Let me ask you this, one thing that people said that I meant to mention to Prodigy when I interviewed him was that Havoc has stepped up his rap game but Prodigy has actually stepped down his game. Do you think he is as ill as he was before?

Cormega: Nope. Actually to be honest with you I have a song with him right now that’s unreleased and for real I’m debating taking him off the song.

Damn…

Cormega: But Havoc murdered it. I’m a fan first. I was a fan of Prodigy. I don’t what the fuck it is, ever since the Takeover he ain’t been the same.

I was thinking that maybe his health is getting to him or something.

Cormega: Nah I done seen the nigga come out the hospital and spit a mean sixteen so it ain’t the sick shit. I don’t know, what is it nigga you don’t want to rap no more? It’s like he don’t got that fire no more. He’s not garbage but he just ain’t doing what he used to be doing. It’s like in Purple Rain when the fat dude told Prince you ain’t pulling them in like you used too. I don’t know. P is not whack, he is just not stepping up to the plate. How many people you killed in your songs, you like a god damn Nazi.

Haha

Cormega: Yea I got the mack this, come through and I’ll do this and I’ll do that. Niggas got to learn to go other places with their rhymes. You can love me or you can hate me but you can’t define me. You can’t be like I already know how this album is gonna sound. I’d rather you say Mega’s whack or I like Mega but don’t say I’m predictable. When I rapped on Hi-Tek’s album, I could have killed 50 people over Hi Tek’s beat but I choose to talk about a girl. Everybody’s one-dimensional. There was a time when Slick Rick was giving you a whole different vibe and it was just as dope as Rakim who was giving you a whole different vibe who was just as dope as De La Soul giving you a whole different Vibe, and Krs One and Public Enemy were giving you a whole different vibe. You had Chubb Rock, shit we didn’t even know who the dopes fat nigga was! Heavy D was the mainstream fat nigga but niggas in the streets was like I don’t know that boy Chubb Rock is kinda fresh. Then you had Brand Nubian and this is all in the same era. I can’t name a bunch of rappers right now that I’m feeling like that.

For the compilation album you have out now we saw that you had a song with AZ and we were surprised you hadn’t collabed with him more since you guys were initially in The Firm together. What sparked this one?

Cormega: You gotta respect my position on it. I’m a man of principal. Me and Nas had differences. Even though we grew up together and everything differences is differences. There comes a time when loyalty has to pay in. Nas put AZ on so in a way AZ is indebted to him and he has that loyalty factor. Everybody has to play a side because if you play both sides you a snake if you not a peacemaker. So I never really approached AZ about doing a song because I knew it would affect his relationship with Nas. I don’t approach nobody that’s cool with son because I know how he is. I’m not like that. If you fuck with Nas and you fuck with me I don’t really give a fuck, especially if you grew up with both of us. If you my man I know where you stand but certain people gotta prove where they stand and that’s what it was. I know that to be factual because we spoke on that. Even when we did this song I told AZ you my man I’m gonna respect you either way, you don’t have to do the song. I always wanted to do a song with him but he knew what it was. Me and A always been cool ever since The Firm. AZ was very vocal in The Firm shit when it was turning around and seemed like I wasn’t gonna be in it. But what can you do when the Crystal is in the refrigerator persuading your view.

This album is my blood, sweat and tears. I went to L.A. to record with Kurupt and Jayo Felony, I went to the Bay Area twice within weeks to get something from Jakka and put this Jamaican guy Under P on the song. I went to Miami, I went to Virginia to record with Nottz, and there were times where I was in the studio into the wee hours of the night. There was times when there was one session going on in Queens and one going on in Manhattan and I’m traveling between both. I got Ghostface on the album he demolished it, I got AZ, MOP, Large Pro, and then I got my artist Dona. This is like a showcase album for Dona too. It’s introducing the world to Dona. This is Volume 1, we’ll probably do two of these.

I wanted to ask about your artists because I know you had another cat on the roster.

Cormega: The other cat is in jail. That’s how real it is with me. Every nigga that’s on this album that you never heard of is in jail right now no exaggeration.

Well when they come home and you induct other members into Legal Hustle what’s your general business philosophy and working approach?

Cormega: It’s more family than a label. Anybody can be on a label. If you get a nigga on your label, who is a spur of the moment opportunist he might say fuck your label and go sign with another label. Legal Hustle is family. My man Biz has been doing my business even when I could have gotten a big time manager. Dona she was down. She could have bounced because there have been people that wanted to sign her but she grinded and she stayed with me. My respect for Dona is so big because Dona epitomizes real nigga. On the internet I noticed the views on Dona are split, either they love her or they hate her. The street gully people like her but a lot of the backpackers are like I’m not into female rappers. I never knew rap was so anti feminine. People ask me why do I respect her and its like this Dona’s niece just died, she was three months old and she was named after her. I bought Dona a Legal Hustle Medallion, a diamond piece and she pawned her jewelry to pay for her niece’s funeral. How real is that? I know niggas that didn’t even do shit like that. My respect for her is on another level right now. I’m with her win, lose, or draw. That’s the difference between a label and me. I’m not losing faith with her. If she blow we blow and if she sinks we sink together.

What’s been the response to the album thus far?

Cormega: When the album first leaked I was so fucking heated, but the response that I got was incredible. Only people that don’t understand are saying stupid shit like there are too many guest appearances. A couple people put out similar albums recently like Pete Rock and Okayplayer so those are the albums you can compare my shit too not my albums. Other than that my shit is doing good numbers for an independent as usual so I’m just focused now cuz I know what I want to do. We didn’t even push this shit yet. We didn’t even hit the road hard yet so I know this album is gonna be a good look at the end of the day.

Now I know you have your next solo, “The Testament,” coming up which I heard is supposed to the album you recorded for Def Jam. Is it gonna be the exact same record?

Cormega: As a fan and a listener what would you expect?

I’d expect you to put the shit out the way it was.

Cormega: That’s exactly what I’m gonna do. I pretty much had the same style then that I got now but the thing that benefited me more was that I was hungrier then. I was more aggressive with my songs and people like that. As time went on certain song’s leaked like “Killer’s Theme,” that was from “The Testament.” That wasn’t supposed to be on “The Realness,” that’s why it was a hidden track. You got “Dead Man Walking” and “The Testament” which a lot of people say is their favorite song I did. Then you got the song “One Love” with the letter I wrote Nas when I was in jail. Then you got “Montana Diaries,” “Angel Dust” and then you got a song called “Love is Love” which leaked recently which people thought was new. So “The Testament” has so many dope records that the hold up turned out to be the best free promotion an artist can ask for. That’s one of the longest awaited albums in the history of rap. It wasn’t my fault but that’s just how it happened. So the fans are gonna get that album just like it would have came out then but now Buckwild stepped into the picture and he’s like let’s make an old and a new. So it will most likely be a double album and the old side will have the originals and the new side will have commentary and remixes.

Last question any female celebrity you could have for one night who would it be?

Cormega: I don’t want no rap bitch. You know what I learned I don’t be wanting shit no more. I noticed when I wanted shit I never get it but when I don’t think about it I always get it. I got everything I ever wanted right now, now that I don’t give a fuck about that shit. I like a lot of beautiful women in the industry but one of my favorites has to be Halle Berry. I don’t know what’s wrong with that Benet dude.

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Posted by Halftime on Monday, March 1st, 2004 and is filed under SICKWIDIT, SPOTLIGHT.