D.RAIDA PACK: FIRST OFF WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME OUT TO DO THIZ RAIDA PACK INTERVIEW. WHY DONT YOU GIVE PEOPLE A LITTLE HISTORY ABOUT YOU AND YOUR CAREER SO FAR, FOR THOSE THAT DONT KNOW.

MANIK: I'VE BEEN RHYMING FOR AROUND 8 OR SO YEARS IN THE NORTHWEST SCENE. I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A SOLO EMCEE BUT HAVE DONE SHOWS WITH MY HOMEY CHILE WHO'S A BEATBOXER. PROBABLY LIKE 50 PLUS SHOWS IN THE CITY OF VANCOUVER. JUST RECENTLY CAME BACK FROM DOING SHOWS DOWN THE WEST COAST IN THE BAY AREA AS WELL AS EAST LOSAZTLAN.I'M PART OF A COLLECTIVE KNowN AS U.C.G.[universal collosal gospel] WHICH IS PART OF A INDEPENDENT COMPANY CALLED FRESH COAST CLOTHING AND RECORDS THAT JUST STARTED WITH A GANG OF THE BEST BATTLERS AND FRIENDS IN THE CITY.

D.RAIDA PACK: WHEN AND WHAT MADE YOU GET INTO THIZ MUZIC THING-THING?

MANIK: I USE TO JUST CLOWN IN SCHOOL BUT I GUESS PASSION TOOK THE BEST OF ME. I'VE ALWAYS BEEN COMPETATIVE OR A PERFECTIONIST SO NOW I FIND MYSELF OLDER AND A LOT FRESHER. SOMEWHAT EGOTISTICAL WITH HELLA AMMO TO BACK IT.

D.RAIDA PACK: WHAT WOULD YOU FEEL INSPIREZ YOUR PROJECTZ WHEN YOU SIT DOWN TO BLAZE NEW ISH?

MANIK: I RIGHT FROM A CYNNICAL OUTLOOK ON EARTH. WHY NOT?...MY MUSIC IS EITHER TRYING TO GET ME ENERGETIC AND MOTIVATED OF RELAXED AND THOROUGHLY SATISFIED.

D.RAIDA PACK: WHAT IZ YOUR LATEST PROJECT? AND HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE PROJECT AS FAR AS PRODUCTION, FLOW AND TEXT? AND WHAT IS YOUR FAV. TRACK ON IT?

MANIK: THE TRACK I'M FEELING MOST THAT IS GOING TO BE ON MY FULL LENGTH IS CALLED THE "TIME IS NOW".......I PRODUCED IT AND IT KINDA JUST CLOWNS PATRIOTICS SLAVES CAUGHT UP IN THIS WAR SHIT. MY FULL LENGTH IS GOING TO BE THE FOURTH RELEASE ON FRESHCOAST RECORDS.....WE JUST RELEASED FRESHCOAST COMP.1....WORKING ON COMP.2. AND OS12 ALBUM THAN MY ALBUM CALLED " REAL EYES, REALIZE , REAL LIES "...OTHER THAN THAT I'M USING WWW.REDHIPHOP.COM TO PUT TOGETHER A COMPILATION OF NATIVE HIP HOP TALENT ENTITLED "SAVAGE BLOOD." IT WILL BE A BENEFIT C.D. FOR THE NATIVE YOUTH MOVEMENT.

D.RAIDA PACK: HOW CAN OUR READERZ GET A COPY OF YOUR PROJECTZ OUT?

MANIK: JUST CHECK OUT WWW.REDHIPHOP.COM FOR UPDATES AND NEWS.

D.RAIDA PACK: DESCRIBE WHAT YOU FEEL ABOUT THE NATIVE HIP HOP MOVEMENT GOING DOWN RIGHT NOW, AND WHAT DO YOU SEE FOR NATIVE HIP HOPz FUTURE?

MANIK: A BIG THING THAT IS GOING ON IN THE NATIVE HIP HOP SCENE IS COMBINATIONS OF YOUTH WORKER/RAPPER IMAGES. REZERVATIONS HAVE BUDGETS FOR YOUTH ORIENTATED EMPOWERMENT WORKSHOPS SO PEOPLE ARE ALL OVER GETTING THERE HANDS ON IT. AS LONG AS THE MESSAGE DOES SOMETING PRODUCTIVE FOR COMMUNITIES THAT ARE VISITED THAN ITS ALL GOOD. THE NATIVE HIP HOP SCENE IS RAPIDLY GROWING AND THE INTERNET IS A HUGE PART OF IT...THE FUTURE IS A UNIFIED FRONT UT THERE WILL NEVER BE GOOD WITH OUT BAD...THERE IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE DIFFERENCES DATING BACK TO TRIBAL WARFARE...PEOPLE THINK DIFFERENT.....BUT IT WILL GROW AND KEY FIGURES ARE BEING PRETTY RESPECTFUL.

D.RAIDA PACK: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE TRADITIONAL NATIVE HIP HOP SOUND?

MANIK: THE TRADITIONAL NATIVE HIP HOP SOUND IS REGIONAL. IF YOU MEAN WHAT WOULD A TRADITIONAL HIP HOP SONG SOUND LIKE I WOULD SAY THAT ONLY AZTLAN UNDERGROUND HAS TRULY IMPLEMENTED THAT IN THERE MUSIC MIXING TRADITIONAL INSTURMENT WITH A LIVE BAND, D.J. AND EMCEE.

D.RAIDA PACK: WHAT OTHER EMCEEZ DO YOU BUMP?

MANIK: I BUMP HELLA EMCEES BUT WHAT I'M FEELING RIGHT NOW IS CANNIBAL OX, AFTERLIFE RECORDS, THE NEW ABSTRACT RUDE ALBUM P.A.I.N.T., MIKAH NINE, YOUNG DROOP, KHAPULI AND MY HOMIES

D.RAIDA PACK: DO YOU HAVE ANY GUEST APPERANCES OR NEW PROJECTZ BEING WORKED ON?

MANIK: THE GUEST APPEARANCES ARE EXTREMELY CLASSIFIED CAUSE I WILL BE PULLING HEAT ON THE WHOLE SCENE BUT FOR SURE YOU CAN EXPECT TO HERE MY CREW MATES BUT THERE WILL DEFINATLY BE SOME LARGE SHIT.

D.RAIDA PACK: WHAT DOES MANIK MEAN TO YOU? WHO IS HE AS AN ARTIST? AND WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IZ HIZ STYLE?

MANIK: MANIK IS SIMPLY A DESCRIPTION OF A PHASE OF MOODS...MOST PEOPLE WILL THINK MANIK DEPRESSION. DEPRESSION IS A MOOD PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH BUT MANIK IS THE OPPOSITE.....OVERLY INSIGHTFUL AND ENERGETIC.....ONE DEFINITION IS FRENZIED PSYCHOTICNESS.
IT IS A DESCRIPTON OF MY STYLE AND LIFE.........I FEAR NO ONE THEREFOR MY LYRICS ARE STRAIGHT INDIGENOUS REVOLUTION. I LIVE THE MOVEMENT AND I'VE LIVED THE THUG SCENE I LIVE THE FAMILY LIFE , I LIVE THE SPIRITUAL LIFE AND MY MUSIC REFELECTS IT. I HAVE TOUCHED ON CONTREVERSY BEYOND A MAJORITY OF ARTISTS IN THE GAME PERIOD. I WILL NOT WASTE MY WORDS IN THESE VITAL TIMES. I AM A QUADROOPLE TIMER RHYMER AS WELL..I LIKE TO TOUNGE TWIST AND CAN GARUNTEE THAT I'M THE FASTEST NATIVE RAPPER OUT.

D.RAIDA PACK: WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO WORK WITH IN THE INDUSTRY? (DEAD OR ALIVE)

MANIK: IF I WAS GOING TO MAKE A TRACK WITH ANY ONE IT WOULD BE A ALLSTAR COLLABO THAT WOULD HAVE MANIK, REVOLUTIONARY TUPAC ,ANDRE 3000, PUBLIC ENEMY, DEAD PREZ, RAS KASS, KILLA PRIEST , WITH BOB MARLEY, SADE, ERKAH BADU AND NATE DOGG ON THE HOOK, DRE AND ORGANIZED NOIZE ON THE BEAT.

D.RAIDA PACK: WELL THAT ABOUT DOES IT, DO YOU HAVE ANY SHOUTOUTZ TO BLAZE INTO THE CYBER WIND?

MANIK: SHOUT OUTS TO THE REAL HEADS OUT THERE.WHATEVER THAT MEANS NOW ADAYS....ANYWAY SHOUT OUTS TO GEORGE BUSH FOR BEING A OBVIOUS DEVIL, SHOUT OUTS TO ALL RELIGIOUS FAGS WHO ARE A PEICE, SHOUT OUTS TO PATRIOTICS AMERICANS WHO SUPPORT THE MURDER OF BABIES WORLD WIDE. YOU MAKE EASY TARGETS!