Interview: We’re here  with Grandz AKA Ray Grizzel, a native  rapper of Cleveland. Where does the Ray  Grizzel name come from?

Grandz:  When I first started rapping, my name was Ray Revenue. I tied that into the company that is now Revenue Records. I dropped the Revenue from my name because it seemed like I was the label and that made it seem like I was everything. I went by Grandz for a while, Ray Grandz. Eventually came along Grandz the Grinder because I am a grinder and it’s all about the hustle. I just dropped the Grandz the Grinder and put it all together – Ray Grizzel.

Interview:  Ok. Talking about the  hustle, what’s the  lifestyle like in Cleveland?

Grandz:  It’s a struggle. They say if you can make it in Cleveland, you can make it anywhere. There are not a lot of jobs going around here. There is not a lot of opportunity like everywhere else. Especially with music; we don’t have any record labels here down the street like you would find in New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles or Houston. We don’t bump into celebrities too often.

I  don’t know if you’re  into the NBA playoffs,  but that guy Joakim  Noah…

Interview:  That’s funny; I was  going to bring that  up.

Grandz:  (Laughs) right. I’m definitely an NBA fan, and definitely a LeBron James fan. I’m probably the number one [Cleveland] Cavaliers fan. There is not a lot of opportunity. And he [Joakim Noah] was right with what he said [editor’s note: Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls said “there is nothing to do in Cleveland. Have you ever heard somebody say they’re going on vacation to Cleveland?”]. He was right; you don’t see a lot of tourists here or anything. It’s all about work. That’s pretty much the same thing with everybody I know. If you’re in Cleveland, you work or you grind. We get it however you gotta’ get it.

Interview:  We all heard with  Joakim Noah said and  you feel like he  was right. You’re  a big Cleveland Cavaliers  fan; let’s have a  little bit of fun.  What do you think  their chances are this  year?

Grandz:  The Cavs?

Interview:  Yes sir.

Grandz:   Oh, we’re going to have the [championship] parade.

Interview:  That’s a bold statement.

Grandz:  (Laughs) I’ll be there. If anybody else wants to join, they have to come to Cleveland – that’s where the parade is going to be this year.

Interview:  Everyone can catch Ray  Grizzle at the Cleveland  Cavaliers NBA 2010 championship  parade.

Grandz:  You already know!

Interview:  We’ve touched on the  Cleveland scene a bit.  It’s tough to make  it but there have  been a few success  stories, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony  being the most obvious  and national one. Even  a few years ago,  a Cleveland native Ray  Cash saw some mainstream  success.

Grandz:  I know Ray Cash personally; that’s my guy. I’m a fan of Ray Cash too. In my lifetime and my 28 years of living in Cleveland, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and LeBron James is the best thing that ever happened to this city. Bottom line. Gerald Levert was a little bit older. In my era, it’s been about LeBron James and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. 10-15 years ago, if you went out of town and said you were from Cleveland, the first thing anybody would say is “do you know Bone?” (laughs). LeBron James, you already know where we’re at with that one.

Interview:  Yes sir, maybe the  best player in the  NBA

Grandz:  Eventually the best ever.

Interview:  I’d like to see  that

Grandz:  I don’t know him personally but I would like to meet him though.

Interview:  We all would.

Grandz:  I’d like to give him a couple pointers (laughs)

Interview:  I was reading you  played a little basketball.

Grandz:  I played high school basketball and had a few offers from division two and three colleges. I didn’t jump on them like I should have. I got pulled into negativity instead. I don’t regret it because it made me a stronger person. I’m a stronger man because of it. I know some things that a guy who never lived the lifestyle I’ve lived wouldn’t know, they wouldn’t be able to adjust to the things that I’ve been through. It’s just the trials and tribulations of life period.

Interview:  When did rap come  into the picture?

Grandz:  I’ve been rapping forever. My sister was into rap. She’s 7 years older than me so she was 14 and I was 7 when I started writing a couple raps. I never let anybody hear them though. Anybody. When I got 11 or 12, my neighbor Dirt, we looked up to Kris Kross. We used to be in the basement doing all the steps, mimicking their videos. We came up with our own little raps. Dirt is probably the only person who ever heard me rap until I hit 19 or 20. That’s when I started taking it serious. My manager had this group who was made up of some older cats in the city and we kind of listened and looked up to them. I came in one day like man, I can do this. All these things y’all talk about, we do this. It’s the same thing with every other rapper. They talk about what we do. We can do that. You’re more successful when you speak from the heart and speak what you know instead of fairy tales. I’m not good at making up stories or films.

Interview:  I like that. It  gives the music a  realistic feeling.

Grandz:  Right. Even if it’s negative, it’s not something that should be praised. I can make it into a rap and make it seem like its all good. You know what I’m saying?

Interview:  It’s real.

Grandz:  Right. Even though it’s not all peaches and cream, we’re living. This is life and you have to be happy with every day that you wake up.

Interview:  Tell us about Revenue  Entertainment.

Grandz:  I pretty much run Revenue Entertainment. We have an artist by the name of Scrill that is coming up next; and a guy named P – he is coming up after Scrill. We have our own in-house [production] Basehead which is me and my guy Franchise – yes, I also make beats too (laughs). We have our own in-house studio. Everything is in-house here at Revenue [Entertainment]. We have a clothing line that we’re working on called Cashmair. Eventually, we want to build the brand to where the big names are. To where Diddy & Jay-Z are.

Interview:  Which do you enjoy  more, the rapping or  producing?

Grandz:  Honestly, I get different feels on different days. Sometimes I make a beat and feel like it’s so cold that I can do this forever, the rest of my life. Sometimes I make a good song and say I’m good at this, I can do this for the rest of my life. They’re neck in neck to me.

Interview:  Is there a single  you’re looking to  promote? Go ahead and  make the fans and  readers give it a  listen.

Grandz:  I got a single called “I Just” produced by me and Franchise, which is Basehead. It’s crazy. It’s different than what you normally hear. It’s actually very different than everything that is out. It’s got some bars on there. Some people like bars, it’s got bars on there but I also got the swag and the streets on there. It’s everything wrapped into one. The record gives you a good feeling. We’re pushing that right now. We’re getting a few radio spins here in Cleveland. We’ve been blasting it out on the internet and we’re getting good responses for it. People are saying it should be bigger than what it is. I think that it’s going to be big real soon.

Interview:  What’s the upcoming  project in question?

Grandz:  I’m coming with a mixtape. I haven’t dropped a date yet though. The mixtape is going to be called “I Love Grandz” which is also the name of my second single. That’s more street. The “I Just” record is universal. It kind of has an overseas feel to it, maybe a west coast feel. Anybody could relate to it. It’s one of those types of tracks. But the “I Love Grandz” record is a street savvy single.

Interview:  An overseas sound? I  think that’s where  the sound of hip-hop  is going.

Grandz:  I don’t know if that’s where it’s going (laughs). I think that’s where it’s been for a few years.

Interview:  I’m talking more of  an updated, techno overseas  sound in hip-hop.

Grandz:  I think most of the rap music out right now is pop music. I’m not knocking it, its good music. It’s just more “happy” music, dance, club and radio music. It’s not really about the underground. When I was coming up, we listened to 8Ball & MJG, UGK and so on. That’s what I was listening to. It was the music that you really couldn’t play in front of your parents (laughs). Something like Too $hort, you couldn’t listen to that with your mom.

Interview:  Definitely not Too $hort  in front of mom,  nope (laughs).

Grandz:  Yeah, you couldn’t listen to that with your mom. The music that is out now, you can pretty much listen to it with your parents. Kids can listen to it with their parents. My daughter loves the music that is out right now. Everything is pretty much for the clubs. It’s not too hood or gangsta.

Interview:  I think it reflects  the attitude of the  new generation. They  want to dance and  have fun.

Grandz:  It’s trendy. Everything is trendy and stylish. The music goes along with the fashion that is out there. It matches the Mohawks, skinny jeans and so on. It matches all of that. That’s where rap is right now with the youngsters.

Interview:  You’re right on that.  I have to agree.  You mentioned UGK and  8Ball & MJG. Who  was your favorite artist  or group growing up?

Grandz:  UGK.

Interview:  I can’t argue with  that. “Dirty Money”  is a classic, “Ridin  Dirty” – a lot  of classics.

Grandz:  I would probably say through all of those albums, I couldn’t find a bad song on any of those CD’s.

Interview:  “Too Hard to Swallow”  – you’re right,  all classics.

Grandz:  I wouldn’t skip a song on any of those CD’s. UGK is hands down my favorite.

Interview:  What’s your favorite  UGK record?

Grandz:   “Choppin’ Blades” probably.

Interview:  I can’t hate on  that.

Grandz:  It came in an era when I was getting a little bit of money (laughs). That record gave me a good feeling. I had the old school whip with the rims and everything.

Interview:  [favorite UGK record]  I’d have to say  “Feel Like I’m the  one who’s doin’  Dope.”

Grandz:  Yeah, that’s hot too.

Interview:  I got a chance  to interview Bun B  right after Pimp C’s  passing. It was ridiculous.  If the fans want  to hit you up on  Twitter and listen to  the music on MySpace  and what not, go  ahead and give out  all that contact information.

  Grandz: www.revenuedalife.ning.com is my official website. My MySpace is www.myspace.com/grandzdagrinda.

Interview:  What’s next up for  Grandz?

Grandz:  Right now we’re just really focused on this “I Just” record. We just shot a video for it too last week with Dennis McKinley of McKinley presents.

Interview:  When can they expect  the video to hit?

Grandz:  It should be everywhere in a few weeks.

Interview:  I appreciate your time  Grandz. We’re going  to let you go on  that note. Do you  have any last words  before I let you  go?

Grandz:  I keep it 100 with everybody. That’s all I could do.