Armond
11-07-2009, 08:40 PM
http://www.shakur.faithweb.com/Outlawz/Interviews.html#
Outlawz Interview: XXL Magazine
Oct. 2000
E.D.I. and partners Napoleon, Kastro and Young Noble are situated in a lounge at Burbank, Californias Enterprise Studios. The 2Pac proteges are explaining why they've got problems with Detroit's most famous rapper. The slightly pudgy E.D.I. sits between the bald-headed Kastro and the svelte Young Noble on a U-shaped couch, while the baby-faced Napoleon posts up across the room on a stiff-backed chair. But the crew might as well be in a boxing ring the way verbal jabs are being thrown around. "You can talk about Christina Aguilera and all of them," E.D.I. continues angrily, "but keep Pac's name out of your mouth, because that's dangerous to your health."
See, the Outlawz didn't appreciate Eminem saying that he likes to, "Pop the same shit that got 2Pac killed," on "Busa Rhyme," from Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott's 1999 album, Da Real World. And they certainly didn't appreciate "Marshall Mathers," the title cut from Eminem's new LP, where he says he's, "Leaning out a window with a cocked shotgun/Driving up the block in the car that they shot 'Pac in."
"He says some shit that makes me think he's gay, because every time I hear him, he has 'Pac's name in his mouth," Napoleon adds heatedly. "We feel like he's on some disrespectful shit, because we don't hear him doing that shit about Biggie."
Below is the rest of the interview
"He's just annoying us right now," E.D.I. adds, overstating the obvious. He's getting on our nerves." But the melanin-deprived rapper isn't the only one who has the Outlawz vexed. In fact, there's an entire list of "Pac Biters" that the crew has issues with. "Master P, he could've stole a 'Pac rap book from 1984," Kastro fumes. "He could have kicked 30 of them raps. His brother C-Murder, he took a song that was not even released, remade it on his last album and then dedicated it to 'Pac. He was like, 'I'm going to steal your song, but Im going to dedicate it to you.' I don't know what they're thinking or what it was called. I dont listen to their music."
"Ja Rule, he dont know who he wants to be," Kastro continues, sounding slightly calmer. "Ja Rule will give it up and say ''Pac influenced me', but Master P, C-Murder, they act like it's their own style. They'll say that C-Murder dont sound like 'Pac in every magazine, and now they've got Krazy, another fake 'Pac."
And the drama continues.
"We've got a hit list, people that if they dont holler at us, there's going to be problems," Napoleon decalres. "Mobb Deep can't clear that up. Eminem, we want to hear what he's got to say. A lot of people dont know we're listening. When they get on mix tapes and talk shit, our people call us."
Like when Nas said, "Thug Life is mine" on Mobb Deep's "It's Mines," from 1999's Murda Muzik. Those words, the Outlawz say, erased all the goodwill Nas established in 1999 with his shout-out to 'Pac on I Am...'s "We Will Survive."
"If You give it up and say that 'Pac is your favorite rapper, even Eminem, then it's cool," E.D.I. says. "We understand that. Everybody's got an idol. But they dont want to say it."
In an age when any friend of a superstar seems to have a record deal, the Outlawz are contractless, despite having been 2Pac's best friends. And despite the platinum success of Still I Rise, their 1999 album of tracks they laced with 'Pac. Today, the Outlawz are suing Death Row and still mourning the losses of 2Pac and group member Kadafi, both of them murdered.
For some, the Outlawz are the last link to 2Pac and his legacy. That's why their debut album is a do-or-die situation. They have to protect 'Pac's memory with a stellar album. They also need to prove that they're worthy of their affiliation with 'Pac. Like their mentor, the members of the Outlawz are associated with West Coast, even though they hail from the East. Kastro, who is 'Pac's cousin, grew up in New York with E.D.I. in the late 1970's. Kadafi was 'Pac's Godbrother. After 2Pac worked with Kastro, E.D.I. and Kadafi in 1992, developing them as artists in their own right, Kadafi's mother kept telling 'Pac how a kid she knew could rap well and that when he was there, both of his parents were murdered in front of him.
"Pac heard the story of how he came up and it brought him to tears," E.D.I recalls. "He was like, 'I've got to meet this guy. He sounds like he's got to be with us." 'Pac clicked with the rapper he later named Napoleon and invited him to join the group in 1994. Kadafi had also grown up with Fatal, whom he introduced to 'Pac and initiated into the crew in 1995. Young Noble, who had grown up around the other members in Montclair, New Jersey, joined in 1996. Other artists, including Mussolini and Kormaini, have also been associated with the Outlawz, although none of them are in the studio as the group works on it's new album on this June evening.
Fatal, who released a 1998 album, In The Line of Fire, seems to be the only non-present member who is still affiliated with them. "Nothing really happened to Fatal." E.D.I. says. "He's still family. He's doing a little time right now. He'd definitely be on our album. We're on his album, on Rap-A-Lot. He chose to do his solo thing. He's a grown man and we're not going to stop him. The core of the family is still together."
It's a family that has been recording together for more than five years. Back then, E.D.I., Napoleon and Kastro almost signed with Interscope as Dramacydal, but the deal got nixed when 2Pac was about to get out of jail in 1995. 2Pac was super-loyal to Death Row's Marion "Suge" Knight for bailing him out, and he interacted with Death Row more than Interscope once he was freed. But his loyalty to the Outlawz never wavered. He featured them on both of his 1996 albums, All Eyez On Me and The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, his set as Makaveli.
The Outlawz say that 2Pac intended to sign them to his own future imprint, MAKAVELI RECORDS before he was shot and killed in September 1996 in Las Vegas. Kadafi witnessed that murder. A passenger in the car behind Suge's that night, Kadafi, 19 at the time, was the only witness who told Las Vegas police he could identify the shooter. Two months later, he himself was shot in the face at point blank range in Irvington, New Jersey. The Outlawz won't discuss the murders, except to say how difficult it has been for them to succeed under the circumstances. "It's been hard without 'Pac and Kadafi," E.D.I says, "but we're going to do it."
After the tragic death of their leader, the Outlawz found their career in limbo. "We were in the mix and we were in the process of signing and we thought we were going to be on Death Row," KASTRO asserts. "But when he passed away, everything got ****ed up. We moved away from California for a minute. As time passed, everybody was mourning, but there was just something that brought us to Death Row. We saw 'Pac's situation with them. In our eyes, he was on Death Row, so we've got to be on Death Row. It wasnt like Death Row was banging on our door, even though a lot of labels were. We banged down Death Row's door and they were like, 'Come **** wit Us'."
Adds Napoleon: "We were confused. We were like, 'Pac rode for Death Row so we want to go back to Death Row and ride', because after 'Pac died and Suge got locked up, they were downing Death Row. We wanted to ride for them and bring them back, because basiclly that was what 'Pac was doing. But as time went by, we wanted to do our own thing. It isn't anything personal against Suge and Suge don't have nothing personal with us. We never disrespected him and he never disrespected us. But it got to a point where we wanted our own label. How could we work with someone who's locked up?"
At any rate, Rap-A-Lot Records' Lil J was the only label owner who would record the Outlawz, placing them on the Geto Boys' 1998 album, Da Good Da Bad & Da Ugly. Although it was rumored that Rap-A-Lot had signed the Outlawz, they now say they are not on the label, even though they say Death Row and Rap-A-Lot almost worked out a deal about a year ago that would have made that rumor reality.
Yukmouth, who put the Outlawz on at Rap-A-Lot, was a good friend of 'Pac and wanted to work with the Outlawz on his own music. He included them on "Do Yo Thug Thang", a street favorite from his 1998 solo album, Thugged Out: The Albulation. "Those mutha****as are 'Pac," Yuk, who stopped by the Outlawz's recording session, says emphatically. "The movement goes on. The Outlawz are the hardest shit moving. They're continuing with the 'Pac legacy. NOBLE is one of the rawest ones. NAPOLEON has that street, hard shit. E.D.I, he got that straight-to-the-point hard shit with style. KASTRO's got that lazy flow. It all comes together like a pot of gumbo."
It's a pot of gumbo that has proven to be worth millions of dollars. Interscope's Still I Rise from 2Pac+Outlawz has sold more than 1.3 million copies, even though it has been almost four years since 2Pac's death. Also, it marked the first time that the Outlawz shared top billing on an album.
The group members say that Interscope needed to offer fans a new version of 2Pac music, which is why they were featured prominently on the album. "Interscope was putting out these 'Pac albums, and they were running out of formats," KASTRO opines. "They were like, '**** it, let's put out this 'Pac/Outlawz album just to change it up and get us some sales.'"
Outlawz Interview: XXL Magazine
Oct. 2000
E.D.I. and partners Napoleon, Kastro and Young Noble are situated in a lounge at Burbank, Californias Enterprise Studios. The 2Pac proteges are explaining why they've got problems with Detroit's most famous rapper. The slightly pudgy E.D.I. sits between the bald-headed Kastro and the svelte Young Noble on a U-shaped couch, while the baby-faced Napoleon posts up across the room on a stiff-backed chair. But the crew might as well be in a boxing ring the way verbal jabs are being thrown around. "You can talk about Christina Aguilera and all of them," E.D.I. continues angrily, "but keep Pac's name out of your mouth, because that's dangerous to your health."
See, the Outlawz didn't appreciate Eminem saying that he likes to, "Pop the same shit that got 2Pac killed," on "Busa Rhyme," from Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott's 1999 album, Da Real World. And they certainly didn't appreciate "Marshall Mathers," the title cut from Eminem's new LP, where he says he's, "Leaning out a window with a cocked shotgun/Driving up the block in the car that they shot 'Pac in."
"He says some shit that makes me think he's gay, because every time I hear him, he has 'Pac's name in his mouth," Napoleon adds heatedly. "We feel like he's on some disrespectful shit, because we don't hear him doing that shit about Biggie."
Below is the rest of the interview
"He's just annoying us right now," E.D.I. adds, overstating the obvious. He's getting on our nerves." But the melanin-deprived rapper isn't the only one who has the Outlawz vexed. In fact, there's an entire list of "Pac Biters" that the crew has issues with. "Master P, he could've stole a 'Pac rap book from 1984," Kastro fumes. "He could have kicked 30 of them raps. His brother C-Murder, he took a song that was not even released, remade it on his last album and then dedicated it to 'Pac. He was like, 'I'm going to steal your song, but Im going to dedicate it to you.' I don't know what they're thinking or what it was called. I dont listen to their music."
"Ja Rule, he dont know who he wants to be," Kastro continues, sounding slightly calmer. "Ja Rule will give it up and say ''Pac influenced me', but Master P, C-Murder, they act like it's their own style. They'll say that C-Murder dont sound like 'Pac in every magazine, and now they've got Krazy, another fake 'Pac."
And the drama continues.
"We've got a hit list, people that if they dont holler at us, there's going to be problems," Napoleon decalres. "Mobb Deep can't clear that up. Eminem, we want to hear what he's got to say. A lot of people dont know we're listening. When they get on mix tapes and talk shit, our people call us."
Like when Nas said, "Thug Life is mine" on Mobb Deep's "It's Mines," from 1999's Murda Muzik. Those words, the Outlawz say, erased all the goodwill Nas established in 1999 with his shout-out to 'Pac on I Am...'s "We Will Survive."
"If You give it up and say that 'Pac is your favorite rapper, even Eminem, then it's cool," E.D.I. says. "We understand that. Everybody's got an idol. But they dont want to say it."
In an age when any friend of a superstar seems to have a record deal, the Outlawz are contractless, despite having been 2Pac's best friends. And despite the platinum success of Still I Rise, their 1999 album of tracks they laced with 'Pac. Today, the Outlawz are suing Death Row and still mourning the losses of 2Pac and group member Kadafi, both of them murdered.
For some, the Outlawz are the last link to 2Pac and his legacy. That's why their debut album is a do-or-die situation. They have to protect 'Pac's memory with a stellar album. They also need to prove that they're worthy of their affiliation with 'Pac. Like their mentor, the members of the Outlawz are associated with West Coast, even though they hail from the East. Kastro, who is 'Pac's cousin, grew up in New York with E.D.I. in the late 1970's. Kadafi was 'Pac's Godbrother. After 2Pac worked with Kastro, E.D.I. and Kadafi in 1992, developing them as artists in their own right, Kadafi's mother kept telling 'Pac how a kid she knew could rap well and that when he was there, both of his parents were murdered in front of him.
"Pac heard the story of how he came up and it brought him to tears," E.D.I recalls. "He was like, 'I've got to meet this guy. He sounds like he's got to be with us." 'Pac clicked with the rapper he later named Napoleon and invited him to join the group in 1994. Kadafi had also grown up with Fatal, whom he introduced to 'Pac and initiated into the crew in 1995. Young Noble, who had grown up around the other members in Montclair, New Jersey, joined in 1996. Other artists, including Mussolini and Kormaini, have also been associated with the Outlawz, although none of them are in the studio as the group works on it's new album on this June evening.
Fatal, who released a 1998 album, In The Line of Fire, seems to be the only non-present member who is still affiliated with them. "Nothing really happened to Fatal." E.D.I. says. "He's still family. He's doing a little time right now. He'd definitely be on our album. We're on his album, on Rap-A-Lot. He chose to do his solo thing. He's a grown man and we're not going to stop him. The core of the family is still together."
It's a family that has been recording together for more than five years. Back then, E.D.I., Napoleon and Kastro almost signed with Interscope as Dramacydal, but the deal got nixed when 2Pac was about to get out of jail in 1995. 2Pac was super-loyal to Death Row's Marion "Suge" Knight for bailing him out, and he interacted with Death Row more than Interscope once he was freed. But his loyalty to the Outlawz never wavered. He featured them on both of his 1996 albums, All Eyez On Me and The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, his set as Makaveli.
The Outlawz say that 2Pac intended to sign them to his own future imprint, MAKAVELI RECORDS before he was shot and killed in September 1996 in Las Vegas. Kadafi witnessed that murder. A passenger in the car behind Suge's that night, Kadafi, 19 at the time, was the only witness who told Las Vegas police he could identify the shooter. Two months later, he himself was shot in the face at point blank range in Irvington, New Jersey. The Outlawz won't discuss the murders, except to say how difficult it has been for them to succeed under the circumstances. "It's been hard without 'Pac and Kadafi," E.D.I says, "but we're going to do it."
After the tragic death of their leader, the Outlawz found their career in limbo. "We were in the mix and we were in the process of signing and we thought we were going to be on Death Row," KASTRO asserts. "But when he passed away, everything got ****ed up. We moved away from California for a minute. As time passed, everybody was mourning, but there was just something that brought us to Death Row. We saw 'Pac's situation with them. In our eyes, he was on Death Row, so we've got to be on Death Row. It wasnt like Death Row was banging on our door, even though a lot of labels were. We banged down Death Row's door and they were like, 'Come **** wit Us'."
Adds Napoleon: "We were confused. We were like, 'Pac rode for Death Row so we want to go back to Death Row and ride', because after 'Pac died and Suge got locked up, they were downing Death Row. We wanted to ride for them and bring them back, because basiclly that was what 'Pac was doing. But as time went by, we wanted to do our own thing. It isn't anything personal against Suge and Suge don't have nothing personal with us. We never disrespected him and he never disrespected us. But it got to a point where we wanted our own label. How could we work with someone who's locked up?"
At any rate, Rap-A-Lot Records' Lil J was the only label owner who would record the Outlawz, placing them on the Geto Boys' 1998 album, Da Good Da Bad & Da Ugly. Although it was rumored that Rap-A-Lot had signed the Outlawz, they now say they are not on the label, even though they say Death Row and Rap-A-Lot almost worked out a deal about a year ago that would have made that rumor reality.
Yukmouth, who put the Outlawz on at Rap-A-Lot, was a good friend of 'Pac and wanted to work with the Outlawz on his own music. He included them on "Do Yo Thug Thang", a street favorite from his 1998 solo album, Thugged Out: The Albulation. "Those mutha****as are 'Pac," Yuk, who stopped by the Outlawz's recording session, says emphatically. "The movement goes on. The Outlawz are the hardest shit moving. They're continuing with the 'Pac legacy. NOBLE is one of the rawest ones. NAPOLEON has that street, hard shit. E.D.I, he got that straight-to-the-point hard shit with style. KASTRO's got that lazy flow. It all comes together like a pot of gumbo."
It's a pot of gumbo that has proven to be worth millions of dollars. Interscope's Still I Rise from 2Pac+Outlawz has sold more than 1.3 million copies, even though it has been almost four years since 2Pac's death. Also, it marked the first time that the Outlawz shared top billing on an album.
The group members say that Interscope needed to offer fans a new version of 2Pac music, which is why they were featured prominently on the album. "Interscope was putting out these 'Pac albums, and they were running out of formats," KASTRO opines. "They were like, '**** it, let's put out this 'Pac/Outlawz album just to change it up and get us some sales.'"