Classified: Less Caught In The Industry

04/15/09 3:51pm

by Pete Richards (CHARTattack)

After 12 years of MCing, beat-making and relentless roadwork, Classified has finally landed a record deal. It's been a long time coming for the Halifax native, who just released his first major label album, Self Explanatory.

CHARTattack had the chance to sit down with Class and discuss his new material as well as his decision to sign with Sony Music Canada for what promises to be the biggest chapter of his already well-established career.

CHARTattack: So Self Explanatory came out on April 7.
Classified: Yup.

And you signed with Sony.
Yup.

So, without sounding like an ass, how does one go from Boy-Cott-In The Industry to now signing with Sony?
I'm still boycotting the industry, straight up. I've always been in the industry, but that whole title is exactly how I feel about the industry. I am in this industry. If I wasn't, I would sit at home and make music and I wouldn't release records or do videos. This is a business.

I'm a boy caught in the industry, but at the same time I don't want to do everything the same way, too. I don't want to make a big, flashy record. I don't want to do what you hear on the radio every day. So as much as I am involved in the industry, I'm still boycotting it in my own little way because I'm doing it my way and the way I want to do it.

I think that's why you stand out.
I hope. I give the listener a little more respect than I think some people do. They think they can just keep putting out the same shit and people are just going to be like, "Fuck yeah, I can shake my ass. Let me buy it."

I want to make people a little bit excited about the music, give them something different, something fresh. I think it just comes with the territory. I get that question now, like, "How are you Mr. Against The Industry now that you're on a major?"

If you really listen to what I say, I've never said I hated and would never sign with a label. I've just said the deals I've been offered and the way the fuckin' industry is, I would never do it. When I had a deal come to me that made sense and lets me do what I want and make my same record, well, I would be stupid not to.

So why has it taken this long to get signed to a major?
I don't know. The world works in a funny way. If I got this deal six years ago, I probably wouldn't get to do whatever I want. They would probably be sitting down with me, listening song by song, making sure each song is what they want.

I came to Sony before and tried to get my deal, and they said my stuff was good, but they weren't really interested, so I just kept doing it. Now it's at the point where they're like, "OK, he's selling more records on his own than we are as a major label."

They'd be stupid to come and say, "OK, we're going to sign you, but this is what we want you to do now." I think they just recognized that and respected what I did, and I think it just got to a point where it worked out great.

I got the deal now and everything is what I wanted my deal to be after I did all the work. But like I said, if I did this shit five years ago, it would probably be some deal where I would make no money and have no creative power.

And you're at the point now where no matter what happens, you're always going to have your fan base.
Yeah, and that's what I hope. I think most of my fans who have listened to my records over the years kind of understand where I'm coming from. When they hear this album, they're going to be like, "OK, well he didn't switch his shit up and completely go left field."

I just don't want to see you crash and burn, my friend.
I don't either. I don't either.

If this album works out and if it works out with Sony, it works out and hopefully we can take it farther. If not, then fuck it. I'll go back to Half Life and just do my independent thing the way I've always done it.

To me, it's a step. I hope it's going to work, and I think it is. I think the album's dope and, at the end of the day, that's all I care about. That's my job.