Meet the other side of a predicate felon. While every Hip-Hop fan is familiar with Tony Yayo’s criminal background and history within the music industry, AllHipHop.com decided to give you the lighter side of G-Unit’s O.G.. While promoting 50 Cent’s new video game, Bulletproof and introducing his own game, Free Yayo, Tony Yayo touches on things you won’t believe. From violence in the media, to racism, to Big Daddy Kane, to first cars and chick flicks, this is the Yayo that some Rap critics never considered.

Tony Yayo: What’s good AllHipHop, what y’all talking about today – Cam getting shot?

AllHipHop.com: [Laughter] That was yesterday, yeah.

Tony Yayo: Yeah, it’s f**ked up man. That’s why I got a bulletproof instead of a Ferrari.

AllHipHop.com: [Laughter] You ain’t getting caught in a Ferrari – huh?

Tony Yayo: Nope, my s**t stops AK’s and everything. I’m good. But what’s good?

AllHipHop.com: I know you are promoting 50’s new video game – Bulletproof – so can you tell us about the game and what the storyline is all about?

Tony Yayo: Well, what makes this different from any game on the market is, it’s written by the legendary Terry Winters. He is the person who wrote to the Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ movie. So that is what makes it a good game and of course, you know it has a good storyline because he wrote it. And the game has me, 50, Buck, and Banks in it. In the game, I’m an expert on bombs. Banks is an electronics expert who can pick doors and things like that. Buck is like the fastest runner in the game.

AllHipHop.com: What video games did you play growing up?

Tony Yayo: My favorite game was Mike Tyson’s Punch Out for the first Nintendo. “Glass Joe” – that was my s**t right there. Cobra was ill. Nintendo had a lot of ill games back in the day. [Then] of course, Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat for the Super Nintendo. I always been a game fanatic though. I just bought Warriors.

AllHipHop.com: Yeah, I heard that’s a hot game.

Tony Yayo: Yeah, I am waiting for our game to come out so bad that I had to buy one today. So I just bought it this morning. I also like Live ’06 right now. I’m not really into Madden like I used to be, I’m more of a basketball fan. I’m into action games like Punisher, where you have kill moves. That’s why our game is so ill, because we have the special kills. I was playing our game for two hours. I just came from Las Vegas because we had 50’s movie premier and everybody was there – 50, Jimmy Iovine, Paul Rosenberg, Floyd Mayweather – there was a lot of people. But they had a room with nothing but flat screens and you could play video games. I was playing our game for about two hours – for real.

AllHipHop.com: Many are blaming violent video games, like Grand Theft Auto, for violent acts by younger kids these days. But why do you think people focus on things like video games and Hip-Hop, and say they influence violence, but not movies. I mean, Arnold Schwarzenegger has killed thousands of people in movies, and now he is the governor.

Tony Yayo: Yeah, of course. Look at movies like The Matrix – millions of bullets flying everywhere and you don’t hear nobody complaining. People always need something to blame things on. If somebody gets shot, they automatically blame it on G-Unit. We are only giving you the harsh realities of our life and what’s going on in the hood and in the streets. I just got out of jail, so right now I’m just chillin’. I’m just trying to get more money and more money. But Hip-Hop always gets blamed. Look at a movie like Scarface. That movie is the reason why a lot of people want to sell drugs. Am I right?

AllHipHop.com: Yeah, that movie has had a huge influence on Hip-Hop.

Tony Yayo: Look at a movie like Godfather III. When that came out in 1990, the Sunrise Movie Theater got shot up. That movie is the reason why they put metal detectors in the Sunrise in Queens. I think it’s the media, because they always give us a bad rap, but dudes are just trying to get their money. Now that we are out the ‘hood, we are not selling drugs or shooting people, even though the media portrays us as doing so. We are in more trouble now because of the media.

AllHipHop.com: Do you think this boils down to racism?

Tony Yayo: I can’t say everybody is a racist, because it’s not like that. Some people are racist, don’t get me wrong, because I have seen it in my new neighborhood. I live in a White neighborhood now. Some of my neighbors are cool, but some are slimy. Just the other day a White lady told my daughter not to touch her and my daughter is only two years old. It is what it is though. Some people are like that. I’m not racist myself. I’m not in a gang. My gang is G-Unit and that is a universal gang. So I don’t’ care if you are Latin King, Blood or Crip, it is what it is.

AllHipHop.com: When racism hits your family like that, how do you react? Especially when it?s close to home.

Tony Yayo: Some people are just ignorant and I don’t let it bother me. Racism has been around forever – long before mine and your time – and it’s always going to be here. Look at [the recent incident in] Toledo.

AllHipHop.com: Nah, what happened.

Tony Yayo: Nazi’s walked through the middle of Toledo.

AllHipHop.com: Damn, thats crazy. On aother note, 50 has mentioned that Rakim has had a big influence on him…

Tony Yayo: Of course, Rakim has had a big influence on the entire Rap game. My biggest influence is Big Daddy Kane. He was one of my favorites back in the days.

AllHipHop.com: I was gonnna ask you that, because you are an artist that makes the gritty street songs, but also the party/sex songs. So Kane has had more of an influence on you than say Kool G. Rap or LL Cool J?

Tony Yayo: I would say Kane because he had records that hit the club, but they were still street. “Warm It Up, Kane” was a big club joint back in the day. So I feel like, as an artist, you can make those gritty street records, but you also have to make them records that can kill the clubs, or the records for the ladies – but at the same time, you are still being you.

AllHipHop.com: Do you remember your first memory of Hip-Hop?

Tony Yayo: I think one of my biggest memories of Hip-Hop was “Self Destruction,” with KRS, D-Nice, Queen Latifah, Monie Love [Yayo starts rapping] – “Self destruction, you headed for self destruction.” When all the rappers got together and made one record, that was my biggest memory.

AllHipHop.com: What about album wise? Which album did you listen to so much that you broke the tape?

Tony Yayo: Run-DMC’s [self-titled LP]. That is when I first had my boom box and me and my brother had to share everything. So we had the boom box with the two cassette players and we had no batteries, so we plugged it up to the socket by the porch – and that tape popped.

AllHipHop.com: Do you think people label you as unapproachable, since you are perceived as a gritty dude?

Tony Yayo: Yeah, a lot of people think I am unapproachable until they talk to me and realize I’m a good dude. I am just a loyal dude. I’m a rider man – that’s what I am. If you are my man, it could be me and you in the club against 30, and I’m gonna get my ass kicked with you, instead of saying I was in the bathroom, by the bar, or messing with a girl. I’m gonna get my ass kicked with you and that’s just how I am. If you are my man and I’m spending the night at your house, and your wife is walking around, then I’m gonna walk around in sweatpants and a shirt, instead of a wife beater and boxers. That’s just me – ya heard.

AllHipHop.com: Do you remember what your very first car was?

Tony Yayo: I never had a first car.

AllHipHop.com: You never had one?

Tony Yayo: Nope.

AllHipHop.com: When did you get your first car, when you were with G-Unit?

Tony Yayo: Yeah, I got an Escalade first. Oh no, I actually had a Hummer first. I was locked up at the time and I never got to drive it because they blew the engine in the car.

AllHipHop.com: Why didn’t you have a car before the Rap game?

Tony Yayo: Because I was just busy doing my thing. I was struggling. I didn’t have the money to buy the car that I wanted. I had my own apartment though. But the car I wanted I couldn’t afford, so why get something and struggle for it. You know how some people go beyond they means?

AllHipHop.com: Yeah, then they are broke and working two jobs because they bought the car.

Tony Yayo: Yeah – I’m not stupid like that. If you can’t afford to buy two, then don’t get it.

AllHipHop.com: Is there any CD in your collection that may surprise fans? Any different types of genres of music you listen to?

Tony Yayo: Let me think – I listen to a lot of old school Soul mixtapes. Stuff with Gregory Abbott, Anita Baker, The Gap Band, the stuff like that.

AllHipHop.com: Hypothetically – say you’re with a woman and you have to put on one chick movie – which one do you grab?

Tony Yayo: I would pick that movie Pretty Woman. Remember that movie, where he takes the h##### and spends all that money? That would be the smartest movie to put on. All females love that movie.

AllHipHop.com: If you could have lunch with any historical figure or celebrity who has passed, who would it be and why?

Tony Yayo: I would say Biggie Smalls.

AllHipHop.com: What would you guys talk about?

Tony Yayo: I would ask him, “How did you learn how to rap like that?” [Chuckles] We would talk about a number of things, like what he would have done in the future? Was he going to start his own label?

AllHipHop.com: With 50’s new movie coming out, do you have a role in it?

Tony Yayo: Nah, I’m not in the movie because I was out promoting my album, Thoughts Of A Predicate Felon. Nobody is in the movie from the crew.

AllHipHop.com: When you are not in the studio, what are you doing in your free time?

Tony Yayo: I just chill with my homies, play video games, but I really spend a lot of time with my daughter. She is two years old and I had my daughter in jail. She is real special to me and she gets bigger every time I see her.

AllHipHop.com: I know you are on the road and promoting constantly, so how tough is it to balance your career and your family life?

Tony Yayo: Yeah, it’s very hard. But my daughter has to eat and she needs a home over her head. As she gets older, she will understand why daddy wasn’t around like that. But for right now, this is my life and this is what I have to do. She will understand when she gets older, because the same money that I’m making now is the same money that will put her through college.

AllHipHop.com: Any last words?

Tony Yayo: I appreciate you interviewing me, I appreciate y’all having me. My album, Thoughts Of A Predicate Felon, is out now. Thank you to everybody who bought it. My next single is, “I Know You Don’t Love Me,” and the video is going to be real big.

Producers are growing on trees lately. Despite a surplus of rappers in 2005, it’s still not easy to make money pushing beats. Often, bedroom producers think they can make a buck doing film-work. Producer/emcee El-P has adjusted with the times and recently scored the just-released independent film, Bomb the System.

Like the “End to End Burners” track, a song from his former group Company Flow, the film deals largely with graffiti. El reveals his thoughts on the film, based upon his own experiences as well – holding it down for the graf heads. That’s not all either, He discusses Def Jux’s recent signings, plus some more on Cage’s hot-topic album of 2005. For anybody who wanted to score a movie, bomb a freight, or start a million-dollar indie, El-P is worth the time.

AllHipHop.com: How were you approached to score Bomb the System?

El-P: They just kinda approached me. They had been editing and writing the movie to my music, anyway. That’s what they told me. Fantastic Damage was a big part of writing the s**t. When I saw the footage, and I saw what they had, a lot of my music was already in there from the album. I guess they were like, “F**k it, let’s just try and get El to do some new s**t for us.”

AllHipHop.com: Murs with Walk Like a Man said he doubted the credibility in being approached with his project. I’m sure plenty of student filmmakers hit you. How’d you know this was right?

El-P: I was aware that it was serious when I saw what they had been working on. I didn’t know what the f**k it was till I saw the footage. When I realized who was involved – the editor of the movie edited some pretty f**kin’ fantastic films.

AllHipHop.com: Word? Such as?

El-P: Such as uhhh… Requiem for a Dream and a couple other flicks. I recognized a lot of cats who were in the movie too. It just took me a minute to meet them and see what was up. But once I did, it was pretty clear that it’s a pretty beautifully shot movie.

AllHipHop.com: It’s coming full circle to see Hip-Hop score movies. RZA did Kill Bills and Lord Finesse has done stuff…

El-P: What did Finesse score?

AllHipHop.com: It’s called Off the Hook. He told us he doesn’t like to mention it ’cause the filmmakers stiffed him on the money.

El-P: That’s ill. That’s a lil’ piece of trivia, right there.

AllHipHop.com: What was your technique?

El-P: For me, I been tryin’ to get into this for a while. I don’t even think they knew that. I grew up being obsessed with music scores, and being obsessed with movies that had that tripped-out, f**ked up s**t – the 80’s. A lot of the samples I’ve used on records are from that. I have a huge collection of scores. I was kinda amped to do it. Basically, they gave me the footage, and I put music to it – I scored it. It was basically a process of me sitting there, f**kin’ around, and tryin’ to get it right. It was kinda weird. I wanted to do it the right way, and not just throw this anywhere. They would say, “I need this to happen right here.” What was crazy is that sometimes they re-cut the movie to my score. To edit around the nuance, I’m sure that’s rare. It was really cool. Dude gave me a huge load of confidence.

AllHipHop.com: Coming from a graffiti writing background, what do you think of the film?

El-P: I think the film is beautiful. I think it’s beautifully shot. I think there’s some amazing performances in it. I like the fact that it’s modern. It’s a f**kin’ graf fictional movie set in modern times. And graf is pretty much ignored now. [There are] documentaries here and there about a graf artist or two, but not an actual story set in modern day New York City, and graf now is a much different thing than it used to be. I really liked it.

AllHipHop.com: How did it compare to your experience?

El-P: My experience with graf was as a kid growing up in Brooklyn. My experience with graf was as a fan and as being down with kids who were writers. I didn’t even try, I just ran with cats who were talented. Parts of the film definitely rang true to me. Like graf often ends up starting out as fun and ends up being confusing for a lot of cats, that was definitely true. The whole idea of questioning artistic ideas and s**t – hitting walls and having them buffed the next day. Cats really get heated over that. [laughs] It’s realistic. If I didn’t think the s**t was legitimate, I wouldn’t have f**ked with it.

AllHipHop.com: Def Jux got a lot of their audience through videos. Your video for “Deep Space 9mm” messed me up. So coming from a visual background, how was it challenging to have the video before the music?

El-P: It was a challenge. It’s kinda freeing. With the “Deep Space” s**t, I developed the concept, they’ve all been co-directed by me. But like you said, you already have a song. In this way, it’s easier to make a song, than a film that represents that song. If you hook up with the right people, s**t can happy. It’s kinda like producing other cats’ albums. It’s not about me and my sound and my ideas. I’m just vibing off of theirs.

AllHipHop.com: When you were graf writing, what did you listen to get souped up?

El-P: S**t bro, this was the 80’s – f**kin’ Beastie Boys, Fat Boys.

AllHipHop.com: Cage’s Hells Winter album has been a huge turnaround story for somebody that I feel a lot of Hip-Hop fans wrote off. What’s going on with Def Jux right now?

El-P: The response has been amazing, incredible. I think people just like to see him in a new angle, and talk about s**t that they were not expecting. It’s some real s**t. He knew that. One of the reasons he did the record was because he was tired of feeding into that s**t, he had s**t he wanted to say. This is a 30 year-old man with a kid and a history. As far as Jux, I look at Cage as one of my top tier artists right now. I just look at the whole s**t as being very important. Cannibal Ox is officially just resigned with us. We’re amped about that s**t. We’re getting to work on that. A lot’s happening.

AllHipHop.com: Cage did speak a lot on the politics of the Eastern Conference departure. Company Flow and High & Mighty were together in building Rawkus. What was the confict for you in the politics of that project?

El-P: For what it’s worth, I just do music, man. Cage is my boy and s**t. That s**t is just music, it didn’t have anything to do with anything else. Also, Company Flow and High & Mighty were never really that close at Rawkus. But whatever. It’s just music. I was just chillin’. I don’t have no problem with anybody. That’s really something at the end of the day, that has to be between Cage and them.

AllHipHop.com: Last time I saw my mother, I had High Water with me, and she stole it, she loved it so much. From Co Flow, now you’re making records for moms now…

El-P: [laughs] That?s funny. I’m making music for parents.

AllHipHop.com: That was a crazy Jazz project. What else have you been up to?

El-P: I’m doing a s**tload of remix work. For some reason, the major label world has decided they like me. Obviously, I worked very closely on the Cage record. Now, basically, my main s**t is, I’m working on my follow-up to Fantastic Damage.

Earlier this year, fans expected to hear Quan’s debut, Until My Death, but instead, recently heard about the rapper from a recent arrest by Hampton, Virginia police. The police alleged that the Nas protégé [born Don Ferquan] was inside a hotel room with a gun, minor amounts of weed, and a large amount of cash. As fans await Quan’s album, he must contend with a legal system that may not be impartial to him. Earlier this year, the rapper told AllHipHop.com about his criminal past, and reformed vision. Will these new circumstances allow Quan to be judged him fairly? Read the rapper proclaims his innocence and speak on the Nas/Jay-Z peace treaty, Ill Will Records and his reliance on God. [Click here to read the original interview with Quan.]

AllHipHop.com: How are you doing?

Quan: Man, I’m maintaining.

AllHipHop.com: It’s been a minute. The last time we spoke, you were overseas performing with Nas.

Quan: I was runnin’ around with son [Nas].

AllHipHop.com: I’m sorry to have to speak to you like this under these circumstances. Did you want to speak your peace on things?

Quan: I’ma just touch on it lightly. Basically, I’m innocent. You know I got caught up in a f**ked up situation with some f**ked up individuals, man. It’s obvious that it’s not what the public makes it to be, or I wouldn’t be where I am at now [as an artist].

AllHipHop.com: You have been through the system on a previous occasion.

Quan: That’s the reason why, they are really trying to blow it up to be – you know what I mean – more than what it is.

AllHipHop.com: Right. What did you think of the press reports? How inaccurate was the press?

Quan: Basically, it’s a bunch of bulls**t. People are gonna take things and run with it and they’re gonna twist it and chop it up which ever way they can to make me look bad. On top of that, I’m and artist. You know how it goes.

AllHipHop.com: Were you the only person arrested?

Quan: I’m not going to get into that. At this point in time, I am the only person they charged [with a crime]. The other ones got away.

AllHipHop.com: Do you think they recognized you? Honestly, I wouldn’t think police would know your face that way, then again, I don’t know.

Quan: All I can say is that I’m in VA [Virginia], dog – the start of the Confederacy. Yeah, Nat Turner walked here. Either way it goes, you know what it is. I don’t want to get into that. I’m thankful for the support that I’ve got, and the love that I’ve gotten from the fans. I’m innocent and it’ll show. My [music] project, I’m still moving forward. Basically, that’s what it is, man. Trials and tribulations, they come and either you allow them to make you or you allow them to break you. I’m a fighter, dog.

AllHipHop.com: Did somebody…

Quan: You steadily asking me about this case man. My life is on the line.

AllHipHop.com: I feel you. Can you speak on the music?

Quan: We can definitely talk about that, man. That’s what I want to talk about. I’m here to let the world know I’m innocent. I came too far. I’ve been that route. That’s over and done with. Look at the story, it don’t even sound right.

AllHipHop.com: A lot of people felt that way like we know your history and people are like, “Why? He’s there on the edge of major success.” On the music note, I heard one new joint.

Quan: Quan: “D-Tight,” it lifts the Faith Evans beat.

AllHipHop.com: Yeah!

Quan: [sings] “I done did a lot of things, caught a lot of cases…” and even that will tell you, “Lost some of my best friends, but I’m gonna be alright.” Look, man, I’m doing music now. Let me tell you, you can’t do both.

AllHipHop.com: A lot of cats think you can do both.

Quan: That’s some bulls**t. I’m the first one to tell you. That’s some bulls**t.

AllHipHop.com: A lot of us have been anxiously waiting. We heard the Nas joint and thought there would be a quick follow-up, but it didn’t come.

Quan: I been in the lab working – grinding. I got some things poppin’ with [DJ] Big Mike and we gonna get it right. Ill Will is the family, Atlantic is the movement.

AllHipHop.com: Atlantic’s the movement?

Quan: I’m signed to Atlantic.

AllHipHop.com: Oh, Okay. I thought you were on Sony/Columbia, but I’ve heard Nas talk about possibly going to Atlantic too. I thought you were dropping a hint.

Quan: That’s what it is. I know there was a lot of confusion about an interview that I had did when I mentioned that I’m signing to Atlantic. Some people took it the wrong way like I don’t rock with Nas no more. That ain’t the case, and that needs to be known first and foremost. That’s my dude regardless of what. He allows me to be my own person. He watches over me and Ill Will is still what it is.

AllHipHop.com: Are you still signed to Ill Will?

Quan: Am I still signed to Ill Will? I don’t want to get into all of that. Just know, it’s all love. I got a lot of people that’s involved with my project, my career – for the betterment of my career. I’m with Ill Will, I’m with Atlantic. How I’m signed, I’m trying to keep that will me and will all due respect, it’s the same – all love. I’m going to keep it moving.

AllHipHop.com: With your album, you sing and you rap. I’m seeing a few people poppin’ up doing that. Even Tyrese is talkin’ about rappin’ and singing.

Quan: I’ll I’ma say is God got me. He brought me this far. And, my music is going to speak for itself. My album is going to speak for itself. It’s a beautiful thing. After “Just A Moment,” I had to get some things in order. Its unfortunate that these trials and tribulations came about, but I’m going to be all right.

AllHipHop.com: I believe you. What did you think of the Jay-Z/ Nas peace treaty at New York’s Powerhouse recently?

Quan: It was a beautiful move for Hip-Hop – a beautiful move for them. It is what it is. It happens and dudes don’t always agree, you have your fallouts. Me and my brother have fallouts. But, at the end of the day, it’s about the bigger picture and the bigger picture is: that’s good for Hip-Hop and that’s good for them. Now some people may not be mature enough to understand and may have their own opinions, but I applaud them. Put this pride aside, and get this paper. That’s what it’s about: getting this paper and feeding families. It ain’t all about “F you and F me and I’ll blow your head off. And n***a I’ll ride on you.” There is a time and place for all that sometimes, but not all the time and that invalidates you. I applaud all of that [with Jay and Nas]. I wish I was there, but I was dealing with a lot [legally].

AllHipHop.com: Right, right…

Quan: Beautiful things, man. My head is up. God got me, trust me. I been through the worst. I been through the worst. I’m going to be okay. I thank everybody for the love and the support.

AllHipHop.com: What’s on deck for you? How are you going to proceed?

Quan: As far as other dudes that rap and sing, do you. Its only one of me like its only one of them.

AllHipHop.com: Who are you working with on your project?

Quan: I was working with Lil’ Scrappy when I was down in Atlanta. I just been recording. However, whenever, whatever and just been getting it popping. I been working with plenty different artists. I built with the kid Wacko from UTP. Quite a few producers and I’m about to go in with Just Blaze, Kanye and possibly Scott Storch. You gonna see me on the screen again – God willing.

AllHipHop.com: You got the right label now, because Atlantic is winning.

Quan: I got a lot of support there. The whole building supports me. I’m just so mad that this bulls**t came up man, but like I said, “God got it.”My innocence will be proven. For once in my crooked a** life, I’m really innocent. That’s really talk. Ain’t no way in hell I’ll put my momma through this s**t again. Ain’t no way. She been through too much. Ain’t no way in hell I’m going to do seven years and some change and me just jump back out there on some stupid s**t. Any n***that do that deserves what he gets. And, I’ve been behind that wall. The truth is gonna come out and we gonna sell millions of records.

AllHipHop.com: Keep your head up…stay strong.

Quan: And you do the same.

Bruce Lee believed in, “The art of fighting without fighting.” The idea of creating an album with out a concept, in itself, seems almost damn near impossible, but shows true ambition. Wu-Tang affiliate, former MC, and crew A&R, Dreddy Kruger has done just that. He recently stepped up to man the controls of Think Differently.

The recently released project finds core and other Wu affiliates alongside top billing MC’s in the underground and independent markets. The prospects of ‘GZA & Ras Kass’ or ‘MF Doom and RZA’ have hyped the album, and led to fast sales through digital downloading. As he leaves this project to A&R the Wu-Tang’s next group album, AllHipHop.com spoke to Dreddy Kruger on thinking differently with this album, the evolving sound of Wu, and how much RZA charges for a beat. Peep game.

AllHipHop.com: Think Differently is billed to be the first collaborative Wu-Tang effort. In my mind, Iron Flag tried to achieve that, and wasn’t so successful.

Dreddy Kruger: This album will change all of that. It’s exciting. People are getting excited for a Hip-Hop project for a change. I know this because of heads that have been reaching out on this.

AllHipHop.com: Give me some examples of your A&R outlook…

Dreddy Kruger: If you have eight strong bars, and you said everything that you needed to in those eight, then you need to drop that first and then a short hook, another verse and get in and get out. I have a lot of tracks that clock in under three minutes. I want cats to be like, “Damn, I wish that I could hear more of this.” When the corporations took control of Hip-Hop and record making, that’s when the talent went drastically down. It made no difference if you were from the urban or the suburban culture. They made it as a product that they could market and sell. That’s what killing Hip-Hop. They don’t care about the integrity of it. They just are about making a quick dollar and move on to the next artist. That’s why everyone thinks that they can do this s**t. Cats are a dime a dozen. Back in the day when I would hear a Rakim album, I never imagined ever being able to do anything like that, let alone be on a track with him. I was in awe. Think Differently, has the real MC’s, the real n***as.

AllHipHop.com: Was the project originally to surround Wu-Tang?

Dreddy Kruger: Yeah, that was the whole idea. It was my whole concept. I had all of the beats first. I picked up some old s**t from RZA and a few other cats. An album with Wu-Tang productions and Wu-Tang artists, mixed in with independent artists and producers. I wanted to basically create a Wu sounding album with all of theses guest appearances on it. I’m not even talking about a Wu-Tang record. People have been waiting to hear something like this for a long time.

AllHipHop.com: How did you choose the artists? You have MF Doom, Tragedy, and Ras Kass to name a few.

Dreddy Kruger: I’ve had some of the beats for over five years. In the end, it took about three months to record the whole thing. I had the beats first. I had the whole album sequenced as to how I wanted to hear it. When I started listening to it over and over, I started A&R-ing the whole thing. I wanted to hear MF Doom on a track, but not with a Doom beat, but instead a RZA beat. I want to bring Doom into our world.

AllHipHop.com: Yeah, Doom just did Danger Doom and had Ghost Face on a track.

Dreddy Kruger: I was the A&R for that record also. I heard that record and I like it, but to me it’s a fun comical album. It’s not on a serious record. I knew that with the Think Differently project that I was doing was something that people wanted to hear. People have been wanting to hear this for about five years or so. They have been wanting to hear Wu-Tang matched up with other artists because it was something that we never really done in the past. The only artists to ever really have songs with us were Busta’, Red Man and Nas. Outside of that it’s real limited. Off the bat I knew that people wanted hear Sean Price, C-Ray Walz and Sunz of Man on an album.

AllHipHop.com: There’s the mainstream and underground scenes; Wu crosses into both genres. What do you think that album is going to do as far as uniting Hip-Hop fans?

Dreddy Kruger: I want the people to judge that. Time will tell. I just wanted to put out an album with no label politics. This is what the independent cats are supposed to be doing in the first place. I just wanted to bring back the 93’-95 RZA sound. All of these cats grew up listening to Wu-Tang, but Wu doesn’t necessarily know who all of these cats are. That’s kind of where I got the whole idea. Doom came to me four years back through a friend and wanted to have RZA on his album. He had like $5-7000 and wanted RZA to do whatever he could to do for that price. He didn’t really even know who he was. I had to break it down to him on the KMD “Peach Fuzz.”

AllHipHop.com: When Doom was was Zev Love X…

Dreddy Kruger: Exactly, but RZA didn’t really know who he was, and he never really got back to me on it. When RZA doesn’t get back to me on a project, then I know that he’s not really that interested. Like I said, the money was low and RZA gets like $40-50,000 for s**t. That’s why when I had an opportunity to do this whole project; I wanted to get Doom on a RZA beat. I told him, “Don’t worry about nothing son, you on a RZA beat… We’re about to make history.”

AllHipHop.com: You’ve got so many artists on here. I wanna know, who couldn’t you get on?

Dreddy Kruger: I didn’t have enough time to reach out to them, but we might be doing some remix s**t. Mos Def is really on a major label. It’s Wu-tang reaching the indi. culture. I didn’t really want to go outside of that. I could have got cats like Redman, but those kinds of cats on major labels, they get enough exposure. I was gonna’ put Mos on a song with GZA too.

AllHipHop.com: I could see Mos and Little Brother doing some stuff on the album…

Dreddy Kruger: Yeah, but not on a Little Brother track, but rather a Wu sounding track. I even wanted to hear how Little Brother sounds on some of our stuff. 9th Wonder, his stuff sounds low and distorted. It has kind of a demo sound. It’s good, but when your stuff is coming over the air and now you have cats with Ipods, you hear everything through head phones. It all makes the difference.

AllHipHop.com: Was this project a way to get lesser known Wu affiliates familiar to the masses?

Dreddy Kruger: That’s one of the things that has been f**king up Wu projects in the past. All the B-artists, people get tired of that. They want to hear cats that they know. What you have to do is sprinkle them in. I didn’t want to put too many Wu or underground cats on it.

AllHipHop.com: I’m surprised that no one has attempted to do a project like this before.

Dreddy Kruger: That’s what I told all the independent cats. We bring it all together and we can run some s**t. Look at Big Boi. He has a new compilation and is also signed to Virgin, but the [album] ain’t what it could be. Do you know the type of power this cat has and what he could do with that kind of major label backing?

AllHipHop.com: Why wasn’t Ghost on it?

Dreddy Kruger: I was going to put one of the Ghost/Doom records on it. His label, he’s on Def Jam, it’s not as simple as people think. They don’t know the type of business, stress and pressure that I had to put down. Def Jam didn’t want anything to come from Ghost until his album came out.

AllHipHop.com: How does it feel to be on the other side of the mic? You worked for Wu, now you’re ordering cats around.

Dreddy Kruger: I don’t look at it like that. I look at everything as “we” and not “me.” I’m trying to do everything for the king. I saw a weak link that we had. I’m trying to fix that. We don’t really have an A&R to put music together through an executive stand point. Everyone wants to be an MC or producer. RZA is the only business minded cat out of all of that cats that roll with us. My first s**t was Masta Killa’s album, then with Black Market Militia. They gave me the blessing to step further. People loved it. I had every Wu member on Killa’s album all stapled in throughout it. He was not overshadowed. He definitely still shined.