Last week, Beanie Sigel’s mother indicated to AllHipHop.com that State Property was now defunct. According to her statement, the majority of the crew cared less about Beanie and haven’t reached out since he was jailed. Visits were few, aside from Oschino, and with the Dame/Jay division, there’s no future in frontin’.
In addition to catching up with Oschino, AllHipHop.com also got Sparks – days after Ms. Brown’s comments. Naturally, the Philly native had some opposing things to say about her perception, as well as the image behind State Property. Check in with Sparks’ new interests, in addition to a discussion of what really happened with the album and group. Afterwards, check out our brand new Oschino feature to match. For five years, these guys were lumped together. After these two AllHipHop.com features, you’ll definitely know who’s who.
AllHipHop.com: Beans mom has made some comments about their being a lack of loyalty
as far as State Prop…
Sparks: Right off top, ain’t nobody say nothing to me. All the messages are being passed through the media. I don’t know what’s going on, but it ain’t my style!
AllHipHop.com:How did you end up finding out about the break-up?
Sparks: Through the media. Nobody ain’t say nothing to me. I’m in the same hood, I got the same number and everything. I heard that we were supposed to be suspended from the
group. I don’t get that, [it’s] like we students.
AllHipHop.com: Who is supposed to be suspended?
Sparks: They said State Property as a group was suspended, put on hold till
further notice; til’ Beans come home. And I didn’t get that because I
didn’t sign anything that say that, all I signed was a contract to
Roc-A-Fella. Jay-Z signed me, you know what I’m sayin’? I got myself
signed through rappin’ and Jay-Z signed me up. State Property was just
a movie that I co-starred in, which they started promoting. We were
all groups: O & Sparks, Young Gunz, Crakk, Beans and Freeway. Once we
shot the movie, they branded it. The movie launched off the group
thing, the clothing line, we got branded. We was promoting it through
word of mouth. Contractually wasn’t nobody tied to the group. So we’re
riding on the strength of Philly. But that was that.
AllHipHop.com: So other than Oschino, you didn’t know anybody else on State Property
while you were in Philly?
Sparks: Yeah, I knew Neef. He was a young guy coming up, but I knew his
brother. So we was bonded through that. We talk to each other, but
other than that, we was like co-workers. So the “family” thing was
like a marketing thing.
AllHipHop.com: So this whole notion that you’re supposed to be indebted to Beanie…
Sparks: That was nonsense, that ain’t cool, you know what I’m sayin’? I mean,
I know him, he a good rapper, we from Philly, so we ridin’. But we all
come from different sides of the city. So we came through as Jay’s
artists [and] knowing we all from Philly, let’s get money together! Other
than that, it was business. But other than that we was just labelmates. Some of us is cool, but it ain’t got s**t to do with the music.
Anybody I was f**kin’ with don’t stop or start with the label.
AllHipHop.com: Okay, let’s move on to the group. Obviously you were always Oschino & Sparks, and you guys were a fourth of State Property. Where did the whole jump to being a solo artist come from?
Sparks: We not like… we finished an album together, so right now he doing solo projects. But the album we got together is in the clip, so right now we just focusing on solo things.
AllHipHop.com: Did the whole situation with Roc-A-Fella affect your relationship with Oschino at all?
Sparks: Yeah, so this what’s going on. It’s just like, me and O – we know each other, we go way back. And it’s like, you grow up and you start understanding the business, and you start looking at what’s lucrative to you. At the end of the day, how can we make money? And you gotta see eye to eye. It’s like a family member. It’s like mixing business with pleasure. So he doing him. O my man, I just seen O a couple days ago. It ain’t no bad blood there. It is what it is.
AllHipHop.com: What’s your future decision between Jay and Dame look like?
Sparks: I don’t wanna rub nobody the wrong way. I don’t know what’s going on. Me and Dame got a relationship; me and Hov got a relationship. So me, I’m just neutral; whoever got the best business, holla! ‘Cause I’m looking for what’s gonna help me get my career.
AllHipHop.com: I know Oschino has a mixtape coming, what’s good for you Sparks?
Sparks: Right now, my situation’s cool. This is what I’m doing, this what I’m doing: the movie comin’. So I’m attacking the mixtapes. I’m getting prepared for what I need to do to market me. You know the magazines got a three-month turn around. So I’m starting my PR work right now. I’m focused on my business. I got my team around.
AllHipHop.com: Because you never dropped after all the hype, are you at all depressed with the way things ended up?
Sparks: I’m not disappointed at all. I’m glad. This is bigger than me, this God’s plan. So maybe I needed to come to see what I seen, to make sure it won’t happen no more. The first time is a mistake, the second time you’re a fool.
AllHipHop.com: So basically, even though you’re saying that the outcome was good, you’re not really seeing it as having been a good thing overall?
Sparks: This the only thing that upset me: when you put a Peedi Crakk, Freeway, Young Gunz, O & Sparks, Mack all in the same boat, you gonna come up with some chemistry that’s vicious. So that’s the only thing. I know it could have been bigger than what it was and it could have went on a little longer if things would have got worked out a little different. But it didn’t, so it is what it is. But I listen to the records and I say damn, “N***as was on they s**t.”