Uptown, Do you remember where the name Running Rebels comes from ? is there a story behind this name ?
Uptown : " The Running Rebels was a name Phill gave me, Snoop and Dammien because at that time we were very wild and didn't give a fuck about nothing so that's where the name came from. "
Could you tell me how the connection happened between all the members ?
Uptown : " My connection came from battle rapping in high school that's where I met a young MC, which was Sammy a.k.a Snoop. So I started mentoring him, making him write every day until he got nice like me. So we formed a group called 2 the Hardway. Now it was time for us to start recording songs that we were writing that's how we met the late ill Phil which was the one making the beats. Phill had his own thing going already with his boy Junie and they had an ill MC named K Off, he was nice. So me and Snoop would go to the crib to pre produce our music before going to the actual studio, so one day Phill people's Johnny brought his which was the late Dammien to the crib to record their own song the same day me and Snoop, Junie and K Off were there. So Phill just threw this new beat he just made on and told everyone to write a verse to it, it came out dope (Rebels Kick Da Phat Shit) and that's how the group was formed on 154st Elton ave. "
Did you try to sign with a record label after that ?
Uptown : " Absolutely but as a solo artist years after that. At that time we almost got signed but the people managing us was more worried about how to jerk us that they tucked everything up. I was only 18 at that time with no knowledge of the business part of the game. "
Have you ever thought of releasing your old demos on vinyl nowadays ?
Uptown : " I don't have access to those demos that was many moons ago, it's only 4 members alive me included and it was Junie that found of our demo songs on YouTube... "
You'll understand that there's practically no chance of seeing a vinyl reissue of these demos... it's a shame because the 3 demos were good quality in my opinion.
For the story, in 1992 Running Rebels were in a showcase that was held in Cami Hall, they were introduced and went up against Ruck and Rock of Heltah Skeltah right before they got put on, they came in 2nd place that year.
Mad Props to Uptown, thanks for your time.
