Hi Ender…

ERDENE®: Can we get to know MC Ender a little bit?

* I was born in Ankara in 1977. I'm originally from the Black Sea region. I started amateur music in middle school and DJing and making music in high school. My life is music, my purpose in life is music. I wanted to control music, so I learned it and I make music. Currently, I work at a record company, and besides my own album, I continue my life by composing/arranging. But actually, I haven't really started yet, and I won't have started until my second album comes out 🙂.

ERDENE®: Can I get your opinion on Turkish rap?

* Cartel was the best Turkish Rap in my opinion. In Turkey, let alone Turkish Rap, the music market is in ruins. That's why Turkish Rap has a harder time. But everything is fate; there are so many hardworking people, who have dedicated their hearts to this, and I hope their efforts won't be in vain. Of course, there are also some idiotic types, those who can't produce anything, who just keep gossiping. These exist in every country, everywhere… Let them talk, that's all they can do… Ignore them.

ERDENE®: Can you tell us a little about the style of this new album?

*MC Ender's style, sound, and music are present in this album. I should add that to have a style, one needs to know music! There are plenty of tracks that will make you think "MC Ender song," but none of them sound alike. There are tracks from every sound, but the common feature is the MC style. From Upbeat 2Live Crew style tracks to West Coast, from Turkish-sounding tracks to real Gangsta music, everything is there. I didn't make a special effort to make them all different styles; this is what happens when you try. The sounds will again be among the best in Turkish rap ever. This isn't a claim, it's a fact: the best music, the best recordings, the best instruments/vocals, the best harmonies – everything is here because I'm making it. You'll be listening to rap from a musician again. Without samples, full of harmony, all the tracks are amazing. From hardcore rappers to anyone who only knows Will Smith, this is an album that everyone will find incredibly appealing. So I have no market concerns, because it has style 😛

ERDENE®: Will there be any featured artists on the album? If so, who are they? How many tracks are there? Can you tell us a little about the album?

* There will be collaborations, Ankarap is involved, and Alper Og will stand out significantly. Put Alper's voice next to Ice Cube's, you won't see a difference, Alper will even be superior in some aspects. This will become clear on the album. Besides rap vocals, there are collaborations with major Turkish artists, and the best parts will be here. It's all a surprise, and they are all the best voices and names in their respective fields. Right now, we have almost 40 tracks ready, it's been so long, but I think we'll put 12 on the album. It's not entirely clear which ones will be, because there are new tracks almost every week, making the decision difficult.

It's been almost three years, and the reason we've waited this long is obviously economic. I wouldn't release this album even if it took 10 years if the conditions weren't right. While we're dealing with crisis after crisis, on top of that, there are these ridiculous issues like copyright, music television royalties, etc. I could release it tomorrow if I wanted to; after all, I have my own label and I work for a record company. But releasing it isn't just about putting it in music stores. And the current environment isn't conducive to the advertising, promotion, and getting my songs heard that I want; on the contrary, it's a hindering environment. Waiting is harder for me than for anyone else, but there's no other way. I think this is the best thing. I'd rather wait another four years than release the album and have the music videos banned and nobody hear it.

Meanwhile, I'm still getting emails, and although I'm very happy about it, seeing these emails makes me wonder, "Where is it? When will it be released?" and I'm equally sad. Because this cursed Turkish music market is in the hands of idiots, thugs, and people who don't understand anything... Not just music, but everything. If people who don't know how to speak become announcers, then of course people with no vocal talent will be on TV every day like logos. I hope they all improve, and when the chance comes, I'll really hit them hard, as long as the path for Turkish rap, for music that isn't arabesque, opens up a little... So I'm still waiting, for reasons beyond my control.

ERDENE®: What do you think about rappers forming groups and the already small community becoming fragmented?

*There's nothing to say, that's why I say I'm not a rapper. Thugs call themselves rappers, it's actually like that in the USA too, would you want to take those types into your home and introduce them to your family? Turkish rappers have only taken the thuggish and aggressive aspects from abroad as examples, they've emulated them. But money is made by those who use their brains. Groups and stuff are just a story, there's no scene either, I think, there are only a handful of people who can actually make music, most of them are working their hearts out, trying to get out of the underground... And the brainless ones just criticize them. There's no such thing as rap, there's music. It's all nonsense about who's the real rapper, who's the tough guy, it's all rubbish, brainless reptiles... They've turned rap into something like Aynalı Tahir's TV series, "I'm the toughest rapper," "I'm the Muslim rapper," "I'm the nationalist rapper," none of them have anything to do with rap. Where's the music? Let them come and play something I play with one hand using both, play a chord, produce a sound, sing a rap song, and let me see... Just stupid kids, forget about them.

ERDENE®: Who do you like in Turkish rap?

* Cartel was amazing. Back when rap didn't even exist, when everything was at zero, they made a great album for 10-15 years. Everything was perfect. Looking at what came after, in my opinion:

Fresh B: awful, artificial, terrible rap, cover music. I mean, why would people listen to Fresh B with that kind of voice when Nas's songs exist? Or trying to rap with lyrics like a primary school child when he can't even speak Turkish properly... Suxx. (I wrote it like this because someone who doesn't know rap, seeing this guy, could easily make idiotic comments like, "Aha, he's talking, this is rap, you talk and it becomes a song." That's why he's a bad example for Turkish rap.)

Target 12, Report 2: They're trying to do good things, hopefully they'll get even better.

Nefret: From what I can see from afar, they're two guys who are always working hard, striving to surpass their previous work, and living the rap scene to the fullest. I think they're the only group that can emerge from the underground. If luck is on their side, I think they'll really make Turkish rap known. The way they pronounce many words, like a villager, is quite annoying, but apart from that, they're improving their music, and of course, their resources are also improving. I think they'll reap the rewards of their dedication and hard work. That is, if the world is fair.

That's all for now. If you ask how I see myself, it would be better to say that after the second album. But I am the master of music; those who believed in the first album will feel it completely in the second. Because I was born for this, this is the purpose of my life 🙂

ERDENE®: Who would you like to collaborate with?

* Of course, Dre is my idol first. Then MasterP, Snoop… Of course, these are just dreams for now. In Turkish rap, I would like there to be a bombastic track where everyone unites and sings it back-to-back, with features from everyone. (Maybe there is one in this album 🙂)

ERDENE® - So, who does MC Ender listen to?

* Dr. Dre is my idol in music; I listen to everything he does, from what he did as a DJ at 16 to the unreleased tracks he hasn't put on albums yet. Then there's 2Pac, Master P, BoneThugz, and generally West Coast.

ERDENE®: Finally, what would you like to say?

*Everything is a nightmare, especially being in Turkey. The rap scene in Germany is like a dream here. But if God wants to intervene occasionally, he should intervene in Turkey first. Then, if the market, the economy, and the crisis improve a bit, we will crush the Magos one by one, one way or another, get the recognition they deserve, and make our music known. There are so many stupid people, I feel like throwing up when I turn on the TV now. I hope our children don't see the same things, and by then most things will have improved. I wish good luck to everyone who chooses music in Turkey, because everyone is confused. People who are making a fortune are earning trillions, while guys who have dedicated their lives to music are making 10 million a day in bars.
So, the music you make needs to be good enough to sustain you until it's your turn to earn money. I'm telling those who want to start this business to be prepared for that.
May everything be to your liking.
To everyone who loves my music, I promise you, it will be worth the wait, because the tracks are amazing, one of a kind 🙂 See you in the second album. (By the way, once the second album comes out, the third will be released shortly after, because that one is ready too 🙂)

Lots of love to everyone, especially my fellow rappers in Germany. C ya……..MC .

Thanks MC Ender..

Erdener “C®Y” YILDIZ www.suikast.de Türkiye/Mersin