There are certain songs that have longevity in the clubs. These are called 2 o-clock records, because at 2 AM, when the party is just hitting its peak, these are the songs that get thrown on. “Dipset Anthem” was one of those songs. The Heatmakerz, a Bronx-bred production team who’ve been behind much of the music released under the Diplomats banner, were responsible for that record. Besides packing dance floors coast to coast and earning the Diplomats a gold plaque, it opened new doors for the Heatmakerz. With a compilation album slated to drop in the next few months and upcoming singles for Lil’ Flip and I-20 of Disturbing the Peace already recorded, plus a certified nod from the RZA, the Heatmakerz have a full plate in front of them. But according to them, that’s all they really want right now. AllHipHop.com: How long have you been making beats? Rsonist: Since ‘99 really. AllHipHop.com: What got you into it? Rsonist: My man was making beats. He lived on the same block as me. I was [at Howard], DJ’ing. I came home, he had an MPC. I was f***in with it. I ain’t have s**t else to do. I left college, I wasn’t doing s**t so I was just home on the block. So I bought an MP later on and just started f***ing with it. AllHipHop.com: So the Heatmakerz are you and who else? Rsonist: It’s me, my man Pop, and my man Thriller. But me and Thriller are the only two that make tracks, only two of us make beats. AllHipHop.com: What does Pop do? Rsonist: He handles like a lot of the business s**t as far as like setting up meetings and making sure that our money’s right and s**t like that. AllHipHop.com: How do you go about getting at an artist, do you have a label connect or are you making the phone calls yourself? Rsonist: Naw, on some real s**t, a lot of the artists are looking for us. When we started f***ing with Cam, we were so deep in the whole Diplomats s**t, we didn’t f*** with no other artists. And after the Diplomats s**t got done, I started getting random calls from different artists just out the blue like they would get my number from n*ggas at Def Jam. They would be like, “Yo, I been looking for you for a minute and yada yada yada, come thru.” Like, now we got some s**t we about to pop off with Lil Flip, his next single. We did some s**t with I-20 and Ludacris, it’s I-20’s next single, we did some s**t with Killer Mike that’s about to come out, plus the Diplomats and all the other s**t. AllHipHop.com: How did your relationship with the Dip Set come about? Rsonist: Through this dude name Rene Maclean. He was f***ing with Cam, and we was f***in with him trying to get him this record so he could shop this record for us. We just told him we had a beat CD. He said he f***ed with Cam, gave him the beat CD. Cam got it. Cam called us like two days later, said he wanted like four beats from the CD. We met up with Cam. He was like “Ya’ll n*ggas got some s**t, as soon as my Diplomats s**t pop off, I’ma f*** with ya’ll.” S**t popped off like a month later, and he just started f***ing with us. AllHipHop.com: Do you guys have any legal problems now because of your sample-usage? Rsonist: Any samples that we ever used, we cleared. Or if we couldn’t clear it, we never used it. We probably threw it out on the street level, but that’s it. Matter of fact, dudes came at us, dudes that owned samples came at us and gave us some s**t to sample because they liked the way that we flipped some of the s**t. AllHipHop.com: You mentioned throwing songs to the street, how do you feel about joints being used on mixtapes, do you feel like it hurts the integrity of certain records? Like, maybe you got a hot record with someone and it gets thrown out in the streets, now the artist doesn’t wanna put it on the album because it was hot on mixtapes already. Rsonist: That’s f***ed up. That s**t happened to me with this record we did for Cam called “The Bigger Picture.” A dude took it and put it on an instrumental CD, not even the song. Cam called me like, “Yo, how they got the instrumental?” Everybody work in the studio, they could throw s**t out if they want. As long as they got hands in it, they got access to it. He ain’t wanna f*** with it, that f***ed us up. It was a crazy record. Once cats got a hold of that instrumental, Cam ain’t wanna use it. AllHipHop.com: How do you feel about Kanye West and Just Blaze, and just a lot of people in general, using the soul samples and getting credit for popping it off? Rsonist: I ain’t mad. But give credit where credit is due. To me, dudes like Rza and No I.D., they started the whole soul sampling s**t. Dudes like that is who I give the credit to. Just and Kanye, they do their thing with it, just like we do our thing with it. But if you’re gonna say that Just and Kanye started it, you might as well throw our name in the pack. AllHipHop.com: What was your reaction when you heard that the record went Gold? Rsonist: I didn’t even know the record went Gold to be honest with you. I’m hearing it now that you’re telling me. It’s a good thing. We damn near did the whole album, so it’s a good feeling. That just means 500,000 people f***ed with it. AllHipHop.com: You guys have an album that’s dropping. Rsonist: It’s called the Crack Album. AllHipHop.com: And this is an album that you guys are […]

Don’t make me angry. You won’t like me when I’m angry. Bruce Banner was famous for uttering this preemptive catch phrase before he morphed from a harmless nondescript white dude into the raging beast known as the Incredible Hulk. Four years removed from his stint with the Flip Mode Squad, stripped of an Elektra Records recording contract, and with an unheard “The Ungodly Hour” LP sitting on a shelf in a label office somewhere, Lord Have Mercy has a lot to be angry about. And so Lord Have preps the baking New York City summer streets for his new street album, Runaway Slave- released through his self-distributed Sword and Shield Records- with all intensive purposes of addressing the whispers, and unleashing the inner beast that has been raging inside him after years of paying dues. Allhiphop caught up with Lord Have Mercy on the eve of Runaway Slave’s release to talk to him about his feelings towards the industry, the new street album, and why he left the Flip Mode Squad. The hip hop Incredible Hulk is in the building! Allhiphop: So tell me about what you’ve been up to since you’ve been away? LHM: Really since the date of my release, January 15, 2000, I’ve been building my own. I ran around with this “platinum” rapper and that “platinum” rap crew. Everybody I dealt with was always the premier, the elite of the time, so I learned my lessons by watching them make the mistakes that they made. I was ultimately building the right vehicle for what I do in particular. I’m a certain type of dude, I always knew artistically what I wanted to do, I just needed to be in an environment that was going to move toward that goal, so four years later we have Sword and Shield Records. Allhiphop: For the people who don’t know, explain how your situation went down as far as leaving Flipmode? LHM: Well at the end of the day, I’m not a professional homeboy. I don’t share the lead and they knew who I was because my name and what I do speaks for itself. Everyone knows who Lord Have is, what he has, and what he’s built. What I’m doing is not equipped to fit anybody else, but me. I’m the hamburger, they’re the French fries. The way I’m building it is either you’re at my level or you’re above my level. Ice-pirate is my executive producer, he’s my Dr. Dre. He’s produced major records for me, and is to a certain degree above my level because I can’t produce like him. The Flip Mode situation, by now the world sees what Flip Mode is, and it is what it is. In a nutshell, I’m my own person, I do what I do like I want to do it. As I said I’m not a cheerleader, I’m not a homeboy. I’m Lord Have Mercy, that’s what I do. It’s time for me to go ahead, be the man, and do what I do, it was always like that anyway. I mean, you know me to a degree so you know I’m a humble guy, but from day one, every MC I’ve been around has been afraid of me. Point blank. A lot of times people come up to me saying “You don’t realize how many fans you’ve got.” I’m not really even focusing on that, and still I’ve got people that have more than me and they’re afraid of me, that just wasn’t for me. Allhiphop: I just want to backtrack a little, because you talked about being on tour and not really being with Flipmode, so how did you get down with them in the first place? LHM: Well Busta is from around my way and we had a few people we both knew. The producer Backspin, well, Leaders of the New School was his group and he was working with Rampage. Then one of the people that I knew from around my way, him and Busta were in elementary school together so they went back. They would always talk about me because I’m very elusive if you don’t know what I look like and you don’t know me you’re not going to be able to talk to me because I don’t move like that. I’m not an industry person. I was messing with another group that’s washed up now, but was very hot at the time. My man called me over…. Allhiphop: So how close a friendship did you and Busta have? LHM: Umm, friendship is a very strange word because nobody in this s### is friends. If you meet someone in this music business he’s not your friend. I take that word real serious because I know people that died over thinking someone was their friend. He and I are cool and on paper we’re almost the same s###, he’s like a year and ten days older than me. We have a lot in common. A lot of similarities and me and him are cool, but he’s not like me. I can’t push someone to be something he’s not, and vice versa. If you ain’t MOP, Sword and Shield, and we ain’t doing no music together, you could be on fire and I wouldn’t p### on you. I’d go across the street and sell marshmallows. Allhiphop: So why have you been away so long? Lord Have Mercy: A lot of different reasons, I had to take off for personal time because I’ve been doing this since 92. I had 7 years, no vacation. I had people die in my family and I wouldn’t go to the funerals. I would just say ok give me two more songs and I’ll send money. I did a lot of things to make sure I did this the way it’s supposed to get done and subsequently my personal life suffered. Also Sword and Shield Records is the last place for me and whatever happens, happens. I’m not signing anywhere else, […]

There are few people in Hip-Hop as dominating as LL Cool J. If you’re an adult now, he was there when you were probably still a kid. If you’re younger, LL was likely around before you were seeded. But both young and old know LL Cool J as an icon. With no sense of history, this man has reigned always. In these twenty years, LL’s made some mistakes. He’s crossed over, crossed back, and crossed out competitors the whole time. In an exclusive interview with AllHipHop.com, LL confronts his triumphs, some of his mistakes, gives wise insights to the oncoming election and explained his new album The DEFinition. Mr. Smith, we followed you then, salute you now, and we don’t dare mention retirement. AllHipHop.com: What was your aim for this album? LL: My aim was to make a record that could play at 1:15 in the morning in the club. And to make something new, and to challenge and stretch myself a bit and not repeat myself in terms of what I did. In terms of what single I dropped, the video I put out, my whole approach to it, I wanted to stretch myself. I wanted to challenge everything. Thus, I put out hits from the “challenge myself” intellect, to make the game interesting. I’m loving the success that it’s having and I feel great about the way it’s exploding around the country. Even internationally, it’s really doing well and I’m very thankful. I didn’t want to do anything political or social. Well, social is a different word because fun is social. But I didn’t want to do anything political. I wanted it to be pure entertainment. AllHipHop.com: Why not political? LL: I think that… for me, there is enough of that out there and there is a time and a place to do that. One of the greatest services that I can supply mankind with, apart from the interviews and my life, is to give them an opportunity to take an hour and forget about their problems, the strife, forget about what’s going on in the world and have a good time. I think as an artist, we have the responsibility. That’s part of the reason why people make music, why people paint pictures, and why people sculpt, and why they do what they do, to let people escape and give them that vibe. AllHipHop.com: I kind of disagree with that. Not that I disagree with you doing that, because that has been your zone for the majority of your career, but now there’s no balance in Hip-Hop. So when you were out, there might have been a Chuck D. LL: I understand what you are saying on that, but I think that at those times you have to listen to the deeper meaning. A lot of what Chuck was talking about and the things he was dealing with was about the government and how they treat the community. My perspective is more about how the community treats [itself]. That is very important to me. I’m very much one who believes in self help. I have faith in God and I believe that we have to raise our children. We can’t ask the government to do that. For me I would rather set the example, through the actions. By doing the things I do and not limiting myself, by being willing to take risks. A lot of times words are important but they have to coincide with what’s in your heart. Because if you speak a d they don’t coincide with that’s in your heart they are empty and meaningless. It’s important to me, whatever I do, that it coincides with my heart. Whether it’s my imagination, whatever, it has to coincide with what’s going on inside of me so that I can look people in the eye and feel good about what I do. So for me at this point in my career, making a political album would not be real for me. I have said the things I wanted to say just like on the one in the morning record when I said, “Uncle LL I got product for sale so I can bail Al Sharpton out of Jail.” Its funny but when you think about it its necessary. AG Gaston had to be around to bail Martin Luther King out of jail. So you have to read between the lines. I said, “Get my Bentley park on and them give my dogs platform to bark on.” If you pay attention to that economic empowerment is the key to all the freedom we are seeking politically. It’s the Bob Johnson’s and Oprah’s and God willing, the LL Cool J’s that are going to make the difference and make all of those political dreams that partly Chuck D and others talk about even possible. We need to make sure that the focus is correct. AllHipHop.com: Did you recently just go to the Democratic Convention in Boston? LL: I went to the convention, but I went to [perform at] the Rock to Vote concert. And what I said after I finished performing was, I’m not here to endorse any particular candidate. I said that if there is any candidate that is looking for my endorsement, we have to meet face to face and I need to know what their plans are and how they are going to affect my community, and then America as a whole, and then my community within America. I have to know what the plan is. I’m not going to lend my name and my credibility. I respect them of course. And I said it respectfully because you have to respect the people that are running for the leadership of our country because this is a great country. And I do love this country because it has given me a great opportunity. Regardless of what our ancestry is, ultimately we are all here because of our ancestry. So whether good or bad, at the […]

During Jay-Z and Nas’s battle of boasts, Jay would often compare their lyrical tirades to boxing. Although his comments were made partially to quell the fears of another battle potentially going wrong (Biggie/’Pac), for the most part, his assertion was correct. For instance, rappers spend just as many hours recording in the studio as boxers do training in the gym. And each witty bar by a rapper against his opponent stings just as much as a stiff jab by a boxer against his. But while the men’s divisions of rap and boxing are fraught with testosterone-filled rage over disrespect and the argument against who’s number one, the women’s stage is decidedly less crowded. Enter Remy Martin, the Laila Ali of rap. This Bronx-bombshell is the undisputed female champion of hip-hop. Check the unwavering confidence she displays as she sashays across the screen in the “Lean Back” video. Peep her rapid delivery on “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah,” as she spits: “If you fronting then I will flip/ I’ll give it to a lil’ chic real quick.” And don’t forget she’s battle tested, too. Just ask Lady (no) Luck. But Ms. Martin leaves that all between the ropes if you will. Outside of the ring, she’s surprisingly as domestic as Martha Stewart, enjoys Jeopardy, and has a crush on a certain somebody you know. She can’t be going soft can she? Watch for the hook. AllHipHop.com: What’s going on, Remy? How you doing? Remy Martin: I’m fine. AllHipHop.com: You sound real relaxed right now. Remy Martin: I’m chilling. They got me in the [Universal Records] office; they got some like metallic green couch, mad juice and stuff. I don’t know where the cookies and potato chips is, but—Hell yeah. Hold on one second, wait, wait. Let me see if somebody can open my soda can. [laughs] They asking me, ‘Is there any specific cookies or potato chips you want?’ The good kind, hello? AllHipHop.com: So they treating you much better now? Remy Martin: Yeah. [raps] When you first come in the came they try to play you/ then you drop a couple of hits, look how they wave to you. I couldn’t have said it better. AllHipHop.com: And now you got them running to get you the kind of cookies you want. Remy Martin: I don’t even care. I’ma test it when we on the phone while we doing the interview. I’ll be like, Nah, I don’t like these kind, I need something else. We’ll see if they go back. Let’s just test it. Nah, I’m playing. I don’t do sh*t like that. AllHipHop.com: Now you’re on Terror Squad/Universal, and I wanted to ask you about that, because we had a previous interview with you in November and you were saying business wise, you wanted to go somewhere else from TS. You didn’t make it sound like beef, but you said you and Joe were so cool that you couldn’t go business. Did something change? Remy Martin: Now we have more people, like, Universal is a big label so it’s not like just me under Terror Squad. I have Terror Squad, I have SRC helping, I have Universal, so I have all these different outlets. Say me and Joe, we just can’t figure it out. I say I feel one way, he say he feel another way, we won’t just keep arguing forever AllHipHop.com: It always seems like every female rapper needs a male rapper to co-sign for them. Like with Biggie and Kim, Jay-Z and Foxy, but with you and Joe it seems different. Obviously TS is a co-sign, but it seems like you and Joe are on the same plane. Remy Martin: Because it’s like that with Joe. But actually Joe’s not the one who brought me in. Pun brought me in. So, rest in peace, if Pun was still alive, it’d probably seem more like that. The Biggie-Lil Kim, Jay-Z-Foxy. It’d be more like a Pun-Remy. Being that Joe’s not one of the super-lyrical rappers, so it’s like we’re kind of on the same playing field. And they never downplayed me. Like he [Joe] never put it as without him there’s no me. It’s like I always did my own thing to whereas I wouldn’t be overshadowed by him. I never wanted nobody to think, ‘Oh, it’s because of Joe.” Even though it’s still some people that say that. But Joe doesn’t feel like that and neither do I. AllHipHop.com: You made big news with Fight Klub [an underground New York emcee battle] versus Lady Luck, now that you’re moving onto the mainstream, are you retired from Fight Klub? Remy Martin: Now, it’s crazy, you don’t even know, like every week I get at least 10 to 20 calls. ‘Oh yeah, this girl named Kill-A-N*gga from West Bubbleville says she’ll battle you for $500 dollars. She better than you.’ I’m like, Come on. I have a lot more to lose than I had then, but everybody wants to just beat me now. No one even cared before, now everyone wants to battle me. Why does everyone want to fight me? F*ck. Let me blow first. Leave me alone. Listen, I got an album to drop. AllHipHop.com: Right now, it’s a lack of female rappers in the game. Foxy don’t got anything going on, Rah Digga’s album is in limbo. Do you think that helps you or hurts you? Remy Martin: How do I feel about them? Stay wherever they at, don’t drop a song, don’t do nothing, let me be the only one. I’m having so much fun. I hope they never come out. [laughs] That’s f*cked up to say, it’s gonna look bad when they read it. [laughs longer and takes deep breath] Nah, I wish everyone the best of luck. Just don’t drop when I drop. That’s all I got to say. Matter of fact, just don’t drop at all. It’ll even be better. AllHipHop.com: I wanted to address the rumor mill with you. There’s the one about […]

It’s been ten years since the prophet of hip-hop breathed new life into the game with the release of his instant classic Illmatic. Dropping science, dropping emcees and sometimes even dropping the ball, Nas takes it all in stride as he prepares to release a double disk CD to celebrate the past decade of delivering the word to his people. Like a double edged sword the responsibility his skills garnered him of saving hip-hop has been a blessing and a curse, but his love for it all has been the driving force behind his continued pilgrimage to enlighten the masses through rhyme and reason. Often crucified by the media or over zealous emcees trying to capture his crown, Nas finds the truth truly has set him free to be who he is and if that means hip-hops savior so be it, but it’s going to be his way, or no way. AllHipHop.com: What bothers you the most about what people say about you, or what’s the biggest misconception about Nas? Nas: I guess everybody listens to what people say, but now I’m like just a name so people can say whatever they want that doesn’t have anything to do with me. AllHipHop.com: Let’s talk about the woman in your life, what was it about Kelis that caught your attention? Nas: Umm, it’s so many things; I guess it’s just the easiness of it all, everything is just easy. Even when s**t is crazy with me and her, s**t is easy at the same time. I’m an easygoing person and she’s that way too in a lot of ways, she’s a Leo so she’s fiery too but everything is just easy. AllHipHop.com: So is she the one? Nas: Oh yeah, that’s what I said as soon as I saw her. AllHipHop.com: Does it bother you when past friends criticize you? Nas: Nah, it kinda freaks me out because I don’t see myself like other people see me. You can ask my girl and she’ll be like, “Aw that n***a, it ain’t nothing special going on.” So whatever they have to say kinda freaks me out in a funny way because I’m like, “Wow I’m somebody they even thought twice about.” Because I don’t even think that heavy on s**t and I’m just like wow and then I wonder is that because they got love or is what? It’s just really odd to me. I just didn’t know I was worth talking about so I guess I just really feel honored AllHipHop.com: Over the past ten years how would you sum up what your career has meant to you? Nas: It scares the s**t out of me sometimes, when I realize there’s really not somebody whose been around as long that’s progressive, focused, and on this path. There’s people around because they’re alive, not because they’re relevant, and that makes me feel like scared to death because what makes me relevant? Each time I drop an album I know they’re gonna be like, “Oh that sounds old school or that sounds like what is that, or why isn’t he making me bounce?” and I wonder when they’re gonna say, “F**k this guy.” But as long as they’re still down. I’m always surprised that people can still relate to the stuff I’m doing. It just scares me sometimes. AllHipHop.com: So when you go into the booth, do you think, “I need to give the people something to think about,” or something to move to? Nas: I’m always trying to go to the next step because I’m always in the studio saying, “I need to give the people something to think about,” and then that becomes corny because people catch on to that. Then I have a whole slew of MC’s trying to do that or outdo that, and I don’t want to be in a category in that level. I want to be in the category that we’re all trying to reach a higher ground in this s**t ya know? AllHipHop.com: What are some of your challenges of today? Nas: You know, your children are your true reward. It doesn’t matter about material, so just to see my daughter coming out the right way, coming out into a young adult and then my future children that will be my biggest reward. So that’s also my biggest challenge/ Raising the children and making sure they come out on top; bigger, better, and smarter than I could ever be. AllHipHop.com: Now I have to ask about the Snoop situation with him talking about you and Pac in the park, what’s your take on that? Nas: I didn’t understand that, I really didn’t. All I can say is, God Bless him. AllHipHop.com: So who were the producers on the album? Nas: I did a lot of it with Salaam Remy, Chuckie Thompson and LES. AllHipHop.com: AZ was talking to us recently. Are you gonna do an album with him? Nas: Yeah I want to. I know he brought that up to me and I put him on my CD and me and him did a joint on there that’s kinda fiery. But we’re just trying to find the sound of it and then we’ll go. I know it’s something that we talked about doing before. But I been hearing about it lately but I think dude is on fire man AllHipHop.com: So you have one more album with Sony then what are you gonna retire? Nas: I been really trying to do things in moderation. I was thinking about running for President but I really don’t want that obligation or type of commitment to an organization so big and so old and so scary. I would like to contribute some dedication and hard work to the struggle and if that means taking a stand or voicing opinions on political issues. And if that meant taking a title of some kind, then I’d rather do that for a short period of time to help lead the way […]

Since Stillmatic, Nas has been continuously beating life into heart of Hip-Hop. Recent tracks like “Get Down” and “Thief’s Theme” proof that rap courses through his veins. Known for his reserved ways, Nas rarely talks about the insides of the game, not to mention his life. Usually, it’s all business and music. But, Nas has opted to exercise his voice and it works out, as seen in this story. Nasir Jones evaluates the state of affairs. Nas discusses the criticism, the responsibility, and the task of bringing the real raw raps back. Nas drops science and its up for you to pick it up. AllHipHop.com: The staff talks about your entrance to the game a lot, with Main Source. With a reflective “throwback” album in the works, how much of you still plays into that hungry teenager? Nas: When I first got in the game on the two words, “Street Disciple” is what I called myself. The first two words in ‘91, on “Live at the Barbeque” on Main Source [Breaking Atoms] and that verse right there it just ripped through s**t. It was like everything jammed up in one verse, it was like the beginning of the new MC for me. Throughout the years I’ve just been trying to not even intentionally, but just trying to stay within the s**t I was kickin’ on that verse. And through the years I’ve been with all concepts, angles, changes, turns with making music so now this is like coming to that sound of like the Main Source kinda sound of ‘91. And at the same time, [I’m] talking about today and tomorrow and just things that I see in my world and my life. AllHipHop.com: How do you think this album is going to define your career against how critics have? Nas: Damn. Ya know, I’d like for the people to judge and let them figure out and however they define it it’s all up to them, it’s just another page in a book. AllHipHop.com: Why do people think you’re a contradiction from album to album? Nas: I don’t know really. I don’t really think they believe that really because that word is a contradiction, and I love to be Mr. Contradiction. The negative meaning behind that word it doesn’t apply to me. I think its obvious I think the artists that are inspired by me [and] the game that I’m helping to inspire. I really feel I’ve contributed more to the upliftment than anything so I’m not against any word that the fans use to describe cause that’s all love. AllHipHop.com: Do you feel like your under a lot of pressure to save Hip-Hop? Nas: It ain’t even a lot of pressure. I think at one point it may have been at some time I know it was a some point ya know what I mean, but not really sure, sometimes. I think I did my job with the last two years though. If you look and listen to what’s happening to the game today, job well done, if I had any contribution. I’m just happy about everybody keeping this s**t alive. I know I do wear that crown for doing that s**t and sometimes I step up and that is my job, and sometimes I fall back into my life because I’m not consumed with that s**t all day long. And I think that’s when my die hard fans get upset that I’m not carrying this s**t 24/7. Then, when I step back and I do me and I think a lot of them get upset that I’m not doing my job. It’s like on my “Made You Look” joint, they appointed me to bring rap justice and I’m proud to. But that’s not my job all day long, at least I don’t think it is. But if it is, that’s a blessing. That’s a beautiful thing too. AllHipHop.com: What do you say to people who feel you haven’t lived up to the potential your supposed to be? Nas: I feel it in a lot of ways. I don’t know, I do the s**t and then a lot of times m’f**kas is like no-go all the way, punish them, do this, do that, show ‘em how it’s done, you’re supposed to do that, no, and that’s cool too. And you know what’s cool for me is that I got those people and sometimes I am a soldier. Well, I’m a full time soldier but also a regular normal ass n*gga human being. AllHipHop.com: But what’s most important for you as far as what you feel your purpose is in Hip-Hop? Nas: I’m a serious die hard fan of the dope s**t, the so-so s**t, I’m a huge fan of it all. I just love to hear it when it’s good and sometimes I speak my mouth when its bad. That’s just cause I love this s**t so much. I spent hours and hours taping Mr. Magic on BLS and Red Alert on KISS and Bobbito and Stretch Armstrong on the other station and Teddy Ted and Special K so I just spent too many years listening and watching dudes careers come and go. So it’s a hobby to me, that’s become a worldwide powerful thing so I’m very boisterous about the s**t and I stand up for it when I’m in that environment of Hip-Hop. I’ll stand up and speak up for it when I can, because I’m such an old school die-hard fan of the s**t. That that’s just how it is I’m always gonna be bumpin’ my Mr. Scarface album, my Dana Dane classics, my Great Adventures of Slick Rick, my Paid in Full, my N.W.A. I’m always gonna be bumpin’ the classics. AllHipHop.com: That was actually my next question, who do you consider some of the greats of today? Nas: Aw man, Andre 3000, Dr. Dre, Scarface, n*ggas like that. Jadakiss. AllHipHop.com: So where do you see Hip-Hop going? Nas: Well it’s crazy. ‘Cause now with […]

Trillville has become an entity all itself – a place, an attitude, and most notably, a person. As a result of Lil’ Jon’s stronghold in mainstream Hip-Hop, Crunk is finally getting its praises. A key architect in the last five years of Crunk, is Atlanta’s three man collective Trillville. Part of Jon’s BME Recordings Group, and partner to Lil’ Scrappy, Trillville got national acclaim this year in a variety of places. AllHipHop.com uses Trill’s expertise to get an advanced education on the history of Crunk, from a New York State of Mind. If you’ve ever doubted, now’s your chance to get a live explanation from the horse’s mouth! AllHipHop.com: I read somewhere that ya’ll said that Crunk in terms of music is not Hip-Hop. Trill: It’s not Hip-Hop! Crunk is a way of life, like you be bouted up all day, you got ya nine to five, you gotta go to school at a certain time, you gotta go the speed limit, you gotta do ya homework on time. Crunk is basically is away from all that, its like forget about that, just be free with yourself, and do whatever you want to do. If you wanna smoke weed, if you wanna drink everyday, its whatever you wanna do, and be free with it. No limits. Like a big stress reliever and I think that’s why it taken off so big, like the other genres that usually don’t make it across the nation like booty shake music, that’s why Crunk has made it, cause it’s a way of life. AllHipHop.com: You just said a whole bunch of good stuff about what Crunk is, but I wanna know why you don’t consider it Hip-Hop. Trill: Well, I’ll put it like this… Hip-Hop wouldn’t even accept Crunk. And Crunk been around for like five years and Hip-Hop is just now accepting Crunk. So they didn’t even consider it a part of Hip-Hop. AllHipHop.com: Who are “they”? Trill: The Hip-Hop community, matter fact we was at a Hip-Hop summit in Alabama, Birmingham, and we were talking about, it was Russell Simons, and the CEO of BME, and it was like Hip-Hop is not Crunk, because it was something about some history or something, it was a long discussion. But, Crunk is its own thing, and Hip-Hop is its own thing, but we come together and make hits. So, it really doesn’t matter. AllHipHop.com: It does matter I totally disagree with you, But ya’ll the ones who created it. Trill: Crunk is Crunk, Hip-Hop is Hip-Hop. We put Hip-Hop artists on Crunk music, just like Lil’ John did the Crunk song with Usher, but its like he a R&B artist, so he’s not a Crunk artist, he’s a R&B artist. AllHipHop.com: But he’s with a Crunk artist Trill: Exactly, it’s collaboration, just like a Rock and Rap song. AllHipHop.com: Does Crunk incite fighting? Are the two connected? Trill: Like I said before, it’s a stress reliever, if that’s the way you release your stress, a lot of people release their stress by fighting, so when the song come on in the club, they just wanna wild out, go crazy. Somebody might of stepped on their shoe a hour ago, and they just wanna release that stress. And they just remember that he had stepped on their shoe, and just buss his ass. AllHipHop.com: So do you see a problem with promoting that? Trill: We don’t promote that, when you listening to a Trillville album our hooks are not saying, “Bust a n*gga head up.” We got songs like “Get some Crunk in ya System”, “ Get on My level”, “ You the Weakest Link”, “ Run Around the Club” and some cuts talking ‘bout the bedroom AllHipHop.com: What interested me about it, is that, they have your show, and in between the show, they have random shots of people just fighting. Trill: They’re releasing their stress. That’s why it’s called The Fight Club DVD AllHipHop.com: I think a lot of people really think cats from the south are stupid, just because maybe cause ya’ll got gold in ya mouth or ya’ll just saying, “Yeah!” and “OK!” in a record, but set the record straight please for everyone who doubts your intelligence. Trill: I think a lot of people are stupid, especially if you call Crunk stupid, without knowing what the hell is going on. We just like to have fun, have a good time, shine, blind, and recline, Let the seat back, and relax and count my stakes. That’s how we do it man, we jump around, have a good time, I think that’s why everyone loving the Crunk right now, cause its just do whatever you want to do. AllHipHop.com: So now that ya’ll been out, Have things change in your friends and family? A good change a bad change? Are people wilding? People acting funny style? Trill: Ya’ll n*ggas just be having ya hands out like, “I was there all the time,” you was their all the time? Let me hold something AllHipHop.com: Now Dirty, you from the roughest part of Atlanta right? Trill: I’m straight from the West side, Zone 3 AllHipHop.com: You go back to your hood? Trill: All the time. See, we get to go back to our hood. We don’t wear bling bling and stuff like that. AllHipHop.com: Anytime I see women involved in Crunkness on like screen, video or stage, she shakin’ her ass, Is there any room for a queen of Crunk. Trill: Matter fact there is a queen of Crunk, AllHipHop.com: Word!! Trill: Rasheeda AllHipHop.com: Really? So why you think she’s not blowing up, like ya’ll. Do you think it has anything with her being a woman? Trill: She just got her deal, Her label has to push it out, make it real big for her. AllHipHop.com: Is she Crunk like ya’ll, or is she shaking her ass as well. Trill: She ain’t shaking no booty, she just keeping it real. AllHipHop.com: A lot of […]

Whether he’s traveling the country, pent up in the studio, strategizing the next corporate hustle, or just out on the daily grind with his Dipset fam, Jim Jones knows that his role in the world doesn’t stop at ‘artist’. The capricious Capo of Harlem’s heavily hyped Diplomats crew never sleeps on opportunity, and he’ll be the first to admit that even with all eyes on him, there is definitely more to his game than industry sh*t. You can find him in the club, you can find him in the streets, and at times you’ll find him in places you might not expect, like the Hip Hop Political Convention in June, where he spoke on a panel for ‘The Criminalization Of Hip Hop’. The recent heated words between Jim, Dipset co-CEO Cam’Ron, and rapper-turned-reverend-turned-rapper Mase on Hot 97’s morning show left a lot of questions in people’s minds about the history behind the Harlem emcees’ rivalry. Regardless, Jim maintained in some brief statements with reporters after the incident that he doesn’t have any beef. This interview with AllHipHop.com took place in mid-July as Jim was doing some publicity for his upcoming album entitled On My Way To Church. While his single and video for “Certafied Gangsta” are in heavy rotation, Jim is already looking for the next task to take on – and it’s not always about being in the limelight. AllHipHop.com: Do you feel like you and the rest of the crew are unfairly criticized? Jim Jones: Oh yeah. We’re like public enemy number one for New York City. It’s the people that keep us afloat, to tell you the truth, and a couple of good relationships that we have in this game. They know that we do make good music. If you make the soundtrack for New York City, all the music we spit about is what New York City embodies. It’s our own little version of it. AllHipHop.com: Do you ever get tired of people asking you about beef between Dipset members and other emcees? JJ: [pause] I’m a true player of the game, understand? If I don’t want to hear it, you won’t see me. If I didn’t want a question to be asked, I wouldn’t be doing the interview. Who am I to get mad at a person for asking a question when I’m here to do an interview? Smell me? I’m a so-called public figure, so inquiring minds want to know. That’s some serious sh*t. Some people say they [want] privacy, but there is no more privacy. Not when they want to sell sex scenes of you on a DVD or all through the internet and sh*t like that. Your privacy is blown – paparazzi is out of hand. I ain’t trippin – if I don’t want to answer I just won’t answer, but I’m never mad at nobody. Ima ask all the questions I need to know. The only stupid question is the one not asked. I respect the next man’s views – I hope they respect mine. AllHipHop.com: Do you feel like artists have perpetuated beef to get more fame? JJ: Nowadays everybody caught the Tupac syndrome. It was there before them, but Tupac is the person that really started making real benefit – he stepped his whole game up and started making money from the whole feuding thing. Some people after him tried to use that as a way to get recognized, and for some people it do work – I ain’t mad at em for making money, understand? For some people sh*t just happens and happens to blow over like that. Sometimes people don’t really want that recognition, but it just so happens that you’re in a whole ‘nother position now of how people look at you – but you might not be that person. You might be a cool person deep down inside – you just happen to be in that corner with your back against the wall. AllHipHop.com: As much sh*t as people ever talk about Dipset, how many people have ever walked up to you and said to your face that you suck? JJ: Zero. You got people that will be across the street like ‘F*ck y’all!’, and when you look at them they be duckin’ and sh*t. But for the most part I don’t think they really want that in they’re life too much. I don’t take insult very easily. Most of the people that hate you, they love you for something – that’s one of the reasons they hate you so much. It burns them. They hate you and you’re doing something that they would love to do. You love it, you’re just a little bit p##### off with yourself that you ain’t in my position. AllHipHop.com: How do you feel about people saying that you aren’t doing anything to bring up other artists out of Harlem? JJ: There’s people that say that all the time, but that’s their views – I can’t get mad. The majority of people know that what I’m doing is a plus for Harlem in the whole light. I’m not shy about it, I shout that out every stitch of the way. AllHipHop.com: It was mentioned by someone at the Hip Hop Political Convention that basically the rap nation is a lot like the Black Panthers in the sense that they could have impact if they were able to operate. You’ve got this little group of Hip Hop Cops out here trying to shut everybody down, trying to censor what’s put out, and that type of thing. Do you feel like emcees could actually get something like that going without the government interfering or trying to shut it down? JJ: I mean, there’s legal ways to do everything. Everybody could try to become a senator, everybody could become political. We got influence – we got companies and labels, legitimate sh*t. We’re in the game – they can’t deny us. Everybody doesn’t have a felony. All you could probably do is bring […]

Unlike so many, Masta Ace is arguably at his pinnacle as he leaves us. The Brownsville native made it so that AllHipHop.com was one of the first to know. While we all hope and fight to change the man’s mind, we joined Ace to remember a stellar career, preview an outstanding album, and look to a successful future. From his debut verse on Marley’s “Symphony” to his curtain call, “Revelations,” AllHipHop.com salutes the Hip-Hop heroes in a timeline of moments and actual facts. There’s been heavy speculation to whether or not Ace really admitted retirement to us. Read word for word, and you be the judge. Retire or not, Ace…we don’t want you to go. AllHipHop.com: MC’s lack vulnerability. You’ve started doing this late in your career, what role does that play on your record to admit day-jobs, thoughts of quitting, falling off…how do you make that such an effective tool? Masta Ace: The history of MC’s is that we’re the best, nobody can beat us. We don’t show any vulnerability. I just reached a point where I knew that that was all bullsh*t and let’s lay all the cards on the table. Let’s give people a little bit of a look into what goes through my head when I’m home alone, lookin’ in the mirror, by myself. In a certain way, those kind of lyrics are like therapy for me. To be able to say the things that I think people might be sayin’ or thinkin’, behind my back – the fact that I can verbalize that, and put it on record to say, “Look, I know what you’re saying. I know what you’re thinkin’, and I’m probably thinkin’ that too, sometimes.” People have no choice but to respect that you’re not so self-conscious that you’re afraid to let it be known. AllHipHop.com: The cover to Long Hot Summer is outstanding, and reflects the days of album covers. It portrays you writing on the stoop. How has your writing evolved in recent years? Masta Ace: I think when I first started out, my main goal in writing a rhyme was to prove to every other MC, that I was the best. I was in battle mode. As the years went on, I became more focused on expressing my creativity, but making songs. I guess most recently, it’s come full circle. Again, I’m trying to prove to other rappers that I can spit. It’s a little bit different than it was on the first album. I’m more mature, I’m older, and just look at life in a different light than when I was twenty years old. AllHipHop.com: But you say, “something to prove,” but I look at what you’ve done for Hip-Hop, you truly owe us nothing to prove. You enhanced that. Why is that? Masta Ace: Because once you’ve reached the point where you say, “I ain’t got nothin’ to prove,” you shouldn’t be [on] records no more. You’ve got to feel that, or else you out there going through the motions. So, I kinda put that chip on my shoulder every time [I do an album], because that’s what Rap is – every rapper against every rapper. AllHipHop.com: Besides from Dre’s cornered market and Cool J, Sermon, there’s very people who made great albums in the 80’s, and still do it. Your arguably “best” albums were your most recent. Is that very attitude that pushes you to still be a top shelf MC, defying the laws of time in Hip-Hop? Masta Ace: That’s definitely what it is. That, and feeding off fans and listeners that appreciate the music. When I hear those positive words from people, that puts fuel in my tank to wanna keep goin’ and do it better every time. AllHipHop.com: Disposable Arts was a concept album. Does Long Hot Summer have any real concept to it, or general theme? Masta Ace: It came to me very slowly and gradually. I was watching a lot of different movies. AllHipHop.com: Which? Masta Ace: One of the movies that got me goin’ was Thunderbolt & Lightfoot. Two guys partnerin’ up. My original story changed a lot. I [didn’t] share it. So I developed the story in my head. I don’t really have a concise answer. AllHipHop.com: That’s a classic! Who is Bridges and who is Eastwood? Masta Ace: Fats Belvedere is Bridges, and I’m Eastwood. Bridges is wild, no care in the world. Eastwood been through some stuff, grizzled, don’t trust nobody, like, “What do you want?” AllHipHop.com: You and 9th Wonder were just meant to happen. “Good Ole’ Love” was circulating through our tape decks months ago. Tell me how that joint came about, and how it’s setting off the album? Masta Ace: That beat came about from a beat CD that had a bunch of different producers. I didn’t know who did what, and at that point, I had never heard of 9th Wonder or Little Brother. Got the CD, immediately zeroed in on that beat, called in on this beat, “Oh 9th Wonder? North Carolina? I want this joint right here.” How I met him was, I was doing a show in his town of Raleigh-Durham. We linked up out there. He introduced me to another producer that ended up being on the album, Crisis. I recorded the joint, laid everything down. It wasn’t until after we had done that joint that he came to New York and collaborated with Jay. AllHipHop.com: I gave you a lot of credit for saying, “F*ck Fat Beats for puttin’ it on wax” in the Boogieman situation. That could’ve really hurt you, in terms of the biggest record store on the planet. That’s a bold move. Did that end up hurting you? Masta Ace: Nah, it actually helped me. They liked the record. The ironic thing is they distributed the vinyl [on my diss record]. Fat Beats is an entity and a company and all that. But behind that, there’s actual people. The people know me. DJ Eclipse is […]

Hip-Hop’s prodigal son has returned. Mase exited the rap game five years ago after experiencing tremendous multi-platinum success with his album, Harlem World. He was Bad Boy Records’ marquee artist during the windfall after the death of Biggie Smalls. Before his sophomore CD, Double Up, emerged a couple of years later, Mase had hung up his microphone in exchange for a Bible. In his time away from entertainment, he became an ordained preacher, established a ministry in Atlanta (S.A.N.E. Ministries), wrote his memoirs titled Revelations, and, most importantly, got his life in tune with his soul. With his personal planets lined up, Mase returns with a mission, a higher cause and a new album: Welcome Back. AllHipHop.com: What made you come back to Hip-Hop after five years? Mase: {Click here to see Mase explain} I never actually left the ministry, the reason for me coming back to Hip-Hop is like diamonds; they shine better on a black t-shirt. If I have a light it is best that I shine it where the light is needed, and just be a light among lights and come where the light is needed. So my purpose for being in Hip-Hop is no. 1 is to bring that light and clarity to a lot of people around the world and to make good music and to let people know that there is another way to do it. Not to force people into believing what I believe, but to give them another option it is always good to have another option. AllHipHop.com: So you have no profanity – is the whole album clean? Mase: Well actually, that isn’t actually anything new, ’cause whenever people thought of Mase they thought of no profanity, so that’s not a big deal. I think a lot of people are really over-exaggerating me, because they don’t understand me and they are making a lot of assumptions. In a world where people don’t like to be judged it seems as though they are doing a lot of judging themselves. AllHipHop.com: So was this a strategic move or did you start writing lyrics? Mase: Actually I don’t do well when I write on paper. I am better when I listen to a beat and just flow, so I really didn’t have to do like writing and those type of things. I already knew what I wanted to get across in Hip-Hop. I knew I didn’t want to preach to people, I knew that I didn’t want to force my faith on them. What I wanted to do is give them [credible] sound and an album full of singles, and wanted to give radio a hard time picking the single. So I just did a whole album of singles, you could pick anything off of it and make it a single. I look forward to having 4 to 5 videos and 4 to 5 singles and it will run me right into my next album. AllHipHop.com: Speaking on the album what can people expect in appearance? Will Loon be on there? Mase: Well actually, this album is a Mase album, like when you buy a Nas album you wanna hear Nas, when you buy Jay- Z you wanna hear Jay- Z. I think the artists have been robbing listeners, because you are paying for one person but you get eight other people. That is called a compilation album, and what we have become accustomed to are compilation albums it is not even real albums, because 200,000 of the fans come from Eminem being on it, and another 300 come from Sean Paul on it, 150 come from Usher on the chorus, and it is really not you the people are buying, they really are buying it for all those other people. Then why not just buy a mixed tape? AllHipHop.com: People have talked badly about your return. Did you catch any criticism from people that you tricked them into thinking you were leaving and not coming back? Mase: People that have a spiritual side understand what I am doing, those who doesn’t probably think I am a hypocrite. But you know, they thought Jesus was a hypocrite and they called him a devil, and I don’t expect people to love me. That is why it makes it easier to do what I do. I expect to come into this and expect friction, but I know at the end there will be a beautiful thing. People will forever respect me for the stand that I took, like for the stand I am taking right now, somebody’s daughter is going to come home for the stand point I am taking, somebody’s son is going to get there act together and say ‘Wo,w this is what people have been praying for their whole life, and it just so happened I was the one they were praying for’. AllHipHop.com: Was it true you had a religious clause that would allow you to get out of your contract with Bad Boy? Mase: People come up with the silliest things. Actually I didn’t get out of my contract. Puff had the ability and the option to sue me but he didn’t. When I left music he could have said, “You took this money and didn’t complete the agreement and breeched the contract, I’m taking you to court” but he didn’t do that because he knew that what I was doing was for a greater cause than just music. My life right now is so much bigger then music, like music is not the smallest thing to me, but not in the big picture in my life. AllHipHop.com: What is in the big picture? Mase: The big picture in my life is my faith and the things I live for, like helping people. Music is a tool in which I can do such – not for one second will I compromise what I believe in to be here. The moment I see that they are not allowing me to express what […]

Flip is coping with success the best way he can. After a decade’s worth of grinding, he moved to major status and has dealt with the roller coaster called fame. With a local following threaded in street credibility, there was beef and rap tofu knocking on his front door. In a recent interview with AllHipHop.com, Flip updates us with his work schedule. He continues to make tracks upon tracks for the albums and the mixtapes. Flip expands his talents in new realms such as beverages and directing, and you’ll also get a sneak peak at the forthcoming album with female act Clover G. If that wasn’t enough, Lil’ Flip expounds on the T.I. debate, and he unabashedly credits Scarface as the “King of the South,” you know where this is going… AllHipHop.com: We’ve talked before, but a lot’s changing. So take me through a recent day in the life of Lil Flip. Lil’ Flip: A typical day is getting up and going to the studio to try and knock out at least eight tracks. AllHipHop.com: Per day? Lil’ Flip: Yeah, I do mix tape stuff too; like I’ll do eight real tracks, and then I’ll do like three little mix tape freestyles or whatever just to keep some new stuff out. After that go eat, go check out my family and see what’s going on. Go meet with my movie man and get my movies and I’m back at the crib. AllHipHop.com: Movie Man? Lil’ Flip: You know the movie man, so I can go get the movies and go watch em at home. AllHipHop.com: So why do you still worry about doing so many mix tapes? Lil’ Flip: Because I feel like that’s what I owe to the fans. I been doing mix tapes since high school, since I was 18. I have over 35 mix tapes out that average between 30 and 50 thousand units each, I had one that did 80 thousand. AllHipHop.com: Right now your just busy promoting the album? Lil’ Flip: Yeah, I’m promoting the new album which is already platinum at 1.4 million units, and I’m doing a group album with Clover G, and I’m almost done working on my next album; I only have about 5 more tracks and I’m done. AllHipHop.com: Who’s on the new album? Lil’ Flip: So far, I got Mario Winans, Ghostface, Nelly and Twista. AllHipHop.com: What do you think separates you from the rest of the fiends coming out of the South right now? Lil’ Flip: For one, to last in this game you gotta stay humble. Every time I do an album I get the budget to go get tracks from the high, A-class producers, but I always go find new people. Every album I go find new hungry producers like these new cats Play & Skillz, they produced the majority of my new album; and the new single “Sunshine” with my girl Leah, she’s a new artist so I just believe in helping people out and giving em a chance. AllHipHop.com: Speaking of Sunshine who’s yours? Lil’ Flip: My music. AllHipHop.com: Why? Does your work get in the way of you finding her? Lil’ Flip: You gotta find the right person. Because you got people not in the industry that don’t understand and can’t deal with the fact that your always gone, and with people in the industry it’s kinda hard to decide if you want to deal with someone in the industry also. AllHipHop.com: So what’s the right woman for Flip? Lil’ Flip: I need somebody to understand that you get what you put in, and if I sit back and be comfortable with what I got instead of working doing the stuff that got me where I’m at right now, I’m gonna fall off so one she gotta understand I gotta work. I gotta put in extra work now so I’m not trying to rap till I’m 50. AllHipHop.com: Though I personally hate beef, I would be remiss in my obligation to the Ill Community if I didn’t ask you your side of the T.I. beef… Lil’ Flip: Basically the dude is just jealous because we did a photo shoot for the Source cover and we had to do it two times because they didn’t like the first pictures. He was in my trailer telling me how he wanted to get on the, “Game Over” remix and I told him no because I was already done, I had already got a remix with Young Buck and Bomb Beats and that was that. So they called us back the next week to tell us they didn’t like the pictures. But by this time, he was already locked up so when we did the pictures over, and it was me Cassidy, J-Kwon and the Young Gunz. And I guess when he got out and saw the cover he got jealous and tried to diss me at a show in Atlanta. I had a show the next day with G-Unit, and I got him back way worse than what he tried to pull. He tried to show a picture of my first album with the Leprechaun, my first independent album, and that’s the album that sold 200,000. That’s the album I was selling for 10 dollars a disc so I had two million before I even got to Columbia, I don’t even think he knows what two million looks like. So basically, it’s just a jealousy thing and he’s running around saying he’s the “King of the South”, when everybody knows Scarface is the “King of the South” but when you only have a gold album you shouldn’t get the big head, he’s even beefin’ with Ludacris, and his first album only did like 150,000. AllHipHop.com: So how do you handle all the jealousy, has it affected any of your friends in your inner-circle? Lil’ Flip: Naw, because I keep my family around. My dad told me early on, “Everybody ain’t gonna like you so you can’t […]

Freekey Zeekey has always made a big splash in the rap game, and suddenly he was out. Just like G-Unit and Tony Yayo, the crew still built a palace of fame and recognition waiting for Zeke on the outside. In the midst of his time on Riker’s Island, AllHipHop penetrated the correctional facility to get a preview on what transpired, what’s about to happen, and what the rap game looks like as seen through iron bars. Check it. AllHipHop.com: There’s been some speculation, what actually got you locked up? Zeke: Being distrusted by someone who was loyal for over seven years. Jada said it correct [in “Why”] when he said talking [snitching] is at an all-time high. AllHipHop.com: All the young dudes out there that think its cool to be in jail, like it’s a merit badge, let ‘em know what’s up. Zeke: Jail is a piece of sh*t! You’re out of you’re element like a fish out of water. Plus it’s only a handful of real motherf**kers up in here, everyone else is a d*ckhead or h###. Nobody is really making major moves anymore.. To make a long story short, I’d rather be dead. They stop building real n#####, back in the days when you got locked you ran into another major n####, now 98% of these n##### are looking for handout AllHipHop.com: With all the turmoil in America, did you expect the backlash from your crew the Taliban? Zeke: We expected the backlash, but not to the extent where they were going to try and shelf the Diplomat album. They tried to shelf us because of certain lyrics, the first title of the album (which was Ground Zero) and the cover picture (which had us in the middle of the fallen towers.) I personally felt that we were expressing our frustration and sorrow for the devastating tragedy that occurred September 11th, 2001. A tremendous number of families are still in shambles. We are not rebelling. The Diplomats are pro-USA. The Taliban crew came about to settle a group of individuals that were going stone ape. We gave them jobs so they could challenge their erratic energy into something positive. AllHipHip.com: How do you manage to stay focused on the inside while Dipset is handling matters on the outside and blowing up? Zeke: Staying focused is second nature. You have to be on point at all times. We’re living in a world where anything is subject to happen at any given second. As for business, I’m not worried. Cam and Jimmy have excellent judgment for investments. I’m also handling my B.I., don’t think the bars slow the kid down. I’m setting up a Dipset Concert with the Deputy as we speak. Blowing up is a good thing; the more the label excels the better my profits become. I’m not only a client; I’m also the President, chea! AllHipHop.com: There have been gangs and all kinds of stuff inspired by Dipset. What are your feelings on that? Zeke: Dipset hasn’t inspired gangs; gangs were formed long before my pops wanted to do the nasty with my moms. “We don’t bang, we write the good rhymes” [as Ice Cube rhymed]. What we did inspire was a slew of people who thought the streets were their career, and we helped them realize that there is another way out, not only through Rap either. They saw us flip clothes, cologne, liquors, car services, acting, directing videos, etc. I would tell you more, but I’m high and tipsy. Oh Yeah, and Real Estate. AllHipHop.com: if there were one thing about your life you could take back, what would it be? Zeke: The one thing I would take back is having my man E (Eric Mangrum R.I.P.) in the wrong place at the wrong time, which led to his last day. Shout out to his daughter, when I get out, I got you. Wish it coulda been sooner, don’t worry the Lord works in mysterious easy, Lil Mama. Plus everything happens for a reason. Everything else I would leave the same, the trials and tribulations I’ve been through didn’t do anything, but make me stronger. AllHipHop.com: Critics have said that your crew’s music promotes ignorance. What is your view on that? Zeke: Of course you’re going to hear negative feedback from critics, that comes with the job. This may sound twisted, but the more the haters arise, the more wealthier and more popular you become, and we have over a million haters. Shout out to all the ignorance, it keeps the bars coming! AllHipHop.com: What went down in Philly last year? There was a big rumble that went down at a show. Zeke: What happened out there is what would happen to anybody that crosses the line. Someone threw a bottle cap at [Cam]. He sent Black, Brit (aka Buddy Lee) and Snagz into the audience (which was over 15,000) to handle things. Once it got outta hand he told me to go out there and knock n*ggas out, which I did. I’m not gonna front I like s### like that. Reppin’ with your n*ggas who get it poppin’ is the s**t. Dip Set, b*tch! Shout to Smack DVD, they’re doing their thing, plus they Dipset, they helped out fans understand that we just don’t talk it, We live it! AllHipHop.com: A little history lesson…what is the origin of your affiliation with Cam and Jim Jones? How did ya’ll hook up? Zeke: The affiliation is more of a family origin we all knew each other for over 15 years. I met Jim in the third Grade, we both was trying to pick pocket the same kid. He got some out of one pocket and I got the rest from the other pocket, we put the money together and after school we bought a slice and a soda. Cam and Jim already knew each other. We all met up and the rest is history. AllHipHop.com: How cohesive is the Dipset as a unit? Ho w unified […]

Brand Nubian: Fire In The Soul By Topher Sanders It’s been more than half a decade since we’ve heard from Lord Jamar, Sadat X, Alamo, and Grand Puba as the collective Brand Nubian. In that time, the quartet has kept busy with solo projects, acting, and simply being family men. Now signed to Babygrande Records, Brand Nubian is prepped to reintroduce the industry to a cohesive quality lost in the age of obsessive guest spots and trendy production techniques. Here, Brand Nubian speaks with Allhiphop.com about their new album while firing some venom at the media for helping to perpetuate negative stereotypes about minority fathers. AllHipHop.com: Was it difficult to get Brand Nubian back together. Jamar: No not at all, that happen a while ago, like 96’ or 97’ and we recorded a whole album’s worth of stuff that never came out. Puba: Ya know the whole thing wasn’t something that was that dramatic; like we was never gonna speak to each other again. It was more that people had different things they wanted to do. So we tried new things and came back together when the time was right. It wasn’t like we had to sit down and say, “Man, let’s get back together.’ It was a natural thing that just happened. AllHipHop.com: Why do you think hip hop groups seem to have such a problem staying together? Puba: That’s kind of a hard question, ‘cause we can only speak about our situation. Jamar: Black people as a whole have a problem sticking together, so why would you expect some rap groups to be different than society. Sadat: Yeah, that’s like back to the Temptations. AllHipHop.com: There was always a distinct attitude to each record in your catalog. What’s the theme on this album? Jamar: It’s got different themes. It has a real optimistic theme, we got regular relationship themes about men and women, just classic Brand Nubian stuff. We got some science type joints, we got a joint called “Soldier Story” that deals with street soldiering. AllHipHop.com: Again, Brand Nu helped defined the love track in Hip-Hop. Is there an update to the saga? Sadat: Definitely, It’s called “Always be Mine.” AllHipHop.com: On Foundation, you brought in Premier. Diamond and Dante Ross were always big players in your sound too. What’s the production bill look like now that you’re on an Indie? Jamar: I did most of the joints and Alamo did like two tracks, we just kept it in the family. We’ve given the album a nice cohesive sound. AllHipHop.com: That cohesiveness can be absent from a lot of hip hop albums. Jamar: Yeah, ‘cause everybody is just making a bunch of singles, they’re not making albums. They are not making their own sounds, they’re using other peoples sounds. See when you listen to a Brand Nubian album or a Tribe album or a Public Enemy joint, you are being brought into our world. Whereas a lot of these other dudes are just going into somebody else’s world, they’re not creating a world, they are just existing. AllHipHop.com: Does being on a label like Babygrande do anything for Brand Nubian? Jamar: It does a lot for Brand Nubian. Babygrande gives us more control over everything, it takes away the major label pressure and bulls**t. AllHipHop.com: What kind of pressure? Jamar: If you don’t sell platinum, you ain’t making no real paper. On an independent label, we sell what we’ve been selling and we straight. AllHipHop.com: Puba, you always use to have a crazy car featured on your albums, you got something new you playing with? Puba: Yeah, I’m about to play with that QX56 Infinity truck. AllHipHop.com: You gona do something special to it? Puba: Nah, I’m a grown man now, I’m going to keep it pretty much basic. I’ll put some bigger wheels on it, but not chrome. AllHipHop.com: Speaking of being a grown man, all of you are fathers right? All: Yeah AllHipHop.com: Well, it seems that everyday you hear something about how minority men aren’t taking care of their families, what do you think we can do to reverse that trend? Jamar: You know I think that’s some media bulls**t right there, ‘cause I know mad dudes that take care of their kids. I know dudes that are taking care of kids that are not even theirs. I think that some s**t they put in the media to black males in a certain way. Yeah there some people who don’t take care of children, but people that I personally know, they do take care of their kids. Sadat: S**t, you’re looked at as a fool if don’t. Jamar: Exactly. In the world I live in, and I don’t think I live in a strange world, that s**t that their talking about is not the norm. Most of the cats our age grew up without fathers, so they know what it’s like, so they ain’t trying to do that s**t to they kids. AllHipHop.com: What’s the title of the new Album? Jamar: Fire in the Hole AllHipHop.com: What’s that about? Jamar: Fire in the Hole. That’s what you say when you drop and grenade right before it blows. The music is fire. AllHipHop.com: What can we expect musically? Puba: Classic Brand Nubian s**t, just upgraded. Jamar: It’s the same, aint’ nothing changed, it’s standard Brand Nubian. You still going to hear science and knowledge and certain comments of a political nature. AllHipHop.com: I heard about a possible Nas collaboration, did that ever happen? Puba: Nah, that didn’t end up happening, schedules conflicted. Maybe in the future, a remix or something like that. AllHipHop.com: Speaking of politics are you gonna vote this year? Jamar: Man. Ya know, I don’t think so man. I’m almost tempted to because of Bush and all that. But I’ve never really been into it like that, that sort of politics where I’m trying to work within the system in that kind of way. They’ve proven that your vote doesn’t count. I […]

To have Shyne tell it, he learned quite a bit during his truncated stint as Sean ‘P.Diddy’ Combs protégée. Perhaps, the Bad Boy mantra, “We won’t stop” is an appropriate motif for Jamal “Shyne”Barrow’s life. The last four years of his young life, Shyne has made the Clinton Correctional Facility his home after being convicted for his role in a 1999 shooting. Since the altercation, he has maintained his innocence and his silence – until recently. From the Dannemora, New York jail, Shyne secured a record label, through Def Jam and signed himself, a deal worth a reported $3 million. During his time away, Shyne’s allure and mystique has only grown as have his legions of fans. All of the aforementioned attributes have culminated as Godfather Buried Alive, his first set since his self-titled debut in 2000. Scheduled for a release no later than 2009, Shyne is banking he will be out with a bit of trust in a higher power and the worldly help of Harvard law professor and lawyer Charles Ogletree (Tupac Shakur) and Alan Dershowitz (OJ Simpson). AllHipHop.com talked to Shyne to get the story straight from the gangstas’ mouth. (Part one of two.) AllHipHop.com: What’s up, Shyne. How are you doing? Shyne: I’m doing well under the circumstances. AllHipHop.com: Now, how do you feel about this considering some of the material is old, before you went in? Shyne: Well, that’s to be determined. There is new material. AllHipHop.com: Some of it is old though, right? Shyne: You know, I can’t really get into it, but everything on there is fresh. I can’s be too specific, but everything is fresh. As far as the fans, they are the reason I am even putting anything out. They are the reason I even came back in the business. That wasn’t my priority. My priority was to get back to the town (freedom) and get this appeal happening. But, the fascination, excitement and the demand for Shyne was just overwhelming. It was like, “Wow.” I had that Godfather sitting and I was just like “Why not put it out?” I got about 10 albums in my head so I’m like, “Why not just put this out?” I’ll put the other stuff out when I touch the town. If it wasn’t for the fans, I wouldn’t have put that out. I’m not thirsty like that. I sat for four years, I didn’t talk to nobody and could have when for a longer time before I touched the town but I’m not pressed. What [this album] means to me is that God has made some people timeless. Some dudes don’t last four months in this game. It’s been seven years for me. From the B.I.G. s**t when I was criticized, to people judging me off of the strength of my talent for that to be coming full circle is great – especially here [in jail]. It ain’t like I’m on the town. To invoke this type of fascination from here, without talking, without doing nothing, just falling back, is miraculous. Godfather Buried Alive is my lifestyle, my struggle. I’m the voice of the suffering. This is a way for the suffering to be heard. The same way they are crying for me, they are crying for him [other prisoners]. He can live through me. AllHipHop.com: Do you think the material and the things going on around the release of this album will affect you getting out of jail? Shyne: This is American and in this land you have the opportunity to say whatever it is you want to say especially in art and entertainment. Me not being the guy that shot those people is going to get me out and the fact that my co-defendant (Sean ‘P.Diddy’ Combs) was paying my lawyer fees so my lawyer was doing whatever he said –that’s going to get me out. The fact that I was defending myself, because somebody else pulled out a gun and fired it at me – that’s why I am banking on. AllHipHop.com: When do you expect to get out, because I have heard as early as 2005? Shyne: Yeah, I have professor Charles Ogletree, Harvard Law professor, and Alan Dershowitz and I couldn’t ask for much more as far as lawyers. I’m on a journey. Worse case scenario, I got three more joints [years] to do. AllHipHop.com: Have you learned any lessons since being in jail? Shyne: I learned more than anything to listen to your gut and to answer to God. At the end of the day, I was the one doing the time. I’m the one that has to suffer and nobody is there trying to suffer with you. Everybody moves on and they keep going, which is fine. Now, that’s why I couldn’t sign as an artist on Def Jam, I had to sign to Gangland Records and then do a joint venture. No one can tell me what to do. I could never put myself in that position again. I had to put myself in a position where I had partners that wanted to invest financially and were willing to trust my creatively and support that regardless of how out-the-box it might be. AllHipHop.com: Do you feel like you should have looked out for No. 1, meaning yourself, during the trial? People feel you rode for Diddy and actually, not talking, helped others that might have been guilty. Shyne: Nah – black, white, from the street or corporate America – that’s unethical. I believe in loyalty honor, respect and that’s just the way I have been all my life. It’s just about putting yourself in the position where you can’t be the victim. I own half of my masters so I am getting my paper. I can’t blame L.A. [Reid], can’t blame anybody, because I made all the decisions. It was all my vision. Unlike the trial, when I wasn’t paying for my lawyer, you understand? That’s the only thing I would have changed was having […]

Watching G-Unit videos such as “Stunt 101” and “Poppin’ Them Thangs,” the uninformed hip-hop fan may foolishly think that the Guerilla Unit is made up of only 50 Cent, Young Buck, and Lloyd Banks. True followers of the infamous Unit, however, know that there has been a missing link riding with the crew in spirit since the release of 50’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’. Tony Yayo, whose name has been immortalized on “Free Yayo” t-shirts once rocked in a neighborhood near you, had been serving a prison bid during the G-Unit’s highest points of success. An original member of the team, Yayo was 50’s right hand man during his mixtape takeover. While his rap career had been limited to appearances in 50’s early videos, his name gained urban legend status as 50, Banks, and Buck continually shouted him out during his jail time. After a brief second jail stint, Yayo is finally out and set to establish himself as a true G-Unit MC. Wasting little time, he can be heard on the new albums from both Lloyd Banks and Young Buck, as well as on DJ Whoo Kid’s latest addition of his “G-Unit Radio” mixtape series. These days, the only bars surrounding him are those heard in his verses. Out to prove that there is more to the man than just a famous criminal record, Yayo is armed and ready for the road ahead of him. AllHipHop: From the time that you first went into jail up until your recent release, G-Unit has gone from a heavy buzz to an empire complete with a record label and a clothing line. How did it feel not being able to fully take part in the highest point for your crew so far? Tony Yayo: Oh man, I was on top of the world. I felt real good in jail, seeing my peoples do good. You know, I’m not a hater, I’m a congratulater. It’s like a family thing anyway, so I knew that when I was gonna come home I would be straight. Actually, 50 was sending me so much money that I had $8,000 in my commissary. I had to tell him to stop sending me so much money. So I wasn’t worried about coming home to a new situation, or coming home and s**t wasn’t gonna be like that. I knew we were gonna blow. It was just a matter of time. Let me tell you something. You are doing interviews right now, and I don’t know what level you are on, but sooner or later you can be on a bigger level. You may own this magazine, or you may own ten magazines. A lot of people tend to not have faith in a n***a until they see money in a situation. Me myself, I always had faith in 50, I always had faith in me, and I always had faith in G-Unit. I knew we were gonna blow. I stood next to 50 through the trials and tribulations. I was there before everybody. I’m the one that found Lloyd Banks. It’s like, people look at me and know I’m a real n***a, man. That’s because I got faith in whatever I do. If I believe a n***a is gonna do something, I’m gonna stand next to you. If you’re broke and you don’t have a dime, I’m gonna stand next to you. So, I knew I was gonna be straight, no matter what. AllHipHop: While you were locked up, were you aware of just how infamous the name Tony Yayo was becoming outside? Yayo: Oh man, let me tell you something. I didn’t even know until I was on Riker’s Island, C73, 2 Lower. I’m in my house. Now I told n***as…you know, I don’t really fight over the TV cuz n***as get stabbed over that s**t. I actually told the n***as to listen cuz I needed to watch something. No disrespect, but the Spanish n***as watched Caliente, and the Black people would watch basketball or whatever. Not to gender anything out, but that’s just how it is. I just told everybody in the house, “Listen this is what’s going down. Tomorrow night is the Grammy Awards. Eminem, 50 and them are gonna be on so I want to watch it.” So the next day comes, Eminem runs out on stage with a “Free Yayo” shirt on for his performance, and I started throwing tables and screaming. I couldn’t n***ain’ believe it. Em is a real dude. I don’t care what nobody say about him or 50, man. Those are two of the realest people I know on the planet. AllHipHop: So how crazy was it for you to have people from the suburbs and the hoods rocking “Free Yayo” T-shirts? Yayo: It felt good, man. It felt so good to have that support while I was in jail. That’s what kept me going. The “Free Yayo” thing kept a n***a going in jail, straight up. Everyday that I woke up after that day, I told myself, ‘Let me just do this time, get out of here, and go on with my career.” But I tried not to think about what was going on on the outside too much cuz I had to think about what was going on inside. I can’t worry about what 50 and them are doing when I got ten guys with razors in my house, and some n***a just got slashed yesterday over some beef. I have to worry about what’s going on and how my day is gonna be in jail, cuz you can get killed in that mothern***aer. AllHipHop: That actually leads into the next question perfectly. While you were in jail, were you treated any differently because you were Tony Yayo, and not some anonymous inmate? Yayo: Of course. You got to understand it like this man: a criminal might like your music, but he doesn’t want to feel like he is sweating you. It’s a whole different thing. […]

Part II of G-Unit: Pop & Politics AllHipHop.com: They consider the South to be a real racially charged type of place, how is racism down there. Young Buck: The s**t is real. The s**t is realer than anywhere I’ve ever seen in the world. I know in New York, a lot of interracial people, all races can interact with each other like that. Where I’m from that s**t is still kinda like popping in a sense. It’s separate. You don’t really see too many white people in the clubs, they got their own little spots. So in a sense, it’s damn near still popping, that s**t is still segregated. You see the rebel flags and sh*t, flying and sh*t. The shotguns in muthaf***er’s windows and all that good sh*t. AllHipHop.com: Do you get offended by stuff like that? The rebel flag? Young Buck: You know what, man? I don’t get offended by none of that sh*t. I look at it as if that’s something that happened so many years ago, we all should forget about it and move on with the sh*t. I kinda pay the s**t no mind and just move on, homie. AllHipHop.com: They say hip-hop music brings people together, but do those same people listen to hip-hop music? Young Buck: The same race of people? I really think they do, because that’s how they get an insight into the way they feel about a muthaf***er. That’s where they get it from. I just stay away from that as much as possible, man. I done came up around that s**t so much in my life and seen so much bulls**t go down from s**t like that to the point where it’s, more or less, y’all dudes live the way y’all live and I’ma stay the way I am. AllHipHop.com: How does that play into your lyrics? Y’all obviously have gangsta-type lyrics or whatever, with people dying in the war and in race relations, do you ever feel like you need to say maybe a little more about stopping the violence or do you just feel you need to reflect what’s going on? Lloyd Banks: As far as the violence goes, it’s always going to be violence. Between violence, sex and backstabbing, that’s probably like the top three attractions as far as movies, records sales and what have you. If you think about the movies, you think about “Scarface,” you think about “Menace II Society,” you think about all these movies, and the things we talk about on the street is the same thing that attracts them to go see it. If you could see a real live murder take place you probably would watch it. AllHipHop.com: They did when they executed that kid over in [Iraq]— Lloyd Banks: Yeah! How many people done watched that, man? Who didn’t log onto their computer and see it? I seen it. It is what it is, at the same time I was raised and my surroundings told my moms and she put it in me what was right from wrong. Everything else you gotta take for yourself. That’s the same thing. That’s why everything that’s purchased has a parental advisory sticker if it needs one. If it’s a rated R movie, it got the rated R stamp. If you have kids, then it’s your job. AllHipHop.com: But when that lifestyle is a reality as opposed to a sticker, is it different? Lloyd Banks: I absorb everything that takes place around me. If you don’t, you’re in denial. It’s like if I go back to my favorite barbershop, where I always got my haircut. I remember the way I use to have to be standing on that boulevard when I was there. Ain’t nothing change now. I had to have my gun, gotta have my vest, that’s the way I move around. So knowing is half the battle. If you know you can’t be there comfortable then why be there? You understand? They say the club is the place to go to have fun, but yet we all go with our guns. So we’re in denial again. That’s obviously not the place to go have fun at. AllHipHop.com: Buck, going back to the race thing…Have you ever had any encounters? I had a situation, like, where I’m from it’s not really the South, but I used to live near an area where the Klan used to live. A place called Elkton, Maryland. And I had an altercation where one of them pulled a gun on me. It was real hectic. You ever had a situation like that? Young Buck: I had a situation. I’m tell you what, years ago—my homie who I just told you I’ma bring into the game, D-Tay—we was shooting like some low budget video sh*t. And where I’m from in Cashville, they got like a marksmen spot, it’s like a spot that’s on the side of the damn interstate and ten horses with ten confederate flags just flying like Paul Revere, like some real racist sh*t. So I was shooting the clip on that property to kinda let them see that s**t like this s**t is real and the truck drivers had the nerve to pull over on the side of the road, my man, and run up and tell him, ‘Do y’all muthaf***ing n***as know you standing on sacred ground?’ All of a sudden they just start hearing shots come from anywhere. I didn’t know where they was coming from. I got to moving, too. I don’t swing up on anybody like that too much anymore. That s**t is a part of the South. Where I’m from that s**t is out there real big. I never understood that s**t and still don’t to this day.

July 24, 2004: Even when the birthplace tried to shut them down, the Rocksteady Crew managed to hold their annual free concert across the water in Newark, New Jersey. Representatives from the Hip Hop community, ranging from the mainstream down deep into the underground, came to support and honor the roots of Hip Hop. Performances varied from Pumpkinhead to the Beatnuts, as well as the commencement battle of the End of the Weak and of course, the Rocksteady Crew. AHH caught up with several revered Hip Hoppers, and here’s what they had to say about Rocksteady: AllHipHop.Com: After 27 Years, how does Rocksteady represent for Hip Hop today? Wordsworth: Rocksteady definitely means unity. People fly from all around the world to come to Rocksteady. People save up their money just to come here for this one particular day. It should be next to the definition; when people say Hip Hop, Rocksteady should be there. Punchline: …That there still is Hip Hop today. That’s what it represents for everybody that feels that the culture is going to the left or we’re losing touch of the Hip Hop roots. It’s still here annually doing their thing. And it still gives us a floor to go up there and spit and do our thing. Masta Ace: Rocksteady is Hip Hop. When you talk about b-boys and DJ’s and MC’s and graffiti, Rocksteady epitomizes everything that is Hip Hop. Every cat in the crew represents one level or another of Hip Hop and that’s why the event is always a special thing. Pep Love (Hieroglyphics): I think of Hip Hop’s beginnings in the South Bronx and the fact that people said it wouldn’t last this long, but it’s still forever growing and evolving. The roots of Hip Hop are still being represented. I think the reunion basically makes people remember where real Hip Hop came from in the beginning in the streets. The creativity is not from what you see on television and videos. It’s right here in the community. Domino (Hieroglyphics): Rocksteady represents where it all started. They are a piece of history because they were down from the beginning, but they’re a piece of the present as well because they’re always trying to promote all of the essential things that are real in Hip Hop. Even with all the jiggy stuff and the mainstream radio and corporate control of Hip Hop, they’re still pushing the same ideals of Hip Hop that were around 27 years ago and bringing all cultures together to do it. For me, this is the blood. This is the root of what I came from as well so I’ll always be down regardless with the Rocksteady Crew. Hiero came from this. We were 3,000 miles away and it still reached us and influenced us. Casual (Hieroglyphics): Rocksteady represents Hip Hop itself. This is what it’s all about. The true essence of Hip Hop from graff to breakin’ to straight underground MC’s to commercial MC’s. It’s great for Hip Hop. Pumpkinhead: It’s what we need. It’s pure Hip Hop from the root. It’s like, we don’t have anything like this and every year Rocksteady brings this to us so we can enjoy our culture and let our culture flourish. Instead of all the wackness you see on TV and you hear on the radio, Rocksteady is the opposite of that. Rocksteady is the pure form of Hip Hop. Tonedeff: It’s the last bastion of traditional style Hip Hop left in the United States. In terms of festivals, in terms of just the overall event, in terms of b-boying – keeping the tradition alive, it’s the last thing we’ve got. In New York City it’s the last thing we have in terms of traditional Hip Hop. At Summer Jam for Hot 97, the turnout there is huge. Here, we have people who really really love Hip Hop music. They’re not here because it’s on the radio. They just love Hip Hop music and that’s the real difference. PackFM: To me, Rocksteady represents exactly what it says – rock steady -like it’s not stopping. It just shows that the people who started this still care about it and want it to go into the right direction it started. They make sure every year people recognize what real Hip Hop is. Just to keep people aware that it’s a real art form, even when they were shut down by the city. Poison Pen: Without Rocksteady, Hip Hop wouldn’t be what it is. It’s a crying shame how New York City gives them the key to the city and then at the same time kicks them out and we have to go to Jersey. I mean it’s not a far trip, but it’s a disrespect to Hip Hop as a whole. How can you disrespect Hip Hop when it started in NYC and generates millions and millions of dollars worldwide? Rocksteady is the backbone of Hip Hop period. Planet Asia: They’re still keeping it young. Crazy Legs still looks like he’s 18. It’s 2004 and people are still Hip Hoppin’. I don’t think it’s different, the clothes have just changed. Tony Touch: Rocksteady’s reppin’ Hip Hop on an international level. All over the world, we’re still touring. Whether it’s the DJ’s, the b-boys, it’s probably the most vintage Hip Hop crew in existence and that’s what’s up. Real recognizes real and that’s why I’m with the Crew. I’m just honored to be a part of it and a fan before anything; before being a member. Much respect to Crazy Legs and all of the pioneers. Carmelita Sanchez (LA Wake Up Show): Rocksteady represents the Hip Hop family. That’s what I love about Rocksteady. You come out here, you see shorties, grandpas, grandmas, you see everybody. I grew up with Rocksteady and now my kids are growing up with Rocksteady. Respect to our elders, respect to the young ones coming up. I love Rocksteady, because Rocksteady is family. Bonz Malone: We’re still taking on […]

Over fifteen years ago, rap deity Dr. Dre helped birth N.W.A., one of the most radically active groups of all time. The Compton-based collective was armed with “street knowledge” and so are their descendents Young Buck and Lloyd of 50 Cent’s G-Unit. N.W.A. and G-Unit’s intellect manifests itself in different ways, but don’t assume these emerging gangstas rappers don’t grasp the world they live in. And the pair talked about this strange reality that never seems to resonate in the jovial alternate universe portrayed on your typical Hip-Hop song. AllHipHop.com: Lloyd, let me ask you this? How old are you now? Lloyd Banks: 22. AllHipHop.com: You and Buck both fall into the whole war and the government seems to be thinking about bringing the draft back. Do you have any views about going to war personally? Lloyd Banks: As far as the war goes, like, it was a different war going on where I come from. So it was really hard, for me to really, like…I had knowledge of certain things. But there was the things that I had no choice to see. Things that was in my face with no choice, like the Twin Towers falling and things like that. Certain things I had knowledge of. Young Buck: I’m not going [to war], straight up. You can put me in jail, forget it. That’s just me. I feel like it’s a war going on everyday [in the street]. A constant war. I lost my best friend and a few other friends last year. That’s the war that I’m concerned about. If I can change my n***as, their lifestyle, that’s a war in itself. AllHipHop.com: That’s a little different than Iraq though. Do you have any opinions on the war in Iraq? Young Buck: Yeah, I think it’s bulls**t. I think we really fighting over dope and we going over there taking them people’s oil. If dude [George Bush] get into office this year, we might not be here again to be all the way real with the you. AllHipHop.com: I was talking to friends about G-Unit as a strong force in hip-hop and we were asking what if G-Unit suddenly flipped the script and was talking heavy politics in their rhymes? Young Buck: You getting that from me, man. You gonna get that from me right now, out of this album. My inspiration was the ‘Pac era. I’m 23 years old and I could tell you about all the s**t where I heard the Kool Moe Dee’s and the D-Nice’s, I could hear it, but I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t understand the music. Pac had me on that politic s**t. You realize some of the s**t that he touched on is s**t that is going on right now today. To me he was a prophet, because he telling you what’s going on right now. We all should just start reading up on politics and paying attention. Lloyd Banks: If we got political, we’d probably be assassinated. And that’s just being real with you. The message that dead prez puts out there is real strong. Also, they’re not able to get out there in the mass because of the message. Think about what Tupac was saying. The things he was saying is like whoa. It’s a difference if you got Tupac saying it and you got… Afroman saying it. If Afroman says F the police, the police probably would laugh at that. If you got 2Pac saying f**k the police, then it’s like… “f**k the police!” And that could really be enough to make somebody go out and feel that way in their day to day. That’s what it is. I have no intentions of being political. My thing is bettering myself and things for my moms and my brother and everyone else is straight. And then I’ll start thinking about everyone else’s problems. AllHipHop.com: Buck, I’m sure you’re from a real hot bed of political turmoil. You’ve got the Bible Belt and the unfed mouths in the ghetto. What’s life like in Tennessee? Because a lot of people don’t know anything about it, especially on the east side. Young Buck: You know what? I think that the first thing that come to a city n*gga mind or anybody mind when you say Nashville, Tennessee, is Country music or something Country. But when you get there you realize the Hip-Hop scene overshadows all that sh*t. Period. Point blank. And everything else, it’s like we popping just as much as any other big city would be. We really popping harder than a lot of big cities, you understand? Representing that is real important to the kid. I really wanted to make my album like a Down South [mixed with] everything else, you feel me? I feel like we covering everything with Banks, 50 and Yayo from the East. Now Game with the West, so representing that South is really important. I worked with a few producers from the South like Lil Jon, DJ Paul, to add that true dirty sound. You’ll probably get more Southern features out of this record than you will any G-Unit record. I got Lil Flip, David Banner, Stat Quo, a cat I’m bringing to the table from my city, another Young Buck, his name is D-Tay, T.I., Ludacris, as well as everybody in the family, in the G-Unit, and Snoop and DPG. So you get a lot of features in this record, but you get a lot of Buck. I know it be a lot of albums where it’s a lot of features and damn near the features make the record. So I really stretched my s**t out so they could feel me and they feel them, too.

It’s commonly understood that first impressions are of the utmost importance. This old adage can easily be applied to new MCs hoping to make names for themselves in this fickle rap climate. Coming with simple punchlines and on-beat freestyles are a thing of the past, especially after hearing ‘Alphabetical Slaughter” by Brooklyn resident Papoose. Running through the entire alphabet, Papoose incinerates the track by spitting bars with each word beginning with the respective letter being yelled out. The track, which appears on DJ Kay Slay’s latest album, The Streetsweeper Vol. 2: The Pain From The Game, is surrounding Papoose with high levels of buzz and anticipation, with listeners awaiting his next lyrical innovation. What many don’t know about this confident lyricist is that he has been putting in work for years, populating the New York City mixtape scene with freestyles while forming alliances with heavyweights such as Kool G Rap. Years of focus seem to finally be paying off for Papoose in 2004, with Kay Slay making him the premier artist for his Street Sweepers Entertainment, and a debut album in the works. Record execs better wake up, because Papoose is an amazing talent just waiting for the right platform to distribute his rich lyrics to the masses. Allhiphop: Explain who Papoose is, and what you’re bringing to the game? Papoose: Well, basically man, just to be straightforward, Papoose is a lyricist. A lyricist straight out of Bed Stuy, Brooklyn. I’m from the streets, it goes without sayin’. I represent hip-hop. Straight up lyricist. Allhiphop: What does the name Papoose mean exactly? Papoose: Actually, the word “papoose” is Indian, and means an Indian baby. When they refer to their babies, the Indians will say “papoose.” My grandmother gave me that name as a child. She used to say that I resembled an Indian baby, and the name just stuck with me throughout my whole life. Allhiphop: Yourself being a straight lyricist, who are some of the lyricists that you look up and that have influenced your style? Papoose: Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane. All the old school cats. Rakim, Notorious B.I.G., you know, I came up listening to the greats. Allhiphop: Speaking of Kool G Rap, how did you connect with him in the past when he put you on his Roots Of Evil album? Papoose: G Rap had heard some of the stuff that I was putting out at the time. Back then, I was in the streets all the time, doing the battle thing and all that. He heard some of my material, and someone I knew that knew him reached out to him. He got me in the studio, and was like, “Yo, I want you on my album.” Allhiphop: You still keep in contact with G Rap? Papoose: Yeah, yeah. He just reached out to me not too long ago, actually. I’ve been so busy that I haven’t hit him back yet, but definitely much love to G Rap. Allhiphop: Now let’s talk about “Alphabetical Slaughter.” That song is a crazy concept that you definitely flipped nicely. Is it true that you actually had that song done back in 1999? Papoose: Yeah, I had that s### done awhile back. Honestly, I started working on it back in like 1994, 1995. Just running around in the streets and rhyming. I used to spit it from A to C, because I had started on it but never really finished it. I used to air cats out with that, just from A to C. As time went on, I decided to wrap that s### up and take the time to finish it. I had it done, you right, probably about 1999, with it completed from A to Z. Allhiphop: What made you come up with that concept, because it’s really something creative that has never been attempted before? Papoose: Coming up with that concept came from just hearing people doing the same thing all of the time. I said, “You know what? I’m gonna do something different.” Took some time out, put my mind to it, and that s### made history. Nobody ever did it like that. I wanted to do it to the fullest. Allhiphop: How did it feel when the Kay Slay album dropped, and you had your own track alongside people like 50 Cent, Eminem, Ghostface, and Scarface. Not featured on a track, your OWN track? Papoose: That was a hell of a privilege. Growing up loving hip-hop, watching it and listening to it and now actually being a part of it is amazing. I want to go way further with it now. Allhiphop: So what is your goal with rap music? Papoose: My goal is to make history. To go down in history as one of the greatest of all time. Allhiphop: Do you think that being a new artist and coming out of the gate with a song like “Alphabetical Slaughter” will make people hold you to a much higher lyrical standard than the rest of these new MCs? Papoose: Yeah, definitely, and I’m not going to let them down. I know people will expect a lot, especially when you hear somebody go from A to Z with such vocabulary like I used. I’m not gonna let them down. That’s what I do all day. Allhiphop: Explain how you linked up with DJ Kay Slay. Papoose: I’ve been on the grind for years. I got on my grind even harder at one point, and pressed my own CD. I brought it to Kay Slay, and him and me went back and forth with words. You know, cats run up on him all the time with their CDs. He listened to my s### and felt it. I’m just a regular kid in the hood, and my phone rings one day and it’s Kay Slay. He told to come down to the studio, and from there everything else is history. Allhiphop: What’s going on with you and Street Sweepers Entertainment? Papoose: Yeah, Street Sweepers Entertainment […]

AZ is vintage. Not Urban Outfitter-manufactured vintage, but genuine, back of the thrift store vintage. From his classic verse on Nas’s “Life’s a B***h” to his pairing with the QB vet on the Grammy-nominated “The Essence,” the Brooklyn-bred emcee has always embodied the sound of an influential era. Mid-90s New York, to be exact. But with admiration has come alienation for AZ. As the Sidney Poitier to God Son’s Bill Cosby in "Uptown Saturday Night," the rapper has been revered critically while overlooked commercially. On his latest album, Final Call, the artist formerly known as Sosa attempts to reintroduce himself once more to the "106 & Park" set. Before he sits down next to Free for an interview, AZ spoke with AllHipHop.com and waxed poetic about the status of the Nas collabo album, the late Half-A-Mil and Mr. Jell-O Pudding. He even took us back to “Sugar Hill.” How retro. AllHipHop.com: The new album, Final Call. What’s up with the title? You going out like this? You retiring? AZ: [laughs] Nah, basically Final Call is just giving people a final call, the final chance to understand who I am and what I bring to the table and the purpose I serve in this game. If they don’t really recognize this, I’ma fall back and let my artists off my label to do their thing. That’s all. AllHipHop.com: Recently Kedar Massenburg [the former head of Motown when AZ was signed to the label] resigned from his post. Now, you’re a Grammy-nominated rapper and critically acclaimed, you do your part, is there something Kedar wasn’t doing right? Because he was always on the hot seat. Or is it a situation where the labels in general aren’t holding up their end of the bargain? AZ: Well, me, I always want to go to a label where I’m like Christopher Columbus. I want to discover something new there. See Motown ain’t really indulge in hip-hop, you know what I’m saying? So I wanted to go there and break the ice and be the one that set if off up there for all the other artists to come behind. Unfortunately, they didn’t have a clue to what the hell they was doing and they didn’t want to know. Because they was into the neo-soul and things of that nature. So that’s why I left. As far as Kedar, and his getting fired, I guess that’s internally. He’s a good brother with what he do. But I guess when it came to rap, he ain’t have a clue. And I guess his staff didn’t have a clue. But they wanted to learn, but I guess it was just too much on their table. So they left it up to me and I got to make my own moves right now. AllHipHop.com: You used to run with Half-A-Mil…was he ever signed to Quiet Money? AZ: Half-A-Mil was at one time signed to Quiet Money. We did an album. I got a Quiet Money album here that’s never been released with Half-A-Mil, Animal, and me. And then he ventured off to do his own thing and we lost contact. Like since 2000, I ain’t really been speaking to him, he was trying to do his own thing, so when I heard about what happened, it kinda f*cked me up a little bit. I ain’t get the full story, you know? But you know how the ‘hood sh*t go. AllHipHop.com: You ever think about putting that material out as a tribute to honor him? AZ: Um, I don’t know, man. It’s up in the air. I gotta contact his family and things of that nature. I don’t just throw it out like that. But I got a whole lot of material. AllHipHop.com: Right, that’s what I meant: like the paper goes to his family or something. AZ: Yeah I might. Once I get in the position that I need to get to, I guess I’ll do that. AllHipHop.com: People billed 9 Lives as your comeback, but then on Aziatic you had the “Welcome Back” intro and the Buckwild-produced single, “ I’m Back.” Do you think people are looking at this album as another comeback for you? AZ: Nah, ‘cause I ain’t never go no where to come back. I’m just rapping in and out through will, you know what I mean? This is what I want to do. I take time, I perfect my craft and I put it out when I feel put. So as far as coming back, nah. AllHipHop.com: Now back in the day, you were in Jay-Z’s video for “Dead Presidents.” There was Jay, Smooth the Hustler, Biggie, some others, and you. You don’t see an image like that anymore, because rappers splinter so quickly now. In the past it seemed like rappers rolled with rappers. Where now rappers roll with their people and make them rappers. AZ: [laughs] That’s real sh*t right there. You right. AllHipHop.com: Do you remember that day? AZ: Yeah, that was a classic. Jay was shooting that video and he asked us all to come through. I knew Jay; me and Jay went to school together back in high school. And I guess he went to school with Biggie at one time, too. ‘Cause we all got transferred out of the school we was at. So anyways, it was the video, and I came through to do that. It was a beautiful day. AllHipHop.com: On Aziatic, you had a track “Hustler” where the hook mentions hustling as something someone had to do, it wasn’t a choice. As someone who people look for to drop knowledge in their music, I wanted to ask your take on Bill Cosby’s comments regarding poor black people holding back Black America. AZ: Right. Bill Cosby, you know, he’s been rich his whole life, man. Bill Cosby’s been doing it before half of us were born. I see the perspective he’s speaking on. He’s using reverse psychology to make us, as a minority, step our game […]