On February 5th, Brotha Lynch Hung’s ambitious Coathanga Strangla trilogy comes to a close with Mannibalector and while the album has already spawned two music videos, the saga’s grand finale has been kept tightly under wraps.

With the end of an era fast-approaching, we sat down with the man responsible for bringing Brotha Lynch Hung to Strange Music in 2009, Strange Music West Vice President Dave Weiner.

One of Lynch’s closest confidants, Dave Weiner has been with the Sacramento legend every step of the way as the trilogy unfolded into one of the bloodiest affairs in hip hop.

In this exclusive interview, Dave Weiner candidly shares some insight into the evolution of Brotha Lynch Hung over the years and opens up about Mannibalector‘s unbelievable ending – disturbing and shocking!

Let’s talk about this Brotha Lynch Hung album, you’re someone who has been with Brotha Lynch for a very long time, what has it been like to see him evolve from the time that you knew him initially to now?

Man, that’s a good question. I don’t know what year it was, I think it was probably 1995, when I signed Black Market Records to Priority Records for distribution. I mean he’s just gotten tighter over the years. He stuck with the same subject matter and he evolved into coming with the concept of a trilogy. He wanted to package what he called Ripgut and it was important for him to let the fans know that it’s storytelling and to enjoy it as a film through your speakers.

I think he’s matured and spent more time figuring out how to make a bigger presentation of the content that he raps about.

As someone who is behind the scenes and is in your position, what was your reaction to him coming with, “Well I want to do a three album story.”

I mean I wasn’t surprised because he’s always talked about writing scripts and screenplays over the years. That’s really what he wants to do so when he presented it, when we were having our discussions with Strange, I loved it. There was no resistance. I thought it was brilliant. Great idea. We set it off with Dinner And A Movie and it had never been done before. We embraced it and ran with it.

Let me ask you about the execution of moving from album to album. What have your thoughts been as each album has gotten released? How have you reacted?

That’s a hard question. I’ve enjoyed watching the storyline and concept come together. I’ve enjoyed watching how his mind works. Even though it’s kind of a loosely-based storyline, I think the conclusion of Mannibalector ties everything together in a sick and twisted kind of way. My reaction to each record though? Now I’m evolving towards seeing all three as one. It’s kind of like having the pieces to a puzzle that now show the whole picture. That’s how I see the three records coming together.

We’ve reached the end of the road with Mannibalector. He was going over the edge and now he’s lost it. What was it like crafting what was to be the ending of this whole thing?

I mean it’s really been just providing the support and tools that Lynch needs to be creative. I just basically followed his lead and provided him the platform for him to produce, develop and present his art. Lynch came with a brilliant ending that surprised me and shocked me and I thought was disturbing. Those who have been following not only the trilogy, but Brotha Lynch’s career and his life will feel a great impact from the way the trilogy ends. I was shocked when I heard the ending.

Even though it crossed a bunch of lines and isn’t for everybody, I thought it was a brilliant conclusion to an artist and a character and a personality that snapped and went over the edge.

Was there any hesitation to move with the ending? Was it too far out of line?

Everything Lynch does is past what is considered acceptable to the masses. Going back to 1995, the only thing that I have ever asked for and that Trav has ever asked for is “leave the children alone” based on a song he did on Season Of Da Siccness and otherwise, “Present your art and we’ll stand behind it.” It was shocking and very troubling, but at the same time I thought it was realistic in regards to the character and Brotha Lynch.

What’s always interesting about Lynch is that fans aren’t sure that he doesn’t fit that character perfectly. But Lynch also wants the fans to know that it is storytelling. That’s why he came with the Dinner And A Movie concept because you couldn’t avoid the fact that this was like a film, that this was like storytelling. That was very important to him and his fans almost don’t want to know that. That’s a fine line we walk and it needs to be storytelling, but the fans love that Lynch fits the image of that kind of character. I want to make clear that this is storytelling, but the fans definitely trip out that if there ever was somebody that this dude would be a candidate.

He’s so convincing from visual to lyrical that the fans look at him funny and Lynch’s response is, “Don’t look at me funny, look at me as a screenplay writer who paints his film with lyrics.” It makes it believable, but you don’t want it to be believable. It definitely adds a mysterious kind of element to the storytelling.

It’s the closing of a trilogy, it’s very big for Lynch and Strange and very big in general...

I consider it historic. I don’t think it’s ever been done!

Right…Where does he go next?

That’s his choice. That’s his decision. I see him doing more music and writing screenplays. He wants to represent horror to hip hop like Rob Zombie has from an alternative perspective. I know he wants to incorporate that. The story of Mannibalector is done after this though.

– Interview conducted by Victor Sandoval, Strange Music Social Media
Follow Victor on Twitter: @VicMSandoval

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER BROTHA LYNCH HUNG’S MANNIBALECTOR!

 

• How will Mannibalector end?

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