In the movies, mobsters cut off the pinky ring, with the finger still attached, of their nemesis and give it to the Boss as proof that the task at hand has been dealt with. In Hip-Hop, the infamous medallions known as bling that represents the “family” the said rapper is a part of seems to be the price to pay these days. Bay area rapper, Yukmouth is the most recent rapper to become of victim of this seemingly rampant occurrence. Stealing rappers shine seems to be more symbolic than about the actual bling itself, but is it worth its weight in platinum? Just ask Yukmouth.
But on second thought, Yukmouth has adored beef most of his solo career. From Game and 50, to Snoop and Daz, to Master P and Ja Rule, Yuk’s solo career hasn’t been driven by the passive pot-head we met on “I Got Five On It.” As he discusses 50’s snitching, Spyda’s cowardice, and his own sound-alike 50 Cent artist to AllHipHop.com, you decide. Undoubtedly, Yukmouth is the self-proclaimed “real ass n***a” he certifies, but is his role in the music keeping it moving, or pushing soap opera theatrics?
AllHipHop.com: So you want to start off by responding to a recent situation, what happened?
Yukmouth: Yeah the little Spyda Loc ass situation where the n***a snatched my chain and s**t.
AllHipHop.com: Where were y’all?
Yukmouth: At this nightclub in Hollywood, at some f**king little industry party and s**t.
AllHipHop.com: Why did he do it are you guys beefing?
Yukmouth: I ain’t got no beef with that n***a! I got beef with 50 so that’s his boss, know what I mean, so he approached me in the club, him and seven of his homies. I’m by myself, all my ice on, I don’t roll with security, ‘cause I’m a real n***a. So I’m all by myself, ya know and they come surround a n***a, sucka punch me, snatch my chain and run out the club. One of those n***as pulled out a gun to back up security and anybody else who was gonna help and them n***as just ran out the club just that fast. Know what I mean, seven n***as put a scratch on my nose, it don’t even look like I got touched. The very next morning I called one of my L. A. boss n***as that knows dude, and I got my chain back so I mean if I wasn’t a boss n***a, I would’ve never got my s**t back, period.
AllHipHop.com: So what did all that prove?
Yukmouth: I mean dud did it as a publicity stunt, otherwise he wouldn’t have been at the jewelry store taking pictures the next day before my homie came and got the chain back. Then the n***a talking all this s**t that I came to get the chain back and all that. I ain’t never see the n***a again after that I sent my n***a to get the chain back. Whatever him and my homie discussed, and how my homie got the chain back, that’s on that. I never seen him, I never gave the n***a no money, my homie never gave him no money period, so that’s bulls**t.
AllHipHop.com: So what if you were to see him now after this?
Yukmouth: It’s gonna be the same thing. The same way he jumped me and took my chain, we jumping him and takin his s**t.
AllHipHop.com: Okay, so where does it all stop?
Yukmouth: Right now, it ain’t no stopping. Man, them n***as done pressed the wrong button. First, it was on some lyrical s**t. Now they done took it to the next level s**t, so it’s all out war. He won that battle, but the war is on. I mean just to get it out there; I did squash my beef with Game. Game and me got on the phone and literally squashed our s**t, feel me? So I know when the n***a see Game in the street, he’s not gonna approach him with that s**t. Game is s**tting on 50 right now, so I know when he see Game at the studio or wherever, right now he’s not gonna try that s**t. That’s how I know it was just a publicity stunt, he was just on some, “Oh you got beef with 50?” s**t.
AllHipHop.com: It’s old news, but why exactly do you have beef with 50?
Yukmouth: The whole thing is the n***a snitching, man. [He] getting n***as locked up. N***as that’s affiliated with my camp and that’s all I’m gonna say. That snitching and informing s**t is just getting to out of hand. Now you can rap about Ja Rule, and s**t on Ja-Rule. You can rap about Fat Joe and Jada and s**t on them, that’s cool. But when you start getting on TV saying s**t about n***as start their labels with dope money then that’s when it becomes a problem. You a snitch!
AllHipHop.com: What was it that made you and Game want to end your beef?
Yuk- He started a group with my homeboy Eastwood, they the MOB [group name]. I f**k with Eastwood real tough so when he linked up with Game, he instantly put dude on speakerphone and Game was like, “Man lets get this money, let’s end this s**t and get some money.”
AllHipHop.com: We’re talking a lot of beef here. Were you at Snoop’s Peace Conference?
Yukmouth: I mean that West Coast Peace Conference… I was supposed to be there, but I was in Texas, so I sent some of my homies.
AllHipHop.com: How do you weigh in on the 50 vs. Game beef?
Yukmouth: Motherf**kers backed him into a corner so he had to come out swinging. [50] saying, “Your LP is my EP,” I mean it was so much s**t he said trying to discredit the n***as album.
AllHipHop.com: Well, true talent will always speak for itself but is anyone concerned with the spillage in the streets as far as people taking sides?
Yukmouth: This motherf**ker had Bang Em Up Smurf, all types of n***as that was down for him, and put them n***s to the side, so what makes you think he gives a f**k about you? And these are n***as he came up with that, he kicked to the curb. He signed Spyda Loc so he could have some West coast gangstas on his side since he be on the West coast a lot. So he feels like he can walk freely cause he got all kinds of West coast gang bangers on his team and Spyda Loc is one of em. He got these n***as against their own West coast n***as, and it don’t make no sense. At the end of the day, this n***a gonna be safe in Connecticut and West coast n***as gonna be at each others throat up in the club.
AllHipHop.com: You know one thing I find interesting is while everybody is so busy riding for each other, Dre never get’s involved and no one ever goes after him, is that more respect or fear do you think?
Yukmouth: I think Dre plays a neutral side and I respect that. He just remains the producer because if Dre had anything to do with it, Game and 50 would never beef. So I’d say it’s out of his hands cause 50’s cocky like that. He thinks he’s bigger than Dre ‘cause he was on Funkmaster Flex talking ‘bout, “If Dre got a problem with it, then my next album is a double album and I’m off that [label].”
AllHipHop.com: So let’s not put any more shine on all that craziness…
Yukmouth: Yeah, let’s talk about some positive s**t like my new mixtape “All Out War Vol. 2,” it’s off the hook!
AllHipHop.com: Who’s on it?
Yukmouth: Jay-Z, Kanye West, Scarface, some of everybody. It’ll be out June 21’s it’s gonna be bananas.
AllHipHop.com: You also have two labels with some new artists dropping, talk about that.
Yukmouth: Yes, I got Godzilla Entertainment and Smoke-a Lot records. I have my artist from New Orleans, Young Scrilla. I got Gonzo out of Los Angeles, he use to be with Kausion, Ice Cube’s group. There’s my white artist Young Drew from the Bay, that n***a spits fire. I got my dude Mark Sheist for D.C. who sounds dead on 50 Cent, but there’s a market for that so ya know, and of course, The Regime my crew.
AllHipHop.com: Are you stepping more into the CEO role vs. artist?
Yukmouth: I’m CEO of the top first, and I’ll do my little rap thing too to finish up my time with Rap-A-Lot. I’m always gonna be the CEO behind the scenes and rap when I need to, but it’s time for me to let my artists shine. Put people out and put people on.
AllHipHop.com: What else you got on your plate strictly music?
Yukmouth: Oh no, look for my p#### movie coming out from Heatwave Productions called Big Booty Style, ya know, I’m doing my Lil’ Jon thang.
AllHipHop.com: Are you in it?
Yukmouth: Yes, I’m in it. But I’m not f**king in it. [laughter] It’s my movie I’m hosting in it. I’m still a married man.
AllHipHop.com: So at the end of the day what do you want people to know and/or understand about Yukmouth the man?
Yukmouth: That I’m a real n***a, man. I don’t need a thousand security guards to go out, I still wear 20-30 thousand dollars in ice, and I still wish a motherf**ka would. I got caught slipping that night, but anybody in my situation with seven n####’s and one with a gun would’ve done the same thing. I’m real ass n***a and I’m a businessman whose reach spans across the ghettos of America.