During the early 90’s, Hip-Hop packed its luggage and headed towards the West Coast. Groups like N.W.A. and movies like Boyz n the Hood helped to captivate people on the lifestyle that was seldom talked about by those who weren’t familiar with it. One of its staple MCs was Craig Miller, better identified as Kam. Known for his political and social views way before it became trendy, he dropped such classics as “Peace Treaty,” “Still Got Love 4 ‘Um,” and “Nut’n Nice.”

His distinctive baritone voice helped to carve a name for himself in Hip-Hop history, along with his anti-government content. The once young radical-rapper and Nation of Islam member still has the same views as he did back then, but now they’re seen through the eyes of an elder statesman. And even though his albums never got the recognition they fully deserved, he’s still one of the most respected artists to walk the streets of Los Angeles, California.

As he gears up for his second coming, he has the backings of Snoop Dogg behind him along with West Coast veterans, MC Ehit and Goldie Loc for their Warzone project, and for his forth studio album Self And Kind. The deep-rooted thinker, and family man is still capable of feeding you food for thought without leaving you nauseous in the process. Now only time will tell if the Hip-Hop community still has love for him.

So what have you been up to lately?

Just trying to come back to life, working behind the scenes. But now I’m trying to get back in rotation. 

Your new album is titled “Self And Kind.” Is there any meaning behind the name?

Actually it was a couple of years in the making, and every time I planned on getting it out something would happen. Like either acts of God or acts of the Devil. [Laughs] There was a lot of detour signs in the road for it, but the meaning behind it is all about “self.” Everything from knowledge of self, to the learning of self. Right now everybody is in fight mode, but we’re getting manipulated and played because we’re fighting each other, instead of identifying the real enemy, which is “self.” Our biggest enemy right now is ourselves, and people want to blame it on the “white man” or this or that, but we have enough information out there now, and you can’t pin it on anybody else anymore.  

Some people view you as a political rapper. Does it bother you when people are quick to label you?

[Laughing] I’d rather that be it than be in the streets and have someone recognize me for doing them dirty back in the past or something like that. So I don’t mind somebody viewing me as something like that, because it’s positive. So I don’t mind it because at the end of the day, I’m a grown man, and I got children. So I would rather my children have something like to look up to rather than someone bangin’, slangin’, or something like that.

I used to love that joint you had, “Still Got Luv 4 ‘Um.”

Yeah that was my sh*t, that was my sh*t. [Smiles]  

But speaking of that, you had a lot of good albums that feel under the radar. Did that at all ever discourage you from doing music?

Nah, it didn’t discourage me from doing music, but it discouraged me from giving my music out to major labels, you know what I’m saying? Like giving it to the ‘machine.’ Because a lot of the people that own these record labels and own these media outlets have their own agendas in mind. I’m sitting here watching BET, and there ain’t one conscious type of program on there. When I first came in the game, it was everything, it just wasn’t no mindless sh*t on.  

So what keeps you going?

Well I love Hip-Hop, I love music, and I love rap period. So I’m going to keep on doing it. If I’m not on the mic, then I’m going to get behind somebody that’s fire; you know what I’m saying? I’m going to always have something to do with it, and I want to be able to give [them] my wisdom and my tricks of the trade to this sh*t. Because this sh*t changes every 4-5 years, and there’s new rules to the game, while the old ones get erased and scratched off. We love the music, and we love the art form, but it’s still a business at the same time. You have to be up-to-date on the business part, just as you are on the new trends.  

You’ve had so many breaks in between albums. Is it ever hard to get the creative process flowing?

Um, yeah—and that’s because I watched the trends and I watched what’s getting played on videos and radio. And people don’t have any responsibility anymore, and people pretty much sold out for the dollar, you know what I’m saying? There used to be a time when you could get a record played if it was hot, but now if you run up somewhere and want your record played, they’ll be like, “Okay, that’ll be 8 million dollars” [Laughing]. Radio done went Hollywood, its about bread now and getting paid, sh*t ain’t got nothing to do with talent no more. So if you don’t have a label behind you putting big bread up, you’re not getting played. You might be the second coming of Hip-Hop—you could be like Jesus Christ in the flesh, and if you ain’t got no bread, you’re going to get crucified. [Laughing]  

Your last album was KAMnesia back in 2001. What were you doing in between time? Were you still making music?

Its not like I wasn’t f*cking with music, because I know I mastered what I know. Ain’t nobody else really talking about what I’m talking about, or how I can talk about it. But I was fortunate to know everybody, and out here in L.A. and in New York—those are the only two spots to be at. And every artist in L.A.  respects me and know about me from being in the music industry or being in the streets. So I’m not really worried, because it’s about who you know, you know what I’m saying? I’m dealing with Snoop [Dogg] right now, and this Warzone album, and I have a history with these rappers already. A lot of them I raised in one way or another, and I never crossed nobody. So my name my name is platinum—my name is f*ckin’ diamond in the streets. So I know everybody, and everybody respects me, you know what I’m saying? So I know whenever I want to come back, I can come back—as long as they’re alive. [Laughs]    

[Laughs] Speaking of the Warzone project, did you MC Eiht, and Goldie Loc just decide to all join forces?

Nah, actually it was Snoop—Snoop was behind that. A couple of years ago they were doing this big thing on the West Coast called “Western Conference” to unify West Coast artists because we’ve been super-notoriously known for some ‘every man for their self’ sh*t.

The West Coast has been in so much of a drought, because every year, the same 4-5 names are coming out. Half of them are from N.W.A. whether it’s [Dr.] Dre, [Ice] Cube, Snoop, and one or two other mothaf*ckas. And that’s what’s been happening on the West Coast for the last 12 years, so the rest of the country is tired of those same names, and you can imagine how the West Coast artists that are trying to get on feel about it. Everybody was feeling the pressure, so Snoop put together a little conference like a unity-peace thing, and what came out of it was the idea to put artists together that never worked together before.

I never did nothing with Eiht, and I never did nothing with Goldie, you know what I’m saying? So that’s pretty much how that came across. My image is totally different from what their images are, and as professionals we try to be creative enough to still find some type of common ground, and find something that we can all talk about. It’s interesting—some people might love it, and some people might hate it. But I’m excited to see how people will respond to it.

I also heard that Nate Dogg is going to be on your new project.

Yeah, yeah, yeah…

How has he been since his accident?

Yeah he had a mild stroke. I haven’t talked to him since then, but I know that his spirits are pretty high. But I’ll let space and time and heal up certain things first before I interfere. My mom passed away three years ago, and she had a stroke also, so I know that whole business. So when I first heard about it, I was like, “DAMN!” “NOT AGAIN!” you know what I’m saying? But from what I hear, his spirits are real good, and he’s real strong with it. So we can just pray that he gets back on his feet, and gets back to working. This ain’t no videogame, you don’t get an extra man, this is the only one you get.

Earlier you talked about watching BET, and it not having any shows with substance. With the TRL generation and the 106 & Park generation, do you ever think about messages like your falling on deaf ears?

Yeah without a doubt, but that’s part of what I represent. I never really been doing rap for money, because I really never got no money out of it, you know what I’m saying? I’m in it because I love the music, and I love the fact that you can get a message off in the music. My thing is I know what time it is in the world, you turn on the TV and you see that we’re at war. We’re at war with terrorism, and it’s really that we’re at war with black people and against Islam. The media is tricking everybody, so while everybody is “making it rain” and bragging about how much money they got—in reality the dollar is only worth 3 ½ cents. This economy is really about to collapse, and everybody is worshiping how many stacks they got, and in a little bit of time it won’t be like that.   

Hip-Hop in the 90’s versus Hip-Hop now, how do you feel about it?

Well I definitely know it was better back then, but what I like about now is I guess all the clever sayings, jingles, beats and hooks. There’s a lot of catchy stuff, but it ain’t nothing that’s going to stick to your ribs right now. I like Kanye [West], I like Lupe [Fiasco], and that’s the most meat-n-potato rap that I know about in the industry and that’s kind of sad. Now I don’t know what I can or can’t say. Back in the day, you could say anything you wanted. You could say n*gga, you could say f*ggot, you could say whatever you felt. But people are still saying it, but its behind closed doors, and they’re acting a lot worse than what these words are. So now you’re automatically labeled a racist, homophobic, or whatever. They try to put you in a little box, and blackball you out the game; you know what I’m saying? And I know I ain’t none of that, but I’m going to speak my mind.