Who is Filth Cat? You might not have heard of him yet, but he is one very talented young man. He is not only a rapper, but he is also a very good producer. He hails from the Chicago South Suburbs. He has an awesome personality. He has the looks, the skills, the talent, so why isn't he signed? After all he is right there in Chi-Town, the place that brought us Da Brat, R. Kelly, Dave Hollister, Smashing Pumpkins, Common and most recently Grammy Award winning artist Kanye West. With so much talent in the Chi, should a talented artist have a hard time getting their product to the right person?

I wanted to interview Filth Cat for several reasons. For one, he is very dedicated, motivated and driven and I have no doubt that he will be very successful one day. Another reason is that I am from Chicago and the Chicago suburbs. He also is very talented, and I do believe with the right exposure and the right timing that he will get the deal that he has been working so hard to get. this interview will also show other up and coming artists that without the money and the right team of agents, managers and publicists, it's hard to get the ball rollin. Even pressing up CD's for demo's is a challenge. Heck, I couldn't even use the photos that Filth Cat provided me for the feature because of a last minute discrepancy with the photographer regarding reprint rights. I was not going to let that stop my feature, heck I worked too hard on this interview. We'll add some pictures at a later date. Don't sleep on this interview because it's not someone you have heard of, it's quite interesting. His career highlight to date was when he opened up for Ludacris.

Editors note-Filth Cat just sent me his latest CD-THE ANTMAN. I will be posting my review soon!

How long have you been rapping to the point where you have been making CD's and demo's and stuff?
Filth Cat-I've been making demos and since I was fourteen. I didn't get real serious about it until I was 18 around the time I left and went to college.

Where did you go to college at?
Filth Cat- I went to Northern Michigan. That is where I opened up for Ludacris and everything.

What other artists have you opened for?
Filth Cat- That's it. I've only opened up for Ludacris. I have been trying to open for other artists and see if I can get more shows but it's so hard to get anything done in Chicago because everyone is out for themselves and no one wants to help. That is one of the really hard things about being here in Chicago. No one wants to help unless you are about to pay them or if in return they are going to get something. It's a selfish city out here.

Have you done any shows?
Filth Cat- I did a show for this pimp named Robert Money. There were a lot of pimps there. I did a show at a church. I did a show at this club named Miss Camille and I havent done anything as big as Ludacris in awhile. I want to perform for thousands of people, not just 10 or 20 people.

You produce too. Have you produced for other artists?
Filth Cat-Only real small local artists. This guy named Galaxy in Detroit. Later this year I am going to produce for other acts like this guy named Callico out here. I haven't been able to get my music to anyone big time. That is what we are still striving for.

How can people find you to buy your music? Do you have anything for sale?
Filth Cat -I don't really have much for sale. Money is hard. I didn't have a lot of money to press up CD's, but anyone can reach me via my cell phone, it's always on. Anytime regarding music, or shows or producing or want me to a "Uh," or a "Yeah," whatever.

I listened to your mix tape. I noticed you have Maroon 5 on one of your mix tapes. It appears you have a varied taste in music. What music artists influenced you growing up?
Filth Cat- Tupac, I love Tupac. I like the way, he was honest. He didn't sugar coat things. I like Frank Sinatra a whole lot. I feel that Frank Sinatra wasn't the best singer and I feel I am not the best rapper yet, but everything he said had a lot of meaning, so what he said had meaning. I like John Mayer. I like the way that his voice goes with the way he makes music. I like Jay-Z.

You make it seem like Chicago is a hard time for an artist to break into and the Chicago artists seem to get so much love and I'm from Chicago. Is it really really that hard to get help?
Filth Cat -Chicago is weird. When you are just starting out, nobody wants to help you, nobody wants to give you a shot, unless you have money, but money talks better than I can. They don't want to help you at first, but when they start hearing you on the radio, they want to show you love, they want you to say all this stuff about Chi Town. I said if I ever get signed, I don't care where I go, New Jersey, Tallahasee, Alaska, I am never going back to Chicago and I am not going to show Chicago any love, because when I was here nobody showed me any love. I'm not going to be rude, if I come here. In every other city, they really show their artists a lot of respect and try to help them. It's like in Detroit my friend Galaxy gets a lot of pub in Detroit. I mean he hasn't done a lot but he has done more. He is getting paid for shows, but in Detroit because of Eminem and D-12 they try to help their artists, like in New York, they don't care. I hope I make it so I don't care.

Do you have a plan to launch a website anytime soon?
Filth Cat-No. I don't really have the funds.

What did you study when you were in school?
Filth Cat - Communications. I wanted to be a producer/film director. I got in trouble when I was in school and I left.

Did you ever consider getting an internship at a record label?
Filth Cat -I would love to get a internship at a recording studio. I don't really know of too many in Chicago.

Leave Chicago and start applying.
Filth Cat -I was going to leave Chicago. I didn't have any money. I didn't know how I was going to make it. I'm a realist. If I got to New york, I don't have any money or a place to stay I'm going to be poor. I don't look at it like I am going to go and fulfill my dreams, I look at it like, what am I going to do if this doesn't work. It's a very good chance I get to New York, get a hustle, decide I don't want to do this, and won't have any money to go home. So I stay here in Chicago and look to see if I can start something from here. I want to do a lot of things like go to New York and get discovered. I would like to do the independent label thing and have someone see we are selling all these CD's on our own and holler at us but I don't see that happening any time soon. Nobody wants to buy CD's from us. I'm not too happy with the mix tape.

Filth Cat pictures, audio streams and contact info coming soon. You can email him at filthcat@hotmail.com

Filth Cat interview copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, and Thabiz.com 2005
Visit Dorrie on the web at www.dorrie.info.
May not be reprinted, copied or distributed. You may link to this interview.
Interview copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, thabiz.com May 2005.