After a spectacular night of satisfying a good load of die hard Wu-Tang fans in Raleigh, NC, Trife Diesel and Ghostface Killah sat down with AllHiphop.com for an interview after an energetic Method Man & Redman show. The kid Trife couldn’t have named it better with the release of his anticipated debut album Better Late Than Never. Matter of fact, Trife deserves a pat on the back from Hip-Hop, proving that he still hold valuable weight in the game after all these years. You never know, by the way it’s looking, Staten Island may have something to bring the authenticity in rap back. Enjoy the roofless thoughts from Trife Diesel and his brother Ghostface- who couldn’t bite his tongue expressed with valuable words of wisdom. Take this pleasure Hip-Hoppers, for he’s finally here- and he proves it’s better late than never.
AllHipHop.com: So you’re on this tour promoting your new album, how has it been so far?
Trife Diesel: It’s good. We’re only like two days in. Last night we were in Asheville and tonight we’re in Raleigh. For most of the part, both shows were really good.
AllHipHop.com: Better Late Than Never- that’s the name of your debut album. How does it feel to be finally out?
Trife Diesel: It feels good you know what I mean. That’s why I gave the album that title because it’s been a long time coming, and now that it’s finally here, it’s been a long time coming. I rather it be late than not at all.
AllHipHop.com: What took so long for the debut album to come out? Is there anything you benefited from the album taking so long to drop?
Trife Diesel: It took so long because basically I didn’t have a label deal or whatever and I just had to make moves you know what I mean. I had to put the CD out. Appose to me just rocking with Ghost all the time, I just had to do my own thing you. That’s it.
“I’m just tired of him running his mouth because he runs his mouth too much. He’s one of those n***as that will start drama in the hood and his boys wouldn’t even back him. I’ll tell Joe Budden to his face because I run with a strong team…”
-Trife Diesel
AllHipHop.com: One of the things I commend you on was the ability to gain respect from both mainstream and underground listeners. What approach did you take going into the debut album?
Trife Diesel: To whatever I did- like when I write every song that I do, I just wrote mad songs and just the album together like that. There wasn’t any certain technique that I had to do. As far as when it got close to getting the deal or whatever, I made more music to revolve around the title.
AllHipHop.com: One of the songs that didn’t make the album- which I consider a good crossover track was “Speed of Life” featuring B.o.B. and Inspectah Deck. Why didn’t it make the album?
Trife Diesel: Oh that was like a sneak teaser you know what I mean. That wasn’t suppose to get leaked out you know what I mean. I don’t even know who leaked the track, but it wasn’t even supposed to go out. But, it got out and it’s been getting a lot of buzz off of that. To me, that was supposed to be stuck in the stash. But since it got leaked, it’s been good responses or whatever, and that’s what it is.
AllHipHop.com: If I’m correct you have some lost albums right? Raw Footage being one of them…
Trife Diesel: Yeah that was a long time ago. Raw Footage- I always play with a lot of names. You know, with me being a kid that recorded a lot, I always try to make names of albums and keep music on the side or whatever. Raw Footage didn’t make it, Stapleton to Somalia didn’t make it, and Put It On The Line made it. Now you have Better Late Than Never– that made it. So that’s basically what that was. I just keep a lot of names for my albums. Like the next album may be named Apartment 8P.
AllHipHop.com: Now was any of the material on Raw Footage transferred to Better Late Than Never?
Trife Diesel: Naw.
AllHipHop.com: How did the past albums differ- I bet they differed a lot.
Trife Diesel: Like Raw Footage- that was a long time ago. This Better Late Than Never, it’s like a more mature album. It’s just like why I changed my name from Trife Da God or whatever, but now it’s Trife Diesel. I’m a skinny dude, I’m not husky or anything, but Diesel is more of a state of mind right now. I feel stronger and that’s why I changed my name like that. So it’s Trife Diesel and Better Late Than Never. Like I said before, the fans- they just wanted that like “Why your album not coming out, why your album not coming out”. One person that asked me that day, I was like “Yo better late than never”, and that’s how that came about. So umm Better Late Than Never is in stores right now and it’s a blessing. I have Ghostface on it, Freeway on it, I have Royce Da 5’9 on it, I have my man Termanology it, I have Wigs on it, I have T.M.F. on it- Kryme Life & Tommy Whispers and it’s beautiful thing. I have 16 strong tracks.
“We had to really struggle to get to where we’re at. We had to be a really be able to rhyme n***a. So n*ggas now are really getting on the easy way now. You have n****as like Trife Da God who’s been touring for mad years and n***s make it with a simple f**king hook.”
-Ghostface Killah
AllHipHop.com: One cannot deny your true authentic New York rap, so it’s only right to get your input on today’s New York rap. How do you feel about it?
Trife Diesel: I think that everybody that’s doing the New York thing- I think it can be a stronger movement, but I’m not the one… I’m not really focused on New York rap; I’m more focused on Staten Island rap you know what I mean. We have to bring Staten Island back because it’s the forgotten borough- the 5th borough, we’re always forgotten. You have Manhattan, Bronx, Queens, and then you have Brooklyn, Long Island, and Staten Island. Like how is Long Island going to be shouted out before Staten Island? So I’m just trying to bring back Staten Island rap.
AllHipHop.com: Are you feeling any of these freshmen or new cats…
Trife Diesel: I’m feeling it, but more or less when I tune into the radio- I don’t listen to the radio because I be lost. They play the same song like three times in that same hour. If I hear that same song one time in a day, I’m good with that. I’m just trying to focus on my next project and trying to get this project Better Late Than Never more turns. I’m out here with my brother Ghostface you know what I mean; it’s a blessing for him having me here.
Trife Diesel – “Respectfully”
AllHipHop.com: Back in the day we had the “Golden Era” of Hip Hop and Big Daddy Kane was one of the faces of that era. What would you consider this current era in Hip Hop and who would be in the forefront of it?
Trife Diesel: You already know who’s running it.
Ghostface Killah: It’s the era of bulls**t.
AllHipHop.com: Who would be in the forefront of this era?
Ghostface Killah: Bulls**t.
Trife Diesel: That’s what I’m saying you already know who’s running it. But you know, it’s Lil’ Wayne and all that little camp right there. That’s who’s running it right now if you want to say it like that- I’m not going to bite my tongue or anything like that. They’re running the airwaves.
AllHipHop.com: I know you’re aware of the Joe Budden and Wu Tang beef situation. What’s your take on that?
Trife Diesel: That’s wack. He’s softer than tissue- cotton. He needs to clean his ears out and if he does clean his ears out, the q-tip is just going to get stuck in his ears ‘cause he doesn’t know what he’s listening to. That’s what I’m talking about. I’m just tired of him running his mouth because he runs his mouth too much. He’s one of those n***as that will start drama in the hood and his boys wouldn’t even back him. He’s suppose to be the leader- he feel like he’s the leader, his boys won’t even back him because he’s f***ing with real n***as now. That’s what I’m saying, I’ll tell Joe Budden to his face because I run with a strong team anyways.
AllHipHop.com: I can’t name the track off the top of my head, but if I recall, you sampled Obama?
Trife Diesel: Yeah, I did.
AllHipHop.com: Ok, are you pro or anti?
Trife Diesel: When I recorded that record, yeah I was really pro. I do my politics, I listen to all that s**t, I stay up with my current events. I don’t really know what’s going on with all that s**t right now. I know Obama was talking about a situation regarding this professor from Harvard when he called the police stupid or said the police acted stupidly. They ran up in his house and he owns the house… it’s like c’mon I’m showing you my ID and its has my address and I’m letting you know what’s in my house and you’re still going to lock me up for disorderly conduct? How stupid is that? So that’s why Obama said that he’s acting stupidly. Then I heard the cops that locked him up and he was teaching the class about racial profiling and whatever. I recorded that song during the election time- it’s a really deep song.
AllHipHop.com: You’re obviously doing your own thing now, what’s good with Theodore Unit and T.M.F.?
Trife Diesel: T.M.F. – like those are my brothers that are on the album. It’s me, (Krymelife and Tommy Whispers). Then you have the Theodore Unit, me, Ghostface, Wiggs, Du-Lilz- talk about it Ghost.
Ghostface Killah: Like yo, we’re out here bee. You know what I mean, it’s all good. Whoever be down, be down you know what I mean…
Trife Diesel: Yeah we have a lot of followers.
AllHipHop.com: Is the line-up for Theodore Unit still the same? Did anything change?
Ghostface Killah: Naw baby, and that’s it. N***as don’t do what we do.
AllHiphop.com: When can we expect an album?
Ghostface Killah: From who?
AllHipHop.com: Theodore Unit.
Ghostface Killah: After I drop this next joint.
AllHipHop.com: What’s the info on your album?
Ghostface Killah: Wizard of Poetry. So… Ya’ll ain’t ready for that sh*t.
AllHipHop.com: If Theodore Unit was to come out today, would there be any difference in there sound since its ’09?
Ghostface Killah: Yes. This time it’s going to be totally different. You’re going to see. Yeah I’m not going to expose that s**t. You’ll see. It’s going to be different though.
AllHipHop.com: Ok Trife, going back to your album, if you had three tracks of your choice to become lead singles, which will they be?
Trife Diesel: The lead singles are “Respectfully”, and then “Project Leaders” and then “Blind Man”.
AllHipHop.com: Why would you choose those songs?
Trife Diesel – “Blind Man”
Trife Diesel: Because there visuals you know what I’m saying. “Respectfully” we did that because we have my big brother on that. “Project Leaders”, it’s more like that hood vibe or whatever and then “Blind Man” because it’s more of a visual. If you ever heard “Blind Man”, you know what I’m talking about. I really talked about a blind man on the corner then on the second verse I talked about a lot of blind musicians- whether they were white or black, whether they played the guitar or played the piano- it’s like another visual right there.
AllHipHop.com: Now that the albums out, what can you say is next?
Trife Diesel: Just moving forward and just thinking positive. Just taking care of family and just staying strong. The last couple of years, I’ve been through some real sh*t. Like if I really wanted to go deep, I’ve been through a lot of things and I still stay grounded- like I have to take care of my family now. So you know what I mean, I’ve been through a lot of things so all my fans that’s listening, just be with me and that’s it man.
AllHipHop.com: Is there anything that you would want to happen like any future dreams?
Trife Diesel: I just want to be healthy, just keep a saying of what I’m doing and stay on the right path because it’s easy to get distracted. So I just want to stay focused, and keep moving in a righteous way. Like I said, I’ve been through it. I lost a lot of good people and when I say good people, I mean good people. I’m just trying to stay focused. I don’t give a f**k about who’s the flyest n*gga, f**k about who has the nicest shoes on. In this state of mind that I’m in, I just want to stay in it and be pure and just keep moving in the right direction-real talk.
AllHipHop.com: Now ask both of guys Trife & Ghost- any last words for Hip Hop?
Trife Diesel: Words to Hip Hop… just keep it alive. That’s it.
AllHipHop.com: What about you Ghost?
Ghostface Killah: Yo. Learn ya history. I played KRS-One and n*ggas didn’t know who he was. N*ggas just be rhyming just to be rhyming. Everybody knows how to rhyme. Roses are red, Violets are blue. You love me, I love you. So it’s a difference between this lyrically era as an Emcee. So it’s like learn ya history.
Trife Diesel: N***as just be on some one-shot deal s**t.
Ghostface Killah: It’s like c’mon now. We had to really struggle to get to where we’re at. We had to be a really be able to rhyme n***a. So n*ggas now are really getting on the easy way now. You have n****as like Trife Da God who’s been touring for mad years and n***s make it with a simple f**king hook. They just come up and make it do what it do, and now they’re on. The game is crazy. So it’s like learn your history, pay ya dues man. I’m not telling you to suck nobody’s d**k, but it’s like yo you have to where you got your s**t from, B. It started some where. It didn’t start in your town, it started in my town n*gga. You don’t have to give a s**t about me, because I didn’t make the s**t. That’s about it though. The game is funny. I’m not knocking anybody’s hustle, because I’m good at the end of the day. What may not be right, may not be real with me, may be real with you or another n***a. If you’re living in that world- which you keep calling real, then live it, live it to the best of your s###. At the same time, do your math. Know where all this s**t came from. That’s all I’m saying. But it’s not their fault because they don’t know. If they don’t know, they don’t know then you’re not held responsible for it. That’s all…