Love him or hate him, you gotta respect Deuce. After parting ways with Hollywood Undead, the rhyme-slinging vocalist has gone solo with a bullet. With the success of his debut solo disc ‘Nine Lives’ and its lead single 'America,' Deuce has poven he can make it on his own. Now, he and his crew are gearing up to be a part of the Uproar Festival 2012, which also features Shinedown, Staind and Godsmack, among many more.

We caught up with Deuce and guitarist Jimmy Yuma while they were on the Fight to Unite Tour earlier this year with Blood on the Dance Floor and others. Check out our photo gallery and review of their stop in New York City. Our interview took place before a recent incident in which Deuce claims he was jumped by his former bandmates in Hollywood Undead.

Deuce and Jimmy Yuma, whom we also photographed wreaking havoc on the streets of the Big Apple, talked all about the debut album, their partying ways and the importance of wearing boots.

Your album ‘Nine Lives’ has a party side but then there’s also a raw side to it. How was the mindset while recording this record?

Deuce: I mean both are real, the party aspects of our lives and then there’s the haters and then the people that we want to slap around a little bit like “Get the f--- outta here homie, don’t f--- with me I’m gonna smack you back, I’m big Deuce.” People want to challenge us, challenge me then they’re gonna get challenged and that’s part of the game. If you want to doubt me then we’ll see what happens with that.

What about the riffs Jimmy, do you enjoy playing the party tunes live or the more serious stuff live?

JY: I enjoy everything live. It’s all good, you just have to be in the moment, when Deuce does his thing we back him up. It’s just good times.

D: Yeah we kill it. He’s in the studio with me all the time, he writes with me too but like I said it’s all based off of real s---, like ‘I Came to Party’ it’s like reliving those fun parties and it could be for anybody. It could be for someone that is a complete computer nerd or for someone like me who’s always going to the bar and chillin’ and drinkin’ so that’s what it is.

These songs could be related to anybody, from a kid in high school that gets bullied like ‘Nobody Likes Me’ they could relate to that. I’m not like getting bullied but it’s just someone comin’ at me saying nobody like me is the same thing as some kid in high school and some guy saying “You’re a fag” or “F--- you.” It’s all real s--- and people relate to real s---. I’m not singin’ about fake stuff, I’m not making up stories. I’m just a skinny white boy but hey, this s--- happened around me. [Laughs]

If you guys could do a cover of any song, what would it be?

JY: I’d say ‘I Came to Party’ that’d be a sick one to cover. [Laughs]

D: Probably Korn ‘Freak On a Leash’ [Laughs] no I’m jokin’. A song I would like to cover would be I don’t know ‘Sweet Dreams’ Marilyn Manson covered it that too. I like ‘Yesterday’ by The Beatles or ‘Hurt’ by Nine Inch Nails, I like that for sure do a cover of that or just like a Beatles song but I would make it more Deuce. Deucy Beatles baby.

I you guys weren’t doing music what profession do you think you guys would get into?

D: Probably still music. Even if I wasn’t makin’ money from music I would still go in my bedroom and be like “I don’t care I’m gonna still record, I’m gonna have fun. Who’s gonna stop me? Who the f---k is gonna stop me. No one’s gonna stop me.” I have my own studio, I record on my own, I don’t need anybody except my homies and that’s and that’s what it is.

Homies like Yuma here.

JY: I’d still engineer for him too. [Laughs]

D: Even if I got dropped from every label, I wouldn’t give up. I’ll walk five feet from my f---in’ bed and still be recording bomb s---.

What was the first concert you guys ever went to?

D: Dude I don’t even remember. [Laughs]

JY: The first concert I ever went to was System of a Down I think.

D: It’s been so many, I’ve been to big concerts, small no name concerts when I was 16. There was a lot of punk shows I’d run into, Dead Kennedys, NOFX – older punk bands – people use to bring me to those, so I would go to a lot of those. It’s not really my style of music but I would go there anyways but punk is definitely not my favorite genre but I still like it, NOFX is really good they’re melodic.

What is one thing you guys must bring on tour with you? No electronics.

JY: No electronics. F---.

D: Dude I need my toothbrush, toothpaste. My number one is probably brushing my teeth, I’m anal about brushing my teeth, having shampoo and soap with me, basic s--- like that. I could survive on tour with just toothbrush, shampoo…

JY: Bagels and some water.

D: Oh ice cream, too. I can’t go a couple days without having ice cream. I love f---in’ ice cream and a beer.

What about beer flavored ice cream?

D: I’ve never had it but maybe we should call it Deuce beer – Deuce flavored ice cream beer.

What about you Jimmy, what’s one thing you need to bring with you?

JY: Uh, boots. I don’t like getting my feet wet so if there’s water I put on boots.

D: That sound’s kind of sexual. [Laughs] Anytime someone says boots – boots are like some sexual s---.

JY: Boots are foot armor, you got to respect.

How are boots sexual to you?

JY: Boots are sexual, they’re sexy when females wear it.

D: Yeah, dudes with boots is whatever.

Watch Deuce's 'America' Video [Contains Explicit Language]

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