Fall 2006; Interview & Images by Chuck Holliday

The new artist is a catch twenty-two role. You have to bring something new, but you have to fit within the familiarities of the listener’s ear. Maserati Poe’s stories echo with an eerie truth. In an era where everybody wants to act as if they were born into the hip-hop lifestyle, Maserati knows his previous surroundings and why it applies to the present.
With an album on the horizon that has the hype and the sounds to keep you warm in the Winter, it’s time to spotlight the man in advance. In an exclusive Avenue 1 interview & photo shoot conducted at the Brooklyn Country Club located upstairs at The Gallery at Fulton Street (Dekalb Avenue & Albee Square West; Brooklyn, NY), “Poe Grams” makes statements, declares “they like my swagga,” and… miniature golf? Read on.

So what’s good with this mixtape project?
Well my “They Like My Swagga” mixtape is coming along real good — it will be out this month hosted by DJ On Point and its my 1st. But I will have two more out before the end of the year but the CD mixtape really came about from my love for music… Poe was not suppose to be rappin… it just came from people liking what they heard and my drive just got stronger when people started doubting me… so I said imma do it.

Tell us about your hood and the struggle that some people don’t realize comes with the rise to the forefront in music.
Well I’m from Brownsville in Van Dyke Projects but as far as my hood its like every other…it’s the hood. Where I grew up at, you had to have a hustle because nothing is given to you out here… so you had very few choices… playing ball, hustling, robberies, whatever… even if it was a 9 to 5, and when that comes to music, it’s crazy because there’s so much to talk about. I know at the end of the day I can rap all day about me selling drugs and I don’t care if it was just a gram or a brick a n#$%a did it… everybody done owed a gun but at the end of the day that wasn’t the boi.. I had girls, I was fly, I was cute and that just stuck with me.. so I said I gotta big my hood up because that’s what made me but when everything was going crazy and you could get into trouble I was with somebody girlfriend..lol but it’s just a learning experience..I mean you gonna get the hating now..because you rap, you nicer than the next group of rappers who feel they are nicer than you..or they feel you’re too soft or they just ain’t got no swagga, can’t get no chick’s, they hate on you, but once again every n#$%a that’s doing them and whatever hustle they got going can relate and understand.

What’s some of the things that motivates you to do what you do?
well some of the things that motivates me to do this is my love for music period.. Plus its just me being like Poe can do anything so why not rap — also my family and friends who keep pushing me to do it and my haters, damn they motivate me somethin crazy!

So you got the mixtape popping off, what’s up next for the Million Dollar Baby?
Well I have to more dropping before the end of the year, called “Look At Me Now” and “Somethin Like a Rapper” — I have to screenplays I’m tryng to finish writing when I can get sometime called “From da Hood 2 Hollywood N Back” and “How Deep Is Ya Love,” plus my clothing line I wanna start called “PatchWerk,” a DVD, a cartoon called “Da PlayGround.” Listen I can go on for days but i’m going to just take it one day at a time. But right now music and imma give everybody a run for the money because real talk I do this for fun, I just enjoy it. So to all of you writers who been doing it for years..keep writing..lol oh I also have an in-store for the mixtape.

What’s really good with that miniature golf game?
Oh the golf game, that’s for the ladies..I left a comment on my pic profile on my myspace page so they can read it and that’s the answer. I ‘m Masi Woods..hole in one..lol