A
side from you and a handful of other people, there’s not many artists that have come out of the Carolinas. Why do you think that is? Because a lot of artists ain’t really applied themselves to be great. A lot of people get in the game but they don’t push themselves as hard as they should. Anybody could come out sounding like everybody else, but that ain’t what they’re looking for. That ain’t what the world needs. The world already got a Petey Pablo, a Jay-Z, a 50 Cent. You’ve got to come out and create your own sound. A lot of people don’t do that. A lot of people just follow the format instead of going against the grain. Do you think the Carolinas have the potential to break through and create their own regional sound, in the same way that Florida is known for bass music, Memphis and Atlanta are known for crunk music, and Houston is known for screwed and chopped? Exactly. I mean, you could look at all the artists that did come out of the Carolinas. Nobody sounds like Petey Pablo. Okay, you might got some people that try to sound like Petey Pablo, but when Petey Pablo came out he sounded like Petey Pablo. There was some comparisons with Mystikal, but they always do that. Once you got a feel to me, nobody sounds like Petey Pablo. Nobody sounds like Jodeci. Dru Hill tried, but still, nobody sounds like Jodeci. People may try to sound like Fantasia, but nobody sounds like Fantasia. Nobody sounds like Anthony Hamilton. Yeah, we’ve got our own sound. The Carolinas, we have our own style. It seems like you usually take a couple years to drop an album. Is that because of the record label, or do you just need time creatively? Of course that’s a label situation, sweetheart. I got over 300 fuckin’ songs, hot as a muthafucker, but for some strange reason muthafuckers just want to not open the lane for me. Just to give you a reference – with Jive, it’s like, I know there’s another way to go but they’ll insist on putting me in the car with a driver. They never just let me drive. Let me drive, and I’ll get to wherever the fuck I’m tryin’ to get to. I’m telling the driver the right way to go, and he’s going another direction even though I know it’s gonna be traffic. Why y’all keep bullshitting and fuckin’ me over and holding me back? I don’t know what the hell it is. So are you still signed to Jive or are you signed to Death Row? I’m still Jive affiliated. Do you think Jive just didn’t know how to promote you as a Southern rap artist? You cant really say Jive don’t know how to handle an artist, cause it isn’t Jive handling it. It’s the people that Jive had working for them. As far as the people that work for that label, there’s good people there and bad people there. I’m not gonna call it a fault, I guess it’s just a misfortune that for the most part, the music just did what it did. There was nothing extra that they put behind the music. If you look at the roster they had over there, I mean, shit, Britney [Spears] was the biggest artist. Where’s Britney now? N’Sync was their biggest group. Where the fuck is N’Sync now? Fuckin’ Blackstreet, where they fuck are they? You’ve got all these big people that was affiliated with this label, but where the fuck did they end up? There’s no music coming out from Jive right now besides R Kelly, and that’s cause he got his own shit. How did you and Suge Knight originally meet? God put us together.
Considering the impact that Tupac had on the world, not only in music, how can you fill those shoes? How do you intend to have the same impact? Because I was born a leader. I was born to be in this position. Everything that happens, happens because it was God’s will and God has a reason for everything. I have often sat around, just questioning what really brought me here. Then I had to realize that I can’t hold onto that thought. I can’t dwell on that thought. I have to let go and let God. Whatever is God’s will, I want his will to be done. Many people would be surprised to hear you say that, because they only know of you from “Raise Up” and “Freek-A-Leek.” How does your belief in God fit into your music? The songs that most people have heard from me, those weren’t really the songs that I would’ve went with. My talent is my talent, you know what I mean? We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. So I’m not gonna say that I’m not a hypocrite, but no means, shape, form, or fashion. At the same time, although my music may seem crazy or graphic at times, I’m not worshipping the devil or saying anything derogatory to Christianity. With “Freek-A-Leek,” let the truth be told, there’s plenty of Christians that go home from church with their people and freek-a-leek or do whatever they do. So I’m not saying that I live my life completely right, but I’m striving every day to become the man that God wants me to be. I’m a prophet. I couldn’t have a voice if it wasn’t for God. I couldn’t have a talent unless it was God’s will for me to have this talent. Whatever I have to do, I thank God for it, even if it’s putting out a song like “Freek-A-Leek.” Suge seems to have a lot of enemies. By you being so closely affiliated with Suge now, do you inherit his beef? A man can’t inherit somebody else’s beef unless that individual accepts that man’s beef. That man don’t really have no beef with nobody. I mean, everybody thinks he does, but that man don’t have no beef. Some people might dislike him or be intimidated by him or afraid of him, but don’t nobody got no beef with Suge. Suge don’t have beef with nobody, so there’s no beef to be inherited. But I am with Death Row. As far as all the rumors, if we cool, we cool. If we ain’t, we ain’t. If there’s a problem, it will be handled. Be cool, it’s too much effort to resist. The world is big enough for all of us. Everybody has their time. Move out of the way cause it’s my time. Was the song “Suge Got Shot” directed at anyone in particular? The name of that song is “Forensics.” I think that song spoke for itself. That song says, everybody there was a suspect. I hate to say it, but it is what it is. What do you think of the police theory that Suge shot himself? How dumb is that? How dumb would it be for Suge to have a gun on him? Were you with him that night at the club when he got shot? Yup. Right with him. So what exactly happened? What did you see? Shit, we was having fun. Drinking and shit. Pow! Somebody shot him. How did you react? I ain’t no bitch. Real niggas just handle the situation. We was just waiting for the ambulance to get there.
Okay. Why do you think you clicked together so well? Suge is my big brother. With all the criticism that’s been leveled at Death Row, since they really haven’t released any music in years besides Tupac’s postmortem stuff, were you worried about your project being delayed and shelved like Crooked I’s? Are you crazy? As hot as this shit is, are you crazy? Can you really be serious? As hard as this shit is… I’m sorry to say that I really don’t know the research or the story behind Crooked I. But if you listen to Suge, Suge will tell you himself that since Tupac Shakur there hasn’t been an individual that has struck an interest in him or put the feeling into him the way I have. I felt that was an honor for him to even say that. I mean, shit. It is what it is. Ain’t no way in hell my album ain’t coming out. The only way my album won’t come out is if God sends a 9/11 Katrina tsunami to the whole world. Suge comparing you to Tupac gives you pretty big shoes to fill. Big shoes for a dude with a little foot, yes ma’am. OZONE
39