The Diggin’ in the Crates crew has a legacy paved in Gold. Though some of the records reached Gold status, it’s the bronzed respect of Hip-Hop that’s endured the group’s name. While Lord Finesse has taken a hiatus from releasing albums and producing, Buckwild has placed tracks on Game’s, 50 Cent’s, and Black Rob’s albums. As Fat Joe’s All or Nothing makes its rounds on MTV, Show’s recent compilation, Street Talk conquers the indie market.

This dichotomy has always been woven into D.I.T.C.’s mystique. Going into 2006, the group approximates 15 years in working form. Like the timeless plot-line of the Western film, The Wild Bunch this gang of prolific veterans decides if they can make one more classic. AllHipHop.com saddled up with Lord Finesse and A.G. to discuss Show’s album, Joe’s beef, and the texture of a group eyeing up its final frontier.

AllHipHop.com: I would love, one day, to see Lord Finesse get a Hip-Hop Honor Award. You got my vote. Do you think that’ll ever happen?

Lord Finesse: Shoot, that’d be…that’d be something special. I wouldn’t hold my breath though. My thing is as long as you don’t give all to commercial artists. I wanna see more pioneers up there – that’s my thing. It was ill to see Kane up there, LL up there, but they got a lot more pioneers to really honor. I ain’t see [Afrika Bambaataa] up there yet. He shoulda had it first. It has its pros and it has its cons.

AllHipHop.com: Show’s got a new album, Street Talk, is the first time he’s done an album since the 90’s. What’s been the hold-up?

A.G.: Timing for the most part affected us getting together. We all have individual stuff going on as well. We don’t believe in putting out crap. Really from the heart, we continue to make our music. Whether or not people hear it, we’re always working on new material, either together or individually. Show is a perfectionist and wanted to make sure that everything was right before its release. It’s about quality not quantity. He’s my favorite producer in the game. This is the first of the Showbiz [projects].

AllHipHop.com: Individually, the D.I.T.C. artist’s recent projects haven’t all included one another. You’re about to go on tour, and there’s been talk of a final group album for five years. Where are things now?

Lord Finesse: We’re all grown men now. Feelings don’t get hurt [with that]. The thing about Diggin’ is we were all artists before we were a crew. So it’s truly like seven chefs in one kitchen [recording together]. People can disagree or whatever. I think this is a special time to see whether or not we can do this last hurrah. At the end of the day, it’s about this movement, it’s about making this money. It’s power in masses. I’m lookin’ at these next two years like it’s all or nothin’. I got these last two years to be an artist. Being parents, the image, everything, it plays a part in your career. The older you get, you don’t become appealing to certain groups of people and people in general.

AllHipHop.com: Are you getting cold shoulders from the industry?

Lord Finesse: Look, if you gotta wait for a label to sign you, you gonna be waitin’ forever. You gotta walk in the office, play your stuff for some dude who don’t know nothin’ about Hip-Hop. You’re trying to explain your vision to this dude, and he’s sayin’, “Well, let me hear something else.” I don’t depend on nobody to make nothin’ happen. We just gotta put 20 or 30 grand together, make it happen ourselves.

AllHipHop.com: You’re working on remixing Funky Technician. What’s the status on that?

Lord Finesse: It’s almost done. I’m waiting on Buckwild, I’m waiting on Mel-Man. I just wanna make sure when you pick up this album, you gonna love it – it’s gonna be dope. I already performed the DJ Premier [remix in Europe], and they lost it. I got the Large Professor cut ready too. When you listen to the lyrics on that album, damn – they’re so relevant today. You talkin’ ‘bout ’88 and ’89 too.

AllHipHop.com: Touching on your lyrics for a second, I look at “F**k ‘Em”. This cut basically aired out your family, among others, for lack of support in your early pursuit of rap. Today, at your functions, you’re always surrounded by family. Tell me how they reacted when they heard that?

Lord Finesse: It wasn’t till after my grandmother passed that me and the family really got together. I’m very much close to my family now. They’re real small, as it is. I lost my mother and father before I was three years old, people don’t know that. My grandmother raised me since I was six months old. She always supported me in everything I wanted to do, musically. We just a made a pact that as long as I got my education, she would never knock anything I wanted to do.

At the time, I used to get criticized around Thanksgiving dinner, ‘cause I wanted to pursue music. I got a cousin, Cam, he did four years at college – so they looked at him [not me]. The chances are one in a million. I got criticized so bad that I never wanted to go to Thanksgiving dinner. I abandoned my family after a certain period. Even when I became successful, I abandoned my family. This is something I wanted to do, but I ain’t have they support. My grandmother supported me. She paid for my studio sessions. I chose to do what I wanted to do. Now, they appreciate me. But it took the death of my grandmother to understand that this is the only family I got, and I can’t abandon ‘em.

AllHipHop.com: Do you think one day, you’ll have a big family of your own?

Lord Finesse: I don’t know, man. It’s just…finding the right woman in life. I want a mother, not a baby-mother. I don’t want to have a child by somebody I can’t get along with. It’s having those two figures [mother and father] around that’s the essence. People really don’t understand how much that means in general.

AllHipHop.com: Going back to the music. Show’s album has a song, “On My Way”. On it, Party Arty and Fat Joe appear to be going at G-Unit. The Ruff Ryders said they’re riding for Jadakiss in this. Are y’all riding for Joe?

A.G.: No comment. Joe is my n***a.

Lord Finesse: I mean…it’s like, I don’t really know the happs on both sides, so it’s hard to just jump into something. When everything popped off, it just popped off so quick. Me, I’m a laid-back mediator, I’m a cool dude. My thing would be to diffuse it. People like to keep throwing the gas on the fire. Then, when something real crazy or real violent pop off, then they like, “Yo, it’s bad for Hip-Hop.” That’s how I look at the situation. I know I’ve tap-danced around [your question]. That said, I don’t why 50 feel the way he feel. I personally know 50. I’ve built with him, and dude is real intelligent. So for him to lash out, I can’t see it. There’s so many records with subliminal things, ya know?

AllHipHop.com: Like the controversy with Big Daddy Kane dissing Rakim…

Lord Finesse: Only them two know. Nowadays, people get in each others’ ear. Everybody wanna be the King of New York. Ain’t nothing wrong with that, but s**t’s gettin’ out of hand now. That issue right there just made me say, “Damn.” Of course, Fat Joe is my Puerto Rican brother, you know? We lived like a building apart from each other. I’m gonna ride with Joe, know what I’m sayin’? But at the same time, I still gotta know what I’m getting into – any intelligent dude [should]. I just look at life as there’s more to life than beefin’.

AllHipHop.com: In terms of your production career, you’ve laid low for a few years. Any reason? I know this is the era of the beat-maker, not the producer.

Lord Finesse: I lay in the cut. I’m a homebody. I can’t deal with this industry bulls**t. Half of these A&R’s are wanna-be producers themselves. This rap s**t is all microwave now, it don’t stick to your ribs. You buy it, you s**t it out, you keep movin’. I sit and build with artists, not no, “Listen to my beat CD,” dude.

AllHipHop.com: What about you A.G.? What do you like to do with your free-time?

A.G.: I like to play Madden and NBA Live for money.

AllHipHop.com: That’s a hustle. Do you consider expanding Get Dirty Records?

A.G.: I first have to get the right team together. You need extensions of yourself from the ground up. I want to open a shop where cats can get their graphics and media created. I would also sell CD’s. The shop would have multiple levels. Right now I’m looking at a building in 3rd and 149th area. But nothing is for sure right now.

AllHipHop.com: My favorite record of yours is the “Yes You May remix”, which put Big L out. Tell me about T-Ray, who remixed that, and how you came to be…

Lord Finesse: Percee P introduced me to T-Ray. He’s a serious collector. He’s a serious White guy who understands rap – not to be too racial. But that beat was originally for Biz [Markie], and I had to pry it away from him. So I put L on it, who was a nobody at the time, but sorta my LeBron James. It was done in ’92, today, the lyrics speak for themselves.

Skillz stops suddenly mid-sentence, glancing out of the corner of his eye. “He’s like, ‘You ever heard of Big L?’” he finally says, breaking the silence—almost with a giddy curiosity—from the other side of the table at Virgil’s BBQ in Times Square. He’s been eavesdropping intently on a fellow patron’s conversation. Seconds later, he’s turned his attention from his love of the punchline to discussing the importance of L in contemporary Hip-Hop.

It’d be easy to label Skillz scatterbrained, but you get the sense that the next big idea could strike him at any moment. Acclaimed for his ghostwriting skills, he never stops watching everything around him for a second—finding humor in everything from the Ellen DeGeneres look-a-like tending tables at the finger-lickin’ good barbeque joint to his sudden discovery of a dope graffiti tag name that he’s mapping out on the tabletop. Unconventional thinking, witty comebacks, and the ability to transfer that into real life—it’s all a part of what makes Skillz, “your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper.”

When he’s six feet under though, Skillz wants you to know that he’s about more than just penning the next smash record for one of your favorites. He just launched a movie entertainment company and starred in his own flick, can’t stand those damn “Ghostwriter” questions, and credits Will Smith with changing his outlook on life. Oh, and the yearly “Rap Up” is a wrap—for now, at least, unless a certain comedian wants to take a jab at it with Skillz’ assistance. Until then, pull out your wet napkin and a plate of ribs. It’s time for the Virginia native to get down with some down South cookin’.

AllHipHop.com: If somebody was to ask you what your profession is—what’s your occupation—what would you tell them?

Skillz: Writer.

AllHipHop.com: Writer? First and foremost…?

Skillz: That’s where it all came from. All the rapping, you know, freestyling, ghostwriting, it all came from writing. I put that on my, like, on my card when I go overseas and s**t. Occupation? I put writer. That’s what I would say.

AllHipHop.com: Right now, I know you’re doing the movie thing, album, and everything. All that stems just from writing?

Skillz: It all started from writing. Like, when I was in school, I was real big in my English class, just with vocabulary, you know what I’m saying? I was never really lazy in English. I loved that class. I was never really lazy when it came to English. Everything else I hated, you know what I mean?

AllHipHop.com: You liked writing papers or reading?

Skillz: I liked speaking in front of the class. I liked all of it.

AllHipHop.com: Really?

Skillz: Yeah, essays, all that s**t. I was real good at everything.

AllHipHop.com: Naturally, you’re going to get into it.

Skillz: Yeah, I still do so…And that just turned into this. I’ve always had a passion for Hip-Hop, just in general. I’ve done anything in Hip-Hop. I just happen to be good—good, good—at rapping. I did DJ’ing, break-dancing. I sucked as a graffiti artist!

AllHipHop.com: You tried it though?

Skillz: Yeah, I can throw a tag on a piece of paper but, for the most part? A graf artist? I sucked!

AllHipHop.com: What was your tag? “Skillz”?

Skillz: [laughs] I mean, everybody had a dumb rap name and a dumb DJ name, so I mean, I had them all. So my dumb tag name was “Devious 145.” I had it on a jacket and everything!

AllHipHop.com: [laughs] You had it on a jacket?

Skillz: I had it on a jean jacket, and then when I realized that I wasn’t good enough to put it on my own jean jacket—I had to get somebody else to do it—I might want to give up graffiti.

AllHipHop.com: What did that stand for?

Skillz: I don’t know. I just knew you had to have a cool name and a number behind it. That’s all I knew. Nah, I just thought about it. A dope graffiti name would have been “Freeze Tag.” I wonder if anybody ever had a name called Freeze Tag. That would have been hot! Damn. See, how you think of s**t later? Why couldn’t I have come up with that name? I might have got some…

AllHipHop.com: I saw the video on your web site when you were on 106 & Park in September. What are your thoughts on the art of the punchline right now? Freestyle Fridays have really made punches a novelty and it seems like it would be hard for someone like you, who has thrived on punchlines and wordplay for so long, to see that happening to the technique.

Skillz: It’s like, that’s the school of Hip-Hop I come from…A good punchline will never go out of style. That’s all you need. But a good punchline let’s you know where that person’s mind frame is—what they know, what they’re aware of. Like, Jay-Z could say a punchline and I could say a punchline, damn near in the same vein, and it means two totally different things, because his listener is like, “Damn, I would think Hov was too busy. I ain’t even know he would know about that s**t.” Me, on the other hand, I’m expected to know it. Somebody might tell me, “Yeah, that sounds real Hov-ish. That sounds real Jay-Z-ish.” But he’s also the type of guy who understands wordplay, too. “I tried to rhyme like Common Sense, I sold five mill, and I ain’t rhymed since Common since”] That was crazy, ‘cause it was so true!

[Skillz staring at another table]

AllHipHop.com: Everything all right?

Skillz: [The guy sitting over there is ]like, “You ever heard of Big L?” [laughs] I admired him. He was the type of rapper that—totally off the subject, talking about Big L because we were just talking about Jay-Z—he was the type of rapper that was respected as a lyricist. He hadn’t sold no records yet but a n***a like Jay-Z would listen to Big L. You wouldn’t hear Big L on your radio spittin’ and go to another station. You would stay there. These rap cats? Some of them don’t really want to or try not to pay attention to you because they feel like you’re not on their radar. But they have to keep their ear to you because you’re in the streets. You know what cats is flipping out about. I just saw Jermaine Dupri in line at the VH1 Hip-Hop Honors s**t and he looked at me like, “Huh?” He looked at me like,

“What’s this n***a doing here?” because he don’t really like me.

AllHipHop.com: JD doesn’t like you? Why not?

Skillz: Nah! ‘Cause of the “Rap Up!” And I just spoke to him like, “What up, playboy?” I’m so f**kin’ over the top! Like, “What’s going on?” We probably will end up sitting right beside each other tonight.

AllHipHop.com: Do you catch a lot of heat like that off those “Rap Up” songs?

Skillz: Never!

AllHipHop.com: ‘Cause they don’t want you to say something next year?

Skillz: Exactly. [laughs] See, what’s so funny is that I don’t plan on doing another one. I swear to God. They’re getting boring to me, and they’ll never be as good as the first one. It’s like sequels. Soon as I hop out of the cab, Hammerstein Ballroom, one security guy is going, “Yo, it’s mad s**t to talk about this year, son. You got Katrina, this, that, and the third.” But it’s never…I mean, sometimes it’s the people but then sometimes it’s my industry people. Like ?uestlove will call me as soon as something happens. “Yo, I know you’re gonna put Janet in your “Rap Up,” right?” I’m like, “Amir, it’s Super Bowl, n***a. It’s like January. I’m not thinking about the “Rap Up.” They’re still playing the old one.”

AllHipHop.com: Okay. So as of now, no “Rap Up” this year?

Skillz: [shakes heads]

AllHipHop.com: No “Rap Up?”

Skillz: Unless if like…I told ?uestlove I wasn’t making one last year unless he did the beat for it. It’s a lot to talk about though. The hurricane, George Bush…alright, I’m gonna stop now before I start writing the s**t down. [laughs]

AllHipHop.com: Does every interview you do still include that question…?

Skillz: “Can you reveal the names to “Ghostwriter”?” I could, but why? I always say that’s my light bill record. I still got the masters to it. If I need to pay my light bill, I’ll put that s**t out.

AllHipHop.com: [laughs] You should put it in your will or something.

Skillz: It is.

AllHipHop.com: Wait, “Ghostwriter” is in your will?

Skillz: Yeah! Seriously.

AllHipHop.com: Do you seriously got it in your will to like leave it to somebody?

Skillz: My daughter. I don’t know. She might be able to put that s**t on eBay. I have an unedited version. Maybe some other rapper’s kid will want it. “I wonder if my daddy’s name is in this?’ Or, my mommy for that matter.”

AllHipHop.com: So let’s backtrack for a second. From Where? was ten years ago, right?

Skillz: ’96. I came out on the worst day in SoundScan history. I came out the same day as the Fugees and All Eyez on Me. I was a wrap! Only thing that was good about that was I was in the stores. I had no promotion and I’m going up against the Fugees and a guy that just got out of jail? Crazy!

AllHipHop.com: Well, you’re riding with Koch in the ’06, right?

Skillz: Album will be out first quarter of next year. Koch Records/Big Kidz Entertainment.

AllHipHop.com: Any title?

Skillz: I don’t know yet, man.

AllHipHop.com: Are you working on it now?

Skillz: Yeah, yeah, I’m like maybe six tracks in. I ain’t deep at all. [If you make beats], send joints, man. The party’s never over. I’m always looking for new cats. It’s a movement. It’s so much bigger than that. Peace out, b*tches!

Many of us only saw the damage of Hurricane Katrina from our television sets, however, Young City was there to see it first hand. Born and raised in New Orleans, Chopper was one of the millions of people who were uprooted from the only homes they knew. While many people are still, four months later, struggling to bounce back from the devastation, Chopper was a lot more fortunate.

AllHipHop.com recently got up with Chop to talk about how the horrific hurricane affected him and his loved ones, as well as what he has done over the past few months to help the cause. Chopper has much love for his hometown, and he’s reppin’ New Orleans till the day he dies.

AllHipHop.com: So I see that album is finally getting ready to come out…

Chopper: Yea, New Jack City is the album, and it’s ready…

AllHipHop.com: Okay, ‘cause I know you were talking about it before, but like I said, it’s been so long since I talked to you that I knew some of the details had changed….

Chopper: Yea, now it’s official like a referee with a whistle.

AllHipHop.com: Okay then, so of course, that’s the first thing I wanna get into. Who did you end up working with all around with production and guest appearances?

Chopper: Well let’s see, I got Mannie Fresh all on there, I got T.I. all on there, Lil’ Wayne, Jody Breeze, and I got some more…

AllHipHop.com: Man, right off rip, it’s got to feel like a major accomplishment for you, because back when you were doing the show on MTV, the one thing I remember you saying was that you always wanted to get down with Mannie Fresh.

Chopper: I did, and it does feel like a major accomplishment. But honestly, I gotta say that I made this shake for myself. Nobody gave me a handout or anything. I made this shake for myself. I went out there and I made it pop! I made them believe in me.

AllHipHop.com: So how did you hook up with him? Do you think he’s was paying attention to the show and heard you say it, or did someone get you two together?

Chopper: It was kind of a mutual thing. It was kinda like, “I see you homie” on both sides.

AllHipHop.com: So what type of feel are we getting with this album? Is it a major difference from what we were getting with Da Band?

Chopper: It’s a very big difference. You can tell by the new single, “Lil Daddy”. It’s a very big difference. With this album, you are getting the real Chopper. The Chopper that we always wanted, or that I wanted y’all to see and that I knew…

AllHipHop.com: So are you telling me that you weren’t being yourself, or that we weren’t getting the real Chopper before?

Chopper: I mean, you seen the young Chopper, the naïve Chopper. You saw the wild side of me – very talented, but wild. I couldn’t really show off like I wanted to, which was a bad situation, but that’s history. That side of me is in the trash can. The real Chopper is cool, calm, collected, fly, gutta, you know – the Chopper that I always was. I’m finally getting my shine and my freedom. I finally got my oxygen tank. It’s like I was struggling in the water with no oxygen tank. I was being told what to do. When you first come in the game as a rapper, or a rookie, you got to do what they tell you. Whatever they tell you, that’s what you do. Now, I got a brand new situation. I call the album New Jack City, and not because of the movie, but because I’m a new jack to this game, Chopper Young City, and I got something to prove. That point that I’m proving is that I’m one of the hottest newcomers coming in the South. Matter of fact, I got to be one of the hottest newcomers, period. I’m definitely one of the youngest in charge in this game. People don’t believe s**t stink ‘til they smell it. But you know what, I’m about to give them some s**t to the face!

AllHipHop.com: So what else is happening besides this album?

Chopper: Well the album should be dropping in January, but right now, it’s about this mixtape that I got coming out. That’s the situation right now, with DJ Smallz, called “All Eyes On Me”.

AllHipHop.com: Where can we fans up North find it?

Chopper: You can get that at www.chopperyoungcity.com.

AllHipHop.com: Oh word. So are you playing a part in the site? Do you go on and chat with your fans?

Chopper: I most definitely do that. My sidekick is right in my pocket! I have to, because they love me, just as much as I love them. I love them so much! I’m going to keep giving them good music, because that’s all I can do! I told you, it’s official like a referee blowin’ the whistle! You know the deal! I’m not a star! I’m a super super star! I ain’t even 21, and I done been through so much. I been through so much! Like, I done been shot, but I don’t talk about that because it ain’t really the type of s**t to be glamorizing! I ain’t trying to get shot again! I been out in the streets.

AllHipHop.com: I wanted to ask you what’s happening with Katrina relief on your end? I know New Orleans is your home, and your family is there.

Chopper: I lost a couple of my homies. My family is good now, but it don’t seem right with my city gone.

AllHipHop.com: With you being there, do you see rebuilding the city as feasible?

Chopper: I mean, I see it, but I think it’s going to be to the point where the new housing is going to be so expensive that a lot of the Black people won’t be able to afford to come back! I remember New Orleans for what it was! It’s not going to be the same.

AllHipHop.com: I know. I’m just sorry to hear about your loss and everything.

Chopper: Most definitely, and I appreciate the condolences. New Orleans was a city like no other. I feel like sheddin’ a tear, and it hurts, but I got to be strong for my family.

AllHipHop.com: Exactly. And at least with stuff like your houses, you can definitely replace that.

Chopper: Right, but it’s just so messed up that some people already didn’t have a lot, or was struggling, and now that this done happened, they really don’t have nothing. That’s what hurts.

AllHipHop.com: There are so many artists getting involved in aid and what not. In what ways have you been able to help?

Chopper: I gave to a few organizations. I gave to the Red Cross, and helped to supply food and water.

AllHipHop.com: The Hip-Hop culture is dogged and criticized so much, but it’s really good to see how in a time of crisis, we can stick together and help each other out. I mean, you know how this government is…

Chopper: Definitely. This is a time to get a reality check on voting, especially for the next election. Bush, them are some f**ked up people! It’s a trip, but let me shut up for they try to sabotage me.