Don't skim through, it's pretty good.
Source:
http://blog.rhapsody.com/2007/11/exclusive-ghost.html
A decade ago, the Wu-Tang Clan and Ghostface dropping new music within a week of each other would have been cause for a national hip-hop holiday. Unfortunately, in 2007, it only heightens the tension within the Wu camp, regarding everything from compensation to the musical direction of the group’s upcoming album, 8 Diagrams. Rhapsody had a chance to sit down with Pretty Toney while he was promoting his seventh album, Big Doe Rehab. We got his thoughts on the inspiration for his ghetto stories, on G-Unit's Tony Yayo’s claims that Ghost may not be the author of Supreme Clientele, and on where things currently stand with the RZA and the Wu.
RHAPSODY: When you’re telling stories like “Maxine” or “Alex (Stolen Scripts),” are they inspired by real-life experiences?
Ghostface: When I hear a certain type of music, it brings certain things out. I’m an artist. I’m a real poet. Whatever the beat makes me see, I’ll go write. It might sound like a murder. It might sound like a real snowy day, or kids having fun in the snow. It might sound like “The Sun.” “Maxine” was a true story. It was based upon what happened with fiends in the projects. Crackheads is funny. They be doin’ all types of dumb s**t. You gotta watch ‘em. They sneak things from you.
What’s the dumbest thing you’ve ever seen a crackhead do?
Just anything. These m*th*rf*ck*rs dance for crack. Some of them do anything you tell ‘em to do. M*th*rf*ck*rs spin on their head on concrete for a f*ck*n’ rock.
So when you’re constructing a story like “Maxine,” how long does it take to write?
Sometimes it takes a long time. It depends on how much you keep going back to it. I might write a page and then don’t go back to it for like two weeks or three weeks. It just depends on what comes that day.
What was it like collaborating with Mobb Deep on classics like “Right Back at You”?
That was early days. I don’t remember none of that sh*t. We were just in the studio. I think they had that sh*t already done and we just came and tagged on it. I wasn’t there when [Big] Noyd finished it off. Also, somebody else was on it from Staten Island. N*gg*s cut ‘em off, and put me and Rae [Raekwon] on. It was my man. I don’t want to put him out there or blow him up, though. It was one of the dudes they were f*ck*n’ with at the time.
Did you have a relationship with Hav and P before that? There were a lot of Wu-Mobb collaborations early on in your careers.
No, it was just being cool. We heard that beat, liked that beat, and it was like, "Yo, let us get that space.”
In a recent interview Tony Yayo said Superb had written Supreme Clientele.
Yeah, I was in Europe when I heard that. That’s just nonsense. I still put mad sh*t out. ‘Perb was ‘Perb, Ghost was Ghost. ‘Perb is Rae’s man. He been in the studio a few times while we’re doing sh*t. He ain’t write sh*t. All ‘Perb contributed was a couple of lines that you could put in the air. When we write, we all do that. “Say this one right here” or “Put this one right here.” We all catch lines with each other ‘cause you in the studio. You got n*gg*s around you that write. Even if he did write a verse, he could never make an album of mine. He couldn’t make an album, you feel me? I made Supreme Clientele what it is. Those are my stories, based around whatever they’re based upon. It’s me. I can’t see what songs ‘Perb wrote. He ain’t write “Mighty Healthy” or “One” or “Apollo Kids” or “Cherchez LaGhost” or “Saturday Nite” or “Malcolm.” But, Yayo can suck a fat d*ck. Tell him I said that.
Do you still work with Superb?
Superb been in jail for rape for like four or five years. He started getting high and one day he tried to steal my DAT with all the songs from Bulletproof Wallets. N*gg*s f*ck*d him up. We knew he had it. He was being sneaky. I don’t know what he was trying to do with it, but he had it. That’s that, though. It’s like with Yayo, I don’t know what the f*ck he talkin’ about.
Sean C and LV produced six songs off your new album including “We Celebrate.” What led to them doing so many tracks?
They worked on “Momma” off Fishscale. They had a lot of nice [beats]. I [had] said to myself I was going to go hard on my next one. ‘Cause you never know what the fans want. They trick you. Once you give ‘em this, they don’t want that because they looking for this. For me, I had a hard time selling records. So it’s like, “You know what, f*ck all this other sh*t. Let me just go for what these people know me for and go hard.”
Did you like the tracks they did on American Gangster?
American Gangster is cool. As a matter fact, I did have one of those beats on one of my [beats] CDs, but I never used it. I think it might have been the Marvin Gaye-sampled “American Dreamin’.” For whatever reasons, I ain’t pick it. Maybe I didn’t see the vision at that time. That’s what happens.
Shifting to the upcoming Wu album, how would you say the music on 8 Diagrams measures up to classics like “Da Mystery of Chessboxin’”?
Could never match up. You crazy?!
Raekwon recently had voiced his displeasure with 8 Diagrams’ musical direction. Are you happy with how the album came out?
That s**t is wack. I heard RZA was changing some of the beats around the last minute. I didn’t hear that. I don’t know what y’all listening to out there. I never heard it. I’m with Raekwon.
Both you and Rae had spoken about being owed money by the Wu hierarchy. RZA stated in an interview with Tim Westwood that he doesn’t owe anyone money.
I just won my court case from them n*gg*s. The suit been in there for three years. So put that out there. They just lost their f*ck*n’ case. So who don’t owe who money? Let’s get it straight, RZA. That’s all I’m sayin’, baby. It was a loss, they lost. L-O-S-T. That’s really it.
How you and RZA’s relationship now?
I don’t see RZA, man. That n*gg*’s real sneaky. I love him, though. Ain’t no bad blood. Ain’t nobody doing no bad to him. It’s just that you can’t get money with a n*gg*.
RHAPSODY: When you’re telling stories like “Maxine” or “Alex (Stolen Scripts),” are they inspired by real-life experiences?
Ghostface: When I hear a certain type of music, it brings certain things out. I’m an artist. I’m a real poet. Whatever the beat makes me see, I’ll go write. It might sound like a murder. It might sound like a real snowy day, or kids having fun in the snow. It might sound like “The Sun.” “Maxine” was a true story. It was based upon what happened with fiends in the projects. Crackheads is funny. They be doin’ all types of dumb s**t. You gotta watch ‘em. They sneak things from you.
What’s the dumbest thing you’ve ever seen a crackhead do?
Just anything. These m*th*rf*ck*rs dance for crack. Some of them do anything you tell ‘em to do. M*th*rf*ck*rs spin on their head on concrete for a f*ck*n’ rock.
So when you’re constructing a story like “Maxine,” how long does it take to write?
Sometimes it takes a long time. It depends on how much you keep going back to it. I might write a page and then don’t go back to it for like two weeks or three weeks. It just depends on what comes that day.
What was it like collaborating with Mobb Deep on classics like “Right Back at You”?
That was early days. I don’t remember none of that sh*t. We were just in the studio. I think they had that sh*t already done and we just came and tagged on it. I wasn’t there when [Big] Noyd finished it off. Also, somebody else was on it from Staten Island. N*gg*s cut ‘em off, and put me and Rae [Raekwon] on. It was my man. I don’t want to put him out there or blow him up, though. It was one of the dudes they were f*ck*n’ with at the time.
Did you have a relationship with Hav and P before that? There were a lot of Wu-Mobb collaborations early on in your careers.
No, it was just being cool. We heard that beat, liked that beat, and it was like, "Yo, let us get that space.”
In a recent interview Tony Yayo said Superb had written Supreme Clientele.
Yeah, I was in Europe when I heard that. That’s just nonsense. I still put mad sh*t out. ‘Perb was ‘Perb, Ghost was Ghost. ‘Perb is Rae’s man. He been in the studio a few times while we’re doing sh*t. He ain’t write sh*t. All ‘Perb contributed was a couple of lines that you could put in the air. When we write, we all do that. “Say this one right here” or “Put this one right here.” We all catch lines with each other ‘cause you in the studio. You got n*gg*s around you that write. Even if he did write a verse, he could never make an album of mine. He couldn’t make an album, you feel me? I made Supreme Clientele what it is. Those are my stories, based around whatever they’re based upon. It’s me. I can’t see what songs ‘Perb wrote. He ain’t write “Mighty Healthy” or “One” or “Apollo Kids” or “Cherchez LaGhost” or “Saturday Nite” or “Malcolm.” But, Yayo can suck a fat d*ck. Tell him I said that.
Do you still work with Superb?
Superb been in jail for rape for like four or five years. He started getting high and one day he tried to steal my DAT with all the songs from Bulletproof Wallets. N*gg*s f*ck*d him up. We knew he had it. He was being sneaky. I don’t know what he was trying to do with it, but he had it. That’s that, though. It’s like with Yayo, I don’t know what the f*ck he talkin’ about.
Sean C and LV produced six songs off your new album including “We Celebrate.” What led to them doing so many tracks?
They worked on “Momma” off Fishscale. They had a lot of nice [beats]. I [had] said to myself I was going to go hard on my next one. ‘Cause you never know what the fans want. They trick you. Once you give ‘em this, they don’t want that because they looking for this. For me, I had a hard time selling records. So it’s like, “You know what, f*ck all this other sh*t. Let me just go for what these people know me for and go hard.”
Did you like the tracks they did on American Gangster?
American Gangster is cool. As a matter fact, I did have one of those beats on one of my [beats] CDs, but I never used it. I think it might have been the Marvin Gaye-sampled “American Dreamin’.” For whatever reasons, I ain’t pick it. Maybe I didn’t see the vision at that time. That’s what happens.
Shifting to the upcoming Wu album, how would you say the music on 8 Diagrams measures up to classics like “Da Mystery of Chessboxin’”?
Could never match up. You crazy?!
Raekwon recently had voiced his displeasure with 8 Diagrams’ musical direction. Are you happy with how the album came out?
That s**t is wack. I heard RZA was changing some of the beats around the last minute. I didn’t hear that. I don’t know what y’all listening to out there. I never heard it. I’m with Raekwon.
Both you and Rae had spoken about being owed money by the Wu hierarchy. RZA stated in an interview with Tim Westwood that he doesn’t owe anyone money.
I just won my court case from them n*gg*s. The suit been in there for three years. So put that out there. They just lost their f*ck*n’ case. So who don’t owe who money? Let’s get it straight, RZA. That’s all I’m sayin’, baby. It was a loss, they lost. L-O-S-T. That’s really it.
How you and RZA’s relationship now?
I don’t see RZA, man. That n*gg*’s real sneaky. I love him, though. Ain’t no bad blood. Ain’t nobody doing no bad to him. It’s just that you can’t get money with a n*gg*.
http://blog.rhapsody.com/2007/11/exclusive-ghost.html
