I was listening to that album today and it was really well put together especially the way the skits connect everything, but a few songs stood out. I wanted to first talk about “Dear Diary” where you touched on the fact you didn’t feel like anyone cared about your music. What made you want to really speak on those feelings on wax?

Ace: It was basically what we were talking about me just reaching a point where I felt like people didn’t care. People weren’t checking for me, it didn’t matter if I made another record or not, so why do it. All of those thoughts were going through my head and when I came back from Europe I pushed all of that to the side. When I made the “Dear Diary” record all I was trying to do was let you into my head to know where my head was at that particular point and time.

The other song I wanted to mention was “Acknowledge.” I remember hearing about that and how it all started with you coming at High and Mighty and I heard you were supposed to do a record together. I was wondering if it was difficult to talk to them after that because you kinda lit them up on that joint.

Ace: We didn’t actually do the record we were talking about it though. I haven’t really dealt with them after that. One of them called me and he explained to me that people misunderstood what was being said on stage [and] cats was giving you props and not dissing you. When he told me all of that I was basically like if what you saying is true then it’s my bad and I told them I would apologize on the radio. I went up to Hot 97 to do Future Flavas with Marley Marl and Pete Rock and I told everyone what the situation was and made a public apology to them on the radio and that was pretty much the end of it after that.

You also came at the Boogieman and you guys battled at Lyricist Lounge. Do you want to battle him again?

Ace: Nah, I think there is nothing for me to really gain. There was nothing for me to gain in that situation, I should have probably left it where it was at, he made the record I made the record that should have been the end of it. There was no motivation for me. I wasn’t excited about doing it. I really just felt like I was kinda roped into a situation where I had to do what I had to do whether I was prepared to do it or not. I had to step into that arena. The only thing I would have done different is to prepare differently. As much as I’m saying nah and all of that if I was ever in the club and he ever tried to call me out or say anything ridiculous on stage it would be instant. After that situation I vowed to never be unprepared again. That was right after I finished doing my album and other than the rhymes I wrote for the album their really wasn’t nothing else in my brain so I was going off the top and going off the top is one of those hit or miss type of things. It was miss night for me and he was spitting writtens so it worked out really well for him because he was spitting rhymes he had memorized.

I did an interview with J-Zone and one of my questions to him was how did he get you to talk about money hungry hoes on the song “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme” and he said he didn’t have nothing to do with it he just gave you the beat and you came up with the whole concept. So what made you decide to focus on that subject for the song and will you be working with J-Zone again?

Ace: I’m hoping he’s gonna provide some music for me for the new album, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed on that. The way I write sometimes I’ll be driving in the car and I’ll just think of a line that has nothing to do with nothing and for the last year or so I have been compiling little lines about that subject not trying to even write a song just little one-liners. I started putting them together and when he gave me that beat that’s what immediately came to me in terms of what I felt like the song should be about. Then I just went back into my archives and started finding some of those one-liners about money hungry chicks and those few one-liners opened the door and my brain just started working.

What’s the new album you’re working on now and what’s the concept you are going for?

Ace: I can’t really get too deep into what the concept is. It’s one of those things I don’t like revealing too early in the game. In terms of the album I have about five songs done. It’s coming along nicely I’m gonna have a track produced by Spinna on there, a track produced by Paul Nice, and a track from Explicit the same kid who did “Acknowledge.” I’m looking to have The Beatnuts on the album. I’m trying to get Talib Kweli not sure if it’s possible, but that’s something I’m going to work on, Ed O.G is gonna be on there, [and] some of the same cats from the last album Punch and Words, Strick, Apocalypse, and Jean Grey will be on there on some level. I’m just gonna try to put together another good quality album.

You mentioned Punch and Words what role are you playing in their career right now? Are you getting into some artist management?

Ace: Not officially I’m still in the recording capacity. I feel like that is going to be a door that opens up at some point. I never really saw myself doing management specifically, but I’d probably be good at it. To whatever level that I can help these guys on their career path and not make some of the mistakes I might have made I’m there for them. They call me for advice. I got a few years on them in terms of experience in the game and then I brought Punch and Words with me on the 2001 Disposable Arts tour. We were out in Europe a whole month and Strick was with me as well. Those are just guys that are talented to me and deserve to be heard. I don’t have any specific direct plan on how its going to all pan itself out, but to whatever level they want me in there careers I’m there for them.

Style wise and personality wise how have you changed as opposed to when you first came into the game?

Ace: I think I’ve just matured. I reached a point where I can accept who I am where I am and what my place is, my role is and my historical relevance is and just move on. I’m looking beyond rap and music and just living and enjoying life. I think for a while there I thought I was enjoying life, but I really wasn’t. I took my first vacation in 2000. All those years I had never taken a vacation. I’ve been many places, but it was always for the purpose of music. So for the first time I took a vacation and I was like wow this is what enjoying life is about.

We’re gonna finish this up with a bunch of random questions so here goes:

Eminem named you as one of his biggest influences when he received a grammy. How did it feel being acknowledged on such a big stage?

Ace: It was unexpected, but it was cool. I heard that he was a big “Slaughtahouse” fan and then I met him at the Up In Smoke tour and he invited me to the concert and he told me that he was a “Slaughtahouse” fan and back in the day that’s all he used to play but a lot of times when somebody says that it doesn’t mean you are one of their influences so when he started naming rappers I really didn’t have any sense that I was going to be one of the people named. But it was cool because I was probably the only obscure name that he mentioned. He mentioned a lot of household names and I’m sure people were like did he just say Masta Ace? To me if an artist says a name that’s really obscure like that among a bunch of well known names it’s a good chance that they mean that. If he had said Kwame I would have to believe it because for him to say Kwame on TV he must have really liked that dude.

Did you peep the ODB special and if so what did you think?

Ace: I taped it man. All I can say is that’s entertainment. That’s vintage entertainment.

What’s your take on the Kobe situation?

Ace: Dude is stupid. There’s plenty of dude’s with gorgeous wives who slip up. He’s gonna get propositioned, but he has to be smarter about the way he carry himself and he has to be a better judge of character. What keeps guys out of trouble in a lot of those situations is being smart enough to recognize a psycho chick or a chick that would try to blow your spot up. He probably went straight for the ass, didn’t try to feel her out and see where her head is at because if he had any kind of conversation with her she would have displayed some of those psycho tendencies. I don’t know all the details of what went on in that room, but it’s kinda clear to me that she kinda had it in for dog. I’m having a difficult time believing he was stupid enough to try and rape her. If he is that stupid then he is lost.

You’ve always been about the ill systems with heavy bass what kind of system is Masta Ace rolling with now?

Ace: My taste for big retardedly loud systems has faded away. I got a van right now with plenty of space in it I could put a million speakers in there if I wanted to but it’s not something I’m really that interested in doing. It’s weird because I could remember when that’s all I cared about and it was nothing more important. I’m not that kid anymore.

If someone redid one of your songs would you consider it an honor or a rip-off?

Ace: I’d probably consider it an honor depending on who did it and how they did it. Sorta like how Missy did the MC Lyte record, she did it in a real cool way that you could tell she was paying homage as opposed to just borrowing. For the most part I wouldn’t consider it a rip-off I’d just hope they would do a good job with it.

I heard they put you in a Madden game, did they hear you were a big fan and decided to put you in there?

Ace: I won the first celebrity tournament that the Source Magazine had thrown and based on winning that tournament word got around the industry that Ace is into it and real serious with the Madden shit. It was actually my relationship with Ecko at the time that made that happen because I was on the Ecko team. All the guys on that team were rated 99, but the first year they put me in as a punter and I wasn’t feeling that.

Pages: 1 2 3

Posted by Halftime on Tuesday, November 11th, 2003 and is filed under HIP HOP ICON SERIES.