AllHipHop.com: Can you speak on your new album? Mannie: The title if it is The Mind of Manny Fresh. That means the situation and things that have been happening in my life. If I had to describe it, I would say it is fun an escape from reality, an escape from the norm. AllHipHop.com: In your videos, you have a lot of humor, what made you take that approach? Mannie: That is just me. People want fun instead of the usual serious. Somebody needed to come along with that. AllHipHop.com: Do you think this approach will affect your street credibility? Mannie: I am not a street dude. It is one thing to have a dress code the way you want, to make a long story short I am neither a killer, nor a gangsta or street dude – I am a business man. I am not trying to be something I am not, and I am not trying to bring harm to anyone. AllHipHop.com: You rarely reflect on your personal life. Why? Mannie: My story is pretty much like everybody else’s. I never even knew I was from the hood, or poor, and when you got that, you don’t pay attention to your environment. Later on in your life, you might go back to the old neighborhood and say, ‘This is what I grew up around.’ I grew up with both of my parents, so I don’t have a bad story to tell like daddy wasn’t there; so I am not going to pretend to be something I am not. I have been blessed to have two parents that are still living and all my siblings. So it something that I can’t write about or don’t even want to experience; in life you go through things and like I said I have been blessed. AllHipHop.com: The topic of the father not being around, a tough life is becoming cliché. Mannie: Yeah, I think so. I always look at it like there is always two sided to a story. A lot of people like to hear tragedy. But for the most part, there is some genuine people that have grew up rough and got their break to do it. But then there are some people who tell that story because that is what it is. AllHipHop.com: I know, irrelevant gully question, but have you ever been shot at or stabbed? Mannie: No, but I have been around that all my life, but I never paid attention to it. My worst moment in life is when my young friends were dying. But when that is always around you, you get immune to it; you shut your feelings down. Now that I am older I think about it all the time; what I grew up around. But once you get immune to something you think it is the norm. AllHipHop.com: So how does it feel to go from that to having so much money? Mannie: Well, the bottom line is, you have to be real with yourself because it really does not matter what you have. The thing is being Black, that just don’t solve anything. On one hand, it is good because if anything happens you can always pay for it. But on the other hand, I have problems like everybody else. I might be cool financially, but mentally, I still have my own things going on. AllHipHop.com: What things? Mannie: Drama with my baby momma, people start looking at you like money. People you never thought like the people you grew up with, you thought was solid you become money to them. So you never know who to trust and what is real. AllHipHop.com: Are you able to maintain a relationship with your friends and family? Could you go to the family reunion and chill? Mannie: Yeah, I can go to the family reunion and chill. But there will always be somebody that I don’t want to talk to. There is always going to be someone asking me to lend me some money, even though it is not the proper time. AllHipHop.com: Musically, what is your background? Mannie: I don’t read music, I play by ear. AllHipHop How did you develop your style? What inspires you? Mannie: I would have to say it is inspired by the club I was a DJ, before I started doing this. When I am writing a single, I think something that makes people move. Something you don’t have to hear four times to get it, like right off the back – you get it. AllHipHop.com: How do you feel about Cash Money? Mannie: Cash Money is at its best when it is in the dark. When people count us out, we dig ourselves out of that hole. That is us. We have always been that way is why the music industry can’t do nothing but respect us. AllHipHop.com: Juvenile signed a one-album deal and moved on, was their any beef? Mannie: No, there wasn’t any beef. I actually did songs on the album he is putting out on Atlantic. It is business and most importantly growth; Juvenile has been with Cash Money for a while and he just wanted to do his own thing. You can’t get mad with a man that wants to do that. That is how I feel right now; I am not the same person I use to be with a white shirt and Dickies on. AllHipHop.com: Do you have any business label aspirations? Mannie: Right now, I am in a bidding war as far as who wants to sign me for a production deal. From there, my plan is in the next five years to be a president of a major company. I think I have a good ear for music and a lot of stuff gets passed on. So that is my plan. AllHipHop.com: Who is on the album production, features, etc? Mannie: The only people that I have on a track are, David banner, Bun B from UGK, […]

When you hear a Digital Underground album, or pay to see them perform, Shock G has always made sure that you have gotten your money’s worth. As the leader of the legendary Oakland-based group, he has morphed into many different characters over his career. His metamorphosis into the highly talented Piano Man or the world famous Humpty Hump garnered Shock G and company an incredible amount of fanfare all across the globe. After fifteen years with the group, he has decided to blend his many musical influences to create Fear Of A Mixed Planet, a distinctive blend of funk, soul, jazz and Hip-Hop with a sprinkle of high quality musicianship to blend it all together. In a recent conversation with AllHipHop.com, he discussed the new album, along with interesting facts about his background, his rumored drug addiction, and a touching banter about the friend that he lost too soon. AllHipHop.com: One of the most interesting things about your new album is the title. What is the exact meaning behind the name of the album? Shock G: Fear Of A Mixed Planet is based on all the resistance out here. People are still dividing other people into colors. We are expected to know certain things, not know certain things, expected to be distant in certain areas, more or less trustworthy, more or less intelligent, and it’s all stupid to me. The people that don’t want their family members dating outside of their race and the ones who feel that people should stay at parties with people of the same color are the ones that I make fun of. They must have fear of a mixed planet. I feel like the whole world is going to be mulatto one day. I always felt like we should be judged based on someone’s quality. Someone that’s honest and trustworthy is better than hanging out with somebody that’s flaky and dishonest. You’ll find through life that those people will come in all nationalities. AllHipHop.com: You are arguably one of the most regular cats in Hip-Hop. Talk about some points of interest, such as your background and things that people may not know. Shock G: Do you have a regular gig? AllHipHop.com: Outside of my work as a journalist, yes I do. Shock G: I worked from age 17 until I turned 25. I used to work hard, too. I had plaques on my wall, [such as] ‘Salesman of the Month’ at this one place. I did everything from washing cars to selling vacuum cleaners. I had a couple of cool jobs, but I kept a hustle, man. It wasn’t until we had an album out and had money coming in that I stopped working. I’ve been studying music for a long time. I don’t consider myself an MC; I’m a musician that rhymes a little bit. I’ve been in groups all of my life. I was a DJ in a Rap crew until I got my rap on. I’m 41, and I was a teenager when Hip-Hop started. When I was 11, I played drums in a band. We used to try to play Parliament, James Brown…we tried to play everything. AllHipHop.com: I hear a lot of people say that Oakland is one of most musically inspired places a person can ever go to. Shock G.: I came to Oakland when I was 24 or 25. I was born in Brooklyn, in the Clinton Hill area of Bedstuy. When I was three, we moved upstate and when I was six, we moved to Tampa. I spent most of my childhood in Tampa. When my mom and pop got a divorce, she rose up and took us to Queens. We lived in Far Rockaway for a year and that’s when I got into Hip-Hop. I was living there and getting my Hip-Hop connections, but my grades were going down. I had good grades in Florida, but in New York, it was too fun, too hectic, and there was too much s**t going on to stay in class. We used to take our train passes and go to homeroom to get credit for being there. When the bell rang, we’d sneak out of the school, get on the train and go to downtown Manhattan to f**k with the prostitutes. We was about 13 or 14, and we’d be like, ‘Hey, show me your p***y!’ We was just little kids, running around, looking for s**t to do. The prostitute would lift up her dress and say, ‘Take your little bad a** home!’ We would get flashed and say ‘Ooh, did you see that?’ The family started getting concerned, and my dad wound up getting custody again. I wound up back in Tampa, and that’s where I finished up high school. That’s also how I wound up being in so many music situations. All of a sudden, record companies started giving out deals to rappers like it was nothing. After Run-DMC, Kurtis Blow, LL, Sugar Hill Gang, and Whodini [got on], it started a thing in the industry where record labels thought that Hip-Hop was the new thing. They were signing people easily. Something told me to get back to doing that because I used to do that as a kid. By that time, I was in California already, so I did it with a different spin. Being away from New York got that funk in me. The Parliament side and the Deep South funk became Digital Underground’s sound. You couldn’t really tell where we were from. We didn’t sound so West Coast, and we didn’t sound so East Coast. I guess that comes from growing up all over like that. Pac was like that, too. Pac was from either The Bronx or Harlem. AllHipHop.com: If I am not mistaken, Pac came from Brooklyn originally. Shock G: I know he had family in Harlem. We used to go visit some of his family with him after the shows. I’m not sure of his birthplace, but he did live in […]

AllHipHop.com: You’ve been calling yourself the ‘King of the South’ for a minute and a lot of cats agree, while it rubbed some the wrong way…now you’re on the way to superstardom… T.I.:(Sarcastically) Oh we are? AllHipHop.com: Yeah, so how does it feel having called yourself the ‘King of the South’ such a long time ago and finally having people behind you? T.I.: Even with my first album, I always said it. Not to demerit anybody like the Outkast’s and the Scarface’s, the UGK’s and the 8balls, [but] I was just speaking on my intentions and I feel like it, and I feel that anybody that insecure with there self is unsure about their self. If some one come out and says, ‘I’m the king of the world’, I’m not going to be worried because I know where I stand. AllHipHop.com: Yeah, but do you think that older rappers think that you have a appreciation for history for calling your self the king of the south? T.I.: They should. If Scarface, UGK, Goodie Mob, Trick Daddy, and Outkast don’t have a problem with me calling myself [that], they why do I give a f**k about what another motherf***er say? They not even relevant! AllHipHop.com: Where does your braggadocios demeanor come from? Do you have any family or connections to NYC because that’s kinda seems derived from that? T.I.: If someone felt that that who they was [from New York] they’d said it. I think people are mad because they ain’t say it first (laughs). It’s a trademark now. AllHipHop.com: I was at the Source Awards and they were giving out yellow rubber bands and they said Lil Flip on them how did you feel about that? T.I.: Ay man, listen… if a cat is fighting a motherf**king werewolf, he’s going to do whatever he can to defend himself. That’s what I think about that. He can’t do it lyrically, he can’t do it physically, whatever. AllHipHop.com: Have you seen him? T.I.: N***a, have you? AllHipHop.com: I was in Miami. T.I.: Well n***a, you should have called me (laughs). But on the real, none of that stuff surprise me, but what woulda though, is if I saw him somewhere I was, if he woulda called the label people and ask him where I am, so they could be there. AllHipHop.com: What are your thoughts on squashing it? T.I: I heard that they trying to. But in the same breath, I heard that he told some one to tell T.I. ‘Game over’, again. AllHipHop.com: How do you feel about people criticizing your beef as publicity? T.I.: Man, me and [Luda]cris is cool. We handled that already. Me and Lil’ “who” are not ever going to be cool. That’s just not my type of dude. He ain’t built like me. We dance to the beat a different drum. AllHipHop.com: It started with the T.I. ‘Game Over’. How sure are you that it was about you? T.I.: 100% sure. AllHipHop.com: Because people say that you are quick to respond. T.I.: I am, and that’s because I don’t take any s**t from any body. I feel that you coming at me, bet. Plus you gotta look at a n***a background. What does he have a record of doing? I know n****s in Houston that knows that he have a reputation for doing this s**t – throwing rocks and hiding his hand. But when n****s find out, and take that s**t to his doorstep, he all like, ‘I didn’t say it!’, He’s notorious for saying that s**t. Ask ESG, ask Lil’ 3rd , ask a bunch of cats in Houston. AllHipHop.com: In New York they have the Hip-Hop Task Force, do you think that’s something that moving down to Atlanta? T.I.: That’s moving all over the country they targeting young people with money. These n****s be showing up to my shows and s**t waiting for me. I just showed up to one. AllHipHop.com: Was the Ludacris thing a misunderstanding? T.I.: Yeah, it basically was. The person I seen get beat down in a Trap Music shirt didn’t have a trap music shirt, and I kinda took it the wrong way. That’s why I said, ‘Me getting beat down, that’s ludacris’ [On Young Buck’s ‘Stomp’] we sat down and talked about and said if it ain’t worth getting in the street and fighting about it, we might as well let it go. AllHipHop.com: You seem to be pretty understanding about it. T.I.: I mean, we cool I holla at the n***a on the regular. We good. we got plans on working together and everything AllHipHop.com: So why not Flip? T.I.: Nah! You gotta understand that me and Luda had a relationship before this, me and Flip didn’t. I will never be cool with him or anyone with remotely close characteristics of him. I never experienced a guy like this, he is very slippery. AllHipHop.com: What is you status as far as jail? Are you still working? T.I.: Hell nah, I’m free as a motherf***in’ bird. AllHipHop.com: When did it end? T.I.: September 29. AllHipHop.com: So now you’re free to do anything? T.I.: Almost anything. (laughs) I just gotta stay drug free, and I am staying drug free. AllHipHop.com: What did you do different on this new album? T.I.: Well for one, collaborations. I never really had a lot of collaborations on my albums and on this one, I reached out to a lot of people I was interested in working with. And we collaborated on a few songs. I got Nelly on a song, I got BG on a song, I got Trick Daddy, Lil Jon, Lil Wayne, on a song. I also got Lil Kim. Really, people been asking me ‘When are you going to work with this person, when are you going to work with that person?’ So I figured this would be the album that I will make this happen. AllHipHop.com: Do you look at this album as an important album? T.I.: Every album […]

For all his transgressions, Trick Daddy is surprisingly moral. The raunchy rapper—with a history of drug charges and jail time—holds strong opinions regarding education and police presence surrounding the hip-hop community. But much like his discography, the Miami native is often overlooked as a legitimate talking head. We all know Trick loves the kids, but as evident by his work with the Concerned Citizens of Miami-Dade County Schools, he’s more than just talk. While promoting his sixth and latest album, Thug Matrimony: Married to the Streets, AllHipHop.com sat down with Trick Daddy as he discussed politics, his place in hip-hop history, and getting his nipple pierced. Let’s go. AllHipHop.com: Your new track, “Let’s Go” is perfect for you. You seem like a rock dude. Trick Daddy: I’ll die my hair, pierce my nipple, whatever for them kind of spins. AllHipHop.com: Do you listen to much rock music? Trick Daddy: I like Kid Rock, P.O.D. You know, rock is just like country and hip-hop, and all of us is like the blues. As long as it got a story and it makes sense, I love it. AllHipHop.com: Any classic rock? Trick Daddy: I used to listen to Van Halen back in the day. I’ma re-do that song, probably do it with Kim. I ain’t gonna tell you what it is, ‘cause someone gonna steal my idea and I’ll have to f**k them up. ‘Cause I don’t do much suing people. AllHipHop.com: You don’t do much collaboration either, do you? Why is that? Trick Daddy: I deal with people that’s easy to deal with. I ain’t paying no $100,000 for no features and definitely not that for no damn tracks. Anybody who charge me like that is disrespectful to me. They need to back up. AllHipHop.com: Why aren’t more rappers as candid and outspoken as you? Trick Daddy: They rappers. They say anything. They don’t want to sit down and look like a fool. When they making music, they say stuff that rhymes. A lot of rappers talk about they cars and they jewelry and this and that. Well, it’s a lot of poor people, a lot of homeless people, a lot of guerillas out there, they don’t want to hear about your cars. They don’t want to hear about your diamond chain and how much you paid for it. Because they can’t afford it; they can’t get on your level. It’s like you belittling them. They don’t understand that. They don’t care about the struggle. A lot of them is counterfeit, made up. A lot of them got a script they trying to stick by. I keep it real. It’s easier to do that. I don’t got to worry about getting caught up in no sucker s**t. AllHipHop.com: To you it’s just a matter of people speaking up? Trick Daddy: You notice about this [past] election you have actors, you have all types of people from boxing promotes to reverends to thugs, street people, the whole hip-hop nation speaking out on this voting thing, and you wonder why and then still you watch the news and they say Bush is predicted to win again. But we got all these people and we got all this power, they so concerned about what we say in our music, but if what we say goes then how could Bush win? It’s a crazy game. AllHipHop.com: Let me ask you, since Bush’s brother has been in office in Florida, how has Miami changed? Trick Daddy: They been doing a lot of entrapment. They forgot all about that crime. It’s against the law to entrap somebody. It’s against the law for you ask me about drugs. Or ask me about killing or robbing, and try to get me to do it and then lock me up for doing it. ‘Cause you conspiring with me. It’s been a lot of that going on. Same thing what Bush would do. AllHipHop.com: Personally, I feel like a lot of young males don’t know about stuff like entrapment. They think they’re suppose to answer everything the police asks them, when that’s not true. Trick Daddy: Police tell you, you have the right to remain silent, never. They never tell you that. They always tell you: You under arrest; Get on the ground; Put your hands up; Freeze. If I’m not under arrest, don’t pull your gun on me. AllHipHop.com: Right. Trick Daddy: Then they tell you, ‘Oh, Your buddy in the room already told me you did it. Listen, I know it wasn’t you; I know it was him. Just tell us, I’ll talk to the D. A., we gonna make sure you be straight. Other than that, your gonna get life, buddy. This time, we got you this time. You got 15-20 years.’ That’s against the law; they need to stop it. AllHipHop.com: So how can young cats get educated on their rights if they get pulled over by the police? Trick Daddy: First thing, they need to go to school. The answer is in school. We need to pay our teachers more so they can teach. The parents need to raise they kids better, know what I’m saying? We need to keep the kids out of the police’s arm reach. Keep the police from our schools. Police not making our schools safe. Police never caught nobody in school with a gun. Police come to the scene once the man been shot with the gun. Make the school a fun place. Make them learn. Make the school so a kid wants to go. Somewhere where they wanna be. They take all the little boys that have problems and they put ‘em in class with other little boys and all they do is conspire. When they get time, when class changes, they do something bad. They been around boys all day. A guy acts different around a girl, you know what I’m saying? Mix the class up. That’s interracial class with all nationalities. White Americans, black Americans, Spanish, Cuban, Dominican, […]

While many hearts hurt in the Hip-Hop community when John Kerry’s presidential results came in short. But as names like Kerry may fade, Edo G has been holding down Boston for fifteen years – with a top single, a debut album barking at Gold status, and a string of classics ever since. This year bodes particularly well for the raspy-voiced MC known for his serious tone and strong allegories. Edo and Pete Rock just released My Own Worst Enemy a dual effort from the two greats, also featuring Diamond, Masta Ace, and others. Though his name might be out of the spotlight, Edo G has never left the hardcore Hip-Hop, and his faith has not fallen. The Bulldog checks in at AllHipHop to talk about the Soul Brother, his catalog, and the Sox. AllHipHop.com: Besides CL Smooth and INI, nobody has ever really gotten the Pete Rock collaboration album. Freddie Foxxx once mentioned it, but without huge publicity, you’ve finally got it. Edo: Pete Rock, that’s my brother til’ the end. But working with a dude like him, he’s a genius in his own right. So it’s hard to really sit down and get that. That’s probably why it never happened with Foxxx and never happened with a lot of other people. It’s just patience. AllHipHop.com: The cover art and the title is a nice parallel. But, why are you your own worst enemy? Edo: Basically because, the only person that can stop me is myself. People can try to put road-blocks and you can go through different changes in life, but really – when it all boils down, if you have the drive and the motivation, and you believe in you, you’re the only the person that can really stop you. AllHipHop.com: But at the same time, whose trying to stop you at this point? Edo: It’s not like that. I’m not saying it in a negative way. I’m trying to say it more in a positive way, being that you have the power, yourself to do whatever you really want to do. If I don’t get anything accomplished, it’s because of me. I’m not playing the blame game. AllHipHop.com: You’ve had one of those careers that really kicked in after a good bit of work put in. You’ve put out three acclaimed albums recently, after a long hiatus. What gave you the momentum to come back swinging so hard? Edo: The market of the independent aspect of the business grew. It grew a lot in like in ’95, ’96, ’97. That’s when it started opening and people found that there was a big market for independent Hip-Hop. Once I found that vehicle, I just kind of ran with it. I don’t have to conform to anything. I can still do me, do Hip-Hop, do what I been doing. It’s not on a bigger scale than it was in ’91, obviously. But it’s still good enough to live off of. AllHipHop.com: How hard was it to live in the in-between years without a record out? Edo: It was pretty tough for a minute. Around ’95, I kind of took some time off after the Rocksbury 2019 and gathered up my thoughts and I didn’t really want to get back into the rat-race of trying to go get a deal. I was just kinda tired. I took some time to lay back, and then I came back with the six-song EP, that was just vinyl-only in ’96. Ever since then, it’s been on. AllHipHop.com: You’re a super-star overseas. Has that developed since the second-half of your career? Edo: Well, actually in the first half, I did London, Japan, Germany all off of the first two records. But the market for touring and all that, wasn’t really there back then. It was more spot-dates. But now, it’s just tour-crazy. You might never have heard of cats touring over there. We live on a big-ass planet, man. It’s bigger than just the states. AllHipHop.com: Is there going to be touring for this record? Edo: Yeah, definitely. I’m in the process. I’m trying to do something with Pete [Rock] and [Masta] Ace, tryin’ to do a tour together. AllHipHop.com: Were you and Pete in session together for this record, or because of the geography, was it separate? Edo: Nah, I did some of the vocals up in Boston. We did some together in New York. It was a two-year process of making this album. We basically were just going back and forth with beats. I must’ve heard two hundred beats from Pete over the time period to get seven that I liked. Not that he didn’t have other s**t that was dope! It was just, I’m a very particular type of person and I wanted a very particular type of sound. AllHipHop.com: My favorite collaboration between you two is the single, “Boston.” That’s just classic Pete Rock! Edo: Yeah, you know that beat was actually for Pharohe [Monch]. I don’t know how he turned it down [laughs]. AllHipHop.com: Having two established, veteran, legend type cats chipping away together, was your process altered at all? Edo: [Not really]. We’re gonna be doing more stuff together in the future. I just wanted to do more a concept-album, not that this album has a single concept to it. Rather than go and get ten different producers and a couple of with names as guests, I wanted to bring it back to doing ten joints, and doing it with basically, one producer to do the majority of the work. AllHipHop.com: Did you have that in the early days? Edo: Actually, my first record was done by my man, Joe Mansfield who was the owner of Traffic Entertainment. He actually did, “I Gotta Have It.” He did all of Life of a Kid in the Ghetto with the exception of, “Difference.” That was the thing with everybody comin’ out in early 90’s. AllHipHop.com: I always thought that Illmatic was the record that bucked the trend. Edo: Yeah, it […]

They was like. “For real, we gonna wait and see what Death Row do, we gonna wait and see what Chronic 2001 does. So we went to Elektra and these other places who kept saying, ‘We love you. Your sh*t is hot.’ But they all wanted me to wait and wait, and don’t pay the rent. So they came with the Dogg Pound Records idea and we got on the radio and announced that we might be considering the Suge Knight thing. Dr. Dre immediately had somebody contact Big C Styles like, ‘Yo, bring Crooked over here.’ He just started Aftermath and everything, so we went and met with Dre. He was like I gotta finish the Chronic 2001 album, I gotta finish the Eminem album, and then I can f**k with you. We gonna make history! I was like, ‘Of course, that’s Dre. Let’s go,’ then at the same time, on the ride home, I was like, ‘Well, how the f**k am I gonna survive until then?’ Damn, I would love to do that, he’s the man and all, but I can’t do it. So I got on a plane and went to the penitentiary up North and seen Suge and that was an experience in itself. AllHipHop.com: What was that conversation like? Crooked I: Oh my God, n***s doing they record deals discussing record contracts with gun towers looking down. AllHipHop.com: How does he conduct business? Crooked I: Well he really doesn’t want you to know, cause he’s not supposed to [conduct business in prison]. AllHipHop.com: You know one thing that I found interesting about that movie that went behind the scenes of Death Row was when they went to the prison to interview Suge, and the warden had to get Suge’s permission to be interviewed. If that isn’t backwards, what’s that all about? Crooked I: Man, when you got 400 million dollars in the pen, that’s a whole other ball game. He can put money on everybody’s books; I heard he even got cable in that b*tch. AllHipHop.com: In his cell? Crooked I: No, I mean for everybody to watch cable. AllHipHop.com: Well, at least he’s not stingy (laughs) Crooked I: So I’m sitting there with him and he said I’m hearing good things about you. They had watched "Rap City" when I battled Chino XL and I got the upper hand on Chino – but it was a sabotage job but that’s another story (laughing). So we’re walking around talking, and he’s like, ‘Man, f**k all that other sh*t. I can get you Grammy’s and Billboard awards. I can get you this, that, and the other.’ And I said, ‘But can you make me rich?’ and he started laughing. So from day one, he really knew I was really about my business, and from that point on once we decided the terms and everything. I was up there once a month during his whole stay. I would go check in with him, let him know what was going on, and everything. I recorded a whole album letting him hear tracks over the phone and everything. And after I finished, he was like, ‘I’ve been thinking Crooked, I want to be there when you record the album.’ and I’m like, ‘I just recorded 22 songs, and you just want to scrap the whole album that you was all hyped about?’ and he’s like, ‘Yeah, I just wanna be there. Just kick back, I only got 12 months to go.’ It was kinda bad because I didn’t want to wait, but I was getting checks so I wasn’t hurting so I waited the 12 months and did a whole new album when he came out. AllHipHop.com: Did you like that album better than the first one? Crooked I: I don’t know. I liked the first one because that one I did when it was hard times, I’m negotiating contracts, I didn’t have no money. I’m staying in hotels for months at a time. I’m catching rides to the studio, you know. So I was proud of accomplishing it when we finished because we were up against all odds. The next one was cool, but everything was all laid out. But the thing I liked about the next one, was I never dissed nobody and all those fools over there wanted me to diss. But I was like, ‘I’m not gonna diss nobody till they diss me ‘cause I wasn’t trying to capitalize off n*ggas in the industry by sayin’, ‘F**k Snoop, or anybody else like that,’ and I was proud of that. It was good album, we had a lot of features. He still got that music, and he can put it out, I don’t care. Put that s**t out, especially if you feel like you invested money in me. Right here, where we’re at with my new deal, he sent cease and desist papers to my new label because he’s saying that my interpretation is that the contract is over that’s not his interpretation of the contract, so he’s gonna have a judge decide if its expired or not; or in other words, ‘I’m gonna make you dig into your pockets n*gga!’ AllHipHop.com: But why? What did you do to him? If he owns all the music, all the publishing and all that why cant he just put the music out to make his money back if its just about his investment in you? Crooked I: I don’t know, because I never expected him to try to hold me back like this. Because I did everything I had to do over there. I stayed down. I stayed loyal, and when it was over, I had to bounce. I told him, ‘Man, in four years, n*ggas get college degrees, and I didn’t do nothing.’ I mean, my name got a little bigger but that ain’t what I’m interested in. I’m interested in makin music. But he sent a cease and desist order to my label and I wasn’t […]

Some would argue that it’s actually easier to get a death-row pardon in Texas than to wriggle out of a recording contract with Death Row Records. Just ask Crooked I, the decisive lyricist that emerged as one of the West Coast’s finest. Last year, he announced that he had departed the influential label but the contractual constraints have anchored the Long Beach native’s recording efforts. Crooked maintains that he wanted to stay with the label, but his highly anticipated debut was continuously pushed back for a variety of reasons. Moving on, Crooked I is now the CEO of his own Dynasty Records is ready to get it crackin’ for himself. But the struggle continues. AllHipHop.com caught up with Crooked to get his side of an untold story. AllHipHop.com: Are you officially off Tha Row? Crooked I: That’s a tricky situation, man. Here’s what happened… [The] contract expired [as of] November 2003, while he was back in jail. I signed in ‘99. It was a four-year deal and really after the four years, I don’t want to extend this. I had my lawyers some paperwork stating that I didn’t want to extend the contract, ‘I’m done, nice doing business with you, peace.’ Feel me? AllHipHop.com: Did you get to keep your publishing? Crooked I: Nah, I didn’t get to keep the music, you know what I did, I didn’t even try to fight for that, I just wanted to bounce. I did about four albums worth of material over there and wrote for numerous people. I wrote for Left Eye while she was here, I wrote for Kurupt, a lot of people. AllHipHop.com: So why did your project really keep getting pushed back? Crooked I: It was a lot of politics involved; people don’t like to talk about the real truth. AllHipHop.com: Do you? Crooked I: Yeah I’ll tell it. I don’t give a damn because it’s the truth. AllHipHop.com: Why is it so hard for people to get let go from Death Row? Crooked I: First of all Death Row started the whole record label/family or “street family” thing. AllHipHop.com: Is that like the Italian family or the Black Family? Crooked I: They’re the Soprano’s of the record industry. So once you get in there, it’s expected that it’s gonna be a long term thing. You know, you [literally] on Death Row. But my whole thing is from the beginning, I told him, ‘I’m gonna one day own my own label. This is cool and I’m gonna push the line over here and do everything that you ask me to do during the term of my contract,’ and that’s what I did. It could be three-in-the-morning and Suge would call me to come to the studio after I had just left, tired as Hell. And he’d call and be like, ‘Crooked, I’m gonna need you to come back to the studio, Man, these n*ggas is over here comin’ wack!’ So I’d drive my tired ass right back up there. So he knows what my commitment was. AllHipHop.com: Let’s go back to the very beginning. After all the mayhem affiliated with Death Row, how did you even come to Death Row ? Crooked I: I was on Virgin, and I left there because one of the head guys over there was doing some behind the scenes, under the table, type sh*t. So I started my own independent thing with a local football player here from Long Beach, my dude Chucky Miller and my other dude, Leonard Russell, who played for the Rams at the time. We did some indie sh*t trying to get it off the ground, then one day Daz and C Style knocked on my door in Long Beach. He was like the last one on Death Row, and they wanted to do a label called Dogg Pound Records; so they was like we wanna do the Dogg Pound records thing, and we want you to be the first act that we release, [then] Soopafly, then we wanna release other people. At that time, the West was dry as f**k. See, people don’t understand when the West was that dry and wasn’t no numbers being put up. Wasn’t no labels trying to hear from the West coast you could knock on doors all day, and they wasn’t answering.

As he sits back and enjoys the current critical acclaim and public acceptance being garnered for his sixth album, R.U.L.E., Queens-bred veteran Ja Rule can’t help but look back on his dramatic career and appreciate just how far he has come. Enduring through highly-publicized beefs, premature count-outs, federal investigations, and a constant see-saw shifting of love and hate, Ja is a true survivor. In a highly unusual format, AllHipHop.com let Ja Rule and his albums drive the interview. Taking his career album-by-album, Ja provides a candid and honest assessment of the road he has traveled thus far, told completely through his own words into his brand new release, R.U.L.E. 1999 Venni Vetti Vicci Ja Rule: I was a little nervous at first going into that album, ‘cause I had never did a solo album. That was my first venture on my own; like doing 12, 13 songs by myself. Coming off of my deal with the Cash Money Clique, now I had to come up with the concepts and everything by myself. I went in to the studio, and I think the first record I made was a record called “Love.” It was ill, but that record never came out. It was such a hot record, but I had used it for a Coca-Cola commercial, so it didn’t make any album. It was hot, like, “Love is a crime, love is in your mind, love is when you got beef and your man hits you with the nine.” [Laughs] That was my joint. Anyways, after I did that record, I was like, “I can do this solo thing.” Then, I went through a little crisis, ‘cause I had all of these records, but I didn’t have that big record that the company was looking for. “Holla Holla” was like the last record I made for that album. I heard the beat, and the beat sounded like nothing I had ever heard before. [Sounding out the beat] It was like water, and all types of s**t in it. I was like, ‘What the f**k is that!’ Everybody was bugging, and wondering what I could do with that beat. I took in the studio, and I figured the beat was too hot to not try, so I came up with my little double style. Thank God that worked! [Laughs] ‘Cause that was it, and I didn’t have anything else on that album that could drive it. You don’t even understand, like, when first come out as a big artist; to not have any of your n*ggas in the video, is a risk! We’re sitting there with Hype Williams, and he’s like, ‘Yo, I got the idea. Let’s go to Brazil.’ I’m like, ‘Hell yeah! Let’s go! We all going!’ [Laughs] They’re like, ‘No, no, no. We don’t got the budget for everybody, so it’s just you and maybe one other person.’ At that point in Hip-Hop, it was still about your n*ggas in the videos with you. I went for it, and they told me that we could do the ‘n*ggas sh*t’ for the next video, not knowing that if this one didn’t work, there wouldn’t be a next video. [Laughs] We flew out to Brazil, and it was magic instantly. We set up cameras, scouting ladies. There were mad beautiful chicks coming to the camera, and on the beach topless. All types of s###, man! I was extra amped! We turned the cameras on, and girls started flocking. We only brought one professional girl (Gloria Velez), and the rest were just girls from Brazil that wanted to get down. 2000 Rule 3:36 Ja Rule: After Venni Vetti Vicci, Rule 3:36 wasn’t easy for me. I caught a lot of flack. “Oh, he’s trying to be like 2Pac. Oh, he’s trying to be like DMX. He’s Jay-Z’s protégé.” I was getting all of that s**t. All I was trying to say was, ‘Nah, I’m my own person.’ Me and X got similar voices, but I don’t sound like him. As far as similarities to Pac, I just got tattoos. Like, for “Can I Get A….” I wrote the hook! Can I get some respect? No love, though. People said, “You’re a one-hit wonder.” I said, for this album, I gotta do something different and make people take notice. So, I grew my hair and got braids, ‘cause Pac and X never had braids. Beyond that, though, I had to separate myself with the music. At that time, X was the ultimate in street grimy, and Jay was the ultimate in floss. So, I realized that neither of them was really addressing the b*tches. I came up with my own approach to get out of their shadows. I took it there. I didn’t know it was going to become my niche like that, though. I wanted it to allow people to not compare me to these rappers anymore. I started to recognize that, ‘cause artists like Timbaland would come up to me saying, “Yo, that lil’ flow along sh*t you’re doing…that’s your niche!” Now I’m starting to realize that I got my own lane. 2001. Pain Is Love Ja Rule: Pain Is Love is….now, this lane that I’ve created is open for me. Now, let’s see how it works. Let me take it in full gear. For that album, I was cruising into it. I had just came from a big album. For Pain Is Love, I just wanted to make big records that people could party to and have fun with. I was on some real sacrifice sh*t, like I was giving myself, so everybody else could eat. Like, let’s get everybody on the album, and let’s get the label popping. After that album had been out, though, the hate started flowing in, and it came in full force during The Last Temptation. 2002 The Last Temptation Ja Rule: Motherf***ers started giving me shade. It was crazy, ‘cause it didn’t come from a music standpoint at first. Like, “Mesmerize” was still a […]

For years, Bizzy Bone has been portrayed as the black sheep of Bone Thugs~N~Harmony. He was labeled as the dysfunctional alcoholic member who was always causing friction within the group by not showing up to video shoots, concerts, or press opportunities. This is the stigma Bizzy has had to live with. Well Bizzy strikes back and tells his side of the story. In an emotional, brutally honest interview with AllHipHop.com, Bizzy reveals it all. From the brutal murder of his brother Capo, to Ruthless Records allegedly screwing him out of millions, to Bone Thugs kicking him out of the group, Bizzy finally comes clean. If you think you know who Bizzy Bone is, think again, because now it is his turn to set things straight. This is why rap interviews exist! AllHipHop.com: Can you talk about the new track, "Everywhere", where you talk about P.Diddy, Jay-Z, and Beyonce. What made you want to release a track like that? Bizzy: That song I did is a real song, about the things I have went through in the industry with the different females. So it just came out of me and I wanted to speak about it. It’s all true, every last bit of it. I have been in this business professionally for thirteen years! I ain’t just step in the game six years ago, so I have seen a lot of girls go and pass. So that was just me doing me. AllHipHop.com: You said something about P.Diddy like, "You my man, you know what it is, you know what it was, you know you did". What’s the meaning behind that? Bizzy: P.Diddy is my guy, we have done songs together, and he has taken me out to the Bahamas. I have had a ball with P.Diddy and the Bad Boy Family, he has shown me nothing but love. It’s more of…him and I know what it is, and he is smiling right now! It’s not a bad thing, ‘cause he is smiling his ass off when he hears it. And when he ever sees me, he is going to be smiling his tail off. But that story is a secret. (Laughter) AllHipHop.com: If it is okay with you, I would like to speak on some personal issues you have been going through. Bizzy: Yeah, its cool with me, bring it on. AllHipHop.com: First off, I would like to send my condolences to you and your family for the loss of your brother, Capo. I was truly saddened to hear about his death. Can you speak about this murder, and exactly what happened? Bizzy: Yeah, well, I am going to be real, real honest with you. And I haven’t been this open and candid about this before, but I am going to give this one to you. Because I am looking at his picture right now, as I keep him with me everywhere I go. The whole thing that happened with Adrian was…the industry and what we are doing, was not ready for 7th Sign. And not only were they not ready, they were not willing to give us a chance to be heard. And when you don’t give people a chance to be heard, who need to be heard, as this is their only outlet out, when you take that from them….When people say, "Please don’t do business with him, don’t give him any deal, don’t let him put out this, don’t let him do this, he is untrustworthy, etc". When you hold him back like that, when you get that black ball on it, by him just always sticking with me, because he was [family]. So virtually, he was blackballed in the industry, like I was blackballed in the industry. During the course of that, we have kids we have to feed. He has three children he left behind. And in the course of that, things happen in when you have to take care of your children. From that, you step in the jungle, and you have to be an animal. Unfortunately, somebody came up into his home and he was murdered! That is the thick of it. I blame myself, because if I wasn’t blackballed in the industry, I could have had him out there working. I could have had him out there singing his heart out, doing what he does best. But we are real people and what we rap about and sing about is not fake. So if we are not doing this, there is a good chance, and there is a good possibility that we may wind up dead. That is just the truth. We are not like your cake ass rappers out there, we are real. We are real street poets with terrible stories. No mothers, no fathers, foster homes, beat on, touched on, those types of stories! So we lost him, and he is watching over us and that is what happened. AllHipHop.com: Have the police been doing anything to find the killers? Bizzy: There have been 175 unsolved murders in Columbus, Ohio, my friend. They are working it, you feel me. It’s a funny thing out there. People really don’t know that Ohio is really like everywhere else. Its not where your from, its not even where you are at, it is just what it really is. But we also have another young solider that passed before Capo. He got killed by the police out here, by an off duty cop. And my main man who did security for me for about seven years; he just got murdered in Cleveland last year. So 7th Sign has been going through the twist. Because it’s that serious! And I am still going through it out here and I think people respect that. I think people in this industry respect when you go through some things and you survive, and you leave with your mentality and you still have love in your heart! AllHipHop.com: All that you have been through is enough to drive anyone […]

The move from an independent label to a major is one most artists aspire to make, but for Harlem’s proudest representatives The Diplomats, the exact opposite took place. As a result of Cam’ron’s signing to Roc-A-Fella Records, the crew (which, at the time, consisted mainly of Cam, Juelz Santana, Jim Jones, and Freeky Zeeky) released the widely accepted double album Diplomatic Immunity in 2003. As a result of closed-door drama typical of major labels, however, the Dip Set decided to look elsewhere for their next group effort. The group found their answer, and they’ve taken a year to prepare the follow-up album. Amidst the label hop, The Diplomats have struck business deals, expanded their trademark with JR Writer and Jha Jha, and played a part in Mase’s disappearance act. The turkey is in the pot with Uptown’s new reigning kings. Here, AllHipHop.com talks with The Diplomats in a round-robin discussion about the new record, the newest members’ hunger to prove themselves, and where exactly a “Goonie Goon Goon” comes from. AllHipHop.com: The first Diplomat album came out under the large umbrella of Roc-A-Fella Records, but things have changed. What made you all decide to put out these projects out through a smaller label like Koch? Cam’ron: Well at the end of the day you got to realize that we got six dollars a record [at Koch]. If we sell 100,000 copies there, we will make more than if we sell 500,000 at Def Jam. It’s just business. A lot of people get caught up in that. At the end of the day, I need people around me to make money. So with Jim Jones, his album did 140,000 and I know that he made more money than some people on Def Jam that went platinum. We’re not stupid we’re form Harlem, we’re hustlers. We’re not going to sell millions of records and make millions of dollars when we could sell thousands records and make million of dollars. Juelz Santana: Diplomats is a strong movement, and we figured that we don’t really need a big label to super-hype us up and put all of this effort into letting the people know we’re coming out. AllHipHop.com: Did you guys have more creative control in putting the album together this time? Juelz: Nah, I mean, we always have had creative control. Nobody has ever told us anything about our music. That’s one thing about us; on Roc-A-Fella, Koch, or anywhere else, can’t nobody tell us how to do anything. AllHipHop.com: So how is the Diplomats’ current relationship with Roc-A-Fella? Juelz: Oh the relationship is still beautiful. I’m still on the Roc, and Cam’ron is still there. It’s nothing real dramatic. We had to just make sure that we still see eye-to-eye with the people over there. That’s why Cam’s album has been pushed back so much. But his album is definitely coming out December 21, and my next album will be out in April. April Fools, man. It’s crazy right now. I got about 160 songs done, and I’m on my “A Game.” AllHipHop.com: Cam, what was the hold-up on your album? Cam’ron: At the end of the day, it was a big switchover at Def Jam as far as Lyor [Cohen] and when he left, which was six months ago. He was supposed to leave a year before that. But the thing with my album is that it’s been finished a year ago, but you know I do new songs to freshen it up. So when LA came over, I had to renegotiate my contract because even though he has a very good track record, he never really dealt with east coast hardcore music. So I had to renegotiate to make sure that the money was right just in case everything don’t go right. But now I got to sit down and talk with him and build a new relationship with him, I felt that that was the place to be. AllHipHop.com: What did LA say to you that made you feel more comfortable about coming out? Cam’ron: We went over the marketing plan and went over everything, form my point of view, and what he feel he can do to me. The thing with LA is, he’s cool, he wasn’t going to try and hold me down. He said, “If you want to break out, break out. But I really want you to stay and make this work out.” So for a dude who was willing to give me that opportunity, I respected that. AllHipHop.com: Cam, what happened with Mase? I know that you were planning to possible do an album is that a done deal now? Cam’ron: Like honestly, we weren’t planning to do one. He said he had a budget for me and I told him to get back at me, and the next thing you know he’s on the radio talking crazy. I don’t like to deal with [that]. It’s nothing personal towards Mase. I wish him the best of luck in his career, but I don’t know if I be working with him, because I doubt it. AllHiphop.com: Now this next question is for J.R. Writer. You seem to have come out of nowhere to create a real heavy buzz on the streets. How did you first get down with the Diplomats? J.R. Writer: Basically, I knew somebody that knew somebody – this dude named Puff, and that was my dude since like four or five years ago. He had me running around, battling n##### like all throughout Harlem and the boroughs. J-Hood was one of the n##### I first battled, actually. Puff had introduced me to this n*gga G####, who started that whole Taliban s**t. He brought me up to 145th and Broadway, and had me battling all kinds of n*ggas. One day, Cam had happened to pull up, right after the time he had just got signed to the Roc and finished up the first Diplomats album. I spit for him, but a lot of […]

While Boston native Krumbsnatcha is mainly considered a seasoned veteran in the underground scene, he sees himself as much more than that. Riding shotgun with Gang Starr since the release of the group’s Moment of Truth back in 1998, Krumbsnatcha has already issued three widely-appreciated indy records, including Respect All, Fear None for D&D Records. With his fourth effort, Let The Truth Be Told, hitting shelves in November, however, Krumbsnatcha is focused on displaying skills that he feels transcend subterranean borders. Let The Truth Be Told boasts guest shots from heavyweights Styles P. and Ghostface, as well as instrumentals from Nottz, Scram Jones, and Emile. Having briefly been exposed to the major label world in the past, Krumbsnatcha hopes that this new album will jump start his resurfacing in the industry. Enduring through jail time, endless dues and letdowns, his time seems to be approaching. AllHipHop.com: After listening to the new album, a couple of tracks really stood out for me. The first one is “Suffering,” with Dina Rae on the hook. You talk about serious issues on it. What was your thought process while writing that song? Krumbsnatcha: Basically, man, I was noticing a lot of things going on in my community of Boston. Things that are also going on worldwide, too. There is a lot of suffering going on, and people have it hard across the globe. So, I just wanted to elaborate on a couple of things that I see people suffering from. AllHipHop.com: Many times, people talk about how rappers rarely keep in touch with their original neighborhoods, and move away once a little fame comes their way. How in touch are you with the things you see going on in Boston? Krumbsnatcha: Yeah, that’s all day, everyday if you are still staying in the same area. I have stayed in the same area. My wife and my daughter have relocated to Florida, cause of the situation. I’ve been going through a lot of s**t recently, man, just cause I try to stay in Boston and go through the real stuff. I’m trying to make sure we get on properly. It’s hard though, man, cause right now the death toll is sick out there, and there is a lot of drama between crews. You got to think; I’m pretty much the only rapper that’s really out there from Boston, on a bigger scale than the backpack s###. Of course, you’re gonna have haters, and we have to handle it accordingly. AllHipHop.com: The second track that stood out also deals with real-life things, and it’s “My Life.” What made you write a personal song like that? Krumbsnatcha: I had certain people in my circle who weren’t acting right. When you’re broke, everybody loves you. Maybe if you don’t even have a lot of money, but they think you do cause they see you in magazines or on the radio, motherf***ers get misconceptions. A lot of people in and outside of my circle had a lot of opinions, of how I should do my thing. Basically, that song is saying that I’d rather run dolo than run with some clowns. AllHipHop.com: On “My Life,” you talk about how you’ve had to hustle hard to get where you at now. What would you say has been the toughest thing to overcome in your career so far? Krumbsnatcha: I would say just getting the proper recognition. I’ve put out some decent albums, you know; I’m not saying they have been classics. I’ve heard way worse s**t out there that’s going double, triple, quadruple platinum. Cats are on the radio all day with weak music, and I know I’m not that bad. I just want to get the proper recognition. AllHipHop.com: Why do you think you haven’t been given the proper respect yet? Is it a lack of promotion, being independent, or just that people are sleeping? Krumbsnatcha: I’d say it’s all three of those, as well as that there is a stigma with Boston artists. I’m pretty much one of the closest artists from out of that area that will cross the threshold. A lot of people have misconceptions about cats that come from Boston. Another thing is that I was signed to Interscope, and I lost that deal, so a lot of labels aren’t willing to take a chance on a dude and put that type of money into him if they aren’t secure with the fact that he will get the job done. Basically, with this album, I’m reintroducing myself to the game, and getting affiliated again with a lot of things. AllHipHop.com: When exactly were you signed to Interscope? Krumbsnatcha: In 1998. AllHipHop.com: What went down with Interscope that made that deal go wrong? Krumbsnatcha: My mind frame wasn’t correct. With the deal, Steve Stoute had signed me, and DJ Premier was going to be the executive producer. Back then, Steve Stoute was a big dog, managing Nas and all that. So, I was right there. My mind frame was more on celebrating before the job was accomplished. I was in the streets, already popping bottles with my n*ggas, before I even got to the album part of the game. So, one thing led to another, and I ended up violating my parole. I did six months back up state, and even when I came out, they gave me my deal back. But, with the formalities and politics, everybody just threw their hands up and walked away from the deal. AllHipHop.com: Do you have any kind of relationship with Steve Stoute currently? Krumbsnatcha: No, but my eyes and ears are still open for Interscope, man. I really think that’s the home for me. You know, Interscope, or any of these majors. I know the independent avenue is good, and I have put out four independent albums. I just feel that I need to be on a more major scale with these other artists that are out there. AllHipHop.com: Speaking of major label artists, on this album you […]

Wu-Tang – Continental Airlines Arena. New Jersey Friday, November 12 “Who the f**k ain’t here?,” yelled Method Man Friday Nov. 12 at Wu-Tang’s first East Coast show in four years. The thousands of people at Continental Airlines Arena responded in unison: “ODB! ODB!” “There is no one man bigger than the Clan,” continued Meth with equal parts anger and resignation in his voice. “When you see ODB, tell him that.” Perhaps more significant to the crowd than the presence of 8/9th of one of the most influential and creative groups in Hip-Hop, was the 1/9th not in New Jersey. Russell Jones, better known as, Old Dirty Bastard, was still taking care of business in Colorado before returning to New York the following morning. No one in the arena – not the fans, not the entourages, Hell, not even the Clan brothers themselves – knew this would be the last chance for all nine members to unite and rock the mic. Hindsight has a strange way of turning minor events into “Where were you when…” moments. If not for the spectacle of Dirty’s death now surrounding the show, the most unpredictable thing about Friday’s show was just how predictable it was. Not to say that Wu didn’t kill it. But anyone there who has waited hours for their favorite MC to get on stage had to wonder at the machine-like organization of the night. Wisely opting against an opening act, the Clan decided to open for themselves, as each MC was give ten minutes to get on stage, get the crowd hyped, and get out. With little time and a bare stage, (all but Allah Mathematics behind the decks), each MC was forced to rely purely on talent to keep the crowd up. For starters, GZA’s smooth flow can still amaze even people who have listened to him for more than a decade. Raekwon utilizes the entire stage as he rips verses from “Incarcerated Scarfaces” and Ghostface’s “Daytona 500.” Ghostface returns the favor with Raekwon’s "Criminology," bellowing so excitedly into the mic, it’s like he’s doing these verses live for the first time. Method Man is the born charismatic leader, not afraid to balance himself precariously on the railing against the crowd and be supported by first-row fans. Finally, the most fantastical member enters as giant timpani drums are rhythmically pounded and black-clad ninjas battle Shaolin monks in a choreographed fight on stage. Emerging from a fully-covered tent, emblazoned everywhere with the trademark W logo, is RZA, vanquishing his ninja opponent before going into Birth of a Prince’s “We Pop” and “Grits” and ending the opening set. When the whole clan reappeared on stage ten minutes later, the arena was already at fever pitch. All it took was the first seconds of “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing Ta F’ Wit” and it was obvious that after 11 years, no one was tired of the songs that changed the evolution of Hip-Hop. “We been doing shows so many years with each other that we know what the people want to hear,” Raekwon told AllHipHop.com before the show. Over the course of the 45-minute set, Wu-Tang Clan pretended they never existed after 1997, drawing virtually exclusively from the group’s first two albums, and solo members’ debut albums. Given time constraints beyond their control, the Clan chose a quasi-medley approach, rhyming the first one or two verses of a song before quickly moving on to the next selection. Before Method ended the show with his verse from “Da Rockwilder" (minus planned special guest Redman), Shaolin’s finest rocked "Triumph" in its entirety, a fitting choice that reaffirmed just how much of a musical and cultural juggernaut this group is. For a group that creatively has had its share of high’s and low’s, the Wu collective remain as singular, natural entertainers who know what tracks the crowd laid down their money for. Since Wu-Tang, as a group and individually, for better or worse, has consistently been in the spotlight this past decade, Friday’s show felt more like a victory lap than the nostalgia act so many great Hip-Hop groups of the 90’s have become. Despite losing some of the stature they once had, there are still many who will be upset by the fact that there will never again be a full, complete Wu-Tang show. For a few hours Friday night, however, ignorance was bliss.

Afrika Bambaataa can tell you how heavy the bricks are in the foundation of Hip-Hop, he laid down many of them. As a living, working icon, Bambaataa still releases albums, worldwide. In the celebration of his latest, Dark Matter Moving at the Speed of Light, we discussed the need for such records, as well as the political and social impact of Hip-Hop and the political potential within the culture. Hours before playing a sell-out crowd for the fourth straight decade, we chipped one beautiful mind for sense of self as Hip-Hoppers and as human beings. Let the spiritual cleansing and the history lesson commence. AllHipHop.com: Tell me about the new album. What was your vision for it, and what are you bringing to the people of Hip-Hop now? Bam: A lot of people were asking me to do some Electro-funk. They had not heard me do some in a while. So here it is, Dark Matter Moving at the Speed of Light. As we always give people that fifth element of Hip-Hop, knowledge, culture, over-standing, we are giving them things to do some research on. I have 100 words of wisdom to look up and research. So they can see what they have been missing. AllHipHop.com: Electro-funk is something I love. It’s so much a part of the original Hip-Hop essence. But so much of it has fallen away. Why is that? Bam: It never really fell away. It just had different names Freestyle, Latin Hip Hop, Drum and Bass, Electronica. Then it was the rave scene that was keeping it alive with the Techno, the Trip-Hop. It’s still big as hell all over the world. AllHipHop.com: Everybody these days are talking about the differences between the Rap industry and Hip-Hop culture. You are someone who was there from day one. What are your opinions on where Hip-Hop culture is now, and where does it need to go? Bam: You have a few purists that are trying to keep the culture alive. The Zulu Nation, Rock Steady Crew, B-boy Summit, there are many organizations. But then you have a lot of people who are making Rap look like it is not a part of the Hip-Hop movement. People gotta understand that when you are talking about Hip-Hop, you are not just talking Rap. AllHipHop.com: Does the new generation have a responsibility to learn the history? Is it okay to just to like the music from now? Bam: Well, Black people in general, and these so-called Hip-Hop and R&B radio stations should be ashamed of themselves. They need to be playing the true school artists along with what’s happening now. You can go to any White kid and put on a record and say "Who is that?", they will tell you it’s Mick Jagger and the Stones. They will tell you it’s the Beatles or whoever. But you ask any Black kid, "Who is it that came out with all that funk and changed Black music?" None of them can tell you who Sly and the Family Stone is. They can tell you James Brown is. They can tell you who George Clinton is because he was doing his thing and getting on with these rappers. We need to play both. Hip-Hop DJ’s who use vinyl keep a lot of this alive. Now a lot of the Ohio Players, Mandrill and others are touring, again, putting out their old stuff…Now you can see where Puffy and Teddy Riley got their grooves from. But it’s up to these radio stations to keep the music alive. AllHipHop.com: In the wake of the election results, there is tremendous apathy in the Hip-Hop community. What can we do when voting doesn’t carry out our needs? Bam: We have to pick up what the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad said to us. We have to get up and do something for self. Then we must pool our resources. We are always complaining about schools not teaching us. Well, get up and build your own damn schools. You don’t like the food that’s being sold in our community? Then go buy these farms, like Elijah Muhammad told us. A lot of people are falling asleep. We just wanna be about Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop! Or, we wanna be gangsters. Well then we need our Hip-Hop gangster lawyers, Hip-Hop gangster doctors, Hip-Hop Masonic orders. If you wanna be a Hip-Hop gangsta, take care of your Hip-Hop gangster a#### [laughing]. AllHipHop.com: I’m concerned about the women in Hip-Hop and the impact of the music around them. Please give a message to the sisters in Hip-Hop. Bam: Well, a lot of our sisters are getting caught up with the “Ice Syndrome.” They are gettin’ caught up with the Tel-Lie-Vision. It’s telling lies to your vision. What they see is an illusion. A matrix. the BET’s and MTV’s want you to think it’s all about booty shaking. I’m not saying you can’t have that. Our culture always had booty shaking. But it’s also about how you respect yourself. If you look at yourself using the [word, ‘b*tch’], then the brothers are gonna call you [b*tch]. You need to put them in check if you don’t wanna be used like that. Like Queen Latifah said, "Who you callin’ a b*tch?" If you don’t respect yourself, and see yourself as some of the queens that came from the Motherland – like when you see Winnie Mandela- you can’t call her no b*tch. You would never even think of that. Or like Miriam Makeba, or the sisters in the Nation of Islam- you can’t call them a b*tch. Or the sisters that did “Stomp” with Kirk Franklin. They were not out there showing off their body. But they still looked attractive. But the corporations are telling them what to do. The corporations are the ones telling people "We don’t wanna do that revolution stuff. We don’t wanna do the knowledge stuff- it don’t sell!! But there is a conspiracy to make sure it is not selling […]

The one producer in Los Angeles who broke the titanium wall of Hip-Hop namesake producers on the west is Fred Wreck. Like Dre and Quik, Fred has garnered success putting music behind a variety of people in an array of places. From MC Eiht, to KRS-One, to Snoop Dogg, to producing Game’s first track, Wreck gets around. But amidst his busy schedule, he finds time to devote time to his own views on the forthcoming election. His second and newest installment, “Dear Mr. President” (featuring Dilated, WC, B-Real, Everlast, KRS, Defari, and a host of others) premiered at AllHipHop a few weeks back, and received critical praise and consideration. Around that time, we covered the issues with the key organizer. Though he remains silent in the song, Fred Wreck has to much to discuss. Join us as we talk election, Guerilla Black, Kurupt and Death Row, as well as some expectations and surprises concerning the near future of your favorite artists. AllHipHop.com: A couple years ago, there was a strong buzz building concerning an album from you. Never happened. Why? Fred: I’m still doing it. I’ve been so busy doing production, I haven’t had a chance to like really commit [time to it]. I make beats for it and somebody will call and be like, “Lil’ Kim is working on album, you got any beats to play her?” Aw f**k, I wanna give her the hot s**t. Then that s**t goes. I have a couple songs that I’m using for whenever. I have one Eastsidaz song that has everybody and Snoop on it, and they’re never gonna get back together and do anything new. It’ll be nice to have to on there. AllHipHop.com: Let’s talk about “Dear Mr. President.” What specifically made you do it? Fred: It’s not just an anti-war song. We did one last year, I have a lil’ organization of people that have the same ideas, that I work with. It’s called the STOP Movement. Stop Oppressive Politics, that’s the banner I’ve been doing. The one last year was called, “Down With Us.” That one had Defari, Tray Dee, Daz, Soopafly, Dilated Peoples, RBX, WC, Bush Babees, Everlast, it had a gang of people on it. That one was against the war, after [it] started. This one’s more geared to, “Mr. President, you’re f***in’ up type s**t. AllHipHop.com: I want to put you on the spot. You’ve got a dozen or so verses on the track. As the producer, which jumped out at you the hardest? Fred: Hmmm. I don’t know, man. Each one has something in it that makes me say, “Oh, that was tight.” I couldn’t say, dog. KRS-One, he said some dope s**t. Mack 10 said some dope s**t. All of ‘em. I like that. Each person touched about something different too. AllHipHop.com: Do you expect radio response? Fred: The last one, I didn’t really give a f**k. There was no [real] chorus. It was boom – say what you gotta say – next. This one, I made it more radio friendly. The beat is more radio friendly. It’s really lettin’ ‘em have it. I’m gonna try to get it to different stations. It’s such a specialty item, once people hear it, I don’t think it’ll have a problem getting rumored around. I took the last one we did, I took it to Michael Moore for Fahrenheit 9/11, because I guess they’re doing a soundtrack for the DVD. I played it for them, “Oh no. We don’t want any songs where it directly names Bush. We want songs like John Lennon’s ‘Imagine.’” What the f**k? Everybody’s scared about the s**t. People that want it will get it. We didn’t charge no money. We did it for the people. AllHipHop.com: You produced a joint on Guerilla Black’s new album. You’re a critical endorsement to this dude. He’s fighting for West credibility. You’ve never dirtied your name. How hard was it to get down with him? Because, I actually like his record. Fred: I appreciate that, dog. Originally, Soopafly worked with him. Me and Soopafly always go fishing together. We were driving up to the lake to go fishing and he was like, “Oh, you gotta hear this dude I did a song for.” His song never made that album, I don’t know why. When I first heard him, I was like, “Damn, that motherf***er sounds just like Biggie!” [I thought it was a Biggie remix.] I just had to argue with Everlast about this today. Everlast, he’s an old school Hip-Hop head. He’s like, “When I grew up, that s**t was called biting, dog. That Guerilla Black motherf***er is a biter.” I lived through the time of Biggie, as far as being a DJ playin’ his records. I was distraught at first. But hearing Soopafly’s mix was so bangin’, I couldn’t say no. Yeah, he sounded like him. He talked about a lil’ different s**t. It didn’t get me mad. Virgin asked me to do a song for him later, I was a little hesitant. I try to be more selective of what I work on. I’d rather have more quality than quantity. But, his A&R reassured me that he really wanted to work with [me], just let him come down to the studio-house. AllHipHop.com: So then you brought Nate Dogg to the table? Fred: They came down to the house. I played him some s**t. He liked it. He was a real cool-ass dude. He played me some of his s**t that he had, and I liked it. Why am I gonna hate on dude? Cause of Biggie? That’s not fair. I ended up doing three songs. Two of ‘em didn’t make it. The other one I had hate Nate Dogg on it. They’re not gonna use two Nate Dogg songs, so I think 50 Cent’s gonna use it. AllHipHop.com: I have to say, Streetz Iz a M#### was Kurupt’s best album. It was also, in my opinion, your best work. I know Kurupt […]

Stat Quo refers to himself as the “Rap Lebron James” but perhaps he should consider calling himself the “Rap Magic Johnson” because he is a rookie walking into a championship situation. After dropping three volumes of his now infamous Stat Quo Presents: Underground Atlanta mixtapes, he was heavily recruited by the Shady/Aftermath team. Now that he is on their roster he has damn near received instant credibility with playcallers like Eminem and Dr. Dre at his disposal. But along with the good coaching comes critics insisting that his game hasn’t fully developed and that he doesn’t even deserve to ride the bench. With his debut album, STATLANTA, nearing completion and a February release date looming. This former University of Florida point guard is out to show that he not only deserves to be on a winning team but more importantly—he won’t drop the ball. AllHipHop.com: Why are you the “Rap Lebron James”? Stat Quo: Because when ‘Bron was coming out of high school, people had so many expectations of him. People looked at him like he’s gonna change the league and he came in, and he didn’t disappoint. People looking at me like, ‘He with Dre and Eminem, so he got to be the s**t,’ and I plan to not disappoint – like young Lebron. AllHipHop.com: Tell us, how did you hook up with Aftermath? SQ: In 2000, I started rapping. I ran with Scarface for a minute at Def Jam South. So the people over there were looking out for me, and showing me the ropes of the game. After a while, I had turned in so many demos to so many places and I got tired of people telling me, ‘Yo, you need to it like this, do it like that.’ So I was like if I put I my own s**t out and get my own s**t cracking, won’t nobody be able to tell me anything. So I put out my own mixtape, me and my manager Zeek formed Grown Man Music and went all over Atlanta giving them out for free. One girl that got the CD knew Mel Man. [He] called me and I thought it was bulls**t at first and I hung up in his face like seven times. AllHipHop.com: You didn’t think it was him for real? SQ: Nah, I thought it was a joke. ‘Cause you know you got homeboys that be calling talking about, ‘Hey, this is Russell Simmons.’ [laughs] But I finally met up with the n***a and I kicked my rhyme to him, he was feeling it and he took me to meet Dre like the next day. Then I started working with Dre on the Detox project. AllHipHop.com: So, what stood out at Shady, why did you choose to sign with them? SQ: It’s a couple of reasons. One, you get the opportunity to work guys who have proven themselves in the game. Two, I gel with them. Me and Dre actually have a chemistry. I deal with them; they’re my type of people. Its like a family, it feels right. It feels natural. Also, they broke a n***a off with some change, ya heard me. And they didn’t have to but they did. That right there showed me what it is. AllHipHop.com: What is the structure of the deal? Are you signed as an artist or is it a label deal with GMM? SQ: I’m signed as an artist. Just like how 50 and Em first started out they were signed as artists, and as their careers progressed, they got their own situations. AllHipHop.com: What do you think attracted them to you? SQ: I think its my versatility and song making ability. My range is wide. Its different from just rapping, everybody can rap but can you make a song? A lot of people try to condemn the Ying Yang Twins and Lil Jon, saying that they can’t rap. But these dudes are incredible song makers. Their songs have a pre-hook, a bridge, a hook, a lead-in, and a turnaround. These dudes understand the concept of making a song. Anybody can get up and rap about nothing, but can you make a song? AllHipHop.com: What are some of the immediate advantages of working with that camp? SQ: You definitely get put in places you normally wouldn’t be. [There is] a group of people that don’t know about a lot of s**t popping in Atlanta, but they automatically know about you because you’re affiliated with someone as big Em and Dre. As a rapper, if you’re doing your thing, you got the streets if that’s where you from and what you portray. But you’ve got to reach the suburbs too. Being that they’ve penetrated those markets, you are immediately visible to those people. AllHipHop.com: You have 50, Young Buck, Devin the Dude and Scarface on your album, cats that you talk with on regular basis. That being said, how do you feel about new artists that come out with an album that is damn near a compilation with rappers that they hardly even know? SQ: I can’t even trip on the people that do that. If you doing it because you really admire who you’re working with. Like, the people I’m working with, I’m a fan of them. I admire their ability to make songs. Everybody that I have on my record is a songmaker. If you doing an album and you just throwing somebody on the record because they hot and you want to get their fans that’s kinda wack to me. But, I can’t knock the n***a hustle. But me, I put people on my album that I respect and I feel like are song makers, that’s how you get the most incredible product out of that s**t. AllHipHop.com: Are you prepared for when that you no longer have that privilege? SQ: I don’t know, you can ever say that you are ready for that until it actually happens to you. I like to go to […]

Ludacris has been both media darling and media devil, but all of the fanfare is just a testament to the Atlanta native’s fortitude as a budding Hip-Hop icon. Despite selling millions, Luda is still the property of Hip-Hop. With that, he’s building businesses, battling rappers, taking out critics and emerges triumphant with The Red Light District, his latest. The album collects some of rap’s finest (DMX, DJ Quik, Nate Dogg, Timbaland and others) and demonstrates why one Chris Bridges can still line ‘em up. Here, he discusses the problems with Chingy (who responds in the latest XXL magazine), how important lyrics are to him, and his 10 year life plan. AllHipHop.com: Can you speak on the album and what you think people will expect on it? Ludacris: The name of the album is The Red Light District; when people hear[it, they] will automatically think that of that place in Germany, because what is illegal here in the States is legal there. When I say The Red Light District, I mean a state of mind where there’s no limitations, and me trying to do different things, and being creative and wild. AllHipHop.com: On to the drama…what are your thoughts about Chingy’s departure from your Distubing The Peace? Ludacris: He said he was going to holler at me about it, and he has yet to do it. I’m not one of those people who won’t speak freely, or bad, or say anything crazy about the person, because of the simple fact I haven’t spoke to him in person. I could only say that I am upset that he said that he would come to me about it, but didn’t. So I can’t really speak about it. Things have happened the way they have. I don’t know why the hell he hasn’t stepped forward. Come holler at me. AllHipHop.com: Were you guys friends? Ludacris: Definitely, we were definitely friends and we were in line as far as business partners concern in what relationship we had. But as far as him talking bad about me or spreading rumors about DTP, I’m in denial. I don’t want to believe any of this s**t, but still can’t say anything without talking to him. But if he doesn’t come to me in person, I won’t have no choice but to come out and speak about it. I will not battle-rap him, because it’s personal. AllHipHop.com: Speaking a bit on personal lives, do you seem to avoid that putting your real life in music? Ludacris: Its not that I avoid it, but I just don’t use it to sell records. I have no problem talking about my personal life, I have talked about it in certain interviews, but the fact of the matter is, that I feel that my music is good enough to sell my music and not my personal life. If my personal life gets involved, and anybody asks me questions about it, then I have no problems with answering the questions. But as far as putting my personal life out there, I don’t feel the need to volunteer the information. AllHipHop.com: How have you matured, gotten smarter since you got in the Rap game? Ludacris: I mature and get smarter each and everyday. Sometimes I believe it is just nature taking its course, because naturally we learn and become more experienced. So me in the industry gaining more experience, I would say I have a lot more knowledge and have become a smarter businessman. I feel like I will always want to be a better man, a better individual, a better artist, I want to get better with my music. I am always looking for room for improvement. As soon as I get comfortable, or my music becomes predictable is when I start falling off. So I feel that I always need to be abreast of what is going on, to stay new and re-invent and re-create. AllHipHop.com: How important are lyrics to you, to some people lyrics are not that important anymore? Ludacris: Lyrics have always been important to me; I never want to forget where I came from. For me battling at lunch in high school and middle school is where it all began so, even though music changes and you have to change with the time. I would never change myself, so that aspect of lyricism would never leave me as an individual. I know and I won’t call any names, but as time goes on you notice your favorite artist seem to care less and less about lyrics. Their music becomes more sugar-coated and its almost like what happened to this person, they were so good, and now they are like real bulls**t, I never want to be that person and I try hard not be that individual. AllHipHop.com: Lyrically, the beef with T.I. was bubbling for awhile. How did it really Start? Ludacris: We sat down and spoke about him calling my name on a record, like two grown men. I was thinking about is why is this man putting my name on a record? I had no idea why he said me by name, and you know the name of the game, somebody says your name in a record you have to react to it. But from my understanding, he told me that one of his boys told him that somebody got beat up in a Trap Music T-shirt in one of my videos. I understood where the confusion started, because my boy has a line of clothes called Trap Wear, and I am sure people have seen us wear these shirts in videos. But this has nothing to do with T.I. [who had an album called Trap Muzik]. Trap is a word that has been used in the South for sometime, so he admitted to reacting off something what his homeboy said. He just reacted to it, without even really knowing for himself, he decided to put my name in that song [with G-Unit’s Young Buck]. That’s why […]

Linkin Park is a name familiar to fans of rap, even though enthusiasts may not admit to it. The metal quintet is more Hip-Hop than one would suppose. The group mixes old-school Hip-Hop traits with classic rock-n-roll and electronica. The band has sold several millions with a metal/rap hybrid that is pleasantly reminiscent of early Run DMC/Aerosmith and Public Enemy/Anthrax team-ups. The only thing, they sold their millions to MTV’s TRL crowd, not hardcore hip-hoppers. That may change now. As their predecessors created classics, Linkin Park has joined with Roc-A-Fella chief Jay-Z for a unique collaboration called Collision Course. Rapper/singer Mike Shinoda took some of his time to explain how such an unlikely alliance came to be and how it was working with the self-proclaimed god emcee. AllHipHop.com: How was working with Jay-Z on Collision Course, a dream for most hip-hoppers? Mike Shinoda: I have been a fan of Jay’s work from day one. one of my favorite songs is "Brooklyn’s Finest"–I even quoted it on our song "Nobody’s Listening" from Meteora. as far as working with someone for the first time: it can be a disaster, if the person you look forward to working with isn’t what you thought they’d be. Many times, fans will meet their favorite artist and that person is just a jerk. Fortunately, Jay is the epitome of what most people hope their favorite artist is like: down to Earth and easy to work with. Not to mention indescribably talented and completely at home in the studio AllHipHop.com: Were you a fan before meeting him? MS: There are six guys in our band who all grew up listening to different things. There are very few artists I can say that we all like. Jay is one of them. AllHipHop.com: These mash-up collabs are hot. Are their any other plans to work with any other rap artists in a mash-up capacity? MS: At this point, no. A mash-up is best, in my opinion, when it two songs that fans know. That was there. We also have to get along. that was there. i just think that the whole thing was such a positive experience that we’d be hard pressed to do better. AllHipHop.com: The word is, you all had a straight Hip-Hop album. Can you talk about it and why wasn’t it promoted to the rap crowd? MS: I assume you’re talking about Reanimation. I wished more of the Hip-Hop "gatekeepers" were down with it, but I’m happy with the fact that it has become more of a cult-favorite. It never got any radio play, but it did pretty well. We tried to feature less mainstream artists we believe are really dope, like Planet Asia and Rasco, Chali 2na, Pharaoh Monche, Black Thought, and many others. The thing is, in a lot of cases, Hip-hop radio people are looking for songs that will readily fit into their programming, and I don’t think Reanimation fit at the time. I oversaw it, so whatever good or bad things people say about it will fall on me. But I can say that we made the album the way we wanted to do it. That’s how we work; we just do what sounds good to us. AllHipHop.com: Were there any musical adjustments made for Jay-Z – soften the beats, make them harder, slower, faster? MS: In every case, I adjusted the music to make the parts work together as one song. Every song is different, but here’s an example: with “Numb /Encore,” I started with the "Encore" accapella. I decided that the song of ours that best fit the tone of Jay’s lyrics was "Numb" I also just wanted to hear [Linkin Park’s] Chester singing the "What the hell are you waiting for" line! (Laughs) I then took the "Numb" instrumental and cut up some parts of it, and arranged them as a repeating pattern. I basically treated our instrumental as if it were a sample from a record, that I would cut up and replay in a different way, the way DJ Premier does. I built the rest of the track around that skeleton, adding the "Numb" keyboard hook, and new bass, piano, clean guitar, and drums. I did almost all of this work on my laptop in our bus, while we were on tour outside the U.S. seems like a lot of work for a mash-up, but I don’t do anything half-assed. And, since this is a project that had never been done before original artists getting together to make a mash-up using their own masters and playing them live, I had to put everything into it. AllHipHop.com: How many fans will you convert? Word is Jay-Z’s buddy Ty-Ty is already a Linkin Park fan. MS: At this point, it’s not so much about converting people as it is sharing fans. Believe it or not, a lot of rock fans don’t really know who Jay is, or haven’t given him a chance. I think the same may be true for us and Hip-Hop fans. I was raised on Hip-Hop, and I’ve always injected it into what I do as part of Linkin Park; maybe this will make it a little more obvious to people. Maybe after this, they will listen to an LP record and hear the Hip-Hop that’s always been there that they hadn’t recognized before. AllHipHop.com: Ever talk to Ty-Ty about his newfound love of Linkin Park’s music? MS: I just got a text message from him five minutes ago. He’s a good guy, a standup guy. only thing is, he has the kind of nickname that some people, like some of our team, sound like idiots saying. picture Donald Trump saying "Tah-Tah." Anyway, funny story: we put a thank-you to him in the Collision Course album credits under "Tyran Smith," his real name. I emailed him saying "thanks for letting us thank you as ‘Tyran’–that way all my White friends can say your name without sounding like complete a#######." not only are we trying to […]

AllHipHop.com Staff members Jayson Rodriguez and Jigsaw also contributed to this interview. The legions of fans that follow Jay-Z are curious: Is he really retiring? Here is a theory. More than retiring, Jay-Z is likely experiencing a remarkable, expedited evolution that the public is privileged to witness on some level. As evident by a heightened stage of activity since announcing his 2003 “victory lap,” the Brooklyn native has only gotten more progressive in his thinking and actions. Already co-owner of an NBA team, he’s close to entering the rap game on the uppermost corporate level, being wooed to several companies, most rumored Def Jam. He attempted (and failed) to make a success of the Best of Both World’s tour, but offered a suitable exchange with “Jay-Z and Friends.” (Lest not forget the Best of Both Worlds album is selling better than crack during the Ronald Reagan administration.) Then there is Fade to Black, Hova’s full feature film that’s getting rave reviews. Moreover, Jay has taken some of his classic joints and melded them with some of the rock-n-roll sentiments of one Linkin Park for “MTV Ultimate Mash-Ups,” which will also be presented as a CD/DVD package called Collision Course. AllHipHop.com spoke with Jay-Z in an interview that lends credence to the notion that he’s merely evolving in to a being greater than his former self. AllHipHop.com: You seem to be an efficient planner. Did you know you were going to do the film while making the Black Album? Jay-Z: The recording of the footage was supposed to be an extra bonus for the album…I’m not as efficient as you think. (Laughs) We shot the Garden to put out the DVD, but after watching the first 15 minutes, we knew it was more than just a DVD. We were like, hold on, this is a journey about a kid from Brooklyn New York to play the biggest stadium in the world. This is much bigger than that. This is inspirational also because I couldn’t get a deal in the beginning—now I am playing the biggest stadium in the world. AllHipHop.com: Was there anything in the movie that you had to take out? Jay-Z: There are some extras that will be out in a DVD next year. AllHipHop.com: Did you realize how big this was going into this? Jay-Z: It took me to watch the movie to understand—I was more focused on the technical aspect of the production. The emotion didn’t kick in until later. When I saw the first 15 minutes, I was blown away. AllHipHop.com: Do you still get butterflies? Jay-Z: I get butterflies sometimes, but after the 1st note, I’m so far in it, I’m not nervous anymore. AllHipHop.com: Why did you feel the need to narrate the film? Jay-Z: I felt it had to be in my voice because this is the most personal thing I’ve ever put out. I’ve never allowed people in the studio during my recording process or my conversations with my friends. I’m not even that type of person. AllHipHop.com: Were there any moments when the cameras were added pressure? Jay-Z: When it’s there everyday, you forget about it. For a minute, you’re conscious and put on your extra cool—but after 15 minutes. You just relax and forget—no pressure. AllHipHop.com: We know you’ve decided to retire—what’s next for you? Jay-Z: I am going to channel some of this energy into new artists. I want to do something different. I have an opportunity to open doors for the next generation of artist on an executive level—so why not try? AllHipHop.com: There are rumors circulating that you may be the next president of Def Jam—any truth to this? Jay-Z: That’s not a done deal. We’re just talking. We’ll see what happens. That’s still up in the air. There’s offers as well in other places so… AllHipHop.com: Because there’s a story going around that you were president for the last two months? Is that true? Jay-Z: No, it not true. No contracts signed. Nothing. AllHipHop.com: How has the music business changed since you started? Jay-Z: Now, it’s so much pressure to get a single when your album comes out—no one is concentrating on the album. It’s the business of music now instead of the music business. You have to make music first than everything else is a by-product of that. AllHipHop.com: Being that your background is hip-hop, how can you advise a company like Universal when it comes to other genres, like rock? Jay-Z: I am rock and roll. I’m an artist and I know what good music is no matter what. I believe in good music and bad music—and that’s it. Bad music is bad in blue grass, rock, no matter what. AllHipHop.com: What kind of music you listen to, because word is you like to listen to Coldplay and stuff like that? Jay-Z: Like I said I believe in good music and bad music. You could catch me listening to Sarah Mclaughlin… (Singing) “Baby, I don’t believe I held you.” That’s just me. (Laughing) AllHipHop.com: What is your most prized possession? Jay-Z: The Nets (Laughs) AllHipHop.com: How was it to finally make a dream come true and perform in Madison Square Garden? Jay-Z: When performing in an arena—you feel it in your heart. The lighting is perfect. There’s nothing like performing in Madison Square Garden. AllHipHop.com: Can you talk about your MTV special Mash Ups with Linkin Park? Jay-Z: What happened was Mike [Shinoda of Linkin Park], is a wonderful producer. He goes from the booth to the keyboard to the Pro Tools. So we came up with all these different mixes. All I’m saying is that Mike spearheaded that whole thing. AllHipHop.com: So what was the highlight with working with Linkin Park? Jay-Z: Really, Hanging out with them. We went to tom Wally’s house and he had his whole family around and had my crew, my family around and we just sat around and kicked it like we knew each other for minute. The […]

Immortal Technique is one of the few emcees in New York City re-writing the rigid rules to the Hip-Hop game. With a volatile mixture of brutal political commentary, spiteful battle raps and street knowledge, Technique put himself on the field of play without significant aid from outside forces. Now, the Peruvian-born, Harlem-bred rapper has remained independent, but opted to make a few adjustments to increase his exposure. AllHipHop.com talked with the firebrand about his Middle Passage project, the elusive right to vote and the agents that kicked down his door in Colorado. AllHipHop.com: In the wake of the Hip-Hop voter push, should people vote in your view? If they don’t vote, what can they do instead? Immortal Technique: Voting is not the end all solution to problems, it’s just another dimension of voicing the concerns of a community, keep it real…we have an election every time we buy a product at the supermarket, every time we pay to see a movie. Or, to keep it even realer every time we buy a CD we are having an election to see who is gonna get the support of our community. Do you think when we vote it’s not about money? That elected official controls the budget, controls government contracts and legislation that affects every aspect of our lives. Some people say voting doesn’t matter and no one cares about our vote, I know someone that does. AllHipHop.com: Who? IT: Rich, conservative white people, corporate America, some of the greediest people I’ve ever met and dealt with in my life. They believe in voting, and more specifically our vote, so much, that they invest non-tax refundable money to pay for television adds, for newspaper adds, for lobbyists, for campaign strategists because they want us to believe in them. They want our vote, if someone who is always willing to put business above the standard of living of people in order to make themselves richer, gives away millions of dollars, they are not throwing it away, they are making an investment. In our votes, if they believe in our power, we should believe in our power. And in that belief create not just a voting block but an economic block or people that buy black, that support local businesses, that use their economic influence to create political influence for things like healthcare immigration issues and affirmative action. Voting is just one finger in the fist, it may be the pinky in terms of its direct effectiveness, based on who you ask, but it still forms a part of the fist. AllHipHop.com: It’s a sensitive question to us all. But, what’s your reaction to the election? IT: I told everyone I knew that Bush was gonna win, it was never a question in my eyes. I had hopes, but then again it’s like watching the Knicks in the playoffs, you know it’s not gonna go down the way you want it to but there is always a chance that something might change. It doesn’t though. At least this will show people what is really going on in America. Because if John Kerry was elected president, they might try to oversimplify issues and pretend like America is the champion of freedom instead of the corporate machine. S**t in the hood is still the same as it ever was. AllHipHop.com: Are you starting to get more mainstream acceptance now, working with Green Lantern and Shady. Your song "Bin Laden" (produced by Green Lantern) has a similar tone to Eminem’s "Mosh." IT: The track with Green Lantern came from a personal relationship. I had met the brother a while ago, and he wanted some street s**t, but relevant to the topic of his mixtape. I don’t think just cause he let it slide and played it on Hot 97, that people will automatically flock to me. Some will, but most won’t. People like blowing up their own artists that they are getting a piece of, not competition. But maybe it’ll just let n***as know that I’m not gonna pay to be on anyone’s s**t I’m just tryna make my own way and be my own man. When Revolutionary Volume 2 hit about 10,000 on SoundScan, I had sold about 15,000 myself, [and] the market was fully aware of who I was, I had a #1 single and record on CMJ, and I had opened up for major artists and done tours of my own. The A&R’s around New York knew who I was, had me come in and reject offers, and even though I could never sign to any of those labels, you’d be surprised how many muthaf***as that work in the industry, and for the majors, love that hardcore underground s**t. AllHipHop.com: What’s the problem then with getting hardcore in those big buildings? IT: Underground has gotten a bad rap in these past years, much the way the word liberal has. Underground ain’t just white people with nerdy voices who rhyme about skateboarding with backpacks and make rap songs about obscure, random nonsense. Underground is also that gutter s**t that talks about the situation in the hood, in the world, the other side of the coin. Whether they like it or not those mixtape rappers that have nothing but crack stories and gun talk, they are underground, N***as ain’t ballin’, we all live in the hood, tryna get the best situation for themselves and they fam before they sign and some label uses them as a tax write off. Lots of major label cats still consider themselves underground, and what’s the alternative? Being commercial? Being a f***in’ b*tch for the label, taking an advance and seeing no back end on the money? That’s gangsta? Having someone tell you what songs will be on your album? Having someone else own your publishing? Own your masters? That’s being real? Get the f**k outta here, n***a. That’s the fakest s**t that you could possibly do. AllHipHop.com: So little is known about The Middle Passage. Who’d you work with, and […]

The self proclaimed Queen of the South, Jacki-o, is looking to prove that she is much more than another female emcee looking to strike it rich by flaunting her sexuality. With her debut album Poe Little Rich Girl currently in stores, Jacki is out to tell the world that there is a new girl on the block. But who is Jacki-o? We have all heard the hit single "Nookie", but fans have still not gotten to know who Ms. Angela Kohn actually is. AllHipHop recently took some time out to get to know Jacki-O. In the interview below, Jacki talks about a variety of personal issues, ranging from her sexuality to hurricanes. So sit back and have some fun with the Madame of Miami. AllHipHop.com: What does a normal day for Jacki-O consist of? Jacki-o: I wake up at eight in the morning, and then I go to the gym and spend an hour and a half there. From there I go back home, eat lunch, get dressed for the day, and go to the studio. Even with the album finished, I still go to the studio, just to work and help other projects after mine. So I am in the studio for the remainder of the day, until around nine, when I usually go home. I then make my dinner and wait for the next morning to do it all over again. It’s kind of boring for the people reading this, but its not boring for me. AllHipHop.com: What is your favorite chill out spot in Miami? Jacki-0: Probably The Rolex. It’s a strip club, but it’s a club as well. AllHipHop.com: Is that the hottest club in Miami right now? Jacki-o: It’s the hottest club on the other side of the bridge. The bridge separates Miami from South Beach, and it’s the hottest club on the west side of the bridge. AllHipHop.com: Since your first single was "Nookie", you know we have to talk about sex. So does Jacki-o ever have sex with groupies? Jacki-o: No, I don’t. AllHipHop.com: Does it p### you off that male emcees can go out and have sex with whoever they want and be praised for it, but if a female emcee did that, they would be criticized for it? Jacki-o: No, I don’t think woman should go out and have sex with strangers. But a man can do that, because that is what they do, I guess. That is part of their fun, it’s part of being a man. But I don’t think a woman should go out and have sex with a stranger, whether he is a fan, groupie or whatever. AllHipHop.com: What is your favorite sexual position? Jacki-o: I don’t know, I would probably say missionary. AllHipHop: How often do you have sex? Jacki-o: I ain’t been getting none lately, so I can’t say. AllHipHop.com: And why is that? Jacki-o: Because I’m not in a relationship right now. But when I am, I would like to get it as often as possible. AllHipHop.com: What is the craziest thing a guy has said or done to try and hook up with you? Jacki-o: I’ll pay for it. (Laughter) That’s about the craziest thing, that he’ll pay for it. AllHipHop.com: And what was your reaction? Jacki-o: He was really just joking. So there was nothing to it, we just laughed. I don’t think he was serious, because you can’t put money on me. And I’m sure women do, but I don’t get into that. AllHipHop.com: What is the sweetest thing a guy has ever done for you? Jacki-o: The sweetest thing a guy has done for me is furnish my apartment. I went out of town and came back and everything in my apartment was brand new. Everything! From the sheets on the bed, to the things in the bathroom, to the television, everything was brand new. That was definitely the sweetest thing somebody has ever done for me. AllHipHop.com: What is the key to maintaining a good relationship with Jacki-o? Jacki-o: I’m a very private and discrete person, and whoever I’m with has to know that. You also have to be honest as well, but not too honest where he is saying, "Oh, your fat.” Not that type of honest, but honest in relationship talk. But overall, just treat me like a lady and do nice things for me. AllHipHop.com: I see you have a couple of tattoos, so can you tells us what they are and the personal meaning behind them? Jacki-o: They are all angels. I am a very spiritual person, I pray a lot and I believe that we all have angels that watch over us. So I wanted to get something to represent that, so I got all angels. AllHipHop.com: How did you hook up with Ghostface for his album? Jacki-o: I really don’t know. I was told that he had a song that everybody thought we would be hot on together. But I actually never met Ghostface, even to this day. But one of his managers brought the track over to the studio, so that’s how it went down. I wanted to do the track and we just did it. AllHipHop.com: Has the barrage of hurricanes in Florida had a direct affect on you or your family the past months? Jacki-o: No, because, all of my family lives here in Miami with me. So we have been getting a lot of rain, but not in this part of Miami. Miami is so big, so we haven’t been getting hit directly in my part of Miami since [Hurricane] Andrew. AllHipHop.com: What is the main goal that you are looking to accomplish with this album? Jacki-o: I want to take this s**t over! I want to let people know that there is a new girl in town and she ain’t playing. Poe Little Rich Girl is my first album, but it’s not to be taken lightly. I want people to respect my talent and for my fans to […]