Introducing ...

Chuck Treble: More than a man, he's a champion.

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was hanging around Newark, New Jersey with my buddy Andrex, waiting for a friend of his I was yet to meet to show up. His name? Tony Walgrins, promoter extraordinaire. The Italian Stallion. The Man.

He was late and I was out of cigarettes. Needless to say, I was pissed. But, just before I was about to snap on the sidewalk, he arrived ... and he looked like a maniac, but ALL business. Drex introduced the two of us ... and with one handshake, I knew we had made history.

The three of us went out on the town. Ate some sushi, drank some nasty, smoked some classy and partied like we do. Six shots of Jack deep and it was time to head to the 20th Floor. For those out of the loop, the 20th Floor is an infamous spot in Newark where independent artists of all kinds go to be interviewed for all the Internet world to hear. Walgrins booked the slot for Andrex to promote his new EP, "The Bombs are Smellin' ... but Least I'm Not" over the airwaves. On the way there, a bum stopped us to ask for loose change, but he asked Tony for cash ... I guess he had the radar for dirt poor and rolling in dough. He nailed it.

When we arrived, the vibe was buzzin'. Tony seemed to know everyone and they seemed to know him. It was hilarious to watch. The guy could sell paper to a tree. We didn't wait long downstairs and before I knew it we were @ the 20th Floor studio. There was a quick meet-and-greet with the shows bats in the belfry host, J-Spocc. He was way out there ... a little cocky, but that's expected from a radio host (ask Stretch).

I wasn't on the bill to be interviewed, so I just went along for the ride. Tony & Drex ripped it up. I grabbed the mic @ one point for a little freestyle action, which we killed. Key Grip Keith popped in for a few, which was a bad idea cause all they did was bust on him. It was fun times. However, during the interview I couldn't help but notice that Tony kept texting someone on his cell. He didn't seem like the type to be distracted by nonsense, so I knew whoever was on the other end of the phone was an important client.

The interview concluded and it was time for more JD. After hours of bullshitting about anything & everything, I finally asked, "Yo, Tony! Who you talkin' to, brah?" He grinned, took a shot of that sour mash and lifted his eyes from the bright screen saying, "Oh, this be Chuck. Chuck Treble. The Mix Tape Man." I was immediately intrigued. Who is Chuck Treble?

We started to fade fast. The Jack was gone. The kush was gone. The conversation was coming to a stand still and I was itching to freestyle, so we headed towards the Colonnade Apartments ... Andrex's spot. The beats were bumpin' out the speakers and we started knockin' out some rhymes. Tony was kicking some shit I didn't think promoters could kick. Punch lines galore. I was impressed.

It wasn't til after the festivities that I heard the mix tape Tony played for us. It was a Chuck Treble CD. He played a few tracks from the "Gimme More Bass, Chuck Treble" mix tape. Shit was fire. We were jammin' with every single song. Good stuff. It was at this point that I realized I had to meet this dude. I wanted to get the self-proclaimed "Lost Son" of Newark affiliated with The Commune. It was as simple as asking the man, Tony Walgrins. He hooked it up. Chuck wasn't too far away to begin with, being that we were chillin' in Brick Town. And like a drug dealer making rent, he got there in nine minutes.

I knew I was gonna like this guy the minute he walked in the room with a giant bag of weed under one arm and a box of Dutch Masters under the other. We have a heavy smoker on our hands, ladies & gentlemen! Chuck could roll, too. Best blunts on the east side, hands down. 45 minutes it took to take that thing down. I got blasted. After re:uping the high, we got down to business.

For an unknown, Chuck's done some crazy shit. He's worked with some of Newark's finest underground producers, emcee's and singers (ie. Omar Pillz, Cash Flow, Mr. Speedball, Grey Citizen, Georgia Sundri and many others). He's sold a number of copies from his mix tape series "Gimme More Bass" along with two full length albums, "Ma'fuggas" & "Where's the Beef?" Chuck has the respect of Newark's extremely critical underbelly and he's still climbing the ladder ... never missing a beat.

The night flew by after hours and hours of talking hip hop. Pounds & phone numbers were exchanged and we all stumbled into different directions. I had to hit up Hype immediately, even though it was 3am. To my surprise, Hype knew of him! He had caught a Treble show a year back when visiting Newark for a pot run and was stoked to hear I chilled with him.

Hype & I met up at my place and headed into the studio about a week later to continue work on our now-nearly-finished EP, "Sex & Co." Chuck called while Hype was spitting in the booth so I stepped out for a much needed cigarette. I called Treble back and as it turned out, Chuck was in the Englewood area to settle an unpaid parking ticket (Englewood takes that shit very seriously). I asked him to stop by the studio afterwards, which he was very happy to do. I think it got his mind off the $200 he was dropping for over staying his parking welcome outside a Dunkin Donuts.

3 hours later, Treble arrived. In true Wine Thieves fashion, we smoked up before anything. Hype got to meet Chuck for the first time and the two remembered the glory days of The Fat Boys & the new rush of finger boarding. It didn't take too long til we got Chuck to collaborate with us. Hype & Treble jumped right in the booth and busted some rhymes over an old Travis Biggs beat I cut a year back on my MPC. It sounded tight. And everything most definitely clicked. The track never saw the light of day (since it was a practice joint to begin with), but the seed was planted for future growth. Treble was a part of The Commune. And the sky is the limit.

Until the release of "Sex & Co." you won't be able to hear any Thieves/Treble tracks, but that will change. Later this year, we will be releasing a few tracks on Myspace with Newark's Lost Son. If you're the impatient type, head on out to MLK Boulevard in Brick Town & ask for Tony, he'll hook you up with some mix tapes to wet your pallet. Otherwise you'll have to wait!

I suggest you don't though ...

More to come in 2009.

Peace,

The Thieves