Mic Terror, one of the key players behind Chicago’s illustrious Treated Crew, is set to release his debut album on March 4 via Closed Sessions. During the week, Mic gave us a call to talk Fresh Prince of Darkness and gave us some insight on the making of his latest project and what’s to come from its release.
Read our full exclusive interview below.
You’re set to release your debut album, Fresh Prince of Darkness this coming March 4. What was your approach to this project? Creatively, what did you try to achieve with this?
I would say, this project right here is one of the most difficult projects I’ve ever made. There were a lot of obstacles and a lot of people coming in and pulling out out here and there but there was a determination for the project and to get it done that you can hear it on the album. Like, I’m not taking “no” for an answer, I’m coming for your fucking head.
Were you listening to anyone/anything in particular during the process of making the album?
Not particularly. If anything I was pretty much just listening to my friends cuz we’re making so many projects simultaneously within Treated Crew. Really we’re just listening to each other, stuff y’all haven’t even heard yet, and be like “that’s dope;” just a lot of dope stuff that’s gonna be coming out real soon.
What was your creative process like? Did producers come to you with beats or did you bring bars for producers to work with?
I would start off with the beat; a lot of e-mailing. Just send me the beat and I craft the whole record around that. I’ve never been too hands-on, I’ve self-produced as far as arrangements of songs go so once you give me the beat I’ll do what I need to do with it.
The album has production and features from the likes of Million $ Mano, Hollywood Holt, Auggie, Gzus Piece, among others, how did you work out who you were going to have contribute to FPOD?
Really just when I hear a record, I literally hear voices on it besides mine and think “I need to get that on there.”
When you work like that and these artists deliver whatever verses they do, do you feed off what they send you or even write another verse to counteract?
Nobody’s ever made me re-write a verse before. That’s another thing about features, sometimes I get everything that I want to say on a record off in one verse; and that’s usually when I do have features. Sometimes you need a whole song to say everything you need to say and sometimes you get that all off in one verse. That verse can be packed with so much information that I don’t need to worry about anyone killing me or some shit like that. So I just send out to “them” and let them see what they can do with it. I’m not gonna pull an LL Cool J with “4,3,2,1,” if Canibus gets you, he gets you.
Which tracks are going to have visuals go along with them? Got any directors in mind?
Working on “Get Off My Dick” with G.I. Joe right now. “15 Minutes” is out now on Vevo. Everything I’m doing is like doing short films, no longer making music videos. “N.W.G.” will definitely get a video but I haven’t found a director for it. I definitely want to make as many videos as possible.
If you had to pick one, which song off FPOD would you call your favorite?
I would probably say “Get Off My Dick.”
– Mic: What’s your favorite song?
-POD: I’m particularly liking the one with Auggie (the 9th). I’m really digging the sample on “Tourette Syndrome” (prod. by Illiad). It starts out with that whole Disco thing and I’m just like, “where’s Mic going with this?” and then it transforms into something really dope.
-Mic: Yeah that’s that ABBA sample. That group from Sweden.
What can we look forward to for your release party at the Hard Rock (Chicago) this coming March 7th?
I think it’s going to be the best show in Chicago of the year. You got the reunion of The Cool Kids, a rare-ass performance from the Treated Crew (you know we only perform like once a year), we got St. Millie, we got Taylor Bennett on there. Everybody on the bill can actually rap and actually perform, so no filler-ass motherfuckers on there. I want to turn shit up, take shit to a whole other level. Y’all are gonna see some theatrics that y’all had never seen. It’s more than “two turntables and a microphone” type of show.
Besides the March 7th show, do you have any other shows lined up?
I’m actually going on tour next month with Vinny Cha$e, from NY. We’re starting out there, then hitting Canada, the Midwest and hit the West Coast a little later. That’s gonna be the Cheers (Club) X Treated Tour; we’re gonna have different homies from different areas joining us.
