Over the course of 10 years, Milwaukee rapper and UWM grad Track Lacer has released three full-length CDs and a single, "Havin' That Dust," that has five new tracks, too. He's collaborated with just about everyone who's anyone in the local hip-hop world and he's made a few useful connections outside Brew City, too.

But, recently, he decided to make a jump to Atlanta, which he -- among others -- calls "the Motown of the South." While he gets settled in his personal life there, he's still working on a new CD, that he hopes to release this year.

We caught up with him via e-mail from Atlanta and asked him about the past, present and future of Track Lacer (who recently penned a blog for OnMilwaukee.com about the loss of LaLa Brown).

OMC: Bring us up to date on your career so far. When did you get started and tell us a bit about your CDs, etc.

TL: Thanks Bobby, and much love to everyone in Milwaukee reading this and beyond the city, too! I first got started with rap in 1997. A close friend of mine introduced me to someone who made beats for $20. The key to that though was, you actually got to record your whole song after you paid for the beat! So let's just say I should have been put in "rap rehab" that summer because I got hooked and recorded at least 34 songs after just trying it out the first time! My first CD came out in 1999.

I am from Capitol Drive in Milwaukee, so the title was a play on words: "Capital Drive." I just replaced the two meanings because one means "government" and the other means "money." So broken down, it symbolized that money drives everything ... but that it shouldn't be the most important thing in your life. That's why the "a" is small.

I didn't respect the kind of reaction or response to that album that it received ... but to this day, myself and my partner Phat Daddy Bu who appeared on five of the 10 tracks, always get questions about that album. Most of the influential DJs in Milwaukee such as Tony Neal, Homer Blow, Doc. B, DJ Blade, Barry Johnson and DJ Jazz still remember me from that project so I am grateful that it had the impact it did.

The follow-up CD was "Ghettocentric." After that we formed a super group with four other people called 1848 to release "forward." The current CD that is out now is "Ghettocentric II: The Chitlin' Circuit," and that one has been reviewed by national Web sites such as rapreviews.com and okayplayer.com. I never thought from self-producing my first album in my grandmother's basement, that I would ever have any national critic breaking down my music!

OMC: Tell us about the CD that's out there now.

TL: It's very unique in terms of a marketing perspective because it covers the past ("Ghettocentric II") by giving you a single from that album, "Havin That Dust." It gives you the present just on the strength of being out now and available for free. And it covers the future because in addition to the "Havin That Dust" single it offers five, full preview tracks from my upcoming solo album, "Beverly Hills 53209." I have gotten a great responses to it so far and even gave it out with thank you cards I had created for everyone who bought "Ghettocentric II."

OMC: You've had some big name collaborators haven't you? How did you hook up with them?

TL: Yes, I have been fortunate to have worked with producers Dame Grease and Midi Mafia, and the legendary emcee Chuck D of Public Enemy. All I can say as far as hooking up with national artists, is that they are always looking for something new. Keep this in mind, all aspiring artists reading this. The music game is very much a fraternity: they all know each other; a lot of the male/female artists mess around with each other relationship-wise; and most of them are familiar with each other's music.

When someone like myself who is unsigned brings something hot to the table, and has a tireless work ethic to try and be heard by the industry, it strikes a chord because I am an outsider. If you are an outsider with some hot material, "the insiders" don't always hate on your efforts. Some of them look at you as "the next big thing" and want to brag to their peers that they heard of you first.

OMC: You recently moved to Atlanta. Was that for personal reasons or for career reasons?

TL: Actually it was both. And it was at the same time the hardest thing I've ever done in my life and the easiest thing I've ever done. I don't know about you, Bobby, but I am very, very close with my family. So I am missing my mother and grandparents every day.

But at the same time, I used to attend Clark Atlanta University, and saw the positive direction the city was headed into even back then. Now that it has become the "new Motown of the south." Anyone who has an outstanding talent musically and has a killer instinct in terms of motivation, I believe can be very successful here. I'm still struggling in the regular day job aspect of funding my art here, but that will come with time and patience.

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