So, I subscribe to all of the artist Myspace updates or whatever, and from time to time a blog post title catches my eye. So was the case when N.I.G. posted "I don't pay for beats."

Now I feel you all on the artist struggle. I know our scene isn't that big and nobody's really that rich. But I thought at least we'd all get a little somethin for our time, right?

For those of you who don't know who N.I.G. is, he's the white dude that fucks with Trama. Ok he's partly Puerto Rican, but anyway, he grew up in Minneapolis and started rapping in grade school. In 2001, while working at TwinsTown, he was introduced to Trama. They started rapping together and soon after, N.I. joined the newly formed Tram-Unit.

I took a little offense to the post, cause I'm a similarly crowded boat: equipment costs and people around here don't want to pay for shit. I wanted him to explain his points, so we had a lil chat about it.

Minnerapolis: So you never pay for beats?

N.I.G.: I haven't yet.

Minnerapolis: And you disagree with it on some level, right?

N.I.G.: For any local cats I do disagree with it. If you're a worldwide producer and you're selling...a half million records then I'll pay for some beats.

Minnerapolis: Ok so what is your reason for not paying for beats from a small time/local producer?

N.I.G.: Well, we all trying to get in the game, and I see it if someone asks me to get on a track with them I'm not going to ask for money for me to get on the track. If I get on the track it's because I respect your hustle or you got a good fan base or I just like your music. No one is going to make a million in the MPLS rap scene. I'm looking at the big picture...Producers should want cats with skills and a fan base to rap over their tracks so cats can hear the song with the lyrics and say 'Damn, that beat is tight, who's beat is that'. Then the producer will have more people looking at his beats and when someone gets signed people gonna look at who was on the album and who made the beats.

Minnerapolis: I get all that, but free publicity doesn't pay the bills in the short term.

N.I.G.: We the rappers and we gotta pay for it all. It seems to me that everybody's trying to make money off the rapper. The little money you get from a beat ain't gonna pay the bills. I got more bills than most and I still ain't charge no one for my words.

Minnerapolis: It doesn't have to be a lot, but I always feel that people should never work for free.

N.I.G.: I don't consider it work. I love this game and if I never get signed I'll still be rappin. I wanna see cats with talent get on in this city so we can get the spotlight on us. We can join up like a group of cats that share favors. Someone got a beat and no rapper, I'll rap if I ain't got a beat. If I can make a beat and another cat does graphics than we barter. Share, share share.

Minnerapolis: That used to work until money was invented. But music is a business as much as it is art. There's always been a problem where the two meet.

N.I.G.: You right, but it ain't much of a cash cow here in MPLS. When I get a deal I'll pay local cats for beats and everybody eats and gets shine. I always try to give back and always will. A lot of my anger comes from when I was really trying to get out there and I couldn't get no studio time, no beats, no nothin. Cats was wanting a hundred bucks an hour for studio time and even more for a beat. I had to push myself in the game. I still remember how cats acted and still act, too. I only fuck with cats I respect. Some cats have lost my respect. On top of that I've seen cats pay $100 for a beat and the producer double sells it, sells the same beat to another rapper. Fuck that shit.

Minnerapolis: Ok I feel you on all those points. And we are in two different games, really (music and video). And yeah it's hard in this city. It's hard for me to charge much for videos because they aren't going on BET, MTV so so what, right? But I still won't do them for free because I can keep buying new equipment and make better videos. I think the producers are probably in a similar situation.

N.I.G.: I feel you, videos are different. It costs to shoot the video and go to locations, and you need to edit and all that. I see cats taking like 15 minutes to make a beat.

Minnerapolis: I feel you, I guess, but in my little theory I think that if we all started paying each other at least something, it's good to get money flowing. If you get it circulating, more will come. So who's your favorite producer then?

N.I.G.: Megaman, Sandman, Joey Hussle, there's a few.

Minnerapolis: Do you have any solo albums, mixtapes?

N.I.G.: I have an album in stores now called Show and Prove. I've been on all Trama's albums. Also, the new DJ Mel Man mixtape with Malcom of the Street Kings and J-Starr. It's also on B.C.'s album as a hidden track. I was also on D-Cyde's album as well as some out-of-town cats. I'm on Impirio's album No Days Off and I'm working on my mixtape, Rennaissance Man.

So I guess we agree to disagree. It's cool doing favors and exchanges, just don't ask someone to shoot a video for $50, please. He's right, you can make beats in under an hour. It takes days to make a 4-minute video. I'm done preaching! You can catch N.I. on the last Midwest Talent Explosion video, out this weekend. Also on the web at www.myspace.com/husslemuzac.