Halftime: What’s the name of the book going to be?

Deck: I’m trying to think of a crazy name like ‘Behind the Flag’ or some shit. It’s about my life with Wu Tang. I’m not gonna go into the whole I was born and raised etc. It’s mainly the Wu Tang years.

Halftime (Jbutters): Back in the days you had your own trouble with the law and you had previously stated that you felt jail helped you in a way. Most people don’t really say that can you elaborate on how that changed you?

Deck: Yea I did say that because niggas is dumb on the streets. I’m watching this Paid in Full movie right now and its like we had MTM suits, ill jewels, fat cables, cars, and all this shit and we thought we was something. Half of the niggas that had that ain’t got shit right now. So I’m looking at it like niggas gotta come a little further than that. I was out on the streets hustling but I was the type that had to be smart about it. I’m bringing drugs upstairs to my moms house. I wasn’t no kingpin but I held my own where if I got into some trouble I could bail myself out by making a phone call to my fam like go into that Nike box, the Adidas jacket or the Boston Celtics starter. I always maintained my own self. I never worked for nobody or got mixed in any drug wars although I had to bust my steel and do what I had to do. I don’t glorify none of that shit because it’s stupid when crackers be having stocks and bonds for their kids. Our life ain’t the shit. That’s the reality of why I rhyme about what I rhyme about and I am who I am. I’m not out there with my chest out splashing water in the videos. I try to represent the majority of the poor people out here who outnumber all of that shit.

Halftime (Jbutters): Even with that most people don’t say jail helped. How did that affect you specifically?

Deck: Most niggas don’t want to be like Huey Newton, Malcolm X, or Thurgood Marshall. These niggas died for a cause. I’m not willing to die but I would die to prolong the life of somebody else if I had to do it. I’m like a black action hero to my youth and I never got the chance to get it out there like that even though Wu Tang gave me a chance to voice my opinion for years all around the world. I never really did my intention, which was really to try and teach these motherfuckers. Even on my next album I’m gonna be Wu Tang and people are gonna be like why don’t you have RZA’s beats and it’s like you grow older. You live with your mom to a certain age and then you get your own place but you’re always in tuned with your family. You over there like you still live there but at night you can sleep comfortably in your own bed. That’s all that is, you just grow and expand and want to meet new motherfuckers. My man Phantom of the Beats, him and Ayatollah did the majority of my last album but a lot of people didn’t give them the credit that they deserve. Now them dudes is popping off but everybody still like why didn’t you get Rza’s beats? It’s like listen man Snoop went to No Limit, niggas ain’t ask him why he didn’t get no Dre beats. I put out two albums in ten years as a solo artist because I wasn’t coming into the game trying to be that superstar dude. I was on the block hustling trying to get by and Rza put this opportunity in front of me and I’m forever grateful for it. It gave me a chance to really experience what I love, which is hip hop and music in general. I can never regret that. I don’t have any regrets except that I wish that certain shit took place when it could have. You take your cards how you’re dealt and you gotta work with your hand. Other than that I’m having fun with this shit at the same time. It’s more than I could have dreamed of. Nobody could have ever said ten or twelve years later cats will still want to do an interview with you.

Halftime (Jbutters): One thing that bugs me out is that we were there when ya’ll came out and have a clear understanding of how you impacted the game so anytime we hear rumors like Wu Tang broke up its like ahhh noooo! Even if you don’t put any albums out anymore you left that for us. It’s weird though cuz a lot of people today be fronting on the Wu like nothing ever happened.

Deck: Like we didn’t open the doors for them to be eating right now. Like you said like nothing ever happened and we didn’t come through and put the shit to smash. But its all good because quiet as kept we are working on that next one we just ain’t broadcasting that shit. Once you start mouthing off its booby-trapped. We putting the shit together man it was just shit that niggas had to get off their chest with each other. We all came to realize this ain’t the way to go out for us or for the fans. We have to supply the fans with at least one more album of putting our heart into the shit. Anything you got popping off put that away and let’s focus on reuniting the people. When we come together watch what happens to the generation man. They are gonna really see the difference between that bullshit they hear everyday and the niggas that are really doing it. We gave niggas personalities. We was the Wu Gambinos and then everybody wanted to change their name to a mafia gambino name after that. Or even our beats people putting skits in front of their shit from movies. We came with the karate to separate ourselves when everybody else had scenes from Scarface or Goodfellas. “It’s been a long time..” just fucking with your mind and the beat that come behind it just fuck you up just like the skit. I know ya’ll miss that because I miss that. I miss that sword swinging and then an ill RZA beat just drop. I want to go out on that note. If I don’t ever do this shit again I want it to be after Wu Tang sold five million on their last album.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Posted by Halftime on Monday, November 22nd, 2004 and is filed under HIP HOP ICON SERIES.