For those that have patiently followed the career of Cory McKay aka Cormega, February 22nd, 2005 will be a day of triumph. Cormega’s first opus The Testament will hit store shelves and finally become available to the public nearly a decade after the classic LP was first recorded. Touted by critics and anticipated by fans for years The Testament will finally see light in a turn of events that has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Parting ways with Def Jam as the label repeatedly put off The Testament’s release date, Cormega founded his own independent Legal Hustle Records imprint in 2001. While the initial decision to leave Def Jam was made largely out of frustration, Mega would soon find himself the beneficiary of widespread praise and critical acclaim. After dropping his first offical album The Realness in 2001, Mega kept on the grind, releasing his second LP The True Meaning less than a year later. Both albums are considered classics. The True Meaning earned a Source Award for Independent Album Of The Year in 2003. That same year Cormega would also be honored at The Underground Music Awards as the Impact Artist Of The Year.
In 2004 the onslaught would continue with another Legal Hustle release. A stellar compilation LP featuring Cormega alongside such artists as M.O.P., Ghostface Killah, Kurupt, Jayo Felony, Vybz Kartel and Large Professor would set the stage for what was to come next. Still, when the news came, it was almost hard to believe. Legal Hustle caught many devout Cormega fans by surprise when the label announced it would be releasing The Testament in 2005. The album will be released on February 22nd in its original form, exactly the way it was recorded between 1995 and 1996. Being a longtime fan of Mega, I remember waiting for The Testament to come out in the late ‘90’s; I would see promotional posters for it around Manhattan as well as ads in The Source (see original full page ad for The Testament in The Source). I can honestly say I thought this day would never come. The rap gods have smiled upon us. If you are reading this, do yourself a favor and cop the LP.
RiotSound: With your last album Legal Hustle, even though the album was very innovative musically and also well received by the fans; there was some confusion in mainstream media as to whether it was a solo LP or a compilation. Do you think there may have been somewhat of a negative effect in any way and if you had to do it over again would you have framed Legal Hustle in a different light?
Cormega: What do you mean by negative effect?
R: Well, some critics rated the album lower saying you had too many guest appearances, meanwhile it was a compilation with yourself and other artists, not a solo album, so obviously they seemed to be oblivious to what was going on.
C: You know what I think that is? I think that is from motherfuckers having their head too stuck up they ass. Because [our publicist] Jackie O sent out, no exaggeration, over fifty press releases. I actually even have a copy and I could send it to you or email it to you. It’s stated specifically that it’s not a solo album and that the next solo album is going to be called Urban Legend. What have you is – you got people like Bonsu [Thompson] at XXL – he gets the press release; but does he read it? No, because Cormega is not “big”. I guess I am not as important as say an Interscope artist or whatever.
So what happens is they don’t read the press release and when they review the album they just say shit like - there’s too many guest appearances. I would say there was eighty percent of people that knew it wasn’t a solo and the other twenty percent are those people that – well you got some people that don’t give a fuck about Hip-Hop or are not into the culture or not into the artists, they’re just out there doing their 9 to 5; like, ok, let me review this album and get my check, you know what I’m saying? As opposed to, ok Cormega - let me see what this is about.
There is no one doing backup checks; if you know I made The Realness album and there was only two guest appearances on there and then I made The True Meaning and that only had one guest appearance; then common sense would be - Legal Hustle had fourteen guest appearances on it and two songs didn’t even have me on them. Everybody that overlooked that, I mean, I don’t even know what to say about those type of people.
R: In putting out The Testament, as you are now, what were some of the legal matters that you had to deal with in getting the album away from Def Jam and into your hands? How does it make you feel to know that people are still waiting to hear this record after all these years?
C: I didn’t really go through no problems, the problem was remedied years ago. But it validates what I have been trying to say from day one – after The Testament situation never materialized I never really spoke much about it. I made The Realness and I made The True Meaning. There was a time when I was like fuck it, The Testament is just something that will never occur. But now it’s a different day and a different age and I am glad the fans are embracing it.
R: Let’s do a flashback and talk about when you recorded The Testament; you were just signed to Def Jam; what was your mindstate at the time and how did the album come together?
C: When I did The Testament, basically I just came home. I was home for a year and I didn’t have no deal – contrary to belief or people trying to take credit for getting me a deal, I didn’t have any deal. I just had a buzz ‘cause I was appearing on a lot of mixtapes; and my name was mentioned on the song One Love but that ain’t give me no buzz. I came home and I was on Puff Daddy’s mixtape back when he would do Bad Boy mixtapes, I was on Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito’s show. I was doing a lot of stuff but at the same time I was selling drugs. So Lyor [Cohen] got wind of this from one of my friends and he wanted to get me off the streets ‘cause he was interested in signing me. So that’s why I signed to Def Jam. He was like – what’s it gonna take for me to get you off the street? I just made up a number – I was like uhmmm $10,000. I just said that and he really got the $10,000 up for me. So that played a role with me signing to Def Jam.
So basically I signed a demo deal first; I did a song about a girl, I forget the name of it and I also did Dead Man Walking, which was produced by a good friend of mine Hot Day. We leaked Dead Man Walking and we were getting good feedback from the streets so soon after that I recorded One Love. That song is like a reply to Nas’ One Love letter; it’s not a diss record either. I read on the Internet recently where somebody said I got a diss song called One Love. And that just goes to show you what I said about people just getting into the this shit because of a job as opposed to really knowing what the fuck they talking about. I wrote One Love actually when I was in jail. That song was never even supposed to come out, I wrote it as recreation. I said it in the yard when I was battling somebody and I ripped it up and threw it on the floor after the battle ‘cause I won. But one of my friends picked it up and was like - yo keep this.
So I made One Love, it was produced by RNS and I made Angel Dust also around that time. I was in Chung King Studious and Havoc and P happened to be in Chung King in the next room. One thing I’ma say about Havoc is he’ll give you his last; he’s the type of person who’s heart is so pure, he has the best heart outta everybody from Queensbridge. At that time I didn’t really know how to do hooks; I just came home and when I went to jail hooks wasn’t in, people was just rapping. So Havoc came in the studio and he did the Angel Dust hook for me.
This was all in ’95, then ’96 is when I officially signed to Def Jam and one of the first songs I made was The Testament and that’s when it was reaffirmed that The Testament would also be the name of the album. At first we didn’t know what we were going to call it. We went from Full Metal Jacket to Say No More and through a bunch of other different titles. There are also two different versions of the song The Testament. When I first made the song; that was around the time there was friction between me and Nas. In one of my verses I said – The streets raised me, made me / The weak praised me / Indeed it was written you would one day betray me. That line right there ‘caused so much stir in the industry – Blaze magazine did a story just on that verse.
Everybody was loving that song but people were scared because I said something about Nas. So basically they told me to change my verse and thus became the second version of The Testament. On this album coming out, both versions will be on it – there’s the original version that they wanted to silence me on and not put out and then there’s the new version that I did after that, which people are more familiar with. Both versions were produced by Dave Atkinson; he is one of the dopest producers in the game who will never get the credit he deserves because people don’t know some of the things he’s done. He did Affirmative Action but everybody thinks Trackmasters did it. He also did stuff for Peter Gunz and Lord Tariq.
Also I knocked out a song called Every Hood with my man Fatal Hussein. At that time the East Coast and West Coast was having beef but I wanted to show difference. At the end of the day that was Biggie’s beef and Pac’s beef, so what they eat don’t make me shit, that’s that. I got respect for both of them so I did that song on some unity shit. I was making moves back then that was differential from what everybody’s doing.
There’s also songs like Killaz Theme with me and Mobb Deep which went on to be considered classics in the streets. There’s also a song called Glory that appeared on The Realness, that song was originally recorded for The Testament, I just took it and put it on The Realness. The Testament was just an ill experience for me, I was fresh out the pen and I was on a label that had an illustrious aura about itself. It was an honor for me to be on Def Jam; but that’s before I knew about the industry and the music, it’s two different things. If I would’ve known that I would be on the shelf or if I would’ve known all the bullshit about the industry, I would have found somebody else.
R: Why do you think Def Jam did not want to put the album out?
C: What I was told is that they wanted to put out the album in 2000. They told me this is ’99 but I was signed since ’96. Technically I signed a demo deal in ’95 and I signed the actual contract in ’96. So you got me on the shelf for four years, meanwhile there’s artists that are coming out with albums before me. So my whole thing is I’ma student of rap music also - and after all that time who’s to say that I am still going to relevant? Like, you got Lady Of Rage when she was on Death Row, she had the Afro Puffs record but they waited five years to put her out. If they put her out when she had the Afro Puffs record, everybody would agree that she would have gone at least double platinum; but they didn’t. And finally when they did put her out I don’t know what that shit sold.
An artist’s longevity isn’t promised; nobody knows how long their career is going to last. So you say you are going to put me out in 2000 but before you said you would put me out in ’98 - so I didn’t want to wait no more. Another reason I think I was on the shelf is because if you look at the past Def Jam regime, everybody they signed was an affiliate artist; they didn’t know how to break artists on their own. Like they signed Method Man but Method Man was hot from Wu-Tang, Redman was hot from Def Squad; Mega, Foxy, they’re from The Firm, you know what I’m saying? I could go on and on. With DMX Rough Riders blew that up; Jay-Z had his own thing with Roc-a-fella.
At that time Def Jam didn’t know how to take an artist from scratch and build him up. So I don’t think they knew what to do with me; I was straight street and that was the glamory and glitzy era of rap when everybody wanted to wear suits and pop bottles and stuff. I just wanted to rap; I wanted to wear a polo shirt with jeans and sneakers. I ain’t wanna pop bottles, I ain’t wanna dance in my videos. So I think they was confused as to how to put me out and at the same time you had some people that shouldn’t have been fucking with my project. You had girls that work at Def Jam, no disrespect to them, but you had certain people who looked like they should be in Glamour Magazine as opposed to having any input in a Cormega album.
When I made the song Testament, I remember, I think Julie her name was; she told me – that song is cool but it’s not hot. Now here I am from the street, here I am – I opened up for Eric B. & Rakim, I grew up under Shan, I grew up across the building from Nas, Marley Marl is my mentor, I’ve been in the park rapping with Craig G and Havoc. And here you are some pretty, probably well educated white girl that’s not really into Hip-Hop and just happens to have a good job and you are going to tell me what’s hot as far as Hip-Hop? So I couldn’t understand that. Certain people they just want to earn they check but they really don’t know what the fuck they doing.
Now, at the end of the day if this album would have been a bullshit album then I wouldn’t have no argument and them having me on the shelf would have been justified. But I am not the one who called this album a classic; Vibe called it a classic, The Source called it a classic. This album got four Fat Tapes in The Source. On my other albums one of my songs might get a Fat Tape and I’m honored by that. This album got four Fat Tapes! Dead Man Walking was a Fat Tape, Angel Dust was a Fat Tape, Killaz Theme was a Fat Tape and 62 Pick Up was a Fat Tape. Then you got One Love, everybody said that song was incredible; you got Testament, some people said that was the best song that I ever made. So it was like, c’mon dogs. I don’t understand their philosophy but at the same time I also think people were trying to punish me because they wanted me to do certain things that I didn’t do – so they were just like fuck him.
R: In putting out The Testament, do you feel you have come full circle and are finally getting your due?
C: I’m getting my due somewhat, I can’t complain. I’m an envied artist and I still consider myself somewhat underground. I really can’t complain because there are a lot of artists that are in my same shoes but aren’t getting some of the things that I have gotten. I got a Source Award, I got an Underground Music Award and I got a lot of recognition from a lot of fans. So I think I am getting a lot of my props; but at the same time certain things I feel I haven’t gotten and I am not really getting props for certain things. I think years down the line I will be recognized for a lot of things that I’m doing.
There was a time when you’re on the shelf and your album don’t come out and its over. I know dozens of rappers whose albums got shelved and their careers ended at that point; they never came out with another album. It’s hard to get out of your contract and losing an album is like losing a child. It’s like being nine months pregnant and you are about to have your child and your child dies. An album is like your child – I put everything into that album – so for them to take that from me, that could make me or break me - but at the same time I wanted to show them the caliber of person that they fucking with. I was going to show that I am a worker and that my willpower is strong. So I ended up making another album The Realness, which went on to be considered a classic; and I put out The True Meaning in less than a year after that. So everything happens for a reason.
Maybe this will inspire other rappers – like if you are on the shelf or if your stuff don’t come out, just keep fighting or keep creating and then maybe down the line that album that didn’t come out, you will be able to own it one day. Artists have to stay true to their self. Lets just say I was rapping and if I was trying to be a gimmicky artist; The Testament would not be relevant now and nobody would want to hear it. But meanwhile, I am leaking songs now and people are thinking they are new songs; so everything happens for a reason.
R: On Legal Hustle Doña was featured on a lot of tracks and showed her colors as an artist. Can fans expect a Doña album in 2005?
C: We are working on Doña’s solo album right now. Doña’s just got to get a little bit more focused. I’m the type of person, I’m like a coach. I am a rapper but when it comes to working I’m hard on people. I want 100% from you; Doña’s giving me about 98% right now, so she’s focused. She’s got one song done that’s incredible, it could be a single, it was produced by Emile. She got The Bond which was on the Legal Hustle album and will be on her album as well. We just got to knock out more songs with her and I think her album might be out this year. She’s definitely going to have some shit out for the people this year, so look out for her.
R: You are the boss of your own label as well as the label’s marquee artist; what are the most annoying situations that you have to face in running Legal Hustle Records?
C: That’s a good question; it depends on the situation you’re in. That question could have so many answers. I do everything – I allocate money, I gotta ok shit, it depends on the situation. Like the last situation I was in, one of my gripes would be money. I might have someone who did a particular job and they haven’t been paid from the distributor that I was dealing with. But now the situation I am in I don’t have any headaches, everybody who needs to get paid is getting paid and I have 100% control of my shit. I do the ads I want, I hire my own street team, I hire my own radio. Being an artist is more relaxing ‘cause all you gotta do is wake up, eat your breakfast and write your rhymes but when you’re running a company, you gotta be on top of artwork, interviews, studio time, studio sessions; there are so many shoes that I gotta fill and then I gotta accommodate my artists too. It’s hard running your own label.
R: Are you doing any shows in New York? Also, what else will you be doing leading up to the release of The Testament on February 22nd?
C: I’ma probably do something at S.O.B.’s, I’ma holler at them next week. I am probably going to do a show the week of my album release. I am also going to be doing a lot of in-stores. I’ve never really done in-stores with my previous albums. With my previous albums I might do one or two in-stores and that’s it. But now I want to go on a campaign with this. I want to do in-stores in a lot of my markets and just want to reach out there and blend in with the fans and fuck with the fans. This is a special album and this is something that we’ve all waited so long for so I want to be real active with this album.
Editor’s note: Cormega will celebrate the release of his long anticipated album The Testament with a performance at S.O.B.'s Nightclub in New York City on Monday, February 21st. Doors open at 7pm. Performance at 9pm. Tickets are $12 in advance and can be purchased at www.Ticketmaster.com or at S.O.B.'s box office. $15 at the door. S.O.B.'s is located at 204 Varick Street, on the corner of Varick and West Houston Street (212) 243-4940.
R: Your next album after The Testament will be called Urban Legend. T.I. just released an album that is also called Urban Legend. Is that going to affect anything you do with your next LP?
C: I mean, when he first came out with that I was infuriated, I am not going to sit here and lie. But at the same time I’m like fuck it, I gotta move on. Maybe I will just call it The Urban Legend with a The instead of just Urban Legend. I’m really not trying to change my title because I had that title first, I know that for a fact. I had that title when he had the Rubber Band Man album out. But basically we are two different kinds of music, we both Hip-Hop but its two different audiences. I am basically just going to stick to my guns man. At the end of the day with his album, people was feeling it for what it was worth. So if we are both going to have the same title then we both are going to have to stand up.
I’ma stand up – I could honestly say Urban Legend will be my best album. But what I am going to do to separate my shit from his is that we are going to put out the DVD next as opposed to just putting out The Urban Legend album. The DVD is going to have a soundtrack with it and it’s going to have me on it and also a bunch of other artists. The DVD will be a documentary about me, so like a movie you could say – so you know how they do a movie and then have a soundtrack; that’s what it’s going to be. Most likely you will hear a lot of the people that was on Legal Hustle, you’ll hear me and you’ll hear Doña so it’s going to be a good look.
R: As a former amateur boxer and a fan of boxing how do you feel about Mike Tyson stepping back in the ring in March to attempt another comeback?
C: I mean, I am all for it, this is what he does and this is what he lives for. I just wish him the best. I love Mike Tyson man, that’s one of my favorite boxers. I just wish he could be back in his true form again.
Parting ways with Def Jam as the label repeatedly put off The Testament’s release date, Cormega founded his own independent Legal Hustle Records imprint in 2001. While the initial decision to leave Def Jam was made largely out of frustration, Mega would soon find himself the beneficiary of widespread praise and critical acclaim. After dropping his first offical album The Realness in 2001, Mega kept on the grind, releasing his second LP The True Meaning less than a year later. Both albums are considered classics. The True Meaning earned a Source Award for Independent Album Of The Year in 2003. That same year Cormega would also be honored at The Underground Music Awards as the Impact Artist Of The Year.
In 2004 the onslaught would continue with another Legal Hustle release. A stellar compilation LP featuring Cormega alongside such artists as M.O.P., Ghostface Killah, Kurupt, Jayo Felony, Vybz Kartel and Large Professor would set the stage for what was to come next. Still, when the news came, it was almost hard to believe. Legal Hustle caught many devout Cormega fans by surprise when the label announced it would be releasing The Testament in 2005. The album will be released on February 22nd in its original form, exactly the way it was recorded between 1995 and 1996. Being a longtime fan of Mega, I remember waiting for The Testament to come out in the late ‘90’s; I would see promotional posters for it around Manhattan as well as ads in The Source (see original full page ad for The Testament in The Source). I can honestly say I thought this day would never come. The rap gods have smiled upon us. If you are reading this, do yourself a favor and cop the LP.
RiotSound: With your last album Legal Hustle, even though the album was very innovative musically and also well received by the fans; there was some confusion in mainstream media as to whether it was a solo LP or a compilation. Do you think there may have been somewhat of a negative effect in any way and if you had to do it over again would you have framed Legal Hustle in a different light?
Cormega: What do you mean by negative effect?
R: Well, some critics rated the album lower saying you had too many guest appearances, meanwhile it was a compilation with yourself and other artists, not a solo album, so obviously they seemed to be oblivious to what was going on.
C: You know what I think that is? I think that is from motherfuckers having their head too stuck up they ass. Because [our publicist] Jackie O sent out, no exaggeration, over fifty press releases. I actually even have a copy and I could send it to you or email it to you. It’s stated specifically that it’s not a solo album and that the next solo album is going to be called Urban Legend. What have you is – you got people like Bonsu [Thompson] at XXL – he gets the press release; but does he read it? No, because Cormega is not “big”. I guess I am not as important as say an Interscope artist or whatever.
So what happens is they don’t read the press release and when they review the album they just say shit like - there’s too many guest appearances. I would say there was eighty percent of people that knew it wasn’t a solo and the other twenty percent are those people that – well you got some people that don’t give a fuck about Hip-Hop or are not into the culture or not into the artists, they’re just out there doing their 9 to 5; like, ok, let me review this album and get my check, you know what I’m saying? As opposed to, ok Cormega - let me see what this is about.
There is no one doing backup checks; if you know I made The Realness album and there was only two guest appearances on there and then I made The True Meaning and that only had one guest appearance; then common sense would be - Legal Hustle had fourteen guest appearances on it and two songs didn’t even have me on them. Everybody that overlooked that, I mean, I don’t even know what to say about those type of people.
R: In putting out The Testament, as you are now, what were some of the legal matters that you had to deal with in getting the album away from Def Jam and into your hands? How does it make you feel to know that people are still waiting to hear this record after all these years?
C: I didn’t really go through no problems, the problem was remedied years ago. But it validates what I have been trying to say from day one – after The Testament situation never materialized I never really spoke much about it. I made The Realness and I made The True Meaning. There was a time when I was like fuck it, The Testament is just something that will never occur. But now it’s a different day and a different age and I am glad the fans are embracing it.
R: Let’s do a flashback and talk about when you recorded The Testament; you were just signed to Def Jam; what was your mindstate at the time and how did the album come together?
C: When I did The Testament, basically I just came home. I was home for a year and I didn’t have no deal – contrary to belief or people trying to take credit for getting me a deal, I didn’t have any deal. I just had a buzz ‘cause I was appearing on a lot of mixtapes; and my name was mentioned on the song One Love but that ain’t give me no buzz. I came home and I was on Puff Daddy’s mixtape back when he would do Bad Boy mixtapes, I was on Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito’s show. I was doing a lot of stuff but at the same time I was selling drugs. So Lyor [Cohen] got wind of this from one of my friends and he wanted to get me off the streets ‘cause he was interested in signing me. So that’s why I signed to Def Jam. He was like – what’s it gonna take for me to get you off the street? I just made up a number – I was like uhmmm $10,000. I just said that and he really got the $10,000 up for me. So that played a role with me signing to Def Jam.
So basically I signed a demo deal first; I did a song about a girl, I forget the name of it and I also did Dead Man Walking, which was produced by a good friend of mine Hot Day. We leaked Dead Man Walking and we were getting good feedback from the streets so soon after that I recorded One Love. That song is like a reply to Nas’ One Love letter; it’s not a diss record either. I read on the Internet recently where somebody said I got a diss song called One Love. And that just goes to show you what I said about people just getting into the this shit because of a job as opposed to really knowing what the fuck they talking about. I wrote One Love actually when I was in jail. That song was never even supposed to come out, I wrote it as recreation. I said it in the yard when I was battling somebody and I ripped it up and threw it on the floor after the battle ‘cause I won. But one of my friends picked it up and was like - yo keep this.
So I made One Love, it was produced by RNS and I made Angel Dust also around that time. I was in Chung King Studious and Havoc and P happened to be in Chung King in the next room. One thing I’ma say about Havoc is he’ll give you his last; he’s the type of person who’s heart is so pure, he has the best heart outta everybody from Queensbridge. At that time I didn’t really know how to do hooks; I just came home and when I went to jail hooks wasn’t in, people was just rapping. So Havoc came in the studio and he did the Angel Dust hook for me.
This was all in ’95, then ’96 is when I officially signed to Def Jam and one of the first songs I made was The Testament and that’s when it was reaffirmed that The Testament would also be the name of the album. At first we didn’t know what we were going to call it. We went from Full Metal Jacket to Say No More and through a bunch of other different titles. There are also two different versions of the song The Testament. When I first made the song; that was around the time there was friction between me and Nas. In one of my verses I said – The streets raised me, made me / The weak praised me / Indeed it was written you would one day betray me. That line right there ‘caused so much stir in the industry – Blaze magazine did a story just on that verse.
Everybody was loving that song but people were scared because I said something about Nas. So basically they told me to change my verse and thus became the second version of The Testament. On this album coming out, both versions will be on it – there’s the original version that they wanted to silence me on and not put out and then there’s the new version that I did after that, which people are more familiar with. Both versions were produced by Dave Atkinson; he is one of the dopest producers in the game who will never get the credit he deserves because people don’t know some of the things he’s done. He did Affirmative Action but everybody thinks Trackmasters did it. He also did stuff for Peter Gunz and Lord Tariq.
Also I knocked out a song called Every Hood with my man Fatal Hussein. At that time the East Coast and West Coast was having beef but I wanted to show difference. At the end of the day that was Biggie’s beef and Pac’s beef, so what they eat don’t make me shit, that’s that. I got respect for both of them so I did that song on some unity shit. I was making moves back then that was differential from what everybody’s doing.
There’s also songs like Killaz Theme with me and Mobb Deep which went on to be considered classics in the streets. There’s also a song called Glory that appeared on The Realness, that song was originally recorded for The Testament, I just took it and put it on The Realness. The Testament was just an ill experience for me, I was fresh out the pen and I was on a label that had an illustrious aura about itself. It was an honor for me to be on Def Jam; but that’s before I knew about the industry and the music, it’s two different things. If I would’ve known that I would be on the shelf or if I would’ve known all the bullshit about the industry, I would have found somebody else.
R: Why do you think Def Jam did not want to put the album out?
C: What I was told is that they wanted to put out the album in 2000. They told me this is ’99 but I was signed since ’96. Technically I signed a demo deal in ’95 and I signed the actual contract in ’96. So you got me on the shelf for four years, meanwhile there’s artists that are coming out with albums before me. So my whole thing is I’ma student of rap music also - and after all that time who’s to say that I am still going to relevant? Like, you got Lady Of Rage when she was on Death Row, she had the Afro Puffs record but they waited five years to put her out. If they put her out when she had the Afro Puffs record, everybody would agree that she would have gone at least double platinum; but they didn’t. And finally when they did put her out I don’t know what that shit sold.
An artist’s longevity isn’t promised; nobody knows how long their career is going to last. So you say you are going to put me out in 2000 but before you said you would put me out in ’98 - so I didn’t want to wait no more. Another reason I think I was on the shelf is because if you look at the past Def Jam regime, everybody they signed was an affiliate artist; they didn’t know how to break artists on their own. Like they signed Method Man but Method Man was hot from Wu-Tang, Redman was hot from Def Squad; Mega, Foxy, they’re from The Firm, you know what I’m saying? I could go on and on. With DMX Rough Riders blew that up; Jay-Z had his own thing with Roc-a-fella.
At that time Def Jam didn’t know how to take an artist from scratch and build him up. So I don’t think they knew what to do with me; I was straight street and that was the glamory and glitzy era of rap when everybody wanted to wear suits and pop bottles and stuff. I just wanted to rap; I wanted to wear a polo shirt with jeans and sneakers. I ain’t wanna pop bottles, I ain’t wanna dance in my videos. So I think they was confused as to how to put me out and at the same time you had some people that shouldn’t have been fucking with my project. You had girls that work at Def Jam, no disrespect to them, but you had certain people who looked like they should be in Glamour Magazine as opposed to having any input in a Cormega album.
When I made the song Testament, I remember, I think Julie her name was; she told me – that song is cool but it’s not hot. Now here I am from the street, here I am – I opened up for Eric B. & Rakim, I grew up under Shan, I grew up across the building from Nas, Marley Marl is my mentor, I’ve been in the park rapping with Craig G and Havoc. And here you are some pretty, probably well educated white girl that’s not really into Hip-Hop and just happens to have a good job and you are going to tell me what’s hot as far as Hip-Hop? So I couldn’t understand that. Certain people they just want to earn they check but they really don’t know what the fuck they doing.
Now, at the end of the day if this album would have been a bullshit album then I wouldn’t have no argument and them having me on the shelf would have been justified. But I am not the one who called this album a classic; Vibe called it a classic, The Source called it a classic. This album got four Fat Tapes in The Source. On my other albums one of my songs might get a Fat Tape and I’m honored by that. This album got four Fat Tapes! Dead Man Walking was a Fat Tape, Angel Dust was a Fat Tape, Killaz Theme was a Fat Tape and 62 Pick Up was a Fat Tape. Then you got One Love, everybody said that song was incredible; you got Testament, some people said that was the best song that I ever made. So it was like, c’mon dogs. I don’t understand their philosophy but at the same time I also think people were trying to punish me because they wanted me to do certain things that I didn’t do – so they were just like fuck him.
R: In putting out The Testament, do you feel you have come full circle and are finally getting your due?
C: I’m getting my due somewhat, I can’t complain. I’m an envied artist and I still consider myself somewhat underground. I really can’t complain because there are a lot of artists that are in my same shoes but aren’t getting some of the things that I have gotten. I got a Source Award, I got an Underground Music Award and I got a lot of recognition from a lot of fans. So I think I am getting a lot of my props; but at the same time certain things I feel I haven’t gotten and I am not really getting props for certain things. I think years down the line I will be recognized for a lot of things that I’m doing.
There was a time when you’re on the shelf and your album don’t come out and its over. I know dozens of rappers whose albums got shelved and their careers ended at that point; they never came out with another album. It’s hard to get out of your contract and losing an album is like losing a child. It’s like being nine months pregnant and you are about to have your child and your child dies. An album is like your child – I put everything into that album – so for them to take that from me, that could make me or break me - but at the same time I wanted to show them the caliber of person that they fucking with. I was going to show that I am a worker and that my willpower is strong. So I ended up making another album The Realness, which went on to be considered a classic; and I put out The True Meaning in less than a year after that. So everything happens for a reason.
Maybe this will inspire other rappers – like if you are on the shelf or if your stuff don’t come out, just keep fighting or keep creating and then maybe down the line that album that didn’t come out, you will be able to own it one day. Artists have to stay true to their self. Lets just say I was rapping and if I was trying to be a gimmicky artist; The Testament would not be relevant now and nobody would want to hear it. But meanwhile, I am leaking songs now and people are thinking they are new songs; so everything happens for a reason.
R: On Legal Hustle Doña was featured on a lot of tracks and showed her colors as an artist. Can fans expect a Doña album in 2005?
C: We are working on Doña’s solo album right now. Doña’s just got to get a little bit more focused. I’m the type of person, I’m like a coach. I am a rapper but when it comes to working I’m hard on people. I want 100% from you; Doña’s giving me about 98% right now, so she’s focused. She’s got one song done that’s incredible, it could be a single, it was produced by Emile. She got The Bond which was on the Legal Hustle album and will be on her album as well. We just got to knock out more songs with her and I think her album might be out this year. She’s definitely going to have some shit out for the people this year, so look out for her.
R: You are the boss of your own label as well as the label’s marquee artist; what are the most annoying situations that you have to face in running Legal Hustle Records?
C: That’s a good question; it depends on the situation you’re in. That question could have so many answers. I do everything – I allocate money, I gotta ok shit, it depends on the situation. Like the last situation I was in, one of my gripes would be money. I might have someone who did a particular job and they haven’t been paid from the distributor that I was dealing with. But now the situation I am in I don’t have any headaches, everybody who needs to get paid is getting paid and I have 100% control of my shit. I do the ads I want, I hire my own street team, I hire my own radio. Being an artist is more relaxing ‘cause all you gotta do is wake up, eat your breakfast and write your rhymes but when you’re running a company, you gotta be on top of artwork, interviews, studio time, studio sessions; there are so many shoes that I gotta fill and then I gotta accommodate my artists too. It’s hard running your own label.
R: Are you doing any shows in New York? Also, what else will you be doing leading up to the release of The Testament on February 22nd?
C: I’ma probably do something at S.O.B.’s, I’ma holler at them next week. I am probably going to do a show the week of my album release. I am also going to be doing a lot of in-stores. I’ve never really done in-stores with my previous albums. With my previous albums I might do one or two in-stores and that’s it. But now I want to go on a campaign with this. I want to do in-stores in a lot of my markets and just want to reach out there and blend in with the fans and fuck with the fans. This is a special album and this is something that we’ve all waited so long for so I want to be real active with this album.
Editor’s note: Cormega will celebrate the release of his long anticipated album The Testament with a performance at S.O.B.'s Nightclub in New York City on Monday, February 21st. Doors open at 7pm. Performance at 9pm. Tickets are $12 in advance and can be purchased at www.Ticketmaster.com or at S.O.B.'s box office. $15 at the door. S.O.B.'s is located at 204 Varick Street, on the corner of Varick and West Houston Street (212) 243-4940.
R: Your next album after The Testament will be called Urban Legend. T.I. just released an album that is also called Urban Legend. Is that going to affect anything you do with your next LP?
C: I mean, when he first came out with that I was infuriated, I am not going to sit here and lie. But at the same time I’m like fuck it, I gotta move on. Maybe I will just call it The Urban Legend with a The instead of just Urban Legend. I’m really not trying to change my title because I had that title first, I know that for a fact. I had that title when he had the Rubber Band Man album out. But basically we are two different kinds of music, we both Hip-Hop but its two different audiences. I am basically just going to stick to my guns man. At the end of the day with his album, people was feeling it for what it was worth. So if we are both going to have the same title then we both are going to have to stand up.
I’ma stand up – I could honestly say Urban Legend will be my best album. But what I am going to do to separate my shit from his is that we are going to put out the DVD next as opposed to just putting out The Urban Legend album. The DVD is going to have a soundtrack with it and it’s going to have me on it and also a bunch of other artists. The DVD will be a documentary about me, so like a movie you could say – so you know how they do a movie and then have a soundtrack; that’s what it’s going to be. Most likely you will hear a lot of the people that was on Legal Hustle, you’ll hear me and you’ll hear Doña so it’s going to be a good look.
R: As a former amateur boxer and a fan of boxing how do you feel about Mike Tyson stepping back in the ring in March to attempt another comeback?
C: I mean, I am all for it, this is what he does and this is what he lives for. I just wish him the best. I love Mike Tyson man, that’s one of my favorite boxers. I just wish he could be back in his true form again.
