O.C.: Yea that would be incredible but that right there is like G. Rap and Rakim doing a record together. It’s just something that will never happen.

HalftimeOnline: You don’t think Nas would want to go along with the idea?

O.C.: Nah. There are certain things that are never meant to get mixed together. Son was supposed to be on my first album but he never showed up to the studio.

HalftimeOnline: He seems like that kinda dude though. He seems like the kinda guy where you’ll be like let’s do this album and he’ll be like yea son let’s do it and then you never hear from him again.

O.C.: Yea

HalftimeOnline: He mentioned that in a couple of songs how he used to be immature and wouldn’t show up for shows so I could see him not showing up.

O.C.: At that time duke was pegged the second coming. He was real humble in the beginning but you being a kid, being gifted and on top of that you got a record label telling you that you’re the greatest thing since sliced bread it’s gonna go to your head. That goes for anybody. It would have happened to me too. I’m glad he never got caught up in the hype where he fell off. He got his bearings together before it was too late. He seen it. After It Was Written his career was crazy. It was rock star for him after that. I think niggas used to call him Nas Jackson or something. But dude is a grown man now. I’m proud of him, I’m proud of Jay, and anybody doing there thing in the sense of they’ve been around for ten years and their still on their toes and can do what they do. There aren’t many people who have lasted through the test of time. I’m not even supposed to be here by industry standards. People have seen my cars outside like how are you getting that? I’m not a fool man. I can drive the same thing ya’ll drive. That’s not what I’m about. I don’t talk about what I have. Money don’t make the man, the man makes the money. As easy as it comes it can go so I cherish everything that I get. But trust me to put out there just this time people have seen me pull up in a 500 or the Beemer trucks when they was fresh out and the Rovers and the look on these other rap dudes faces is like ‘you don’t even sell records.’ How? Show’s been having cars since before Party Groove.

Put it like this you got the thing on t-shirts now talking about stop snitchin but everybody is on their records talking about how many keys they got and blah, blah but they got t-shirts out saying stop snitching. They got police around them and it’s like you’re snitching too. You’re dry snitching talking about keys and coke on your records. All these cats pointing guns is snitching on themselves. Busta’s my dude but one time he was like ‘damn you look good.’ And I’m like how the fuck am I supposed to look? What am I supposed to look like? You know Busta’s crazy that’s how he is. He’s an exciting dude but people be like yo you look good like I’m supposed to have my head down at shows. I’ve seen it go so far as people look at the back of my jeans. I’m like yo is it that serious? That’s really bad man. People base you on how you look, what you wear, what you driving and are you broke. If you not broke then you must be selling drugs because you’re not selling records and that ain’t the case man. Everybody ain’t sell drugs. The drug game ain’t even popping no more.

HalftimeOnline: I think it’s funny that on Time’s Up you’re talking about exactly what’s going on right now. It’s either crazy or it’s sad that the situation is still the same. That bugs me out.

O.C.: And the thing is I listen to everybody. Juelz said in an interview one day that dudes is scared to make party records. They think you might feel like a sucka if you make a certain record. Hip hop is about balance. You had Native Tongues, you had Kane and he was talking a little bit of both black power and big jewelry. You had G. Rap talking about guns, coke, or whatever painting you a picture. You had Rakim talking deep thought and Chuck D on some hip hop black panthers. Now it’s like everybody is one person. When Santana said that he hit it smack on the nose cuz what’s wrong with making a record to make people party. That’s why Mase was so popular at the time. He was doing it. I’m trying to think whose popular now who does that type of thing. Ying Yang Twins do that type of shit. They’re not talking murder or killing. They’re making records to make people party. If you really think about it he’s really right. His record that shit…

HalftimeOnline: That shit’s annoying.

O.C.: Aiight it might be annoying to you but ain’t it a change from what dawgs is talking about? I didn’t like the record at first but I like it because he took a chance with that shit. That’s the thing about hip hop, it’s about experimentation. I didn’t like every KRS record. You can print that and that’s my dude and I’m sure he didn’t like every rhyme I wrote. “I’ve heard better O.C records!” He’ll tell you that in your face. O I love you but I’ve heard better. Matter of fact I don’t even like doing shows with him because he’ll tell you that you killed it and then when he gets on his mic sound crispy clean. He’s blowing you off the stage. I don’t care what hits you have or how many people came to see you when he gets on the stage after you it’s a wrap. You’re forgotten.

HalftimeOnline: I’ve never seen anyone put on a show like him before.

O.C.: Dawg, I don’t want to perform with KRS-ONE. That’s in a good / bad way. It’s good to know that you’re on the bill with KRS but it’s bad to be onstage before him. He’s gonna make everyone forget that you were on stage before him. They be like it’s you and KRS, I be like L tell them I’m not doing it. He’s not blowing me off stage. I was on a 42 city tour with Hiero this summer and they did a show in L.A. at this festival and Nas rocked. Nas brought KRS out and everybody forgot about Nas after that. Word to mother. I’m not doing shows with him. We just did a show with PE in France. That was the last stop on a two-week tour and I was like damn we gotta go on before PE. Flav’s energy is past incredible, past electrifying but I can stand getting blown off the stage by Public Enemy that wasn’t too bad. But with KRS it’s bad.

HalftimeOnline: I saw him on this DVD for this festival in Boston and Kane rocked before him. And Kane is nice too but once KRS came on it was over.

O.C.: I was supposed to be at that festival. I was on tour at that time. I’m not doing shows with him. You can print that a hundred times. He’s not killing me man.

HalftimeOnline: What’s up with your partnership with Hiero. Honestly that’s like an odd mix to me. It’s the same era but their style is so different from yours.

O.C.: We’re night and day. Me being around them is considered gangsta music. And them dudes is straight out of Oakland. They are from gangsta originals. It’s just that their fan base is so crazy. When I was on the road with them this summer it was bugged out.

HalftimeOnline: A bunch of skateboarders? I know Del brings them out.

O.C.: The majority of their crowd is white. People were like where’s Del? People didn’t even want to see the whole group in some states. I’m not even lying. He gets onstage and starts doing beats in the background and people be looking past the other members sometimes like what is Del doing?