Is this one of those albums where you all just have to be together for a long time and knock it out or will you record it like patchwork doing different songs here and there?

Maybe we should hang out for a couple of days to get the vibe going but I think the vibe is already in place. I flew from Atlanta back to New York linked up with Tip and it took no time to do the record we did for the Violator project. It wasn’t a problem at all. We went in the studio cracked a couple of jokes, went and got some fast food, sat down vibing and out came the rhyme. Rashard Smith sent us the beat we were feeling it and we handled our business. We’ve been friends for so long we don’t have to hang out to get a vibe. I talked to him on the phone about what he’s up too and vice versa and we come to New York and do the damn thing.

How did you get the name Phife?

That was just some around the way shit. Every hood has their slang and the word Phife in my area meant hyperactive. Like he all phifed up or whatever. There was a kid around the way named Phife too and we were both short so that’s how I got the moniker.

Back in the day it seemed like in your videos you guys just rocked whatever was in your closet and not try to wear all name brand gear. Was that part of your whole style back then?

To be honest with Tribe you have three different personalities especially as far as dress code. Tip is a little eccentric with his, almost like Andre’ of Outkast. I don’t think he goes that far but he is capable of doing that. Ali has always been a fashion plate rocking the Diesel or whatever. The only thing I ever had in my closet was jerseys. That’s why I know for a fact I started that whole thing because that’s all I did from high school. People used to tease me about that like you always act like ‘you going to play ball or something.’ Now you can’t watch a video without seeing that shit.

How did you guys form the Native Tongues?

It was just a bunch of people who enjoyed each other’s company as well as making music. That’s how innocent and simple it is. We just enjoyed making music with each other. We never thought it was going to come off like that. After a while, we thought about it like we need to market this or sell like this but before you knew it everybody went their separate ways.

Back then the Native Tongues were always rocking the Malcolm X hats, Dr. King shirts and medallions and all that stuff. What do you think brought about pro blackness being a part of hiphop dress?

You have different aspects of hiphop. You have the gangsta rappers like N.W.A rocking the Raider gear. That was just their style. That’s just the way they were representing who they were. Then you had the whole Native Tongues, the whole Onyx era etc. It was just a sign of the times. Different strokes for different folks. In hiphop you have a bunch of different styles, well maybe not right now. It’s all one style right now with the dress codes. They make me not want to wear jerseys no more but I can’t help it. I was deep into what I was wearing. When X Clan or KRS wore shit, you knew the meaning behind why they were wearing it. That’s exactly why I wore jerseys. There was a meaning behind it. I wore a Jackie Robinson jersey because of what he did for the game of baseball and what he did for blacks. I wore a Pete Rose jersey because I was a fan. I wore a Carlton Fisk jersey because I knew his statistics back then and what he brought to the game. I wear an Oscar Robertson jersey because I know what he went through as a black man who couldn’t even eat with his own team. I wear that shit to pay homage to those people who brought something to the game. I don’t wear a jersey just because of the color scheme. That’s like someone wearing a red kufi because they have a red leather jacket. That’s not cool. You have to know what you’re getting into and rep what you believe in. I love sports more than music I’m not afraid to say that. I have one room in my office that’s my Jets office where I have nothing but Jets jerseys and paraphernalia in there. Upstairs I got a Yankee room and I’m about to do my Knick room when they get rid of Keith Van Horn.

Where the hell are Charlie Brown and Dinco D? Its like they fell off the planet.

From what I understand Dinco is working on something. I haven’t spoken to Brown in a long time. Brown’s been doing commercials and stuff like that though. He did a Checkers commercial but that was a few years ago. He’s doing his thing.

I remember you said you had a thing for Dawn from En Vogue did you ever try to get up with her since ya’ll both in the music business?

Nah, nah. It’s not a bad thing to be with someone in the same profession but at the same time you really don’t have time for each other. I never tried to holla at Dawn. It was just a song. I was attracted. I thought she was fine just like I think Nia Long is fine and I think Sally Richardson is fine. There’s like one person I have the biggest crush on and I met her twice and didn’t even say a word and that’s Nia Long. I think she’s fine but she seem so down to earth with it. I love hoodrats meaning a down ass chick who is mad cool. Nia is in between classy and a hoodrat.

What is it about dancehall that makes you like it more than hiphop?

That’s cuz I’m west Indian. I love hiphop don’t get me wrong but dancehall has always been my thing. Where my family is from its all about calypso. I grew up around a bunch of Jamaicans. I just look forward to hot reggae music from Shabba to Buju to Kutti Ranks and all of them rudebwoys, but hiphop is still my thing.

How would you compare the dancehall scene to the hiphop scene as far as how its change in the last few years?

There are similarities, a bunch of niggas biting each other in both fields. In reggae, there are so many biters that you don’t know who the creative people unless you followed it from day one. I followed it so I know. Supercat was creative, Shabba and Buju were creative, and Bob Marley that goes without saying. Then you have a lot of them that are like ehh whatever. I’m glad they are finally getting there shine though. When you look at hiphop and you see how many people are biting the reggae people might as well do it too because they have been overlooked for so long.

Do you have anything else you want to mention?

The Tribe album should be out next fall look forward to that. “Songs in the Key of Phife” will be out after that. Ali’s album should be out in a couple of months. Q-Tip’s album should be out March or April.

Is that the Kamal the Abstract album that was shelved?

Nope. It’s something totally different. He’s rhyming again.

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Posted by Halftime on Wednesday, December 10th, 2003 and is filed under HIP HOP ICON SERIES.