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by
2 November, 2005@12:00 am
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By Darin Gloe

It’s a real pleasure to be sitting down with you, so what have been up to?

First off, what’s up and peace to everybody.  I just finished the album like a few works ago, we just got the master in.  I’m touring with Hiero, I’m like a kid in the candy store, it’s nice to be back. 

First thing I have to ask, how does feel to have to have 2 of your albums considered hip-hop classics?

I don’t man, that’s on you guys.   I just do what I do, I do the records for me first.  I don’t look at an album and think that it will be classic.  I let people come into my world, if they like it, they like if not….it’s cut and dry like that. 

I was once told it took you nearly 6 months to write “Time’s Up” is that true?

Nope.

(Laughs)  A year?

Yeah man, it took maybe a year to a year and a half.  It was before I had a deal.  Originally Pharoahe had the beat and I begged him for the beat because it was so banging.   Finally when I got the beat and found that it’s a hard beat to write to.  I went through like 3 books, trying to fit verses and flows with it.  I finally came up with something that I thought was cool, but at the end of the day I still didn’t like it, that’s why it’s only with 2 verses.

So your not happy with “Time’s Up”?

Now of course I am, but back then I felt it was incomplete and I didn’t think it was a good record to me.

There are a lot of things on people’s minds, like the Organized Konfusion Reunion for instance.  Is this going to happen and are you going to be a part of it?

That’s a dead issue, Pharoahe is my dog but it’s not going to happen.

Speaking of reunions, we haven’t seen a D.I.T.C. album since 2000′s stellar “D.I.T.C.” LP, will the crew be reuniting?

It’s up to the members man, the members are the ones who have to come together.  Me, Finesse, AG, and Diamond have all talked about it.  Joe advertised it on the back of his album a D.I.T.C. reunion, but who knows.  We all have to get together.   

Before we get into the new album, what is up with “Starchild” it’s being taken off shelves I hear?

Yeah, it’s being taken off the shelves because of sample clearances.  The album was actually just supposed to be out overseas, but it got so much bigger.  Back here at home it caused a big stir, which is a good thing but at the same time it was a bad thing.  I didn’t have any intentions are on releasing an album like that over here. 

So for now people are just going to have to surf eBay for “Starchild” aye?

(Laughs)…..guess so.

Let’s talk about the new joint, “Smoke and Mirrors” on ReUp/Hiero recordings, drops October 11th.  Coming from the East Coast originally, why hook up with a west coast label and how did that all come about?

Domino and Casual hooked up with my partners and I don’t really know how it all came about.   So my boys were talking to them and they were like “what’s up with O”, and Domino was like Yo, I would love to put a record out with him.  They mentioned to him they we had been working on some joints, and I had been recording for like 2 years at my leisure.  I stepped away for a while because I wasn’t really enjoying myself, so I look at it if your not liking what you doing then might as well stop.  So, anyway Domino stepped to us and I have a mutual respect for Hiero and I was with it.  On top of that, I wanted to kind of put the exclamation on it saying that nobody from the east coast reached out and it took some west coast cats to reach out.

So speaking of that, what do you think of the state of hip-hop?

I think a lot of these kids are spoiled.  They expect to get a million dollar deal and they it’s like batteries not included.  They think that everything they get should come with a diamond ring and a car and everything.  They have to understand that the fruits of your labor are something you work for.  In order to gain money, you have to build your self-respect, you have to get respect from the people in the game and then everything else will come. 

The first single is “Rap Dudes”, which has been making its rounds in my Sirius mixes.  Is this the buzz single or the official first single?

Actually, that’s just a throwaway right there.  Matter of fact I’m lacing the net with a lot of throwaways.  I’m just giving songs away, it’s been a long time for me.  I owe the people more than that, but I can give away songs.  I have like 17 or 18 songs that’s I’m just giving away.   Like “Rap Dudes” is some straight hip-hop shit, no chorus just me flowing.   (“Challenge Y’all” is the official first single)
You guys have been keeping a lot under wraps about the album; care to let the cat out of the bag?  Who’s producing tracks and who’s dropping 16 bars?

Nobody, nobody is on the album.   As far as production I’m dealing with this dude named Mike Low, he has been down with Diggin for years but he been playing the background.  He produced the entire album except one track that’s produced by Soulive.  I don’t have any guest appearances on the album because I was so tired of hearing albums with 100 collabos on there.  The album is 17 tracks of just OC, “Smoke and Mirrors”. 

So what is the future of OC?  Do you have any young bucks you’re bringing up in game or you just going to keep doing you?

That is actually one of my faults, I have never brought anybody up in the game so I’m now looking.  I’m not talking about just New York either, I’m 34 now and my mind has expanded so I’m not on some only New York type shit.  I’m keeping my eyes out and my ears open.  My focus right now is to contribute to the Hiero thing and for the next 3 years to stay in people’s faces.

So your saying your dropping an album a year for the next 3 years?

Every year, it might be more than an album a year.  I want to put in my work and I feel that the people are owed that.  I was putting out albums out every 2 or 3 years and dealing with label situations that people didn’t even know about.  That’s no excuse for the people, so I want to make it up and put out a lot of product in the next few years.   I mean this album is real cool, it’s one big contradiction.   I wanted to be real honest and talk about my life and how people look at me a certain way but don’t know.   It’s still straight hip-hop, but I like to wear nice things furs and such but I’m also a big animal right’s activist, so that’s a contradiction in itself.  You just have to hear the album. 

Anything else you want to say, shout outs, shameless plugs?

Shout out to everybody who has been a loyal fans and to all the new fans I have made.  Look out for Pep Love’s album, Casual’s new album, look out for “Smoke and Mirrors”, go buy Opio’s album.  Look out for everything out of the Hiero camp, they extended family now so I have to promote everybody.  Good lookin….

 

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