The album title: The Doctor's Advocate. You have said in the past that you and Dre had a father-son relationship, a teacher-pupil relationship. But it seems like that relationship has changed, at least as far as your working relationship. There's talk that Dre did not work on the new album and that you are no longer on Aftermath, that you've been shipped over to Geffen. What's the status right now?
The status is that me and 50 have chose to part ways. And along those lines, there's a lot of things shaking up. Honestly I'ma keep it 100 percent real, I don't know who I'm signed to... I just know that Interscope and Geffen are both fighting over what label imprint is gonna be on the back of the album. You might see the Aftermath logo on the back; you might see an Interscope logo on the back, you might not. You definitely gonna see the Black Wall Street on the back though... And on this album, I already been in the studio with Dre on this album. I got beats from Dre early, early. I worked with Dre early on this album.
So there are new Dre beats on there?
Yeah. Stuff that Dre did, that I had in the beginning of working on this album. Can't nobody take that away from me, man.
And what's up with you and Ja Rule? People are going to be shocked to hear that you two are cool. You used to yell that Ja and the whole Murder Inc. label could suck your dick during your shows. Rumor even has it that you two did a joint together?
I wouldn't mind doing a join with Ja. It ain't like I gotta be scared to say, Oh, I'm doin' a joint with Ja. But I done hollered at Ja on the phone, and he done gave me love and respect for what I did as far as holdin' myself down against the Unit. I done hollered at Irv. Murder Inc. and Black Wall Street done squashed their beef that they had back in the day. Me and Ja, we might get in and do 10 records, if that's what he feel like and that's what I feel like I want to do, you know what I'm sayin'? It's all love, man. I don't give a fuck what people think about Ja. If I fuck with him, I fuck with him. And when I fuck with him, everybody else is gonna fuck with him.
How did the conversation come about, when you deaded the beef?
At the Grammys, Irv came up to me. I was kind of shocked. I be on my guard, man. Irv came up to me. He came to me with his hand out. A black man come at me with his hand out, what I'ma do, turn away? I shook his hand, man. He told me thanks for what I did. "Me and Ja just wanna thank you for what you did." And, "Let's get money." So I already knew what that meant. It's another beef that I can diminish. Ain't gotta worry about lookin' over my shoulder this way or that way. That's all it is when you beefin'. Nigga can't even sleep safe at night 'less you holdin' a gun, 'less you holdin' your finger on the trigger when you go to sleep. And then don't do that too many nights. You have a bad dream, you blow your brains out. If you think about it, we all business men. Ain't nobody too muthafuckin' gangsta, 'cause ain't nobody John Gotti, and ain't nobody Tookie Williams. Ain't none of these niggas, ain't nobody in hip-hop, myself included, 'bout to go knock on the penitentiary door and say, give me that lethal injection. I'm 26 years old, man, and I'm the most potent voice in hip-hop right now. The most powerful voice. It's due to all my struggles, my hard times, my admiration for the game and my ambition. It ain't about no beef. It's about me and my fans and making good music.
The status is that me and 50 have chose to part ways. And along those lines, there's a lot of things shaking up. Honestly I'ma keep it 100 percent real, I don't know who I'm signed to... I just know that Interscope and Geffen are both fighting over what label imprint is gonna be on the back of the album. You might see the Aftermath logo on the back; you might see an Interscope logo on the back, you might not. You definitely gonna see the Black Wall Street on the back though... And on this album, I already been in the studio with Dre on this album. I got beats from Dre early, early. I worked with Dre early on this album.
So there are new Dre beats on there?
Yeah. Stuff that Dre did, that I had in the beginning of working on this album. Can't nobody take that away from me, man.
And what's up with you and Ja Rule? People are going to be shocked to hear that you two are cool. You used to yell that Ja and the whole Murder Inc. label could suck your dick during your shows. Rumor even has it that you two did a joint together?
I wouldn't mind doing a join with Ja. It ain't like I gotta be scared to say, Oh, I'm doin' a joint with Ja. But I done hollered at Ja on the phone, and he done gave me love and respect for what I did as far as holdin' myself down against the Unit. I done hollered at Irv. Murder Inc. and Black Wall Street done squashed their beef that they had back in the day. Me and Ja, we might get in and do 10 records, if that's what he feel like and that's what I feel like I want to do, you know what I'm sayin'? It's all love, man. I don't give a fuck what people think about Ja. If I fuck with him, I fuck with him. And when I fuck with him, everybody else is gonna fuck with him.
How did the conversation come about, when you deaded the beef?
At the Grammys, Irv came up to me. I was kind of shocked. I be on my guard, man. Irv came up to me. He came to me with his hand out. A black man come at me with his hand out, what I'ma do, turn away? I shook his hand, man. He told me thanks for what I did. "Me and Ja just wanna thank you for what you did." And, "Let's get money." So I already knew what that meant. It's another beef that I can diminish. Ain't gotta worry about lookin' over my shoulder this way or that way. That's all it is when you beefin'. Nigga can't even sleep safe at night 'less you holdin' a gun, 'less you holdin' your finger on the trigger when you go to sleep. And then don't do that too many nights. You have a bad dream, you blow your brains out. If you think about it, we all business men. Ain't nobody too muthafuckin' gangsta, 'cause ain't nobody John Gotti, and ain't nobody Tookie Williams. Ain't none of these niggas, ain't nobody in hip-hop, myself included, 'bout to go knock on the penitentiary door and say, give me that lethal injection. I'm 26 years old, man, and I'm the most potent voice in hip-hop right now. The most powerful voice. It's due to all my struggles, my hard times, my admiration for the game and my ambition. It ain't about no beef. It's about me and my fans and making good music.
