“This is the BCC and double D and in the ninety now we locks it down.” Yes and in 2006 the BCC are reunited and it feels so hood. After sitting down with Dru Ha for an extended conversation RapReviews stopped by the studio to finish up our Duck Down series of interviews by spending some time with the entire Boot Camp Clik. During this session various BCC members talked at length about the camaraderie being the studio brings about, the global impact that the BCC has had, how they’re looking to affect listeners with their new work, and how things they said ten years ago are still affecting people today.

Adam Bernard: First thing’s first, what are your feelings on the new album?
Steele: We feel real good about it man. It’s a long time coming but you know they say, good things come to those who wait, have patience, so we’ve had a lot of patience with the game and right now it’s a good feeling that we all could do something together.

AB: What brought about this coming together as a group, this want to do this album?
Steele: After the Triple Threat it was only logical. I think it was something that we all felt that we wanted to do so we just started recording. Dru Ha booked the studio for a month and told us to go do what we know how to do best. We went out and got tracks, we put out calls to all the members and everybody kinda had the same vibe in their hearts and in their minds.

AB: When you’re doing an album like this how close do you get? How does it bring you together?
Rock: The camaraderie, it does what you think it does. We’re here, we’re here every night. Some of us be in there real late. Some of us be in there asleep with a blunt in his mouth and the blunt won’t drop. Nigga been asleep for a half hour wake up and do a verse, you understand, but that’s your brother so you don’t touch the blunt because he’s gonna wake up and you’re gonna disturb this muthafucka’s sleep. That’s what we do, we’re here, we sleep, we’re on tour at the same time coming up with ideas for songs and shooting videos. If you’re around each other everyday all day it’s gonna make your bond stronger.

AB: So tell me about the wildest studio session. Was there one song in particular that just got crazy in there where you were just breakin stuff or you were bringing all sorts of women in there?
Buckshot: We gotta pay for our studio time so we go in, we work, we vibe, we zone, we play some dice, work out a little bit. The studio is full.

AB: You guys had a big impact in the mid to late 90’s, in fact one of my first shows ever was a Heltah Skeltah show at Hofstra University in 1996, but where do you feel Boot Camp Clik fits in with the current Hip-Hop scene?
Steele: In 2006 Boot Camp stands in the front line.
Everyone: We Stand Alone.
Steele: Everybody’s got their own space, we’re just making elbow room right now.

AB: Your fan base has grown up with you so what are some of the differences we’re going to hear in this album as opposed to your previous efforts in the 90’s?
Steele: The difference is you’re going to hear the entire Boot Camp on an album. You’ve never heard that before. This is the first official Boot Camp album. You’re gonna hear OGC, you’re gonna hear Smiff N Wessun, you’re gonna hear Heltah Skeltah, you’re gonna hear Buckshot and it’s historical.

AB: It’s funny you used the word historical because I was about ask as far as history where does this rank for ya’ll in terms of what you’ve done in your careers?
Steele: It’s like the TV show Survivor, we’re survivors in the industry. Where a lot of cats aren’t around anymore, some people can’t withstand the type of shit we’ve been through in this industry, our peers as well, and to still be able to withstand and put out an album, to be in a place where you can claim your own space and cats just recognize you for what you do. We’ve been in this game for over ten years so that should say something for our work ethic. We’re not stopping, we’re here to stay, we’re still standing strong, we still look young, still with Da Beatminerz, we’re still groups. Every question that you ever thought , like what happened, it’s all in front of your face. This is what we have and this is what we’re bringing and it’s not like we’re trying to give any messages to people on the album we’re just trying to show you that with self-determination you can achieve what you want to achieve. We like to rap, we like make music, we like to perform, we love this shit, we’ve been doing this shit for a long time so the work, it’s a pleasure to be able to work. Some rappers ain’t working right. It’s a pleasure for us and it’s an honor to be here so we’re gonna rock that shit the best way we know how. After the Boot Camp album we’re gonna have more shit and after that we’re gonna have more shit because it’s a full barrage now. For us we’ve got a full overstanding of what you gotta do in this industry to survive and that’s put out music, promote yourself and always be out there, always be known. Forget about doing three videos off your album, you’ve got to do a DVD now.
Sean Price: Don’t tell him that! Don’t tell him that!
Buckshot: We’ve already got the DVD.
Sean Price: I’m just saying don’t put it out there for people to read like that because you know what be happening, niggas been swagga jackin since we first came in the game.
Steele: There’s a lot of horses in the race, b, and if the best horse is gonna win you’re gonna have a horse that comes in second and a horse that comes in third, it’s all how you bet. I’m bettin on Boot Camp all the way. We’re strong, we’re healthy and we’ve got all facets of the game that we’re working on and we’re determined overall.
Rock: Understand, I believe in sucker punchin niggas. Niggas ain’t gonna see where it’s coming from. We’re gonna do what we’re gonna do, we’re gonna be right there in your face.

AB: What affect to you hope this album has on people? What are you looking to inspire in folks?
Steele: Stop thinking that everything the radio plays is all the Hip-Hop that exists. All the artists that you’re looking for is right in front of your face, it just depends on how far you’re looking. Some people can only see but so far and if you really want something like this you’ve got to look for it you’ve gotta be interested in what you really want to find. It’s out there. Boot Camp’s been making music since 1992 and we’re still making music. We’ve got albums, we’ve got hits. We’re working for the benefit of ourselves and just to be loved by the fans. We’ve got cats out there from across the water that never met us but love us, love our music, love our vibe, love everything we’re bringing to the world, through Hip-Hop.
Rock: Muthafuckas be passin out like Michael Jackson came out there or something.
Steele: Through Hip-Hop we’ve been across the word. A little name that Kool Herc created it done grown into something that the whole world… everybody bows down to Hip-Hop, every facet of every marketing tool everywhere you look.

AB: So you’ve traveled the world, you have people passing out like Michael Jackson, so what are you goals for this album if you’ve already done all that?
Rock: We love this shit regardless. It’s like telling a weed smoker you’ve already smoked so whatchu gonna do now? You already got high. Well, I’ma smoke tomorrow too because I like to smoke. I don’t get enough of it, that’s like another high right there. It’s what we love doing regardless. We were doing it before people were cheering our names.
Strength: And there’s so much more to do.
Rock: Yeah, that too. We ain’t really done shit yet. The people who have come across us, they love our shit, but there are a lot of people who haven’t even heard of us. You’ve got youngins out there, we’ve got to show them what’s up, too.

AB: With that in mind how are you gonna hit that younger generation, that teenage market?
Rock: Because we rap good!
Strength: We’re gonna talk that shit they understand, we make good shit.
Rock: We know how to rock man. That shit will shut all that shit up. We’ve got every kind of nigga in the crew so it’s somebody in our crew that everybody in the streets can relate to. Smart niggas, retarded niggas, beat niggas, hustling niggas, pretty boys, militant niggas, they can relate to all of us. There’s somebody here for everybody. And we get busy and we got the ability to change your mind. I’ve still got niggas walking up on me if they got on fatigues and sneakers they’ll run up on me and apologize on some “oh shit, my bad Rock.” That’s because Ruck told ya’ll niggas if you wear fatigues and sneakers you pussy, so now ten years later niggas still slip up and they get caught in front of me and feel “aww shit.” We’ve got the power to do that to niggas, the power of influence.

AB: One last thing, tell me something no one knows about BCC.
Strength: Then we’d have to kill you.