why did you record a song with Khia instead of your labelmate Trin.a for Thug hlatrimony? There's a path l've got to foltow, moves I've got to make. I tetl Trina to come on, but she don't
listen. 5o whenever she starts back listening, they'Lt get the Trick and Trina song. Do you consider your music
to be "real hiphog," Southern music, or both? I don't know what hip-hop music is. I just thought hip-hop meant "black." Personalty, betieve that anybody from across the wortd who listens to my music witt respect me as a man. There's att kinds of music out there that I
Your new album is more commercial than your previous albums. ls that the label's decision? I gave them 27 songs, and them the songs they setected. lmean, I'm pteased with the atbum. As Long as my toyal fans are Listening and they feet tike their money was wetl spent, it's good. Other than that, they can atways take it back.
Are there any particular songs gn this album that are mâ‚Źaningful or personal to you?
Al[ the songs are personat. I Like the chitdren's song, the one with me and Ron Istey, "Jump on the Dick," "4Eva," "Let's Go," att that shit. All my shit is personaL.
are pretty ly.ical. Being from the South, do you think they're respected a5 MCs? I atways think about that. lf they don't get their respect now, they witt, because me and other niggas are gonna continue to hoLd it down. Not onty that, but everybody reppin' atL over the worLd need to be stronger artists. There can't be no sixth man rappin'. l'm tired of these onehit wonders. We need sotid shit. I can't wait to hear the Geto Boys back together, l'm waitin' on that atbum to come out. 'Face is the original G, the first one I heard puttjng the South on the map. I feeL tike I known him since he was a baby, and I wasn't even born yet. Feet me?
selts. You've got pop, rock, and R&8. And some
rap music is twisted up with R&8, and that's some shit we started doing in the South: taking the old songs and remaking them. They're do" ing a tot of sampting now, and that's working. Times done changed. But, my music witt never be considered as just hip-hop. l've got hjp-hop songs on my atbum, if that's what they want to calL it, and l've atso got some btues on there. Blues is
just tatkin' about probLems.
Do you feel like the Miami radio stations are supportive enough of thel'r own artists? I think they are. They've supported me, Trina, Pitbutl, Jacki-o, Dirtbag, Luke, and Do-Wrong. Some people forgot that it's njggas Uke Luke and Disco Rick that first started setling ptatinum records in Miami. Luke got long money. They coutd say whatever they want about Luke, that he broke or whatever, but Luke did some touring for years. Touring is where the money
at. I never djd touring. lvly money ain't shit compared to the money Luke and Disco Rick
got, and look at the doors they opened for me and other muthafuckers around here.
Why don't you tour? You don't like being on
the road?
Nah, they just don't be wantinq
to pay me.
Since you've worked with 5() many artists, is there one collabo you enjoyed the most? Itiked working with Mystikat, and me and JT [Money] made a lot of good hits in our days. Me and Luke got a tot of good memories together. I worked wjth Baby, and I did songs with Pac. That song with me and T.l. and Lil' Wayne was gangsta. It's a tot of people I enjoyed workin'with, from Trina to Pit. I can't even name 'em al[. I woutd tike to get a Neptunes track, l'd tike to work with Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop, Daz, and Kurupt, att them niggas represent the West coast. Kanye West, Twista, Netty & the St. Lunatics representing the Midwest. Juvenite and his ctique - altthose peopte I named, I woutd tike to work with them if I haven't already. These are the peopte l'm feelin' right now that got hot albums out: me, of course, Lit Wayne, Il., and I tove the B.G, atbum. I wanna get B.G. signed to my tabet. l'lt probabty go back and get Mia X, too. Da Brat did her thing and I tistened to MC Lyte back in the days, but other than that, between Mia X and Foxy, I don't think no hoes ever came across on a record that strong.
All of the Southern artists you just mentioned
Anything else you want to ray? Niggas' main probtem is that they don't know who they are. lf you don't know who you are and where you come from, how the helt are you gonna know where you going? I know what I am and what I represent: atL the reat niggas. Fuck niggas atways gon'be fuck niggas, they have been att my tife, If you don't know me, just know this: l'm 'bout a tot of things, but I ain't 'bout that buttshit. I been everywhere but the etectric chair and seen everything but the wind. I'm a diehard Miami Dotphins fan. Fuck Ricky MLtiams. My Miami Heat, we'tt see y'al[ jn the muthafuckin'championship. The Hurricanes are a tit' shaky this year with some softass linebackers, but we'l[ make it. And atways remember: l'm the muthafuckin' Dade County major, the don dada of the Dunk Ryders, bitch! What do you think of OZONE? I think you gonna make some money this year.
We're done. How did you like the interview? It wasn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be. You must have written those questions especiatty for me.
I I
23'.