Bedroom emcees Tha 446 are playing their first show Saturday at an undisclosed location in the Mifflin Street vicinity. But don’t even think the members of this Chicago collective are battle-rhyme novices. Besides whiskey, Sound Forge and frat-house rapper Doc Grip’s lyrical stylings, Tha 446 is fueled by a passion to Rasterize.

And Rasterize they do on the 20 jewels soon to be droppin’ on their debut long player, Welcome to the Fourth Coast. Lead emcees Mack G4 and Jaxxxon Chrysler recently hit The Badger Herald on the hip.

Badger Herald: You call yourself Tha 446. Aren’t there too many numbers in hip-hop already?

Jaxxxon Chrysler: Man you think that’s a lot of numbers, you should look at our bank accounts. Just kidding, I don’t use a bank.

BH: How did your clique get together?

Mac G4: We met on an AOL chatroom.

JK: All I remember is a lotta whiskey and High Life. I think this was at 10 S. Basset. We basically took it from there.

BH: Who influences your rhyme-saying?

JK: The original influence was B-Gizzle. Everybody needs to go cop that “Livin’ Legend” double CD right now. My personal influences are strictly Cash Money Millionaires, Richie Rich, E-40 and of course Lil’ Flip. I kind of feel that Lil’ Flip is basically the artist of our generation. But of course it’s not just rap; throw some Foreigner in there, and the Dwarves. I also think I influence myself.

MG4: Mostly stuff from the South, but a lot of us are big fans of TATU and Laibach; you can hear a lot of Russian influences in what we do.

BH: Why Rasterize?

JK: Me and G4 have a plan where in a little bit we’re gonna buy an ocean liner with Burberry paint. Just get it kitted up and outta nowhere take the game to the high seas. People talk about this coast and that coast, and you know we’re about that fourth coast, but the way this game is changing we need to do it pirate-style. ‘Cuz as you know there’s a lotta laws and taxes and government is always trying to take a piece of your pie, so the way we figure it, if we’re ballin’ on international waters nobody can say a damn thing. Except maybe the UN.

We gotta look into that, but so far that’s the plan. I think you’ll see a lotta crews going the same way in the future. We might even try to record the next album on the vessel, call it Pirates of the Fourth Coast. Also, we’re gonna try to find a way to put some rims on the boat. Whistle tips on the smoke stacks.

MG4: Takes the edge off.

BH: I’ve heard about a beef between Tha 446 and Indiana emcee Doc Grip. Does Grip need to Rasterize?

JK: Maybe there’s beef, but there’s love too. I don’t know if he feels the love on his end, but you know for every yang there’s a ying, for every dollar there’s a dream. We’re just trying to throw a little ying in there. Go buy that new B.G. and also our album Welcome 2 Tha Fourth Coast, dropping this spring.

Tha 446 performs with Driftless Pony Club Saturday at an undisclosed location in the Mifflin Street vicinity.