Slug and Ant are the lords of the underground. As Atmosphere, they have pioneered the proof that hip-hop could survive in a new city, like Run DMC. They followed the blueprint of the culture: performing, similar to KRS-One. There isn’t many Saturday nights in the year where Slug isn’t behind a microphone entertaining the masses. Beyond that, Atmosphere had innovated a type of MC’ing. While Slug has all the swagger and confidence of any MC, he also offers more of himself than most. Slug will rhyme as much of his losses as his victories. His content matter is heartfelt, which is well received by an ever-growing cult audience. Recently, ANT and Slug dropped their fourth album together, Seven’s Travels. On the independent scale, the album is already soaring in its second month out. MTV2 and the magazines are taking notice. Atmosphere is to hip-hop what jam bands are to rock and roll. They respect the audience, they keep the music exciting, and they bear that traveling mentality that makes the group welcome in any city with a tag on a mailbox. While ANT speaks through music, AllHipHop did catch up with Slug. On the road for the current, grueling tour, Slug offers various insights. The updated formulas, the new scenery, and those classic Atmospheric elements that make the duo one of hip-hop’s hall of famers. AllHipHop.com: The new album is getting distribution from Epitaph, a punk label. On the last album you had Fat Beats doing it. Why the change, and how has it changed your audience? Slug: Quite simply, we just needed better distribution. Fat Beats, God bless them. They’re probably one of the best things to happen to independent hip-hop in a long time. Fat Beats is the real deal for cats like us who wanna put out twelve-inches, cats that wanna get their s### to the hip-hop stores. It’s just that for us, as Rhymesayers, it’s constantly about trying to take things to another level. We went and screwed around and talked to a lot of labels about distribution. Everybody wanted a little much [percentage] to give us the distribution.. I gave Fat Beats the rights to the vinyl, I gave Epitaph the rights to the CD. Both of ‘em just do distribution. I gotta give [Epitaph] props for [being] a Punk label. And they’re interested with what’s going on with this type of a scene, this type of a movement. Beyond that, they went way beyond what they owed me as far as the money they put into advertising, and they made me a video, all non-recoupable. They’re basically spending that they’re not gonna see back. They just believe that they’re gonna sell enough records to make up for what they’re spending. That mindset is something that’s missing from the major labels, and that made me respect the f### outta Epitaph. And it’s owned by one dude, who really just wants to see good things happen. AHH: Seven’s Travels’ production and delivery feel like an MC in front of a live band. Was that intended, or is this the product of so many live shows? Slug: I didn’t intentionally do anything. I think what you’re hearing is just the gradual progress, if you want to call it progress. Some kids might hear it and be like, “What you’re doing now sucks.” So I don’t necessarily mean progress as a move up, but just as a growth. Let’s face it dude, in the last twelve months, I’ve played over 150 shows. So it’s like the live sound that’s on the record has probably got to do with the fact that I’ve played live so much that it’s transferring. AHH: And you work the crowd so much. Slug: Right, big-time. I need to make it an experience for the people there. I think that goes for any performer. It’s like this man, if you art, you make your record, you do you s###, you should make that s### for yourself first and foremost. But when you’re on stage in front of a bunch of people that pay fifteen dollars to be there, that’s f###### rent money, to see your ass, it’s your job to make them have fun. It’s your job to make them enjoy themselves. It’s your job to make them understand and relate or even hate. It’s the difference between going to see a movie or going to see a play. With a movie, you can just sit back and study, and analyze it. With a play, they have to overact, they have to do these things to make you reaction like, “Yo, did you see the thing he did there?” I think that who I am live transfers on the record, and who I am on the record, transfers live. I remember KRS-One saying going to shows [you’ll see] MC’s sounding nothing like they do on the record. And I guess that stuck in my head. AHH: “Always Coming Back to You” really seems to mean a lot to people from the Midwest. How important was it to make that track? Slug: When I was a kid, I would hear my favorite people shout out Brooklyn and shout out Jersey, and shout out all these places that I would someday hopefully get to go visit. When I was fifteen the Bronx was like Mecca, and I had to make a pilgrimage. I guess it’s just that proud-of-where-you’re-at s###. I didn’t really look at it like, “Oh, I’m gonna do this and that’s gonna make m############ go, ‘Oh, word! He’s reppin’.” It’s more just like, I’m gonna rep ‘cuz I have to. AHH: It comes across as if Minneapolis is a love/hate relationship. Is that true? Slug: I mean, I guess. But that’s got less to do with the city and more to do with some of the people I know in the city. You always have your circles. And there’s always guys who hate you ‘cuz you made out with their ex-girlfriend. AHH: But you’re […]

The Source Magazine and the U.S. Army have teamed up together to create “The Source Campus Combat – Ultimate MC Battle Tour 2003.” This tour, featuring headlining performance artists such as Memphis Bleek, Nappy Roots and Black Moon, is both a usual and unusual event. It is usual in the sense that it allows college students the opportunity to come out and watch their favorite artists perform, as well as compete in an “ultimate MC battle” to be featured as The Source Magazine’s next “Unsigned Hype.” However, what makes this tour “unusual” is that it also gives students the opportunity to do something you would not normally do at a Hip Hop event – register for the U.S. Army. You must be asking yourself, “Why would the U.S. Army and The Source Magazine team up?” Well, here’s the deal. U.S. Army representatives say that the number of African-Americans enlisted in the U.S. Army is decreasing. This lack of African-American representation appears to be a major concern. Therefore, the U.S. Army is looking to recruit more African-Americans into its service. By combining the two entities, it gives each one the opportunity to attract its intended targeted audience. U.S. Army Senior Project Manager Lincoln Parker states, “We are organically integrating the U.S. Army message into Hip Hop culture, to effectively communicate the benefits and values of an army experience to a targeted audience.” Some of those “benefits and values” Parker speaks of are education, lifestyle and health benefits, career opportunities and enlistment incentives. According to Parker, “The U.S. Army feels there goal is to assist African-Americans in developing productive opportunities for better direction in their lives…As compared to a college or trade school, the U.S. Army presents opportunities for development, education and growth.” Many of the artists and participants in the event agreed to all the great benefits the U.S. Army can provide its soldiers. As participants of “Project Salute 2003” (i.e., a tour that paid tribute to the U.S. Coalition and Armed forces) Atlantic recording artists Nappy Roots are definitely no strangers when it comes to supporting the U.S. Troops. Having toured and visited such cities around the world like Kuwait and Baghdad, Nappy Roots have a very universal outlook on the impact Hip Hop culture has had on the U.S., its Army and the world. When asked their feelings about The Source/U.S. Army collaboration, Nappy Roots responded, “Music is growing for all of us…the world is based around a beat/a tempo of situations…it shows growth and development across the board about where we are going with this Hip Hop culture.” Of course, there is always a flip side to this issue. Although all of the artists mentioned shared their support for the troops, many agreed that the down side to joining the U.S. Army is the possibility of a soldier having to go to war. When asked his thoughts on the U.S. Army/Source Magazine collaboration, Roc-A-Fella recording artist Memphis Bleek responded, “It’s a double edged sword here…Soldiers get paid minimum wage…And they go out there and risk their lives on the line. However, there’s a lot of kids who don’t have education in the Hip Hop community, and if [the army] is going to take those kids and put them through school to get an education, then yeah, I’m all for it.” Duckdown recording artists Black Moon stated, “It was positive that [the U.S. Army] put itself in a situation where they thought about Boot Camp (Black Moon’s affiliation). The army participating in Hip Hop is a good thing, plus it gives us the opportunity for exposure…As long as they are supportive of themselves and of Hip Hop, then we give love to them.” While the U.S. Army was preoccupied with enlisting new recruits, The Source Magazine was busy enlisting participants in its “Ultimate MC Battle.” Between artists’ performances, talented, yet unknown Hip Hop artists got the chance to battle one another for 60 seconds, while the crowd and judges watched on to find out and determine who would be the last emcee standing. Laura Houser, the participant otherwise known as “Emcee Miss Me” held it down as the only female in the competition. Surprisingly, she said that this was the first time she had ever rapped her lyrics “out loud to an audience.” When asked if she was nervous, she replied, “Yeah, I’m just trying to keep a free state of mind and let my work flow out.” She battled it out to the final round against her male competitors “Seezmics,” “Poly Rock” and “K – Cromozone.” However, the determined winner in the end was none other than Cole Policy, known to his audience as Emcee “Seezmics,” of the hip hop group “The Educated Consumers.” The crowd determined his win as he pulled more “Oohs” and “Ahs” from the audience. When asked how he felt about his win, he said, “I’ve been rhyming for nine years, and I’ve been in a couple hundred battles, so, I don’t get nervous. I never think I’m gonna do poorly. So, if a person beats me, then it happens, but that didn’t happen today.” Overall, “The Source Campus Combat – Ultimate MC Battle Tour 2003” held at University of Maryland proved to be a positive event. All of the artists who performed that night gave their fans a great show, and, of course, they each got the opportunity to promote their latest and/or upcoming albums. Memphis Bleek has a new album coming out December 16th, entitled, “M.A.D.E.,” which is an acronym that stands for “Money Attitude Direction Education.” Black Moon’s new album “Total Eclipse” is out now. The final performance of the evening, was given by Nappy Roots, whose latest album is entitled “Wooden Leather.” The tour gives unknown talent the opportunity to be featured in The Source Magazine’s legendary “Unsigned Hype” column. It allows African-American/Urban youth the opportunity to learn about the benefits and values the U.S. Army could possibly provide them with. Finally, it provided college students with good entertainment and […]

Dwight "Beanie Sigel" Grant stands at the crossroads – and perhaps the most pivotal point in his young life. He’s been delivered his share of strife but The Philadelphia-reared rapper is definitely facing the most turmoil of his entire rap career. Currently, Beans is facing federal assault and weapons charges, attempted murder charges and drug possession charges that, if found guilty, could land him in prison for over 20 years. Terrence Speller claims Sigel is the man who pumped two bullets in his stomach and foot outside a Philadelphia bar. Sigel denies these claims, expressing profound innocence. In an exclusive interview, AllHipHop caught the Broad Street Bully and found, despite legal constraints, he still has a lot to say. AllHipHop.com: How are you doing, as a man going through some tribulation? Beanie Sigel: Probably like how a man would go through it. I’m good man. AllHipHop: You aren’t stressing it too much? BEANIE SIGEL: Nah. AllHipHop: How are you doing as an artist? Is it affecting you as an artist? BEANIE SIGEL: Same sh*t. Ain’t nothing really changed. AllHipHop: What are you doing now music-wise? BEANIE SIGEL: Right now I got this house arrest sh*t, this monitor on my leg so its like hard to come up here [to Roc-A-Fella Records]. I’m building a studio right now in the crib so I’ll be back at it probably in another week. It’ll probably be a 2 week process to get everything I need. AllHipHop: So you haven’t done any recording since your case opened? BEANIE SIGEL: No. AllHipHop: Does the legal stuff get in the way? You are supposed to stay in the Philly area? BEANIE SIGEL: Yeah, so I don’t belong here [in New York]. Don’t tell nobody. AllHipHop: You have to get a judges approval to leave? BEANIE SIGEL: Yeah. AllHipHop: You aiight? This is pretty serious. BEANIE SIGEL: Yeah, its serious, but you know, life is serious. AllHipHop: You had a short stay in jail. How was that? Were you good? BEANIE SIGEL: I was cool. AllHipHop: Nobody was messing with you? BEANIE SIGEL: [stares] AllHipHop: [laughs] BEANIE SIGEL: Ain’t nobody f*ckin’ with me, man. AllHipHop: Alright, dumb question. Have you been writing about the case? BEANIE SIGEL: Nah. I ain’t putting that out t there. I’ll wind up saying something reckless. AllHipHop: When Jay had his situation when he was accused of stabbing "Un" Rivera, he got R. Kelly and even did a video about it. BEANIE SIGEL: You know, his case isn’t as extreme as my case. AllHipHop: You took some anger management, right? BEANIE SIGEL: No, they wanted me to take that sh*t, but I’m cool. I didn’t do it. AllHipHop: Why, not? BEANIE SIGEL: I didn’t need it. AllHipHop: The State wanted you to do that? BEANIE SIGEL: The Federal people. AllHipHop: So, what did you do? BEANIE SIGEL: It was in Minnesota…It was rehabilitation sh*t. AllHipHop: What kind of rehab? Drug? BEANIE SIGEL: Man, you know what it was! [laughs] You funny. If you know to ask me that, you know what it was about. AllHipHop: Seriously, I thought it was anger management, but it said something about drugs. BEANIE SIGEL: It was all that sh*t. AllHipHop: Ya mom is like supportive? BEANIE SIGEL: Yeah, that’s my homey. AllHipHop: You seem good man. BEANIE SIGEL: I’m cool. AllHipHop: We all had our little issues and many dudes crumbled under less weight than what you have now. BEANIE SIGEL: I’m good, man, I’m good! AllHipHop: When you get the studio together, you plan to do a lot of material Pac-style thinking the outcome may not come out the way you want it to? BEANIE SIGEL: No. I’s going to go how I want it to go. That’s my outlook on it. How I want it, that’s how it’s going to go. Prepare for the worst, pray for the best. That’s it. AllHipHop: What are your thoughts on how the Philly media treated you? BEANIE SIGEL: Assassinating me. It was expected. That’s what they do, exploit people for the negative. You don’t sell no papers talking about positive and things like that that I do. I ain’t even going to speak on it now. Like, "I am in the situation that I am, but I do this and I do that." I’m going to do that regardless. The people know who I do things for and what I do and as long as they still getting the benefits of that, helping them out I’m good with it. AllHipHop: What about the streets of Philly, how are they treating you? BEANIE SIGEL: Even before the situation, you know how it goes. Even B.I.G. said, "There ain’t no guarantee they are going to love you tomorrow." So, it went from "Yeah, that’s whats up, Philly’s on the map to "F*ck that n####, He ain’t doing nothing for me." That’s just Philly. AllHipHop: That’s a lot of weight. Ya whole team is from Philly. It’s not like you pulling people from all over. BEANIE SIGEL: That’s what I do. That’s where I’m from. I’m pro-Philly all the way regardless. I been through a lot of sh*t. If I can help anybody come up out of that, anyway I can, they got it. AllHipHop: How is the State Property crew holding up? BEANIE SIGEL: Everybody is good. AllHipHop: They had to promote the album without you. BEANIE SIGEL: Yeah that was kinda f*cked up. That was the only thing that was a lil’ frustrating for me. We had one of the biggest songs in the country [Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop] and it ain’t get promoted how I feel it would have gotten promoted if I was here. You know? So, that was the most frustrating part about being down for a minute. Just not being able to be there for my team. AllHipHop: Would you have done things differently? BEANIE SIGEL: Oh yeah! A lot of people would have been doing their jobs. Believe that. It was just that […]

The duo of Baby and Mannie Fresh, collectively known as the Big Tymers, have been able to change clothes and go. From white T’s and Reeboks, to throwback jerseys and Air Force 1s, they’ve kept it fresh to death amid the departure of three-fourths of the Hot Boy$ and the arrival of out-of-towners to the Cash Money roster. Now with the upcoming release of their fifth album, Big Money Heavyweight, the twosome is taking it back to where it all started: No outside production, no outside guest artists. AllHipHop caught up with the Big Tymers to discuss beef, business and lawsuits. AllHipHop.com: When you do the Big Tymers albums, it sticks to the script but it’s fresh every time—no pun intended. Fresh: That’s the whole purpose of it. We always say that it sticks to the script. Don’t expect no special ass sh*t, it’s gonna be a Tymers album. AllHipHop.com: Baby, your solo album was a departure from the regular Cash Money release since you worked with a lot of different producers and artists…. Mannie Fresh: Yeah, that mu’f*cka [laughs] AllHipHop.com: Is the new Big Tymers going to be like that? Or are you taking it back? Baby: Nah, Bird Season, ain’t nobody producing on that but Fresh. Maybe R. Kelly gon’ get one or two on that. But, me and Fresh bout to tie it up. I don’t want nobody else on that mu’f*cka. AllHipHop.com: R. Kelly is on the next single, right? Baby: Yeah AllHipHop.com: How did you link up with him? Cause y’all doing the Best of Both World 2, right? Baby: It just happened, dog. AllHipHop.com: At first when you signed Boo & Gotti…. Baby: That’s the connection (with R. Kelly). AllHipHop.com: At first it looked like beef, like y’all stole them or something, because he was promoting them and everything. Baby: Nah, it was something he asked me to do. He got caught in a situation and was like ‘I don’t want to hold them up and they fit y’all.’ And right from there a vibe grew and that’s how the Best of Both Worlds sh*t started. AllHipHop.com: Fresh, are you going to be contributing to the Best of Both Worlds 2? Fresh: Yeah. AllHipHop.com: Do you have much input? Or does R. lead and you follow? Fresh: I mean, it was his project anyway. You know dude was like, ‘give me a couple of tracks.’ Songs that I gave him so far—they love. AllHipHop.com: And how many tracks are going to be on that album? Baby: We doing a double CD, dog. It should come out in February. It’s a wrap. After that I’m not doing anymore group albums—straight solo. AllHipHop.com: Fresh, are you putting out a solo album? Fresh: f*ck no. Baby: We gonna do a group thing every now and then. Fresh: I’ma stand in the back and get 50 percent of his sh*t. AllHipHop.com: Y’all got Juvenile back now, right? Baby: Juvenile got us back now. AllHipHop.com: What about Turk? He just had an album drop. Fresh: I see Turk all the time. We still cool. AllHipHop.com: You gonna buy his album? Fresh: Yeah, I’ma check it out. AllHipHop.com: Baby, does BG still have a lawsuit against you? Baby: Man, him and a bunch of more mu’f*ckas got lawsuits. AllHipHop.com: The Wendy Day one still going on? (Day, founder of Rap Coalition claims she helped broker the deal between Cash Money Records and Universal Records.) Baby: Nah, that’s been dead. AllHipHop.com: How did that go down? Because it seemed clear, she helped y ’all get the deal and…. Baby: She didn’t help me, man. How the f*ck she gon’ help me? AllHipHop.com: Nah? Baby: That b*tch ain’t been in the projects grindin’, putting in no work with me. I don’t even know that woman. AllHipHop.com: Y’all never met? Baby: Maybe once or twice, but she ain’t help me. She ain’t catch no bullets or spit no fire out there. AllHipHop.com: She made it sound like she helped y’all broker your deal. Baby: C’mon, man. Well then that means she had put in 7 years worth of work. Fresh: Featuring Wen-dee [laughs] AllHipHop.com: Baby, now that your going to be putting out solo albums, how does that affect you handling day-to-day business? Baby: It’s better for me to do solo sh*t, because me and this group sh*t ain’t working out. Fresh: I’m about to take that spot, dude. The day-to-day business. Baby: I’ma do the solo sh*t and I’ma give him half of my sh*t (ownership). Fresh: It’s gon’ to be some cuts around this mu’f*cka [looks at entourage in the room]. Y’all better get everything y’all can get. AllHipHop.com: Fresh, since you gonna start handling day-to-day business, when are we going to see some of the other artists on the label? Like TQ, and do y’all still have Gilly (of Major Figgas)? Fresh: Yeah, we still have all them. We working on Gilly’s album right now. It’s just the Cash Money way. We just don’t throw artists out; you know what I’m saying? You got to be here for a while AllHipHop.com: So when can we start expecting those albums to be released? Is it gonna be next year? Or are they gonna fall back? Fresh: It ain’t that long. Probably next year. We really don’t care about…even though it is a big issue. It ain’t about the sales. It’s about the loyalty; you know what I’m saying? AllHipHop.com: Fresh, everyone recognizes you have a good sense of humor. What kind of stuff do you do when you’re not in the studio? Fresh: I like comedy sh*t like American Pie. I’m about to go with Nick Cannon, man. [Points toward flat screen TV in the room] Nick Cannon is SAFE, he don’t want no problems in life. All y’all rappers shooting at each other and sh*t…. Nick Cannon is safe. Y’all should get up and walk outta of this b*tch with me right now. [Gets up and fakes toward the door] […]

Karl “Big D.” Jordan is a self described lifelong friend of “Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell. Mizell introduced Jordan to the rap game, by using his connections at Rush Management to get a job in the office. Jordan and Mizell kept close through the years, both living in the same area of Hollis, Queens. On mischief night, the evening before Halloween in which harmless jokes are played, Jordan heard the news that Jay had been shot and killed in his recording studio, 24/7. It was not a joke. Fast forward almost a year later and the man who calls Jay a lifelong friend has been investigated as a possible suspect in Jay’ murder. In this exclusive interview, Jordan speaks about his past with Jay, the men at the studio and what may have taken place on one of the darkest nights in hip-hop’s history. AllHipHop: Give me some history with Jay. How did you first meet him? Karl Jordan: I knew Jay for 30 something years. My father and his father were good friends. His father was looking to move outta Brooklyn. My father helped him find a house in Hollis, Queens. AllHipHop: Was Jay your connection into the music business? You worked for Rush Management right?   Karl Jordan:  I guess you could say that, yeah. AllHipHop: Do you still work in the music business? Karl Jordan: Yeah I manage and consult record companies overseas and things like that. AllHipHop: What was your reaction when you heard Jay was shot and killed? Karl Jordan:  I didn’t believe it was Jay. I thought that somebody got shot at the studio, but I didn’t expect it to be as serious as it was. AllHipHop: Tinard Washington, who is locked up, placed you at the crime scene. Why? Karl Jordan:  My first wife got at his sister. It was like a family feued from like 20 years ago. That’s all I can think of. Tinard is a btch ass ngga. Tinard really is not in my league. It’s like an adult and a child. AllHipHop: I heard that a few days after the shooting, you hired a cat named Shawn Jones to shoot Tinard Washington. Karl Jordan: What?….I haven’t heard anything about that, no. AllHipHop: Where where you when Jay was shot? Karl Jordan: I was on the block, on 23rd right across the street from Jason’s house. I was actually working on a boiler. AllHipHop: What was your relationship with Jay’s circle of friends? Karl Jordan: Randy had been a good friend of Jay’s for sometime. I don’t know why Jay decided to help him to the extent that he did. I knew Randy through the neighborhood, but I aint really have no relationship with him, like that. Jay is the one that put him in the game and kept him in the game by doing the JMJ Records thing. Every time I saw him, it was pretty much I was doing something with Jay and he was floating around. He was there because Jay was there. AllHipHop: I’ve heard that Randy Allen has a hit out on you. You heard that? Karl Jordan: Yeah I heard something like that. AllHipHop: Why all of a sudden does he want to get you, if that scenario were true? Do you have beef with him? Karl Jordan:  If he’s involved with Jay’s death, than yeah. (laughs). AllHipHop: Were you familiar with Lydia High? Karl Jordan: Yeah I know Lulu (Lydia High’s nickname). AllHipHop: What about the people in the studio? Reports have stated that they aren’t cooperating with the police. Karl Jordan: Right and they should all go to jail. I don’t know why they haven’t been charged with anything yet. You know that Jay is dead. You know you got a body, something happened. A crime was committed and these people were at the scene at the crime. I don’t understand why they aint in jail. AllHipHop: Do you think that the fact Randy Allen’s brother in law is a detective for the NYPD has anything to do what anything? Karl Jordan: That could be, but that aint gonna work. You can only hide behind that for so long. AllHipHop: A report says that the killer hugged Jay, which refutes what Lydia told the police. She said Tinard came in the studio with a masked gunman and the gunman shot Jay. Now they claim the gunman hugged Jay. Why would he hug a masked man? Someone in the inner circle is obstructing justice. Karl Jordan: Not somebody man, all of em. Starting with Randy. AllHipHop: A lot has been said about Jay being involved in drugs. Who is “Uncle?” I heard he was a big time drug dealer that Jay dealt with frequently and that he fronted Jay 10 Kilo’s of cocaine. Karl Jordan: I don’t know nothing about that. I heard that, but I don’t know anything about that. AllHipHop: I heard that 6 months prior to Jay’s death that you, Tinard, Jay, Chris Run (Jay’s driver) when down to Baltimore with a bunch of coke and that a friend of the Allen’s, who goes by the name of Yaqin ran off with the drugs. Karl Jordan: I aint go no where. AllHipHop: Do you know who Yaqin is? Karl Jordan: Yeah he’s a kid from the neighborhood. AllHipHop: He’s in Baltimore now? Karl Jordan: Yeah. AllHipHop: Was he a friend of the Allen family? Karl Jordan: Yeah. See man, Jay’s murder could be about the studio itself. It could be about Jay catching Randy stealing money, it could be a number of things to be honest It could be about the profits from the insurance money, you know? AllHipHop: Do you know anything about the insurance policy? Karl Jordan: I heard Randy got paid. I heard that the way Randy had it setup, when the policy was to be cashed, he had his sister down as a beneficiary, so it wouldn’t look like the money came to him I guess. So whatever money came, went to his sister. I think that it’s unjust. A year later there are still a lot of un answered questions. Lulu and Randy to me are like one. She aint gonna say nothing unless he says it’s OK to say it. It’s my understanding that she saw who went in […]

One year after the murder of one of the most influential DJ’s in history, the entire Hip-Hop community wonders why our heroes have been murdered and the cases never get solved. The Jam Master Jay case has exposed things that otherwise would have never been known about the characters of certain people in the music business. The police are trying to piece together a jigsaw puzzle that seems to have more pieces than a mirror shattered on the ground. Perhaps that mirror could have shown the self destructive nature that the Hip-Hop industry has taken on. And while so called "leaders" continue to use the played out claim that rap merely "reflects what’s happening in the streets" but don’t usher a change of thinking, mothers, families, friends and fans lose their loved ones, while the stereotypical image of Hip-Hop continues to grow. In an exclusive interview, a high ranking New York Police Department detective spoke candidly about what may, or may not have happened to Jam Master Jay. He/she requested that their identity remain concealed for a variety of reasons. The following is a conversation with an insider about what the police are doing and what they aren’t, to solve the murder of Jam Master Jay. AllHipHop: On the night Jay was killed, they said two people entered the studio. The reports say there were two masked gunman. How much do you know about that? Anonymous Detective: There were two gunman, but one of them didn’t have a mask on. AllHipHop: So if one didn’t have a mask on, or as reported today, that the gunman hugged JMJ, why is it so hard for the people in the recording studio to identify the gunman? I doubt Jay would have hugged a masked man. AD: The case is a lot deeper than everyone expected. It’s people really close to Jay. AllHipHop: When you say ‘people close to Jay,’ do you mean friends or family? AD: I mean the immediate circle of friends he grew up with. AllHipHop: Who is Tinard Washington? There has been a lot of things attributed to him in various media outlets. He implicated a former promoter, Carl "Big D." Jordan and his son, Noyd (Lil D, Carl Jordan Jr.) in the murders. AD: Tinard is a guy who’s been arrested several times. He has a reputation of shooting people. He’s a guy who has grown up to be very feared in the neighborhood. Some of the shootings are true, some of them aren’t. I know he’s not that tough, but he puts on a persona that he’s this tough street dude. AllHipHop: Have you heard about him being involved in any other murders, mainly the murder of Randy "Stretch" Walker? AD: I know he shot a family relative that is paralyzed now. There is not much evidence to make the Walker claim credible, but we are very aware of that situation. AllHipHop: What about Jay’s supposed involvement in drug dealing? Is there any credibility to any of that? AD: There has been a lot of mention of it. Unless someone goes on the record and says that, we are going to just keep that as information. AllHipHop: The reason I bring it up, is because the drug dealing aspect could provide a motive of why he may have been killed. You don’t know anything about Yaqin or the ten keys of cocaine? AD: At this time, all we can say is that Jay always went back to the hood. He may have been reaching out and helping to introduce people, but we don’t believe he was involved totally in dealing drugs, where he actually did the buying or the dealing. AllHipHop: Supreme McGriffin. Is he still a suspect? AD: We aren’t going to rule anyone out, but I don’t believe Supreme had anything to do with it. AllHipHop: The investigation seems like it’s been played out in various media, including AllHipHop.com. Do you feel the media has been responsible in reporting? AD: The media is the media. It’s a high profile murder case. But due to the various leaks, it makes it difficult when the whole situation is played out in the media. AllHipHop: I read an article recently in Newsday, that said the 103rd has the highest murder rate in the city of New York. How do you feel about how the whole situation is being handled? AD: The problem is is that the 103rd is overwhelmed right now. They have had a lot of homicides in the past month and there are several murders they haven’t solved that they are working on. Not to say that Jay’s case is being put on the back burner, but it kind of is, because of the rash of homicides. AllHipHop: Are they understaffed? AD: There used to be detectives with 20 plus years that could help solve murders, but they are working with the best they can. Not all of the detectives have that many years investigating murders. AllHipHop: I’ve heard that there was a seminar going on next door. Can you clarify if there were any other witnesses to the murder other than the people that were present at the studio? AD: At this time it doesn’t seem that’s a possibility. AllHipHop: I heard that Randy Allen chased the gunman outside of the studio. Then I heard that they came out of the booth and saw Jay, removed his chain and the studio gun. I also heard that a person from the seminar discovered Jay’s body first. What happened? AD: I can tell you that when Jay was shot, there were people in the building yes, but everything has been done to find out what witnesses were actually there. AllHipHop: Curtis Scoon. What are your thoughts on him? AD: Haven’t ruled him out yet, but we haven’t ruled anyone out. Scoon doesn’t appear to be the issue, Jay’s immediate circle of friends seem to be. AllHipHop: Randy Allen seems to be a central character in this whole […]

Is your current single lagging on the charts? Do you want to get your radio spins up? Then you might want to refurbish that song with a re-mix. Look no further than DJ/producer Ron-G. As a youth, he took on the title "Youngest In Charge" and he not only took charge – he changed the game. “Ron G is definitely more than a DJ, he’s a producer, re-mixer and percussionist," said one urban publication. Also known as "The Mix Tape King," Ron G has rocked celebrity events, release parties and even does his thing on a New York radio show. However, the DJ has transformed into a producer that has crafted beats for A-list artists such as LL Cool J, Kelly Rowland, J-Lo, R.Kelly, Fat Joe, Michael Jackson and Mary J. Blige. AllHipHop.com caught up with Ron G who discussed everything from the state of hip-hop to his relationship with Tupac and Biggie. AllHipHop.com: You have created a craze with your blends. People hear about re-mixes but few know it stems from the blends that Ron-G started. RG: My blends were kind of like re-mixes and the energy that blends made caused it to be called re-mixes. If you listen to the first Jodeci, Mary J Blige records those were actually blends. They were hip-hop beats blended with other hip-hop melodies. They were really blends but they were called re-mixes. AllHipHop: What are some of the latest projects for Ron G? RG: Right now, I just did a song with Michael Jackson that R. Kelly wrote ("One More Chance"), I just did a re-mix for Beyonce ("Me, Myself and I"), I also did J-Lo and LL Cool J ("All I Have"), I did Kelly Rowland remix for ("Stole") and Jagged Edge (Heaven Re-mix). AllHipHop: You were also the first one ever authorized to release a freestyle or recording of 2Pac on a mix-tape. RG: Yeah that song is called "Deadly Combination" featuring Big L and 2Pac on Rawkus Records, that record actually went gold. It’s amazing now to look at what everybody is doing, including Eminem. I did that several years ago taking vocals from different rappers and combining them together on one track. The 2Pac and Big L song also had Biggie on there but I couldn’t get his vocals cleared so I had to take it off. That combination back then was so huge, I’m bugging on what they are doing now because I did it years ago and they are just catching on. AllHipHop: How did that come about you getting 2Pac to spit on your mix-tape? RG: Pac came to my studio with Stretch (R.I.P). It was amazing because he wrote his verse in 10 minutes. That verse goes down in history, he wrote what he felt and he predicted his death and how it would happen. Just listen to his verse: Follow me tell me if you feel me/ I think n*ggaz is tryin to kill me/Picturin’ pistols, spittin hollow points til they drill me/ Keepin it real, and even if I do conceal/ my criminal thoughts, preoccupied with keepin steel/See n*ggaz is false, sittin in court, turned snitches/ that used to be real, but now they petrified b*tches/ I’m tryin to be strong, they sendin armies out to bomb me/ Listen to Ron-G, the only DJ that can calm me/ The situation was crazy because he left my studio that night then went to the studio in midtown and that is when he got shot. A few weeks later I was doing a party in New Jersey and the Outlawz stepped to me and said, "Pac said he knew you ain’t had nothing to do with that and he sends his love to you." After that I was happy, as hell and he has been my road dog forever. I have been supporting him since. For a person to do the things he was doing and still move the way he was moving and be able to think the way he was thinking and write the rhymes he wrote in the amount of time he wrote it was incredible. AllHipHop: One of the greatest of all times, who will never die just like 2Pac, is Biggie Smalls. How do you feel when you hear your name over and over again mentioned on the classic "Juicy" record? RG: I’m going to be real with you, you’re the first person I sat down with and talked in depth about this situation between Biggie and Pac. Biggie was personally my friend (short pause). It was a time in my life when Biggie was here and I was broke and going through a huge amount of problems. I didn’t have a dime; I bought cars only to have them stolen. There were only two things I had to keep me going, that was Biggie and my studio equipment. I was sitting home doing beats trying to remain focused and I called Biggie and told him my problems. He told me, "bring me something over man." I brought some beats over and two days later he just gave me a check for $10,000 and he never used the songs. That $10,000 put me where I’m at today. I don’t know if Puffy or Ms. Wallace knows that but B.I.G. did that for me and that is why he will always be in my heart. Rest In Peace B.I.G. He done something for me no rapper has ever done. That $10,000 he gave me allowed me to put some food in my mouth as well as buy another piece of studio equipment. AllHipHop: You never felt the urge to intervene being that you were friends with both Pac and Biggie? RG: I was never put in that position because after the situation with Pac things changed. I never saw Pac again. I seen Biggie on a few occasions. After that everybody’s lives changed including mines. Detectives were coming to my house every other day. It was real, it was bugged […]

Jay-Z insists that after the The Black Album, the curtain finally falls on his illustrious career in hip-hop music. Reclining comfortably at Bassline Studios in Manhattan, with engineer Young Guru, Hov quipped with a group of journalists and media heavies. At a listening session for his latest, Hova revealed the soundtrack to his victory lap out of rap’s arena. “Are you guys writing this stuff down?,” he asked, looking at one journalist in particular. “You’re not.” The journalist, either a downlow disciple or extremely quick witted, points to his head, sighting memory. “Reminds me of myself,” Jay says under his breath. S Dot Carter wants your undivided attention and he deserves it. He previewed the thoughts behind the album and the songs that accompany it like “99 problems” backed by the legendary Rick Rubin, “Encore,” by Kanye West, the just Blaze-produced “December 4th,” “A Moment of Clarity," with Eminem’s beat and others. Here is an excerpt from the group conversation that took place surrounding The Black Album. AllHipHop: This album is about you going back to your beginnings. Did you have to downgrade your lifestyle in order to get back into that mentality? Jay-Z: I just put myself there. It’s just your memory. It’s like sitting down with a writer. Plus I was writing a book at the same time so I was in that zone. It’s like sitting down with somebody and going back to that time. It’s real memory. AllHipHop: Who are you competing with on this album, if anybody? Jay-Z: My [creative] inspiration’s from B.I.G. Like the last time, they brought me “Who Shot Ya,” I made like four songs. When you see my albums, you look at it, I was trying to make Blueprint better than Reasonable Doubt. And I was trying to make Blueprint 2 just as big as Volume 2. So I used my other albums. AllHipHop: You leaving the game is predicting a decline [in the game]…we already see a decline. What are we gonna do now? Jay-Z: “Its not really my problem.” [Jay says in an Italian mobster voice]. My thing with the industry is … I was inspired by cats that made different songs. I was inspired to make a hotter song. I didn’t want to make “Who Shot Ya.” My thing is, I think when people hear albums or anybody that’s hot, they try to do tha same thing. They try to duplicate success by making the same thing. It’s like, the more you hear it, it gets weaker every time. Hopefully if they don’t have one of those things to follow, they will have to make their own stuff. That’s what hip-hop is about. It’s like if this guys is wearing brown and gold, I’m never gonna wear that. I want to where this. It’s not about going to get the same thing. AllHipHop: So now people are going to be forced to innovate? Jay-Z: Absolutely. I mean, I’m not the only one as far as I am concerned. AllHipHop: What made you work with Rick Rubin. A lot of people don’t even know who he is as an innovator in hip-hop? Did you consciously go after him? Jay-Z: Yeah, I’ve always wanted [to work with him]. I’ve always admired his work. And this being the last album, I had a wish list of producers who I wanted to work with. I got Rick. He was on my wish list of people I wanted to work with. AllHipHop: What about the song with DJ Premiere? Jay-Z: The Primo song didn’t come out. AllHipHop: What about songs with Kanye? Jay-Z: Did I play anything from Kanye? AllHipHop: Nah Jay-Z: [To Young Guru]“Encore?” “Encore.” [plays unmixed version of the song] Encore is not mixed or put together right. Things are out of place. Vocals are high. You get the idea. AllHipHop: After this album, you are going to totally quit rapping? Jay-Z: I’m not going to do any collaborations for at least a year. I’m going to step away. Maybe a soundtrack. Its going to cost $1.2 [million]. AllHipHop: Are just trying to go into acting or are you taking a more executive-type role? Jay-Z: Hopefully, a little bit of all that. It’s not just one main focus. I mean music is my love. That was my main focus. Everything else is: ‘I’m going to try to do that. I’m going to try to do that. I’m going to see what happens over there.’ Not one thing is more important that the other. AllHipHop: What does your retirement mean to Roc-A-Fella as a company? Jay-Z: I think that my presence at Roc-A-Fella was a gift and a curse. It think it brought a lot of attention to the label, but also a lot of the artists on Roc-A-Fella are compared [to me]. It’s not like,’“Let’s go hear the album’ Its like, ‘Lets go hear the album – this ain’t better than a Jay album.’ So it puts a lot of pressure on them. I think [me leaving] frees them up. They step up now, I think they’ll be super stars without that burden of having me on the label. AllHipHop: How comfortable was your mom in the studio? Jay-Z: I tricked her. It was her birthday and she was having a party at the club. It was around the corner so I told her to meet me here. When she got here, I was finishing the verse, I was still in the booth. I was like, “You hear those empty parts? You think you can fill those out? ”She didn’t get a chance to think about it. She was already in the studio. AllHipHop: How did you hook up with 9th Wonder? Jay-Z: I don’t know. Young Guru [Jay’s engineer and friend]: I love Little Brother. I went and found them real quick. I was going to bring them up here and play some beats for Jay. I know Jay f*cks with Quest from The Roots. So I told him to […]

AllHipHop: What’s the state of the group and where are you headed? H: Well, Mobb Deep is very much intact. We still here. We here to make Mobb Deep albums. Me and P are very focused-even more focused than ever. P is gonna make his solo joints. I’m going to make one too. We gonna make Mobb albums. We gonna put out other artists. P got the movies jumping off. Its gonna be a good look for the future for us. We gonna work hard like it’s our first time in the game. That’s how I see it. AllHipHop: Who did the Loud break up affect you guys as a group? H: It stagnated our career and how we eat. This is our future. We was looking for Infamy to come out, blowing, going platinum, double platinum and for the company to start falling apart at the time when you need it the most, its gonna hurt somebody, you know? But you know, it made us stronger, we been through this before. We stuck together and that’s that. It was a f*cked up situation and that’s that. It ain’t easy but you know that saying – anything easy ain’t worth having. It’s a struggle so, f*ck it. It just makes us stronger. Everything happens for a reason. AllHipHop: How do you feel about Infamy? H: I feel it was getting a lot of recognition as far as what I saw. We came out with "Burn" for the mix shows and mix DJ’s and they was thumpin’ it. Then we shocked motherf*ckers when we put out the 112 sh*t. Some people was like "why did you do that" and other n*ggas was feeling it. We got the most spins off the record than we ever had, everything was looking good, we was on the road, we was going hard and then [the Loud Records] sh*t happened. To me it was a good album and people was feeling this as far as what I know. AllHipHop: Also on that album y’all decided that other people would produce on that album, which seems like a first. Why did y’all decide to do that? H: Times change and just to be a little on the safe side, I was like aight f*ck it let some other producers come in. Not too much though, but just to get some different looks on the album. AllHipHop: Alchemist, credits you as one of his inspirations. How’d you meet up? H: I hooked up with Alchemist when we was doing something with DJ Muggs from Cypress Hill. That’s they peoples and he came up with them. I guess we met through there and we clicked with homeboy ever since. I think he’s very very talented and he’s definitely on his way to becoming one of the biggest producers out there. People say we sound similar but it’s all good. That sh*t don’t bother me in the least ’cause if he gets anything from me I’ll feel good. We exchange techniques anyway so it’s all good. AllHipHop: Do you look to anybody for inspiration? H: It’s a lot of good people out there. A lot of tracks I be hearing and I don’t know who produced it I’m not really easily influenced by listening to other brothers tracks. I might be inspired by how good they might sound and become compelled to make a better beat but, you know back in the day it was definitely people who influenced me like Primo, Pete Rock, Large Professor, Q-Tip. I try not to let [outside influences] get in my mind ’cause that’s like poison for a producer, that’s like the start of your end. You definitely got to be able to make things that people like and sh*t like that. AllHipHop: How were you as a kid and what was your home life like? H: I grew up in a single parent crib, nothing to different from the average young black male’s experience in the 80’s. Been around the drugs, tryin to sell my lil’ bit of drugs but, I had somewhat of a good support system. My Grandmom’s and my pops taught me right from wrong and I took it from there to do what ever I chose to do. I wasn’t no angel but I grew up in QB. I chose music at the end of the day. I knew that music would be me. AllHipHop: So you grew up with your mom? H: I grew up with my moms until I was 13. Then I moved with my Grandmom’s ’cause my moms was going through a couple of changes. AllHipHop: I f you don’t mind me asking, what issues were your moms dealing with? H: Some drugs and stuff. She’s a working church lady, in church every other day. I’m real proud of my moms. She inspired me to beat my own drinking problems. AllHipHop: What School did you and P meet in? H: Art and Design H.S. right there in Manhattan, back in like ’89 AllHipHop: Did that contribute to you growing as a producer? H: Going to that school didn’t really affect me as far as being a producer because I was already at home with the dual cassette tapes. I used to tape sh*t off the radio from like the old stations and I used to hear a lil’ part in there I like, I would just keep on dubbing and recording, dubbing and recording until it was a whole loop kind of beat. So I was doing that before I got to H.S. I can say that going to that school changed my life ’cause then I met P. Who knows where I would be if I didn’t go to that High School. AllHipHop: What was some of the struggles that y’all have overcome through the years, did y’all ever get discouraged around the early days? H: Definitely, when we was signed to 4th and Broadway. That’s when we did the “Hit It From […]

Mobb Fans have been patiently waiting and waiting and waiting for the next street soundtrack from The Infamous. The Queensbridge-bred duo left fans hanging since their last album, Infamy, way back in 2001. Die-hard fans of the group got their pallet wet with 2002’s Free Agents, the double album mixtape, which had enough heat to temporarily warm the projects. One of the reasons for the temperature surge is the Mobb’s resident beatsmith – Havoc. Certainly, one of the masters in sinister soundscapes, Havoc has consistently backed Mobb Deep and a number of rap affiliates. The veterans got more fire on deck. And as fan await the group’s debut on Jive Records, the revered producer talks about his background, life, solo aspirations and the future of Mobb Deep. AllHipHop: What can people expect from your solo album? Havoc: sh*t, just gangsta sh*t, ill songs. The songs are gonna be tight the way I’m gonna put them together. I’m going to be talking about different issues, a couple of topics – not just freestyling. Things that I wasn’t able to do on a normal Mobb Deep album. AllHipHop: You alluded to it, but what’s the main differences between this and a Mobb Deep CD? H: I’ll experiment a little bit more alone because it’s just me and my little project. You’ll see some things that won’t be on a Mobb Deep album, I’ll do that. I’m going to try to push the envelope a lil something, you know? AllHipHop: What made you do a solo CD in the first place? H: The reason why I made a solo album is because P did one and on our last album, a lotta cats was coming up to me like, "When you gonna make a solo album?" I never really thought about it, but mad people were asking me. I said, "You know what – f*ck it. Might as well. It ain’t gonna hurt. It’s just another album." AllHipHop: What’s the name of your label again? H: Infamous Records. That’s me and P’s joint right there. I got my own record company called Done Deal, that’s by myself. You’ll see that in the future. But for right now, everything is going to be umbrella’ed under Infamous Records. AllHipHop: What is your technique for making beats? H: Really, I don’t have no certain technique. I f*ck around with the keyboards or whatever. I’ll go record shopping for some old records. My technique is just coming up with some banging sh*t. Back in the days, I used to use the ASR-10 and the EPS-16 plus. Now I just the Triton and the MPC-3000 jump off. The MPC-3000 that’s my joint right there. AllHipHop: As far as you a beat maker, you are certainly underrated as far a recognition…how do you feel about that? H: Certain people know that I did this that and the third, but I don’t do much work for people outside of the camp. The down side to that is that my name don’t get out there how it should. Everybody knows [production] is where the longevity is at. Most of the time its definitely behind the scene, but I am gonna balance the two for sure. AllHipHop: Do you feel like you should have done more with other people? H: No, I don’t regret not working with that many people. I feel good. Mobb is successful. Maybe a little underrated though. AllHipHop: As a rapper, how hard is it to give away or sell beats? H: Being an MC and a producer at the same time is kinda hard. Anybody out there that does what I do, they probably can tell you. I started as an emcee so that’s where my passion was at. So then to make beats and my passion is there too, it’s hard to give up a track because I be wanting to rhyme on it.

October 17th, 2003 will be a day that West Coast Mafia CEO C-Bo will never forget. In the early mornings after leaving a nightclub in Kansas City, he and artists from his record label were met with a barrage of bullets while they sat in their SUV. Miraculously, no one was killed, and no life threatening injuries were sustained. This occurrence reads like a bad 2Pac or Biggie Smalls script. The circumstances are eerily similar, yet tragedy does not rear its ugly head. Just days after the incident, C-Bo spoke with Allhiphop.com to shed some light on the situation and offer words of enlightenment to those who may or may not encounter what he did. It is important to remember that no man or woman is promised the next minute, the next hour, or the next day, so do all that you do in a persistent, yet kind and gentle way. Allhiphop.com: What exactly took place the night of the shooting? C-Bo: Well you know, some boys got on us. They came out of nowhere. It wasn’t no accident or nothing, they just came out of nowhere shooting. Allhiphop.com: Where did all this chaos take place? C-Bo: I was in Kansas City. We was coming from the club, about to go turn it in. We was riding man, and they got my boy (Fat Tone) twice in the back. We was in a clean ass Excursion, sitting on 24’s and sh*t. They shot every window out of that muthaf*cka. They sprayed the fully and sh*t, you know what I mean? Allhiphop.com: What injuries did you sustain? C-Bo: Nothing man, just some cuts from the glass. Allhiphop.com: Various reports state that Messy Marv was seriously injured in the shooting. In actuality, it was Fat Tone who got the worst of it, right? C-Bo: Fat Tone got hit in the back, right below his neck. He got hit in the ribs, and one of his lungs collapsed. He’s stable right now. Messy Marv wasn’t in the car. He was with us earlier that day, but he wasn’t with us at that time. Allhiphop.com: There were no injuries to Fat Tone’s spinal column? C-Bo: Nope. The bullets missed his spine somehow. Allhiphop.com: Has the police gotten anywhere with their investigation? C-Bo: sh*t, I don’t even know. We really haven’t talked to them. They’ve been asking us questions and sh*t. Allhiphop.com: They have not established any sort of motive or anything? C-Bo: They high speeded away from the police and got away. They broke out, man. Allhiphop.com: What kind of condition is Fat Tone in right now? C-Bo: He’s straight; he’s going to make it. Allhiphop.com: I heard tell that they were coming after you with AK47’s. How were you able to escape the gunshots? C-Bo: Exactly my man! They pulled up on the side of us. I’m in the passenger seat, my n#### Fat Tone was behind me. Lil’ Psycho was in the middle, and Killa Tay was on the side. They rolled up on my side and just sprayed with the fully, about 75 shots in a matter of 5 or 6 seconds. It sounded like threw a bunch of firecrackers in the car! Allhiphop.com: How are you holding up from a mental aspect? C-Bo: I’m just chilling with my n*ggas right now. Thinking about life, bro. I should be dead ten times right now. n*ggas got to get motivated in this music 100% because it can over at any time. Allhiphop.com: You have to focus on the things you love most in this life and concentrate on that because you may not get a second chance. C-Bo: That’s real right there. Allhiphop.com: You got any messages for the people who are going to be reading this? C-Bo: Don’t wait to do anything. Do what you want to do right now because you can be gone any day. You got to stay motivated. Do the right thing, man. It’s not for nothing. The sh*t you do wrong comes back to haunt you and the sh*t you do good comes back to protect you. You got to do a lot of good sh*t so that it can protect you from all that bad sh*t.

Cam’ron’s past is often overlooked. For instance, people don’t care to recollect that The Notorious B.I.G. wanted to sign the rookie. He also once spit bars with a shiney-suitless Murder Mase, McGruff and Big L (RIP) as a member of the Children of the Corn. Through his ever-changing career, Cam has shown many faces, all of which have exemplified his individualism. From the quick flippant lyrics of “Confessions” to the bouncy drawl of “Oh Boy!,” Cam’s never been a follower. He’ll certainly continue with his rugged individualism with Purple Haze, which is on the way – love it or not. AllHipHop.com: Biggie “discovered” you through Ma$e. How did Ma$e introduce you to the legend? Cam: Big was doing his second album, Mase took me to his crib after he signed to Bad Boy and he just threw on a bunch of beats and I just rapped for him. Every beat he threw on I had rhymes, I had mad rhymes back then and he said he wanted to sign me. AllHipHop: What went wrong? Cam: Nothing really went wrong they just was busy and then I caught up running around in the streets. That day he had called his partner Un up like I want to mess with dude Cam he nice. So after Big passed away I went to the video shoot for Big Poppa and I seen Un there and I told him who I was, he said I want to sign you ‘cause Big said we was going to do that. That’s how that went down. AllHipHop: What happened when you got in trouble in college [in Texas]? Cam: I got caught with some guns and drugs in my room. AllHipHop: You were on the team? Cam: Yeah, I was playing basketball. AllHipHop: I never forget the promotion was real big like “Who is Camron” and “Who is Charlie Baltimore,” [when C.B. was with Untertainment] how was this? Cam: Over there it was cool, we didn’t always see eye to eye creatively. No discredit to him, I can’t blame him but he was to caught up in the Biggie era. You got to do this like Big, you got to do that like Big, I’m not from Brooklyn and I’m not Big you got to let a n#### do his own thing. We didn’t see eye to eye creatively but Un’s a great guy he was working hard trying to get it poppin’, but we didn’t see eye to eye creatively. AllHipHop: Early on your image was a little different from now, was that part of it? Cam: Yeah Un was commercial, he want that one hit to get you out of that tight situation. Me I rather have longevity where I do 500 [thousand], 500, 500 then start doing millions, I rather get it at the end of the career. Not to discredit him ‘cause he did give me a shot and a opportunity but it’s just that he always want that commercial, he didn’t know sometimes that grimey leads to commercial… AllHipHop: Y’all helped revolutionized the mix tapes; can you speak on that approach? Cam: It’s been going on about a couple years, we made a tape ‘cause we always had music. We would put all the songs on a CD and put them out on the streets for free. We started selling them for $5 just to get our money back. So I did it then after I did it other artists started doing it too. AllHipHop: So did that lead to your deal? Cam: Yeah definitely. Def Jam wanted to take the deal, but Dame took the first rights and refusal and brought it over to Roc-a-Fella. AllHipHop: Word is Dip Set lives like real Diplomats Cam: [For one trip] I asked for a $100,000 airplane and come get a n####, fly him there and get everything I want. Like I was a###### about it, I don’t go out to countries and a war about to go on. Listen, if I go I need a world jet that means no passengers just me and my n#####, smoking flight there, five star hotel when we get there, American food, American chef, this all for 2 days. When you’re on a private jet, world jet or G-4 it aint no searching just get on the plane. AllHipHop: Do you still have ill feelings toward Nas for callin’ you out? Jim Jones says stuff on the regular. Cam: I don’t even pay that no mind anymore, you say my name I’m going to come at you it don’t matter who you are or what’s going on, leave me the f*ck alone. I did apologize about his daughter and his mom ‘cause at that time I didn’t know his moms passed away when I said what I said. So I apologized about that, but realistically like you said dude came at me for nothing. I used to like his stuff but I don’t even listen no more. AllHipHop: Did you mean the apology, people felt like it was damage control to keep things peaceful? Cam: What happened with me was when I heard it I went in the studio 20 minutes later and recorded the song. I don’t really take back nothing I say but I sat there and thought about it like his daughter aint got nothing to do with it. It aint got nothing to do with what his baby mother said or what he said, that’s jus me apologizing ‘cause I was dead wrong for that. Second, I didn’t know his mother died so that really made me f*cked up like damn I’m not that type of dude. I would say that if your moms is alive. AllHipHop: What do you think about rap beef, personally I think it’s getting kind of played out? Cam: I never did like it, I never like when you have to use somebody else name to get fame. What happens then is people’s feelings get involved and get […]

Kids and hip-hop are an odd couple. On one hand, most people love kids when they are lil’ and adorable. However, when they begin to grow and that voice starts to deepen, the masses have a way of turning a deaf ear when they same beloved prodigy begins to spit about grown-up topics and matter. Bow Wow intends to escape fate. Before him, groups like Illegal, Da Youngstas and Kriss Kross all demonstrated legitamate talent and long-term potential, but eventually faltered after puberty. With his persona changing before hip-hop’s collective eye, Bow Wow says he not like his predessessors. With Unleashed, his latest, already gold, he might make good on his promise. AllHipHop talked to the manchild and he explained where his mind is. It is far more than dumping the ‘Lil.’ AllHipHop: So what separate you from the younger Bow Wow now musically? Bow Wow: Just everything like I talk about I on a whole different stream as far as my music. Its on a more teenage mature type of level its like real Hip Hop not saying that what I was doing back then was not real, but its like a real Hip Hop rap album it get no better than this as far as on a Bow Wow status and this is ridiculous. I’m going to say this is my best album that I’ve done because I’m talking about thing people are not use to hearing Bow Wow talking about as far as ya know. I have a song dedicated to my mother ya know then on top of that I got another song called the movement was basically expressing ideas and things coming from a teenager’s head which the Neptunes produce for me and that song is crazy, It just so many things on my album that really separates me and when it comes out and compare it to me people are like wow it’s a big difference. Everybody is going to know when I drop records or when I do certain different things I always try to make it better and better and this album is just kickin’ Doggy Bag like completely out the door. This is crazy and after Unleash I’m try to make another album that kicking Unleash out the door and I try to make my stuff better and better, as I get older. AllHipHop: How many songs did you write on your new album? BW: I wrote a lot can’t really tell you how many cause its so much. I wrote just about every song except three and then TI and my man ROC they helped write with the album as well. AllHipHop: Now you dumped your trademark braids…was that supposed to be an adult statement? BW: I just got tired of the braids; it’s really nothing to explain about that. When you cut your hair it’s because it’s a reason behind it and the reason is that I just got tired of my braids that’s all. That’s how it is man. AllHipHop: If you could change one part of you, what would you alter? BW: If I could change one thing about myself, what would it be? I’d be covered with more tattoos right now, yeah if I could change myself It’ll be my arm, I’ll put way more tattoos in my arm, I have two now. Free know was sup, she’s seen my muscle before. AllHipHop: Are you going to college and if you do, what’s your major going to be? BW: That the topic that I am always talking about now since I’m almost finish with school, so it kinda like I have it in mine, but right now I’m just trying to focus on what grade I’m in right no. Whatever the future hold that’s what it is, so I’m just trying to focus on right now, but its not erase out of my mind like I’m still interested. AllHipHop: Would what you want to go into be music related? BW: yea if I went I would want to major in business it all depends because I want to go to the NBA, so if I go to college I want to be on an NBA scholarship, not an NBA scholarship but a basketball scholarship, so I can play and then from there and then from there I can go to the NBA, but if that does not happen if I went I’ll probably major in business because I want to have something to do with sports, so I’ll probably have to become a sports agent and from that I’ll probably have to go to law school and that would take forever and I don’t have patience, so its kind of like law school for six years. I don’t know about all that, that just too much school so I don’t know. AllHipHop: As a budding adult, what bothers you? BW: Me going broke. And when you’re a celebrity, a lot of celebrities probably feel like “dang I buy all this stuff it’s like yo, I’m going to go broke.” It’s kind of crazy how it is, but that’s the one thing I tell myself, I have my own money and keep buying stuff, I gotta chill with that. AllHipHop: What gets on your nerves that people ask you? BW: “Why did you drop the ‘lil’ off your name?” I get that question so much. Don’t nobody ask me that no more. AllHipHop: If you had super mind-reading powers, whose brain would you invade? BW: I’ll probably like to read a girl’s [mind], definitely. you know when a dude walks up to a girl and sometimes they be like you know, like “I’m feeling you” or whatever and girls be like “Yeah yeah yeah whatever.” And you be really wondering like “Okay, I wanna know what’s going on in this girl’s head.” she ain’t paying me no attention, and while she’s doing that “yeah yeah,” she probably like “I wish this dude will get out of my […]

AllHipHop: It seems like all these rappers are coming from Queens What separates you from them? Grafh: You gotta listen to the music. The concepts I come up with the with. A lot of my sh*t go over n*ggas heads. It aint complicated but I don’t know, maybe I rhyme too fast and n*ggas think too slow. Its definitely fire. AllHipHop: Can you speak on people referring to you as the black Eminem? Grafh: That’s a compliment because Eminem is a dope mc. He’s one of the few MC’s the game got right now. My imagination goes far out, so in a way I grab the words together my word patterns are just incredible. I don’t even know how the f*ck I do it. I just say what the f*ck I feel. It just happens to be shocking. That’s a compliment though so I take that. AllHipHop: I heard you ghost wrote for Joe Buddens. Grafh: Wow. [Laughs] I heard that too. I ghost wrote for a lot of people. I’m trying to be ghost writer slash actor slash everything. I do it all. Any of these wack ass rappers that need ghost writers for them male or female hermaphrodite or d###, I don’t give a f*ck what u wanna be. Holla at the kid, I do it all. AllHipHop: How did you get into rap? Grafh: I was getting tired of hustling and all that and I need to support my family and I was like f*ck it, this gonna be my last hope and Ima go hard at this sh*t. n*ggas can’t be thinking that rapping is all just fun and you spit. I aint gonna front, the sh*t is fun. I don’t know how people get in this game and be like ‘I’m stressed’ or ‘man f*ck that’.. this is the easy hustle. It’s hard work but so what hard work pays off. I don’t care what you do. If you work in an office go hard. If you sell crack on the block do it all day. If you rap go hard. Work hard on whatever you do, the sh*t pays off. AllHipHop: There are so many rappers that’s out like Cassidy, J-Hood are you trying to compete with any of them? Grafh: I aint compete with nobody. I got a joint with J- Hood and Cassidy. I like them n*ggas. I appreciate other n*ggas music but I aint competing with nobody I’m doing me. AllHipHop: Where do you see yourself in the long run of rap? Grafh: Up there on the roof at the top of the game. If I don’t get to the top I’m just gonna keep going until I get there. Aint no turning back and there aint no losing. AllHipHop: If there was one rapper you would like to take out the game who would it be? Grafh: I can’t even get into that sh*t. I aint sh*tting on nobody. All that sh*t do is hurt they sales. Everybody tryna eat and feed they family, so I aint gonna sh*t on none of them rappers, but its a lot of n*ggas I don’t like.

Grafh’s legend is already sprouting wings. The streets are buzzing, talking about the battle between the young Queens native and P.Diddy’s Da Band down at the Mixshow Power Summit in Miami. While there is no official word of a victor, the word is Grafh held it down all by his lonely. His mixtape, "The Bangout," has been selling like Bronx crack and he shows no signs of decline. AllHipHop caught the Epic Records/Blackhand gunner as embarks on war. AllHipHop: Tell me about yourself. Grafh: My name Grafh yall. Blackhand is the label Blackhand is the gang. Queens Is the borough and I just rep everything and I’m just doing it. Right now I finished two albums and the "Bangout" out video. I’m on the "In Those Jeans" remix with Ginuwine’s song. I’m on the grind. That’s it man. AllHipHop: What does your album consist of? Grafh: My album is well rounded. I talk about my life in general, the sh*t I seen and the sh*t I been through and my people been through. With me, there was a lot of pain coming up. At 14 my pops was gone. I aint got no father in the crib. My only role model was the street. He got murdered right in front of me. I was in the street. My moms was in the street. I tried to stay out the street but that sh*t aint work. My pops came back around when I was seventeen and they blew his brains out so now I’m here and rap is kind of like my last hope. AllHipHop: What’s your style of rhyming? Grafh: Dirty, new, different not like them. Its Grafh. I just talk about real sh*t. I try to get creative and witty with the topics. I’m a sarcastic n#### so it’s a lot of sarcasm in there. I think today’s hip-hop is in a state where it just sucks. I’m trying to put a whole bunch of cool sh*t in one spot. I’m just doing me. AllHipHop: Where you get the name from? Grafh: I been had that name since I was young. I spit a motion picture. I spray paint art. I even spray paint walls and sh*t. My name is Grafh. Its graphic art. I spit a motion picture. Spray paint your brain a little bit. AllHipHop: Is there a certain place that you wanna get in the game? Grafh: I wanna get to the top quick, but not too quick though. When you blow up too quick then you don’t have no longevity and n*ggas will get washed up. When you blow up real quick your music gets saturated and today’s hip-hop is based on saturation. You gotta saturate the industry in order to win and as we all know saturation make sh*t corny. That’s why hip-hop got a short memory, because music get saturated. AllHipHop: Why do you think hip-hop is going down? Grafh: It aint going down. Its stagnant. It aint going no where. Everybody is doing the same sh*t. Everybody’s a killer everybody’s a hustla blah blah blah. Sure. So if everybody’s a hustla where the f*ck are the fiends at. It aint impressive. The music sound the same and n*ggas is picking the same type of music same hooks. AllHipHop: Can you explain Blackhand Entertainment? Grafh: Blackhand that’s the label. It’s a street label. Street business, now we doing music. Rap and the street is all the same sh*t. Rap, crack what’s the difference. Its all the same sh*t but we doing music now and trying to take it to the top. I’m the President of Blackhand. We just do music for everybody that can feel my pain. If you poor and you aint never have sh*t then this here’s for you. AllHipHop: I heard you got song with Shyne. Grafh: Yeah its called get "Dirty." That’s in the street driving n*ggas crazy. I did a song with Jay-Z and Juelz Santana. I’m on that Ginuwine remix, its playing on the radio right now. I’m on 2 songs with Lil Flip and I got a song with Juvenile. AllHipHop: How you get Shyne? Grafh: Magic. I put a mic under the f*cking cell block and we just made it happen. Magic AllHipHop: You got an album coming out? Grafh: The album is called Autografh. It will be out in February. Check your local bootlegging table. I also got the CD out on the streets called Bangout. I made an album for the streets because I make like a song a day. I got too much music I can’t do nothing with, so I just give it to the street. I just feed n*ggas. You only win in this game with music and I want n*ggas to understand who I am and understand my story understand while I’m here. AllHipHop: Can you talk about your mixtapes? Grafh: The mixtape is just street sh*t. It’s for the street and whoever else wanna listen, be my guests. As far as mixtapes period I’m on everybody mixtape. Kay Slay, Funkmaster Flex, Enuff, Clue, Kool Kid, Whoo Kid, you name it then I did it.

Paris remains. Despite a climate that’s not accepting of thinking man’s hip-hop, he remain. Even though his views are contrary to the establishment, he remains. AllHipHop.com took a second chance at picking the human revolution’s brain to see what makes him, him and what allows him to remain. ALLHIPHOP.COM: Why do you think we’re still “pimping” and “blinging,” when, as you point out, brown people all over the world are suffering and fighting? What happened to hip hop’s political voice? It used to have one. Paris: It’s a multi-pronged reason why it doesn’t exist. First of all, hip hop artists, I’ve noticed, tend to gravitate toward what’s rewarded. And right now – I’ve said it in other interviews and I’ll say it again – white corporations dictate Black culture to Black people. They’re the ones picking the artists that they choose to give deals to, and they decide who gets exposure. They’re the ones who reward particular type of behavior, and there are a lot of artists who have adjusted to meet those criteria. If all artists banded together and said we’re going to move away from the negativity, then they wouldn’t be able to control it. ALLHIPHOP: Do you think there will ever be that coming together of hip hop? Things are cyclical, so there has to be some sort of civil rights struggle that comes about at some point. Will hip hop be the voice and culture to lead us through that? Paris: It’s definitely possible for hip hop to have a role in bringing that about, but there has to be balance in hip hop and right now, there isn’t. People are beginning to revolt – file-sharing has taken a hit out of the industry because people don’t respect the industry anymore. They don’t respect the music, and they don’t respect a lot of today’s artists. Those artists don’t even respect it. They don’t respect their listeners. Nine times out of 10, when there’s an opportunity to respect commerce over art, they choose commerce – that’s the classic struggle between art and commerce. The commerce is always going to win, because corporations have control of the outlets and methods in which artists get exposed. I think that it will take a widespread rejection of a lot of what’s currently being offered to serve as that catalyst, and to have people gravitate towards it and realize that there are really artists out there who have more to offer and bring to the table than the gutter hip hop or “rap,” I should say, that’s on the radio. The sad part is, because hip hop is now part of pop culture, people’s introduction to it comes only from video outlets and commercial radio, so there’s going to be an obvious disconnect there. But I think that if there’s enough ground level support for alternatives, then they’ll eventually see the light of day. ALLHIPHOP: Are you that alternative? Paris: I’d like to be one of the alternatives. And I treat it seriously because nothing is promised. ALLHIPHOP: Are you an angry guy? Are people afraid of you? Paris: I mean, I’m human. I go through the same range of emotions as other people. Do I walk around with a scowl on my face everyday? No, not unless I happen to be angry that particular day. But I do have a lot of anger and frustration. I just choose to pour it out on records. ALLHIPHOP: Right, you have that platform. And you’re an investment banker, you speak intelligently, lead your own label and website, and have a college education. Wouldn’t some say that already puts you a step ahead of all those brothers who are in the trenches daily? Paris: I’m in the community. I’m from the community – we all are from the same place. But I don’t choose to stay and dwell within the negativity. If you’re engaged in the community, then you’re still a part of it. ALLHIPHOP: The album, Sonic Jihad, comes out on September 23. It’s not a traditional, mainstream sort of album, so how do you plan for its release? It doesn’t seem like the type you’d have an album release party for… [laughter] Paris: No, well, the sad truth is, in this day and age, it’s not a traditional album. But I recall an era in hip hop when it was, and the gangster mentality in hip hop was the odd man out. Again, this is a balance-providing release. There has to be somebody that’s out who’s willing to hold the torch. ALLHIPHOP: So what are you doing to push the album? Paris: Record pools and radio stations, college radio, gift services, the website. AND, I have Dead Prez, Public Enemy, Kam and Capleton all on the record. ALLHIPHOP: Do you tour live? Paris: It’s difficult right now because I have to judge the climate. The incendiary nature of this record is enough to make me pause before I commit to going somewhere, to say I’m going to be at a certain place in public and follow through on that. I have to see what’s happening with it, because there were a lot of people who wrote me initially with threats and stuff like “watch my back” and “don’t release that record.” I know I have to approach this from a ‘no fear’ perspective – when I’m speaking truth, I’m fearless. But by the same token, I’m not going to do anything that’s stupid, so I want to gauge how it’s going to be. A lot of times there will be functions or rallies, places where progressive people congregate, and I’ll just show up and get on the mic. I prefer that type of approach as opposed to being somewhere and making myself an easy target. Right now – it’s looking like the early part of next year – I’d like to hit the road with Dead Prez and Public Enemy, and hopefully Kam can be a part of that package. But to […]

AllHipHop.com: What about other artists that are considered wack for doing something different? No I.D. had an album that was considered wack and it wasn’t…. KW: No I.D. and I are cool but don’t compare us on albums. He taught me how to make beats…you gotta hear my album. When you hear it, you’ll think of Midnight Marauders and Pharcyde in the same breath. AllHipHop.com: Did you drop out of school because you were ahead of the education you were receiving? KW: I don’t know about that exactly, but that’s what some magazine printed. I had home schooling for a year and ever since then I’ve been a grade up and I graduated from high school a year early. AllHipHop.com: You have all your albums titled already? What are the other titles? KW: I used to have a very good vocabulary, but in rap there’s only three sentences you need to know. What time is the studio, where’s the check and…I forget cause those are the only two I use. AllHipHop.com: You didn’t tell me the name of your albums though… KW: Oh, the first album is the College Dropout, the next is Late Registration, the third one is Graduation and the fourth is what you get out of all those…..A Good Ass Job. AllHipHop.com: Beat biters! You ever get upset… KW: Yeah, but that was stupid of me cause my whole style is off of other people. I took Marley Marl’s drums…so how can I get mad at someone biting me? AllHipHop.com: What kind of equipment do you use? KW: I don’t give a f*ck about equipment, that’s equipment. I use it just how people in real life be trying to use me. They don’t have feelings. AllHipHop.com: So do people use you for beats or for money? KW: I can say this…I think life is about people using each other. Just don’t try to misuse and don’t allow people to misuse you. AllHipHop.com: Can you get in the club? I see some rappers who cant even get in the club and you obviously don’t have the attire of a rapper….. KW: There be times I can’t get in the club and there’s time I can, but can’t get my people in the club. So I don’t go in either way. I don’t really go to the club that often. I’m in the studio. These interviews be fun where I can talk how I really talk. I gotta get my jaw rebroken in a couple of weeks and I’m going on tour with Twista with a wire in my mouth. AllHipHop.com: Is it imperative that you go through some kind of crazy situation to promote your album? KW: Or just get a real crazy record…but like I told you before my songs are wack AllHipHop.com: Did that change your flow? KW: I rap real good through the wire I know that.

Renowned producer Kanye West is no stranger to the rap game. He knows rap lyrics very well, even appearing on 1999’s “What You Do To Me,” where he dumped a rhyme with the Infamous Syndicate (group consisting of Disturbing The Peace’s first lady Shawnna and now-Chicago DJ Teefa and). Not much to say about Kanye’s production and his talent as a producer, the works speak for themselves. After a near fatal accident that nearly took his life, Mr. West has bounced back and proved that adversity is something he can conquer. But why in the world does the super producer think his debut, College Dropout, is wack? The rapper/producer gives AllHipHop a lesson in double-talk. AllHipHop.com: Can you speak on the album and what exactly your fans and listeners going to get out of this album? KW: I mean just wack basically, just some bullsh*t! I tried my best. I focused on making it as wack as possible. A lot of hours went into it. Especially after the accident. I went in and recorded that wack ass song with my mouth wired shut. It had to be wack because the studio time for me to record it wasn’t even paid for. I had to say I was doing something else. I made the wack ass video with the performance shot in it. I just feel like its really wack because a lot of n*ggas rap about jerseys. What I’m doing is wack obviously because it hasn’t sold any records and it’s all based on record sales and your first week numbers. It’s not about whether or not people like the music and it catches on, it’s about how many spins you get. So you have to make a record that’s gonna get them spins. I haven’t got any spins so its wack. AllHipHop.com: Is there a lack of push? KW: I wouldn’t say that, I would say it’s just cause I’m wack. I just think it’s some wack sh*t, there’s not so many features on it and I’m a producer slash wack rapper. Put that on top of it, it’s like I’m swimming in wack juice. AllHipHop.com: You haven’t started to get some of the people you made beats for to lend a helping hand? KW: Nah, I heard this one rapper I was working on who was like…I’m wack, I’m wack, I’m wack, I’m wack, I’m wack! AllHipHop.com: What about maybe talking more about shooting people? KW: I don’t want to talk more about shooting people, I just want to be wack. I just want to talk about making it out of an accident and how I feel about that and my relationship with God. How I’m self conscious and how nobody will admit to that or how the temptations I have as a man, when really I should be pointing at myself instead of pointing at everybody else…basically I’m wack. AllHipHop.com: So how can we get rid of this wackness for you to get that push? KW: It’s like the people have to go and tell the labels…yo what he’s doing is not wack…..and I guess they haven’t done that yet cause it is wack, still today. Obvious everybody else is hot but I’m still wack. I’m sure after my album comes out, people might start saying that it’s not wack, but I’m not expecting people to say that, I’m expecting people to say that it’s wack. Once people say that, then I’ll be stupid enough to go out and find other wack sh*t to do. AllHipHop.com: We put you on a mixtape once……… KW: Don’t do that, don’t let them get into my rhymes or whatever. I just want to be wack. I said I don’t know what’s better, getting paid or getting laid. I just know when I’m getting one the other’s getting away. I said in an interview I don’t spit lines in convo’s and XXL gave me a "Negro Please." So what I’m saying must be wack. I said I’m not competing with producers, I’m competing with rappers. If I want to be a rapper it seems like just to me in my own wack mind, that’s what I should do, If I want to be a rapper. I want to mean something to the hip-hop community, but they gave me a "Negro Please" for that too so I guess that’s not what I should have been doing. I guess when I rap, I should try to fit into what ever style the artists are using and see how similar I can be to that. To try and be different and give my point of view to the world is wack, but I’m just cool being wack! AllHipHop.com: What about a boycott? Maybe we should boycott the magazines… KW: Nah I don’t want a boycott, I wouldn’t want anybody to lose money! AllHipHop.com: You losing money? KW: Nah I got a lot of money. I make a sh*t load of money, but not from rap though. I actually lose money trying to rap. If your wack and you try to rap of course your going to lose money…..put money to your wack ass video, your wack ass T-shirts, the wack ass logo you designed yourself, the concepts you came up with, your wack ass mixtapes? You’re gonna lose money, but hopefully it flips and it’s not wack anymore and you’ll make some of that money back. The greatest accomplishments of this year other than making beats for Britney Spears, Alicia Keys, working on Jigga’s album, 50 getting a beat and working with Dre, the greatest accomplishment is this artist from Germany gave me $10,000 to do a verse. I used to tell people "you’ll pay less right now, but you’ll see in a year from now you’ll have to pay more to get me to rap on it." Their like "whatever your wack" and now I charge more for a verse. Another stupid thing I did was I didn’t really go for any club […]

When Dr. Dre tests out his beats, he jumps in the whip and takes his sounds for a ride. While great music has always been associated with the move and the road, hip-hop is only recently stepping up to leave the block. One of the innovators in this world of motion is the Atlanta duo, the Youngbloodz. J-Bo and Sean Paul hit us with a hand-full of hits about driving, most notably, “85.” In addition to that, these two dudes really know how to flex their fuel injection in the videos. Reaching number one on the charts a couple weeks back, the ‘Bloodz chop it up with AllHipHop to talk about records, reviews, and rides. AllHipHop: I didn’t feel the album, and my review was kind of harsh. I loved Against Da Grain, and I do realize that I’m just a damn Hip-Hop writer. But can you help me understand the new album? Sean Paul: Man, we’re just laid back and crunk with it. We’re real comfortable where we at. We know we still got some songs that’ll get you crunk and everything. This album man, we done been through a whole bunch of s###, man. We remain partners through the whole s###, drinkin’ partners – just drinkin’, having a good time. J-Bo: Well for one, we just stepped it up: new situation. The album’s just hot, man. I don’t have a favorite song. It’s something you can ride to, dance to, kick to. I think the album is just universal. AllHipHop: Yeah, as far as tracks to ride to…”Lane 2 Lane” seemed like a sequel attempt to “85”. J-Bo: Actually, [it’s] “My Automobile.” We kinda figured that would be the new “85.” It’s produced by Mello out the group P.A. It just comes natural, kockin’ ‘em out. AllHipHop: First time I saw the Youngbloodz, it the “U-Way” video. I loved that video, it was fun, it was comical. It was great. What’s your input like on your videos? J-Bo: We just do us, man. We just be original. We just keep it us. We different. We wanna be able to stand-out. AllHipHop: How does it feel to hit number one so early? Sean Paul: It ain’t really kicked into me yet. It don’t really matter to me. I don’t look at the charts and all that s###. I just make music for folks to have a good time and party. AllHipHop: Why do heads love this album so much? Sean Paul: When we were younger man, it was that younger crowd that was f#####’ with us. We got a lil’ older now. Now we got these younger kids getting crunk again, nahmean? So when [we] came back and hit ‘em with another joint, we got a younger crowd [too.] AllHipHop: How did switching to So So Def affect you? Sean Paul: Actually, it helped me. [So So Def] unlocked a whole lotta s###, man. You gotta open that s###. You gotta be ready, man. I been blessed to [already] have an album that folks will [always] remember. And it’s only the second album. But me and J learned a whole lot more, you feel me? AllHipHop: I’m not trying to stick it to the South, believe me. But I love the Youngbloodz because you incorporate the roots of hip-hop into your sound. How do you pull that in? J-Bo: I’mma take you back to like Run-DMC days, man. And LL, and all them cats, man. Those are my influences. AllHipHop: What role does the Cadillac play in Southern hip-hop? Sean Paul: Cadillacs is the South, man. You see a brother drivin’ a Cadillac back in the day, you knew somebody was doing good. So we keep it Cadillac pimpin’ for real, man. AllHipHop: Nothin’ against the Lincoln though? Sean Paul: Nah nah, I love the stinkin’ Lincoln too. AllHipHop: I think you guys and Outkast got the best taste in your rides in the videos. What’s your roster lookin’ like now? J-Bo: I got a ’77 Sedan Deville. I got an SS. I’m on my way to get the new Escalade. But we be on the road so much, we don’t get to drive ‘em anyway. Just walk past ‘em walkin’ in, walkin’ out. Sean Paul: Got an ’87 Fleetwood, cocaine white. Got a ’59 Chevy, got a ’65 Pontiac. Old school, man! The Youngbloodz will be performing at The Source Awards next month.

The story of the Mafia has been told countless times. Brooklyn-based group founded by Notorious B.I.G. emerges to, not only back the legendary rapper, by to go on to gold and platinum success. Tragedy strikes. Group members regroup but some eventually splinter off. Neither B.I.G. and Kim nor are with the group any more. With the existing group, lead by Lil’ Cease, has been forced to fend for themselves when without The King of New York or The Queen Bee. The remaining members are aware of the public queries, but trust that the questions will be answered when they drop their next album. Will Junior M.A.F.I.A. hit the streets again and reign on top like they did in the early 90’s? Read on and you be the judge… AllHipHop.com: We seen the break-up of many different groups (Terror Squad, Hit Squad, N.W.A.) in these groups and many more the artist all embark on a solo career. Some of the members were successful some were not. What makes you think Junior M.A.F.I.A. will garner that same success without Lil Kim? Cease: Kim was the star, and this made her more visible so no one could really be seen. I feel everybody gets what they deserve, she was hungry and went off the buzz she got and rightfully so she deserved it. I would have done the same thing. However, I do feel she didn’t follow up with the success afterwards for the Mafia. But, we are still here all the original members from day one. She is doing her thing and we are doing ours. AllHipHop: What other releases can we expect or guest appearances from you? Cease: I did something on Bleek’s album (M.A.D.E.) The Mafia album is done and we are getting ready to flood the streets with “The best of the Mafia Mix-Tape”. The mix-tape will be all the stuff you never heard and some new s###. A lot of paper work had to be done over when we left Atlantic (Records). I had to sit back and learn the business, where the money goes and how it gets broken down. We out of the contract with Atlantic so we are free agents now. AllHipHop: I heard you on the State Property Album Vol. II on the song titled “Game”, how did that come about? Cease: One day Peedie Crack called me up and told me he was coming to Brooklyn so I went to pick him up and we went to my man Henny Loc house. We heard the beat and laid down some vocals to it. The next thing I know Peedie Crack calls me from Quad studio and said they wanted to buy the beat. It was all good, so Beanie Siegel and Young Chris jumped on the song and laid their vocals down.. With the Roc it’s some regular s###, no star studded s###. The Roc is like a 2nd home to me. Anything that is poppin’ they extend themselves to me and get me up on it. AllHipHop: So you aren’t signed? Where would you want to go? Cease: We are not currently signed to a label. As individuals we are doing separate projects. Chico got Lenox Hill Entertainment. I’m doing my thing making guest appearances. But, on the whole the Mafia is not signed to a label. We will sign with anybody who is trying to support a n####. I wouldn’t mind being on the Roc, Aftermath or Bleek’s label, Get Low Records. You can’t always get what you want. So I’m willing to roll with any label that is out there that is willing to market and promote me. Chico: Its up in the air. I’m going the independent routed on my own label called Lenoxx Hill Entertainment that will be distribute by Landspeed. If the negotiation is done right they will distribute my album. If not the album will be distribute through Avatar distribution. This will be done until The Mafia finds a home. AllHipHop: Chico, you currently have a single out? Is that correct? What is the single called? Chico: The lead single is called “Gangster Cuz” and is produced by “Baby Paul. It’s me Lil Cease and Banger on that one. AllHipHop: Cease, you’re on a song with Bleek that appears on his album. Tell me about that one? Cease: It’s called “I wouldn’t change a thing”. It’s me, Bleek and Geda K who is signed to Bleek’s label “Get Low Records”. The producer is some cat from Philly. I heard the beat with the chorus already in the song and I caught the vibe and laid down my vocals to it. So Bleek took it and put it on his album. AllHipHop: What producers can we expect to see on this upcoming album Chico? Chico: A lot of the producers are unknown but they that got hot material. My man Tone ( Da Grand), Jonathan, Teamsters (Busta, Xhibit, Biggie) based in Norfolk Virginia, Jack One, Ruthless Black…. AllHipHop: What is the most memorable moment that you had being in the presence of Biggie Smalls? Cease: That a hard one to answer because there is so many memorable moments with Biggie, I can’t just narrow it down to one particular one. Just knowing someone who was so real and good hearted. Big was just good person. He was a n#### who couldn’t drive but brought 4 or 5 cars so his people could drive. He didn’t know how to drive and didn’t have a license to drive. He showed the utmost love to everybody that came in his presence. If he loved you he showed you love. I never saw anybody do that. Today, it’s a remake of what Biggie did. So when you hear story of n####’s buying everything up for their peoples cause they got that from B.I. Chico: It’s crazy, the funniest s### that happen was when we were in North Carolina we got snowed in. Biggie said we should stay two extra days and […]