NORML Clothing

Naj: So for those who don’t know….who are you and how did you get your name?

M$M: My name is Million Dollar Mano. Mano has been my nick name since I was a baby, its short for emmanuel.

Naj: You grew up on the South Side of Chicago, what was it like growing up there, and how did you get your initial start in the Chicago music scene?

M$M: I was born in the city, and raised in the suburbs. Chicago is a super segregated city. A great deal of gentrification in Chicago happened in the late 80’s & early 90’s. It made the south suburbs just as violent and fucked up as the city. I’ve been djing since 8th grade and I’ve ran thru alot of leaps and bounds with alot of people and sub- scene’s to get where i am.

Naj: Was there a specific moment you realized music was no longer just something you did, but a viable career?

M$M: I knew from the start and always wanted it to be that way even when people thought I sucked.

Naj: How did you end up becoming M.I.A.’s DJ?

M$M: Well, she needed a new DJ and they asked my dude Twan (Mikey Rocks) from The Cool Kids if he knew any good ones, and he suggested I do it, and her team was already familiar with me, so it worked cause I’m fucking rad!!

Naj: You’re friends with the Cool Kids, Lupe Fiasco and Kanye West, all based out of Chicago. What is it about the Chicago scene that separates it from other current music scenes?

M$M: I’m not sure. As much as my friends all help each other out, I see the same bullshit and politics in every other city that I can relate with what’s happening in the Chi. We are trying to change that old crab shit cause it’s wack.

Naj: As well as being a bad-ass DJ, you are also a talented producer working on Kanye West’s GOOD music label. How did this come about?

M$M: My first manager, J Street played my beats for Good Music recording artist and Kanye’s best friend, GLC and he liked my stuff. He made a song called “Haterville” to my beat. Kanye really liked it and he kept seeing me progress.
Naj: We’ve been hearing big things about two GOOD label artists you are working with, Mic Terror and Hollywood Holt. Who are they and what can we expect from them?

M$M: Well, Mic Terror is still indie, and Hollywood is on Chocolate Industries. They’re really talented MC’s, my best friends, and kings in their own right. They’re both going to be HUGE, mark my words, and my partner Drea (the lead singer in my band, He Say She Say)

Naj: You are also working on a project with singer/songwriter Drea named ‘He Say She Say.’ What can we expect to hear from the upcoming album? Will it be recognizably Mano?

M$M: Drea and I create all the music equally. She is an incredible talent that is going CRUSH THE INDUSTRY. People aren’t made over night like her. She writes all her own shit. She produces her vocal arrangement and is an incredible performer. Record labels try to manufacture pure and unadulterated talent like ours but come out with manufactured bullshit. He Say She Say is a visual/musical universe in its own right.

Naj: Your style of music doesn’t necessarily get pigeon-holed into one genre. It’s obvious you have a diverse taste in music. Which artists/DJ’s inspired you growing up?

M$M: I’m inspired by the universe and all of its inhabitants, not just singular individuals.

Naj: As a solo artist and producer you have collaborated with many talented artists. Is there anyone you’ve been itching to work with?

M$M: No. I’m a sure believer in fate, but fate in a logical sense. Like, if I’m influenced by this group of individuals, they can take an automatic liking to my music, but that’s half the story. I’ve worked with alot of people that I didn’t think I’d ever work with, and it turned out amazing.

Naj: You’ve toured around the world, both as a solo act and tour DJ, what has been the single most exhilarating experience thus far?

M$M: Japan is ALWAYS THE SHIT!!! I LOVE JAPAN…that’s my swagger fam. Big O, Jon-E, Iggy and my Krazy Bee and kicks high fam Kid, Dave, Ian

Naj: It seems music and fashion go hand in hand these days, you even played the Marc Jacobs party for fashion week, what was that like?

M$M: It was incredible. I set NYC on FIRE!!! After that I was solidified in the city and that was the first time M.I.A. heard me DJ.

Naj: Describe your own personal style? What brands are staples in Mano’s closet?

M$M: I’m a classy dude, and I have expensive taste. I’m a classic guy. I love classic legit brands and styles. My style varies but please believe anything u see me in is gonna b fresh!

Naj: So whats next for Million Dollar Mano?

M$M: The world….you didn’t know???

Million Dollar Mano performs at Ritual this Saturday December 12th as part of our annual Norml Christmas Party, alongside Keys n Krates, DL Incognito, Illo, Seven:30 and Drastik. Tickets are still available, bring us a recycled winter jacket or 10 bucks for a ticket. Come early to avoid lineups!