Although Twista is still signed to Atlantic Records, mogul Dame Dash is aggressively courting the Chi-town rapper in an attempt to sign him to Roc-A-Fella. “I’m trying to get Twista officially and unofficially – you can print that,” Dash said to AllHipHop.com.
Twista appears on Jay-Z’s Blueprint 2 track “Poppin Tags,” with OutKast’s Big Boi and Killer Mike, and Dash’s “Paid In Full” album. Rumors have run rampant since Dash’s “We Are The Champions” was leaked to the streets and internet.
Nevertheless, a representative for Atlantic records confirmed that Twista was still an artist on the label without offering a formal statement at press time.
Twista’s 1991 album Runnin’ Off At Da Mouth [then known as Tung Twista] and 1999’s Adrenaline Rush were met with critical and underground acclaim. The Chicago pioneer has continued to record independent albums with his Legit Ballin’ imprint.
Similar to the way he wrenched MOP away from Columbia Records, Dash insisted that Twista would prove an invaluable extension to his blossoming roster.
“My crew is together and to add him, it would be sick,” Dash continued. “No one can rap faster than him. “All those artist that nobody can figure out [how to make successful], we mesh together.”
When pursuing an artist Dash said the quality of the composition and lyrics is the bottom line and then he expounds with his own brand of business savvy.
“[Twista] makes good music. I see that [potential] in everyone that I am down with. People can’t always see my angle so I have to bring it to you. I have to do that for all my artists. No one can yell better than MOP, you know? Everyone is the best at what they do.”
“I went after MOP heavy for 5 year. I just want the best of everything. And, if you notice, when I first got with Jay, nobody was f**kin’ with Jay. Nobody was giving him the opportunity. I never could understand why and the same thing with Cam’Ron,” he continued.
Sean “Puffy” Combs was unable to wrestle Twista from the clutches of Atlantic Records, and his talks with the wordsmith ended when the Bad Boy CEO went through his legal drama.
Just last month, in an interview with AllHipHop.com, Twista said he was satisfied with Atlantic and that the two resolved their differences.
“We was trying to work it out but they wasn’t willing to let me go, they wanted to show me they can really put it down,” he said. “…I just sat back down with Atlantic and started ironing things out.”
But, unlike Puff, Dash said, “I can do anything, B.” and that hopes the future will have Twista signing to Roc-A-Fella Records.
“I make sense and I’m a good person. Good, thorough people – if I can find them, because I don’t see too many around – Soon as I see one, I go after them hard. And God makes it happen. If it’s right it will happen. If it ain’t right, it won’t happen.
