interview von hhgame falls es jemanden interessiert
Your new album "Legal Hustle" dropped, what's good with the album?
The album is a collaboration, it's not a solo Cormega album, that's the first thing I want to reiterate.
How'd you choose what artists you'd feature on the album?
I choose who I want to work with from a blind man's perception. I go with whoever I feel as an artist, not whoever's hot at the moment. You know how a lot of people just want to go with who's hot, I go with who I feel is hot in my heart. If that person is hot, that that's just an extra blessing. Like Ghostface, I always wanted to work with Ghostface, that's one of my favorite artists from the Wu, and I've always Wu. That had to be done. M.O.P, I've been poli'ing with them since 2001, I've been wanting to do something with them. AZ, the fans really demanded that. Kurupt and Jayo Felony, those are my homies from the Westside, that was nothin, we just did that. Large Professor, thats one of my mans. I like working with him. I like to do my part for real Hip Hop, and I feel like me doing something with him is like me paying my dues again. My artist Dona is on so many songs, because this album is used to introduce her to the world. Main-O and Lake are on here because I needed to !
do a song with some real street dudes, and they fit the criteria.
What was it like working with M.O.P?
Let me tell you something that you probably won't realize about M.O.P. They are meticulous, precise, and professional when they're recording. They are so organized. Billy and Fame are so structural that it was crazy working with them. I learned a lot working with them. When you think of M.O.P, you think you're getting that "gutter-gutter-raw," but those motherfuckers are really, really serious about their music.
How do you feel about the independent route?
It depends on your mindframe. Everything isn't for everybody. If you want to shine and be glamorous, independent might not be for you. In the long run, it might pay off because a label might come to you. But being independent is a lot of leg work, a lot of ground work, BUT it's a lot of artistic freedom and decision making that you're able to do. Those are the pros and the cons.
You and Nas have had beef, can you talk about what your current situation with Nas is?
Hell no! We're not even going to do that. It's disrespectful to me as an artist to keep talking about someone who has no significance in my present project that's out right now.
I'm saying a lot of people want to know what's up between you and Nas now.
I mean, that's a better question, but there's really nothing up with us. He's doing him and I'm doing me.
What about Nature?
Nature could have been on this album, our schedules conflicted.
You've said before that you feel like you've been blacklisted in the industry...how does that feel?
I don't care about that shit no more.
Are there ways to break out of that?
There's ways to break out of it. Success is a way to break out of it. You just gotta prove the people wrong. I don't care about that no more. I don't want it to seem that I'm a bitter artist or there's a conspiracy theory. I don't have nothing to complain about. The industry didn't silence my voice. I'm still a very prominent voice, especially in the independant world.
Did it used to bother you?
Yeah, when I wasn't able to do anything. When I didn't have any records out. Or when I was this close to getting a deal and somebody calls up their label like 'don't fuck with him.' But now...I got Source Awards under my belt. I got two albums under my belt that people say are critically acclaimed. I got a compilation album in stores now. And slowly but surely I'm starting to get the things that I've never gotten. Like, my video is about to be on BET. We're about to start working on my new single, I'm about to do a tour, I haven't done a tour in years. I got a lot of things going for me. There's people in way-less positions than me, so I don't want to seem like a crybaby.
What's the next move?
My next solo album is "Urban Legend." Then there's the "Testament" album, that's a vintage album. I'm putting all my emphasis on "Urban Legend" because that's my follow-up to my last solo album which won a Source Award, so I have to come very correct on that. We got Dona's solo album, and me and Ayatollah...if Ayatollah gets focused quick enough, then we'll knock out the joint that me and him are supposed to do. We got our hands full. Plus we're gonna have a "Legal Hustle Volume 2."
You and Ayatollah were supposed to have an EP right?
Yeah, but at the time he wasn't really keeping up with me. I'm the type of person where, if we have to be in the studio at 8, them I'm gonna be in the studio at 8. If you're not there at 8, then we're gonna have a problem, unless it's legit. I like to work. If you're a producer, then all you have to do is lay down all the beats and you don't gotta come no more. Just come when it's done to mix it down. I had so many other projects on the table that I was stunting my growth by sitting there waiting for him. So I put that on pause and finished the Legal Hustle album. The EP was actually supposed to come out before the Legal Hustle album. So in that time I knocked out the whole Legal Hustle album and started work on my solo album.
Is there anything that you want to say to everyone reading this now?
Yeah, I just want to say peace, thank you to the supporters for showing me love, and thank the critics, whether it's good or bad criticism.
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