The World According to Harlemite: 2008

Happy Monday to you all.

Many of you that have been following my blog have seen clips from the video blog called "The Real". Eric and Jeff Rosenthal are the founders of this dynamic blog. Today, I am posting an interview that I did with them.

But first here is their latest sketch

Now here's the interview That I did with Eric Rosenthal.

Harlemite: how are you doing?

Eric: Hey Harlemite, no complaints really. I fulfilled my civic duty and served two days of jury duty. And by served, I mean: sat in a waiting room with one hundred other people in complete silence for hours on end, willing the clock hands to move faster and hoping that my name would not be called. I alternated between reading, listening to my iPod and trying not to fall asleep, because if I did that, the terrorists win. So yeah, I wasn't called, and now I don't have anything at all to complain about for six years.

Harlemite: You guys have a site called ItsTheReal.com Please explain to the masses what this about?

Eric: Two Caucasian brothers from the suburbs love Hip Hop and comedy and move into an apartment together. Hilarity ensues. And each week we vote someone off the island. It's must-see TV... on the internet.

Harlemite: What inspired you to do these sketches?

Harlemite: We're trying to bring fun back to Hip Hop. This is a musical genre that takes itself way too seriously way too often, and we felt that we could use our talents to voice our opinions.

Harlemite: How is working together and also being brothers? Do you guys fight at all?

Eric: We've been brothers for 24 years now, so we've gotten the hang of it. It's pretty routine, really. The Real isn't the traditional "working" situation... It's like an extension of the videos we made as kids: we'll produce what makes us laugh. Fart jokes, which coincidentally, regularly launches us into fisticuffs.

Harlemite: Do you find it difficult to come up with ideas every week for a sketch?

Eric: Well, it's not always easy. And the self-imposed deadline that we've set for ourselves, producing new material for a Monday morning premiere, certainly makes it more difficult. Sometimes, like when Jay-Z recorded lyrics referencing Jews in his song "Roc Boys," it's obvious as to what topic to touch on. Other weeks, it can be deadly quiet in the rap world, and Sunday rolls around. But we get the job done.

Harlemite: What is the process of you getting extras for the skits?

Harlemite: We accept cash, checks, money orders and credit cards. Actually, we usually write the parts with specific people in mind, and people are excited to be involved... until we tell them the appearance fee.

Harlemite: How long does it normally take you to film one?

Eric: That really depends on the length of the script, the availability of the those participating in the video, and our schedules outside The Real. We spent 14 hours straight in front of a computer to make If It Was All So Bey-Z. We worked for two weeks on Fall Out Day. But if all the pieces fall into place, sometimes we can finish a video in 8 hours or so.

Harlemite: My favorite sketch that you guys did is Deconstructing Jay-Z; Losing My Religion. Do you guys have any favorite one(s) that you have done?

Eric: Honestly, I like just about all of them. There's a great level of satisfaction watching the videos catch on, on people's websites each week, and then seeing what people have to say about them. I don't sleep very well Sunday nights, cause I'm always excited about debuting the new video the next morning.

Harlemite: Have you had any horror stories in putting a video together?

Eric: Ha! Well, kind of... Jeff and I went to a party at a friend's place on the Lower East Side, and while waiting for a train, we ended up in conversation with this very-clingy, very-chatty girl from Taiwan, who asked what we did for a living. After explaining that we make weekly online videos, she countered, "Wait. Do you make horrible films?" We were kind of stumped. After realizing, though, what she meant, I said, "Some people do think we make horrible films, but no, we don't do horror films, no."

Harlemite: What music do you guys like to listen to?

Eric: I listen to a range of things, with my favorite artists being Ben Folds and Kanye West, but my selection is not as eclectic as Jeff's.

Harlemite: What was the first record that you ever bought?

Eric: I think it might have been one of Pearl Jam's early albums. When I was 13 though, as a birthday present, my grandparents got me a stereo and a cd... of Rod Stewart's greatest hits. Well intentioned, but they missed the mark.

Harlemite: What TV shows do you like ?

Eric: Mad Man, The Office, 30 Rock, 60 Minutes, Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Those are the ones I watch with regularity.

Harlemite: What are your favorite movies?

Eric: I have a bunch, but my all-time favorites are: All The President's Men and The Big Lebowski.

Harlemite: Are there any Blogs or Vlogs that you like/follow?

Eric: Of course. Nah Right is far and away the best Hip Hop blog there is, and eskay's support in posting our videos each week has been huge for us. As for vlogs, I like what Jay Smooth does, but since we're up for Vlog of the Year over at the Online Hip Hop Awards, we don't like anyone! Vote for ItsTheReal.com! You can vote once every day!

Harlemite: Have you spoke to any of the artists that you did a clip on after it had been posted and received their feed back on the sketch?

Eric: Unsolicited feedback from an artist? The only one who responded to their being the subject was DJ Drama, who really liked the video letter we did to him, in our quest to host a Gangsta Grillz mixtape.

Harlemite: If you guys were not doing this, what would you be doing?

Eric: If we weren't doing this interview? Hmmm... eating breakfast maybe.

Harlemite: Are there any particular celebrities that you would like to work with?

Eric: Yup.

Harlemite: What do you think about the state of hip-hop right now?

Eric: I think it's like Major League Baseball. People say that because it expanded so quickly, the quality got diluted. That may be, but I still love the game, I still root for my team (even if they don't get into the playoffs... stupid Mets) and sometimes you're pleasantly surprised when the underdog makes things really exciting. And like baseball, popular styles and methods get copied cause everyone wants to win, but not everyone does. There's a cyclical nature to the business, and I think Hip Hop's on an upswing at the moment. All in all, the best product wins in the end.

Harlemite: Who are your top 5 rappers of all time?

Eric: Yung Berg, his peoples, his weed carrier, his brother and his manager.

Harlemite: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Eric: Hopefully happy with my career, family and friends, striving to accomplish more of my dreams.