Mr 'All Black Everything'
...Came through and crushed the building.
CRITICISM OF “D.O.A.”:
“I’m not hating on young people. Like, when people say that, I’m like, What are you talking about? It’s just stupid. I’m not hating on young people… I’m not Bill Russell, [saying] Michael Jordan ain’t shit. I’m saying Lil Wayne and Kanye are like LeBron and Kobe. My job as someone at the forefront of the game is to leave it in a better position than when I came in. Same way that Russell [Simmons] left it to me. ’Cause this thing saved my life. Literally. So I have a responsibility to it karmically. And after that it’s on you. I did my part. I made ‘D.O.A.’ I said it. I made the statement. I made the push. Here, y’all take it from here.”
HIS LEGACY AS FORMER DEF JAM RECORDS PRESIDENT:
“So if you ask me to grade my performance as the president, I’d say A-plus. No one can bat a 100. It’s impossible. I mean, everyone is looking at my shit. But if we really looked under the hood [of] every single [record exec] and the acts they put out in that time, I’d be comparable to anyone.”
HIS STANDING IN THE GAME:
“But when I say I’m the best, I don’t say that outta my ass. I say that with all my stats behind me. I put that against anybody. I mean anybody. I really believe that… I believe in a lot of things.
I believe that ‘SportsCenter’ is the best thing on TV. I shouldn’t have to prove it. But I do have these stats to prove it. I’m talking about real run. I’m not talking about years off. I’m talking about straight—boom, boom, boom—back to back. We’re not talking about heritage acts either. We’re not talking about respect what I’ve done. I’m talking No. 1 [albums] 10 times. The Beatles is the only one [to have more
No. 1 albums]. They got 19, and if I get a surge of creativity, I could make nine albums next year.”
…Speaking of Jim Jones, he and cats like The Game stay throwing shots at you, referring to you as old and washed-up. But you’ve always thrived off that type of competition. So, currently in the most comfortable position of your career, how competitive are you?
Not really that competitive, because the competition isn’t based on real competition. I mean, Game, I’m his fuckin idol. If you ask him and he’s being truthfully honest with you…it’s just based off his insecurities and, for the most part, pretension. That type of competition doesn’t do anything for me. It’s almost like someone trying to set you up, and everyone knows they’re to set you up, and everybody. It’s just dumb. It’s not in the spirit of competition, because he’s not competition for me. He’s not. Not then, not ever—he’d have to improve considerably. Competition for me competition is Nas, Eminem. Like Jim Jones? That’s ridiculous to me. So how do I respond to that? I can’t win. If I win, then they’ll be like, “See. Now chill. You’re a fuckin’ bully.” And if manages to throw a haymaker from the West Coast, then it’s like “Oooooh.” It’s not even fun. Like, before I did it, because I would diss anybody. Now who has time to do this shit everyday? But before, when I was running after the little fat nigga from Ma$e’s camp, I was doing anybody. Anybody said anything. If I thought you said something. When I was running in the streets, I wanted all that type of activity. Nobody wanted nothing. Now everybody’s a tough guy.
pics & info via
rapradar &
xxl
