Virus
Get to Know Virus
Philly Rap: Thanks doing this interview with us today Virus. You ready?
Virus: No problem, lets do it.
PR: Okay, first I want to start off with, who influenced you and your rap career?
V: 50 Cent, Tupac, Ludacris, Eminem, D-Block, and Cassidy.
PR: Which one of them do you think had the most influence and why?
V: Probably 50 Cent and Cassidy. When I first heard Cassidys mixtape, I was about in the 5th grade. When I heard it, there was just something about it that I just went home and said You know what, hes hot. I want to do something like him, and thats when I first started rapping. So, after that I used to just write raps but I would never spit them to nobody. It changed, though, when I heard 50 Cents Get Rich or Die Trying. That made me think okay, this is what I want to do. After that, I started spitting them to my family members and they liked them, even though I thought they were corny, and they encouraged me to keep going. So, I kept going.
PR: At what age was this?
V: I was probably around 10 or 11.
PR: What high school did you go to, and did you continue rapping throughout high school?
V: I went to CET, and I was known there as a good rapper (laughs). We used to rap in the classroom when we had chill time while we sat around. Then one day, someone brought up that I was on a DVD, and nobody knew. Thats when I started going from just rappin in the class to battling people. It got to the point that teachers were bringing other people into the classroom to battle me.
PR: Oh, wow.
V: Yea (laughs), it was that crazy in that school.
PR: I want to fast forward a little bit to the Murda Cappi DVD Volume 1. That was the first time I heard you rap.
V: Yea, that was the first DVD I ever rapped on too.
PR: Really? And you were the battle champion?
V: Yea, it felt great. I was a battle rapper, but I never stood face to face and battled other rappers. Until the Murda Cappi battle, thats when I actually did it in front of a crowd of people. At first I was nervous, especially when I found out that the crowd was going to be the judge because I only brought seven people. And, some of the people I was battling, they had 20 or 30 people, like their whole block, with them. I thought, damn, theyre going to get more cheers then me. At first, I wasnt going to do the battle because Oschino was supposed to be one of the judges and he didnt show up. Thats when Joey made the crowd the judge. It got going and I actually was surprised, people were dropping out because they didnt want to battle me. I was beating dudes in two rounds. I had written ten raps in two weeks and when I got into the middle of the circle my head was scattering and I couldnt remember any of my raps.
PR: After you won the battle, did you become part of the Go Gettas?
V: No, actually a lot of people think that, but I was with them before the battle. I joined them a couple of months before the battle. I wasnt into putting track on Myspace and all that, but I was still part of the Go Gettas.
PR: How did you meet Joey Jihad?
V: I was actually on 25th and Norris filming for the headshots DVD back in August 06. He was standing out there and it was me and my brother, Arsonist. I had just turned 16, and after I just finished rapping everyone was feeling it. Joey asked whos the youngbul? They told him, hes a dude from Southwest (philly). His name is Virus and thats his brother Arsonist. He asked me if I would come out the next day, and I said yeah. He told me that, seeing that I was 16, I could do a lot for my age.
PR: So, are you and Haddy as close as you were back then?
V: Naw (sighs), I havent talked to him in about six or seven months. We used to be cool back then, but we had a little fall out.
PR: Do you want to speak on that?
V: Yea, Ill speak on the fallout. I actually did something on YouTube about it. I didnt want to put it out there because he was my oldhead at one point. Sometimes, when friends have feuds, one goes one way and the other goes the other way. But, people were calling me saying he was doing this and that on DVDs and shit got crazy. I asked him about it, and he had denied it, but then I saw the DVDs and said oh damn, he was talking about me. Later on, it got into this big argument and we were actually about to fight one time. Then, I released a diss track on him and he got on the DVD and was talking about me. But, we squashed all that though.
PR: So, you got at each other through the DVDs, but it never went farther than that?
V: No, it never really escalated to the violence. I know what type of person he is, so I didnt try to play him because he aint built for that stuff. Hes a cool, laid back, ladies man, hes not a fighter. Thats why I never took it to that level because if you take it to that level with someone whos not on that level, thats just going to make you look like a punk.
PR: I want to ask you about Quilly since Haddy and him are close. My partner is a big Quilly fan, how do you feel about Quilly Millz?
V: Quilly (pause), I never liked Quilly, me and him never got along. Not even from the first day he got out of jail. We were about to fight one time. I actually threw my hands up to him, and Joey had to stand in the middle and break it up. When he got out of jail and started talking about how he went down on a homicide and all that, he just got big in his head. It would be like some stuff Whats up with the track Quill? Then, he would try to charge you. I was like How are you going to try to change me when Im a Go Getta? Then, I told Joey about it and Joey talked to him and said Quilly wasnt gonna charge me, but he wants me to change my religion. Now, Im Christian and hes Muslim. He wanted me to turn Muslim in order to be in the Go Gettas. I got to thinking about that and was like, you cant make me change my religion for no rap group.
PR: So, he tried to tell you what to do?
V: Yea, and even Joey had a problem with it. He talked to him about it. We aint never got along. Weve hung out a couple a times but aint say not one word to each other.
PR: I want to change it up a little bit and talk about Arsonist. Hes your biological brother?
V: Nah, I just grew up with him and I call him my brother. Hes my best friend.
PR: Is he working on anything?
V: Yea actually, me and him got a mixtape coming out called If Its War Then Its War Volume 1. That should be out in the beginning of August, we still got some tracks to do for that. Me and him are in a group, its like Virus and Arsonist. Were dropping our lil mixtape soon.
PR: So, you guys dont have name for your group?
V: We used to have a name when we were younger, but then we looked back on it and saw how it was stupid (laughs), so were just Virus and Arsonist.
PR: I want to go back to DVDs. Lets talk about Plummers series Im Not a Rapper. Whats your relationship with Plummer?
V: Oh, thats my oldhead. I filmed the first DVD with him about two years ago. Ever since then, weve been friends. I dont just look at him as a DVD bul, because our relationship is a lot stronger.
PR: I know that, if it wasnt for Plummer, a lot of people wouldnt have had a chance to shine. Do you agree with that?
V: Yeah, like, a lot of people dont know that Plummer wants to help. Like, thats how I first met him. I was standing in the store, about to buy a DVD and he walked over with his camera. I spoke to him and he was supposed to be filming someone else in the store. But, he asked me, you tryna hop on? I was like, Yea, I got something I want to spit. It just went on from there, but I talk to him everyday.
PR: Lets talk about something different now. A lot of people feel that the politics of Philly rap and things such as The Come Up Show with Cosmic Kev and Q-Deezy have to do with money. Do you agree?
V: Yea, it has a lot to do with money. They charge to be on the show. I feel like there are a lot of people who dont get play and deserve it, but they dont have the money. You need money to put on a mixtape, get your shit out there on the radio. You even need money to get on some of these DVDs. Its not about Oh, your hot come on my show. You basically have to have money to get a buzz.
PR: Who do you think is really making noise in Philly right now?
V: I think Meek Millz is the only person. Then you got people that should be making noise that arent getting chance to like Fly Boy, hes very talented, hes hot.
PR: Were doing a mixtape in the fall, would you be willing to work contribute a lil something for us?
V: Definitely, definitely. Just let me know.
PR: Whats next for Virus?
V: Just, look out for me and Arsonists mixtape If Its War then Its War Volume 1. I dont really bang with Philly rap like that anymore, so Im trying to do some different things
