October 03, 2007 @ 7:00 am

MY ALBUM'S OUT: The Federation

by: Erika Ramirez

Bay boys: redefining hyphy with their second record.

Over the past few years, since the Federation's 2003 single "Hyphy" helped transform a local flavor into a national buzzword, the Bay Area has been increasingly pigeonholed as a hyphy-only zone. But for the group that helped interpret a Bay scene to the rest of America, skepticism towards their hometown's hip hop cred only intensifies their hunger. Raised in Fairfield, California, and consisting of Dooney Baby, Goldie, Stresmatic and revered producer Rick Rock, the Federation has released their twice-delayed sophomore album, It's Whateva (Warner), this October. The group is determined to continue hyphy's momentum, but they also want to mature the youth movement, and take the sounds of Northern California to the top. VIBE got up with them to talk about their game plan. How's the transition from street battlers to mainstream?
Dooney: I don't know, haven't felt the success yet. I'm still in the same struggle. We're hungry, we're real hungry right now.
Goldie: I second that notion. I feel like we are capable of competing with the top ten countdown. Nationally, or Bay?
Goldie: Nationally. Rick Rock has helped you guys diversify your sound. What elements other than hyphy do you have on your album?
Dooney: The album has more than hyphy. It's like a roller coaster. There are horns, string shit, and some rock. When you pick up the album you ain't going to be like "This is the hyphy album." That's not what it is.
Stress: Don't be expecting a hyphy album. We are more than just hyphy.
Goldie: When everyone is saying "hyphy this, hyphy that" that word in my mind, a lot of people don't have the talent to step in the way with those with talent in the forefront, so its like… you can say hyphy all you want, it's the energy, it's the feel of the music, it can be a slow track and it can have a hyphy feel to it. [Hyphy isn't] saying "hyphy, go dumb" every chance you get. It's the feel and the energy of the music. Define hyphy.
Dooney: This not a hyphy movement, it's more the Bay Area culture, Bay Area hip hop culture. "Hyphy," "Going dumb," that's been going on for years. That's the Bay itself, that's part of Bay Area hip-hop culture.
Stress: I never got that either; I guess it's good, because every time we do an interview, they always ask about it. It brings attention to the Bay. It's better than for them to be, "So what do you guys do?"
Dooney: The Bay is the kids, streets, dreads, the way we dress, they way we talk, the type of cars we drive, its all of that. It's a culture.
What collaborations are on the album?
Stress: Travis Barker, Snoop Dogg, E-40, and the Walter Hawkins Choir. We have to keep the collaborations to a minimum because it's three people in this group, and with three of us, we can only split up the song so much. We all have something to say, why put a feature on it? We all dope. We got Rick Rock on the beats. We don't really need a whole lot of features. What's the difference between your first album The Album to It's Whateva?
Stress: It's not necessarily only that we are more mature, it's the way we deliver, it's easier to comprehend, like "oh that's what the fuck they're talking about." Even if we are talking about going dumb, and you're from Harlem, or from Africa, you are gonna be like "What the fuck is that?"
Dooney: We are really explaining it. Every subject, we're attacking it. It's not like hella fucken metaphors where you are gonna have to listen to this shit over and over again to understand, you're going to get it in one piece. Your album was to drop last year around this time, why was it pushed back till July of '07?
Goldie: I feel like Warner Bros. didn't push us out there, like most labels do with their artists, mostly because they have a buzz going on in there area. They let us sit back, be creative, and do us.
Dooney: They let us build our buzz up again. While we were recording the album, we were still out doing shows, all over the place. It was like starting fresh... coming off a virgin. We had to rebuild our shit, and through the wait, we ended with a double album. Its not going to be sold as a double album, but it's a double album worth of material. Where do you see the Bay Area movement headed?
Goldie: The Federation movement is going to keep moving.
Dooney: As far as the Bay. . . if a lot of artists keep their heads on their shoulders, and don't stick to just "hyphy" then it's going to be good for the Bay. But if they just plan to stick with only hyphy, then I don't know about that.
Stress: Our album is going to be good for the Bay, cause when E-40's album came out, a lot of major labels were trying to sign Bay Area acts. When our album comes out, it's going to be like, "Damn, lets go see what's over there." What's the difference between The Federation and other Bay Area artists? What are you giving us that other artists aren't?
Goldie: I consider us a West Coast Outkast. No one knows what we are going to do next.
Dooney: We always go against the grain. When they think we can't do "that," "that" is what we are doing, and making it sound good. Tell me a little bit about your single, "College Girl."
Dooney: It's a dedication to college students. Getting freaky, having fun, male and female - of course, more dedicated to females. When you go to college, it's for the education, but also to have fun.
Goldie: High school without your parents. What's your favorite track on this album?
Goldie: "Got Me Fucked Up" because that explains what we've been going through. People still want to down us, and don't even want to write our names on our tombstones; they were thinking we were dead. Speaking in general, peers, people we've extended our hands to, we weren't given the same love. It's like The Federation didn't exist. Now we are back.

Article tags: Bay Area, E-40, Federation, Go Dumb, Going Dumb, Hyphy, It's Whateva 

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