After House of Pain had their few big hits in the early 90s, everyone thought they would just disappear. For a while, they actually did. Then Everlast [born Erik Schrody] really kicked out the jams, and turned up the heat on the rap world with 1998s Whitey Ford Sings the Blues. However, while recording, he suffered a massive cardiac arrest stemming from a congenital defect, resulting in heart bypass surgery and an artificial valve implant. His follow-up album, Eat At Whitey's, was critically acclaimed, but didnt set fire to the charts. His latest work is White Trash Beautiful.
Check out the official website for Everlast
Everlast: I thought I was doing this interview with a SuicideGirl!
Daniel Robert Epstein: I have no cred.
EV: Man talk about letdowns. I wanted to talk with one of them freaky bitches.
DRE: You dont get the freaky bitches that come to your shows?
EV: Sure but I like all kinds of freaky bitches man. I dont discriminate.
DRE: The title track of your new album, White Trash Beautiful, seems very personal. What was the inspiration for that?
EV: The title track is just a story about being alone on the road. Its not really about me, but its a story I guess I can relate to. I just told it in another persons context. I think I did it the way I did because I dont think people would have much empathy for a rock star in the back of his bus. Poor guy! So I made it regular folk.
DRE: How come its been so long since your previous album?
EV: The biggest delay was that I left my record company, and I dealt with a bunch of legal issues, which took about a year and a half.
DRE: Why do you have the blues?
EV: Because not everything revolves around money and fame. I got the same life everyone else leads. I tried to make something that everyone could relate to.
DRE: Do you still go out and meet your fans after a show?
EV: I try to, depending on how I feel.
DRE: What gives you the blues?
EV: Outside of the normal things like heartache, the President of the United States gives me the blues. I think Im a glass is half empty kind of guy. Im not negative, but I tend to look at things in a pessimistic way. I prefer to be surprised than disappointed. I dont mind being wrong. Id rather do that than think everything is happy and great.
DRE: Was there a whole story to the album?
EV: Well there are some extremely personal tracks on the album. Songs like Broken and This Kind Of Lonely. God Wanna is a very serious questioning of myself and the two sides of me that battle, the spiritual and my physical. I do one of two things; I either tell a story or get real personal. There is not much else I do. I dont do real political joints and stuff like that.
DRE: What happened in the relationship that helped inspire this album?
EV: Mostly it was long distance and hard to maintain. Im basically a bastard to deal with sometimes. Ive been living a certain way for a certain amount of time and Im an old dog, so new tricks are hard to come by.
DRE: I think people would have expected this kind of album from you after you had your heart attack.
EV: Well Eat At Whitey's was an even more personal album but it wasnt about heartache and loneliness. Eat At Whitey's was about death and dealing with the after thoughts of going through a crazy brush with death then wound up with having some of the most successful years of my life. Eat At Whitey's was kind of all about that.
DRE: Did it help you reconcile with death?
EV: Im over it man. I have no fear of death. I died during the process of what they did to me. I dont have any light at the end of the tunnel stories but I experienced a very painful and prolonged death. Thats what most people are afraid of. I do remember having a very comforted feeling and I feel I have no knowledge of the next life. The only thing I can say about death is that I hope my next one comes in my sleep. But however it comes, it comes. Have you ever seen the movie Ghost Dog?
DRE: Sure!
EV: I picked up that book they mention, Code of the Samurai, and read it. There is a big part of it that says you should reflect on your death everyday. They say it will make you see life in a different way, so thats what I do. I try to always think that today could be it.
DRE: Do you feel like there is less rapping on this new album?
EV: Well, Eat At Whitey's had barely any rap at all. I think in this record I did more to blend the two styles more than any of my other records. It seems like I used to sing on one track, then rap on another. I feel like I rapped a lot more on this one than I did on the last one.
DRE: For the track, This Kind Of Lonely, you wanted some sounds of the rain so you just stick the mic out the window. What made you do that?
EV: I started writing the song and the first line was Sittin' alone and I hear rain fallin' on my windowsill and there was a real big storm that night so I decided I didnt want to wait to go to the studio to get raindrop effects. I just did it.
DRE: Did you and Eminem ever make up?
EV: We never made up, but we kind of put it aside. We said our pieces to each other. We have a lot of mutual people we know that helped put it to bed. I dont think you will ever catch us at a dinner party together, but were not at each others throats. I admire his talent. My beef with him was never about talent or jealousy but it was a very personal thing because when I first met him, I felt slighted, so I did what rappers do and talked some shit about him.
DRE: Ten years from now do you ever see yourself getting back together with House of Pain?
EV: Thats some highly doubtful shit. Well do it probably the day after you hit the Lotto.
DRE: Then I can pay for the tour!
EV: [laughs] To me, man, thats just going backwards. Ive contemplated it, but what would it be? Im not interested in doing some Bruce Springsteen Glory Days thing. I dont want to relive something thats a cool memory. If we got back in the studio together, what would we do, and nobody has that answer. I dont think any of those dudes want to be in a room with me and make music, because I take over. Somebody has to be the boss when youre working and every country has to have a president. Some people dont like to work the way I work.
DRE: Youre a devout Muslim, but youre covered with tattoos, which are forbidden by Islam.
EV: Im sure there are Muslims in the world that dont agree with a lot of what I do. I was raised Irish and Western, so I still have a drink when I feel like it. God will deal with that on his terms. If I go to hell for having a drink, Ill be more than happy to. I know the rules. As far as tattoos are concerned, I find it hard to believe that in a world with so much bullshit in it, God is going to trip on my tattoos. I dont really go with that, God is up your ass with a microscope vibe. I think most of your life is based on deeds and the intention behind those deeds. Because you can most definitely do the right thing for the wrong reason and you can definitely do the wrong thing for the totally right reason. I think people just get this clouded fucking vision that some asshole made some rules and you have to follow them, or youre dead. I dont believe in that god.
I am Muslim, but Im sure there are some hard line Muslims that wouldnt consider me Muslim at all. I believe that Mohammed was the last prophet and I plan to make my pilgrimage to Mecca. I wear my sins on my sleeve and Islam gives me armor and my armor is my honesty about who I am. I dont need to defend myself or my religion to anyone. God doesnt need me to defend it. Im human and even the hard line Muslims are doing their dirt, but they are just doing it behind closed doors. Thats the difference with me. I put it out in the open.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
Check out the official website for Everlast
Everlast: I thought I was doing this interview with a SuicideGirl!
Daniel Robert Epstein: I have no cred.
EV: Man talk about letdowns. I wanted to talk with one of them freaky bitches.
DRE: You dont get the freaky bitches that come to your shows?
EV: Sure but I like all kinds of freaky bitches man. I dont discriminate.
DRE: The title track of your new album, White Trash Beautiful, seems very personal. What was the inspiration for that?
EV: The title track is just a story about being alone on the road. Its not really about me, but its a story I guess I can relate to. I just told it in another persons context. I think I did it the way I did because I dont think people would have much empathy for a rock star in the back of his bus. Poor guy! So I made it regular folk.
DRE: How come its been so long since your previous album?
EV: The biggest delay was that I left my record company, and I dealt with a bunch of legal issues, which took about a year and a half.
DRE: Why do you have the blues?
EV: Because not everything revolves around money and fame. I got the same life everyone else leads. I tried to make something that everyone could relate to.
DRE: Do you still go out and meet your fans after a show?
EV: I try to, depending on how I feel.
DRE: What gives you the blues?
EV: Outside of the normal things like heartache, the President of the United States gives me the blues. I think Im a glass is half empty kind of guy. Im not negative, but I tend to look at things in a pessimistic way. I prefer to be surprised than disappointed. I dont mind being wrong. Id rather do that than think everything is happy and great.
DRE: Was there a whole story to the album?
EV: Well there are some extremely personal tracks on the album. Songs like Broken and This Kind Of Lonely. God Wanna is a very serious questioning of myself and the two sides of me that battle, the spiritual and my physical. I do one of two things; I either tell a story or get real personal. There is not much else I do. I dont do real political joints and stuff like that.
DRE: What happened in the relationship that helped inspire this album?
EV: Mostly it was long distance and hard to maintain. Im basically a bastard to deal with sometimes. Ive been living a certain way for a certain amount of time and Im an old dog, so new tricks are hard to come by.
DRE: I think people would have expected this kind of album from you after you had your heart attack.
EV: Well Eat At Whitey's was an even more personal album but it wasnt about heartache and loneliness. Eat At Whitey's was about death and dealing with the after thoughts of going through a crazy brush with death then wound up with having some of the most successful years of my life. Eat At Whitey's was kind of all about that.
DRE: Did it help you reconcile with death?
EV: Im over it man. I have no fear of death. I died during the process of what they did to me. I dont have any light at the end of the tunnel stories but I experienced a very painful and prolonged death. Thats what most people are afraid of. I do remember having a very comforted feeling and I feel I have no knowledge of the next life. The only thing I can say about death is that I hope my next one comes in my sleep. But however it comes, it comes. Have you ever seen the movie Ghost Dog?
DRE: Sure!
EV: I picked up that book they mention, Code of the Samurai, and read it. There is a big part of it that says you should reflect on your death everyday. They say it will make you see life in a different way, so thats what I do. I try to always think that today could be it.
DRE: Do you feel like there is less rapping on this new album?
EV: Well, Eat At Whitey's had barely any rap at all. I think in this record I did more to blend the two styles more than any of my other records. It seems like I used to sing on one track, then rap on another. I feel like I rapped a lot more on this one than I did on the last one.
DRE: For the track, This Kind Of Lonely, you wanted some sounds of the rain so you just stick the mic out the window. What made you do that?
EV: I started writing the song and the first line was Sittin' alone and I hear rain fallin' on my windowsill and there was a real big storm that night so I decided I didnt want to wait to go to the studio to get raindrop effects. I just did it.
DRE: Did you and Eminem ever make up?
EV: We never made up, but we kind of put it aside. We said our pieces to each other. We have a lot of mutual people we know that helped put it to bed. I dont think you will ever catch us at a dinner party together, but were not at each others throats. I admire his talent. My beef with him was never about talent or jealousy but it was a very personal thing because when I first met him, I felt slighted, so I did what rappers do and talked some shit about him.
DRE: Ten years from now do you ever see yourself getting back together with House of Pain?
EV: Thats some highly doubtful shit. Well do it probably the day after you hit the Lotto.
DRE: Then I can pay for the tour!
EV: [laughs] To me, man, thats just going backwards. Ive contemplated it, but what would it be? Im not interested in doing some Bruce Springsteen Glory Days thing. I dont want to relive something thats a cool memory. If we got back in the studio together, what would we do, and nobody has that answer. I dont think any of those dudes want to be in a room with me and make music, because I take over. Somebody has to be the boss when youre working and every country has to have a president. Some people dont like to work the way I work.
DRE: Youre a devout Muslim, but youre covered with tattoos, which are forbidden by Islam.
EV: Im sure there are Muslims in the world that dont agree with a lot of what I do. I was raised Irish and Western, so I still have a drink when I feel like it. God will deal with that on his terms. If I go to hell for having a drink, Ill be more than happy to. I know the rules. As far as tattoos are concerned, I find it hard to believe that in a world with so much bullshit in it, God is going to trip on my tattoos. I dont really go with that, God is up your ass with a microscope vibe. I think most of your life is based on deeds and the intention behind those deeds. Because you can most definitely do the right thing for the wrong reason and you can definitely do the wrong thing for the totally right reason. I think people just get this clouded fucking vision that some asshole made some rules and you have to follow them, or youre dead. I dont believe in that god.
I am Muslim, but Im sure there are some hard line Muslims that wouldnt consider me Muslim at all. I believe that Mohammed was the last prophet and I plan to make my pilgrimage to Mecca. I wear my sins on my sleeve and Islam gives me armor and my armor is my honesty about who I am. I dont need to defend myself or my religion to anyone. God doesnt need me to defend it. Im human and even the hard line Muslims are doing their dirt, but they are just doing it behind closed doors. Thats the difference with me. I put it out in the open.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
VIEW 6 of 6 COMMENTS
Typical Irish Rap Thug.