Halftime: How would you describe the process of working with Pete versus working with other producers that really showed how special that relationship was?

CL: We were so private that to get in a session with us was so rare you’d have to know us. Now you’re getting to the point where the producer is that feature. People ask why there aren’t any features on the new album and I’m like that is the feature. Nobody ever really worked with me. I built my whole career off of one producer. Who’s done that?

Halftime: Yea, nobody has ever really done that.

CL: The thing is it was great to have a bunch of producers who want to work with you and build that chemistry. I feel honored. I was happy to make it work and for people to like the chemistry and say he can do it without Pete Rock. We didn’t think he could but he can. That for some reason makes them want to see it even more when they see success. They see CL come through and it’s like all he needs is Pete but it’s not that simple. It’s like carrying a murderer around. A dude who just like to pop his gun off every minute. If he’s nervous he’s gonna pop his gun, if he’s happy he’s gonna pop his gun. After a while you’re dropping bodies everywhere so we’re not really accomplishing anything. I’m just waiting for you to slip up and shoot me in the back of my head and that’s not how it’s gonna go. I need people who are with me cuz they’re with me and not because they feel that they are anointed. You ain’t anointed nigga you gotta start all over again and court me like you court one of your bitches. If it ain’t gonna be like that then you gotta step aside because this is a campaign. This is a presidency that’s already running and if you’re not adding on you just trying to destroy then we’re gonna have a problem B. We’re gonna have a problem if you can’t stick to being you, stick to your script and do your job. Why don’t people ask why didn’t Pete Rock knock on my door and be like hey let me make your solo album. [Why didn’t Pete say] I’m tired of people coming to me asking about you let me make your solo album. I don’t have to talk to you or travel with you but I can make money off you. A smart man is going to do that. A dumb motherfucker is gonna sit in his house and keep all the shit to himself and grovel. That’s the difference between a leader and a motherfucker who has lost his mind and lost his way. We’re not going to fool each other because it is what it is. If CL lost his way we don’t have to talk about it anymore he’s groveling in the pit but that’s not what’s happening.

We’re on a campaign of righteousness saying he’s the new shit he’s the new president. He’s coming out of nowhere and saying these old school rappers can’t just come back. He’s making it even harder because ya’ll come back with that bullshit and he comes back with the real shit. That made my job even harder because you feeding the people bullshit and you know it. You got the name just like me and the vision but you come with the bullshit because you’re team ain’t ready, you ain’t ready and you’re doing it for the money. We all do it for the money but at some point you have to do it because you are just so hungry to win. You are so hungry to be successful that nothing will deny you. Money, bitches, and toys are just apart of the game. It isn’t the avenue or the goal we are trying to reach. All of that comes with it. We’re trying to crush motherfuckers and let them know we’re not here to bow to shit. We got a song for everyone of ya’ll so we can perform with the Talib’s or the 50’s or Kenny G we don’t care. We’re non-offensive but we’re coming with that movement and CL is the catalyst and that president.

Halftime: I want to go back to where you were saying artists were remaking your songs. What kinda feeling went through your body when Mr. Cheeks came up to and said he wanted to remake “Reminisce?”

CL: I didn’t get no feeling. What kinda feeling are you supposed to get when a dude comes up to you and says I want to remake one of your greatest songs? Like what do you think you’re gonna bring it higher?

Halftime: Haha

CL: Where do you think you’re going to bring it? What do you think you’re gonna be Aunt Joyce now? You gonna be Uncle Doc?

Halftime: I didn’t even see it like that?

CL: I see it that way. That’s not like asking me for a $1 that’s like a bum asking me for $100. Do what you do because you want to do it not because you get my permission to do it. That’s like offensive. Like I’m going with your ex-wife now is that alright? What the fuck are you asking me for? I don’t have no comment to that cuz that’s not where my mind is at. I don’t rehash. I’m not gonna run back and recreate “Hip Hop Hooray” and say hey Treach you like that? I’m not gonna do no shit like that cuz I know where my mind and creative spirit is at. I’m going for the goals that are attainable not rehashing someone else’s shit. I can feel honored but everybody don’t feel honored by that. Do what you do and I’ll do what I do and hopefully at the end of the day it will come out positive.

Halftime: Just by talking to you I know that you are into jazz. With your attitude now you kinda remind me of a Thelonious Monk of hiphop because he didn’t stand for no shit.

CL: Oh hell yea. The Count Basie’s, Thelonius Monk’s, Miles Davis’, the Earl Klugh’s. There are so many of them and I just love that vibe of just that originality. That George Benson vibe, anything intertwined with that social consciousness or awareness of what to build around you to be successful. It’s not just jazz but all music from Avril Lavigne to Evanescence. I’m listening to Janis Joplin now crazy. I’m getting a rich history of music now. That’s where I’m at. I just enjoy the history of music and being apart of it because it can influence you. You can hear something so wack and then after hearing it 100 times it becomes good to you.

Halftime: Speaking of being apart of the history of music a lot of people point to your first EP “All Souled Out” as an important piece of music in the early 90s. Could you describe the making of that EP and how it affected hip hop culture at that time?

CL: Well, I’m not too sure because I wasn’t focused on what was going on. I was just focused on being happy to start something. I’m literally making something and apart of something and really visualizing certain things. Around that time it was just a great time to have something like I started something and I finished it. Just making the “Creator” and “Mecca and The Soul Brother,” “All Souled Out,” “Good Life,” and “Go with The Flow” just gave me the opportunity to say I could get better. I could really do what I need to do to be successful in this. When I looked at the people and their response I guess that made me motivated to say we’re doing the right thing. You got the Q-Tips and Ice Cubes saying you did well with this one six song EP. Just to see that Ice Cube and Dr. Dre know your name that shit’s crazy.

Halftime: Obviously after that you dropped the album with mad classics on it. A couple things on the album itself, was there a conscious decision to limit the cursing on it and could you talk a bit about Reminisce and when you started writing that.

CL: Well, limiting the curses was so that people didn’t get misconstrued about the concept and vibe from which I was coming from. Plus I wanted everybody to get an opportunity to listen to my music so I tried to limit that part of the creativity the cursing. Like Lupe said I can see you writing curses where it’s warranted. Like he’s not calling a girl a bitch he’s saying in this situation she’s a bitch and that there are people like that in the world. As far as Reminisce its like how can you curse when you come from loyal, smart, upstanding people? I’m the only one with no degree out of all of these people. I come from them so I wanted people to see that I was dealing with a higher power. We can talk shit off the record but I’m not going to go all the way downtown and talk shit and hear it everyday. That was probably around the time I didn’t listen to myself at all. I’d write something and didn’t like hearing myself on the radio or nothing. Something about it I didn’t like hearing. It’s only up to this project where I can listen to myself like I listen to somebody else. I only heard one other person say that and that’s Mary. I heard her say she just started listening to herself. I hated hearing myself. I couldn’t sit there and enjoy listening to myself. I used to watch Heavy D ride down the block listening to his songs and I thought that nigga was so weird. I was like this guy is really weird or on his own fucking dick. I didn’t know what he was doing or that I gotta listen to myself to make sure I’m on the right bass or that I’m not repeating myself or coming with the same flow. Then I understood it but on the average I’m like the rest of my friends who have nothing to do with the industry but I’m in the industry thinking like what a weird motherfucker. You playing music riding down the block and it’s you. Then you start adopting the things that are weird to you and start seeing the relevance.

Then it’s like damn maybe I’m weird too. But it’s good to be able to sit down with your friends and listen to yourself and not be embarrassed. I feel very liberated right now and I think that’s partly because I don’t have any handcuffs on me creatively. I don’t have to worry about what a dude feels like. That ain’t me. I always had to write like that. It’s like I gotta write for you too? I’m a soldier. You’re whole shit is being a chef and mine’s is being a swordsman. How do you be like oh ok you like swords take this butter knife and play with that.

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Posted by Jbutters on Tuesday, November 21st, 2006 and is filed under HIP HOP ICON SERIES.