Interview Series: VAIN Speaks to UrbanBridgez.com

After graduating high school in Queens, New York where VAIN was born and raised, he began working full time while continuing to aggressively pursue his music career. In 2004, VAIN’s father passed away and due to the loss, he channeled and refocused his energy into his music and has since been aggressively pursuing his musical career.

VAIN has opened for Hip-Hop artists including DMX, Fabolous, Foxy Brown, Corrupt and The Clipse. He has worked with some of Hip-Hop’s most sought after producers including Ryan Leslie, Teflon, P.F. Cuttin, Terrence Dudley, Jelly Roll and Fingers, just to name a few.

VAIN was recently named the face of Louis Royer Cognac and also recently released his “All Ghetto Mixtape!”

VAIN recently spoke to Aries of UrbanBridgez.com for our “Black Music Month Interview Series” and talked about his mixtape “All Ghetto,” his upcoming video, being named the face of Louis Royer Cognac, his influences and more!

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UrbanBridgez.com: Tell our readers about “All Ghetto” Mixtape and why they should download it.
VAIN: It features Jim Jones, Cafe’, Slim from 112, Lil Mo and Kanye West. Y’all see me holding the Captain America shield, it’s crazy! Make sure you download it! The next record we got coming from it is “Club Life” and then we’re going into the “Natural” record!

UrbanBridgez.com: All Ghetto” featuring Red Cafe’ is creating quite a buzz for you right now, how did you hook up with Red Cafe for that one?
VAIN: Through a mutual friend, my sister and his girl are friends. So we talked from that and made it happen and my feature with Jim Jones. So he helped out, he’s signed to Interscope, so he did me a big favor because they don’t always let them do it with Independent artists like that.

UrbanBridgez.com: When can we expect a full length album from you?
VAIN: We’ve started recording songs, we’re looking for real hits that stick right now. Then we can take it from there. But I got alot in the archives, not on the mixtapes!

UrbanBridgez.com: When did you first decide to pick up a mic?
VAIN: Ohhh (laughs). It wasn’t my decision, my mom made me do it. I was 9 years old. I was in a band, I played the drums and all that. I’ve been around that my whole life. We use to perform at showcases, parks and in front of the family. I’ve been rockin for years man.

UrbanBridgez.com: Who are some of your Hip-Hop artist influences?
VAIN: Alot of Queens cats. Like NAS, Mobb Deep, Q-Tip, Slick Rick, I’m a big fan. Onyx, Lost Boys, Queens all day (laughs)! I can’t forget LL!

UrbanBridgez.com: You were recently named face of Louis Royer Cognac, congrads and how did that come about?
VAIN: Thanks man. It was actually after the Jim Jones record. They heard it and the video had a big buzz. And they hit me up about some product placement. So after the video and everything and Jones coming through and the whole club vibe, they just loved me. So they were like we wanna make you the face of the company. That’s a real good look and they got the big posters and everything all over NY & Jersey. And they fund alot of my projects.

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UrbanBridgez.com: Anything else you’re working on and want to tell fans about?
VAIN: We’re about to shoot the “Natural” video that and “Club Life” and “All Ghetto” videos are poppin on the Sub Zero DVD & the street. But we’re going to take the “Natural” video to BET. It’s a powerful song, it’s basically saying you can’t ignore your desires in life! If it feels good, do it! That’s natural, it feels good because it’s natural. So check the record out, I only gave a sample on the mixtape. Only the first verse, but you’ll get the whole record and video soon.

UrbanBridgez.com: For Black Music Month: Off the top of your head give me your top 3 favorite Hip-Hop albums of all time?
VAIN: Tupac’s “Makavelli,” NAS’ “Illmatic” and Jay-Z’s “Reasonable Doubt!”

UrbanBridgez.com: Any last words for your fans?
VAIN: Just follow me on Twitter, I need some followers so follow me at @itsvain or check me out on Facebook. I do this for the ghetto, so check that All Ghetto record out. We get money but at the end of the day this is our culture. My pants is saggin for a reason, I’m in the club and doing it like this and throwing this money in the air for a reason, because it’s my culture. That’s what all ghetto is!

[audio:https://urbanbridgez.com/ubgblog/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/NATURAL-by-VAIN-featuring-Fortune.mp3|titles=NATURAL by VAIN featuring Fortune] | Listen to “Natural” feat. Fortune |