D

avid Styles is a self-proclaimed problem. He’s adamant about you knowing it, absorbing it, and passing the declaration on to the next man. More often than not, listeners are overrun with gangster tales and tough talk that varies from phony album rhetoric, fabricated industry imagery, and true-to-life hood legends and trap stars that fall way short of below average lyricism and quality effort. Fortunate enough for rap fans and authentic Hip-Hop heads alike, today is a Holiday.

Styles P not only knows “The Key” to life, but also, the foundation of what makes a man. Being raised in the ghetto, trapped in the revolving door of prison and the block, there’s no where to go but up. While only one person is sure of what Styles has witnessed, his vivid storytelling and relentless verbal savagery can make you feel like life is the biggest horror flick of all. But there’s the gangster, and then there is the gentleman. The anthem “I’m Black” resurrects a Panther’s spirit and a King’s dream. How often does the community receive positive inspiration from Hip-Hop music without it being deemed as corny or too far left?

Sitting in Harlem’s Juice Bar, Styles P finds comfort in his surroundings and the conversation. The often quiet MC revisits the records, roles, and group’s that hooked him into Hip-Hop before hooks were required. The artist isn’t afraid to admit emotional connection to his lyrics or spiritual connection to the triumphant life he’s led. But the man who calls himself “The Ghost” aspires to use 2006 and Time is Money to make his “hardest out” title more visible, and his presence much more problematic.

AllHipHop.com: We’re in the health food spot. Are you a health conscious dude?

Styles: Definitely.

AllHipHop.com: Have you always been that way?

Styles: A good five, maybe six years now.

AllHipHop.com: Vegetarian?

Styles: Yeah, but I eat fish. I don’t do the dairy products, chicken, or beef.

AllHipHop.com: You feel a difference?

Styles: Definitely so. Plus, I got into it because I have kids. Nowadays, all the s**t that’s going on with the food, you’ve got to feed your kids right. You gotta lead by example. You can tell your kids to do the right thing, but if they don’t see you doing it. Basically, it’s just me being conscious of raising my kids.

AllHipHop.com: What makes you such a spiritual person?

Styles: I can say I’ve always been spiritual my whole life. My moms is a spiritual person. I grew up in a Christian household. When I was 12, I grew interested in Islam on my own and started reading books, pamphlets and going to the mosque. Religion’s not for everyone. I don’t knock people who are into religion no matter what they believe. That’s for them. Personally, I’m more so spiritual, and I keep my relationship with the Higher Power. He knows what I’m gonna do. I’m just living out the physical. Sometimes religion is real judgmental of one’s character. And only God can judge me. Other people can judge you, but it doesn’t count. But it counts when the judge in the court judges that ass and you going in.

AllHipHop.com: Does being a spiritual dude distinguish you more from the other L.OX. members?

Styles: Yes and no. You don’t know how spiritual they are; I just vocalize it the most. Everyone is spiritual, whether they know it or not.

AllHipHop.com: What was your upbringing like in Yonkers, New York?

Styles: That’s a difficult question. As far as family, my mother’s from South Africa and my pops is from Brooklyn. They separated probably when I was eight years old, and I stayed with my moms. To be real with you, I come from a trials and tribulations family; street backgrounds, alcoholic backgrounds, I’m a kid that was in a group home, so I come from a lot and had to maintain and be strong. I also come from not listening to my moms, running the street and doing what I want to do. I learned the game at an early age, knowing older hustlers and the street life. You got a foreign mom going to school… I wanted [to be like] Delta Force in sixth grade. I also worked mad jobs, different stock jobs, I did all kinds of s**t just trying to stay right. I moved out at 17.

AllHipHop.com: That work ethic was instilled early.

Styles: That was always in me. That comes from my moms, a family of hard workers. Being foreign, getting a green card and your own place isn’t easy. If you want to get something, you keep going and working hard, pray to God and be thankful that you’re alive.

AllHipHop.com: You’ve seen New York go through significant changes. What’s the biggest difference from the ’80s to ’90s and now?

Styles: The MCs ain’t nice. That’s the biggest difference; there aren’t as many nice MCs. When I was coming up, I was listening to Afrika [and] Mike B [in the] Jungle Brothers, EPMD, KRS, Kool G, Rakim, Kane, Craig G, Stetsasonic, Ultramagnetic, Chill Rob G.. that was crazy! From the ‘90s era, it was Nas, B.I.G., Hova, Wu, the Lox, early Mase, Big L, the list goes on and on. Nowadays, if you don’t got no radio s**t or no hooky songs, you f**ked up. They don’t really care if you’re a nice lyricist.

AllHipHop.com: Is it that way because Hip-Hop has become more popular or because of an increase in competition?

Styles: To me, you got Hip-Hop and you got the Industry. Where I’m from, Hip-Hop is you getting the underground s**t first. That’s Hip-Hop. You ask someone else, it’s the latest song that’s on TV and radio 20 times a day. It’s different to everyone, but it’s all intertwined. Hip-Hop is knowing the earliest, hottest n***a before he’s even out.

AllHipHop.com: What were some of the early trials and tribulations that the L.O.X. had to face before getting into the game?

Styles: Like everyone else, the streets. Getting out of high school, dealing with coming up as black youth. Just being a teenager trying to make it. With me, I had gun charges at like 19… just being caught up in the streets.

AllHipHop.com: So even before the deal, the L.O.X.’ music was felt?

Styles: Before we were the L.O.X., we were the Warlocks and before that, the Bomb Squad. It used to be ‘Kiss and Sheek. They were The Jungle Brothers and I was Q-Tip, or they were EPMD and I was K-Solo. They’ve been real professional since we were young. I was always good in the streets, but they were good in the booth early. They were from one side of town and I was from the other side of town. I got up with them around Junior High/High School and they were polished.

In school we were always flowing. A bunch of young MCs just going hard in ciphers. We would go hard, make tapes and give them s**ts out. We’d be in the studio… we were on the indie route in high school. We started selling our tapes ten dollars a whop. You get you a good eight songs and we were hard, we were hot. I was on songs here and there and hooks.

AllHipHop.com: Those early tapes are probably worth a lot of money now.

Styles: That’s classic material.

AllHipHop.com: Your tenure in the game has been a minute and you get a lot of respect from the streets. How important is commercial appeal at this time?

Styles: Honestly, right now in my life it’s more important than ever. Without that, you don’t really get no money and you can fall in the dust. I could say my hardest verses, but people always acknowledge my simpler verses. “Get High” was simple to me. It was that s**t, but it was simple. “Locked Up” was simple “My Life” was simple. All that radio s**t is simple, not to knock it, but I didn’t go in my core for that.

I try to balance it out. Before, I used to block out the commercial s**t. I don’t really know how I got a little commercial success, to tell you the truth. I’ve just been honest, them joints hit home because it’s the truth. “Get High” is my life. Being “Locked Up,” I know about, so it was the truth but it was easy for me. I gotta be thankful and grateful because they’re still getting to know me. On the real tip, a couple of white kids came up to me the other day and said “They f**king jerked you on ‘I’m Black.'” I’m like, Wow, that s**t was crazy to me!” They felt it was a real song. SP isn’t prejudice, but SP is pro-Black. There are plenty of white people in my life that have helped me out. SP is prejudice against those who are prejudice. I feel sorry for them. Before I was like, “F**k you.” Most people that are prejudiced against you are going to be your own people. That’s the double-edged sword. With “I’m Black,” there were plenty of black DJs who could have played it. But I know they couldn’t play it because they may have felt that they were stepping on their own dinner plate. I can’t expect that. I’ve been through the most s**t, and I’ve got the most street credibility in New York. I’m going to take my time out to say something to the youth because I’m concerned. I’ve been in jail, sat and stared at those four walls, saw thousands of homies that got jerked and to say, “Damn I feel sorry for that n***a, that’s my homey and he got 20.” I still got to say something.

AllHipHop.com: We’re in Harlem, 125th street. In a recent article, Hell Rell proclaimed to be the hardest in the streets, which is known to be your rep. He said he “respects SP, but as far as the hardest in the streets, he’s not f***ing with me.” I wanted your thoughts regarding that comment.

Styles: I like what he’s doing and what he’s saying. I like that hunger. It’s going to take him awhile to do what I’m doing. Jim Jones is my man, and I’m cool with Cam. Dude pays me my respect and I can’t knock him, that’s the attitude I came in the game with. I’ma earn my s**t and be the hardest in the street. Y’all n***as gotta earn it. You gotta go a long way to take that SP title. You got a long way to go, bro. You working on it, but you got a long way to go and I’m nowhere near rusty. I’m just warming up. I’m a problem. I do this off blunts. Anybody who’s ever been in the studio with me knows no pen and paper ever. I’m a problem! I got six albums right now. I like the boy’s ambition. But you gotta wake up early to f**k with me. Everybody, the best. Only n***a nicer than me is B.I.G. point blank, period! You might be slicker, more punch lines, but you better check my repertoire, everybody. It’ll take every rapper on the East Coast to start to break my exterior. That’s motivation for me. When he says he going for that title, who he says got the title? The Ghost.

AllHipHop.com: You said you have six albums. When can we expect Time is Money to drop?

Styles: It’s coming in August. They can’t stop me. Get the next “Ghost” mixtape, if you saying a n***a f**king with me. Tell him he gotta wake up early. I want AllHipHop to know what the kid’s about. The kid’s about making songs like “Favorite Drug,” “Can You Believe It,” [and] “I’m Black.” Then the kid’s about putting out five hard mixtapes a year. Hard! Beginning to end, you can’t deny it. Everybody’s beats rip! I been here, been with the best of ’em.

AllHipHop.com: Many consider A Gangster and a Gentleman a classic. Would you agree?

Styles: If the streets say it, I’m riding with it. That album was a challenge for me. They were like “He’s good with the Lox, he’s hot on mixtapes, but can he make an album?” I know they didn’t expect me to do as good as I did. And I felt stupid because I went to jail and I could have done better. Everybody loves me because I’m underrated; “You that n***a and you don’t know it. You that n***a but you underrated.” I’m good with that, because somebody realizes it. If I’m the hardest on the streets then I’m good. I did what I came to do. Now I’m going to the next level. I wanna make songs that pop in other categories and go in other n***as lanes. Get ’em scared.

AllHipHop.com: I hear you. You speak about not using a pen or pad when you freestyle or make songs. What’s the process like? Briefly take us into the studio…

Styles: The process is blunts. Being in the zone and reading. I read often, think a lot, watch good movies not just gangster s**t, and just life. Regular day-to-day basis, I got a lot of s**t on my mind. I got a lot to say.

Really the no pen and pad s**t, I’m not going to front like it’s a special thing. But since a youth, I’ve always had an off-beat/on-beat flow. So it’s kind of difficult for me to read off the paper and catch my flow. I’d always have a problem since I was smaller reading off the paper. I’ve been doing this since I was seven – rhyming. I had difficulty getting my bounce off, so I said f**k paper. Anybody can do it. It’s like an actor remembering his lines, who keeps saying the lines in his head until he gets it. Sometimes I come with verses; I don’t know where it came from. To tell you the truth, I just be zoning out in the studio, going in.

AllHipHop.com: A lot of your music hits home. Have you ever shed a tear in the studio?

Styles: S**t yeah. Hell yeah. Making “My Brother” [and] “I’m Black” was kind of difficult. It was emotional because I knew it was a big risk. It made me cry way after the song was out ’cause of how they wasn’t playing it. One day, I sat and just broke down. It’s crazy. The most gangster n***a they always criticize, Hip-Hop [fans and] the critics… And here you have the hardest n***a doing it, and they won’t play it. Sometimes you can’t win.

AllHipHop.com: Let’s talk about tracks for a minute. What was behind “The Key” off of “Ghost In The Machine”?

Styles: Sometimes, I just say what I wanna say. A lot of times, I won’t say a verse, because I’ll feel that they won’t know what I’m talking about or understand where I’m coming from. My man Vinny made the beat. I was just saying what I thought was the key. I was breaking down how I survive and how I stay strong and what the key is for me. I be in another realm sometimes. Sometimes life is good. But most of the times it’s f**ked up out here. Life is deep.

AllHipHop.com: It seems like you and Jada be having fun with the whole G-Unit parody. The “Ms. Jackson” joint being a good example…

Styles: As far as business, I respect 50. On the real tip, he did something n***as haven’t done in years. He capitalized and I think he’s a very intelligent businessman. But I’m outside. You see where I’m at. I’m here by myself, Harlem, The Juice Bar; this is what I do on a daily. I’m all over in the streets… For any one of these n***as to get one up on me, you gotta do this. Not to say that you didn’t do it before, but if you want to talk about it you gotta do it now. You can’t s**t on me when I do this, and you made it and you don’t do this. You might have done it, but you don’t do this. I put my s**t on the line everyday out the door. And it’s not because I’m ignorant… If I had made if off bricks, acting, construction or whatever, I would have still had to know them n***as where I’m from. These n***as ain’t making me run and hide ’cause I got on a Jacob watch. I came in a nice car. I got whatever in my ear, my ring, or my chain. If it’s in my hand, it’s in my hand. But I carry myself as a man and I do what I gotta do when I gotta do it. So don’t start disrespecting a n***a who does that, especially in the game.

AllHipHop.com: Unfortunately, we’ve seen hyped up drama play out in a very negative way. As a man, how do you keep everything in check so it doesn’t get out of hand?

Styles: If we felt it was dangerous or worth dying for we wouldn’t have been rapping. If I’ma beef with a n***a and I feel like it’s gonna pop off or go down, then we ain’t even gonna rap if it’s that serious. You know where n***as is from, so no conversing’ and all that.

With the Beanie s**t, after awhile that had to stop ‘cause that’s a n***a who be in the streets, we some n***as who be in the streets, so sooner or later these bullets is gonna fly, and is it really worth it? ‘Cause we knew him, and we was cool with him, we knew their repertoire and they knew ours. Fortunately, we didn’t see each other for dumb long. That must have been Allah’s will. He’s one of the n***as we gotta respect in the game and show love for, ‘cause he’s hard and he spits that s**t. But at the time when it was beef, do you think if we would have seen each other somewhere at a party, mishaps…. That was a rap beef but it wasn’t no rap beef.

AllHipHop.com: Why did you perform at the I Declare War concert?

Styles: Why not? It wasn’t for the paper, it was for the love. Me personally, as an MC, I respect Nas’ and Jay’s work. Regardless of what we went through with the Roc before, we’re grown men. I come from a place where we go through disputes over many things much deeper than that. I’ve been through a lot and I’ve seen people that I’ve done things to and that have done things to me. I see them on the streets and I can let it go. Small s**t like rap s**t, I can let go. It was a beautiful concert to me because those were two of the best of our time. To know that you could possibly hear a song from them, that’s strong and positive. To be able to say “I can put this to the side,” that’s being a man. I respect men. Some people don’t understand it, knock it and say that it’s corny, but I respect it.

AllHipHop.com: Should they still name a mixtape award after you?

Styles: S**t yeah. Hell yeah. God bless Justo, rest in peace. But they don’t do it like I do it though. I hate to say it, but when I do it, it’s a problem. They’re still talking about “Ghost In The Machine” and that came out a lot of months ago. Wait ’til you hear the new one. Wait ’til you get a load of me. It’ll probably be out in a couple of weeks. And I got my young boys on it this time, some new D-Block soldiers: Team Arliss, Carolina, T Juan and Don D, Snyp Life, Bully from 354 and Buckie from Philly.

AllHipHop.com: Is it still safe to say that you’re everybody’s favorite rapper’s favorite rapper?

Styles: Definitely.

AllHipHop.com: Why wouldn’t you want to just be everyone’s favorite rapper?

Styles: I’m good. I argue with n***as in my hood sometimes. They come to me like “Yo this n***a’s coming for your head.” Them n***as either love me or they scared of me. N***as can’t f**k with me. Maybe in four or five years, but right now you know who got the most street credibility in New York. No one but The Ghost. You can say what you want, but they don’t do it like I do it. I don’t come with a bunch of n***as, no security, I don’t need nobody. I’ll go anywhere, do anything, I’m well respected and my rap sheet is ridiculous. Y’all bullsh*ttin’, reliving your older brother and cousin’s story. I live this. I’m the artist out in Cali looking for chronic, that crippy and kush. I’m not the n***a without his homies in the hotel room with security. I’m built everywhere I go.

“We went from fighting for freedom to goin’ dumb for free.” That’s how Ise Lyfe begins one of the songs, “Enigma,” from his debut album, Spread the Word. The East Oakland representative is not against Hyphy culture by any means, but instead the 23 year old is out to challenge the youth to be more mindful, more assertive, and more expressive. It’s a familiar challenge to Ise, who works as the Educational Coordinator for the Power Movement, and involves himself in after-school programs for the youth in his community and beyond.

As Ise Lyfe’s deeds affect the impressionable minds of the youth, can his album do the same? Backed by fledging Hard Knock Records, Ise Lyfe faces the challenge of reaching our endangered species. However, having already sold 6,000 Soundscanned copies plus many more at the street level, Spread the Word has already proved to live up to its title. Currently, the artist is touring the United States under the veteran tutelage of T-K.A.S.H. and The Coup, reaching activist masses.

AllHipHop.com: You’re 23 years old, with some very serious, very deep, and very powerful concepts on your album. Do you find it a burden to be so young and wrestling with these ideas?

Ise Lyfe: I get that a lot. People are moved by the message, and somehow my age comes up. You know what it is? I don’t think there’s anything fantastic or spectacular about me, it’s just that the general standard is so low. I don’t think the burden is that I particularly know so much, I think the burden is that being my age, my general peer group doesn’t give a f**k about what’s going on. That’s what’s hard.

AllHipHop.com: Was it your parents? Was it reading? What got you to this level?

Ise Lyfe: I definitely didn’t come up being politicized at all – not directly anyway. There’s a tangible thing that happened – I witnessed a murder that all of a sudden… it wasn’t that seeing a murder was so traumatizing that I was scared and didn’t wanna die – it was that I saw the murder, and realized that I wasn’t affected by it at all. I realized that I had become numb to violence. I didn’t wanna be that way. I attribute the direction that I’m going in now to growing up around so many people that are beautiful and can’t see it.

AllHipHop.com: You’ve got a potent poetry piece on the album, “Murder.” Was that in response to the murder you speak of?

Ise Lyfe: A lot of times when we talk about social justice or America, there’s all this blaming on outside forces: white people, the government, etcetera. All of that is real. But at the same time, we facilitate it. We allow it to happen. The first line in the people is “It’s murder.” What I mean is, I’m not even necessarily talking about the pulling of a trigger, I’m talking about the apathy. To connect it to the homicide I witnessed, it was the thing: apathy. Ten minutes after it happened, everybody was in the car, smokin’ a blunt, lookin’ for the party. I guess I wrote it to do away with the apathy. It’s not normal. Even on this tour, I’m seeing that. Everywhere we go, it’s just pain, covered up.

AllHipHop.com: In the crowd or in the towns?

Ise Lyfe: In the crowd and in the towns. Driving from New Orleans to Houston, we came to this town called Vidor, Texas. The cats that was driving us said we couldn’t stop in Vidor, ‘cause we needed the bathroom. Apparently, Vidor is a racist-ass town where black folks are afraid to be. Being from the Bay Area, that don’t exist to us. Like, if we heard about a white town in California that wasn’t cool to come to, we’d go there just ‘cause of that. But here, in The South, it’s so ingrained in people. They was laughin’ ‘bout it, “Oh, you can’t stop in Vidor, man [laughs].” Really, that’s sad. In 2006, we’re worried about stopping in a town to use the bathroom.

AllHipHop.com: On “Murder,” there’s traffic in the background. Did you record on the block or add in a studio for affect?

Ise Lyfe: We went to the block. We just pushed play on the recorder. I recorded it there with cars driving by and people walkin’ past. I really don’t like taking effects from some computer program. I wish I could record an album on the corner of 98th [Street] and East 14th in a glass booth. [laughs] For me, it’s hard to be in a booth. I can feel that I’m in a f**kin’ closet. I’m inspired by the traffic, the screams, the things people say to me, the concrete. It helps to be in the element. Homie just had an MP3 recorder with him, so we did it like that.

AllHipHop.com: One of your musical tracks on the album is striking, “Reasons.” What inspired that?

Ise Lyfe: I was at a conference in San Diego to speak. A professor had asked me to come. When I got down there, it was [about] minorities, and what’s gonna happen with education in 2008. California is like 52 percent Latin people. There’s this idea of people of color being called minorities when clearly, we’re the majority. They were talking about the Housing Authority and all that. I’m on the panel, but I’m writing in my notes. “Be defiant, f**k the authority / Kick ass, we ain’t no minorities.” That’s just a small line. But I went back home to the studio, and I heard the beat, and I thought, “We gotta do somethin’ with it.” That’s the jump-off at the shows. In the Bay, people know all the words at the show. It’s a common sense track.

AllHipHop.com: A line on there, “ My neighborhood’s filled with liquor stores, and I’m sick of it. So when I’m in the liquor store, I’m stealin’ s**t.” I like the blend of sociology and gangsterism…

Ise Lyfe: There’s a library in Oakland every 192 blocks, but there’s [on average] a liquor store on every corner. I need some national media vehicle to let us do an article on the other side of Hyphy. People ask me, “Ise, since your music has a certain intellectual backdrop to it, how do you feel about going dumb?” They try to pin me against Hyphy. Please! Hyphy is dope, it’s our roots and our principle. It’s a resistance of the system – everything in Hip-Hop is. Hip-Hop has always been a reaction to poverty. People spray-painted their names on subway trains in New York ‘cause nobody gave a f**k about ‘em. They put they name up so people had to pay attention to them. Hyphy comes out Oakland, California where they spend 77 million dollars on police and three million on education…where they take all the music out of the schools…where elementary schools are being shut down…where the mayor of Oakland runs for Attorney General. That’s how major the gentrification is around here. McConnors High School entered a class of 493 freshman students and graduated 41 of those students. That’s what Hyphy is. On one hand, it’s dope. On the other, it sensationalizes a death of a culture – can’t nobody front on that. A lot of it is love. But a lot of it is “thizz, thizz” – poppin’ a pill. I got students that weigh 120 pounds that’s smokin’ purple bud, poppin’ ecstasy pills, drink Robitussin, and eat hot chips – that’s they whole f**kin’ life. This [Hyphy] culture promotes it. Without callin’ no names, most of the cats you hear on the radio rappin’ that s**t, they drug free. Kids is followin’ ‘em thinking it’s cool.

There’s a lot of kids in Oakland that’s being politicized too. You’ll see kids involved in Hyphy wearing red, black, and green wristbands or Che Guevara shirts. They know what’s up. There’s another side of Hyphy. I’m hella proud of the young people of Oakland because it’s a failed generation. Nobody was there to lead them, and on they own, the reached out to define themselves and create a culture outside of the dumb s**t.

AllHipHop.com: 2Pac spent his formative years in the Bay. When I listen to other Bay artists, they pull from his later work. You’re on some stuff reminiscent of 2Pacalypse Now, and that’s wild to see…

Ise Lyfe: Tupac Amaru Shakur was amazing. People criticize ‘Pac, and you’ll hear the argument that ‘Pac died at 25 years old. When Malcolm X was 25, he was pimpin’, sellin’ drugs, and breaking into peoples’ houses. I’m not sure ‘Pac realized what he had. If was alive now, he could say, “stop sellin’ crack!” and that s**t would happen. People hold onto the ‘Pac that wasn’t the most important. “’Pac was a thug; ‘Pac kept it real; ‘Pac flowed on Biggie,”… another thing we have to learn from ‘Pac is he is the example of the tragedy of wasted potential. That’s bulls**t that he’s dead. He’s dead. From what we know, and this may or may not be true, ‘Pac got in a fight over something small. And he died. That’s the s**t that’s going on everywhere. Even though ‘Pac was a great man, he was still a man. There’s a lot of men and women dying over stuff that’s small. One thing ‘Pac has inspired me to do is always take myself seriously. I deal with a lot of clown s**t. Now we gotta wait for another ‘Pac, and that’s unnecessary time we have to spare.

AllHipHop.com: Do you feel that the distribution and your record label is strong enough to get the recognition of some of these issues that we’re talking about? This is powerful stuff that people ought to hear…

Ise Lyfe: [sighs] No. This message and this album has to be mainstream. I have no interest whatsoever in being an underground artist or a conscious rapper. This message has to be mainstream ‘cause the village drinks from the main stream. Though Hard Knock [Records], and distribution, and myself are gonna push it as far as we can, I understand what a monster this is. I need somebody…somebody out there at a record label knows they write about and sign on the bulls**t they whole career. They have a house and cars and send they children to private school off of bulls**t. I need them to look at this record, and listen to it, and give us a shot. By shot, I don’t mean, “Come rap on my song.” We need a real push. When given the option of choosing between the bulls**t and what’s real, people always choose what’s real. Kanye didn’t blow off of “Gold Digger,” Kanye blew off of “All Falls Down,” “Through the Wire,” and “Jesus Walks.” In the absolute high-point of that Lil’ Jon s**t, Kanye blew all that s**t out the water. He shut it down. The people were given an option to choose.

I signed a deal at Hard Knock because the record sold itself. I started recording Spread the Word when I was 19 years old. We put it out independently first. We sold 6,000 copies out of the stores, soundscanned – not to mention tours, out the trunk, and out of hand. We need so much more behind it. My label isn’t even paying for this tour I’m on. The management put up some, and I’m paying for the rest. It’s to get out here and grind. We need a shot. I respect what the label is doing, and they respect what I’m doing. We’re all pushin’ for [the same thing]. There’s a lot of artists like Murs and Heiro who sell hella records, but they gotta go to Tokyo to get money. I’d love to go to Tokyo, but s**t, this music is for us, right here.

E

arl Simmons is many men. In one respect he is a loving husband and

father of four. On another plane, he is DMX, a talented and world

renown emcee that has moved millions and millions of albums. Then there is X, the volatile, Yonker’s native who unpredictable nature is legendary.

When AllHipHop.com interviewed The Dog on a dank, wet June day, all sides of Earl were present. Label reps swarmed, a camera crew taped his every move and his wife and only daughter basked in the festive moment as well. During one phone conversation, X abruptly yanks the phone cord on a unknown publication after becoming disenchanted with their line of questioning. slamming the phone down

saying, “They were asking stupid questions,” he barked. Moments later, Earl returns cooing with his daughter and joking with those in the room as if the act of rage never happened.

And then there is DMX, a rapper where the abnormal is the norm. Away from the game for four years

he has seen a slew of court cases, jail stints, and label woes, but somehow he has managed to keep it together. Somehow through the apparent chaos in his life, he’s found the piece of mind to come back to

rap. Here he shares his plans for Year of the Dog…Again, why the police ar always on his back, and how he manages to maintain through struggles that would’ve broken many years ago.

AllHipHop.com: What’s the best part of you life right now? DMX: Being alive. AllHipHop.com: Being alive? It’s that simple? DMX: Yeah, I mean, with that, comes everything, you know what I mean? AllHipHop.com: What’s number one on your agenda business-wise? Does that even matter? DMX: It’s just a different direction. One does not have priority over the other. Business is business, and I’m going to take advantage of it. Art-wise, from the artist point of view, my most important project is this album. I think it’s going to be my biggest record. AllHipHop.com: Why do you say that? You’ve had a lot of success over the years. DMX: For one, we finally get to have that song “A Conversation With God.” We need that song. I wrote those songs to get people to have a way to talk to the Lord. AllHipHop.com: Why do you finally get to do it on this CD? DMX: The devil’s not looking for the club joints. Club joint, party joint? Sound like the same record to me. AllHipHop.com: So, the last time we talked, you were saying that Def Jam was Left Jam and you weren’t rocking with them anymore. DMX: That’s how phony it was. You say we are a family, trick me into an album for one year so you can sell the company. Then say you don’t want to talk about it no more. I’m like, “Damn, yo.” Lyor wanted to quit. He said I inspired him. That was big. You know, money used to carry bags for Run-DMC and now he’s the president of Def Jam. [Editor’s note: Lyor Cohen began his career in the music industry as a road manager for Run-DMC] And he says I inspired him and I’m like [surprised]. AllHipHop.com: You think that was just talk? DMX: No, I didn’t think i was bulls**t. Dude came to Yonkers at four o’clock in the morning just to see me. My jaw was wired shut. AllHipHop.com: So now you are at Sony and it’s the best place for you. DMX: Yup. AllHipHop.com: If you are really happy at Sony… DMX: I didn’t say I was really happy. I haven’t been there long enough, but things are going well. AllHipHop.com: So, you haven’t felt the need to punch anybody out yet. DMX: Nah. No lawsuits. AllHipHop.com: Well, that’s good. Why do you feel the need to go after Def Jam artists like Rhianna and Jeezy? You called him Young Cheesey on BET… DMX: I thought that’s what he said. I didn’t… [General laughter in room] DMX: At least I corrected myself. If I’ma diss a n***a, I’m gonna say, “F**k you, you b*tch ass n***a.” And I didn’t diss homegirl [Rhianna]. I’m just like, “[Def Jam] this is the stuff y’all putting out? And y’all gonna put my s**t to the left?” Come on, you can’t be serious. Like that’s hot? That’s why I said, “This s**t is kinda hot – not.” First of all, they stole Will Smith’s beat for “Switch.” They took the n***a’s beat and put some random [person] that can’t sing – it’s like…come on, man. She ain’t hit notes like that. AllHipHop.com: So, it’s not Rhianna as much as it is Def Jam? DMX: Yeah, and a lack of quality in the music. Take somebody’s beat, put some n***a on the girl and say, “Dance.” AllHipHop.com: And you feel that’s not fair? DMX: That’s some sucker s**t. Its like, “Where are you going with this?” AllHipHop.com: It’s like music isn’t just music for you. What is your music for you? DMX: Therapy. I definitely need a way to express myself. I get frustrated quick. I’d be doing it with nobody around. AllHipHop.com: We talked about Sony, we talked about Def Jam… DMX: F**k Def Jam! What? AllHipHop.com: What’s the status with Ruff Ryders and your Bloodline Records? DMX: Status is the same. I’m putting the Bloodline project in my own hands. Forget hiring people to do your s**t. People got agendas, man. I’m like, “F**k it, I’ll do it myself.” AllHipHop.com: What is your agenda? DMX: To get my artists to where they need to be. They are extremely talented. Hot. [Looks at the mirror and starts laughing]. I’m like what the f**k just happened? Some Twilight Zone s**t. I thought those were the other people [in the room]. DMX’s wife Tashera: You got any more pretzels for Grace? DMX: [jokingly] Huh? Who? What? Yeah, I got some more. [Baby enters room] This is my priority. This is my number one priority. AllHipHop.com: How many kids do y’all have together? DMX: Four. AllHipHop.com: And your eldest son, Xavier, is like a grown man now – does he rhyme? DMX: No. AllHipHop.com: Do you want them do do it? DMX: I want them to do what they want to do. Whatever they have a passion for, that’s what I want them to do. My father, he faked it and I’m not the one to fake s**t. Xavier likes the movies though. He’s been in a few movies. He’s in Belly, the very first scene. AllHipHop.com: So, you have your kids, your wife, I’ve seen the trailer for your reality show. What do you want to get out of your reality show. People already get some much from your music. DMX: A lot of people think I’m mean and get to talk to me. I have fun too. People are like, “She wants to say hit to you, but…[they are scared].” Like I am going to say, “Hi, you stupid b*tch.” AllHipHop.com: This will show people the true DMX? DMX: Yeah. AllHipHop.com: What’s the difference between Earl Simmons and DMX? DMX: Nine letters. AllHipHop.com: Same person? I know it’s not the same person. DMX: Earl is good. X sounds good. X is a problem. DMX is the performer. X is a problem. AllHipHop.com: X is the one that gets arrested and all the legal stuff? DMX: That’s DMX that gets arrested. [Laughter] AllHipHop.com: Why do you keep getting arrested?

DMX: They want to keep their name in the paper. AllHipHop.com: Like who? NYPD? DMX: NYPD and other police departments. AllHipHop.com: Don’t you think that you sometimes play into their hands? DMX: Sometimes, they write me up, give me a ticket and I’m like, “Are you serious? You have to handcuff me just to give me a f**kin’ ticket?” The same thing that makes you laugh, makes you cry. Sometimes I’m drunk doing 150 miles per hour and they let me go. [Police officer says,] “My kid loves you. Have a good night.” Some times it’s “You’re DMX, please step out of the car [to be arrested].” AllHipHop.com: So it’s luck of the draw. You’re one of the few rappers that makes it clear that you have a family and a wife. How do you and Tashera make it through these things? DMX: We’re friends. We’re friends first. If we were to get a divorce today, she’d still be my best friend. [looks to daughter] Nahmean? AllHipHop.com: You said that that you called Ma$e when you were considering the pulpit. Do you still feel his advice is valid even though he’s gone back on it by signing with G-Unit? DMX: I think that’s what made him go back. Right after that conversation, I heard he was partying. I think he took his own advice. AllHipHop.com: You don’t feel like it’s a contradiction? DMX: He feels like it’s a contradiction. Me and Ma$e are cool, but I wouldn’t just stand around and talk to him for an hour. Its like, “What up” and keep it moving.” [to baby] Yes, that’s my baby. You love you Da Da, don’t you? AllHipHop.com: So you wouldn’t talk to Ma$e for an hour? DMX: I saw him in front of [Sean “Diddy” Combs restaurant] Justin’s in Atlanta. We talked for about an hour and a half – in the parking lot. It was just interesting to me to see how serious he was about [religion and the church] and I was impressed. I’m not easily impressed. I spot the fake s**t, sniff out the bulls**t from a mile away so put the smile away. You can spot a phony n***a. [Plays with daughter] AllHipHop.com: You are going to go to the pulpit when He calls you, but right now you are in Hip-Hop. DMX: What I realize now is that this is the pulpit. You know? AllHipHop.com: What makes this the pulpit? Some people feel like Hip-Hop is dead. DMX: For people to say Hip-Hop is dead, that means they don’t know what the f**k they are talking about. Hip-Hop is a lifestyle. Rap is the music of Hip-Hop. Graffiti is the art. Breakdancing is the dance. It’s a lifestyle. It’s not f***in’ music. People stay getting it twisted. Hip-Hop isn’t dead. You can’t kill this. We’re like three generations deep in here. You can’t be serious. I remember hearing the first rap record on the radio and I was in the hospital. My man was in the hospital and he had got stabbed up. And he was like, “Yo, sonny, come here they about to play the first rap record on the radio.” I listened with him and they played the Fatback Band first, and then [Sugarhill Gang’s] “Rapper’s Delight.” How the f**k he found out they was about to play that s**t? I have no idea! [Room exploded into laughter]. I been with rap since the beginning. Hip-Hop existed before rap. I’ve followed since it came out. AllHipHop.com: Where do you fit into the current climate of Hip-Hop? DMX: I mean, I can only be at one place – at the top. They don’t get in where I fit in. AllHipHop.com: There is this so-called “Bring New York Back” movement. Are you trying to do that? Does New York need to “come back?” DMX: For the most part, I’ll probably smack one of these n***as on the street. “Lean with it, rock with it?” [Slaps his hand] What the other one, with boys with wigs on? [referring to Da BackWudz “I Don’t Like The Look Of This (Oompa)”]… the one with Willie Wonka. AllHipHop.com: Oh, you mean Backwudz. So, if people are doing that stuff, cool but that’s not you. DMX: You can hold people for little while [with such imagery] if you are really saying something. You can’t grab their attention with nothing, but if you aren’t saying anything you’re not going to hold on to them. AllHipHop.com: What else are you going to be saying on the new album? People aren’t really listening. DMX: That’s only the main people that ain’t listening. This lady, she had five kids and she just lost three of them at once. I was like, “What?” and she said, “Lord Give Me A Sign” gave her a reason to live. Just to hear that…I was like, “Wow.’ I sold 20 million records, but I didn’t touch her [until that one]. Not only did I touch her, I touched her when she needed to be touched. I got a hundred n***as that come up to me and all that is regular s**t. We from New York, it’s slick talk all day, but even though I might not admit it, I did some good. [plays with daughter] AllHipHop.com: You are a living legend. Would you agree with that? DMX: At the risk of sucking my own d**k, definitely. [Laughter] I gotta ride with that. AllHipHop.com: If you could do this journey all over again, would you change anything? DMX: The lessons I’ve learned are priceless. AllHipHop.com: What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned? DMX: I have no idea. AllHipHop.com: No idea? DMX: [The things I have experienced] gives you a different perspective on life, period. AllHipHop.com: How does this one compare to the Def Jam album that we heard a while back? DMX: I recorded a lot of joints. This album will be heard. It’s the same album, but a few more joints. Do you have a Now-N-Later? AllHipHop.com: Do I have a Now-N-Later? No. DMX: [Turns to another person] Do you have a Now-N-Later? Other Person: Do I have a ventilator? No. AllHipHop.com: On “Who We Be,” you got very political. What made you come off like in that song and video? DMX: I look at each song as a single and I knew what that song was capable of. AllHipHop.com: That was the best video of that year too. DMX: [Plays with daughter] AllHipHop.com: No, you have many classic records, but people aren’t doing records like that anymore. DMX: That’s why I am like, “What the f**k are we doing?” N***as coming out in slippers…flip-flops and socks. Like, “Come on, man, you wilding!” What if I came out in flip-flops? [Laughter] Come on man.