Aftermathmusic.com:
Okay, we're right here with Stat Quo, we're doing this for aftermathmusic.com, and of course for Hit Radio N1. First of all, of course, thanks for being with us, for taking your time out, really appreciate it, you know.
Stat Quo:
Not a problem, bro.
Aftermathmusic.com:
Last time we talked, you were preparing your debut album, you know, and everybody wants to know, what's the status now with Statlanta?
Stat Quo:
Statlanta is finished, I'm working on another record but Statlanta is done. I just put out a record called "My Ride" featured B.O.B. So I'm working that, that's the single I'm going with, so, that's pretty much what it is, bro.
Aftermathmusic.com:
Okay, I heard that single and it's hot, but it's different…
Stat Quo:
Yeah, you know what it is, when you hear a lot of records - the commercial records that come on the radio, it's like a certain formula that people follow now with the records. But I wanted to create a record that was different, that was totally against that but still - its kind of like it got a doo wop feel, cause if you listen to a lot of the music in there you'll hear what we did was he used his mouth vocally to make the sounds of the beat. The only thing that actually came out of a machine was the actual 808 drum and the kick, but everything else was his mouth, he's making that - kind of like Bobby McFerrin did in "Don't Worry, Be Happy."
You listen to a lot of songs - da, da, dee, da da - you go back to those types of songs where people use vocals to make the beat, it makes the music more interesting. So, we wanted to do like an updated hip-hop version of that type of feel, and we did it and the record is crazy. It's definitely different from me, but that's my whole thing, I don't ever want to be put into a box and I always want to do different things, I wanna be able to make different music, but yet its still commercial, commercially vibing. You know what I mean, it would be easy for me to follow the formats and do what everybody else is doing but I wanna do something else.
Aftermathmusic.com:
So when can we actually, realistically like expect the album?
Stat Quo:
Um….I'm just gonna say 'soon.' It's a lot of things in this business that go on in this business, but to be honest with you and to be honest with the world, I don't understand a lot of their stuff that happens, you know what I mean, I've grown to understand it - I'm growing as someone that's going to be involved in the business side of it, but as an artist there's a lot of things that happen that you just don't understand, and at this point, I'm just trying to figure a lot of things out, and figure out what direction - or the right direction for me to go in it, you know what I'm saying.
Aftermathmusic.com:
You seem to be cool about it; you seem to be calm about it. I mean a lot of artists, if they don't understand something they go crazy…
Stat Quo:
Well, you know because at the same time, like, I'm not gonna be ignorant, you know, towards something that I might not understand because that would be the typical reaction. What I wanna do is to get an understanding and to figure out what's going on, and at that point, approach the situation like a man would. You know, I'm not gonna get out here and disrespect people or talk about people or do any of that stuff when I don't truly know what's happening, you know what I mean. I think in hip-hop period, like the whole industry, people are trying to figure out what's happening, why, you know, as far as the money that used to be made they're not making the same amount of money, you know what I'm saying, so it's kind of like a whole regrouping thing going on -- not just from artists, but just the whole industry, period.
So, by me getting out here acting stupid and not being calm about the situation, I mean, who would that help? You know what I mean, that would just burn a whole bunch of bridges, you know, I'm not gonna do that. But what I am doing is trying to figure it all out because, believe me, I do understand that I've been in a situation for a long time and I've been telling the people that I have a record, you know what I'm saying, and people waiting on this album and you know, I can only make one promise is that you're gonna hear the album, regardless of what happens, you're gonna hear the record because I have all the songs, I have everything that I've ever done since I've been attached, since I've been making music, I have all my music, you know what I'm saying. And with the power of the internet, you know, you can push something out.
Aftermathmusic.com:
The internet is always like a gift and a curse…
Stat Quo:
It's a gift and a curse and for me, at this point, with my music it's bigger than just me making some money, you know what I'm saying, because it's more so that I've been promoting something for so long I want people to hear my music. So, I've got mine saved (Laughing), you know, I'm telling the world that regardless of what happens, what you hear, what you don't hear, my music will be heard - if you wanna get it, you're gonna be able to get it, it's not gonna have no problem (laughing), it's not gonna have no problems. Ya'll know when I put a record out it'll be all over the internet, when we put "My Ride" out it was everywhere. Me and my family, my people that I work with, we know how to get it out here, so you can imagine what would happen if I released some of the other stuff that I have - some of these great songs that I have, some of these great people that I've been working with over the years…hi, ya'll (laughing).
Aftermathmusic.com:
Yeah, you're album has been pushed back again and again, and is it maybe because of the record sales nowadays and Interscope is maybe afraid of Statlanta suffering from that?
Stat Quo:
I think at the same time, you know, they just wanna make sure - I'm just looking at it from their standpoint - they wanna make sure that it comes out as far as on the right platform and its well received. It's no question if it's good or not, it's great, it's a great album, no question of that, they just wanna make sure it's received from the standpoint of have that commercial success. They wanna make sure that it meets up to the expectations I came in with, you know what I'm saying. But the way the industry is right now has a lot to do with it too, because you know, people aren't buying CD's like they used to. And the record labels continue to spend money as if people were still buying records the way they used to, so the problem is the spending is so outrageous and the record sales aren't the same and, you know, everybody's talking about ringtone, ringtone, ringtone but eventually you're gonna be able to make your own ringtones and ringtones are going to be free eventually, people are not gonna be paying for ringtones. So, when that happens, what ya gonna do then?
And that's what executives are looking at because they know this, they know this information -- 'okay, people aren't buying CD's, ringtones are eventually gonna be free, how are we gonna make money' - you know what I'm saying. So, that's why you see a lot of the type of deals that are going on with artists, like a 360 deal which is where an artist signs to a label and they get a percentage of everything the artist does, you know, record labels are now doing that to where they get a percentage of your publishing, your merchandising, your touring, you know, you do a movie - everything, they get a percentage of it. You might get more of an advance than you typically would, but at the same time it's not like the contract that I'm in whereas I get it, they don't get off of that, you know what I'm saying, they just get off of the music.
Aftermathmusic.com:
So why don't you go independent?
Stat Quo:
Because right now I'm in contract (laughing), contractually, I can't just go sign an independent contract with somebody.
Aftermathmusic.com:
Oh, ok (laughing). Would you?
Stat Quo:
What? If I wasn't in a deal?
Aftermathmusic.com:
Like for instance, if you were signed but you had the choice, like 'okay I'll let you go, you ain't got not debts, no nothing, and I'll let you go independently?'
Stat Quo:
Well, I like the kind of person I don't run across bridges, like even in my mind, that I'm not standing in front of, you understand what I'm saying? Which saying that, the reality of my situation is that I am in a contract and I can't do certain things, so what I can do is deal with my reality and try to say 'okay, what are we gonna do with my reality' to try and fix my reality, you see what I'm saying, you know, to make this either work or not work, you see what I'm saying? So, for me to sit back and say 'man, if I wasn't in this, man I would do this' wouldn't make any sense, that's a waste of my mind power. I'd rather focus on what I got going on, the situation I am in, you know what I'm saying, and try to figure out 'okay, are we gonna do this or are we not going to do this.' And that's just what it is right now, see what I'm saying, and be real about it.
Aftermathmusic.com:
So that means that you have never considered leaving Aftermath to drop your debut on another label while still maybe maintaining good relations?
Stat Quo:
That's not what I'm saying. I'm not saying that I wouldn't wanna be out of my situation, that's not what I'm saying that, the fact of the matter is I am in a situation and I don't control if I'm in it or not because I'm in it, see what I'm saying? So at this point, it's what it is, see what I'm saying? So If I wasn't in that situation then my mind would be there but my mind is I'm on Shady/Aftermath, I'm signed to them.
Aftermathmusic.com:
So there's no thoughts, no nothing…
Stat Quo:
Because it's a waste of my thought, you see what I'm saying. And if I wasn't in it, then that would be a different thing, see what I'm saying. When you're in a situation, then it is what it is.
Aftermathmusic.com:
Because Joel Ortiz did it like, you know, he left but he's still cool with everybody, you know, there was no bad situation…
Stat Quo:
I mean, but who knows that? Who knows that everybody's cool?
Aftermathmusic.com:
Actually, you know it don't matter…
Stat Quo:
It doesn't matter, you know, that man gonna go and do his thing and get his paper and God bless him, and I think dude is incredibly talented, you know what I'm saying. But who knows - whoever knows if you're really truly cool with somebody, people can tell you anything. And that's the thing with this industry, people say a lot of stuff, 'everything's all good, it's all good,' it's not really all good cause when you go to them and try to get something done for yourself it doesn't happen, see what I'm saying. But you know, some of that be rhetoric there's all kinds, tell you anything.
So who knows what, but I know his situation is different than mine, you know what I'm saying, so he made a way for himself to do whatever, like to do how he did it and that was a good look. I can't look at his situation as the mold to how I'm suppose to handle my business, you know what I'm saying, I can't do that because he's a different man and it is what it is. And what people don't understand, it's just like a whole lot of history with me and these people, feel me? It's a whole lot of history; it's just behind some music.
Aftermathmusic.com:
So "these people" we're talking about Aftermath and Shady…?
Stat Quo:
It's different than me just being a rapper for them, see what I'm saying, like I genuinely gel with these people and I feel like these people are the people that I'm close to. So, you know, Joel, for instance as an example, was new to this, you know, he had just came over here, he didn't spend a significant amount of time with Dre or, you know, I'm signed to Eminem too, he didn't spend a significant amount of time with Dre and - well, Dre - cause he's signed with Dre. But, you know, me, I've been with them for a while, you understand what I'm saying, so it's a family thing, it ain't just like, 'yo, Stat Quo dadada…" no, it's bigger than that, it's like a family shit so, when you're dealing with your brother, you gotta deal with your brother a little bit differently than oh, this is just somebody I work for.
Aftermathmusic.com:
And actually it don't matter what people think or how they think because it's all what you've been going thru…
Stat Quo:
Exactly.
Aftermathmusic.com:
And maybe that's the reason why you're so calm.
Stat Quo:
I mean, don't get it twisted, you know what I'm saying, my record should be out, you know what I'm saying, yeah I feel that way, I go out there and I make incredible music, yeah…but I will never ever - and I'll go on record saying this - I will never ever say anything that would disrespect Dr. Dre, Eminem, Paul Rosenberg, you know what I mean, these men here, you see what I'm saying, because these men have helped me, you know, in ways that nobody else has helped me, you understand what I'm saying.
Now the situation the way it is, is the way it is, now we gonna have to deal with it, of course, you know what I mean, whether its an album that comes out with Shady and Aftermath or I go somewhere else, whatever may happen, you know what I mean, but these people I got like a great deal of respect for and they have extended themselves and made me a better artist and person, so, you know, like I do a lot of interviews and I know everybody like -- you know they wanna hear me just lash, you know what I'm saying, 'where's Detox and what the fuck…" you know, that's another thing, I can't tell you where Detox is, all I know is Dre works harder than anybody I've ever seen in the studio, you know what I mean, and he working on that shit, you know what I mean, he wants you all to hear it…
Aftermathmusic.com:
Don't take my questions away from me (laughing)
Stat Quo:
(Laughing) oh, no, I'm just saying…
Aftermathmusic.com:
Well you know, automatically like everybody's like "so how's Eminem doing and what is Eminem doing and how is Dre doing…" does it get on your nerves sometimes?
Stat Quo:
You know, I'm used to it and at the end of the day, you know, of course people are curious about people they love and it's dope that people got love for them like that, so, you know, they doing fine for everybody that wanna know, Em's doing better, you know, he's working on his album too and, you know, Dre's working on his album, you know, and everybody's okay, you know what I mean and we just trying to figure out what's the next step for what's going on. You know, Busta just put a record out, you know, I put a record out, you know, we just trying to figure out what the next step is, you know.
Aftermathmusic.com:
But this right here is Stat Quo, and we're really talking about Stat Quo…we're really talking about you, you know, that's why we're here.
Stat Quo:
There it is, that's it, that's why I'm here.
Aftermathmusic.com:
So, looking at Statlanta now, if you go song for song, rhyme for rhyme, is there like anything you wish you could've edit or redone if you would've had more time?
Stat Quo:
More time? (Laughing) I got more time than anybody, I had more time.
Aftermathmusic.com:
But it's done actually, so it's…
Stat Quo:
I mean, it's done for me. That chapter's closed; I think that it's done. But at the end of the day, I love it the way that it is, you know what I'm saying, now depending on what happens, would I make some changes to that? Yeah, look Dre always told me a record is never done until its in the store, you know what I'm saying and it's not in the store yet, so for me to say that it's done -- that was a premature answer anyways, so. It's not done till it's in the store.
Aftermathmusic.com:
Okay. So how many tracks can we see on that?
Stat Quo:
Who knows? (Laughing) like we said, it's not done till it's in the stores - might have 12, might have 15…
Aftermathmusic.com:
Let's say, what would be your favorite, like when you said it's done for you…
Stat Quo:
If it was up to me, I would put a record out every year with 10 songs on it.
Aftermathmusic.com:
Why's that? Why only 10 songs?
Stat Quo:
Well, just cause, I would just do that every year, consistently. There's not really nothing - not "mathematical" number, whatever - I just think 10 songs, like you know, 10 songs every year, like I'd put it out probably on my birthday, July 24th every year like summertime bam, bam, bam, every year put a record out for the rest of my life…I would love to do that.
Aftermathmusic.com:
Yeah, we would love to hear that.
Stat Quo:
Yeah, I would too; hey ya'll might be able to get to hear that, depending on what happens (laughing).
Aftermathmusic.com:
Yeah, I said 10 because like there was a time everybody said "Yeah, I'm gonna do 14 tracks just like on that" now you're saying 10, I was like okay, where's that 10 coming from?
Stat Quo:
Well, not really - me and Dre we had a conversation and he was saying , You now you down to 10 songs, you ain't gonna never have 'em. So it don't make sense to put all that extra shit - you know, most people when you go through an album people be like "I like eight songs" or if it's 15, "I like 10 songs." So why don't you cut out the shit that people don't like?
Aftermathmusic.com:
You know why? Because - I used to have a record store - and I notice that if they don't know the artist and they see 12 songs they'd be like "why should I pay this much money for 12 songs?" You know, it's like a mind things sometimes.
Stat Quo:
Okay, but if you put a single out that's incredible and people are on your movement, they're gonna pay whatever, if there's fucking 4 songs on that shit.
Aftermathmusic.com:
You're right about that but the first impression it's like...
Stat Quo:
For instance, lets just do an example, if Flo-Rida had an album, right, and he had 10 "Get Low" on there, people are gonna buy that shit, because every song is a fucking hit, you understand what I'm saying, if you make all 10 songs the shit, then they're gonna buy it.
Aftermathmusic.com:
Yeah, but a lot of people try it, but it's like - you know, 50 said that too, you gotta have like ten singles, like ten singles - but it's always like, you know, I see that, and then I listen it and I be like okay, it's a matter of taste…
Stat Quo:
Not necessarily saying it's a single, like a radio record, but I'm saying 10 joints that's incredible. When that shit come on, it's crazy. I would wanna do that, every year on July 24th.
Aftermathmusic.com:
That's cool. Talk to your man, you need to do that…we're waiting on that (laughing)
Stat Quo:
Hey, you know what, I wanna say something else to the people, man, don't think I just - man, I know, ya'll don't even know, you know what I'm saying -- it hurts me that I have not put a record out yet for you - not just for me, but for ya'll, you know what I'm saying. Because, financially, I'm good, you know, I write for artists, you know what I mean, that I got a good look, now my son is healthy, my mom is healthy, I'm healthy, I'm good, you know what I mean, my money cool, I don't even be trippin'. But it hurts me that people ain't really got to hear my album, that then haven't got to see and hear what the fuck I've been working on - it bothers me more so than anything.
Aftermathmusic.com:
Yeah, sometimes people will forget that the artist is actually the most suffering…
Stat Quo:
Yeah, that shit bothers me because, you know, I hear comments about all these people in the south who's wack or motherfuckers "hip hop is this, that, and the other da-da-da-da…" and that people ain't making good albums and all that kind of shit, when I know that I'm from the south and I got a great album, it bothers me that people is not getting to hear that because I feel that can contribute to helping the situation with hip-hop, you know what I mean. To change some of those people's viewpoints to say "you know what, I don't really like a lot of that shit but I like this...and I like this too" Not just somebody else doing something else, you see what I'm saying.
So, it bothers me, you know, it does, I think about it a lot. And at the same time, I'm working on it; I'm trying hard for ya'll, believe me. I think about my career and my album every day, all day long, that's all I think about, and all I do is try to figure out what I can do to make sure that you people are gonna have an opportunity to hear that record. And you gonna have an opportunity to hear it, I promise you that.
Aftermathmusic.com:
You heard?
Stat Quo:
I promise.
Aftermathmusic.com:
Yeah there's another thing with Stat Quo, it's like, you're from the south, you got the south accent but still, it seems to me like it's a south artist with New York beats, with New York flavor, with more grimy lyrics, more complex lyrics, you know. Not to disrespect the other artist because, you know, hey to me it's good music, bad music, you know, sometimes I wanna party, sometimes I wanna get some knowledge, sometimes I just wanna think about shit, you know, but how did this happen, you know, because you're not the typical rapper from the south?
Stat Quo:
Well, I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and unlike a lot of places in America - people that grew up in New York, they didn't get our music, they only listen to what they heard in New York, see what I'm saying, where it's different now. That's why you got some of the younger cats from New York that's rapping, they gonna have some of that southern influence in that shit because the radio's now playing that all across the coast, so you hearing shit. So in Atlanta, we got everything. We got Luke from Miami, with got the Geto Boys from Texas, we got N.W.A, we got Eric B. & Rakim, KRS One, and all that shit, you know what I mean. Then we had our own stuff with Kilo G, we had A-Town Players, and then Outkast came along, you know, we had all our different flavors of that shit.
And I grew up listening to all that, so all that influenced me, not to mention that my mother listened to a lot of the soulful shit, you know, a lot of the old school stuff, you know, a lot of the Mo-Town type stuff, so all of that kind of is a gumbo in me of what's going on. And then with me realizing that the world is a very big place, you know what I'm saying. So, naturally, I try to make music for the world, not just for the neighborhood, you know what I mean. So, it just so happen right now the sound of my city is the world's sound right now, so you know, I'm just doing…
Aftermathmusic.com:
But you're going the difficult way, actually, you know, because you go against everything that's like - because, it would be easy to do a song for the clubs, like the typical ATL song.
Stat Quo:
But that's my name, Stat Quo. It's the new bar. If I did anything different than that than I wouldn't be good enough for my name, then I'd be Emcee "do-it-like-everybody-else." It'd be "Status Quo" instead of Stat Quo. See, even when I do some commercial shit, even when I make something that people would call commercial, that's different than my land?? Like "My Ride" is totally different than "We Get higher" or "Grits", it's a totally different type of song, but even when I go in there and rock, it's still different, it's still unique, you know what I'm saying, it's still something like "oh, I've never heard nothing like that before," see what I'm saying, and that's what this is about. And I think a lot of artists forget about that sometimes, in the pursuit of getting paper - we all wanna be rich and make a lot of money - but like, you can't forget about the creative aspect of this shit, you know what I'm saying.
You gotta try to set a new bar every time you out, and some people don't do it, but you know, me - I try to do something different, I try to give you something in your ear that you probably ain't like really ever heard, wow that's different, like when you said "'My Ride' track is different…" yeah, that's what it's supposed to be, and if it sounds like everything else, then I don't really wanna be a part of it, you know what I mean. I wanna make music that sets trends, not follows the trends, you know, that's what this shit is about. I mean, I think that is what longevity is, you know what I'm saying…like, every time OutKast come out, they re-invent themselves, you know what I mean. That's beautiful, they take chances, you know what I'm saying, not a lot of artist do that shit. It's easy to make a record that sound like everybody else, it's simple.
Aftermathmusic.com:
It wasn't easy for Outkast either, I met them like years ago I had an interview and they said they got laughed off in New York the first time they did it and people were laughing at them the way they talk and this and that.
Stat Quo:
And eventually, those that were last will be first, you know what I'm saying. Eventually, the cat on the bottom will be at the top, you know what I'm saying. I came in this shit, when I signed with Dre and Eminem initially, a lot of people was mad and didn't like me, you know what I'm saying, a lot of people felt like I shouldn't have been in that situation because I just came up, they felt like they don't know my struggle, they don't know my life, they just said I came from nowhere and signed a deal. So people was hating on me for that. Now, I've been over there how long?
Now it's like, "man, where's his album, where's his album, he ain't never coming out…" So then you get like a public's enemy, but I tell you, when I put a record out - everybody's talking about who's this and who the greatest and this - I know what I'm doing, you know what I'm saying, I know the type of music that I made and I know my capability, and I know what's going to happen, I see it, and I know motherfuckers is gonna be like, "yo, he's one of the motherfucking best in the music shit," period. You know what I'm saying, period. Because the motherfuckers that I fuck with know that that's in me to do that and they know that's the kind of shit that has been created over here, with my shit. So, ya'll gonna hear it (laughing), ya'll gonna hear it, then ya'll gonna confess, whoa, that motherfucker's crazy.
Aftermathmusic.com:
Alright. (Laughing) So, what kind of topics do you cover on your album?
Stat Quo:
I'm just talking about life, man, you know what I'm saying, I'm talking about life, my life, and what we live in. And you know, we having a good time on the record, too, we just talking about what's going on. I like to make songs about shit, you know what I'm saying, regardless, if I write a song at least it's about something you can actually go and see, you know what I mean, like something that's tangible, you know, like that you can touch and feel and emotional, you know what I'm saying. My whole record is about something.
Aftermathmusic.com:
Why is there no video to Grits?
Stat Quo:
Why no video to Grits? Because, no spins…no money. No attention, no focus, you know what I'm saying. The powers that be, you know, didn't come together and give me no focus as far as to really get that record up out of here. See, that was a different song, and with a song like that, you gotta have people in place that have the connections, the power to get that shit playing, you know what I'm saying. When you turn your radio on and you hear a whole bunch of songs and they coming on all the damn time, shit is not a coincidence, somebody's working that record to get it by calling like "yo, play this, play this, play this" you know what I mean, but when you're not getting that kind of focus and attention and it's just you trying to do it and they worried about something else.
And, you know, you gotta understand, I put "Grits" out as a single in the fourth quarter and labels they got their heavy-hitters coming out then, you know what I'm saying, all they money is invested in trying to get the big boys, cause they trying to meet their money for the fiscal, so I got caught up in that shit, too. So, it's just like a whole lot of factors contributed to that, you know what I mean. A great song, a dope song, concept song, it was an intelligent record, girls raised in the south, it was catchy, up-tempo, but at the same time, I didn't get the support, you know - I got supported - some people helped me out, you know what I mean, shout out to Rosenberg, you know what I mean, fellas looked out, you know what I mean, but other than that there wasn't really no love, it was just like well, whatever, you know what I mean. So, it was cool
Aftermathmusic.com:
Was it the same reason with "Here We Go" too?
Stat Quo:
We shot our video and our video when it come out, I didn't look good. So, we didn't put it out. I didn't look good. It was just a universal thing, you know, it didn't come out the way we wanted it to, and then the powers that be wanted to switch focus to another record and…they switched focus to another record and then, you know, didn't come through, but you know what, at the end of the day - I'ma tell ya'll like this: this new record is out of here, cause at this time, the powers that be is me. I'm the power that be. At the time, when that other stuff was going on there wasn't no powers that be, I mean, the powers that be was them, they was in control, they can control that. So, I was listening, you know, as opposed to doing. This situation right here, I'm doing, see what I'm saying, so everybody else is getting the back seat. So, this one right here getting ready to rock and roll.
Aftermathmusic.com:
Sounds like a smart thing to do, first you listened and then…
Stat Quo:
You know, I had to get my ducks in a row so I could do, you know, and now my ducks is in a row, so now I'm fittin' to do, and now when I do it, everybody else is gonna wanna hop on and they're gonna take credit. But you have this interview as a record, you know what I mean, so ya'll can look back and be like, yeah he said they was gonna go ahead and hop on in, but you know, it's a select few of motherfuckers that really, you know, that it's like okay, cool, you know what I mean, select motherfuckers. Course my dawg, Rick, you know, it's a select people, you know, of course B.O.B, DJ B Rich, you know, everybody. It's a select group of motherfuckers that fuck with me and whatever…
Aftermathmusic.com:
A big shout out to all of them
Stat Quo:
Yeah, everybody that's fucking with me and that's really behind me 200%, you know what I'm saying, because at this time, it's getting ready to be alright, it's getting ready to be A-okay, I promise, man, I got plans (laughing).
Aftermathmusic.com:
Okay. So what song would you say on Statlanta exemplifies your lyrical prowess?
Stat Quo:
All of them. You know why? Because it's like asking a parent, "which kid you like best?" You know what I mean, you like all your children and all of them exemplify my lyrical prowess? Because they all are different, you know what I'm saying, like they all are different types of songs and I'm doing different things on them. Like I'm telling a story on one of them, on one record, I might just be doing some braggadocios, some flossing type shit on another record, I might be kickin' it to a chick on another record, you know what I'm saying. I might be talking about my personal life or what I've been through on one record, you know what I'm saying, so it's a whole gumbo of me.
Like an album is a showcase for an artist to show his talents to the world, period, that's what it is, so it's a showcase for the world to see my capabilities as an emcee. You know, I know a lot of people hear me on mixtapes like "da-da-da-da he's just talking shit," but then when you get an album you get to see the diversity of the man, you know what I'm saying, that's pretty much what it is.
Aftermathmusic.com:
You don't drop much material where there's solo or guest appearances. Are you really selective on what you do and who you work with?
Stat Quo:
Yeah, I'm selective on who I fuck with, you know what I'm saying, but I always work with independent artists, you know what I'm saying, like getting on Rick who's handling the business, my manager or whatever, we always be cool with working with independent artists. We always be down with working with independent artist because I remember when I was an independent and I would go to these artist with the money - there was never any situation about me having no money - and, you know, they wouldn't work with me and it wasn't because I wasn't talented it would just be because they was just being dickheads, you know what I'm saying, and I said that regardless of how big I got or what status I got to I would always give an independent a shot, somebody that's just trying to get on and do their thing. So, when motherfuckers come to me with songs - it has to be real bad for me to say no, motherfucker.
But most times, I'll go ahead and give motherfuckers a shot because, you know, we can make it do what it do. And I'll give my suggestion "maybe if you did this" but I'm with the little guy, you know, cause I'm a little guy to, you know what I'm saying, we all in one pack together, we all trying to come up.
Aftermathmusic.com:
Still the underdog>>> but who knows, maybe next year (laughing)
Stat Quo:
Well, you know, it is what it is. I'm fittin' to be out of here. That's why I can sit back and be so calm. You said, "why you so calm?" Because I am driving, do you know what I'm saying? Like it's an anxiety you feel like when you riding in a car and you know where you wanna go but you don't really make the decisions on where to go, see what I'm saying. I'm calm because I'm driving (laughing), do you understand what I'm saying; the tolls that come up, I'm pulling it out of a Louise wallet and you know, dropping the fifty cent in the toll, I'm gonna get through the toll.
I'm driving, I'm driving the car, you know what I'm saying, no body's making the decisions for me, I'm making all my own decisions and I know what's going on, see what I'm saying? And that's what's dope about my whole experience in the music is that I learned so much from being around Dr. Dre, from being around Eminem, from being in this business and watching people's moves, you know what I'm saying. Seeing how Jimmy Iovine conducts himself and how he handles Interscope records, you know what I mean, watching people like L.A. Reid, watching people like Paul Rosenberg, you know what I mean. Sitting with product managers like Chris Clancy, and hearing like the great ideas that these people have and soaking all that shit in, you know what I'm saying.
And being able to be like, yo, you know what I mean, you learn a lot, you know what I mean. There's a guy I worked with, Jose Fendrick, "Zeak" , great dude, intelligent music mind, you know what I'm saying, Richard George, intelligent music minds, you know what I'm saying. So, being that I was able to be around all these different people and then still get the training, like I said, you know, from Dre and Em musically and Scarface and all that kind of shit it just makes me - and then like sitting with 50 cent and just look at artist executives, cause that's what he is, and see how he make his move, man I'm fucking unstoppable…and now I'm driving. See, 50 drives his career. From the beginning he was always driving and that's why he's what he is, you know what I mean. I came into this shit as a passenger, you know what I mean, but I'm no longer in the back seat.
Aftermathmusic.com:
You switched (laughing)
Stat Quo:
I switched (laughing). Watch me, internet world, watch me.
Source
props to unscarred (again) for the heads up.
