Features

ThaFormula.Com - How did you get hooked up with "Menace II Society" and end up with another hit single?   

MC Eiht - Well the Hughes Brothers, once again local town niggaz livin' in Pomona knew about Eiht.  I was on my third album so they had seen videos and knew about me.  So for them to film a West Coast movie, they wanted to use characters from tha West Coast to fill out tha part and originally my part was for MC Ren and I guess he couldn't pull it off and that's when they me in.  I read for tha part.  They called me in again and I read again.  From there, bingo they gave me tha part.  Then from doing tha movie and being on tha set everyday and going through tha experience and already knowing what tha movie was about, it was easy for me to come up with tha song.

ThaFormula.Com - Did you get offered any more movie roles after that?

MC Eiht - Not really.  After that I got offered a few movie roles, but I guess tha people still wasn't ready for me.  I mean I got offered tha role in Money Talks with Chris Tucker and Charlie Sheen.  I got offered a part in a Rodney Dangerfield movie but I turned that down.  I turned down basically about four roles because they didn't fit what I was doing.  I didn't wanna stray from tha character or tha real life situations I played in Menace.  I didn't wanna start doing comedy shit!  I didn't wanna transition into that at tha time.  Even though acting is acting and that's all you doing, I just still didn't wanna transition into that other role so I turned down alot of movies.  It was all good though because I got alot of soundtracks.  

ThaFormula.Com - Next up you came with MC Eiht Ft. CMW.  "We Come Strapped" was very different then tha past CMW albums in that it was less samples and more original music right?

MC Eiht - Right, that was more original production. That's when everybody started talking about tha sampling and what everybody was using.  So basically, I just sat down and we just played most of tha shit.  Niggaz smoked some blunts, kicked back, let tha shit come to him and just jumped on tha keyboard and started playing shit.  Slip was already musically inclined, so basically it was perfect.

ThaFormula.Com - It was definitely a whole new sound for hip hop.  You guys seemed to have jumped on tha heavy keyboard production way before most were doing it.

MC Eiht - Right.  We was like fuck sampling.  Let's just start playing our shit.  Now you know alot of niggaz play they shit now.  But back then, alot of niggaz wasn't doing it.

ThaFormula.Com - What made you decide to go solo after tha CMW albums?

MC Eiht - Basically, tha transition of doing Menace II Society and doing tha song for tha movie made tha company feel like more people was ready to accept MC Eiht then CMW.  So it was a decision to name tha record MC Eiht Ft. CMW, so we could broaden tha horizon for MC Eiht more.  People were comfortable with MC Eiht from Menace II Society and you know I did alot of press and alot of touring.  So everything was MC Eiht. It was never CMW which I question alot, but you know how companies do it.  They always try to find an angle to work another gimmick and that's what they did.

ThaFormula.Com - How did tha rest of tha group feel about that?

MC Eiht - Tha rest of tha niggaz was cool because I still incorporated them in tha record.  Basically it was tha same thing except that name switched.  We was all still there and people excepted it.  Then it became 2 different entities and then we can run with that to because now, we can do a CMW record and then MC Eiht can do a solo album.  Just like with Eazy and NWA back in tha day.  How Eazy did solo records and then he still did group records with NWA. 

ThaFormula.Com - After that you came with "Death Threatz" and "Last Man Standing."  What made you break from Epic records after that?

MC Eiht - Basically "Death Threatz" was on it's way to becoming another good record, but political shit within tha company forced them to pull tha record off of tha shelves because of some dispute they got into with tha retailers.  So they basically killed my project at about 300,000 copies.  It kind of really pissed me off because I didn't understand what happened.  They was telling me there was a problem with tha record in that there was a scratch in tha record or something.  There was no scratch in tha record though.  Basically they had offered tha retailers a deal and when tha record got to flying off of tha shelves, they wanted to kill tha deal and take it back up to tha regular price.  Tha retailers didn't wanna pay it because they had wanted that deal that Sony offered.  So you know tha record got sabotaged.  Epic didn't wanna restock non of tha retailers because tha retailers wanted it at tha same price and Epic didn't wanna give it to them at that price.  So nobody reordered and it basically killed tha record.  So "Last Man Standing" was just a free kick to them because I was so frustrated with them and wanted to be off of tha label.  They came with tha 1.5 million deal right after "We Come Strapped."  Basically I was on my last 2 albums and coming off of a platinum album, they wanted to resign me for 5 more albums.  I wasn't going for that though. Fucking with a company who I felt didn't treat me right my whole career that I was over there and now that I get a platinum record off of tha success of a movie which they didn't have shit to do with.  In fact, if it wasn't for Menace I would be in tha same position.  So I didn't feel like they deserved more records.  I didn't give a fuck how much money they was offering and I was a young cat back then in '95.  Offering a nigga a million and a half dollars, any nigga would have jumped on it, but I didn't. I just knew that there was better shit down tha road.  I didn't wanna be one of those you know, just take tha money and run niggaz.  So I refused to sign tha contract, therefore tha last 2 records didn't do shit.  So I said fuck it and was ready to move on.  

ThaFormula.Com - So what did you do from there?

NC Eiht - So I signed a deal with Big Beat Atlantic but I never put a record out over there.  Now I did a record on my group NOTR and we had did a whole album and video for them.  But they never released tha record because at tha time Time Warner was coming under fire for all tha bitches and hoes and fuck tha police shit in gangsta rap.  So that's when Time Warner was threatening to pull Interscope's distribution.  They even dropped Death Row.  So when Interscope got dropped, Atlantic got scared and they didn't wanna do anything that represented tha streets.  But I had signed a production deal with them for my solo albums, CMW albums and another group album.  I had tha lives of like seven niggaz in my hands and for them to sit up a whole year and wait on this money and wait to get in tha game, just to hear them go well we are not gonna fuck with y'all because we don't wanna fuck with gangsta rap, it really destroyed everything.  It kind of fucked up shit with me because if that was tha case, I could have took tha money from Epic and said fuck it!  But I'm thinkin' shit is gonna be greater down tha line.  I get with Big Beat and they straight fuck a nigga.  They didn't even want a nigga to get busy.  They wanted to bring in other niggaz to produce my tracks.  But it was all good. They didn't respect my gangsta, they didn't respect what I was doing.  They wanted to transform me into a showpiece.  They wanted me to do collabos with girls.  They wanted me to do songs about being in tha club chillin' and all that shit.  But I wasn't with that shit so my deal got dropped.  But it's cool because now they are over there thugged out.  You got Fat Joe, Trick Daddy, Twista.  It's cool to be a thug now.

ThaFormula.Com - How do you look at things now when you see all these "Gangsta Rappers" coming out of tha East Coast now?

MC Eiht - It's funny because tha East Coast picketed gangsta rap.  They picketed tha shit so hard.  It was a gimmick to them.  They would say all them niggaz do is talk about shooting each other up and wearing colors and shit.  But it's so funny now cause in New York niggaz is gang bangin'.  Niggaz is bloodin' in New York.  Look at tha Dip Set.  They claiming that they bloods.  They are wearing red rags and fucking with Game from Compton who is a blood and throwin' up B's and all that shit and that shit is crazy.  I mean we couldn't do that shit back then.  They laughed at us for that and it's so funny because you go back 7 or 10 years ago and they was laughing at us.  But see tha niggaz that is doing it right now, them niggaz are kids.  Niggaz like 50 Cent, Lloyd, Jim Jones, Camron.  Camron back then was  straight "Horse & Carriage."  It was about girls butt naked in tha pool, but now it's about wearing rags and I'm from tha hood and from tha block.  It was a gimmick.  Them niggaz was watching us do that shit and was getting fascinated.  So when they got old enough to see that being a hood nigga was tha shit, now they turn around and go nigga we from tha hood.  What hood though?  Brooklyn is not a hood.  Harlem is not a hood.  Since when has Harlem been tha hood.  It's rough out there.  I been there.  Walked up and down 125th and all through Harlem, through Brooklyn.  I've caught tha train, walked and all that shit.  I mean I been in tha projects no doubt.  But niggaz never called they shit tha hood.  But it's open season now.  I mean I respect Shyne.  Fat Joe and them been hood niggaz to me.  Capone & Noreaga and you know there is alot of niggaz that are in New York that's hood.  But there wasn't so many niggaz who glorified that was gettin' on.  Niggaz didn't get on by sayin' we pop niggaz and we bang and we from this and that.  Niggaz didn't get on in New York like that, but you know I guess niggaz was tired of hearing Ja Rule singing and shit.  It took one nigga to come in and say fuck that shit, this is how we gonna be.  We gonna wear tats and bullet proof vests and talk about how we slang on tha block and how I chill with crips & bloods.  Then bingo, they sell 6 million records.

ThaFormula.Com - Is watching this what made you decide to come back in tha game?

MC Eiht - Definitely.  Just seeing omens and signs you know.  I would be sitting at home and a nigga will mention me in his interview or I would be reading a magazine and a nigga would mention me in an interview.  I'll be watching a video channel and get mentioned again.  You know I was just seeing signs and then all this shit that niggaz is doing is West Coast shit.  Tha beats, tha slang, tattoos, bulletproof vests.  All that shit is West Coast.  So from that I just said it's time to get back in tha game significant because they are doing our shit and they getting way more recognition off of tha shit.  Recognize where you got that shit from.

ThaFormula.Com - How long ago did you decide on this man?

MC Eiht - About 2 years ago.  Basically, I just been in tha streets for tha last 2 years.  I had to come up out tha house and go back to tha streets and just hang out with niggaz all day in tha backyards, frontyards with tha pit bulls, blowing blunts on tha corner.  You know just chillin' and ridin' through tha neighborhoods hangin' out at tha lowrider contests and just dippin' and fuckin with hood rats. I had to get back into that element because if you ain't in that element, then your whole game gonna be different.  You will be sitting talking about, yeah I chilled in a big house all day getting my feet wet in tha pool and all that shit.  I ain't on that aspect.  I'm gonna tell niggaz what's really going on in tha streets still.  You have to experience what goes on in tha streets for you to be able to communicate with tha niggaz on that level.  I ain't trying to reach tha muthafuckaz that is doing good and know what's up.  I'm trying to reach tha muthafuckaz that struggling to get there, so that's what it's about.

ThaFormula.Com - So with tha new album "Veterans Day" you hooked back up with Chill right?

MC Eiht - Yeah, Chill was trying his hand on production.  You know he did some tracks for Snoop.  So we just got down together and basically just a 2 man team because I didn't wanna be running all across town and across states trying to put this record together.  I wanted it to be a simple nice early rendition of CMW.  Also Chill been fucking with me for so long so he knows what I get down to.  It was just a good collaboration.

ThaFormula.Com - Now one of tha questions that people ask all tha time is what exactly went down between you and DJ Quik and how serious did that beef really get?

MC Eiht - That was some real shit.

ThaFormula.Com - Alot of people always wonder how that beef finally ended up being squashed?

MC Eiht - Basically we was bumpin' heads in different places and then some shit happened one night at a club.  A few of my homies got into it with some of his homies and shit got real violent.  So from there I guess it was just always a mutual thing between camps that niggaz need to squash tha shit.  By me knowing Snoop and him fucking with Snoop, Snoop kind of like orchestrated tha shit.  He told me that he was fuckin' with Quik one night cause you know I was hangin' with Snoop alot between my Epic and Big Beat deal when I was homeless.  So I was chillin' with Snoop alot at his house working on shit cause that's when he had first started working with Master P.  So from there you know him working with Quik fucking with Death Row and everything, he was just like yeah man you know niggaz said everything is cool and whatever.  So from there they was doing some kind of BET special and they called and asked Snoop and me to be on tha show with Tavis Smiley and then they also called Quik in.  So I think that's how it was orchestrated.  So we hooked up at tha show and taped tha show and after that all tha beef was squashed and it was all good.

ThaFormula.Com - How do you look at that beef now and those tracks that you guys did on each other?

MC Eiht - I mean it was a beef.  It was significant and it wasn't no radio gimmick.  It wasn't about selling no records.  It was some real shit and it was just fortunate that niggaz didn't have to come to gunplay or nothing serious like that.  Alot of people think y'all do beefs because he don't like y'all rap style or whatever.  Quik was a Blood and I was a Crip and everybody knew that.  So basically that was one strike right there.  Then you know him trying to represent where he's from and me representing where I'm from and then we got tha voice of tha music and tha microphone behind us, so tha shit was powerful.  It was just fortunate that nothing became to serious and nobody lost their life.  Then I think with tha shit that was going on between Biggie and Pac and all tha other rap beefs that was going on, niggaz was going fuck it I wanna live to see tomorrow.  Basically that's how it got down.

ThaFormula.Com - How did you feel when you heard "Dollaz N' Sense" from Quik?

MC Eiht - He did Dollaz off of a sound track and then I did a song on "Death Threatz."  After that I was done with it.  We went back & forth for a while man.  He did his shit, I did "Def Wish", he did his shit, I did "Def Wish II", he did his shit, I did "Duck Sick", he did his shit, I did "Niggaz that Kill" & "Tap That Azz."  You know I did alot of songs.

ThaFormula.Com - You and Muggs made some classic tracks together man.  How do you feel about your work with him?

MC Eiht - I've always been a fan of Muggs since tha 7A3 days when he was in New York.  They had a song called "Coolin In Cali" and that's what sold me on Muggs back then.  Ever since then I just always followed tha niggaz music.  It was just respect.  He started working with Cypress Hill and I got down with Cypress Hill on tha "Throw Your Hands In The Air" remix with Red & Meth.  Then I did "Prelude To A Come Up" with B-Real on Tha next Cypress Hill album.  Then I got down with tha Soul Assassins album and then Muggs produced like 3 or 4 tracks on "Last man Standing" so me and Muggs was all good.  

ThaFormula.Com - You seemed to be one of tha few West Coast MC's that had perfect chemistry with most of tha top East Coast producers or tha East Coast production style in general?

MC Eiht - Yeah, I have alot of respect for tha East Coast.  I grew up on EPMD, Eric B & Rakim, Treacherous 3, Sparky D, Schooly D, Fat Boys, Kurtis Blow, Run.  That's all I listened to until Eazy and NWA came in tha picture and a nigga was making street tapes listening to Toddy Tee and Mixmaster Spade.  So you know I grew up on East Coast niggaz and all that early New York shit so I was able to make tha transition from rappin' on West Coast beats because all I used to practice to was East Coast shit.  That's why is was so easy to rap to tracks by Muggs, Pete Rock and Premier.  I grew up on that shit and know that shit.  That's why I think I get respect from alot of niggaz in New York. Even though I represent that West Coast, niggaz know I can get down with them in a heartbeat.  Wu Tang Clan called me all tha way from California just to come sit and be in their video "Can It All Be So Simple."  It's just respect from niggaz like that and you got to have that.  When you have that, then you will be all good.  If you don't have respect from niggaz you will have alot of frustration in this game.  Your gonna have alot of difficult times ahead.  Every nigga you ain't gonna like in this game but some niggaz you can say shit about and some niggaz you just have to respect and keep your mouth closed.  That's what happens.  You pick at tha right niggaz, you keep your foundations, you keep your shit cool with niggaz and you gonna make it in this game.  That's where longevity comes from.  That's why I been able to be in this game for so long.

ThaFormula.Com - So what should people expect from tha new album "Veterans Day" and what are you hoping happens with it?

MC Eiht - Well from this new album man, I'm just trying to reintroduce myself to niggaz who didn't think that real gangsta shit was still out there.  Just trying to make a significant point with this record to give niggaz a refresher course from all that bling blingin' and hip drillin' and bullshit that don't make no sense.  You know fake niggaz you know who are runnin' around claiming sets and throwing up blood signs and wearing rags when I been going to New York for tha last 12 years and never seen gang bangin' until a couple of years ago.  So this album is just to reintroduce people to somebody who is original and came from that era.  Niggaz was tellin' me man when are you gonna make a record because I'm getting so tired of hearing all this singing.  Now fake gangsterism is taking over and we just can't take it.  So that  was tha reason for me doing this record.   

ThaFormula.Com - It seems like a lost cause though man.

MC Eiht - Yeah, but I'm not gonna compromise myself and my foundation and my fans just to be something I ain't.  Just to get on MTV or TRL or get a Grammy or be at tha BET awards.  Man FUCK THAT!!  I ain't gonna compromise shit.  I rather tha niggaz who know me tell me to keep it real then some motherfucker trying to give me a check for a Sprite commercial.  I mean cause I remember when niggaz wouldn't do shit like that.  Nigga I ain't fittin' to do no Sprite commercial or no Right Guard commercial.  I know it's all about getting your bread and all, but niggaz had alot more integrity back then.  You could have never got Chuck D to do a Right Guard commercial or Sprite commercial.  Again, I understand it's about getting paid because I'm about getting paid to, but I'm not about compromising my image to muthafuckaz.  I'm not about compromising my true foundation cause muthafuckaz gonna question me.  Just like I'm representing tha streets, a muthafucka gonna question me if I come out in a movie standing next to Rodney Dangerfield looking like a clown.  They trust gonna be broken like damn, we thought Eiht was real for us.  So that's what it's about, not compromising.  Get your money and get paid and do what you gotta do, but if your on that aspect of being a real nigga, don't compromise shit.

ThaFormula.Com - So when is tha album dropping and what else you got lined up Eiht?

MC Eiht - Tha album drops September 28th.  Right now me and Chill are working on a record right now called ECMP meaning Eiht & Chill Making Paper.  We are also working on tha new CMW record.  Then I got a group called Gang Unit that I'm working on.  It's like me and a gang of niggaz.  You know one of those classic group records and you know just trying to give niggaz they shine.  So that's what I'm trying to do right now.  You know I got this distribution deal with Ryko so basically we just gonna try and blow it out, do what we can do and hopefully get some corporate backing so I can really put niggaz out there.  But right now we just trying to make a significant stand on tha independent scale starting off with my record.   Alot of niggaz will hold off for that corporate dollar instead of going independent but fuck that corporate dollar.  I'll take some change until that dollar comes because I keep stacking up that change and before you know it, you open that change box and you got alot of change.  So that's how I do it.  If somebody see me and see me doing what I'm doing and they feel like they wanna ride this wave and they wanna be a real partner and make some real money on this real West Coast, I'll introduce them to it.  Because there is other niggaz out here other then Snoop, Dre, & Cube who have significant followings.  Like Me & WC you know who have that following and are true real niggaz.  I took it back to independent because then I could stretch my wings.  I ain't gotta worry about a nigga whispering around tha corner going wow is he gonna do this or sell this much.  I'm gonna show you what I can do on my own and I'm gonna build from there.

Be  sure to join the over 500,000 Industry Heads that have signed up to our exclusive mailing list!!  Click here to join and receive exclusive interviews only available to members. Leave contact info ( name & email address) at info@thaformula.com and we will contact you to confirm your membership.