This is my interview thread where i will post the latest music interviews, i'll update it frequently.

You don’t interview Russell Simmons, you just hang on for the ride. The mogul’s mind travels a mile a minute, and he switches from anecdotes to small-talk to revelations to advice.

Just days before appearing on Oprah, Simmons, sitting across the desk from his brother Reverend Run, discusses his book Do You: 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success. His second book is an offering of the 12 rules Russell says guided him throughout his 49 year journey to the top of the Hip-Hop game.

Professing charity, positive company and constant elevation (all laws in the book), Simmons tells AllHipHop.com how the project came to fruition, its guidance from Oprah (who Simmons all but mentions by name), and a discussion on toys and charities alike. Do you in order to get it done.

AllHipHop.com: What’s going on, Russ?

Russell Simmons: So I got my first copy of my book [Do You] yesterday. The name has been changed because a very famous talk show host told me to change the name. We went and burned 150,000 copies ‘cause she said so. I was shocked. The title she gave me was better than [original title] The Laws of Success; she gave me Do You. It’s about the inner-voice. It’s an offering that I thought, after doing the thing on the radio so often, that [people needed]. It’s the same science that your mama taught you, or Lord Buddah, Abraham, Muhammad – it’s the same thing. Only, I think the secret in the Holy books isn’t discussed enough in my view. Where’s the source of all this power? That’s the thing that you have to connect to. The book’s a lot about that, and also scenarios – stories about drugs and girls and stuff, I don’t know, little stuff that makes examples better. It’s not about me, but there are examples in there. It’s just a book, and it’s coming out. I think it could be a good gift to the Hip-Hop community because it’s basically about how powerful they are and how can they use their strength. If I can do that with my life, it’s better than all the charities and businesses I could build.

AllHipHop.com: A lot of people, myself included, bought Life and Def trying to get some of your wisdom before…

Russell Simmons: I think when I wrote Life and Def, I wrote it a stage where I was just started to recognize that…it’s about me! Life and Def is about me. Really, what I did was not by me. It was done by my connection that truth. Reverend Run is sitting right in front of me right now, and [we’re] talking about, “What is that truth? Where does that strength come from?” Now, I wanted to write something that was a lot less about me and a lot more about everyone. My examples, they’re good examples of what we’re talking about, because that’s how I see those laws working. The laws work. The science of happiness is true; you can’t get away from it. There’s nothing different in my book that hasn’t already been said. If anybody reads something in my book and it’s not something that they know instinctively, then it’s not true and the book’s bulls**t. You have all this information stored inside you, and [the book] is a reminder. If you remember these things then you can get a lot of toys and be rich and do whatever you want. That’s what we’re trying to promote here.

AllHipHop.com: What do you weigh higher, happiness or success?

Russell Simmons: Happiness is success; there’s no such thing as success without happiness. You ain’t successful, n***a, if you ain’t happy. How is it possible? I think you can get toys and be very sad. You may not want the new stretch [Rolls Royce] Phantom, though Rev just got one – made me think of it. I went to go see the new Maybachs. They said [in order for me to get one,] they wanted my [current] Maybach plus $310,000. I said, “You keep that motherf**ker.” It looks exactly the same too. The point is you don’t need certain things, but it’s okay to get toys. The book pushes the idea of Cosmic Economics, an idea that [Reverend Run’s] bishop always talks about. The idea of being positive, the idea of moving towards your goals, and the idea of achieving whatever the hell it is that you want to achieve.

AllHipHop.com: To what extent is this exclusively for Hip-Hop; you’ve got a forward from Donald Trump…

Russell Simmons: It’s 100% Hip-Hop. All my s**t is Hip-Hop. All my experiences, all my examples are Hip-Hop. It’s written for Jinx Da Juvy; in my mind, the book is written for Jinx Da Juvy. That’s my son. He keeps getting shot, but he’s back on his feet again; they took his pins out yesterday. [Sighs] He’s in college now. I’ve seen him grow ‘cause I’ve been mentoring him since he was 15, when I first met him. He had been shot; he was living in Brooklyn and signed to Def Jam. He got dropped; he’d been through a lot of s**t. He got shot two more times. This time he got shot visiting a friend’s funeral. He’s in school, still recording and still makin’ records that we hear every so often on the radio. I think he’s gonna have his success. But I think his inspiration is probably the best inspiration I got for writing the book. I see him – his friends keep getting killed and he keeps growing to a better human being. I think that’s basically because of the discussions we have almost everyday. I figured if I can do that with Jinx, maybe I can do that with more people.

AllHipHop.com: Why 12 chapters? How long had you determined this?

Russell Simmons: That’s all the chapters I had. I don’t know. I was on the radio everyday for three or four years doing “The Hip-Hop Laws of Success.” That was the original title of the book when they bought it, ‘cause that was the radio show. I took “Hip-Hop” off it, ‘cause I felt that was too limiting. Most people already know I’m already connected somehow to the community. When the woman – you know what woman I mean too; I don’t want to say, but when she gave me the title. Her personal feeling about the book made me feel like I did the right thing. She’s read all this kinda stuff.

AllHipHop.com: Looking at success and achievement, I wanted to ask you for a question. All day long people I’m sure hit you up for money and help. The lasting greats seem self-made. Do you think it breaks the code of Hip-Hop to ask for help?

Russell Simmons: I don’t think it breaks the code of Hip-Hop for nothin’. I think you should ask for whatever you want. What’s interesting about Hip-Hop too is, if you tell me the name of a rapper, I’ll tell you his charity. Recently, I went four for four with a woman from Jet. They said Nelly. I said For Sure For Kids.

They said Ludacris. The Ludacris Foundation, that’s easy.

They said Jay-Z. The Shawn Carter Foundation, that’s easy.

Then she asked me something crazy – Chingy. I said Chingy For Change.

All of ‘em got a charity. They all give back. Shady Foundation. G-Unity. Everybody got somethin’. They all give. As much as they give, they know how to receive; that’s why they’re getting so much paper. The cycle of giving is very present, awake, alive in Hip-Hop. The recognition, that’s what it is. Of all the cultural phenomenon people have seen, they’ve never seen a group of human beings give as much as Hip-Hop. They all gettin’ plenty paper too. I saw Swizz Beatz the other day; he pulled up in his Phantom. He was talking about all his business. I couldn’t even digest all the s**t that he was doing. He’s just one example. Every day I bump into somebody that’s doing some new s**t that ain’t got nothin’ to do with music. Everything has to do with the culture and connection to the community.

AllHipHop.com: What’s going on with the label lately?

Russell Simmons: It looks like Short [Dawg] is staying with Jermaine [Dupri]. Jermaine loves Short. I’ve still got Dro. It takes a minute! The difference between this and signing groups that are already hot is the whole process of developing groups, which I like. Jinx has a record that he’s taking to [Funkmaster] Flex tonight. [Russell raps in a low, screwed up tone] “Strong enough to carry Biggie Smalls on my back.” He played the s**t real loud in my office about a week ago and I fell out. I think Big Phil’s working the record right now, starting today. I’ve been watching Jinx for his whole life; I never worked his record intentionally. Then he came out with this record. I used to say, “Go to school. Leave me alone about your rap career.” I never signed him. Now recently, I keep watching him get better; he’s 21 now! Seven years I’ve been working with him. Can you imagine being 14, they put a bullet in his leg? I’m still doing some of it, but it’s not my main focus. The Diamond Empowerment is my new charity. Simmons Jewelry is all these stores – Zale’s and Kay’s and Gordon’s; that’s doing very, very well. I’ve been working very hard to try and be a partner to AllHipHop and everybody else. I’ve got a new venture that I’m going to announce very, very soon.

Do You is the access. How do you trust people? How do we build companies? How do we build peaceful relationships with the world that make us happy? At the end, happiness is the key to success. F**k success if you can’t be happy! You’d have a bunch of sad billionaires. In the environment we live in, there’s only way to get worldly success – and that’s a good approach to getting toys.


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AllHipHop.com: Lights, Camera - Divide & Conquer!

It’s become quite cliché to say, “Your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper.” However, exception can be made for Royce da 5’9”, who after five years of development, could still use some leftover light from a Nas or a Diddy. While both Hip-Hop icons expressed verbal interest in Royce, the self-proclaimed “King of Detroit” isn’t staring at his phone; he’s releasing material like his bond has been posted.

In many ways, that’s a fitting attitude for Royce, who as of last year, looked as if he had substantial jail time pending after two DUI offenses. Now on work release, Royce is simultaneously improving his life along with his career by ignoring the “what if” factor. The next in a series of acclaimed mixtapes is The Bar Exam, a taste-test to the major labels of where Ryan Montgomery wants to take it, under the guidance of DJ Premier. After Tommy Boy, Columbia, and later Koch could never seem to make it work, Royce says he's equally shopping himself to artist-run labels too.

To see where Royce da 5’9” is going, one must revisit where he’s been. In a pointed discussion with AllHipHop.com, Royce speaks about his drinking, his actual zip code and his reputation for arrogance. Though MC comments that he isn't hanging his head, it's clear that Royce da 5'9" is just looking for a label to hang his mic.

AllHipHop.com: Let’s start there, how did you get locked up?

Royce da 5’9”: I was drinking and driving too much. I got the first one on the way home in [November]. Then I got a second one right as I was getting ready for sentencing. The judge went off on me in court and locked me up for a year. I kissed my little boy like, “See you later,” and didn’t see him again for four months.

[Royce’s sentence was recently changed to work release; he is able to leave Oakland County Jail during the day and must turn himself back in every night.]

AllHipHop.com: I know your wife had a baby while you were locked up…

Royce da 5’9”: Yeah, a little boy, Aidan Miles.

AllHipHop.com: Have you slowed down on drinking?

Royce da 5’9”: I had to. I don’t smoke or do any kinds of drugs, but I drink. I would drink in the studio, drink when I had friends over, and drink while watching a game, drink when I go out. I was drinking and driving all the time, and I never got pulled over when I was at my worst. It was when I was slowing down, [that] I started getting caught. I thought I could start drinking wine and champagne. I thought maybe that would be better than Bacardi Limon, make me feel better about the fact that I was a drunk. But then, I was drinking more and more wine and champagne. So, I realized, I just can’t do it. Moderation doesn’t work for me. If I have a drink, I’m going all the way to drunk.

AllHipHop.com: A lot of people here at home have called you arrogant. Where do you think that comes from?

Royce da 5’9”: Usually, the people who have called me arrogant in the past are the people that I didn’t do something for, or I didn’t act the way they wanted me to act. Usually, it’s people that don’t know me. I’m not good at turning on a fake personality when I meet people. I hold back who I really am. I don’t trust - I don’t really open up until I’m comfortable with the person; it’s just the way I am. I think about it sometimes, like maybe I should stop this. Maybe I should go to therapy or something; maybe it’s not even worth it. People that know me know I’m not arrogant. It used to bother me, but I don’t care anymore.

AllHipHop.com: Why do you think people have made such a big deal about you being from Oak Park?

Royce da 5’9”: I don’t know. It wasn’t a big deal until I started getting more recognized. If a reporter asks me where I am from, I’m not going to say Oak Park. They wouldn’t even know what or where Oak Park is. I grew up on the Westside of Detroit, my family moved when I was ten. I think the animosity came when I started saying I was the King of Detroit. I don’t care what any rapper calls himself. The King, the President, The Governor, whatever, as long as you can back it up on the mic. That’s what I do. No matter what anybody says about me, they are not going to change me. As long as I don’t need anybody to hold my pen for me, no one is going to change me.

AllHipHop.com: It seems like your career has had so many ups and downs, why do you think that is?

Royce da 5’9”: I’ve been in situations where I haven’t been able to put out music that best captured me. The only album that I ever really sat down and crafted was Death Is Certain. I grow so fast as an artist that by the time the label gets around to looking at Soundscan and radio and the marketing picture and this and that, that the music is old. It’s like it’s good, but you should hear what I got now. Most of my problems with labels have all been creative. The best situation for me to be in would be to be signed to another artist.

AllHipHop.com: Speaking of, have Diddy and Nas contacted you?

Royce da 5’9”: I talked with Diddy while I was [writing for his Play album]. He likes me as an artist, and expressed that when I’m ready. he is interested in listening, but I wasn’t ready at the time. And Nas has made public comments about me, but he hasn’t contacted me personally.

AHH: Do you want another major label record deal?

Royce da 5’9”: I’m going to get one. That’s the plan with this album. We are going to finish it, shop it and find the right place for me.

I don’t want the interview to be like I’m hanging my head like there is so much that’s bad for me. I’m good. You know, I mean, Proof, God rest his soul, I feel like that could have been me, because I’ve been in that situation so many times. I feel like everything happens for a reason. I’m at a point where I’m standing on my own two, and doing for myself.


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AllHipHop.com: Swoll Off Bread & Water

i see u are not giving up i notice that some of ur posts have been deleted

__________________
Wi ere di gais
N.B kidtirangle is an A1 member the Non-Aligned.

Yes because of threads being deleted when the board got re-done again which is why this thread was made from scratch.

In the words of Sage Francis himself, “A lot of s**t has happened since A Healthy Distrust.” The poetic, lyricist, battle MC, political dissident and one-time ice cream server has amassed a collection of thought-provoking songs and molded them into his latest album, Human the Death Dance, out this month on Epitaph Records.

With a collection of compilation albums, the Sick of Waiting series, and two releases under his belt, 2002’s Personal Journals and 2004’s A Healthy Distrust, Sage has been steadily building his rhyme repertoire. Whereas A Healthy Distrust was more aggressive and provocative, focusing more outwardly toward society, 2007’s Human the Death Dance is a reflective album for Sage Francis, and a chance for listeners to discover their own personal freedom.

Sage Francis spoke AllHipHop.com for the first time in his career to discuss the upcoming release, what listeners can expect to find on the album and the underpinnings of the songs for Human the Death Dance.

AllHipHop.com: What’s the meaning behind the title of your new album, Human the Death Dance?

Sage Francis: There are a few elements working. It started as a poem by Buddy Wakefield called “Human the Death Dance.” But it wasn’t a poem he’d written yet. I basically stole it from him. And I put it on my album. The image it provokes works for what I wanted to get across in the album; the human death dance of life. There is a saying that when you’re taken away by death, you’re supposed to do a dance that represents your life. And also getting to have Buddy Wakefield on the album was a motive to represent that idea.

AllHipHop.com: How would you say Human the Death Dance differs from your last album, A Healthy Distrust?

Sage Francis: A Healthy Distrust sonically was more abrasive. I was more aggressive with that album. With Human the Death Dance, I was more laid back and I tried to pull more stories. There are a few breakup songs on the album about relationships, as opposed to A Healthy Distrust, which was more political. Since A Healthy Distrust, a lot of stupid stuff has happened and it came out in my music.

AllHipHop.com: What do you mean?

Sage Francis: Just I wanted to move on. I wanted to get some things out of my system. I addressed failed relationships and I tried to explain that sometimes it is a good thing to end relationships; not just with the girlfriend, but with people in your life, and to really explore your freedom. A lot of the songs might seem depressing, but I think in a way it’s the scary celebration of freedom. You don’t know where you’re going, but you’re just moving along; Every now and then you’re going to have to hop some trains.

AllHipHop.com: You make a number of commentaries of Hip-Hop, society, politics, sex and suicide, to name a few themes on the album. Do you feel like you’re preaching at times or are there any specific things you do when you’re writing to prevent yourself from sounding like you’re preaching?

Sage Francis: I’m kind of confused when people say I preach. My earlier music, stuff not available anymore, had a level of preaching to it that turned me off. And that’s something that bothers me when people preach in their music. I think I very clearly express what’s in my life, the things that are bothering me. I try to raise a lot of questions and offer alternative thoughts. I don’t think I tell people what to do.

AllHipHop.com: You switch a number of times in the album from looking inward at yourself to outward at others. How do you balance the two?

Sage Francis: I did some switching between introspection and extrospection. A lot of life is lived in your head. There are only a couple of tracks on the album that I address things that aren’t personal to me. “Hoofprints in the Sand” is clearly an attack on the current government. I didn’t want to do too much of that on this album. I did it so much on A Healthy Distrust that I didn’t want to do it on this album. I have a problem with balance. I should just make an album with one tone. At least you could hear the one song and say, “I like it.” Listening to one song could misrepresent the whole album. If you take the album in as a whole, it ties together. People now seem to hear one song but not the whole album. A full album is supposed to be rewarding, like a movie. If you watch one scene from a movie, you can’t grasp the entire idea.

AllHipHop.com: In the song “High Step” you start out replaying your history in football. Were you a football player growing up, or is speak to something higher in athletics?

Sage Francis: The story is true. It’s all literal. There is a higher metaphor working there. I played football from seventh grade all the way to college. But I was into all different sports. I was really athletic. Once I got to college I decided to put sports on the side and focus on academics. But I ended up spending time on music and poetry. It’s been a long time since I focused on sports and that really felt good to me. This song is kind of like showing that I hold stuff in me a long time and wait to let it out. This album is about reflection and learning from those experiences. Everyone is led to believe there is a higher power working over them; God this, God that. You submit to higher powers and you submit to the machine. That’s how the government and the military work. It’s a huge microcosm. That’s what I experienced. At one point I was doing martial arts, which I did from fourth grade to college. At the time, that’s where my spirituality came from. Only when I broke away did a lot of falsities that I bought into faded away. And that’s something I was trying to get across.

AllHipHop.com: You talk about government conspiracy, demographic breakdowns and death on the song “Hoofprints in the Sand.” How did the all of the concepts for that song come together into one, cohesive train of thought?

Sage Francis: Again, I didn’t want to have too much political commentary on this album. This was the last song I decided to put on the album. I had all those lyrics hanging around. And though I pulled the lyrics from different points, I didn’t want all those lyrics to become different songs. A designer for Strange Famous Records had actually come up with the music video for the music, which was produced by Reanimator. And it was a bunch of words that dealt with social problems. I was watching it and thought, “This music fits with the words I have.” And I showed it to her and asked to apply the lyrics to the song. I really wanted to do something with Reanimator on the album. In the song, I talk about medical experiments and population control. But I wouldn’t say there is one once of preaching. I throw out concepts. I look at things a lot of people might not pick up on. And I think it’s good to spark discussion. That’s what Public Enemy did for me; N.W.A., Too $hort, KRS-One. All these people were throwing out ideas too.

AllHipHop.com: Who did the production on the album and how did you decide what kind of music you wanted?

Sage Francis: There are various producers on the album. Alias did three of the beats. Migration did a couple of tracks – he’s mainly a movie producer [see Crash and Million Dollar Baby]. Migration and I are actually working on an upcoming movie together, Pride and Glory, where I do the vocals and he does the production score. It’s been two years in the making, but I guess that’s how Hollywood works.

In terms of selecting the music for the album, I have a large catalog of beats. Various producers send me music. And if I like it, I keep it on file. When I’m writing lyrics I look into the music I have and the sounds that capture the mood I’m trying to get at in my lyrics. A lot of the time, I sit on the beats I get and wait for lyrics to come out. Some of the music is five years old. I’m kind of a pack rat with lyrics and music. I had lyrics from A Healthy Distrust that found a home on this record. One song in particular, “Keep Moving,” was originally made for the Personal Journals album and I never got a chance to use it until now. I just had Alias rework the beat and now it sounds completely different.

AllHipHop.com: How did you decide to title your songs and what do the names mean?

Sage Francis: Some of the titles are literal. “Keep Moving” was the least innovative song title. “Underground for Dummies” was a concept I’ve held for awhile. I wanted to break down my rise in the Hip-Hop world point by point. It’s like a play of those “books for dummies.” Though, a publication recently misprinted the song title and it read “Underground is for Dummies,” which completely changes the meaning. I don’t think underground is for dummies.

AllHipHop.com: If there is one thing you want listeners to take away from your album, what would that be?

Sage Francis: I want people to really look at personal freedom and the value in personal freedom; having no anchors. The song “Call Me Francois” really touches on that idea. I want people to get away from their commitments to everyone. Or don’t. Get married, have kids, join the war.


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AllHipHop.com: Life Ain't A Video

Though it’s been several years since his untimely passing, Hip-Hop has yet to find another Ol’ Dirty Bastard. In fact, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say the odds of ever finding him again are slim-to-none. Name another rapper who bumrushed The Grammys, allegedly got held up by Diddy’s goons, then saved a little girl from being crushed to death—all in the same week. There truly was no father to his style, in the booth or out in the world—but there was a mother.

Just in time for Mother’s Day, AllHipHop.com caught up with Ms. Cherry Jones to see how she’s coped with the loss of her son, and to explore the murky details surrounding the late rapper’s estate. Though she’s endured a public feud with his former wife, and has been burdened with the debts he accumulated, she carries herself forward with dignity, grace, and a sense of humor not unlike Dirty’s. Sitting down with her in her Brooklyn Brownstone, one gets the sense that much of his talent came directly from his mama. Whether it’s the way she laughs, or how she bats her eyes when she smiles, you’re left with the impression that a part of Ol’ Dirty is still alive and kicking in spirit. And while it hasn’t been an easy coping with the loss, Ms. Jones is determined to carry on and survive, sadly, without the support of her son’s fellow members of the Wu-Tang Clan.

AllHipHop.com: I actually read an interview from The Village Voice and the writer paraphrased you saying that your son didn’t like having you backstage. Why?

Cherry Jones: He didn’t want me in the music industry, period. He knew it was a cruel world, and he can’t be onstage and take care of me at the same time. [He said] “Mama, I don’t want you involved in the business,” but I told him the last time he came out [of jail] that I was going to be in the business so he could have something. We he was with Wu-Tang, he had nothing. [Laughs] Nothing. Everything he wanted for he had to go and beg. He had to fight them for a dollar bill.

AllHipHop.com: So, even off of [Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version], he had to fight for his fair share of the profits?

Cherry Jones: He had to fight for everything, you know, beg: “I need a couple dollars here.” It takes time to make money in the music industry. Rusty was never rich. He just made enough money to survive and take care of his child support. He was never able to buy a home. He was never able to buy his mother a home. He was rich inside; whatever he had, he gave, but I never was able to sit down [and live off of him]. I told him “I could buy him a house.” [Laughs]

AllHipHop.com: What did you do to support yourself?

Cherry Jones: I worked for NYPD—I was a corrections officer. I did everything. I was driving the buses in Manhattan; I started that job when I was 59. I’ll be 61 in July. I could never stop working. [Even] now, I don’t have a penny. When he died, his wife never lived with him, but she walked in and poof [took all available money for herself]. But I retire next year, so I ain’t gonna worry.

AllHipHop.com: He was quite prolific as an artist. What would you say were some of the things you instilled in him as a little kid?

Cherry Jones: Never forget who you came from. A lot of these entertainers get up there and think they’re too good to stop and even speak to you. I told him not to forget where you came from, because the same people you meet going up, you meet going down. Always take the time to stop and say hello. He used to go downtown and feed the poor. He never had a [driver’s license], so he’d be on the train and the bus [Laughs].

AllHipHop.com: I didn’t know that he had an expensive taste in clothes. Where’d he get that from?

Cherry Jones: He always had that because I didn’t put anything cheap on them when they were children. I taught him that if you buy something of good quality, it’ll go down the line; I had seven kids. If I bought something good, I could pass that down to the next child, and the next child…and that’s what I did. I told him to never put no cheap shoes on your feet; you buy a good shoe. I instilled that in him, thank goodness, because his wife used to tell me she’d go to Payless—and he hated that. He hated it, so he’d go and do all the shopping. He’d buy her clothes, his clothes and all the kids’ clothes.

AllHipHop.com: What would you say your relationship is with her? I can sense a little tension.

Cherry Jones: I haven’t seen her since the funeral. I never did anything to her. But she takes time to go on Wendy Williams and threaten my life and stomp my brains out so, I left everything in the hands of God. I didn’t understand [the falling out]. We were friends until the day he died.

AllHipHop.com: So, what happened?

Cherry Jones: He was signed to a million-dollar deal [with Roc-A-Fella Records]. She thought she was gonna get the million dollars. She’s too ignorant to know that he didn’t get nowhere near that money anyway; Damon Dash never paid him. If he had lived, he probably would have got his money, you know, but he was never paid. She thought that all that money was gonna go to her, but she ain’t know that all the money that was paid to him was going towards making the album. [Laughs] So she told the world that I robbed a million dollars from Dirty.

AllHipHop.com: But, obviously, you don’t have that.

Cherry Jones: Have what? [Laughs] I don’t have a penny. A lot of times I walk to Downtown Brooklyn. I don’t even have [cab] fare. Dirty bought an expensive car for $80,000 and I’m paying for it through the help of my mom and my father-in-law. Dirty bought it for his friend and I’m not gonna let his friend go down so, every month I’m looking to make a payment. He bought it in October…he died in November. It’s a Chrysler 300 Hemi Special Edition with wood trim inside and everything. If I had [that million dollars], wouldn’t it have been paid for? When I finish paying for it, I’m gonna try and put it on eBay and sell it to pay off some of his taxes and stuff. We he came out [of jail] I had power-of-attorney. They put my name on everything he bought. Things will work out, though. I ain’t got time to worry about it. You worry about it, you get old-looking. You get bags under your eyes…I ain’t even worried about it. [Laughs]

AllHipHop.com: You don’t even look 61, by the way. I’m not even saying that to butter you up.

Cherry Jones. Thank you. [Laughs] If he was alive, I wouldn’t have to worry about anything because he took care of his mother. But the wife [messed things up]. She actually told the courts that she wanted everything. Like Dirty wasn’t going to take care of his mother! So, if he gave me any money while he was living with me, she wanted that back. I think that’s sick.

AllHipHop.com: Where is she living now?

Cherry Jones: In Georgia. She just had a baby with this guy she’s been with for a long time. She wanted all my [RIAA] plaques. I told her, “Come here and try to take them.” You can’t take nothing from me. Everything I have, he put in my hands. He said, “Mommy, this is for you.” If he wanted you to have it, he would’ve said, “Here wifey, this is for you.”

AllHipHop.com: The RZA and Dirty were cousins. He’s your nephew. Do you talk to him often?

Cherry Jones: I don’t. They don’t call you. The last time I saw RZA was out in Cali at Rock The Bells. He didn’t pay for my ticket, he didn’t invite me. Chang [The concert’s promoter] set me up to go out there. He had nothing to do with it. Other people arrange for me to go places. The VH1 Hip-Hop [Honors]? My girlfriend told me about it. He didn’t tell me anything.

AllHipHop.com: Is anyone from the group staying in touch with you?

Cherry Jones: No. Not one of them.

AllHipHop.com: Now, could that just be a case of “Out of sight, Out of mind?”

Cherry Jones: They don’t contact me on anything. They might be busy, I don’t know. But when it comes to family, pick up the phone. I don’t have their number—

I had RZA’s number, but I guess with so many people calling him, he changed it, you know. He gets me aggravated. Every time you call him, he thinks you want something. I never asked him for nothing. Well, I asked him one time to help me with Dirty’s car and he said he didn’t have nothing so, I’ve been doing it on my own ever since Dirty died. I ain’t gonna ask you but one time. It’s hard, but I’m hanging in there.


Source:
AllHipHop.com: Thanks Mom

AllHipHop.com: He really was larger than life, in a lot of ways…

Cherry Jones: Oh, yes. Yes, he was. Even now, when Wu-Tang’s on stage, people scream, “Dirty, Dirty, Dirty!” It makes you feel good. It really does.

Allhiphop.com: Jay-Z too. I saw him in concert last summer and he had the crowd singing “Brooklyn Zoo.”

Cherry Jones: Oh, wow! I really like that. You know, they never really got along…

Allhiphop.com: Really? Why?

Cherry Jones: ‘Cause Dirty [was] like that. He wanted to be the front-and-center. If you up there singing, he’d go up there and take the show. He was always like that. I’d tell him, “That’s not nice.” He didn’t care. [When he was on the lam], he’d put a hoodie on and go “I gotta get outta here because they gonna lock me up.” I said, “Boy, you stupid.” Then he goes in McDonald’s [In Philadelphia and gets arrested]. They told him to stay in the car, but he comes out and says “They locked me up.” You walked in and they locked you up? [Laughs]

AllHipHop.com: You know, I was watching the Grammy incident last nite. He was very calm and professional when he took the mic…

Cherry Jones: Rage Against The Machine said, “Wouldn’t nobody do it but Dirty.” They said they loved it! I said, “All of y’all are stupid.” I said it [to Dirty] “It wasn’t nice of you to do that, either. Don’t you ever do that again in your life. I’ll tear your head up.” [Laughs] He was sober, you know…

AllHipHop.com: Really?

Cherry Jones: Really. On the way there, a limousine came and picked us up. He stopped at almost every corner and bought little bottles of water. He had nothing to drink that night. Nothing at all. So when he went up there, I felt bad, but I said “At least the boy is sober.” Puffy’s people had him hemmed up by the neck. His henchmen ain’t gonna hem up my doggone son. I said, “It’s time for me to fight.” He said, “Calm down mommy, everything is gonna be okay.” If Rusty don’t wanna fight, you know he’s sober! His bodyguards had him by the throat down there because of the comment he made: “Puffy’s good, but Wu-Tang’s the best.” After seeing him like that, I said, “Boy, he really need a drink!” [Laughs]

AllHipHop.com: Were there any moments you were proud of in particular?

Cherry Jones: When he got to The Garden, I went. He was with Mariah Carey. He bought me a great big bouquet of flowers and, it was so nice. I was so proud of him that night. He had no clothes; the clothes they brought him were too small, so he stripped Poppa Wu [his cousin] right out of his clothes. He really did. Then he went on stage and the kids loved him. [Mariah] didn’t go on stage with him because he had just came in off tour. He came straight from the plane into The Garden. He didn’t have time to rehearse with her, so she didn’t sing with him. He went on the stage and rocked the house without her. He said, “Screw her!” [Laughs]. I said, “Boy, you stupid!” He was fantastic.

AllHipHop.com: I’m about to ask you a dumb question, but, how’d it feel when you first heard the news?

Cherry Jones: I lost my mind. What bothered me the most was, they had called me, and they hadn’t even called the ambulance. They said, uh, “Dirty’s on the floor and we’re not getting a response.” I started screaming, “Why don’t y’all call the damn ambulance?” He’d probably been dead a long time…that’s why they never called…I don’t know…I don’t know. Dirty lived a life he wanted to live. He was about to go on tour and he said to me, “Mom, this is the last time you’re gonna see me.” He said he was going to Mexico. I told him that, “If you go, give your mother a call and tell me that you’re okay.” He never got a chance to call because he…died in the studio. The RZA sent a limo to pick him up. He got off the plane on a Friday and died on a Saturday. He had cocaine in his system, and when he was on tour, he fell off the stage and [surgically] had pins placed in his foot which was very painful. So, when he got to the studio, he asked for a painkiller like Tylenol and they gave him something much stronger, like Tramadol. With the coke, it’s a deadly mixture, that’s what the medical examiner told me…he had a smile on his face, though…. I used to wash him and put him in his clothes…that was my boy. When he told me, “This is the last time you’re gonna see me,” maybe he felt something, you know? But…I enjoyed every day of his life.


Source:
AllHipHop.com: Thanks Mom

common sense eh?

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Wi ere di gais
N.B kidtirangle is an A1 member the Non-Aligned.

Yeah exactly.