thaFormula.com - Through the whole big rise of the South over the last few years you've never switched your style to what was blowing up so big in the South, you've always stayed in your own format every album, why is that?

Devin The Dude - I just appreciate that we found that signature sound as far as the South. As far as following a certain style, that's really not cool with any artist. If I wanna listen to something like that I can listen to it, I don't necessarily have to do it or do a trendy type thing. I've always wanted to just say something out of the ordinary or just do something kind of different.

thaFormula.com - How does it feel to finally see the South get so much recognition?

Devin The Dude - It's cool man, like a breath of fresh air. We have been a big supporter of Hip-Hop and rap over the years and we've seen it go from here to there and to finally have it here at home it's a blessing as far as doors that are now being opened and people coming to check us out. Everything has been pretty cool in that aspect.

thaFormula.com - Do you think the fact that you have always done things music wise your way is the biggest reason why you have had such a long career?

Devin The Dude - Yeah man, I would think so. I think it has something to do with it if you have a certain style or something I think its best to stick with it. If your style tends to change you know so will your fans and it could get kind of mixed up.

thaFormula.com - And how does it feel to still be doing it 10 years and 5 albums later?

Devin The Dude - I never thought that I would be in a position to have a fourth solo album and a couple of group albums and to be able to be apart of so many different projects, it's just a blessing man. I never imagined it would be this great, but I hoped for something good and continued to work.

thaFormula.com - Do you think the verse off of Dr. Dre's "2001" album helped to re-ignite your career and remind those that remembered you from the Odd Squad that you were still doing it?

Devin The Dude - Most definitely man. That was like turning over a new page for me. Plus I was able to be on the tour, which really opened up doors for me, and people were able to kind of match a face with the name. Dre really looked out for me and I really appreciate all that.

thaFormula.com - As you get older and time goes by do you ever feel the pressure of keeping up with the times or do you ever feel that you might be losing it a little bit?

Devin The Dude - No, but it is a thought like will people appreciate what your doing and the style that you have and continue to have the style even though certain styles are changing? I kind of touched on it as far as thinking about it, but nah. You know McDonalds ain't never changed the Big Mac and they are still the number one fast food joint. If people appreciate what I do, why should I change it? Other times I try not to get too raunchy I guess due to the fact that I have kids now and I have responsibilities and I should be kind of aware right now. That kind of affects the music slightly but all in all I just continue to have fun and put a little weed, wine and women in the rap sometimes.

thaFormula.com - Did you stick to the same script production wise this time around for the new album?

Devin The Dude - Yeah pretty much. It ain't too different. I still got my Coughee Brothers in the house representing for me, DJ Damu did a few tracks, Rob Quest from the Odd Squad did a few tracks, and I did a track myself. A lot of people sent me a few beats here and there and it really worked out, but for the most part it was pretty much in house like the rest of the albums.

thaFormula.com - Are you the type that will just take the beat man and arrange it and produce it like you want it?

Devin The Dude - Pretty much, or we will start from scratch. Coughee Brothers you know we got the in house studios so we will bang out a few tracks here and there and we will kind of spread them around and shuffle them around like cards for different projects be it for the Coughee Brothers, Odd Squad, my solo album.

thaFormula.com - So is the new album just more of the same that we have come to expect from a Devin album or did you do anything different this time around?

Devin The Dude - I really can't tell the difference right now until people get a chance to hear it and let me know the difference 'cause I've been pretty much hearing it for the last year and its kind of hard for me to compare to the other albums. But pretty much yeah, we're having fun on there man. It's like the lighter side of what's going down. It's not too rugged or whatever. Funny topics, serious topics, and some serious topics that we try to make funny also.

thaFormula.com - How long did it take you to put the new album together?

Devin The Dude - I usually try to get like 30 to 35 songs together and pick out of those and sometimes it takes a little bit more then that, so whenever there is a solid 15 or so songs I feel more comfortable with putting it out.

thaFormula.com - Now you guys have recently dropped a Coughee Brothers mix tape right?

Devin The Dude - Yeah, we have a collectors edition that you can get on www.myspace.com/devinthedude and we're having a new album coming out also hopefully shortly after my solo album is out and its called "Waiting Our Turn."

thaFormula.com - Are you in the studio for your whole recording process for your albums including the mixing and engineering and all that?

Devin The Dude - From the rooter to the tooter, from top to bottom man. Yeah I like to have a part in all that man from start to finish there is nothing like being in the studio and making sure everything is kind of cool and to your liking because once its out in the stores man, its a little bit too late to change things..

thaFormula.com - Is the mixing and engineering as important to you as the production?

Devin The Dude - Man its so important. When we work on the bass I will go to the corner of a room and sit down to see how much bass is needed or if we need to take some out. We will go to another room and hear it louder.

thaFormula.com - I always been impressed with the way you use your voice in your music. Is that something that you learned over time and do you constantly learn new things that you can do with your voice on record?

Devin The Dude - Well I always been amazed with the different kind of styles and different voices that people have as far as when you hear a Marvin Gaye, you say "oh that's Marvin," or when you hear a Luther Vandross song its like "that's Luther." When you hear certain people, it's no doubt that that's them and I always wanted to have that type of effect if I ever got a chance to do music.

thaFormula.com - After hearing the "Zeldar" intro on your "Just Trying to Live" album I got to ask you, were you really big on the "Coneheads?"

Devin The Dude - (Laughs) Know what, I remember them back in the day and then when I finally saw the movie again I said damn his name is Zeldar. I was like oh shit!

thaFormula.com - So that's not where you had actually got that?

Devin The Dude - No, we used to say that a long time ago when we would get high. When everything gets quiet and everybody knows that everybody is high, we would be like, "my name is Zeldar." (laughs). Originally I was gonna record a song it was called "Killa" like "smokin' killa" and that was the name of the song and when we went in there to do the hook, somebody from the previous night had the effect module or some type of effects on the mic and it had that little crazy effect and it just took me back to Zeldar. While the beat was playing, I just started free styling and DJ Domination was engineering at the time and was saying "keep going so we can get a good level on it first." I didn't know he was recording it. When he finished recording he was like "man that's it" and I was like "nah we got to do the hook" and everybody else was like "man that's it!"

thaFormula.com - Do you spend most of your time in the studio recording or only when you're feeling it?

Devin The Dude - I do it in spurts man. Sometimes it will be a whole song at one time, sometimes I will think of a line or two and try to remember it and maybe it will spring up something later and well for the most part the music kind of guides me or the melody kind of guides me to say whatever it is I say on the hook or the first few words or whatever and for the most part its like that when the music guides me.

thaFormula.com - Do you feel that your writing has improved over the years and has there ever been a point where you felt you hit your peak as a writer?

Devin The Dude - As far as arranging songs and writing like brainstorming and really trying to have a thought out process of writing it got a little better I guess, but as far as peaking not at all. I feel I can do better, even if it's something that's out already. After it hits the stores, I will hear a verse and say "man I could have said this instead of that, I could have changed this instead." So I'm kind of picky about that, but no I don't think I have peaked. If I ever feel that way there is pretty much nothing to work for.

thaFormula.com - Who has been someone that really inspired you writing wise?

Devin The Dude - T L Rock hands down to me man. Rakim was great too man, but for me I guess it would be T La Rock.

thaFormula.com - And as far as current rappers go?

Devin The Dude - Nas, Jay-Z, and man Black Thought. They really put it down lyrically man.

thaFormula.com - Do you feel that for what you have put into the game, you have got back what you deserve?

Devin The Dude - Well not really man and that's just to let me know that I still got work to do. Maybe there is a bigger pot at the end or whatever. I don't know exactly what kind of amount it is that I feel that I deserve. All I know is that I am really true to it and I try to do the best that I can. I put my best foot forward and every effort for every project. I mean I got so much from it other than finance. I can't even compare it to any kind of money. I guess I feel that the money thing will come around in due time if I continue to work and pray that I will receive the things and maybe the financials that come with it.

thaFormula.com - What do you feel is the first rule to live by for anyone trying to get into this industry? What should a person be ready for?

Devin The Dude - To be able to accept constructive criticism. Because it's a lot of heartbreaks, a lot of ups and downs and stuff like that. A lot of times you think something is hot and its not or you think you're doing something cool and its not cool and you don't really listen or you don't pay attention on what effect it has on other people so when they give you some type of advice or let you know that "hey that don't sound too cool" or "you might be able to do better" and just to be able to accept it and try to work with it and just keep pushing.

thaFormula.com - As an artist, who is the first person you should hire when getting down to the business aspect of the game?

Devin The Dude - A lawyer (laughs). Nah, not necessarily man, but that would be cool to have at first but just a cool production team that's like family.

thaFormula.com - As far as a manager goes, how important is that to your career and how important has Rico been to your career?

Devin The Dude - Oh man, a manager is very important man. There is no way that any artist that is out there grinding and grinding and getting calls can handle everything on the business side of it. A manager can kind of weed through the B.S. and weed through this or that and get everything hooked up as far as transportation and all the paperwork and stuff too. So it has to be somebody you really trust. Rico has been helping me out since uh, the first day he became a road manager actually was when I got the call from Dre. Rico had called me and gave me the news and we was going back and forth with the details and he flew out there with me and it was kind of on since then.

thaFormula.com - So is it best to have a manager from the very beginning?

Devin The Dude - It would be best to have one from the beginning because you kind of form a relationship with a manager. It has to be something that pretty much feels like its gonna last anyway.

thaFormula.com - Your biggest disappointment in the industry has been what?

Devin The Dude - My royalty check I guess (Laughs). We was upset for a while man. It was like basically doing music for ourselves man. We had really, really high hopes man. We was young in the game, it was our first album and we thought we was just gonna really, really do it big man. They had high hopes at the office for us and it was real cool, but we didn't sell as many records as we thought we would and we didn't really recoup and we didn't really just know the game and how it works and it kind of disappointed us. After that we realized music never stops.

thaFormula.com - So break down when the album drops and all the info the readers need to know?

Devin The Dude - The album drops March 20th on Rap-A-Lot records. It's entitled "Waiting to Inhale" and we've been working hard on it. I appreciate everything and all the fans and everybody that have been giving us a listen over the year's man. We're gonna try and make sure it sounds good to you.

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