When did Mad Ciphas start?

The television show started in the summer of 2000. At first it seemed difficult to find artists to showcase but the concept caught on and rapidly gained momentum at the beginning of 2001. The concept of the show is to allow unsigned, up and coming artists to have their voices heard as well as their presence felt. The show was intended to cover all aspects of hip hop (graffiti, b-boy, DJ, emcee), but the viewers ended dictating what it was they wanted to see and eventually that is what we provided; that raw uncut hip hop (beats & rhymes).

Where is it aired?

The show currently airs throughout Manhattan every Sunday night at 10:00 PM, on channel 67 (regular cable), 16 (if you got boosted cable) or 110 (if you got RCN cable). Starting in April it will air in Brooklyn and the Bronx and you'll also be able to check for the show on our website, www.madciphas.com.

What is the show's format?

Think of a mixtape but you get the visual to go along with the audio of the artist all at once. No longer do you have to wonder or wait to see what an unsigned artist looks like, you're able to put a face to the new voice. The show contains two segments as well as two intermissions. The intermissions are used to inform viewers about the artists we showcase that particular week, as well as inform them on what's going on with us (e.g. events, promotion, artist CD releases, etc…), as well as the overall culture of the music.

Why did you create the show?

Well we all grew up on music and living in New York City, which is the hip hop capital of the world, we just had an ear towards wanting to hear new and exclusive music. We were influenced a great deal by radio shows like Stretch & Bobbito as well as Mayhem on 89.1 FM (WNYU). We grew up on these folks and it definitely has an impact on what we do now. You got to understand that these folks would play shit that would never make it to mainstream radio, which would make it more exclusive. We were also influenced by television shows like Video Music Box as well as The Box, who would play exclusive videos. So what we did was combine both concepts because we believed that it would equal the finished product that you see today, which is raw, uncut and uncensored hip hop that we felt was missing from the scene in 2000. Besides nowadays it seems like everyone knows someone who rhymes.

How did you get on the air?

The most common misconception that people have about Public Access is that you have to pay to have your show aired. It is free. All you have to do is fill out an application and have a creative concept and there is no one who has taken greater advantage of that opportunity than us. That is why we got our recognition because we came up with our own idea and now all you see is all these other shows taking our concept and trying to run with our style. Shit is cool and all but at the end of the day we want our due. Max Kellerman, Star & Buc Wild and Tom Green are a few people who started their careers on public access and we're aiming to have as much, if not more success than them dudes.

Who has been your most memorable guest?

Everybody that has been on the show stands out. But the most memorable are Top Dolla and Team Hot because they were the first artists to take a chance by coming on the show. We were just an idea but after they came through they set the movement off. After them other artists caught on to the concept and the show got out of control.

What artist gave you the best interview?

We ain't really into the whole interviewing process but from time to time we do let the artists shout out they crews or what not. It's like a mixtape show so it's rare for us to have interviews but we recently aired an interview that we conducted with the folks from the Mixtapekings Countdown show up at Sirius Satellite radio.

What was it like having Jae Millz on the show?

Well first off, we go back with Millz. This is before the mixtapes, before Making the Band, before Smack DVD, before "No, No, No." Before all of that shit, he was a regular on our show and we're talking his high school days. He was like any other artist that has come along on our show such as J.R. Writer, Shells, Jae Hood, Immortal Technique, T-Rex, Un, Red Dot…but we knew that he was destined to be great because he had an objective and followed through. He was on our show every week for like about a year straight. He would do the show whether it would be new freestyles or a battle or just for the hell of it. In other words, he was focused. Any artist that we've had on the show we always give them the option to come back on whenever they wish and there hasn't been anyone that has taken advantage of that more than Millz. He generated his buzz heavily through our show. Shout out to the Statue.

What about Immortal Technique?

We got a hold of Technique through our photographer Mike Flash. With Technique we basically felt like his message was heavily needed, especially within the hip hop audience of today. We grew up on groups like Public Enemy and X-Clan so we felt like today's audience should get a dose of Technique. Radio suppresses artists like Technique and Dead Prez, but we feel that they even out the playing field. With Technique it was more of a personal duty to have him on the show. We felt strong about having him on our show and he's actually one of the artists that we miss having on our show. Shit is crazy because now we walk into major record stores and Technique is pushing copies! Shout outs to Technique, keep doing your thing.

What are the plans for the show in the future?

We want to take it either to a major network where we can be on the road hitting up different states or countries, looking to find that person who is lyrically gifted but doesn't have the outlet to get his/her foot through the door of the music industry. Our other option is to be in position with a major record label to become A&R's. We're basically already doing the job. We're street A&R's, you know and we're tired of making these A&R's jobs easy for them. While these motherfuckers are sitting back doing shit, we putting in the dirty work but it's cool because we know they watching.

Where would you like to see the show a year from now?

A year from now we want to have anywhere from two to three volumes of catalogue on DVD. They should contain all of our exclusive freestyles and battles that we have in our files dating back to 2000. We know for a fact that there is high demand for it in the streets and we're going to make the catalogue available to our viewers. We also want more recognition nationwide as well as worldwide because we acknowledge the fact that there is a market for hip hop outside of the states. We want to make it were new unsigned artists will come searching for us to break them as opposed to us looking for them. This show is a haven for up and coming artists because they get to be heard and seen consistently on an every week basis. It doesn't matter where you're from, if you're an up and coming emcee or producer and need the exposure, holla at us.

How can heads get at you for an interview?

You can get at us thru our webpage at contact@madciphas.com or call us toll free at (866) 227-8260.

Any shout outs?

Shout outs to all the artists that have been on the show since day one whether you're from New York or out of state, shout out to all the viewers, Mario, Totem from TC5, Jects Magazine, I-Jonez.com, Lex Vegas from reloadmagazine.com, Dee & Charlie from mixtapekings.com, Rob(web designer), coach Mike(Dominican power), Washington Heights, Harlem, Dyckman, Lower East Side, the rest of Manhattan and to the rest of the boroughs. Keep watching!!!

By Brian Kayser