ThaFormula.com - So you dropped the mixtape album Legal Hustle Vol. 1 right?

Cormega - Nope it wasn't a mixtape.  The mixtapes that are coming out now are garbage.  It's a feature album.  It's like Cormega featuring other artists.  It's my in house crew meaning everybody that's on Legal Hustle.  Then you got one song featuring Lake.  Another featuring M.O.P. , Cormega featuring Ghostface.  Cormega featuring Kurupt and Jayo Felony.  

ThaFormula.com - So what exactly happened with the Cormega and Ayatollah album Mega?

Cormega - I'm still waiting for Ayatollah to get more focused.  When he focused, we will se what happens.

ThaFormula.com - So what made you drop the Legal Hustle LP and hold back on your next solo LP?

Cormega - Because, basically I was just gonna drop like a mixtape album and then put out tha album, but then I said everybody is doing mixtapes albums, so I wanna make this shit special.  Then this shit started coming out so dope that I realized I couldn't put out an album after this because this album is gonna last long.  This shit is really dope.  

ThaFormula.com - Who handled tha production on tha mixtape?

Cormega - I got a new guy called Ax.  I got Emile who was on my last album.  Buckwild, Ayatollah, Cormega, J. Love, Maki, The Feil Brothers and you know just different dudes. 

ThaFormula.com - What made you hook up with Kurupt and Jayo Felony?

Cormega - Kurupt is my muthafuckin' peoples.  It was originally supposed to be just a Kurupt and Mega song.  But then Jayo came through and I was like, "Oh Shit" cause that's my boy to.  So I was like fuck it and we all got on tha joint. Kurupt is spittin' some fire and Jayo is to.    

ThaFormula.com - What made you go with Koch Records on this release Mega?

Cormega - It's just that I noticed that they have been successful with getting videos on and shit like and that's something that I have never had so I wanted to try that and see how they treat me. It's only a one shot deal for this album.  Like "Urban Legend", I'm not even signed yet for that.  So I'm basically a free agent.   

ThaFormula.com - How hard is it to settle on a label man because it seems like almost every label is foul in some way?

Cormega - I don't know man.  I don't just rush into nothing no more.  I got to study a label first before I deal with them, but I put my career in tha hands of Wendy Day.  She guides me with like who to deal with and that's why I don't have a deal for tha Cormega solo album yet.  I'm still waiting for tha right moment or opportunity. So when she tells me it's a go then that's what we gonna do.  But tha "Testament" is coming out to so watch out for that.  It's coming soon.  I'm just waiting for tha artwork.  I want tha fans to do tha cover.  I want somebody to do a hood picture of tha "Testament."  I don't care what tha picture is as long as it's referring to tha "Testament" and it's dope.  Whoever has tha dopest picture Imma use.

ThaFormula.com - I never see you do many features on other peoples albums Mega.  Do you get asked alot or not really? 

Cormega - I do, but certain people I don't feel.  I can't do a song with everybody.  To do a record with me you just can't be anybody because I love what I do.  I'm not saying I'm better then everybody or this or that.  I'm just saying I love hip hop.  If you don't love hip hop, how can I do a record with you.  We don't have tha same mind frame.  So any nigga that loves hip hop, I'll do a record with them.  But if you are a gimmicky muthafucka, tha chances of me doing a record with you is slim.  Even for money.  But I just did a record with a Latino group that raps in Spanish called Tres Coronas or something like that.  I'm branching out, but I'm doing records with chosen people, because when you do records with anybody, you prostituting yourself.

ThaFormula.com - So how you feeling about tha industry right now?

Cormega - I feel tha same way as you man, you know how we think.  It's garbage and you know what son, we have to start a movement.  We have to ban tha word "Old School".  It's no good.  I really wanna do that.  I'm telling everybody that I know that we have to ban this term because it's not helping tha people that started hip hop and it's not helping tha legends and tha greats and that's what they should be called.  If you call somebody "Old School", how are tha younger people gonna respect them. That's a poor choice of words right there because alot of tha younger audience are not respecting tha great artists.  They say "Old School" in a way that is derogatory.  So I want them to respect people of greatness just like they respect when Jordan will retro his sneakers as they call them, people go crazy for those.  Or when a throwback Jersey comes out that's older then all these rappers that we call "Old School", you rush out and go buy it.  So let's give some more respect to our artists that set tha standard.

ThaFormula.com - Every new artist should speak up on this seeing that eventually they will be in that position of being called "Old School" especially at tha pace that hip hop is moving now?

Cormega - Yeah and then you got artists that are in position to do something that don't even wanna do songs with niggaz that's legends.  Like I did a record with Kane on my album.  But why it took me to do a record with Kane.  Everybody should have wanted to do a record with Kane.  

ThaFormula.com - It's crazy how dudes like Kane and G Rap ain't got no record deals or albums out right now?

Cormega - That's because when people wanna sign you tha first thing they look at is your last sales and that's just a fact.  I know that because I'm a part of tha industry now.  I mean I'm in tha industry, I'm not a part of it.  I mean they do that to me.  They can't front on me because my numbers are very good for an independent artist, but they will look at somebody else who is independent that is not selling those type of numbers and not give it a chance.  This might be a really dope artist but they won't give it a chance.

ThaFormula.com - You did crazy numbers as a independent artist Mega.  Especially this year when most independent artists are lucky to do 10,000 units?

Cormega - Your right.  I mean I do 10,000 units in a week.

ThaFormula.com - Do you think that times are changing and this might start to affect you?

Cormega - Let's just say I put out an album and tha numbers ain't that great, I'm coming right back with another album and I would  come so hard with a vengeance.  If it don't work after that, then I know that my numbers will no longer be what they used to be and I would have to evaluate that.

ThaFormula.com - Did your last LP "The True Meaning" turn out like you expected?  

Cormega - "The True Meaning" was a blessing because it brought me so much.  I got accolades and good criticism from tha critics.  If you look at some of tha reviews on tha album, I got people who said Cormega really grew as an artist.  I silenced alot of critics who said he just uses tha controversy with Nas and all that.   I got a Source award for that album so that album is always gonna be symbolic to me.  To me that Source award was one of tha most proudest moments of my life besides having my daughter.  Just being nominated made me proud because I know you have to go through alot just to get nominated so I was real proud. 

ThaFormula.com - So right now you got how many artists on Legal Hustle?

Cormega - Just two.  I'm not trying to get a big roster because I feel every artist requires attention.  I don't wanna have nobody on tha shelf and nobody waiting.  I want everybody to be dope to.  I don't want no artist that is just aight you know what I'm saying.  

ThaFormula.com - So what's "The Testament" album gonna be like Mega.  How much of that album did people not get to hear?

Cormega - Alot of shit y'all never got to hear.  Only thing people heard was "The Testament" and there is 2 versions of Testament.  There is one version of Testament where they made me change my lyrics. On tha original Testament I said, "tha streets raised me, made me, the weak preys me."  "Indeed It Was Written you will one day betray me."  So you know tha label made me change that of course.  So that's tha original version of "The Testament" and that plus tha other version of "The Testament"  is gonna be on there.  Then you got the One Love letter I wrote back from jail.  Then you got "Dead Man Walking"  which I know you heard that.  Then you got "Killaz Theme" which was a bonus track on "Tha Realness."  Tha official version of that is gonna be on there.  That's 5 songs right there that I know people are gonna embrace that was leaked.  Then there is songs that I never even leaked.

ThaFormula.com - When you did that album, who did you work with on tha production tip?  

Cormega - RNS, Havoc, Prestige, Dave Atkinson who is one of tha best producers in tha game but he just don't get his credit.  He did "Affirmative Action" but I don't know if he got his credit.  I had like 2 of the Hittmen on tha album.  I had alot of producers on that album. 

ThaFormula.com - I see you did a track yourself on the Legal Hustle album.  Was that tha first time you do production or do you always get involved in tha production even when other people are doing tha beats?

Cormega - It depends.  When other people are doing tha beat, if I don't like a certain thing I'll get involved.  Like I might like tha beat, but I might not like this particular part and tell them to change that or do this or do that.  I'm also involved in tha mix like I know what sounds I want brought out.  Alot of people don't know that I did "American Beauty" on "Tha Realness" LP.  I did "Straight Out Of Queensbridge" on the QB's Finest album.  Tha last album I didn't really do shit.  But I did 2 joints on this Legal Hustle album and I did some on "Urban Legend."  

ThaFormula.com - So his is tha track you did with Kane gonna be on the "Urban Legend" album?  

Cormega - Yeah. 

ThaFormula.com - So what is Mega bringing for that album?

Cormega - Man!!  That album son I been told that I sound very hungry.  On tha intro I'm going crazy.  Matter a fact Imma do something I shouldn't even do.  Let me see if I got that shit here.  Okay let me know if you can hear this clear?

ThaFormula.com - I hear it...

Cormega - What did you think about that?

ThaFormula.com - Now that shit there was incredible!!!  I can't believe you got 4 legends like Big Daddy Kane, P#&, G#%#% P#^%, K$^#& on one track.  

Cormega - Yeah that's what's gonna be on Urban Legend right there so people better not front on Legal Hustle because I'm not playing.

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