"Some people expect to hear country in our shit, what’s wrong with y’all? Get outta your zone and see the world and realize the place you stay is not the center of the universe. "

From the outside looking in, Colorado doesn’t appear on your short list of states that represent the elements of Hip Hop. Yet, the steel canvass of trains as the backdrop for the graffiti culture, the music, the creative flare of the DJ, and the organized militancy of the MC are all represented in the pillar that is Denver MC, Mane Rok.

A graffiti writer from foundation, Mane represents the culture within the culture. Not only is he a student of Hip Hop, but one of its most compelling teachers, his name synonymous with change and innovation within the city. Further supporting this claim is the material from Mane’s first solo album The Ugly Truth.

Mane Rok, has created an album that is as much about controversy and realism, as it is about lyrical versatility. The Ugly Truth walks the perfect line between education and entertainment. The production on the album is aptly fashioned to hold the Mane’s heavy content. Complete with cuts, samples, and haunting voice-overs, a vocal comparison to Eminem wouldn’t be too far off.

From police brutality to a startling track about suicide, there is no confusion about the motivation behind the album’s title. While The Ugly Truth is designed to feed the masses, it is also the organic Hip Hop missing in the current music climate.

Yo! Raps caught up with Mane and chopped it up about his new album and the significance of playing your position, police brutality, and much more.

Are you prepared for The Ugly Truth to compete in all markets?

Sure. This project wasn’t seen as a business plan though; it was personal, very personal. So I’m not too concerned with what market it fits and so forth. This was a record I truly made for myself, I had some things I needed to get out, and some things that were initially made for this were changed, because I no longer felt it was the right approach.

I’m not trying to be Drake, not trying to be Weezy and not trying to be Rhymefest. This is...more so, the truth about Mane Rok.

Why was it so important for you to make this kind of record right now?

There have been a lot of changes in my life recently, both professionally, personally and at large with the contentious climate in society. If there is one thing I am about, whether in regards to life as a whole or Hip Hop, it’s the truth, and it served as a perfect jumping board for what is next on the agenda.

And next on the agenda includes a new EP every six months from producers that worked on this album?

Yes. From producers that worked on The Ugly Truth such as Maker of Glue and Grayskull fame, Es Nine (3 The Hardway,) Yonnas Abraham (The Pirate Signal) along with Deca, Ichiban, Isolated Mind, and newer collaborators, 800 The Jewell (Jewell Tyme Music,) Xperiment, Mr. Bostic (One Eyed Kings) and Dyalekt of Diamond Boiz.  There are new, top-secret producers that are sure to turn heads and break necks at the same time. The next in 4th quarter with Es Nine called En Stereo.

What do you think about the Eminem comparisons?

It’s funny you ask that, because I do hear that. What’s even funnier is the only Eminem products I own are his single prior to being signed to Aftermath, the Bad Meets Evil single with Royce Da 5'9" and some random mixtape shit. I think he is a top 3 rapper ever. But I don’t own his music. This boggles the fuck out of me when people compare me to him.

What artists do you listen to that rep your train of thought?

I don’t really listen to many artists, for that very reason. The newest artist I was put on to was Kam Moye, who has been out for quite some time. He was the newest thing that caught my attention anyway. I don’t ever wanna hear an artist that "reps my train of thought." I just wanna hear artists who truly rep their own and when those train of thoughts can run an almost parallel path, I try and build with them, which is why Kam will be on the next EP.

What's the most common misconception about music from the West?

The most common, is that we all have that "West Coast gangsta sound." Hell, I can list hundreds of industry acts from the West that don’t sound like that but what’s worse is the misconception of what Colorado artists sound like. Garbage... well, some do. Some people expect to hear country in our shit, what’s wrong with y’all? Get outta your zone and see the world and realize the place you stay is not the center of the universe.

One of the most poignant songs on the album, This One’s, takes a shocking look at police brutality. With the recent murder of 7 year old Aiyana Jones by the Detroit PD, the track seems more relevant than ever.

This One's is a song that is actually older, something I wrote (and subsequently rewrote parts) some time ago, but the subject matter is relevant, whether we are talking 50 years ago or 50 years in the future, which is exactly why I put it on the album. Just so happens, the week of the release, Aiyana Jones is their next victim.

Police brutality is an issue that many cities have in common.

Denver has one of the highest complaint records of police using excessive force. When finding samples for DJ Tense's cut portion at the end of the song, it was heart wrenching going thru all these stories, all current stories that the media doesn’t even tell us about.

There’s no easy solution, which is what seems to be so frustrating.

Humans can't be fully trusted especially when given that amount of power. Police far too often come off as that kid that was bullied in high school so they put a badge on and become the bullies themselves. The bullshit happens from coast to coast. Nothing changes, regardless of how much we talk about it but it’s something we should never forget, because the moment we do, it’s the moment it increases.

- By Maxine Ross