Biggie's Manager Wanted To Turn the Constant Deviants Into Rock-Star Rappers (The Plan Involved Pink)
DJ Cutt and M.I.
Around the turn of the last millennium, Mark Pitts, the man who managed the Notorious BIG, had a vision to take the Constant Deviants to super-stardom. Comprised of the rapper M.I. and the producer DJ Cutt, Constant Deviants had released a couple of independent rap songs in the late-'90s and were in the process of shopping their demo around. Working as an A&R at Arista and reporting to L.A. Reid, Pitts had ambitions for the group that would have seen them styled as prototype rappers with a rock-star attitude and allure--think Lil Wayne's image, if not his Rebirth sound. Pitts' plan for the group included snagging M.I. a role on the TV show OZ, sparking a rumor he and Pink were dating, and releasing a club-oriented song hooked around the sound of a motorbike revving up. But it was a facade M.I. and Cutt weren't tuned in to. Ultimately, they chose to stay true to the path of their music rather than chase crossover riches on the back of a hired Harley-Davidson.
This week Constant Deviants released their new album Diamond on their own Six2Six label. The project solidifies their stance: It's hip-hop that pitches from the underground and puts its faith in the unadulterated combination of one rapper and one DJ. We sat down with M.I. and Cutt at the 718 bar on 5th Avenue in Brooklyn and got their hidden industry story.
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