Wannabe Interview: Filip Filipi

WANNABE MAGAZINE: Hello Filip, how are you? What have you been up to lately?

Filip Filipi: I’m really good, I’m finally about to release the music I’ve been working on for the last year so I’m great!

Your new single comes out today, after a year-long break. How would you describe it?

The track is called “Big City Chaser” and features Mansions on the Moon. They’re one of the hottest new bands in L.A. and they’ve already worked with N*E*R*D and Diplo. The song is a hipster anthem. In about two weeks I am going to L.A. and we will be shooting the video directed by Steve Guerrero who won 7 Emmy awards. The song is produced by my Chinese brother the brilliant Jonathan Lee and the single cover is done by the man in charge of my fly image, Marko Sejat, the great.

A few months ago the headlines in Serbia were all about your collaboration with Ceca. When will that finally happen?

She’s obviously had her legal complications but right now the main issue for me is the beat. The beat we got right now is an amazing rap beat. It’s probably the best rap beat of the year. However, it’s a rap beat and I think if I am already going to have such big stars I should make an international hit, not a rap hit. The current situation is I am in touch with Wyclef`s people and I am either going to have him change the current beat or make an entirely new one. I want him involved,  I like the charitable work he did with Haiti and I would like to do something similar for Kosovo with him and Ceca. I’m hoping to drop this track before the New Year.

This time, your album will feature a song with Ariana Dvornik, Dino Dvornik’s cousin. Where did the idea for this collaboration come from?

What happened was I told my A&R Djordje Gasic that I wanted to do a European dance style track with a female singer from back home. The idea was to take a break from the other songs which are more slower tempo and do something wild that would make you want to run around naked in a circle and do drugs. She did a phenomenal job on the track and she just blew away my expectations. It’s also cool that she lives in Chicago so if we want to do a video for that it’s easy to make it happen. She is also from Dalmatia like my dad, big shout out to Dalmatia!

How many songs will be featured on your new album? What can we expect from the rest of the songs?

The mix-tape I have coming out in a month which is called “Once Upon A Time In Korenica” and has about 10 tracks. My album which will come soon after that has 15 tracks but half of those are greatest hits. What you can expect is sheer, pure, uncut GREATNESS. Fazon is greatness. If someone asks you what your favorite album is just say “Filip’s new album” because it’s greatness.

The story about the “28. jun” organization and your efforts to make Chelsey Handler apologize are well known to all of us. Could you tell us something more about it?

“28.Jun“ was created because of 2 main issues. Number 1 – the unjust treatment of  Serbia by the international community, especially the west. Number 2 – the shameful Serbian leadership which has run the country into the ground. Some people have wrongly accused the organization of being nationalist. I’m here to assure everyone the organization is not nationalist but we are “fair-est.” In other words we want Serbia to be treated fairly like any other country in the world and unfortunately this hasn’t been the case.

Most of our members are from the diaspora and all of our funding members grew up in urban centers in America and Canada. We’re familiar with “western” and “progressive” values because we were raised in the very culture the current government is trying to imitate and they are failing miserably. We’d like to tell the current government this: Half the Serbs on earth live outside of Serbia so the diaspora makes up a powerful demographic. The general consensus in the diaspora is that the leadership are corrupt quislings who are selling off Serbia for petty short term gain and an EU mirage which will never materialize. Allowing the theft of Kosovo and ridiculous gay parades which 80% of the people there oppose are not signs of a strong leader who is worried about the interests of his people.
The Chelsea Handler initiative was the brainchild of Aleksandar Djuricic and Tihana Medic. I personally thought Serbia has bigger problems than Chelsea Handler but they convinced me it would help promote „28.Jun“ so I got involved. Initially I was contacted by a reporter from the Hollywood Times who happened to be a fan of my music. I then gave an interview which expressed Serbian outrage at Chelsea’s xenophobic remarks. This was then picked up by the mainstream American media and Chelsea’s bigotry was brought into the spotlight. Even Perez Hilton picked it up, big shout out to Perez.

I also heard that you are a big “fan” of Marijana Matthäus and Jelena Karleusa? Why?

Hahaha well I don’t really know much about celebrities in Serbia but I follow one of the newspapers there on Twitter and I saw something about Jelena asking her fans on Twitter if she should get more implants or bragging about her new implants or something like that. I understand she’s attempting some sort of American approach at getting attention but even here no one would ask their impressionable young fans if they should get implants. I don’t like to judge others because we’re all raised differently and we all have different experiences that shape us but I don’t think people with these sorts of values should be given a stage from which they can influence young kids. I’m sure if research was conducted it would demonstrate a correlation between implants and low IQ and the low IQ of their boyfriends/husbands. Not that IQ is a bad thing.

The other lady someone brought up when we were discussing designers and I asked how she got that weird last name. Apparently she kept the name of her ex-husband who was some German soccer player and her source of income is getting in these type of temporary marriages with retards. Why didn’t she keep the last name of any of her retarded Serbian ex-husbands? Is having a German last name some sort of status symbol in Serbia? What sort of society currently exists in Serbia if the lifestyles of these type of people are celebrated?

Like I said, I don’t judge anyone but the mainstream culture shouldn’t be shaped by people who clearly have severe mental issues.

A few days ago, we could see the presentation of new jerseys for the Serbian national basketball team on your blog. Where did you get the inspiration for this?

I’ve always been a fan of fashion. Since I was little I always wanted to dress differently than others and be unique. As many of you know I ran my clothing company “The Cartel Argentina” for several years and I am at the forefront of trends as you witnessed by me wearing a fox tail and Red star socks (thank you Olivera)  to this photo shoot. Swag.

Basketball is my favorite sport and I played for over 10 years included a little bit of college ball last year. I was a bench warmer. So now I live my basketball passion through the national team. Our current jerseys designed by Peak are the lamest things in human history. It was my national duty to swag them out so I did. I hope the Serbian basketball federation will use my designs. I ask for no credit but I would appreciate a hug from coach Ivkovic.

“Filipi Music Group” is a new production company. What possibilites does it offer to other artists?

In these last 5 1/2 years of my life I have been completely immersed in music and the music business. And in this time I have gathered an ocean of knowledge and connections and now it is time for me to share it. We offer production, songwriting, social media marketing as well as swag consultation and even help with film & TV placement. I have written for multiplatinum singers, I have produced for multiplatinum artists, my music has been featured on internationally syndicated TV shows and films. So I know what the fuck I am talking about. If you wanna be a star get in touch with me. I just ran a campaign for an artist from California and in one month I got him collaborations with some of the biggest names in hip hop, I’ve got him on the top rap magazines and blogs and if you Google his name you can see he’s got over 171,000 matches.

Do you plan on collaborating with any other Serbian performers?

It would be my dream to work with Goran Bregovic and have a video directed by Emir Kusturica. These are two very talented Bosnians, bless their hearts. If they are reading this and I know they are I want them to know their genius is unparalleled not only in the Balkans but in the world. I also admire Marina Abramovic’s work and I’d like to do something creative with her like perhaps an album cover.

When can we expect you to come to Belgrade?

The single with Ceca I want to release in the old school format in which the music video drops before the mp3 leak and I would like to do a part of the video in Serbia so as soon as the song is done I’m coming, by boat. Get ready.

A lot of people from Serbia, as well as Wannabe Magazine readers are your fans. What would be your message for them?

First I wanna say I love my fans because they have good taste. I am a fan of them as well because we have the same taste. Secondly, young people need to get involved in politics because otherwise idiots will remain in power who will have a direct negative impact on your lives. Thirdly, don’t listen to the garbage music being put out now, it’s bad for you. It’s all about Bijelo Dugme and Filip Filipi. Fourth, to the little girls out there, do not try to be like these retards on TV and magazines, being a whore will never be cool. And finally check out www.filipfilipi.com, 28jun.org, www.filipimusicgroup.com and get that new CD! God bless you and thank you Wannabe Magazine for this interview, you’re first class publication which I regularly read.

Photography by Marijana Katić