A man of multiple talents, Roscoe Umali's distinctive rapping presence and list of accomplishments has substantiated his self proclaimed title of "The Freshest Filipino." Rapper, producer, intellectual, successful businessman--in the past five years, Roscoe took on multiple roles and excelled in every one of them. Although Roscoe's rapping career dates as far back as 1995, Roscoe soon became a distinctive force when he produced and rapped for both Drunken Tiger's second and third album. Lacing the beat for "W.O.R.D" and of course tearing up his self titled, "UMALIS BAR," it was clear that "The Freshest Filipino" was going to make his mark not only amongst DT fans, but amongst hip-hop culture. 

Post DT4, Roscoe explored alternative paths and retired from the hip-hop game. Fans missed his sound from the 5th and 6th albums, and it was clear how much Roscoe played a significant part in the group. However, with pressure from fans and fellow DT member, DJ Jhig, Roscoe has now returned to the hip-hop scene to once again pursue a rapping career. With a promotional CD already selling fast and promising collaborations with Far East Movement and Double Dragon in the works, his fans are now highly anticipating his long awaited comeback.  

After two years of silence, we caught up with Roscoe to inquire about his past and his upcoming album. The following interview occurred over a private internet exchange.

The Past, The Present, and Drunken Tiger

Camp: You’ve been out of the spotlight for a little under two years. What were you working on during that time?
Roscoe: I’ve been heavily involved in the business world getting money. During the last couple years, I really lost the motivation for music all together.  It wasn’t until recently that I got back into making music again.  I’ve got to give it up to my main man Jhig. He’s my best friend in the world, and he really motivated me to get back in the lab with the type of beats that he and AOW were able to put together. They’re incredible at what they do.

Camp: How did you get into hip-hop? What inspired you to rap/produce?
Roscoe: My uncle introduced me to hip-hop as an adolescent in the eighties, when it was all about the Beastie Boys and run DMC. The first tape that I ever copped was a Fresh Prince tape. I really didn’t start emceeing until the early 90’s, right around the time when A Tribe Called Quest and PRT started running things. I started producing because I wanted to learn how to be completely self-sufficient in hip-hop… I wanted to produce music that I felt was tight, and I didn't want to depend on anyone to make it happen for me.  That’s how I’ve always been, real independent.

Camp: We know that you used to teach, and you also owned an advertising company in Seattle. Are you pursuing rap as your primary career now or do you have other plans in mind?
Roscoe: I would love to do hip-hop for a living, but I won’t depend on it to put food on my plate. I’m a hustler. As Dame Dash would put it, I’m a “ballaholic,” and I’ve been blessed with the ability to make a living through a number of different avenues. I’ll say that for this album, hip-hop has my full attention.  I really believe that the music that we’re about to unleash will make hip-hop fans proud, especially hip-hop heads in the Asian American community who need positive role models to pave the way for our presence to be felt in the mainstream.

Camp: Your first solo album, “Glossalalics,” was released about 10 years ago. Looking back, your fans see it as a classic album. Was “Glossalalics” well received back then? How did you and Jhig’s label, Sumo Records, do at the time?
Roscoe: The album was received very well. It was the first collection of work that I ever recorded so it was very raw and uncut. We released it under Sumo Records and sold all kinds of units ourselves on the underground.  Back then, it wasn’t about anything else other than getting our music heard, and to some extent, we accomplished our goals.  I still trip out when people hit me up and know my lyrics from like ten years ago.  I’ve been blessed with a very loyal fan base.

Camp: Not a lot of people know this, but your old single, “Chicken and Waffles,” made it on to the soundtrack of the Filipino-American movie, “The Debut.” You’ve mentioned before you’re very involved in the Filipino community. What was your motivation to include the song in the movie?
Roscoe: That movie was groundbreaking for our community. I had to find a way to get up on it. While I was going to UCLA, I ran into the director of the movie, my man Gene. He hit me up with the opportunity and I couldn’t say no.  Let me make it clear and simple for anybody who doubts this… I truly believe that I am the Freshest Filipino emcee in the universe.  My goal is to bring my people to the forefront of hip-hop culture, and I feel that I am completely capable of handling the whole weight.

Camp: We’ve heard that you and Jhig have been best friends since you were very young… care to elaborate a little on how you met him and the rest of the DT crew?
Roscoe: Jhig and I have known each other for over 20 years. That’s my main man since day one. He linked up with JK right before the second album and introduced me to the whole squad. Whatever Jhig is involved with, you can count me in, but after meeting JK, Shine, and Micki Eyes, I recognized the talent and realized that we could put something special together. A little over a month later, we came with “The Great Rebirth” and the rest is history.

Camp: You’ve produced some notable tracks, particularly tracks from DT’s 2nd and 3rd album. Do you prefer rapping to producing? Or do you switch back and forth between the two?
Roscoe: I’m an emcee before anything else but I also like making beats. To quote Evidence from Dilated Peoples “I feel like Diamond D, the best producer on the mic.” I switch back and forth between the two, but lately I’ve been putting a lot more emphasis on writing the best songs possible. I prefer to produce music for other people and spit rhymes on other people’s beats. For some reason, I don’t like rapping over my own beats.

Camp: You performed at DT’s first concert in Korea back in 2000. That was one of the few times that the whole crew performed on stage together. How was that experience?
Roscoe: It was off the hook! That was my first time in Korea. It was the first time that I fully understood the magnitude of what we were doing. We put on a live show and I look forward to doing it again someday, with all of us.

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