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MARKY MARK INTERVIEW ON LENO


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Marky Mark (aka Mark Wahlberg) waz on Leno 2nite talking about his Oscar nomination for The Departed. I'm type up the highlights of the interview for those who are interested. He talked about how his Oscar nomination was the only time he called his parents with good news...making fun how many times he had 2 call them from jail. When Leno asked him about how he put his character 2gether for The Departed, he talked about pulling from his experiences growing, being the youngest kid in his crew, selling drugs, robbing people, assulting people, and so on landing him in jail 20-some times. While at the Oscar nominee lunchon, he ran in2 one of the cops that arrested him back in Boston years ago and how he's now one of Beyonce's bodyguards...ha ha. And how he stayed in touch with some of the good cops who were on his side who actually cared enough 2 help him clean his act up. He talked about during the time he was doing his thing with the Funky Bunch was when he started getting his life right. He talked about taking his career 2 the next level by avoiding his music career back in the day and that 2 this day, he tries not 2 listen 2 Hip-Hop cuz when he does, he starts 2 get in the mood 2 do another album (which would explain the singles he released overseas throughout the 90's without dropping another album. He went on to talk about his show Entourage and how it is based off his own early days in the entertainment industry. He wrapped things up saying that they plan on doing a sequel 2 The Departed and how he loves his family life. He talks about his young son growing up and how he simply can tell his daughter "no."

Anyways, on 2 the FP releated part. He talked about during his 1st movie, how the director of it waz also the director of most of his music videos and how he suggested he start acting. He said that the very same director worked with Fresh Prince and 2Pac back in the day and told the 2 of them that they should consider acting. It's kinda crazy that the same guy told the 3 of them (the 3 biggest Hip-Hop actors during the 90's) that they needed 2 follow that path. FP waz of course at the Oscar lunchon with MM...i wonder if they talked music...

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Ha...yeah. I'm a big fan of his music. He did everything from the club related mainstream stuff 2 the gritty street stuff. Some people clown him for the commerical success he got and the fact that his brother was in the New Kids, but he has always been one of my favorite emcees. Back then, he was one of the few struggling to be taken seriously as a white guy in Hip-Hop...just after Vanilla Ice messed it up for everybody. His 1st album did great, but when he dropped his second album, the record label began fighting him and they just stopped promoting his music (we are talking about Interscope here). He told the group 2 persue their own thing since they label wazn't pushing that album, and that's when he started focusing on movies. Overseas he dropped a few good singles and a full album with reggae artist Prince Ital Joe (who is best known in the US for his vocals on 2Pac's "Hail Mary"...he died in a car accident a few years ago). The only problem with some of those singles (no offense oversea'ers) is that the Europe club scene had 2 much presence in the music. He also did 2 really good trax for the Fear soundtrack which waz never released (u can hear the songs in the movie).

Back 2 the FP-releated stuff...in 1998, while he waz doing The Big Hit (my fav movie right under Bad Boys), he was approached 2 do a song for the soundtrack. He said that as long as it didn't have 2 be tied in2 the movie like FP's "Men In Black," he would do it. The track is called "Don't Sleep" and it's dope. Totally late 90's Hip-Hop. During the 2000ish area he claimed 2 be writing and recording, but that after the late 90's...all his music waz basically just for himself...not 2 be released. I guess these days, he just wants 2 stay safe, be a family man, and keep taking it 2 the bank with the movie. But there will always be a tight following that want the music.

What dose the movie industry do 2 emcees that make them wanna put their 1st love on the back burner?!? FP, Latifah, Kid, Play, etc.

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What dose the movie industry do 2 emcees that make them wanna put their 1st love on the back burner?!? FP, Latifah, Kid, Play, etc.

Wouldnt we all like to know that? How do you get more out of playing the part of someone else than to be yourself and say how you really feel.

The movie industry doesn't want them to do music because they don't respect it.

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Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch are Mark Wahlberg (alias Marky Mark), Scott Ross  (alias Scottie Gee), Hector Barros (alias Hector the bootie inspector), Terry Yancey (alias DJ-T) and Anthony Thomas (alias Ashey Ace).

Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch were founded by, then New Kid, Donnie Wahlberg in 1990.  Donnie also produced much of the group's material.  The group was managed by New Kids on the Block manager, Dick Scott.  The group was fronted by Donnie's brother Mark Wahlberg, who did the bulk of the rapping.  Scott, Hector and Anthony were dancers for the group and Terry was the DJ for the group, all of whom rapped occasionally.  All of the members were from Boston, Massachusetts (U.S.A.).  

Because of Donnie, the group quite easily got to be the opening act for New Kids on the Block (who were then at their height of fame) and New Kids on the Block fans willingly embraced the group.  Members of the media who liked New Kids on the Block tended to be supportive of the group as well.  

In 1991 Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch released "Good Vibrations" of their debut album "Music For The People".  This proved to be a huge hit, providing the group with its first number 1 single and album.  The album went on to go platinum.  Then came the backlash.  Mark was often criticised as living off his brother's popularity, particularly by those who didn't like New Kids on the Block.  The group's racial set up would be criticised by some who saw the presence of Scott, Hector, Terry and Anthony as just there to give Mark street cred.  When the group's second album was released the effect of the backlash was noticed in a drop in record sales.

Throughout the existence of the group Mark did remain the focus of attention, with the others appearing to play second fiddle to him.  Although the group never formally split up, Mark's popularity took him onto a solo career quite separate from the group (recording with Prince Ital, modeling for Calvin Klein and later acting).  In 1995 Mark dropped his stage name "Marky Mark" and concentrated on his career as an actor.  

However, Mark does still hold a recording contract.  Whether the Funky Bunch are included in this contract or not has yet to be established.

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All that info is dated. Years a go, me and Hector from the Funk B's used 2 talk alot online, which is where i got alot of my inside info from. He's the one who told me how Interscope wouldn't promote the 2nd album "You Gotta Believe" which is why Mark backed outta music. When they were doing their overseas for that tour, they didn't even have a full band...ha ha. It's true that Mark had a recording contract YEARS after dropping albums in the US and overseas, but by now, i wouldn't be surprised if done now. The Funky Bunch reunited around 2000ish to do another album or 2 on the underground scene. The trax were actually pretty good, but since then their site went down and i lost connections with Hector. All that garbage about the Funk B's being there 2 give Mark 'street cred' is garbage. Those fellas were all best friends and they all still keep in touch.

And i don't agree with Turntable on that whole money thing. Emcees do acting cuz it's their passion...but only sell-outs and artists who don't have a real love for Hip-Hop would do that for the money. FP, LL, Mos Def, 2Pac have all kept albums coming out. Queen Latifah and Nick Cannon have albums 'waiting.' Kid has been recording for the last 4 years. Between the late 90's and early 2000's, Mark had recorded about 5 albums worth of stuff that he didn't really plan 2 release.

I think the love is there but that the politics of the entertainment industry just get in the way. Like Tim said, the movie industry doesn't really respect Hip-Hop. Then the artists are kept in this chokehold thinking their music won't be respected cuz of their movies.

FP needs 2 sign all the old school artists and Hollywook emcees that can't get their stuff straight and release their music thru' Overbrook....cuz he knows what he's doing.

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