselves the Strangers because our style was so different, we sounded like we were from everywhere. We traveled a lot and picked up a lot from surrounding cities and brought it back. The hood gave us the name Strangeez, because we've been in the game so long— we’re like OGs now.

I hear there used to be four members. How has the Strangeez group dynamics changed since the split?

ROD: You got through life, trim the fat and figure out the shit that you do and don’t need. Rude and I have known each other for 20 years. He’s always whining and complaining, and always wants to argue, but he’s like family to me. He’s my Road Dog.

RUDE: Rod’s the boring one and I’m Rude, ya feel me— the total opposite—full of life. I’m night, and he’s day. But you need both night and day to make life.

Rod— you called Rude your “Road Dog.” That’s also one of the songs on your “Beyond the Fame” album. What’s that about?

ROD: It’s this movement we got going on. It’s about brotherhood.

RUDE: We rap about life—we more on that homeboy shit, about making someone’s life better— about changing things. Like don’t be spending your money on jewelry when you know you should go pay your bills with that shit. We rap about sticking with each other through thick and thin and keeping it 100% real. I lost a lot of friends and I got people in the ground that ain’t coming back, but that’s life and that’s war.

You two have been in the game for 10 years strong and have nine albums under your belt. When can we expect from the next Strangeez album?

ROD: We looking to drop our 10th album “From Crumbs to Bricks” on Thanksgiving Day at our album release party at Club Zanzibar in Ocala. We'll have Trina in the house. She hasn't been in this area before, so we are trying to show her a good time.

You guys have opened for major artists like Rick Ross, Lil Boosie, Webbie, Plies, Jim Jones, Jeezy, Fat Joe and Baby. Do you have any special guest on this album?

ROD: 8Ball & MJG, Lil Boosie, OJ da Juiceman, Javon Black, Pastor Troy and some local artists.

So what’s next for you two?

RUDE: There are no limits. I'd try anything. If someone said to me let’s try acting I‘d do it. I might be good— I might be bad, but at least I did it. If I want to do something, I’m going to do it— just show me once and I’ll do it.

ROD: Whatever is positive and feeds the family— I’m down.