The Source.com recently chopped it up with Midwest emcee Flame the Ruler. Since the release of his mix tape entitled “The Departure”, the 608 spitter has been generating a lot of buzz and there are rumors that there may be some strong interest from Universal Records regarding the rapper, however nothing has been confirmed yet. Check out this dope interview with Flame The Ruler as he brings us into his world to discuss his city, mix tape, and what he brings to the table that the music industry is missing.
The Source Peace Flame The Ruler. Give us some background information as to who you are and what you represent.
Flame The Ruler: My name is Flame The Ruler. I’m a rapper straight out of Wisconsin. I pride myself on my intricate wordplay and aggressive lyrical style. My music is all about honesty and sincerity. I keep it authentic. I’m part of a Hip collective called G.U.T.T.A. It stands for “Getting United To Take Action.” I’m all about unity among the people in the hood. I got a Mixtape out called “The Departure” Hosted by DJ Kaze. My new single is called “A$$ Session” and it’s heating up the strip clubs in the Midwest and beyond. It features a rapper by the name of Yung Ron. Overall, my mission is to sell my lifestyle not just my music.
The Source It sounds like the beats on your songs are custom made for you. Who Handles Your Production?
Flame The Ruler: My production is handled by platinum producer DJ Pain 1 and a cat who calls himself “Beats By Victory..” These dudes are some of Wisconsin’s finest producers. They are beasts! They just produced a track for Jim Jones. The rawness of their production matches perfectly with the rawness of my lyrics. Quality production and catchy hooks are a must!
The Source Who or what has inspired you and influenced you to pick up a mic and write about the topics that you write about?
Flame The Ruler: Some of the artists who have inspired and influenced me include LL Cool J, Run DMC, The Ghetto Boys, Wiz Khalifa, Rick Ross, Twista and Lil Wayne. But overall I’m inspired and influenced by life in general. The dude who gets up at 5:30AM in the morning to go to work to feed his family inspires me. The single mother who is working hard to keep a roof over her kid’s head inspires me. My music deals with the joys, the pain, the ups and downs of the ghetto.
The Source For those who have not gotten a chance to attend one of your shows, what can we expect from a Flame The Ruler performance?
Flame The Ruler: Oh Man, when you come out to a Flame The Ruler concert expect to be thoroughly entertained! When I hit the stage I mean business. Myself and my crew give it our all on the stage. We get excited and the energy permeates through the crowd. My mission is to entertain and that’s what I do. It’s all about the moment. It’s all about the experience. I enjoy interacting with the crowd. I like to make a memorable entrance and an exciting exit. I leave the stage having the crowd begging for more.
The Source If You Can Change One Thing About The Music Industry What Would It Be And Why?
Flame The Ruler: If I could change one thing about the music industry I would probably change how A&R’s look for talent. Nowadays it’s all about hype and statistics. These A&R cats look at the first dude with 500,000 views and a so called buzz and they’re looking to sign them. It seems like talent doesn’t matter anymore and that’s why we have so many low grade songs on the radio. Buzz is important but “Good Music” is what drives this business. The music industry is not really dead. People just want to hear dope music.
The Source Do you have any final words for the people?
Flame The Ruler: Yeah first I would like to thank The Source. It is such an honor to be featured on your site. I grew up on The Source. Secondly, I want to give a shout out to everyone in Wisconsin and the Midwest. Make sure to check me out in my upcoming tour. Shout out to my G.U.T.T.A crew and please check out my website www.FlameTheRuler.com. Thanks
Walford Guillaume (wallywall$treet)
