(Oct. 5, 2007) Baby Bash says he's under the radar, but you've been hearing him one way or another all over the radio for the past few years. While Cyclone is tearing up dance floors all over the world and working his way up Billboard's charts, Music Guy spent a few minutes talking to his new buddy about his life as a music writer and professional star maker.

Baby Bash: What up?

Music Guy: Hey Bash, how are you doing?

BB: I've been good, very good. I'm happy everything is moving pretty good.

MG: You're making quite a name for yourself.

BB: Yeah, it's a steady drive, I'm not speeding, going the speed limit.

MG: You're associated with some good names. You're doing a lot of collaborating, helping a lot of people out.

BB: It's a magic combination. I feel good when I meet people in the business and they understand what I'm about. Especially the talented musicians... I might not be the most popular guy in music right now, these people who have talent and they "get it", it makes me feel good when my peers appreciate my music. When good people like my style and like how I write, they tune in with me and want to work with me.

It's kind of strange but I like it, even though I'm kind of under the radar, my music is being appreciated, you know?

MG: Yeah. I listen to you as more of a songwriter than a rapper...

BB: Rapping to me, now, is kind of over-rated the way the music industry is now. I never wanted to be a big bad rapper or anything like that. I wanted to be a songwriter. I'm not a patter rapper, but I'll write you some hits. I try to be consistent. It's what I like to do.

MG: I didn't realize you wrote Frankie J's OBSESSION, that's a classic all-time song. It's going to be around for a long time.

BB: I did that song in Europe with a band called Third Wish, before I gave it to Frankie in the United States. It was a pretty bog hit in Europe.

MG: I talked with Paula DeAnda a few weeks ago, she really enjoyed working with you.

BB: I wrote DOIN TOO MUCH for her, and it kind of set her off. She went from pretty little ninth-grader to all over the radio. I met her, heard her sing, got her in the studio and wrote it for her. Next thing you know, we have a hit, a record deal, video... She's gonna be around forever because she's an awesome talent.

MG: A sweetheart.

BB: And she can really sing, she doesn't need any studio EQ help with her voice, she can really sing live.

MG: You're doing what you love. Did you have any plans before you found your way into the music industry?

BB: I played basketball in junior college. I wanted to anything besides construction. I came from a rough upbringing, I wanted to try and break the cycle in my family. I come from a long list of alcoholics and drug addicts. I was determined to break the cycle. My buddy had a studio, I came hung out and messed around in the studio. I started writing songs, people liked them, I took it a little more serious.

I had several plans... as long as I had a house and a car, I was going to be happy. A legit house and car. I NEVER expected to be where I'm today though. I hoped. I dreamed. Never expected.

MG: It's important to do something you love, and it's obvious you're doing that.

BB: Thank you very much. I'm happy, the key to life is happiness.

MG: How is your family situation? Mom, Dad, brothers or sisters?

BB: I have to brothers doing good. My dad is just out of prison, we're trying to make sure he stays out. My mom, God bless her soul, she's doing real good. Out of rehab, working. I take care of my grandmother. I bought her a house next to us. She say's I'm like Richie Valens (best known for La Bamba).

MG: It's good you're taking care of the family. You have that sense of responsibility. A wonderful thing.

BB: Thanks a lot. I do the correct thing to do. I do it with love. Why go out and buy all that jewelry, that flashy flashy stuff, I take care of my family.

MG: I have to say a cliché, but you really keep it real. Everything I've read on you, and talking to you know indicates that. I know you have something coming up on Santana's album, with Jennifer Lopez as well?

BB: Oh man, can you believe that? It's crazy! I got a call, an invitation to be on Carlos Santana's album, and THEN they said with Jennifer Lopez! I was like, "whoa! that is crazy!"

MG: Is this my life?

BB: That goes to show you, like I said, I'm an under the radar artist, but my music is kind of known, and when a legend like Santana says "hey, put him on my record", that says a lot. It feels so good that my peers appreciate my music. It's amazing that a Legend like Santana gets what I'm doing. It makes all the hard work worth it. I'm excited to be on his album, and the song in BOOMING! I love it. It's tight. Santana's guitar, I think is still on fire from the strings that he ripped on it. It's called "This Boy's Fire."

MG: You have Cyclone out now with T-Pain.

BB: Cyclone's doing real good, climbing the charts. People know me, more the smooth melody character. The type of music for your girlfriend in the convertible. hangin' out with the chicks. I hade to a couple of club-bangers, so I went and got Lil Jon, T-Pain heard the song and wanted to be in the song. Both of those guys are down to earth people. I love working with people like that. People are digging it.

I got the melody, I consider myself really into melody. My melody over a tight Lil Jon beat gave us CYCLONE. I'm really proud of it.

MG: I hear melody in everything you do. Melody is obviously the backbone of your style.

BB: Yeah, that's why I always tell people I'm not really your normal rapper, I'm more melodic. I put my voice in melodic situations. Sometimes it's hard some people don't know how, in this world of categories, everybody wants to categorize music. Is it hip-hop? Is it R&B? Is it reggae? Is it Rock? I think my music is a fusion, listening music. That's where my melody comes in. It makes me different than a lot of so-called rappers and pop artists.

I think in the beginning of my career it hurt a little bit because people didn't know how to categorize me, but as time went on they started to get it. That's what's going on now. I have a pretty steady climb right now.

MG: A lot of songs written by guys are about girl watching, like CYCLONE is, but you do it pretty respectfully, as opposed to a lot of other people out there.

BB: In real life, I'm not mister hardcore, calling girls a bunch of names. I LIKE women. I don't do that in real life. I respect women. I love women. I love kicking it with girls. I don't be overdramatic, I just try to stay cool. I think women appreciate that.

MG: I know the girls in the office are going to ask me, and I know our readers want to know, what's your love life like?

BB: (laughing) Actually, I'm single right now, I had a relationship for a while but I'm on the road so much, I'm more married to my career right now than anything. To be fair to everybody, I'm single right now because it's so hard to have a relationship when you never see each other. I'm single, ready to mingle, and sometimes bilingual.

MG: Any hobbies? While you're on the road, playing Wii or XBox?

BB: I'm on the XBOx, but I'm a basketball player by nature, so when I get the chance it's real basketball over video basketball. I love playing hops whenever I get the chance. I'm a big fan of ESPN, always checking the highlights. I play Playstation. I'm a dog lover, I have a couple of dogs who I can't do without. I don't have any kids, but I treat my dogs like they're my kids. I have three dogs that I love to death. When I can, I have them brought up to me and hang out and play with them. It might sound silly, but I love my dogs.

MG: Who watches them while you're not home?

BB: My brothers at the house. They're little, so have them flown out to see me when I can.

MG: How did you first get noticed professionally?

BB: I had been writing music for a while, working with South Park Mexican, Kid Frost. They had a fan base. I wrote SUGA SUGA, Frankie J loaned his voice. My manager had a radio station in Corpus Christi, and the song was originally called LIFTED, he started playing the demo on the radio, and he called me back a week later, and told me that SUGA SUGA song was blowing up. I was like, dude, it's called LIFTED. The fans are calling it SUGA SUGA, that's what it's going to be. Then came Columbia Records, Universal Records, TVT Records trying to get me a record deal. I started writing for other people. A steady slow climb.

MG: Your friends call you Bash. Usually, BABY and BASH don't go together very well, but you make it work.

BB: (laughing) It's a weird name. I never really liked my name, my friends call me Bash. I used to be called Baby Beeshi because I had a beat mini Mitsubishi truck back in the day. I looked like a little kid driving it.

Then it evolved to BASH... BABY BASH. I never got to name myself, if I ever did get to name myself it's be Ronnie ray, my real name. I like that a lot better it give me a kind of Country-Western Jesse James flavor. BASH is cool. most of my friends take out the BABY and just call me BASH.

MG: I was going over your lyrics and had to ask, what does "Swanananani" mean?

BB: (singing) Swanananani. When my DJ was playing the hook, I write everything. I lay out the foundation, and I sing it first. So whether it's Akon, T-Pain, Frankie J or Paula, I can't really sing, but I lay out the melodies, and they come over it and sing. That was the first than that came into my head when I heard that beat. Singing Again: Swanananani. My DJ was cracking up, you really want me say that? I said yes, just like that. I'm a big reggae fan. It just comes out perfect. When I do that live, I can hear the whole crowd singing it right when the part comes on.

MG: It's definitely catchy.

BB: Thanks a lot, sir.

MG: Call me (censored), all my friends do.

MG: When your writing is the melody first in your head? Is it the hook? A lyric? What gets you started?

BB: Melody is always first, sometimes a hook, but you have to find the melody around that. The music tells me what to say. I never go into a session with a song written in my head. I can't just sit here and write a song. I have to have the beat to set the mood. I listen to the sound, the melody and it sets the mood. It can be a club song, a lovemaking song, a party song, whatever, I sing without words (singing again lalalalala or la la la la la lalaaa la) THEN I come in with the words. I try to get some candy-coated words in there. I do the words, I get the hook, the (censored), I get the beat, the (censored), the chorus, the (censored), the (censored) is the last thing I worry about.

That's my recipe, keep that low.

MG: I'll keep some blank spots in the interview

BB: (Laughs)

MG: Bash, it was good to meet you, talk to you, best of luck and we'll be listening!

BB: Thanks a lot (censored), I'll see you in the future!

MG: When you come to the Philly area, I'll check you out.

BB: Bye, bro.