Ap’s Honkey Kong is finally available (cop it here via iTunes), and he spoke to TheWellVersed about the album, the Get Busy Committee/Demigodz/Army of The Pharaohs connection and more.
TWV: The first single “Check to Check,” produced by Evidence is a good description of the career you’ve chosen and how it is to be a starving artist. What were trying to tell people on that track?
Apathy: I just wanted to be honest because it’d gotten to the point where a lot of fans didn’t understand. I would struggle and kill myself to make an album for two years. I’d sacrifice personal relationships, family time, money and all of these other things to make an album and then all of a sudden fans would download it and be pissed off that we were killing their free download link. Then they’d talk shit about how they wouldn’t support anymore because we’re paid. Some of these fans thought that we were swimming around in piles of money like we were these paid dudes and complete assholes for wanting to get paid for putting out music. I thought it was f*cked up that these fans who would go to work everyday, would turn around and think I would just work for free. So I wanted people to see that we’re neck to neck, I work just like them. I go through the same bullshit, I pay my bills, I have to eat. I’m not ballin. This is a career for me. I have friends that went to college and have careers and make more than I do. It’s not some glamorous rap sh*t. I wanted people to know that things are fucked up right now.
READ: Apathy Speaks On Honkey Kong Ungrateful Fans & More
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PEOPLE NOW ARE SO UNGRATEFUL THEY GET ALL THIS FREE MUSIC AND ALL THEY DO IS BITCH AND MOAN LIKE LIL GIRLS THINKING THEY HAVE TO RIGHT TO GIVE RATINGS 5/10 6.5/10 SHUT THE FUCK UP AND ENJOY THE MUSIC
thats what alot of the young guys on here dont understand its a job like any other. thats why alot of rappers come up with gimmicks to sell you to make them seem more appealing. the best example i can think of is the rapper rick ross, he is basically laughing his azz off and all you kids have fallen for it. rick ross the biggest boss. i hate my manager but i cant say that so i gotta be all nice to him and suck up to him cause i dont wanna loose the job………………………………dont be fooled by these wankers they are robbing you and you dont know
this is all fans have to remmeber when a rapper like j.cole goes pop theyre goona say he sold out like it or not in a coupple of years kendrick laamar will go pop niggas gotta eat and do whats tbest for there families sometimes yall fans want niggas to be broke ever rapper does it emeinem did it jay-z did it all did this nigga did was charge for a show or some shit smh
I’ll be honest I’ve never heard of/checked out Apathy but I read that lil excerpt from the interview and that’s some real shit so I checked out “Check to Check” and needless to say he just got another fan.
Support Support!
agree’d
click my name for the album
I just ordered his album today, it’s dope as fuck.
That Sleeper Cell with Apathy and Diabolic is going to be insaneeeeee.
Oh jesus Apathy, shutup for once. Just be thankful that it didn’t leak and stop getting your fucking panties in a bunch. There’s nothing you can do to prevent this, deal with it or just go make more shitty albums like Wanna Snuggle and you’ll definitely have less people download illegally.
i mean u cant really call some1 a true fan when all they do is download your music… i mean you may like the artist but that doesnt make u a true fan…
I’m a fan of Apathy, but these artists need to understand how the game is changing. Making music is a hobby and passion. Or at least it should be. The work is touring, promo and merch. Apathy, and these other pissed off artists, should be grateful that they don’t have to work a job just to support their passion.
In this game, the music is now the advertising. The product is the merch and concerts. Put out good music, build your fanbase by getting it to as many people as possible, and they will gladly spend money on shows and merchandise, as long as you put on a good show at least, which most of these rappers don’t.
I was just having a conversation with a friend about how we’ve never seen, or even had the opportunity to see Apathy perform before, but both wanted to. We almost drove up to Boston, from NY, 2 weeks ago when we found out he doing a show.
im glad i dont support mediocre albums. such a disappoiontment
Theres a difference between being a fan and a supporter
I don’t understand you guys that are talmbout his albums are wack or mediocre or whatever. I’m not even a fan of all this “New York style, underground” shit or whatever u wanna call it but I thought WANNA SNUGGLE was one of the best hip-hop albums of the last couple years. I haven’t really got into the new one yet but what I heard sounded every bit as good as the last one.
@kBerGrayn thats true bro, but when you dont have major label backing, and you dont have a nationwide loyal fanbase, tours and promo can only do so much, especially when the funds for touring and promo is pretty much coming out of your pocket, so at what point does a person break even? if ever? music is a passion and a hobby, just like playing ball, but they get their cut. not only do they have to be creativly sharp and musically on point to satisfy quite possibly the most critcal, judgemental, fickle, over expecting and unsupportive audience in all of music, but the have to pay for it themselves on a finanacial, physical, mental and emotional level, without seeing fair reciprication. most music fans are gamers and sneakerheads, video games are 60 bucks a pop, jordans are never less than 150, some even more, so how can u drop 60 bones on a video game or a face50 on some shoes, but cant spend 10 bucks to support dope music? thats like the old childrens story, nobody will help bake the cake, but everybody will go ahead and take a slice
Fuck the bullshit, this album is dope.
Honkey Kong > Watch The Throne.
We need to get over the fact that there’s no money in selling albums & CD’s & shit. That boat has sailed. U can get ANYTHING on the internet for free sometimes before they’re actually released.
^ Wait, a sea faring vessel actually spoke?! And it said you can get things for free on the internets?! What strange time we live in…
trolololololol!
this album is dope as fuck, from the first track to the last. plus the seven additional tracks and instrumentals..GO COP THIS ALBUM!! KEEP GRINDIN AP!!
“Shitty albums like Wanna Snuggle” anyone who didn’t feel that shit doesn’t know shit. Wanna Snuggle?! was FIRE you buttfuck
i think its pretty stupid, that they rage about not getting it for free. if you want the album, go and buy it. thats what i did, and numerous others, and others pre ordered it. why do they think they are different? shit if you can’t go somewhere to buy it then get it on itunes or amazon or the demigodz site.
and @ rmacq112. Vouch, wanna snuggle is by far one of the best albums i’ve ever heard.
@ T-rol,
What the fuck are u talkin’ about? I understand that you’re being a smart ass but I don’t really understand the context or reasoning of attacking my previous comment. I know that the free downloading & whatnot is common knowledge to music geeks like “us(?)” but u still got cats on here that don’t know how to open RAR files & shit! Just sayin…Keep your fuckin’ slick talk to yourself.
wow, trixx is a cunt
Also, anyone bitching about albums not being free are fucking idiots. Just google it & figure out the right wording &, again, U CAN FIND ANYTHING FOR FREE! If that’s too much for ya just go to Filestube or other sites like it. You can pretty much find anything on there. In fact, I just look stuff up on Filestube & find what I’m looking for 99% of the time before I’ll even google it.
Great album and I was glad to pay for it.
I don’t think a download is bad if you still support the artist. If the album is tight then buy it. There is a lot of wack shit out there. iTunes doesn’t give a good preview for me. I like to here it. I bought Ap’s new album and Celph’s album this summer. Supporting Underground Artist is key to their survival. The need the cash just like I do to make ends meet. Support the Underground. I liked Wanna Snuggle too. It had some nice tracks. Go listen to Gucci Maine or Wacka Fucka whatever his name is Cuz you don’t know real hip-hop. That shit fucked up hip-hop.
idk man. i think if you want to hear the album you should buy it. he released 4 songs off of it before the album dropped. just as well he included the instrumentals, which personally i enjoy. people pay 10 dollars to see a movie they have never seen before, which is 2-3 hours long. why can’t you pay 10 bucks to get an album you’ll have forever?
@kberGrayn glad you’re such an expert on the matter, and you’re the authority on defining what a modern day artist’s jobs and responsibilities for getting paid and making a living are. Good thing you’re here to tell these artists “how the game is changing” and what they should do. I’m sure you’re more than qualified to give that assessment.
Stop trying to justify being a piece of shit… and support. People have always supported good music. It’s not your job to tell the artist, “Oh… well i’ll only support you, if you come to my town and i’ll go to your show and buy a shirt”. Stop being a fuckin sucker and spend $9.99.
Absolutely fuckin ridiculous. And dudes WONDER why artists aren’t putting their all in to making music anymore.
referring to the “itunes dosen’t give a good preview for me.”
Artists normally get more money from doing shows than album sales, but people shouldn’t illegally download music unless they have no access to purchasing the albun.
This free download shit is gonna slaughter hip hop in the next few years just watch. Hip hop will be gone just like punk rock and neo soul starting with underground hip hop that competes in the market beyond the net disappearing first and the fucked up thing about it is that the fans are killing it. Most of you will spend money on fast food or weed in a second without even thinking about it but for some music that you’ll listen too all month , maybe even all year you dont wanna pay. You think show money and merchandise are gonna make money for the rapper? GFTOH alot of rappers have to pay money to even perform at shows cause not every rapper has a fan base like J Cole and Currensy fool. Merch cost thousands of dollars to create so cut the bullshit. How do you think hip hop was built? From the money off sales so how can it continue without the money? People say rappers should live off show money but heres the part you dont know. Alot of unsigned rappers have to pay money to get on a tour and they have to cover all their own traveling expenses and they aint getting paid off performing because the people who put the tour together look at it as a promotional tool to help the artists. So when you think a rapper is getting paid to perform thats only if he’s already famous , if not then that artist paid to perform there and aint getting paid shit. Real hip hop will be over soon but dont say I didnt warn you cause if a rapper is smart then he should be switching to pop music right about now cause it cost more to make real hip hop then what you gonna get back. Stop thinking ever rapper is rich because most of these rappers are damn near broke if you wanna keep it real. If they not signed with a major and touring in arenas then they aint rich. Lastly its some super dope MCs out there who can make classic albums if given the right position but alot of those type of MCs are highly intelligent so if the see that real hip hop aint really selling or making much impact thats why they make other forms of music or go into another business because alot of great artists dont just rap , they make money in other fields so they could have a classic album in their head or in their home studio but why release shit that wont be appreciated or even cover the cost of what it took to create it? You gonna say they should just do it for love , well thats called doing bad business. FIN now get mad
After underground hip hop loses all its money then this download shit is gonna take out mainstream hip hop cause just look at it now. Hip hop only does about 2 or 3 big albums a year and only 1 or 2 new artists make it to mainstream and then they album flops. Hip Hop used to be ten times bigger then what it is now and you kids think hip hop nowadays is doing it big. 2 more years of this shit and no smart company is gonna wanna deal with hip hop when they could make ten times more money dealing with Justin Beiber and Taylor Swift type music. Willow Smith and Diggy Simmons and Drake and Mac Miller mite be what is considered the realest hip hop in 3 years.
Apathy it may help if you DEMIGODZ homepage’s digi store actually sold the record you want us to buy. I downloaed it, loved it and ordered the 2XLP as I think digital music is bullshit. I respect you. I supported you. Downloads legal and illegal helped this record. Remember the fans built you
To my point of view, since Internet come, Fans & Peoples become more arrogant, make a movie it’s job, make a album it’s job. I don’t think peoples realize the time, the money and personal Investment behind that. Poeples Download fast & listen fast. Everybody got a lot Gigabyte of music but you don’t listen all. If peoples want to still listen quality music or quality movie, we need to support crativity (merch, album, show…)
I Think if peoples still don’t support cretivity, a lot of so call artist still release wack mixtapes / albums / movies. Right now you can put a mixtape or a album via Internet, it’s too easy right now, you put a song in internet and if your shit is wack, your friends said “shit is dope” is not a Hobbie ??????
Since Internet, People are less objective about music in general. But with Internet I discovered a lot of dope artist too.
I Heard (legally) The new Apathy and i go to buy Honkey Kong because he put quality & he release a official album. How many official Hip Hop Album release this year ? very few, why ? because is not expensive to release a mixtape with b side or average beats. Is more complex to release a album with quality and specialy now because everybody download and i think is more difficult to keep motivation.
Shout out to Apathy because it’s the first i buy a Hip Hop album since last year (Freeway & Jake One The Stimulus Package)
Internet is good when you listen a good shit & you put the video or music on your facebook page or twitter, go to the show. I prefer buy one album like Honkey kong this year than download 100 000 average music really.
Doing shows in small venues and selling a few tshirts here and there DOES NOT PAY THE BILLS you idiots. Figure in RENT, or a mortgage for that matter, food, gas, insurance, car payment, just the day to day cost of living. You think underground rappers make that money on a week to week basis? You’re fucking nuts if you do. I know personally that alot of your favorite underground rappers make less than your average worker at Walmart probably does. What do you think happens when they get sick or have to go to the hospital or doctor? Do they have some underground hiphop medical insurance that pays the bill? You WILL without a doubt see some of your favorite groups/artists disappear because they can NO LONGER AFFORD to spend all their time and money on creating albums and merch. They eventually need to get a real job and move on with their lives. Who’s the loser in that scenario? The motherfuckin fans, that’s who.
Crazy fans need to check themselves, ask for an autograph catch a pound and keep it movin its not that they don’t wanna talk to you they make a living and got shit to do… Support real hip hop and buy the damn cds…love coppin a cd and reading the insert…Apathy shit is well worth the money, his ear for music for crazy, flow is sick and produces most of his own tracks
totally agree with Apathy. And some fans are bullshit.. Everything I own of his music, I bought with my money, no damn downloading. I will not have it any other way…
downloadin an album to check it out, why not? even if you think its pretty good and u still aint buyin it, why not? the thing is that you need to respect the artists work. you can just as well buy some merch or make sure u go see ‘m when he’s on tour near you. its about support as you said. People, like me, who download the albums to check ‘m out, should just shut the fuck up and not be ungratefull about this ish. if he’s trying to protect his album from being downloaded illegally, then isnt that at least his right to do? if you cant find it for free because of this action, fair play innit?