Jody Breeze may’ve started as a boy in the hood, but he’s made a successful rap career using his talents. From his humble beginnings in Macon, Georgia to the charts, Jody has seen it all. Young Jeezy, Jody’s former crew-member isn’t the only “Trap Star” either. Here, Jody breaks down the fine lined differences between rap and the trap – something that Breeze’s past allows him to do. Whether it’s one method of getting paid or the other, both are relevant in A Day in the Life of Jody Breeze, as the album title suggests. But in the between time, Jody suggests how your street and lyrical investments stay safe, respected, and earning.

AllHipHop.com: Define the trap game and rap game for us…

Jody Breeze: The trap game is more of a hustle where as the rap game is more entertainment.

AllHipHop.com: How do you feel the transition is made between the two, and why do people make that transition?

Jody Breeze: It’s easier than it has been in the past, because it is basically the same thing. In the trap game, people are just selling anything for a profit, and it is the same way with the rap game, where you’re just selling CDs.

AllHipHop.com: What about going backwards from the rap to the trap?

Jody Breeze: It’s totally backwards, it’s just not going to happen like that. But some people are doing it now.

AllHipHop.com: Why?

Jody Breeze: Because it is easy. It’s easier to talk about something than to do something. That’s all records are. They are just words coming out of your mouth.

AllHipHop.com: How does one filter the real from the fake?

Jody Breeze: It’s the difference in whether you’ve been in that situation. As far as the story, and how you word things. You can’t say certain things if you haven’t been through certain things. People can tell if you’ve really been in situations like that. If you haven’t experienced certain things, people will know if you don’t use certain words.

AllHipHop.com: How does a person get into the trap game?

Jody Breeze: I can’t speak for everyone, but for me, it was easy money, well, not really easy money more like fast money – needed money. Growing up around certain things, that’s what introduced me to the trap.

AllHipHop.com: What makes it so much more attractive than just a nine-to-five?

Jody Breeze: The trap is somewhat illegal. But not everything in it is illegal, the trap is just where you work at. But being that people use the word trap so much, with the dope boys, and the criminals, and the police s**t, that makes that usage a lot different.

AllHipHop.com: Is there a certain excitement factor?

Jody Breeze: Yeah, it’s almost like playing tag or something.

AllHipHop.com: But what about the danger? How do you justify the dangers of trapping when you have to support a real family and such?

Jody Breeze: You really can’t but you can go to jail rapping to, just for saying certain things. You just have to know what you’re doing. It’s not as easy as putting words down. You have to show your actions to be a trap boy.

AllHipHop.com: What kind of actions do you speak of?

Jody Breeze: Just respect, man, respect in the streets, respect period. Once you get the respect, that opens up a whole lot of doors.

AllHipHop.com: How do you make sure you build your name up in the streets and the industry?

Jody Breeze: You just have to be real, there is so much rap in trap, that you don’t always know who’s doing what, if people are for real or what.

AllHipHop.com: How is the fame different and similar between the two worlds?

Jody Breeze: A trap star is more like a hood n***a. People respect him for what he does in the hood, instead of being worldwide. A rap star is more commercial more along the lines of entertainment. A trap star is someone that keeps it real with everyone but still chills in the hood. A trap star has the same stuff that a rap star has.

AllHipHop.com: What happens when a trap star gets too big and gets too much public attention?

Jody Breeze: He goes to jail. [laughs]

AllHipHop.com: How do you avoid that?

Jody Breeze: No new friends, keep the same surroundings. No talking, that’s the number one rule for being in the trap: no talking, no snitching! You need to put those in big bold letters, people need to know to stop snitching. Do not tell on people. At the end of the day, if someone goes to jail because they’re in the trap, it’s because someone told something. That’s key, keep loyal and have faith in people. It’s hard but you have to know your people are behind you and not talking behind your back.

AllHipHop.com: How do you know your people are loyal?

Jody Breeze: Being from the trap you would have to do something illegal, let people know that s**t is for real. But the entertainment business, just make sure you get a lawyer that will be in everyone’s faces 24 hours a day.

AllHipHop.com: Let’s talk about the wealth that the two worlds bring…

Jody Breeze: For the average rapper, there is no limit. Somebody in the trap game can only get so much money before you have to start doing legal things. A trapper probably spend more money than a rapper, at the end of the day, you probably won’t have as much money.

AllHipHop.com: Why would a trapper spend more money?

Jody Breeze: Because he’s living in the time being. But rappers are trying to get the money to come forever.

AllHipHop.com: Is it inevitable for someone from the streets to go legit?

Jody Breeze: Yeah, pretty much.

AllHipHop.com: Is rap a way to do that?

Jody Breeze: That question is kind borderline snitching, so I can’t really say much, but it is an option.

AllHipHop.com: How are the two mentalities different?

Jody Breeze: They both are about getting the money, but a trap boy is more die hard, literally, go hard for the trap money. You either die, get money, or go to jail. With a rapper, n***as is just trying to get money and hoes. More along the lines of women. Because a lot of rappers are broke as s**t, they sign their lives away. So it’s more like being someone, and the fame that does it for a rapper.

AllHipHop.com: What other rules are there for the trap game?

Jody Breeze: Loyalty, keep it real. Other than that, just small rules like you just can’t go into certain spots, have to stay in certain spots. Stay in your own territory, just like rappers have to mind their own business.

AllHipHop.com: What are the benefits of each?

Jody Breeze: The trap will benefit you a lot, if you have to take care of your family with the trap. I you don’t have anything but the trap, then what else can someone do? As long as you’re getting done what you have to get done.

For several years, the whereabouts of Del Tha Funkee Homosapien were a complete mystery. Resurfacing on a few tours, including some with his Hieroglyphics brethren, Del spent the past six years learning life lessons and educating himself on the science of music. The Cali native has come an incredibly long way from his debut LP I Wish My Brother George Was Here, which introduced the world to his experimental take on Hip-Hop music. The ‘90s saw Del as a prolific wordsmith, whose complexly eccentric lyrics evoked, like his moniker states, pure funk. An obvious lover of all music, Del could outshine most he collaborated with. Since then, he has sharpened his third eye vision with the Hiero crew, transformed with the Deltron series, and discovered that the heart of his passion lies in production. With the release of his documentary DVD The 11th Hour and accompanying CD titled same, Del provides an in-depth look on his everyday life and the art of a rocking a stage.

Catching up with Del, he expresses the negative side of touring and its trying effect on his health, his new found love of music theory, and his relationships with both Hieroglyphics and his cousin, Ice Cube. Don’t forget the possibility of a punk project. Del does punk? Keep reading…

AllHipHop.com: I hear you’re under the weather.

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien Very under the weather. I almost died. Those air conditioners may as well be Anthrax to me.

AllHipHop.com: Did you have the flu?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: Nope, nothing like that. This kinda sick comes from your body saying, “Okay, I quit! You’re doing too much.”

AllHipHop.com: Do you still record when you’re sick?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: I try to. In this case, I couldn’t because I was straight bedridden. I’m just now getting back on the beat making tip.

AllHipHop.com: Well, you have been on the grind judging from the 11th Hour DVD…

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: Yes, off and on. Bukue tends to pace it well.

AllHipHop.com: How long have you been working towards the release of the DVD?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: Quite a while, but it’s decieving because if not for foul people, it would be done by now. Could’ve, would’ve, should’ve.

AllHipHop.com: Is the accompanying CD still in the works?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: Oh yeah! Mixing it now with Matt Kelly. I got my own studio at this point, know music theory and mixing. Thank God.

AllHipHop.com: Yes on the DVD you spoke in detail about music theory. Not a lot of MC’s know the science behind the music they make…

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: I had to do it for myself and for the public. People getting sick of half-assed product.

AllHipHop.com: [laughs] Do you think just because some artists are independent that people give them too much credit lyrically?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: That’s a good question…yeah maybe, or better yet due to complexity. Songwriting, I’ve learned, is it’s own beast.

AllHipHop.com: Do you think your studying of music theory affected your sound this time around?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: Oh yeah! Only in terms of getting it how I really want it though. That’s more personal than anyone from the outside could probably see though. The songs are more seamless; less forced.

AllHipHop.com: How does it line up with your past albums?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: I personally believe that it’s one of the best. But, I believe overall that the first album [I Wish My Brother George Was Here] was the best. It was the most comprehensive, so I started from that. I added on from there using the talents I had built up. But it’s personal though…people from the outside consider my second album [No Need For Alarm] my best.

AllHipHop.com: Are you still cool with your cousin Ice Cube?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: Yeah! [We] don’t talk much, but yeah. He is very, very, very large, hard as hell to get with, but it is possible. We’ll chat sooner or later. I gotta let him know he can get at me here. But for now, I just kinda go off our last convo. We’ve known each other for so long, I think it would be hard not to be cool. I want him to peep out my production skills, dead up.

AllHipHop.com: Yeah, on the DVD it shows you making the beats in your home studio…how much of Hiero was present on this album in terms of production and rhyming?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien [Opio] hit me with a track, [Casual] did too, but it may not make it to the LP…I had support, but I was secluded in my work due to uh…formalities.

AllHipHop.com: Formalities?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: Hoes trying to f**k my life up pretty much. If you’ve seen the DVD, you know already. It just made me a very distant and kinda cold person ‘til you get to know me, which may be never for some people.

AllHipHop.com: Did it affect your relationship with members of the Hiero crew? You all appear like such a brotherhood.

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: Well, it was hard at times for cats to believe that I was really studying and averting disasters…but yeah, we brothers, so not really a big, big deal.

AllHipHop.com: I noticed on your bookshelf in your house alongside your music theory books was a book on metaphysics…were you studying that as well?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: I’m naturally inquisitive so anything that interests me- I’m like A-Plus or Tajai, all of Hiero really, in that aspect… try to read a lot. It’s one answer I believe.

AllHipHop.com: Do you think that the six-year timeframe since your last album will affect your fans?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: Yeah, unfortunately, but there’s bigger s**t that occured besides my s**t, everybody went through it. Six is the limitation of the devil, so…

AllHipHop.com: Did that play into your decision to name the project The 11th Hour?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: God and nothing stopping God’s will? Yeah.

AllHipHop.com: A lot of different “cousins” of Hip-Hop came about since you last released an album. Have you taken a liking to any of them. For example, Hyphy?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: Hyphy I like alot, but it’s only because that as well as Southern Hip-Hop is still Hip-Hop, just an older form. A lot of us may have abandoned them sounds, but people still like ‘em. I’m from the Bay, so it’s definitely elements of that in my music. I keep it all funky though. Funk has no category.

AllHipHop.com: You have alot of different sounds in your style, and I saw on the DVD your collection of ‘70s music. Do you see any other artists today who are as eclectic?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: Well, yeah. Off the back, Madlib and J-Dilla R.I.P. We all dig the elders though if we really into music. Brian Jackson, I wanna say what’s up to him too, while I got the chance.

AllHipHop.com: Are you a Gil Scott-Heron fan too?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: Yes, to a degree, but more a fan of Brian. Plus, he was like a mentor of sorts to me.

AllHipHop.com: He is pretty popular still in working with Hip-Hop artists, like Digable Planets.

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: I know! I’ve been foolin’ with Mecca [Ladybug Mecca]. Mecca did a song with me for 11th. She’s got hot Punk vocals too though. I can do Punk too! I’m a Punk head from like Black Flag and stuff.

AllHipHop.com: Are we going to see your Punk side in the near future?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: Uh, maybe. If I can do it without Del gettin’ in the way, fine.

AllHipHop.com: Why, what’s stopping Del?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: It would be expectations of Del stoppin’ anything else. I can only go as far as the people really want me to.

AllHipHop.com: Would you consider yourself a perfectionist? It must be hard when you know so much about music theory now too.

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: Yeah…but I’m realistic as well. I try to be within my means. I kinda approached it [music theory] a different way than others I guess, since I learned it on my own. I would like to release instrumental albums. I make mad music that never comes out, unless some other thing occurs like the Deltron series.

AllHipHop.com: We need another Deltron…

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: It’s coming, but it’s not gonna be what people expect…there ain’t no technological advancements. We toe’ all that off being humans.

AllHipHop.com: When’s the next Hiero album? We haven’t seen one since Full Circle really.

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: I know, but we were never a “group” is the problem. We were always separate acts, united.

AllHipHop.com: Yeah but you had so much chemistry when you all came together.

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: That’s ‘cause we were all friends for so long, but we never really meant to be a supergroup or nothing. We did that to maximize visibility when we first came out with our label; cheaper to tour at once. We never really thought about it, we just were and ended up where we did, like so many artists do, which is why I started to study music. I definitely never intended to really be in a group. I’m a Leo.

AllHipHop.com: So you prefer the solitude of music making?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: Oh yeah, definitely. I would rather play the back at this point. Too much drama. I feel like if I get deathly sick one more time on the road, I’m gonna murder someone. It’s the air conditioners, and no one wants to shut ‘em off. They’re everywhere, except here at home.

AllHipHop.com: You should move to New York…

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: Oh no, no, no. New York? I couldn’t survive. It’s great though; lived out there a few months. Sophia Chang, I love you! I was her roomie for quite a bit.

AllHipHop.com: Did you have any trouble getting your bidis out here?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: Oh yeah! Hella hard to get out there. I’ll be gettin’ bricks ‘cause they’re basically illegal.

AllHipHop.com: What’s your favorite brand of bidis?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: 500, the pink pack.

AllHipHop: On the DVD you’re having an AIM conversation and it reveals your screen name. Are you afraid kids will start IM’ing you?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: Naw, kids already know it anyway. I ain’t afraid of no ghosts. I can talk, I ain’t scared to talk to the public. It will only help me anyway really. I’m aware of that. I like to talk, it’s something I wouldn’t change in my personality at least.

AllHipHop.com: What’s one thing you would change?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: My anger level, and I do change it, because I’ll be extremely hostile if I feel put out.

AllHipHop.com: How does that affect you creatively?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: I put it out in my music…I’m diabolical like the Biz with music. Music theory helps me color music as brutally shaded as I want it to be within harmonic context. Most of my songs start off kinda minor and get lower from there.

AllHipHop.com: Has your sound gotten darker?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: Hmmmm…well, sorta but in parts, I guess. It has its function definitely. I tend to go there though, being funky and all. Funk is bad, mean. Funk is attitude. If you do me, I’ma have an attitude that permeates throughout what I do, if you can feel me there…music included. But it’s sorta like making the best out of a funky situation though. Funk is more lifestyle than a musical format. Any kind of music can be played in a funky manner.

AllHipHop.com: Do you think you will go to straight production eventually?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: I want to. That’s really what I love to do. I love writing, not necessarily all the traveling.

AllHipHop.com: Who wouldn’t you make beats for in the industry?

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: Anybody with wack lyrics, which would have to be absolute fluff!

"[You] talking much junk like Mr. T is your back, but he’s not so don’t act cute."

Its hard to determine if he realizes it or not, but Mr. T is indelibly linked to Hip-Hop and many of the culture’s ingrained sensibilities. Legendary lyricists like Slick Rick, Bug Pun and EPMD have name-dropped the 80’s icon or referenced his powerful on-screen persona and others like Ghostface, Big Daddy Kane and the aforementioned Slick Rick evoke T’s penchant for mounds of gold jewelry.

T returned the favor as he even recorded a Hip-Hop album with couple of ultra-positive rap songs, most notably "Be Somebody or Be Somebody’s Fool" and "Treat Your Mother Right." 50 Cent might be a marketing genius, but Mr. T’s likeness has been on everything from action figures to comic books to air fresheners and even chewing gum. On TV, he ran with the motley A-Team of goons that would make any gangsta clan run for his guns and acted as a bodyguard for Michael Jackson and Muhammad Ali. Still, like Hip-Hop, once you get beneath the surface, there is far more to Laurence Tero and the man is far different from his loveably tough, but one-dimensional characters like B.A. Barracus and Clubber Lang. Nowadays, the cancer survivor manifests his true self in his "reali-T" show, I Pity the Fool (On the TV Land network) where he roams the nation performing random acts of kindness.

Now, Mr. T’s spectacular career comes full circle and he spoke to AllHipHop.com about Hip-Hop, reality TV, the A-Team, the youth and even the true meaning behind his mohawk and excessive gold. Readers will find that Mr. T does actually have your back.

AllHipHop.com: It’s a pleasure and an honor to speak to you. I still have one of your Mr. T action figures from back in the day.

Mr. T: Aw man, see that right there that’s awesome stuff man. All that stuff, that’s a blessing from God. When people get to talking about all that stuff, it’s God. God gave me an opportunity, this is my platform for me to reach people. When I had the dolls I would take ‘em to the poor areas in the south side of Chicago, Harlem, and areas like Compton back in the ‘80s and whatnot. That’s what I do with my success, that’s what success is to me. I tell everybody like my mother told me, it’s not what I make, it’s what I share. That’s why I’m still here because I share a lot.

AllHipHop.com: For people that may not know, can you speak on your show I Pity The Fool?

Mr. T: Sure, definitely. [Although we’re a reality show] we’re not eatin’ no worms, nobody is runnin’ around naked – no stupid stuff like that. We’re not trying to see who’s the toughest or something like that. Another thing my show don’t have, we don’t have no nudi-T, no obsceni-T, and there’s a lot of humili-T. But each week I pack my bag and travel the country, I go to people who write me and tell me their problems. I appear whether at their house or at their job site or some neighborhood gathering. I come there and listen to their story and I get hands on as I say. I don t give advice, Dr. Phil gives advice. I give people hope, I build their self-esteem, I motivate ‘em. I inspire them because that’s what I do. I talk to ‘em and show ‘em how to solve their problems and stop sitting around and complaining. So I just give people little T-isms, so that when they hear my story they know where I’m coming from and that I’m real.

AllHipHop.com: Do you feel like people are getting hopeless or unable to pull themselves up from their bootstraps?

Mr. T: Everybody wants the easy stuff, “Okay, I wanna be a rapper. I wish I could fight in order to get more money.” They see the finished product, they see this guy Derek Jeter hitting the homerun and whatnot and say “Ooh, I wanna make $20 million a year,” but they didn’t see him playing sandlot ball. They didn’t see the fighters fighting at a little disco for 75 dollars at night. As we say we all wanna go to heaven but nobody wanna die.

I joke with people, I say “I like The A-Team for two reasons. 1) They paid me a lot of money 2) We always had a plan. In the A-Team "What’s the plan, Hannibal?" So I challenge the young people, you know the old saying if you fail to plan you plannin’ to fail. You see they have no plan, they have no plan for tomorrow. They wanna wear the bling and be sharp and whatnot, then next year where they at? They have nothing they’re kicked out because they have no money and they didn’t plan for that. So like I tell people they wind up having short term pleasure and long term pain. I’m a tell you what Minister Farrakhan said, "Black people ain’t poor, they just don’t spend wisely" and that’s the truth.

AllHipHop.com: Do you see the tremendous impact you’ve had on the Hip-Hop culture?

Mr. T: I never really think about it, but people tell me about the gold. I hope people have pulled something about me and said "Hey Mr. T loves his mother, hey Mr. T ain’t no dummy, hey Mr. T never grabbed his crotch," when you’re talking about Hip-Hop culture. I did a rap album called Be Somebody or Be Somebody’s Fool, I had a song called "Treat Your Mama Right". All my stuff [has] been positive, if you go back to my early interviews when I did Rocky [III]. They asked me "Mr. T, What’s your goals and desires?" I said "I wanna feed 5,000 like Jesus, I wanna build a community center where the homeless and less fortunate can come take a shower, get a hot meal and a change of clothes. Maybe not new clothes but some clean clothes." I didn’t build a community center but I work a lot with the homeless shelters. Those are my goals, my raps and goals haven’t changed. I’m about helping somebody, I use my celebrity status for the good of mankind. That’s what I do, so for all the Hip-Hop people, if they just pull from me the gold, they’re missing so much.

AHHA: What are your thoughts for your wearing gold?

Mr. T: I know what you’re saying and I can explain it to you. First of all like I tell everybody, Mr. T never wore bling. That’s a Hip-Hop culture [thing]. Like I tell people who knew anything thing about me, I wore the gold for three reasons. One, as a Christian. When Jesus was born, three wise men came from the east. One brought frankincense, one brought myrrh, the other one brought gold. None of them brought bling, no wise man brought bling. Bling is not in The Bible. The second reason I wore the gold is because I could afford it. I could afford the gold, I made millions of dollars on the A-Team every year. The third reason I wore the gold is symbolic of my African heritage. When my black ancestors was bought over here from Africa they were shackled by their neck, they wrist and they ankles in steel chains. I turned those steel chains into gold to symbolize the fight. I’m still a slave, only my price tag is higher.

AllHipHop.com: Another sensation that’s recently come back is the mohawk. Do you still have you mohawk?

Mr.T: I still have the mohawk, brother, and I’m a tell you something else. Even though people still call it the mohawk I say "I don’t wanna be disrespectful to the Mohican Indians but there is a tribe in Africa called the Mandinka warriors." They’re in the west coast of Africa in the country of Mali, and how did I find out about it? I was reading National Geographic Magazine back in 1977, and I saw the warrior standing there with his spear and his beads around his neck and whatnot and the stuff on his ankles. That was what gave me the idea, I said "Wow, let me bring respect to them,” so basically what I wear is called a Mandinka cut. but I don’t get mad if they call it a mohawk or whatever, it’s okay. But that’s the reason, with everything I do, there’s a reason. That’s why I told you about the earrings and the message about the gold. I didn’t just say "Okay that looks good," and put it around my neck. I’m not gonna buy something without planning. If I buy $100,000 worth of gold, I gotta put $100,000 aside for my family in case something happens. You look kind of stupid wearing all that gold and you didn’t have no plan. That’s why I told you the message about the plan. I had a plan ever since I was nine years old, when I said "Mama, I’m a buy you a nice house and pretty dresses.” That was the plan, that was my goal.

AllHipHop.com: Now will you be talking to these sorts of people that really do need your help on your show?

Mr. T: Oh yeah, I would like to take heart to heart issues. We’re not gonna be taking in no drug addicts but I would like to. I’ll do that in my own time, because I wouldn’t want to be using nobody to try and springboard my career or the show. Whatever shows I do, I give the people my number, just like when I go to speak at a school I give the principal my number because I want to have a follow up. I want to check to see how Johnny’s doing, is he picking up on his reading? Has Shirley gotten better, are the kids still picking and bothering at her? If I just do a show and don’t have a connection with the people afterwards, it would be like me raping the people. I’d be like everybody else just using them for a ratings grabber and that’s not what Mr. T is about.

AllHipHop.com: What are your views of television overall? A lot of these so-called reality shows aren’t really reality at all. It seems TV has changed quite a bit since the A-Team days…

Mr. T: A lot of it has changed and a lot of the shows are reality, but like Fear Factor, it goes to show you that people will do anything for money. It’s more like degrading people. When I did the movie Rocky [III], I came back home and they said "Naw Mr. T, they want you back out there. They want to do a show called The A-Team." Before Rocky, I was minding my own business, there was a Tough Man contest. I won that contest two years in a row and I didn’t win because I was the toughest, the roughest or the baddest. I won when I was training for the contest, I told my pastor "They’re having a contest and when I win the contest I’m a give you the money so you can buy food and clothes for the less fortunate people in the community." That was what Mr. T was about, that was back in 1979. I didn’t have a car then but that’s what I’m about.

AllHipHop.com: When you look back on your whole total body of work, what do you see and how do you feel?

Mr. T: I feel good with who I am and what I made of myself. I feel good with the look, I’m not caught up in typecasts. I’m a tough guy, but I’m a good guy, I’m durable because when you play football they want you being tough, not just because you sprain your ankle crying "Mama, mama!" You know me, that’s the toughness. But I never walk down the street saying, "I’m the toughest guy on the block," no stuff like that. There’s hockey and football players tougher than me, there’s gangbangers tougher than me. But my toughness is more, Jesus said "Be of tough mind, but tender heart; be tough as a serpent, but tender as a dove." That’s who I am and what I do, when I look back on my work, I’m proud of what I’ve done. Everything I’ve done was above board, as an actor I wanted to do two things. I wanted to entertain as well as get a message across. I never did no pimp roles, no negative roles, or anything like that. I had fun, everything I’ve done I’m proud to take my mother to.

AllHipHop.com: Did you give up gold?

Mr. T: Yes, I took it off, because as a Christian when I watched the people in Katrina they lost everything. I’m not just speaking about the Black people, I’m talking about White, Chinese, Oriental, whoever lost stuff. My heart went out to ’em. I said as a Christian it would be a sin before God for me to wear my gold around people, flashing it in their face and they don’t have nothing. So I said never again would I wear my gold, I want people to know I have a heart of gold and not the gold around my neck.

What’s new with The Game? Well, in his quest to dominate, the Compton rapper has started to produce Hip-Hop tracks under the tutelage of Scott Storch and J.R. Rotem. He’s squashed an old, rusty beef with Ja Rule and created new alliances with the likes of Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas. Doctor’s Advocate, the new album, is the latest creation from Game, who is always a spirited personality. What isn’t novel is the persistent, seemingly necessary beefs that continue to infatuate the public and the parties involved. The Game reveals, with candor, why he can walk the trodden terrain and the dissimilar path at the same time. Read about it all below in Part Two of The Game: One Man Riot.

AllHipHop.com: Are you done dissing G-Unit? You have dropped so many freestyles going at them like “SoundScan” and over Jay-Z’s “Show ‘Em Whatcha Got” beat.

The Game: [“SoundScan”] is because that n***a [Lloyd] Banks went on Rap City and said something slick and didn’t think I caught it. So, I wanted to humiliate them n***as one more time. It’s a forever-burning flame. It can be a forest-fire or you can just let the flame burn [out]. When people look at the flame, they know that that’s that beef. As long as them n***as add wood to the fire, I’ma throw wood in too and that fire can keep on burning. I’m not getting the bad end of the muthaf**kin’ stick. Them n***as is f**ked up in the game.

Everybody keeps saying that its dead and that they are tired of the beef, but they really not. N***as, the media and fans keep igniting that s**t and keep wanting to see and hear n***as on that s###. Until we all say we’re tired of it, I guess it will never end. On my end, I’m going to defend myself for as long as I have a life or a voice in this s**t.

AllHipHop.com: You deaded your beef with Murder Inc. Are you going to sign Ja Rule or work with Murder Inc.?

The Game: I been talking to Ja, I been talking to Irv [Gotti] about doing some things musicall,y and we’re really gonna surprise n***as. Me and them squashed our beef and I got a lotta love for Irv and Ja, and I think Ja still got life in his s**t. You gonna see something real soon. There’s room in this for everybody and that’s why Hip-Hop is globally humongous. Ja Rule was potent and I think 50 came in and made a mockery of what Murder Inc was trying to do when really there wasn’t nothing wrong with it, because 50 came and did the same thing. Once people go back and say “Why did I really hate Ja Rule again?” then n***as are gonna flip-flop again and appreciate what the n***a did for Hip-Hop. I don’t even remember why I stopped f**king with Ja. Actually, I do. 50 made that s**t funny to us. 50 did it, and I don’t think people noticed it until I exposed the n***a. Like I said, Its Hip-Hop, there is only one number one slot and we’re all trying to get to it.

AllHipHop.com: Now, speaking of disses, Ras Kass’ second diss was pretty good. What did you feel about it.

The Game: Man, Ras Kass is garbage. Tell that n***a to drop an album. I’m not worried about Ras Kass dissin’ me, because I will beat that n***a’s ass every time I see him for the rest of his life. He can drop those disses from that Wizard of Oz curtain, but when that yellow brick wall starts crackin’ up, that n***a better run.

AllHipHop.com: You didn’t think it was good enough to respond to?

The Game: Nah, man. Your girlfriend probably don’t even know who Ras Kass is, so why should I respond? Go ask one of them little elementary n***as in fourth grade who Ras Kass is, they gonna say “Who?” They gonna think its a muthaf**kin’ toy. They know who Game is, they know who Jay is, they know who 50 is and Eminem and all the people who they are supposed to know who exists. My son is three and a half years old and he knows who Jibbs is. He doesn’t know who Ras Kass is. Ras Kass is a f***in’ b***h and I’ma break his jaw every time I see him, forever.

AllHipHop.com: A lot of your personal life has leaked out like the prom pictures and stuff like that. How do you feel about that?

The Game: I don’t care about that s**t man. That’s me. I don’t run from none of that s**t. I was at the prom, happy as a muthaf**ka. Smiling, because I was having fun and I got some p***y after the prom with my girl. I don’t care if that s**t leak out, it’s no leak. Them s**ts are in my house on display for n***as to see all day. That’s my life, man. I am who I am: Jayceon Terrell Taylor.

That Change of Heart s**t, that was me. I was trying to get on there, get some p***y, make some money, man. That’s me. I’ve been a hustler my whole life, man. Hustler/gangbanger/entrepreneur/survivor, man. I am who I am. N***as can’t use that against me. N***as try but it don’t work, because that’s me. I’m not running from that s**t. I love it. And when they see me, they don’t say that it. Its all hand shakes and hugs, because the man that I have become will tear these n***as in half. I’m a animal out here on these n***as. Its not a n***a in Hip-Hop that can do nothing about me and n***as know it. That’s why they bow down and shut the f**k up. I’m running this at this point. I done worked hard to get here and I’m holding my spot. Just like the rest of these n***as that think they can hold they spot. I’m a force to be reckoned with, whether n***as admit it or not. N***as cannot f**k with me and that’s why they don’t.

AllHipHop.com: Well, it seems you are demonstrating that right now.

The Game: At the end of the day, the music speaks for everything. Its not like I’m talking s**t and I don’t got the music to back it up. N***a, it’s there.

AllHipHop.com: That’s a good point. On the Ill Community, they were talking about one of our columnists, illseed, giving you props for your music. They called him a bunch of stuff, and started dissing you for all of these things unrelated to your music. Me, I don’t really care that you went to the prom and were happy.

The Game: N***a, if you go to the prom and you’re mad, you’re an idiot. Who is mean-mugging at the prom? I don’t understand that s**t. And, [those pictures] weren’t even the prom. That was some winter formal s**t. My prom pictures ain’t even leak. You might get a bigger smile on them muthaf***as. What n***a at 16 or 17 wasn’t happy to go to the prom? N***a you was at the mall getting your suit, getting your hair sharp and all that. We all did that.

AllHipHop.com: You’re right, but most people’s life doesn’t become on full display.

The Game: That’s what I’m saying. I’m the biggest n***a and they’re trying to tear away at who I am. Like, that’s me. I’m the prom picture, the n***a with the smile, the tighty whites, all that. And after the prom, I still went home, f***ed my girl and the next day I was still a member of Cedar Block Piru [a faction of the Bloods gang]. You ain’t see no n***as come out – no gang bangers, from Compton, no Bloods, the West Coast – and say that I’m not who I am. N***as know what’s up – I’m Game. I done put my work in on the streets, I’ve sold drugs. They know what it is with me. N***as know who my family is, where we come from. I come from a family of gangbangers -from my pops to my grand father to my uncle. I got dead brothers that took hella bullets to the chest. I had a brother take a bullet in the arm and it came out the side of his f***kin’ head, n***a. N***as can’t tell me nothin’ about no street s**t. I done sold more drugs to more zombies than any n***a I know. Ask me about a triple beam and how much anything weigh and I’ll answer a n***a in two seconds.

Man, I been there and done that. I almost lost my life selling drugs. That s**t ain’t cool. That’s not what I wanted to do. I was just making the best of my situation. That she ain’t cool for nobody. And, if you selling drugs in this day and age, you wrapped up. They putting your ass behind bars and nobody wants to be there, especially these n***as talking s**t. ‘Cause they gonna get f***ed. They gonna be running around like somebody b****ed them. So, they better try to get a job and do something with their life before n***as get f**ked up. I’m just keeping it 100.

AllHipHop.com: A lot of kids only hear one side of the message, not this side.

The Game: Yeah, and I can’t knock on every n***a’s door and give them a 40-minute interview and answer all their questions. I just can’t do that. It’s impossible.

AllHipHop.com: You making up with cats. What about Joe Budden? You guys were on the same path at one point. You were the young, hungry West coast lyricist and he was the East Coast one. Ever think about repairing that since you are repairing beefs?

The Game: Nope.

AllHipHop.com: Why not? He’s definitely one of the best MC’s out right now.

The Game: Joe Budden, he don’t got no life in Hip-Hop no more. Nobody wants to hear no Joe Budden. If they did, I might think about it. He just doing what he doing. The b***es ain’t concerned and neither are the n***as.

AllHipHop.com: Are you doing beats now?

The Game: Hell yeah, I been studying under Dr. Dre for like five years now. And I’m good. You about to hear some s**t. I been working with Scott Storch and J.R. Rotem and these n***as have been helping me perfect my craft, man. You about to see the same thing happen for me. You about to see n***as pay $100,000 for them Game beats in a minute.

AllHipHop.com: You worked with Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas on here too. People don’t like to give him credit, but he’s done a lot of good work.

The Game: I have to admit, I was one of those people like , “I don’t know about Will.I.Am. This n***a do Black Eyed Peas.” I remember Will.I.Am when his name was Will 1 X and he was signed to Eazy and Ruthless. I didn’t know that he still had that in him. This n***a played me [the beat to “Compton”] and I smashed it. Don’t sleep on Will.I.Am. That n***a is one of the dopest producers in Hip-Hop. The other s**t that he’s been doing for Bone and other rappers…

AllHipHop.com: Any last word on the album?

The Game: F**k the world. November 14.

It can be said that most rappers only thank God when they get their awards. However, L.A.’s own Deon Holly, perhaps better known as Westside Bugg makes it clear that he is a man of the higher power. With the album, The Roach Motel coming in January on Native Records, Bugg is going to make his leap from background to front street. He makes it known that religion gave him a newfound respect for life and a soft spot for kids. His respect of religion makes him an anomaly in this industry. With a keep-it-as-real-as-possible attitude, he is definitely refreshing in this industry full of boastful rappers. But don’t get it twisted; Bugg is definitely nobody’s fool. He might claim to not be ballin’ like the rest, but his music reflects his life, his struggle and his church influences. We caught up with Westside Bugg to chat it up on being “up and coming” rapper, his longevity in producing, and his “good friend” American Idol’s Corey Clark. Even Simon has nothing to say about Westside Bugg.

AllHipHop.com: How did you get into rapping?

Westside Bugg: I used to write poems back when I was five years old. I used to write poems and went to church. Well I still go to church and whatnot. And then, one day this drunk dude came to church. He just busted in church, drunk and he started saying “The hip, the hop, the hippy” [from Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight”] and I’m like, “Aw man, how cool is that?” And ever since then, it kind of started my little rapping career.

AllHipHop.com: So how did you get your name?

Westside Bugg: My name is Westside Bugg because coming from Los Angeles. I am at the west side of Los Angeles, the west side of Louisiana, and the west side of San Bernardino. You know, so the name kind of stuck to me. Plus, my momma named me Bugg.

AllHipHop.com: Being that California has a big influence on the music scene right now, do you think that people will be receptive to you or that you will benefit from pushing into that movement also?

Westside Bugg: I hope that I benefit from that. Because the music that I do is not just West Coast music or Down South music, Midwest, New York [or otherwise]. I do feel-good music. I feel that I do good musical harmonies and hooks that where everybody will be receptive to it.

AllHipHop.com: Okay, so how would you describe your music? You said it’s feel good-music, but do you classify into any type of genre? Or do you just do what you do best?

Westside Bugg: I don’t know. That’s a good question. I am waiting on somebody to give me a genre. [Laughs] it sounds crazy because I really don’t do hardcore gangsta music, and I do singing hooks and I’m a producer myself. I am into all kinds of music. I have produced Country music. I have produced Rap, and Reggae. So I am kind of a mix of everything that I been around my life. I don’t know if I stick to a certain genre. Maybe they will give me one.

AllHipHop.com: But what if they give you one that you don’t really pertain to?

Westside Bugg: Oh, good question. Well I’ll definitely disagree on that. If they try to classify me as a gangsta rapper, I definitely would agree on that. You can call me anything else, as long as they are picking up the record it’s all good. But as far as straight gangsta rapper, probably not. I am street. If they classify me as being street, then I’m definitely street. Because that is who I am right now. You know, I am not in the mansions and I don’t drive a Bentley or none of that. I am in the streets though.

AllHipHop.com: So is it safe to say that your music is from your life, like certain instances. Is it reflecting your life now?

Westside Bugg: It definitely does. Some days, I am feeling like “f**k the world.” Some days, I am feeling like “let’s give the world a hug.

AllHipHop.com: Who have you produced for?

Westside Bugg: Layzie Bone, Bad Azz, Kurupt, Jayo Felony, 40 Glocc, Kokane, Ras Kass, Make It Happen Records, a lot of different people for the last 19 years. I produced for a lot of cats.

AllHipHop.com: So then why start rhyming?

Westside Bugg: It’s my only outlet right now, feel me? But I definitely want to get into producing. I want to be the next Dre. Those are some big shoes to fill but you know, if you’re going to strive to be the best, you got to beat the best, feel me? I want to be Dre. I want to rap because it’s my only outlet. Producing is not easy. You got to give away a lot of free stuff.

AllHipHop.com: So you said you produced for Corey Clark [of American Idol]? How was that considering his scandal?

Westside Bugg: Yeah, I forgot about my boy, Corey Clark. You know when I produced for somebody, when they come into the booth…you know I done dealt with cats like Snoop, Jay-Z. I done been around a lot of cats in this music business. So when they come, the first thing I do is, if they cool with me, we going to do a good song. So Corey Clark to me, is like a friend of mine. So whatever he does on the outside, you know…I dealt with gangstas and gangstas being out there shooting and killing doing their thing, but when they come in the booth, is a mano a mano thing. So his outside distractions didn’t make a difference for me.

AllHipHop.com: So you don’t have any opinions on the scandal?

Westside Bugg: I mean, if he was telling the truth, then hey…I’m not meaning to get all involved, but he was telling the truth. So he did what he did, she did what she did. I don’t think he should have blasted like that, but hey. He wanted to air out his laundry.

AllHipHop.com: so what do you say to the people that say that you can’t hold a CD on your own, due to the features? Do you think it was a smart move on your part?

Westside Bugg: I do have a lot of special appearances but I only give them like eight bars. I’m not giving them the whole song or nothing. My record, like…I started from a group. I started out as a group so I like vibing with other cats. And these cats like Layzie Bone and Kurupt and Kass and 40 Glocc, these are like my folks. I won’t dare do a record without the rest of my folks jump on it. It may be a smart move and it may be a bad move. They just are going to have to pick up that record. I’m sorry. The second record, I am going to do it by myself. But right now, nobody wants to hear Westside Bugg. When I go places, I be like “Hello, I’m Westside Bugg.” They are like “Who?” But then when I’m like, “I got Layzie Bone on there. I got Kurupt on there.” They’re like “Okay, okay.” It definitely has to be a smart move. We probably wouldn’t be having this conversation if I didn’t have all those special appearances. [Laughs]

AllHipHop.com: You have two songs “Blocking” and “Hustling”. And you say that they reflect your life. Can you give an example of when people tried to block you?

Westside Bugg: A lot of people were blocking. And to answer your question, yes it’s definitely about my life right now. Everyday, I get up and I hustle. Trying to figure out how to make one dollar, two dollars, three dollars, four dollars, eight dollars, and whatever else comes after that. Yeah, I hustle everyday. But as far as blocking, I get a lot of blocking. I had been getting blocked for a long time. So I’m happy that I got to chance to c### back and explode, and show everybody what Westside Bugg can do. I don’t know if it’s blocking or if people don’t like it when other people get some shine. And I’m not mad at them, I just keep my distance. If you got to pawn shop over here, yeah, five other pawn shops over here and they got to better stuff, yeah they going to roll through your block.