As the end of the year approaches, labels are scrambling to drop a slew of heavy hitters hoping to rake in that last bit of bread before ’06 is a wrap. Among them, The Game, Young Jeezy, The Clipse, Pitbull, and Lil’ Scrappy are holding it down for the new jacks and Jay-Z and Nas’ releases have been the biggest news of the year. With Nas’, Hip Hop is

Dead, and Jay’s Kingdom Come, both are addressing the notion of bringing the music back to its essence. Though they’ve been getting the press they aren’t the only legends looking to rejuvenate quality and creativity in the music by not only having good concepts and dope beats but by going back to focusing on doing what they do best: rhyme.

The first time I interviewed Snoop Dogg, he said that his main objective when he originally started working with Dre was simply to be the “baddest rapper alive.” Over 15 years later and nine solo albums deep, he has no doubt achieved that goal on more than one occasion. With a unique voice, quiet thoroughness, and a flow sharp like the canines on his namesake he has managed to remain relevant throughout the many metamorphoses of the game. Though with his latest albums lyrics have taken a back seat to catchy hooks, with the release of his new album, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, he says he’s decided to go back to basics and bring back the Snoop that the world of Hip-Hop came to know and love. In this installment of Amanda Diva’s “Rewind the Rhyme” we spoke to the Doggfather about not only his inspiration for writing three of his best known and most lyrical records but also about where he, an O.G., fits in today’s game, and how his son, his hardest critic to date rates his lyrical skills.

["Murder Was The Case" featuring Dat N***a Daz – Doggystyle, 1993]

AllHipHop.com: So tell me about “Murder Was the Case”…

Snoop Dogg: Damn. I wrote that song on the floor at Larrabee Studios with my cousin Daz. We had a song called “Dave”. “Dave” was about a young kid that was misled, and then I was like, “You know what? I wanna make a song about me being killed, and right before I get killed, I make a deal with God and I cross him and do a deal with the Devil and he takes my life.” I was just on something devilish. I don’t know why I was thinking that I wanted to make a song like that. I just went in to write that muthaf**ka, and Daz was right there with me, so that’s why he [was on the record saying], “Bring your lifestyle to me I’ll make it better.” He was like right there with me when we was getting to the part where I done been shot. I’m dead and making a deal with God then I come back and he gave me everything that I ask for, then I cross him. And then the third verse I end up in jail, you know what I’m sayin’, [and] I end up getting killed in jail. The s**t was like real heavy and deep. To me, I don’t even know what the f**k I was thinking about when I wrote this s**t. I wasn’t goin’ through no problems. Nothing was going wrong with my life. I was just so f**king creative I was like, “I need to make a song that’s different.” I don’t wanna make a party song. I don’t wanna make a happy song. I don’t wanna make a song where, you know, mothaf**kas gonna dance. I wanna make a song where the song is gonna make a mothaf**ka cry.

AllHipHop.com: So how did you feel when it actually came to fruition, in 1994, that you were being charged with murder?

Snoop Dogg: It was f**ked up ‘cause they thought that I really made that song for the event that happened. It wasn’t. It was nowhere near it. It was like, “Damn, this s**t don’t even got nothing to do with that.” But where I was really inspired is there was an Ice Cube song ["Alive On Arrival"] where he had [reciting lyrics] “Down at the best spot/ it’s me and JD and they sellin’ more birds than a pet shop.” Damn, I forgot the name of the song but he got shot in the song and that’s where I got the idea for this mothaf**ka at. At the end they like, “Cube! Cube! Wake up! Wake up!” After he got shot he comes back, “Woke back in the back of a tre`/ on my way to MLK.” That s**t was harder than a mothaf**ka and I was like, “Damn, that s**t is dope!” That’s what I was inspired by to do this, and then it turned to a real life situation and it f**ked me up. I don’t think I ever made another song like that after.

["B*tches Aint Sh*t" – Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg, Kurupt, Dat N***a Daz, and Jewell –The Chronic, 1992]

Snoop Dogg: That song actually happened when we did the remix for [“Nutin’ But a ‘G’ Thang”] and it was off of that beat. Dre made that beat for the remix and I did a freestyle on it [reciting lyrics] “Now I be mobbin’ like a mothaf**ka every single day”, some s**t I said, and I just bust on the muthaf**ka for a long time and then Kurupt… I had brought Kurupt and I said, “Kurupt the Kingpin, he’s killin’ em slow” and he was like, “B***hes ain’t s**t but hoes and tricks.” When he came on with that s**t like that Dre was like, “Hold on, n***a! Hold on! We gonna make that muthaf**ka a hook for this beat and ya’ll gonna write some more s**t.” D.O.C. wrote Dre’s s**t. Daz wrote his s**t. Kurupt wrote his s**t. I did my lil’ piece [and] put the hook in. Then we had Jewell sing at the end of it and it became like one of our biggest records on some humbug s**t. We wasn’t even really trippin’ off of it, it was some remix beat, but when Dre heard Kurupt for that one piece on the freestyle we redid it put our verses on there and what da ya know?

AllHipHop.com: How do you feel about a lot of your classic records being stuck in Death Row right now?

Snoop: I would like to see all of those reels, mastering and publishing and s**t turned over to me. If Dre don’t want it, I do. Suge Knight, you had your run. [You did what you knew.] Let me go on and get it. I was the main writer in the s**t. It’d be nice if I could get my mothaf**kin’ portion. I never said I didn’t want mine, I just you know, left.

["Vato" featuring B-Real – Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, 2006]

AllHipHop.com: So tell me about the song “Vato” featureing B-Real of Cypress Hill. The song originally had a positive intention but there’s been a negative spin put on it. Tell me about that.

Snoop Dogg: It’s a record with me expressing myself. It’s a story about me almost getting jacked for my chain and me having to do some things to get out of the situation. One of my ese` homeboys had seen it and he brought it back to his homies, just saying what he had seen and the story got repeated three or four different times and whatnot. But the whole actual reality of it is it’s a gangsta record. It was an opportunity for me to capitalize off of a negative situation, because Blacks and Mexicans are fighting and killing each other and I didn’t know how to put that situation in a positive light other than doing a video that could have us working together, working our problems out, and just showing us on the same page moving as one team. You know, I believe people believe in what they see. If you put on TV a bunch of negative s**t about, “I don’t like you, you don’t like me,” you gonna believe that s**t. But if you see something on TV that says, “Hey these guys are working together. They’re trying and making an effort,” It’s gonna make you say, “Well s**t, if they try, I’m gonna try.” We only believe what we see. So instead of putting a negative visual out there I wanted to put something positive out there.

AllHipHop.com: You said earlier that when you do your albums, you do what’s missing for you. What would say is missing from the game right now? You’ve been in it from when this music was at its highest caliber of illness and dopeness. Where would you say it’s at right now?

Snoop Dogg: I think it’s watered down right now, ‘cause they’re letting everybody get in. There’s a lot of gimmicks and s**t going on, but the real artists always tend to rise to the top. Real music is what it is, you know? Can’t fool people too long, you know what I’m sayin’? You could force a lot of s**t on ‘em and MTV ‘em to death and BET ‘em to death and force it on a n***a like, “Yeah, this that s**t!” But n***a, after a while that soft ass s**t don’t last long. Real n***as want to hear real s**t.

AllHipHop.com: Lyrically, on a scale of one to 10, where would you say the game is right now?

Snoop Dogg: My game or the game as a whole?

AllHipHop.com: Well let’s ask you first. Lyrically, where would you say you’re at? Or better yet, you say your son is your hardest critic, so where would he say you’re at?

Snoop Dogg: Well my son would say I’m about a seven-and-a-half, but I’ve been in the game for about 10 years so, ya know, I don’t disapprove. That’s a good thing to even be in that caliber after being in the game for so long. But when I’m challenged, whenever I’m on a song with somebody else, I like to f**k them up, or f**k they song up. And it ain’t personal. It’s business. That’s why you payin’ for me. You’re payin’ for me to get on your record and make your s**t that s**t. So at the same time, when I’m doing my records I like to make my records like that. I don’t want to be in the club just hearin’ your s**t. I want to hear my s**t. I want my s**t to stand out and not just the old s**t. I want my old s**ts to be like, “Hey!”, but I want that new s**t to make you do that too. I’m very competitive, but at the same time, I’m very respectful so I don’t disrespect nobody. I don’t never come at nobody wrong and everybody know that when they ask for Snoop Dogg, they get Snoop Dogg. So, when you ask me to be on your record you know I’m really finna try to gun you down! And it ain’t towards you. It’s in general to make the folks wanna like this record.

AllHipHop.com: In one word how do you define an MC?

Snoop Dogg: That word been thrown out of context since the creation of the master of ceremonies. To me, an MC is somebody that can control the crowd. That can rock the crowd. That can make a dull situation hype. That can make a sad man happy. Make a girl that never danced before dance and make somebody that can’t really party loosen up and have fun. That’s what a real MC is, whether they got a hit record or not. You should be able to MC regardless, like me.

“God, please pardon your son, my mind was young and my feet were unable to outrun where I’m from.”

Yello begins his first book, Respect the Jux, with this fitting quote. A onetime thief, Yello saw his life of crime come to an abrupt end when he was arrested and decided to take the blame for his entire crew. Clearly one to honor the code of the streets, Yello explains what the term “jux” really means and how it came to become his reality.

Still incarcerated, Yello has completed over 20 manuscripts and is completing his transition from living out Hollywood-esque robberies to simply sharing stories about them. To what extent the stories Yello pens are the stories that Yello once lived out is still a mystery but Yello sits down with AllHipHop.com to help answer this question as well as many more.

AllHipHop.com: When did you first come up with the idea to write the book?

Yello: In 2003, after my second parole board hearing. I’ve always wanted to write a book, but it just seemed overwhelming to put a book together. The thing was though was then when I decided to actually sit down and do it, I realized that it was something really easy for me to do. I ended up knocking the book out in less than two weeks, and I got addicted after that, which resulted in about 20 books.

AllHipHop.com: So what are you doing with the rest of the manuscripts?

Yello: Well, they’ll be on the shelf until Christ [Yello’s business partner] decides to pull ’em off or what’s his next move wit’ the books.

AllHipHop.com: So what are some of the other books about that you’ve written?

Yello: They’re basically pretty much the same urban hood novels. However, I always try to bring sometime of different twist to my particular books. The ones that are out there are dope, but if you’ve read one, you’ve pretty much read ’em all. I try to bring mine across to show that some thought actually went into this, there’s an actual plot to it. If you notice in Respect the Jux, one of the things I try to focus on is that I didn’t want it to be guys just running around randomly just robbing people with no care. I wanted some structure to go into it. And that’s what I did when I decided to put together the order described in the book, described in the book as the Order of Thieves.

AllHipHop.com: How long have you been incarcerated for and how long do you have left?

Yello: I’ve been incarcerated twelve and a half years, and my next parole eligibility will be in January of 2008. My conditional release date is May, 2008.

AllHipHop.com: How did you actually write these books while you were incarcerated? What was the process and how do you feel it was different than someone writing a book on the outside?

Yello: I started out just sketching the books out, just getting a basic rough draft and sketching out scenes that I thought would be interesting. When I sat down to type it I built around those scenes. I’ve gotten to the point now where I can just sit down in front of a typewriter with just the name of the book, names of characters, and I just freestyle the whole book. The plot and everything comes as I go along.

AllHipHop.com: You say you have a typewriter now but how did you first write your manuscripts?

Yello: I wrote ’em down by hand. I’d buy a 100-page notebook and I’d sketch the book out from page one to 100.

AllHipHop.com: What kind of limitations did you have and how did they improve your writing abilities?

Yello: For me it was finding a way to help me do the time. After my second parole board hit, I needed something to help me do the time. I didn’t mind doing the time because it was an escape to help me get away from a lot of the things that go on in prison that could get me caught up. So for me, sitting down and writing was an escape, and it also taught me discipline. It made me realize that if I want something done, I really have to sit down and just do the work.

AllHipHop.com: So, exactly what kind of ideas did you have in mind when you started writing Respect the Jux and how did that change by the time the manuscript was done?

Yello: Honestly, the only thing I had was the name Respect the Jux and the definition of the word “Jux”. And having being caught up in that lifestyle, I figured with that name I was sure that as I went along I would be able to pull pieces from my life and put them down in the book and build around them. I can’t say I really had a plot or an ending, it all just came during the writing process. It all just fell into place. The characters basically told the story, and all the characters in the book have something of me in them.

AllHipHop.com: Do you think it was difficult to draw from your life?

Yello: It made it easier for me because I can produce one of these books from start to finish in less than two weeks, and I’m able to do this because I’m just going back through my own life. I just pull things out and I build around them.

AllHipHop.com: So do you plan to pursue the writing when you’re out, or is it something else you have in mind as well?

Yello: Yes, I do. The thing is, with me, when I walk out of prison I’ll be walking out with all the material already done. It’s just a matter of sending them to print.

AllHipHop.com: Do you plan to go back through some of your other manuscripts and polish them a little or are they done and ready to send to print?

Yello: Yeah, that’s a possibility, you know, polishing them up. I would probably have someone with more knowledge in this area look them over and give advice to what could be done to make them better.

AllHipHop.com: You said you wanted to get the definition of the word “jux” out there for everyone, so why don’t you define it as you see it.

Yello: The word “jux” is a Jamaican word. The word literally translated into English is to poke someone, or to stick someone or something, that’s the literal meaning of the word. When performing a jux, the art of it is to rob someone by studying their every move and to keep in mind that in this process of robbery that whoever you’re robbing must take precautions to make sure that they don’t get hurt. You must never rob a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen. And the number one rule is to get away. If you don’t get away, then the jux cannot be respected.

AllHipHop.com: How do you make sure that the people that you do rob are not law abiding citizens?

Yello: Once you pick your target you’re not gonna pick someone who is a liquor store owner, you’re gonna pick someone who you have some advanced knowledge about. You know this person is involved in some form of illegal activity and that’s how they get their money. They’re in the same game you’re in.

AllHipHop.com: Do you think it’s hard to rob a fellow robber?

Yello: Not necessarily. I don’t think robbing a thief or a drug dealer would be any harder because each one of them is looking to protect their property.

AllHipHop.com: If they’re looking to protect their property, how do you make sure you get away with it?

Yello: That all depends on the setup. It would be difficult to expand on that because you would actually have to look at the setup. I would say robbing someone in an apartment building would be very dangerous because the potential of witnesses. Anyone could look out of their apartment door and their window and become a witness, so that’s one of the rules in the jux.

AllHipHop.com: How long was the planning phase for most of the activities that you guys took part in?

Yello: could take months, it could take about six months. But you’re not just necessarily working on one job. You might be working on several jobs and one in particular could take six to eight months before you can actually get in the right position to where you can assure a smooth getaway and that no one gets hurt. Another jux could happen in a day. You might have all of the necessary information needed right there and you can size the situation up and say, “Okay, I can get away with this right now.”

AllHipHop.com: So for a boost that took you six months to plan, how much could you look to make out of it?

Yello: It depends. The jux business is very funny. You could walk into a situation and not find what you thought was there or what the information you got [told] was there. The information could say that there was $200,000 there, and you could walk in there and there’s only $500. These things have happened. You can walk in a situation and get nothing at all after all the planning you put into it. You just have to handle it when it happens. You understand that that’s just apart of the game. That’s just how it goes. After all the time and effort you can walk out with nothing.

AllHipHop.com: What was the biggest payoff you ever saw?

Yello: I would say about 800,000.

AllHipHop.com: Who was that from?

Yello: A drug dealer.

AllHipHop.com: Who would you say usually had the most money on ’em, would it be drug dealers?

Yello: Yeah, drug dealers.

AllHipHop.com: Would you actually get involved with the drug dealers a little bit to gather more information as well?

Yello: Yeah, sometimes. Actually, most of the time. If you need more inside information about them, sometimes it turns into an inside job. It could be a girlfriend of theirs, or you can actually set a girl up on them.

AllHipHop.com: How difficult is it to turn someone against someone else? Let’s say it was one of their girlfriends, how difficult was the process to turn them against their boyfriends?

Yello: Money is the root of all evil, they say.

AllHipHop.com: And how much would you usually offer someone in that position?

Yello: It depends on how much they say is there. I’ve had females who know what I’m into just come to me and say, “Look, I know this cat here.” A lot of times in that situation they find out the boyfriend is cheating and they want to get back. A lot of times I might just have the girlfriends give me the keys to the place and I’d walk right in when the person isn’t there.

AllHipHop.com: So what was the easiest job you guys ever did?

Yello: Usually the ones with the keys to the place.

AllHipHop.com: So you just get the keys and literally walk in?

Yello: Yeah, and walk out. Usually in those situations we were able to go back again because they have no idea who or what happened.

AllHipHop.com: What’s the greatest number of times that you been back to the same place?

Yello: About three times. Not to the same place, but the same individual.

AllHipHop.com: What was the most complicated job that you guys did? How long did it take and what type of planning was involved?

Yello: That’s kind of sensitive to answer. Keep in mind that I’m still incarcerated and I have another parole board appearance and I don’t want this to affect my parole appearance in any way. I don’t want to look like I’m glorifying this type of lifestyle, because I’m not. It’s just something in my past. This is why I write books now because I’m finished with it. The question is a little sensitive.

AllHipHop.com: Do you think the books have made it harder for you to get parole so far?

Yello: Not at this point. It might help me, who knows. I might be able to say this is what I do now. You don’t have to worry about me going in the street sticking a gun in someone’s face.

For more info, visit www.keeplockent.com.

From charity moves to the timeless tradition of good football and family love, everyone has their own special turkey day story – even some sad memories. In celebration of Thanksgiving – or Thankstaking, as illseed likes to call it – we asked some artists, actors and DJ’s what their most memorable moments were.

B.G.: Thanksgiving Eve, my man Soulja Slim got killed like three years ago, and every time Thanksgiving comes around I think about the day before Thanksgiving.

Big Kuntry (PSC): The first time we actually went to Bankhead to drop off all these turkeys and stuff. One part of Bankhead, Baker Road – y’all know who y’all is – [told us] “We already got turkeys.” Can’t even do nothing for the community, “We already got our turkey… we’ll take it though.”

Big Tigger: All of ‘em. Ever since I was small, that was one of the only “everybody gotta be there” holidays. Christmas was alright, Thanksgiving you were in the crib.

DJ Irie (Miami Heat, 99 Jamz): A year ago, when I was in Overtown with all the Miami Heat players giving out turkeys and playing music for the underprivileged in that area. An older lady came to me saying that “music feeds her soul.” She didn’t need any turkeys or fixings just music… Good ole music is what keeps her alive and looking forward to another, and she danced in front of the DJ booth for four hours straight until we had to turn off the music. I’ll never forget that.

Bobby Valentino: All of them, just being with my family because I don’t get a chance to kick it with them a lot. Just being with them every Thanksgiving is a great thing if I’m not working.

Dr. Teeth (director): The year my dad had a stroke, me and my sisters and brothers were in my sister’s small apartment and we had Thanksgiving together with my parents. My dad sat around and was just really happy to be with his family. That was about six years ago.

One Chance (Usher’s new group): One year we didn’t get to eat [when we were] at Jamaica’s house – our choreographer. We were living with her and grinding, hustling. We did eat a little somethin’ but it wasn’t like mama’s cooking. Thanks Jamaica!

Remy Ma: That was last year when I actually cooked a whole Thanksgiving dinner. Baked macaroni and cheese, potato salad… I made Cornish hens for everybody. I made everything my own self, and it was good.

DJ B-Mello (KUBE / KEXP Seattle): Like 10 years ago I spent the whole little holiday break working on this mixtape called Blends Pt. 3. It was my best selling, most bootlegged, most mentioned mixtape to date.

T.I.: The year I was released from prison on Thanksgiving…

Wood Harris (The Wire): The last one, because all of the other ones go away and I forget about ‘em. The last one my family got together at my brother’s crib and it was great.

Yo Gotti: It’s kinda funny, because I had a show on Thanksgiving. So my mama cooked, we got the food and was traveling with it. I had six or seven of my boys, we eatin’ in the truck on the way to the show out of town.

Young Dro: Over Tip’s house one day, the whole company, my family, his family got together.

DJ Drama: Being at my nana’s house, eating the best macaroni and cheese in the world, watching the Eagles/Dallas rivalary with the rest of my family.

Happy holiday to you and yours from the World’s Most Dangerous Staff!

There’s a difference between trying to send a message and actually speaking from experience. Storm the Unpredictable brings feel-good Hip-Hop while embarking on topics that culture enthusiasts of any age can relate to. Not only because of the subject matter but because of the way it’s done. Dope beats, well-composed lyrics and random doses of humor, all his offered on his latest album A2: What Should Have Been. From rhyming alongside Fat Joe in the VH1 Hip Hop Honors’ Freestyle 59 to winning a prestigious nod at the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Storm shows the world what he’s all about and where he should be.

AllHipHop.com: Your song “Get Your Weight Up” shows your sense of humor, but with that song in specific, were you trying to put forth a message?

Storm the Unpredictable: That song came from being at a store and seeing two girls looking at a magazine cover. One of them said to the other, “That’s gonna be me one day,” and the other little girl said, “That’s not gonna be you. You got to lose some weight.” I was looking at them surprised because the girl being made fun of was not nearly a big girl at all; so for her to say that just bugged me out. A lot of younger girls think that in order to a do a certain thing or to be considered a beautiful person, you have to look a particular way. That’s where the song came from. I like to put out songs that may add a bit of humor, but at that same time people can hear something behind the song to think about or relate to.

AllHipHop.com: So how would you describe your style overall?

Storm the Unpredictable: Unpredictable! That’s partly where the whole name came from. You really don’t know what my next song may be about. I try to not come with the norm. Even if I do have a topic or title of a song that might seem like its common, more than likely it’s something different. Take for example the title for “Get Your Weight Up”. People see it and read it and might initially think that it’s on some drug thing or something. But when they hear it, it’s something totally different. I like to do things like that to keep people interested.

AllHipHop.com: You hit the Internet very hard early on in your career. How do feel that the Internet and sites like Myspace have helped your movement?

Storm the Unpredictable: I can’t even fathom where I would be without the use of the Internet. It’s done so much for me. And when sites like Myspace came up, it just intensified all that. The Internet is changing because there are so many people that are making music right now. Internet sites have to decipher through certain things to end up finding what they want. It used to be a lot easier before to get in touch with people and network.

AllHipHop.com: What’s the next big thing that you are trying to accomplish?

Storm the Unpredictable: By next year, I’m trying to go overseas. That’s one thing that I really want to experience. Other artists have told me of their experiences overseas, but I really want to experience it for myself.

AllHipHop.com: Your first album was Amalgamation. You named your second and your latest album: A2: What Should Have Been. Is A2 supposed to be somewhat of a sequel to the first album?

Storm the Unpredictable: Definitely. I always try to tie things in. It’s been three years since the last album, so I did a couple remixes on the new album for the people who were familiar with me since Amalgamation. And on another note, I called the album A2: What Should Have Been, because this time I was more focused on what exactly I wanted to do. I came in with a clear vision of what I wanted the whole atmosphere of the album to be from the lyrics to the type of beats I chose. This one definitely had a pre-planned theme to it going into it.

AllHipHop.com: Why should people pick up A2?

Storm the Unpredictable: No matter what your age is, there are things you can relate to [on A2]. It’s a lot to listen to. Some people may need to listen to it a couple of times to really digest. Not necessarily because it’s “heavy,” but more so because there is a lot said. I think this is an album that even over time, people can go back to it at connect with certain songs. Like you may connect with a certain few songs now, but maybe later as you go through certain things in life and grow older, you might be able to connect with these other songs because you’ve been through similar situations. It’s definitely a feel good album, but has points that can gear towards the everyday man and woman.

AllHipHop.com: Upon listening to the album, I think “Grown Folks Biz” definitely seems to be a song geared towards people that have entered the real world of adulthood…

Storm the Unpredictable: A lot of older Hip-Hop listeners seem to like “Grown Folks Biz”. I think it’s because it speaks on a lot of issues that we deal with as older beings that still like Hip-Hop, but may feel like that the Hip-Hop that’s out now doesn’t really connect with you. These are the people that listened to groups like A Tribe Called Quest or De La Soul. It’s a song that talks about dealing with banks and creditors, losing a child, mortgage rates and all those type of things. One thing with me and music is that anything I do is personal. If I say something on song, it’s going to be about something I been through, witnessed or seen. It’s always personal and I think it comes across in my music.

AllHipHop.com: I just wanted to congratulate you on being one of the finalists for the VH1 Hip Hop Honors’ Freestyle 59 competition? How did you end up getting on there?

Storm the Unpredictable: My brother was telling me about the Freestyle 59 competition for the longest time, and I honestly wasn’t going to do it. But at the very last minute, I decided to do it and I uploaded my entry literally minutes before the deadline. From there, two days went by and I got a call from VH1 and they told me that I was one of the five finalists that get to go up to New York to record commercials, record ringtones, have a session with Fat Joe and all sorts of stuff. So I was definitely glad that I turned in my submission. I came in at fourth place overall.

AllHipHop.com: What was your highlight of the experience?

Storm the Unpredictable: We were all in a cipher with Fat Joe! And Joe had nothing but positive things to say about me. I had always appreciated him as an artist, but it was cool to actually see him come in that day because he carried himself in a way where he seemed like he was one of the finalists. I’ve been following him since back when he was in Lord Finesse’s first video. Not a lot of people can say that they rhymed in a cipher with Fat Joe.

AllHipHop.com: Do you thing the art of freestyling is going in a downward trend?

Storm the Unpredictable: I used to be with an organization called the Freestyle Union and all we did was freestyle. Back in the day, everybody knew what freestyling was. But through the years, it got to a point where now you have to specify every time whether your freestyle was “off the dome.” And that occurred mainly after the organized tournament-styled battles started coming up and corporate sponsorships starting getting involved and all that. The whole freestyle game changed. It got to a point where everywhere you went there was a battle. Then when the movie 8 Mile came out, everyone was calling themselves a battle MC. You used to be able to go to a battle where they had to turn people away from entering. Now if you have a battle, you got to fight to get people signed up.

AllHipHop.com: Now on the opposite side of the spectrum, you won the John Lennon song writing competition earlier this year. I’m sure new doors began to open for you since then?

Storm the Unpredictable: The John Lennon song writing competition is one of the biggest and if not, then it is the biggest song writing competition. It did open a lot of doors that normally wouldn’t have been opened for me. What won it for me was my song “Contradictions”, which is on A2: What Should Have Been. It’s a song about different contradictions that I see in life. I didn’t want to make the song too heavy, but I still wanted to bring forth some of the points to make sure everybody saw the truth behind them.

AllHipHop.com: Not a lot of Hip-Hop artists tend to enter songwriting competitions…

Storm the Unpredictable: I feel that a lot of artists don’t capitalize on opportunities that are out there. We wait too much for what I call the big bang theory. That is: record a song, someone hears it and then you blow up. There are many alternate opportunities for artists to get exposure and we need to start utilizing them. That’s why I really encourage underground and unsigned artist to enter these types of competitions as well as others; not just the MC battles. We have to stop complaining so much and sometimes take our destiny into our own hands. If you can’t get on radio, then find some other way to get exposure rather than sulking on the fact that you can’t get 10 spins a day. Sometimes in order to have what you are doing flourish, you have to get your music out to people that you wouldn’t normally get it out to.

Nas is entitled to change his mind. So despite his new album being tabbed Hip Hop is Dead, it’s a safe bet that Nasir Jones has more up his sleeve than just a provocative title. Since aligning with the Def Jam ship currently steered by Jay-Z, his once bitterest of rivals, the public’s take on the matter has been disparate. Opinions on the alliance range from delighted applause at two of Hip-Hop’s elite unifying to cries of blasphemy, citing the move as mere propaganda.

No matter, because history has shown Nas will do whatever Nas wants to do. So before Hip-Hop’s last rites are read, pay attention to the responses to AllHipHop’s questions and scan in between the lines for the answers.

AllHipHop.com: Brother Nas, Hip-Hop is dead…you really think so?

Nas: [Nodding head] It’s been dead.

AllHipHop.com: That being said, how do you bring it back?

Nas: You don’t. F**k Hip-Hop.

AllHipHop.com: Any moment or particular events that you think killed it?

Nas: There are a couple. It started dying a while ago, and I think everybody knew it. People accepted it. You accept change; I accept change. I thought that right now is a great time to take that title. Obviously, I’ve accepted the change as it changed, ya know, from when B.I.G. and ‘Pac left to it not being a serious rap game anymore, to it being the download age, to where…change is good. So Hip-Hop is dead, it’s not a bad thing. It’s just the acknowledgement. The ones that take offense to it are the ones who didn’t benefit from it, the ones who wanna make it better and the ones who know they killed it. They should have known it’s dead. It didn’t take me to see it.

AllHipHop.com: It’s interesting you say that but when I think Hip-Hop, besides rapping I also think graffiti and, DJing, breakdancing; that’s not dead?

Nas; Well it’s not a moneymaking business to the point of billions in graffiti or DJing. It’s not the main concentration, it’s almost looked at as corny by the kids today. I think those were the first two to go honestly. But there is a strong DJ culture, strong graffiti culture, that I respect and will always respect, that always will be the original elements of Hip-Hop. But, as far as the respect level from today’s kids, it’s been gone. Me saying it’s dead, they’re like, “Oh, now you’re just realizing that?” [laughing] They’re like they don’t want to hear about that. So it’s really me just saying it’s really done. Not just Hip-Hop. I think all music has been dead for a while. Especially R&B, especially Rock, they been gone.

AllHipHop.com: In one of your new songs you allude to Hip-Hop starting in the park but now it’s just in the studio. So did Hip-Hop slow death start when it got put on wax?

Nas: Kinda. Once art becomes business…like they said video kills the radio star. The unfortunate thing about it is when it gets in the hands of business, it turns into an industry. It becomes a different kind of animal, which is good if it can be controlled and maintained right. But the inevitable happens, and you lose it.

AllHipHop.com: So when the money’s out of it you can tell whose real and whose not?

Nas: Right. Now we’re going to see. I think next year you’re gonna still have a bunch of people just hustling. And that’s cool, get your money. I want to see everybody get money. That’s also why I say Hip-Hop is dead because a lot of the purist artists—artists that are purists—are struggling artists, and the ones who don’t care are making the money. So it’s like, once you realize this thing is over, temporarily I feel really, then you can go get yours [and] survive until the tables turn. But I think the hustlers are all about getting and hustling it. The ones who really love it, they will rise.

AllHipHop.com: Fans can tell whether an artist is really about their craft or in it for a quick buck.

Nas: Absolutely.

AllHipHop.com: So, that said, as the years have gone on and your catalog has grown fans have gotten past asking for another Illmatic and are just anticipating more Nas music for what it is. Is that a relief?

Nas: Umm, nah man. I’m off of me. I just do it ‘cause I love to do it. Nas being this and Nas being that, it is what it is. You can always try to push yourself the number one guy, [but] the people are going to be the ones to decide at the end of the day. So if all through your record you’re calling yourself number one, number one, that’s nice, but at the end of the day, the people will decide what they feel. Part of being an MC is trying to be the best, I’m always going to have that edge. I’m always going to have that kind of thinking. But, at the same time, it’s not that kind of game right now – at least not for me, where I’m trying to do with it is somewhere new – especially after this record. This record I really just wanted to get over and done with. With the next one I’m planning on doing something totally different, left.

AllHipHop.com: How so?

Nas: With the last record, I did a track with my father [“Bridging the Gap”] and I didn’t know how to top that on this album. I kind of felt like it was too much to top. I kind of let it go. I said Let me just get in the studio and bang out joints that I like, and put it together, and that’s that.

AllHipHop.com: On Street’s Disciple’s “U.B.R (Unauthorized Biography of Rakim)” you said there was one of KRS-One coming, what happened?

Nas: [laughing] Yeah, I’m still trying to pull that off. If it don’t make this happen, then it will make the next one.

Nas: What made you use that “In-A-Gadda-DaVida” sample again on “Hip Hop is Dead”?

AllHipHop.com: When it come to this rap game, it’s whatever. This time I wanted to do it with more of a Rock feel. I didn’t plan to do it but when [Will.I.am] played it for me, I was like, “F**k it.” I didn’t know they would use that song in the The Departed movie, I didn’t know at the time. The song was done by the time I found out the song made the movie. I knew people would be hearing “Thief’s Theme” again that went to see that movie. But I like to keep it like that, like how producers use [The Honeydrippers’] “Impeach The President” over and over and over and [Melvin Bliss’] “[Synthetic] Substitution” over and over back in the ‘90s. So it’s like, let’s keep it Hip-Hop.

AllHipHop.com: You’ve worked with every producer of note, anyone particularly stand out?

Nas: I think Dr. Dre is real crazy. Kanye got that soul. His drum patterns are perfect for an MC, he got the crazy drum patterns. Of course Salaam Remi is just dusty. He keeps it dusty.

AllHipHop.com: Lately you’ve been popping up on some crazy records like with The Game and Hi-Tek, was that on purpose or happenstance?

Nas: The Hi-Tek record was a song from my album that I didn’t use, so I gave it to him. Game has been just somebody that’s just…he’s young and he wants it. I think 50 f**ked up by…it was terrible business. It kind of shows you that he was just riding off of the sensationalism of the controversy behind 50 Cent rather than being a business man by letting him go. It really showed me that he wasn’t thinking because that guy is a superstar. Game is just that n***a. He’s a nut job, but that’s what it is, everybody is crazy.

AllHipHop.com: Listening to The Game, he’s got that hunger but he’s a new jack. A lot of rappers with your experience have slacked so how do you sharp?

Nas: I try not to be too sharp because of the jealousy it breeds. My thing is about trying not to be sharp, trying not to be as lyrical, trying not to be as focused because I feel like I’m too far ahead. Not to sound funny like that, I just mean like if I go too far ahead, maybe people won’t like it, maybe it’s me in my own head going somewhere else. My whole thing is about slowing it down, every time.

AllHipHop.com: How long you been easing the pace?

Nas: I’d say after maybe my second album…

AllHipHop.com: Some people do say It Was Written was ahead of its time…

Nas: Thank you man. I think it was after that. I started to say ya know what, I don’t want to be alone out here. I want to be with my other rap peers and rhyme at their speed and do what they do in they zone. It sounds f**king stupid but…[laughing] I’m serious. You don’t want to be all the way all the way all the way out there and then next thing you know…

It’s like what Jay does. Jay is so advanced with his flow and his thinking he gives it to you straight up like that and people get jealous and they get mad at what he’s doing. And I see it. And I go, You doing it, n***a, but you know they going to copy you and hate you at the same time. I don’t need that.

AllHipHop.com: “Black Republican” is out there, what was it like putting the song together?

Nas: That was cool man. It was like we’re partying in the studio, we just went in there and did it. We know we want to do something that was really crazy, but we just did that and plan to do some other joints.

AllHipHop.com: You start your verse saying “I feel like a Black militant…” why did you take it there?

Nas: That’s where it is with me. I’ve always been a different kind of thing that what everyone else is doing. We’re all different.

AllHipHop.com: In 2002 you told AllHipHop “I want to build bigger alliances throughout Hip-Hop. It’s time for unity among the whole Hip-Hop world.” Sounds like aligning with Def Jam was always in the cards.

Nas: Absolutely. This is New York. This is the house that Russell Simmons built. This is a house where you got Jay-Z as a president. You got LA Reid as a chairman. It’s the black oasis. You can’t have that without Nas. The timing, the stars are aligned, everything will be right.

AllHipHop.com: Earlier this year, there were artists on Def Jam expressing dissatisfaction with how their projects were handled, at any moment did you get nervous with regards to your situation?

Nas: If you look at the history of Def Jam or any record company there’s been ups and down. I think there’s been more focus on the downs now [because] it is a black oasis right here, where there are rappers running the show. Where, if it was a lot of non-rappers running the show, you wouldn’t hear about the situations as much. I think it’s a time in the business where everything’s changed. A lot of us are caught in a business where there’s only been one or two platinum rap albums this whole year, so far, so we’re all going through something. Not just rappers, the whole music industry is going through a complete change with [low] record sales and downloading.

I don’t know these artists’ personal situations. I know with mine, I was supposed to drop my record in September or I lead with a single to give this record company enough time to get behind my record. So I can’t blame anybody for my record coming out the end of the year but me. It’s just how I move. There’s no, “Oh, put it out now.” It was like, “Yo what’s up with September?” I’m like, “Nah, it ain’t ready.” Then I wanted Halloween with a Thriller kind of video for “Hip Hop is Dead”, then I didn’t want to do “Hip Hop is Dead” so I missed Halloween. Then I decided November 7th, I didn’t want to do that either. I kept wanting to change the theme of my album because of the title. So I knew when Jay was coming, our plan was to come at least a month apart. So this is why my joint is coming December 19th. As for other artists up here, I don’t know their situations, how their records are done, or how they maneuver, or anything like that. This is my first release on Def Jam, so we’ll see how it goes.

AllHipHop.com: A lot of artists in your category are starting to go the indie route, is that something your considering?

Nas: I think we have no choice but to do that. You don’t always want the pressures of a major distributor behind you. You want to be able to see what it feels like to do it on your own. I think every artist in the game would want to feel like what it feels like to do it independently, at least once if anything.

AllHipHop.com: Carmen’s book is kind of explicit, what did you think of it?

Nas: I mean she told me a while ago what she was doing. So a while ago I was like, “Ya know what this means? Ya know what you saying? You got a kid, ya know.” I can’t honestly remember all her answers. Her answers were just all about, “This is what I’m doing, and this is why I’m doing it.” I don’t know what it is; I don’t want to read it. Some people read it and tell me certain things about it, but it doesn’t really surprise me. In this game, ya moms can come out and write a rhyme about you. It is what it is, what can you do? People are going to write books. I hope it’s a best seller. I hope she can buy twelve Bentleys off of it. Get out of my pockets and do her thing. I don’t respect when people jump out of their shirt; lose their shirt to cause controversy and stuff like that. That’s a different world. I’m staying out of it.

AllHipHop.com: What kind of damage control are you taking being that your daughter might know what’s going on?

Nas: We don’t even have to. Her world is sheltered from it thank God. Her mom says she can’t read her book until she becomes an adult. She’s not allowed to look at any of the stuff. She listens to Z100 by choice, not by force. Actually, she told me if I wanted kids to hear my records, they gotta be played on Z100. I said I don’t even think I want urban kids up on my s**t that much anymore, let alone Z100. My records, I put them out there and wherever they go, they go. If alternative radio says, “Nas we want to rock ‘Hip Hop is Dead’ ‘cause of the sample or cause of the Rock vibe and what the song said,” then yeah, let’s do it. If HOT97 want’s to go, “Yeah, let’s go.” Other than that, I exist in the middle. I’m between the keys in the piano. I’m not competing with Puffy’s single, I’m not competing with Jay-Z’s single or 50; I’m not doing what they do on this album. My daughter is cool. She’s not caught up, she doesn’t even know half of the s**t that’s going on. She’s still confused about me and Tupac, that’s honestly her favorite rapper. All this other stuff to her is make believe.

AllHipHop.com: Have you ever considered putting your life and times in a biography?

Nas: Yeah, definitely, because I read autobiographies a lot. I got Gordon Parks’ book and his story is insane. It’s some ill s**t, all the s**t he filmed and all the s**t he brought to the light in America. I definitely would. I like Cool J’s book, I like Miles Davis’ book, Richard Pryor’s book, I love Ava Gardner, all these people. It’s good to see the behind the scenes, so I definitely thought about it.

AllHipHop.com: Are “The N” and “Blood Diamonds” going to be on the album?

Nas: “Blood Diamonds” is for the Blood Diamond movie, it’s called “Shine”. “The N”, we leaked, and we’re sequencing the record this week so I don’t know right now if that’s on the album or not. We put it out there. Like this record company and I, we are totally different. The way they do things, the way I do things are totally different. They’re getting to know me and getting to see how I do things is not so calculated, it’s not as Hollywood. I go off of feelings. If I feel it, “Yeah.” If I don’t feel it, “Nah.” I’ll have my cousin do my photo shoot. I’ll direct my video on this one if I don’t get none of these guys. I don’t do as much promotion and marketing as their artists do. I never had to. I trust the people more than I trust millions and millions on marketing. Sometimes I need it. But most of the times, I don’t, which is a great [position] for me to be in, other than other artists. You have a Lloyd Banks bragging about record sales last year, but then don’t sell records this year, it just shows you, you shouldn’t base your s**t off of what your last album did. This is a funny business. Fans, they turn, so you just gotta do what you like to do and try to grow.

AllHipHop.com: Is Columbia involved at all?

Nas: As much as I would let them be. The fact of the matter is I made this happen because of the unity side of it. The paper side of it, what I could make happen. Other than that, it’s a Def Jam movement. But I still got catalog with Sony. This new album was supposed to be on Sony, but I fixed it so it would be both labels facilitating this movement right here. But it’s really all about Def Jam.