Cormega isn’t the type
to let obstacles slow him down. From being shelved on a major label, to releasing
two albums that he feels were not promoted properly, the Queens Bridge bred
rapper maintains a positive attitude. Cormega reveals the true meaning of hard
work, diligence and maturity.
AllHipHop.com: What’s
going on?
Cormega: I’m just recording
right now. I’m knocking out the new album Urban Legend. I’m in the
studio right now knocking out songs for that and I’m working on 2 things
at the same time. I’m working on the "Ayatollah-Comega" EP and
I’m working on the "Urban Legend" album. The Urban Legend is
going to be more like the "Realness" album. My last album the "True
Meaning," I wanted to challenge the critics. When I made the Realness,
people was like that’s a dope album,all you talk about is the streets.
Basically saying anybody can talk about the streets. The last album I was trying
to grow, I was talking about issues in the world and such. The new album is
going to be more street than the last album. I got production from Juju from
the Beatnuts and DR Period is suppose to work with me. I’m trying to what’s
the deal with him right now.
AllHipHop.com: What was the
feed back on the last one from your perspective – What did you get out of people?
Cormega: The last album
I was happy with the feed back I got. My biggest thing with that album was the
sophomore jinx. A lot of people make a dope album and then next one is wack.
A lot of people agree that it was a dope follow up album.
AllHipHop.com: You seem to
stay out of the lime light. What are you up?
Cormega: My life changed
in November, cause I had a daughter. Ever since I had my daughter I really haven’t
been really doing anything. I’ve been in the "father mode." I’ve
been at home a lot, but it’s like I don’t care about the industry,I
just want to be a regular dud. I’m living better than I ever lived. So
I just want to enjoy life. I got a house so I do house things, I wash my Jeep,
I play Playstation, walk my dog, regular stuff. Right now I’m working on
putting a basketball court up, a pool.…I’m trying to make my crib
dope, and I just go to the studio…
AllHipHop.com: The ghetto
gold money is kinda good then?
Cormega: Yeah. I’m
glad I’m independent because if you look at the industry now, except for
the 50 cent situation, that’s the only situation…. like Eminem, 50
Cent and DR Dre, they’re gonna sell their records but a lot of labels are
struggling right now. They don’t know what to do, cause they don’t
know whether to go back to the street now cause of 50’s success. I’m
glad I’m not on the majors. Then you got labels like Def Jam – look at
the Foxxy Brown situation – there’s no reason that they should be sh*tting
on Foxxy like that.
AllHipHop.com: That’s
an ugly situation too.
Cormega: That’s why
I may not ever go on the majors again. I mean I was on that label and I was
on the shelf like I was garbage, like I was wack or something. They don’t
care about the artist, they don’t care about they art, they just care about
the buck. I can’t see myself being successful on a major label.
AllHipHop.com: Do you ever
harbor any bitterness towards the industry – I mean really what happened to
you was pretty sad, all in all when people look at the whole situation.
Cormega: I laugh at the
industry. To be honest, it’s like my life is a book, everybody’s life
is a book. Everything that happens to me I guess was suppose to happen but for
real, I seriously laugh at the industry. Look at me. I was on the shelf for
4 years, got out of the situation, put out an entertaining album, sold 100,000
copies, then I put out another entertaining album in under a year and that sh*t
shipped 100,000. Come on. That’s not making me look like a d*ck and mind
you no disrespect, but my promotion was terrible on both of my albums, The Realness
and The True Meaning, so for me to do those kind of numbers right there? You
a rapper and say your coming out with an album next month. You want to holla
at people and they don’t want to do no song with you. Next thing you know
your sh*t blow up and your phone gonna be ringing off the hook. That goes back
to the question you asked about being real low key. I don’t like being
around industry people because they are is phony, every party – how you doing
and the fake hug, what’s going on- take my number- here – here… I’m
not dealing with all of that, I’m cool.
AllHipHop.coM: What’s
your take on the beef situation? Chris Lighty and you aren’t getting along
and it’s getting kind extra real in the industry right now, especially
about the Violator situation with there office being shot up so much, I mean
2 times?
Cormega: I can’t even
comment on Violator because I don’t even know what’s going on. I know
Chris Lighty brings a lot of problems on himself. That’s why DMX punched
him in the mouth that time, cause he talking about DMX. You go somewhere and
you got you girl with you or one of your homeboys with you and then he don’t
know that’s your friend and he sit there sh*tting on you right in front
of your friend. That’s how that situation happen so…. Chris has always
been that type of person. The beef in rap is disgusting, I think it’s degrading
right now. You got Busta Rhymes dissin people and he suppose to be above the
game. He’s supposed to have humility. I’m not making no beef records
come on, that sh*t is played out and it’s getting too personal because
I think somebody is gonna get hurt.
AllHipHop.com: Speaking on
that – one of the things that really shocked me a little bit was JA Rule’s
dis, he called out Eminem’s kid and that’s happened before, I think
even Benzino did that. Being that you are a new father, what’s your view
on people calling out kids on their records and things like that?
Cormega: If you are a parent
you gotta have more restraints with your words. If you are a parent you should
be a ashamed with yourself. I didn’t have no daughter last year, so I don’t
know if I would’ve went that far to dis somebody’s kid. The way I
feel right now I would never disrespect nobody’s child and if I ever did
before please forgive me, cause I love the hell out of my daughter. It’s
like your kid is a total different entity from you. If I’m a scum bag,
like if I’m a piece of sh*t, no matter what you did in your life, everybody
wants their child life to be better that theirs was. I don’t ever want
my child to be ever disrespected or hurt or go through any of the stuff I went
through. Somebody have to show respect, that’s why I don’t respect
Russell Simmons. You would get on TV and tell people to boycott Pepsi, but aint
telling motherf*ckers to fall back. People listen to him, but that n*gga is
a clown to me. He’s like Ronald McDonald is to McDonalds, like Ronald McDonald
don’t eat the French fries, he’s just that face out there. Somebody
like him, somebody big like him is suppose to step up to motherf*ckers step
to both sides and just try to dead that sh*t.
AllHipHop.com: I think he
actually tried to do that with Murder Inc and Chris Lighty, it just didn’t
work.
Cormega: Well if he did
then pardon me for my statement then.
AllHipHop.com: I think Russell
is a little tired of it, he did it before with Beanie and Jada and then this,
(that’s what I heard at least).
Cormega: Right now…see
the movie CB4…That’s what it’s like. The most worst thing about
rap music is creditability means so much as far as the artist’s success,
certain people can’t just fallback.
AllHipHop.com: You seem like
you have matured a lot since your last 2 albums – cause you were the man going
at Nas at one point.
Cormega: We have our differences
at the end of the day, like anything I do isn’t dictated or predicted off
record sales. Let me tell you about the industry. When a major label artist
comes out, the first thing they worry about is Billboard. They are reading the
magazine the first week, seeing how they sh*t did, If they didn’t do this
amount of numbers they product is a failure that’s not what my life is
based on. Me and son had our differences. I wasn’t doing that like "oh
let me dis a dude, let me get record sales." We had legitimate differences,
but there comes a time when you get tired of that sh*t. I don’t want to
keep beefing, I couldn’t keep beefing with Nas cause for one – like it
or not I’m a realist I deal with reality – Nas is one of the greatest rappers
of this era; so for me constantly sit here and dis him, I’m going to be
the one looking like a fool. It’s so much politics. He can make a record
dissing me and they’ll play it on the radio but my sh*t aint gonna get
played. That don’t pay if they don’t play my record. So I deal with
the reality. The odds are stacked against me. I’m not gonna go against.
I don’t want my career to be based on my differences with that dude. His
career is solidified, his place in greatness is already engraved, so I’m
not in not position to challenge greatness. I don’t feel like I accomplish
anything yet. I just got two albums out, so I just want people to respect me
as an artist as opposed to trying to live off the strength of some beef.
AllHipHop.com: At one point
it seemed liked the whole Queens Bridge was like mad unified and now it seems
like it’s not.
Cormega: Let me be real
with you, Queens Bridge was never unified, history will show you that. People
in Queens Bridge used Esco as a crutch, like every n*gga that come out of Queens
Bridge, they wanted to do a record with that n*gga out the gate. They’ve
always been bullsh*t in Queens Bridge back stabbing, back talking, etc,etc….always
been like that and it always is gonna be like that because it’s too competitive.
It’s like being on a basketball team when you have a whole bunch of all
stars, somebody’s not gonna get run. If Queens Bridge was nice we would
probably been on the 4th or 5th installment QB albums.
AllHipHop.com: Have you …
I don’t want to say outgrown QB but you have said a couple of times that
this is not Queens Bridge album. Mentally are you in a different space?
Cormega: All of the above
that you have said. First of all, music isn’t made to be contained. Music
is like oxygen, music is like air, that sh*t could go anywhere. When you see
me, you already know I represent Queens Bridge. I don’t scream Queens Bridge.
If you listen to every new motherf*cker that’s from Queens Bridge, it’s
like they f###### trying to live off the hype of Queens Bridge, or they trying
to make a brand out of it, you can’t do that. So I don’t scream QB.
My music is a reflection of the struggles I’m going through in the hood.
There’s people in New Jersey going through the same struggle, California.
Etc.etc…I don’t want to be stereotyped as just a QB artist. I am a
worldly person. I don’t live in the projects right now. I got a house and
I’ve had a house for years. I don’t try to floss. I got everything
it the world I could want. I got platinum Rolex. I don’t care about that
sh*t. When I wanted things I didn’t have them. Now I am not that cosmetic.
I don’t care about stuff. All I care about is my family, my friends and
God. Man I got everything I want. I had the H2 before everybody. I got other
vehicles, I got like 4 cars. I don’t even wear jewelry or nothing. I got
it but I don’t even wear it.
AllHipHop.com: For all those
youth that are trying to get into the game, what advice would you have for them
from your perspective because you have a unique perspective on what they should
do to get in the game or to even just succeed as an artist, maybe not even get
in the game?
Cormega: To succeed as an
artist I think you should stay true to your belief, to your style and don’t
let nobody try to change you. That’s one of a lot of people down falls.
Labels will try to change you. Stay doing what you do and just be dedicated.
This is not easy work. Don’t think once you make a record your whole life
changes and everything is laid out for you because it takes work to get anywhere.