Pedro Mojica: How do you plan to implement your authentic sound to the younger generation? A lot of my colleagues are not trying to refresh themselves. See what’s going on, do you but be current. People always ask me how I stay so relevant. I stay around rappers. I also stay around music. I got XM radio. I listen to satellite radio. This is my life. Even though I’m a father, no matter what I’m gonna always be Hip Hop. If you’re an emcee how you move or how you talk is gonna always be Hip Hop. I’m not the one who’ll turn stuff off and be like “I hate this music”. My kids like this music. This is not my era. All you gotta do is do you. You can’t compete with these young people or do what they’re doing. It’s just that simple. Sade proved it. Raekwon proved it. Maxwell proved it. The list goes on and on. These are people who kept it real with themselves. If you can’t do that then you can’t be here because you’ll look foolish and you won’t win. People my age still wanna hear rap. They still wanna hear R&B but nobody’s making what they wanna hear. We’re the consumers. I’m the one who gives my sons and daughters the money to go out and buy records. I want something to buy too. That’s why Sade sells so many records. The mainstream has got so many people confused. You think that everybody’s listening to what’s playing on radio but they’re not. Go and ask the person next to
you when was the last time they brought an album. Whose record did they buy? They play old music. It’s a mirage out there. Earlier this year I put out the Breath of Fresh Air mixtape that was just a warm-up for me to get ready and come through. The Jimi Hendrix joint [“A Way Out”]speaks on what we as a people are trying to do. It could be finding a way out of a relationship, your struggle, your house or your job. With me it was the things I was doing to even get a heart attack. It got a huge response from the women. You know you’re gonna get the Swizz [Beatz] party record. I had to put that out there before putting out anything else. Once the audiences’ ears are open they have to listen. You gotta plan your moves carefully so that you won’t be out there looking crazy. You gotta play the game somehow. Play the game your way so that you can get stuff done the way you want to. Pedro Mojica: Do you feel like you’ve been given a second chance? I know what my purpose is now. I’ve got to change music somehow. I’m not taking anything away from anybody but that is an important language. You have memories from where you were when you heard certain records. A song can make you feel a certain way. You can’t do nothing without music. No commercials are coming on. When you’re at the dentist office or the airport you’ve gotta have sound. It’s not going anywhere. I need to start a wave of getting balance. I look forward to a new beginning. Hip Hop is still young. Who’s writing the next chapter after the strip club?