HHS: You’ve done so much work, from Cypress, to your solo projects, to other artists albums. What keeps you going year by year on a creative basis?

Muggs: I’m still inspired man. To be honest, I still love music and I’m still inspired…but now, where I’m at, I don’t like making beats. So for me to be inspired now, I need to sit down and work with an artist on a project, like this record with Ill Bill, like the record with GZA. I get inspired to do projects, not really to do beats anymore…it’s kinda boring. But to do an album, to see a project from beginning to end, I’m still into it man. I like painting pictures, I’m an artist, you know what I mean? I don’t think I’ve even reached my peak yet to what my full potential is, you know what I mean? I still think I’m a work in progress.

HHS: In terms of working with Bill, is that an idea you guys had – to actually do a full album? Or did you guys do a track, like “This Is Who I Am” off Bill’s Hour Of Reprisal album, and you were like, “we’ve got some chemistry, let’s keep this thing going”..?

Muggs: No, we definitely talked about doing a full album. Then, once we sat down and started working on it, we sat in the studio for like 10 days and it didn’t feel like 10 days. It didn’t even feel like we were working man. We came out of the studio after 10 days, with 12 songs, and just hung out and talked and had the basketball game on in the background…we smoked some weed and just chilled and the album was done man. That’s what it’s supposed to be man – an exchange of energy, an exchange of ideas, just sittin’ back and enjoying yourself man, you know? That’s exactly what the record was. When I gotta call the manager and book studio time and muthafuckaz don’t show up and it’s all this corporate shit…that ain’t what I got into this game for. I got in this shit to sit back and, you know, paint pictures I feel like painting.

HHS: I love hearing that passion and enthusiasm in your voice…

Muggs: Right…

HHS: You really, truly, are an artist. Some people, it seems, go through the motions after a while, whereas you…you get in the studio with GZA, Sick Jacken, Planet Asia, and now Bill, and the natural outcome is something great…

Muggs: Well, I think a lot of people get in the business because they wanna be famous. I never got into it to be famous, I love the music. Making money and getting notoriety is a bi-product of just my passion for my art. The industry can burn you out. I never wanted to be part of the industry. I always been kind of a rebel even within the industry. I always came into shit aggressively, I never done what they wanted me to do. All my records that were even on the radio, if you listen to my records that were big hits, they’re not traditional radio records. I didn’t go out of my way to make radio hits. They’re the records I felt like making that were underground, fuckin’ dusty ass music that I like to make…and they happened to connect.

HHS: The first Cypress record is deemed a classic and rightfully so, but for me personally, Cypress HillTemples Of Boom is incredible. That album has a mood and an atmosphere to it that is unmatched. How do you feel looking back on that particular album?

Muggs: Well, what that was…Cypress got so big on Black Sunday and then all these expectations from the label and everybody…I was like, I wanna make the darkest record I can make. We wasn’t happy either. You get all this money and shit man…that didn’t make me happy. So I was like, I’m not even gonna make a single for this record, I’m just gonna make the darkest record I can make and that’s what it was man. We was goin’ through a lot of personal problems, breaking up with girlfriends and family problems and stuff…and that’s what came out man.

HHS: I spoke with Everlast when his last solo album came out and we got to talking about the first Funkdoobiest album, which you had done a lot of work on. He didn’t understand why it didn’t really blow up the way it potentially could have. Do you have that same thought looking back on it?

Muggs: I think it was probably the first single…it was just timing. Like, the first single was The Funkiest but they didn’t do a video to that until later, and they didn’t put the push behind it. They put the push behind “Bow Wow Wow”. I think the timing was off, you know? More than anything, more than anything, just the timing…timing’s important man.

HHS: Next year is going to be the 20th anniversary of the first Cypress record. Are there plans to re-release it or take it out on tour and perform it from beginning to end?

Muggs: Man, I haven’t toured with Cypress in about 4 years and I’m really not involved in it like that, so I really don’t know what’s going on. I’m not involved with the management, B-Real pretty much took over the reigns for the creative direction for the group…so I really couldn’t tell you what the plans are.

HHS: Is that why you’re not really featured on the latest Cypress record Rise Up?

Muggs: Right, he wanted a new sound and a new style and had his vision of the way he wanted to do the group. I was like, cool, you got my full support. Whatever you wanna do brother.

HHS: In closing, Kill Devil Hills hits stores on Tuesday, August 30. One track off the record that I’m really curious about is “Trouble Shooters” with Sean Price, OC and Sick Jacken. How ridiculous is that cut?

Muggs: The shit is hypnotizing man. It’s fucking ILL. It’s a knocker, one of my favorite beats. It bangs, just a real hypnotizing beat, real fuckin’ dirty hip hop. I come from this whole fuck the radio, fuck the video…you know…the people who inspired me were Public Enemy and N.W.A. Chuck D is one of the reasons I’m making music PERIOD. Yo! Bum Rush The Show and Nation Of Millions is like organized noise, you know what I mean?…organized chaos. Turn off that bullshit, turn off the radio, fuck MTV and I still make my shit like that man. That record really got that attitude, this whole record does.

HHS: Some people might say welcome back but you’ve been staying busy on the scene. From the EP late last year, to the remixes and videos you’ve done, your presence is everywhere. Now that the album, From The Black Pool Of Genius, is finally here, how are you feeling?

Dres: I’m really proud…a deep sense of achievement. I’ve worked very hard on this project and it represents a totally independent venture of creative minds. In addition to the hard work of myself and team…I was very fortunate to have a Great Mind in my corner…my manager Tamara Gardellis.

HHS: How do things compare between being on a major and an independent label? You come from an era where labels put out 3 or 4 singles with videos!

Dres: Well…it’s quite different to be honest…but liberating all the same. The major labels route is more like a very high interest loan…whereas, indie, you’re trying to be much more smart as opposed to throwing money at a problem or manipulating the media in your palms. I’m very glad to be on this side of the fence…it’s a time where the playing field is much more leveled and I’ve done enough homework to take advantage of the terrain.

HHS: You’re recording under “Black Sheep” now but you and Mista Lawnge parted ways around the time of 8WM/Novakane, correct?

Dres: Yes it is…during 8wm/Novakane, Lawnge decided to do his own thing and parted to record a solo album. I could do nothing but wish him well and move forward.

HHS: “Birds Of A Feather”, off the new album, is pretty incredible – not only because of having Q-Tip, Dave from De La & Mike G from The Jungle Brothers on there with you, but I think it’s a great example of brotherhood. How was it recording that particular record?

Dres: It was a long time coming pleasure. I’m an extreme advocate of us getting back together…if only a month or two out of the year…and touring…making music. We represent so much…at times, I think, more than we realize…it was an honor and a pleasure to mend that particular song together…wasn’t simple.

HHS: Was the plan from the beginning to release the From The Black Pool Of Genius EP first and follow it up with the album? It’s a really cool idea, giving people of taste of things to come.

Dres: Yes, it was…once again…to reiterate the strength of a good team and devoted management. We were able to put schematics together to follow on our road to a successful venture.

HHS: Next year will mark the 20th Anniversary of A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing. Are there plans to celebrate that classic in 2011 with a re-release or shows where you would perform the album in its entirety?

Dres: I would like to see Lawnge and I do a tour to celebrate this monumental anniversary…to perform the album in its entirety would truly be a joy!!

HHS: From The Black Pool Of Genius is much needed and welcomed. Thank you for all the years of great music and many more to come. Thanks for taking the time Dres.

Dres: Thank you…word up…and thank you to the Hip Hop community. You are truly appreciated.

The new album “From The Black Pool Of Genius” is available now:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/from-the-black-pool-of-genius/id379686003

Baby Paul: Well, I actually built an acquaintance with Mr. Walt as a patron of the Music Factory record store in Jamaica Queens, NYC. I used to go there & buy all the latest music, & we got kool once he realized how in tune I was with what was current in scene. I was interning at Power Play Studios in Long Island City, NY while in college & met everyone from Eric B. & Rakim, Kool G. Rap, & KRS-One. I eventually was invited to the Dewgarde home in Bushwick, where I met Walt’s brother Evil Dee & Buckshot as they were demoing songs in their basement lab that later became Black Moon’s 1st hit record “Who Got the Props”…the rest is HISTORY!!

HHS: Who did you listen to, production-wise, that made you want to really produce records?

Baby Paul: I was a student of everyone who came before me, from the early 80′s hip-hop producers like Grandmaster Flash, also Larry Smith who produced Run-DMC, Whodini…I also respected the work Marley Marl did for the Juice Crew, the Bomb Squad for P.E. and all my peers before I got my start: Pete Rock, Dj Premier, Q-Tip and Tribe Called Quest. However, it was The Large Professor aka Extra P. whom I met as an intern at Power Play Studios that truly inspired me to wanna make music. The work he did with so many people early in his career, not to mention the first Main Source album was IT for me, that did it.

HHS: Your production resume is a who’s who of hip hop royalty…everyone from Black Moon, Big Pun and Pharoahe Monch, to Nas, Naughty By Nature and Fat Joe. Do you have a favorite experience being in the studio with a particular group or emcee?

Baby Paul: Thank you man, I appreciate it. I feel truly blessed to have worked with all these people, yet still feel like a brand new producer just starting out!! I can say I had interesting memories from most of the artists I’ve worked with, but in particular my favs to work with have been: Smif-n-Wessun, Fat Joe, Nas, and AZ. The level of creativity and lyricism that these people brought to my music has been amazing to say the least. I give Steele from Smif-n-Wessun props for giving me my start as a working music producer. He had the ear to see what I was trying to do, and gave me the opportunity to participate on their first album, “Da Shining”. I gotta shout Fat Joe out for allowing me to be on one of his first Gold albums, “Don Cartagena”. I also gotta shout out Nas for allowing me to participate on one of his most classic albums, “StillMatic”. All these people I mentioned are extremely passionate about their music and include the producer in the creative process, which I feel is very important & missing these days.

HHS: There seems to be more and more emcees linking up with just one producer to create a full length album, kinda like it was back in the day with, for example, DJ Premier or The Bomb Squad or Prince Paul producing every cut. Do you see that shift as well and do you think it might up the quality in the music being released?

Baby Paul: I think that’s EXACTLY what the game needs, it will cut the saturation going in the marketplace like a butter knife!! Once artists decide on creating more music with a consistent and defining sound, it will force “music producers” to step up their creative abilities to deliver a full album of product. That way, more albums coming out will sound less like a compilation of musical ideas & be more unique which in the end, becomes a CLASSIC! Mind you all of the most classic albums ever made in hip-hop came from having a limited amount of producers involved.

HHS: Da Beatminerz remixes are legendary. Are there any remixes you might have done that for, whatever reason, were never released, or any favorites that you’ve done in the past?

Baby Paul: Oh, absolutely!! I did a remix for D’Angelo’s single, “Left & Right” featuring Meth & Red that was CRAZY!! I was being managed by Patrick Moxey at the time who was over at Virgin Records. The only reason they shelved the remix was the follow up single, “How Does It Feel” took off so the label chose not to invest anymore marketing in the 1st single. I also did a serious remix for John Legend’s very first single, “Used to Love U” and got my homie Consequence to lay an exclusive verse for it and the exact same thing happened – the follow up single, “Ordinary People” took off so Kanye’s label decided not to put out any remixes. Thankfully, I put out both remixes myself so they can be heard on my mixtape album, “Undaground Veteran 1.5″ out now for free download at: www.coast2coastmixtapes.com.

HHS: You were attached to one of my favorite tracks – Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka. That track, in terms of a posse cut, is up there with the best of them. What was it like being in the studio, working with so many talented Duck Down artists?

Baby Paul: Yo, true story?! That record was a JOB to put together!! Imagine having all these mc’s with bars for days spitting over your beat, then having to sit in the studio and try to find the best lines to condense the performances into a real song structure so it can be listenable and short enough in playing time to be on the radio?! It was a lil’ pressure trying not to hurt anyone’s egos cutting their verses down, but it worked out and the rest is history!!

HHS: You broke off from Da Beatminerz in 2001 to work and produce tracks on your own. Did you want the ability to get in the studio and really create your own sound, instead of working under the Da Beatminerz banner? I’m guessing there might be some limitations when working with a group of producers…

Baby Paul: Actually, it was a tough time for me the year I left Da Beatminerz. I was frustrated, for many reasons. Between feeling creatively stagnant with the music I was making at the time as well as the problems that came with trying to deliver a solid project to Rawkus Records for the “Brace 4 Impak” album we were working on for over a year back then. Walt and Evil are brothers, so when it came to the creative direction musically for that album, as well as certain business decisions I got caught in between business and friendship. Once we completed and turned in the album for Rawkus, I felt the best thing for me at that time was to seek my own path and be on my own, which eventually worked out for me. I wish Da Beatminerz well to this day, I will always acknowledge and respect the history we made together in the 90′s era of hip-hop.

HHS: Tell me more about this mixtape you’re working on with Monie Love. It’s called “Sisterhood Of The Travelling Mic”.

Baby Paul: Yes!! Shout out to tha homie, Monie Love who has been a dear friend of mine for some time. She approached me to help her put together a mixtape series specifically dedicated to showcase the talents of fem-cees past, present and future. So I kinda A&R’d and helped her mix it, picking submissions from various artists once the word got out of what she was doing. This is Monie’s brand, and will be a continuous series of mixtapes that will lead to events, & maybe even a compilation album. The first volume will feature music from a variety of fem-cees from various markets like: Eternia, Rapsody, Amil, Gangsta Boo, Shawnna, Sweet Tee, La Femme Nikita and others.

HHS: I know you’re working on the new AZ album “Doe Or Die 2″ which will be released later this year. What’s it like getting in the studio with a guy like that?

Baby Paul: First off big shout to tha homie AZ, we been collaborating on his albums ever since I worked on the “Aziatic” album & did “The Essence” featuring Nas. AZ is super cool, like on some Fonzie shit! (laughs) He knows what he wants to do by the time he enters the studio, he has his plan of attack and rhymes ready to go. The key is finding the right soundscape that best suits what he’s looking to express, which is where the work is.

I like to switch my music style up, like a chameleon which at times throws AZ for a loop, which is cool cuz I believe in challenging work. If we did the same thing over and over and became predictable, that would be boring and the fans won’t appreciate that. So the goal is to stay fresh and relevant, yet still keep it classic so we maintain the respect we’ve built from our past work.

HHS: Do you feel any pressure producing on a sequel like that with the comparisons that will be made to the original work?

Baby Paul: Oh no, not at ALL!! I’m very confident in what we both bring to the table, I KNOW we already have some joints that will BANG this time around. It’s moreso about not staying stuck in the past, focusing on the right material that stands the test of time from here ON, so the fans can appreciate it and go back to it years from now the same way they reflect on what was recorded on the first album. This time around AZ will have songs that are food for thought yet entertaining, and also performance ready for the TOURS in the future!!

HHS: What’s next for you, besides your work with Monie Love and AZ?

Baby Paul: What am I NOT working on?! I have been going HARD!! (laughs) I started my label imprint, Divine Order Entertainment aka “D.O.E.” which is my homebase for all my future projects. I currently have a mixtape album out called, “Undaground Veteran 1.5″ which is a collection of some of my catalogue along with previously unrleased exclusives & remixes, available for FREE download at: www.coast2coastmixtapes.com. I’m also working with a pop/rock band, named FatKid Dodgeball from Columbus, Ohio. as a co-exec producer the band has an album coming soon called “Admission of Guilt”. The first single, “Favorite Fix” is available now on iTunes, their website is: www.fatkiddodgeball.com. I’m also working with a southern hip-hop/reggae artist named Mikey Bloodshot, from West Palm Beach/Miami Florida. We been working on songs for a few years now, he’s already collaborated with the likes of: Mavado, Dj Khaled, Rick Ross and others. He’s got a few incredible mixtapes out available for download at: coast2coastmixtapes.com & datpiff.com. We have a street album in the works and the first single, “P4P” aka Pound 4 Pound is dropping later this summer. Check out Mikey Bloodshot at: www.myspace.com/mikeybloodshot. I am also appearing as an actor in an independent film called, “Ex$pendable” which I also contributed to the score. The film co-stars; Taral Hicks, Sundy Carter, Omillio Sparks, Gary Sturgis, Gillie Da Kid, others and will be available on DVD in the fall, then hit cable tv. Trailer link: http://www.imdb.com/video/wab/vi880804377/

HHS: Wow Paul, you stay busy!! Thank you so much for taking the time.

Baby Paul: Thanks for having me – I appreciate it!! Everybody trying to reach me can hit me up on my network links: twitter.com/bpzy facebook.com/babypaul myspace.com/babypaulbpzy

HHS: How did the two of you link up for Feel Good Music?

J.J. Brown: I met Illus at a CMJ function a few years back. He invited me to come here him speak on a hip-hop comics panel. He was a great supporter of my work with louis logic so he brought some art he made of us and I was really honored so we just kept in touch after that.

Illus: Like J.J. said, after that initial connection, we stayed in touch and we kept building. He eventually asked me to create the artwork for his solo album (Connect the Dots) and I was honored to do so. Around the same time we started working on Feel Good Music and we just clicked.

HHS: The record has an uplifting, positive vibe through-out. Was that a conscious decision when you started working together on the album?

Illus: Yes. I knew from the first beat that J.J. sent me, that he was the producer who could help me pull this off. If you listen to a lot of my older stuff, it is more political, angry and even immature at times. Feel Good Music is not only a positive progression for me musically but also personally. I had wanted to record a record like this for a long time but I didn’t want to produce it myself, I wanted it to be a collaboration, but I never connected with the right producer who was willing to put in the work. Just before I met J.J. I had been going through some real hard times and things were really grim, and then all of a sudden we connected and he hit me off with Beautiful Day. I struggled for awhile to write the lyrics and hook, and all of a sudden I met this beautiful woman, fell in love, and got married, started getting more work, all while we were having this shift in politics with Obama being elected, and just this incredible positive vibe in the air and the album finally came to life.

J.J. Brown: Illus chose the type of beats that would match the positive vision he had. My grooves span a lot of different moods so I think he did a good job of picking the ones that worked best for him. After we got into a nice work flow I was also able to put some tailor made stuff together for him.

HHS: Illus, you’ve been rhyming for years now. I’d like to know who some of your influences were coming up and who influences you now.

Illus: I am influenced by a lot of different people for a lot of different reasons. If you look at the cover art for Feel Good Music you’ll get a pretty good idea of some of my HipHop favorites, mostly guys (and ladies) from what is considered the “golden-era”. Artists like Run-DMC, Public Enemy, KRS-One, De La Soul, Kool Moe Dee, Tribe Called Quest, Special Ed, Chubb Rock, LL Cool J, Fresh Prince….I know I missed a lot as well but you get the idea. It’s hard for to lock down just one but I was a huge BDP and P.E. fan back in the day, and still am. The great thing about these artists is, most of them are still making amazing music today that influences me. I’m always checking for new De La Soul, P.E. KRS, Q-Tip, LL…but I also really love artists like Blackalicious, Pigeon John, Atmosphere, Brother Ali, Freddie Foxxx, J-Live, Nas, Everlast…and there is a whole crop of new talented emcees and producers that inspire to step my game up, like GodAWFUL, Logic, Reef the Last Cauze and more. I’m really influenced by all music, a lot of old blues, jazz, rock, and soul artists like John Lee Hooker, Sonny Boy Williamson, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, the Beatles, War, the Animals, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, the list goes on. No matter what musical genre, I’m really inspired by passionate lyrics and soulful, hard-hitting music. Music that has heart, that I can relate to, or can open my mind to new ideas.

HHS: J.J., as a producer, you’ve had the chance to work with many people including Celph Titled, Poison Pen and Louis Logic among others. What was the recording process like when you got in the studio with Illus?

J.J. Brown: He always comes well rehearsed and ready to work. Every artist I work with has their own way of easing into the real guts of a session, but Illus seems to be in that head space from the moment I open the door. He also takes direction well which a win win in any type of creative situation where there’s really no room for frustration.

HHS: Illus, you’ve had Feel Good Music out for a few months now as a download only album via iTunes, Amazon.com, etc. Now the album has just been released as a physical cd. Was that in the plans from the beginning?

Illus: No. Actually I thought I would stick with a straight digital release. However I kept getting requests for a physical cd from the hardcore collector’s so I decided to put together a limited edition for them. These days I imagine most physical cds are “limited” compared to what used to be pressed up but I wanted to give the fans who support me and love what I do, something.

HHS: It seems like many artists kind of go through the motions and call it hip hop, while the two of you really seem to have a passion for it, and it comes through in the music you create…

J.J. Brown: It’s not even really about “hip-hop” for me anymore. It really hasn’t been since the “Sin-A-Matic” days. What I do is make great music and give all the artists I work with a platform to be as risky and creative as they dare to be for their listeners. If it comes out as hip-hop because that’s where my heart is at, and that’s the medium where I learned most my production techniques, then that’s cool. But I don’t bother to put a label on my work anymore because what the hell is the definition of “rock” or “rap” anymore anyway?

Illus: Thank you. I agree with J.J., everyone has their own opinion of what HipHop is or what “real” HipHop is. I’ve given up trying to live or create by anyone’s definition. I work really hard to make good songs. I love the HipHop culture I grew up with but it is also very different from what kids are growing up with today. So I just draw from my own experiences and live the culture and art as it relates to my life. I think the reason our music feels authentic is because we are just being true to ourselves as individuals and don’t try and cater to any one specific audience. We love Hip-Hop and music and just strive to be great song writers.

HHS: Illus, along with being an emcee for many years, you also are a real deal artist and illustrator. Can you speak a little on the Public Enemy comic book series and how that all came about?

Illus: I’ve been a P.E. fan since day one and I always saw them as this larger than life group. They have always had comic book influenced lyrics and I could always loved that since I am a big comic book geek. Years ago I worked at Marvel Comics and they had a music division and had tried to put together a P.E. book but the division folded and nothing came of it. Sometime later I connected with Chuck through his Slam Jamz label where he released several singles of mine. I eventually went on tour with the Impossebulls and P.E. as well as Dilated Peoples and Blackalicious. On tour, Chuck and I got to talking about comics and he knew of my background as an indie publisher, and he told me I should make it happen. So I put together a presentation and he loved it.

HHS: J.J., you had your Connect The Dots album which dropped last year. What are you currently at work on?

J.J. Brown: My partner Danny and I just mixed the Celph & Buckwild album which is really gonna make a lot of heads happy, and I’ve been working on beats for Kelly Rowland, Musiq Soulchild and a host of others, both on the underground and everywhere else. I’ve also be getting into movie and television scoring, as well as teaching Pro Tools to upcoming producers and engineers. I made a full album worth of real quirky stuff that I want to use for the right artist… I got a few cats in mind but nothing I want to really talk about yet. I work hard on my craft every day and the rest usually works itself out. Check out my blog www.jjbrownsstory.com for all the latest.

HHS: What’s next for Illus?

Illus: I’m already hard at work on a new album. I just finished a song that J.J. produced that features my man, Paul Dateh and I’ve got another with Freddie Foxxx we are working on. The album is in the very early stages but I am having an incredible time working on it. In the meantime I will be touring to promote Feel Good Music and continuing to improve my craft. I’m also working on some new album art for other artists and in the process of putting together two new comic book projects, one with DMC (from Run-DMC!) and the other with Kool Moe Dee. I’m always working on new illustration projects and if you do a search on Amazon for Adam Wallenta you can usually see what I am up to. You can also check my blog www.adamwallenta.com and www.americanmule.com for new projects. You can order your copy of Feel Good Music at http://www.undergroundhiphop.com/store/ or www.americanmule.com/shop or digitally on ITUNES and Amazon worldwide. Thanks for the support! Peace!

HHS: In terms of your musical growth, as a producer over the last couple years, it’s been pretty incredible. You’re super versatile. I’m curious to hear about the musical creation for “Land Of Make Believe”.

Double-O: A lot of the initial ideas were actually musical ideas that I was gonna use for my album. Some of the tracks like “Running” and the intro…those are some of the records that I knew could kinda balance, that could kinda go in between a Kidz In The Hall record and/or my type of solo project. So when we really focused in on the Kidz In The Hall thing, those are some records that Naledge started messin’ with first. Really, it’s one of those things where we start off very schizophrenic, very eclectic and we just make records and Naledge gets on whatever he likes until a few of them start to tell a story…until a few of them start to gravitate towards each other. Once that happens, then it’s building out from there.

HHS: It seems like there’s a heavy New Order, early Cure kind of vibe on some of the tracks. Is that inspiration that you took in the creation of the record?

Double-O: I mean, for me, a lot of my childhood up until I said, okay hip hop is what I like to do, is in world music. It’s Phil Collins, it’s Sade, it’s Boy George and Wham and very pop stuff. My dad is from Balese and they don’t have a filter for things that people in America would be like, aww we shouldn’t listen to that, that’s weird. So, you know, there’s a lot of world music, there’s a lot of Caribbean music that I basically grew up on. For a while, when I was in high school, the only thing I would listen to would be hip hop…but secretly would listen to fuckin’ Green Day and Nirvana and like it and like the records and the melodic progressions and structure of them. But then you couldn’t be eclectic to the public, you had to be like, I like THIS and I only like Nas. So when I got to college, I was able to re-expand my musical pallet with the Bjork’s and the Roni Size’s and the Tricky’s and a lot of what was coming out of the UK at the time. So, really, all of that in one way or another bled into music and what I do, when it’s not sample heavy.

HHS: You mentioned people like Roni Size and Tricky. Are you really going to push it as much as you can on your solo album, in terms of the musical direction?

Double-O: I gotta figure it out. It’s one thing to be part of a tandem group. I definitely consider myself more of an artist than some producers do because I have a heavy influence when it comes to the making of a song. There are records like “Do It All Again” and “Flickin” and I’m singing on the hook. On “Do It All Again” and some of the other records, I really helped build out these things from just verses and loose ideas and hooks to real songs. So I’ve kinda become an artist in that space. So for me, I just wanna do it in a way that’s genuine to me but not wack either! (laughs)

HHS: Had you always thought about doing a solo album?

Double-O: Well, after we were having some success with “The In Crowd” I was like, Naledge, I’m gonna do this whole album and I was taking it from a very Daft Punk standpoint, more than, let’s say a T-Pain standpoint. I loved how they used all these different vocal contraptions, whether it by the talk box, the vocoder, the auto-tune…Daft Punk was using all these things back in 2000 to create this sound that, to me, hasn’t been rivaled since. So I definitely wanted to explore that realm but then fuckin’ 808′s & Heartbreak comes out…(laughs)…and I’m like welllll, god dammit! So for me, it’s just going to be re-approaching some of these early records with a different mindset. There’s lots of times where stuff has just sat around until it feels right to put it out. There was a record called Snob Hop on our last album that had Camp Lo on it, but the song itself was done back in January of 2006…but no one heard it until it came out in 2008. These ideas sometimes sit around until it’s the right time for it to come out…

HHS: And it still sounds fresh. That’s what made “The In Crowd” so great. There’s different sounds but it all comes together as a full album that you can listen to from start to finish.

Double-O: Definitely. That’s what we try to do, especially me when it comes to arranging. These things have to feel like albums and not like mixtapes. They still have to have some sort of cohesiveness.

HHS: Are there things as a producer that maybe you haven’t done yet, that you’d like to do?

Double-O: I’d like to make an album that is seamless all the way through. It’s a hard task to do, especially when it comes to separating songs and have them be singles on their own and things like that. But I feel ultimately, eventually, I’d like to do it…have something that mixes in and out, like you said, from song to song tempo-wise but still has very individual songs.

HHS: I think a good example of that is the new Freeway and Jake One album. It flows from track to track but works well together as a full length album.

Double-O: I need to check that, it’s been getting good reviews. For me, I like to wait and sit, cause I know I’ll probably sit with the record for a minute anyway. I think we’ve lost that as a culture in hip hop, like really sitting with albums. There’s an idea that when you bought a cd and you read all the album credits and you couldn’t wait to put it in your car or put it in your discman. Like, that represented who you were. If someone were to steal your backpack on the ground at school, you had five cd’s in there, that was who you were as a person. Now, quietly, that all gets tucked away and hidden in the iPod.

HHS: That is very true. Who were some people you looked up to when you were first starting out?

Double-O: Timbaland was the biggest for me. He was really an inspiration for me to start making music.

HHS: In terms of his sound?

Double-O: Everything about it was amazing to me. People look back at it now and I don’t know if they just realized it, what happened at that time…like when “Pony” came out and Aaliyah had a song right after that and it was just like, yo, whatever THIS is, I don’t know what this is – it’s crazy! He really just inspired me to really just wanna be a part of the music in that sense. Timbaland just made me be like, I gotta make RECORDS.

HHS: Even if you go back and listen to his early solo stuff and Timbaland & Magoo…

Double-O: Oh, definitely.

HHS: The beats are ridiculous.

Double-O: He changed, even the way people think about music in that space. Like bringing in all these different cultures. But then also, what happened for me, was like, when all the “Oh he’s doing nothing but trip hop” or “He’s just slowing down drum n bass”…when those kinds of arguments popped up, I was also able to go back and that was where even the appreciation for that stuff came from. Then it was like, okay, there is this whole other world of stuff going on…and it’s very dope and different.

HHS: The new album “Land Of Make Believe” (available everywhere March 9th) is sample free. Was that a challenge for you?

Double-O: I never started producing using samples. I started with just a keyboard and a drum machine. So the Mannie Fresh’s of the world and the Swizz Beats’ of the world kind of inspired me. Then slowly but surely I made my way back to the classic kind of east coast sound. When I started sampling, obviously that ended up inspiring me as well. But then you realize the people you’re sampling inspire you. As you listen and start to dig, you start to appreciate the older music as well. It’s a constantly evolving and revolving door of inspiration, as long as you kinda dig deeper and learn about the music.

HHS: You fit the very definition of longevity in hip hop. You’ve been doing it, whether it be with Brand Nubian or on your solo material – you stay busy. What keeps you going after all these years?

Sadat X: What really keeps me going is the love for it man. I still love hip hop man and I love doing music and I love to perform. That’s what basically keeps me going.

HHS: Do you enjoy the challenge of guest appearing on other artists songs? You do a lot of guest spots.

Sadat X: I definitely do man, you know, I like that man. And it keeps my name out there and gives me the chance to always be upgrading my skills.

HHS: I love some of the tracks you’ve done in the past with people like DJ Honda, with Everlast, of course with Tribe, with Frankie Cutlass, with R.A. The Rugged Man…do you have a favorite memory of working with some one in the studio?

Sadat X: My most favorite memory would probably just be working with B.I.G., you know what I’m sayin’, just because we sat down and wrote it back to back. We smoked, we drank, and we just had a good time that day.

HHS: Hip hop really jumped into action when the tragedy struck in Haiti. How did it make you feel to see all the artists organizing events and performing for charity?

Sadat X: It’s good man, I mean, it was needed. Those people in Haiti, they’re in bad shape and they need some help, you know? It’s unfortunate that that happened but we gotta try and get them some help. It’s the right thing to do.

HHS: Let’s talk about Wild Cowboys II. How long has it been in the works?

Sadat X: Well, it’s been in the works for a while, it just took me a minute to find the time to actually do it, you know? I found the time and just wanted to continue off of the original Wild Cowboys. Every time I was doing shows or going to places, people were always asking me about it. So I said, you know, it would be the natural progression into another one.

HHS: You’re working with a lot of people, in terms of producers, on the album. (Pete Rock, Diamond D, Nick Wiz, DJ Spinna, Buckwild, 9th Wonder…) One that stands out to me is that you’re working with Sir Jinx on the album. Tell me a little bit more about that.

Sadat X: Oh yeah…well, I’ve known Sir Jinx for a long time and we’ve always expressed thoughts of getting up with each other and the situation arose and he blessed me.

HHS: And that track features Kurupt and M-1 from dead prez on there too?

Sadat X: Yup, Kurupt, M1 and Umi from dead prez as well.

HHS: Wow, can’t wait to check that.

Sadat X: No doubt.

HHS: Is there anyone you haven’t worked with, in terms of an emcee or a producer, that you’d like to work with?

Sadat X: Actually, you know, maybe I could do something with Swizz Beats. I’d like to work with him and his genre and his audience and his line of work. I’d also like to definitely, before it’s all over, like to work with either Rae, Ghost or The GZA.

HHS: The digital/vinyl EP is out on the 23rd of this month and Wild Cowboys II is out on March 23rd, correct?

Sadat X: Definitely. February 23rd, we’re gonna drop the EP and then we’ll drop the album a month later.

HHS: Nice. Everyone I’ve spoken with has been like Sadat is gonna come with it…

Sadat X: Definitely man, I had to come off on Wild Cowboys, the first album, and I couldn’t come any lesser than I came on that album. So, you know, I was working and I got a couple features people weren’t expecting. I got a song with Ill Bill that was produced by 9th Wonder and that’s gonna be a treat. I got Rhymefest and Money Boss Players and Brand Nubian, so it should be good.

HHS: Looking to the future, will Brand Nubian plan to release another album?

Sadat X: We definitely plan on doing it. We’ve been doing shows and we just did a show with Poor Righteous Teachers and Rakim, so that was a good thing…and we’ve been doing shows. We’re in the studio now tryin’ to get that done. We’re just trying to keep that good music coming.