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THAFORMULA.COM - Now Shug you dropped a couple of singles and many cameos, what's the delay?

Big Shug - Well all those songs like "Crush" and shit like that, all those songs were all freestyles. 'Cause in the beginning that's how I really learned how to rap. I wasn't really writing that much just more or less coming off of the head. But I found it to be easier once I started writing, and its time to flood them now.

THAFORMULA.COM - So what's been the main delay with your LP?

Big Shug - Well the first album was on Payday and we were moving right along and then Payday closed out. So then Polygram picked the situation up and we were getting ready to come out on Polygram. Then Polygram closed out their rap division. So meanwhile I had some shit on the table with Def Jam and I went to the meeting, flew in and everything, it was all peace. But then Kevin Lyle up there backed out, but then he came back in and basically just gave us a deal on the table and me and Premier were like "fuck that," because he kind of bullshitted us with some things he was saying. He was telling us he was gonna do mad shit and didn't do it, but then he came back with a deal. But it was like the working relationship would have been wack. I probably would have tore his fat ass up in the long run. So it ain't even worth that so we basically put Teflon on to that and that's how Teflon got on Def Jam. Then Koch came to the table and they were like "yo we wanna do this thing, blah blah blah." They kept calling and had the contract and everything ready to go but then they flipped the script. So it's just been a lot of bullshit one after another. But what we have now is Gangstarr Productions about to strike something up and I'll most likely be the first artist to come out of whatever that situation is. But definitely this year you will be hearing something. Probably just a couple of singles first and then we will be dropping that album.

Guru - We got a demo we been sittin' on for over a year called "Counter Punch." He's got about 8 sure shot bangers on there.

Big Shug - You could get frustrated, and at times you do, but you know I have other things in my life like my children most of all that keep me motivated and keep me stronger about things. Being a father is most important. I know this Hip-Hop shit is gonna come through for me because the hunger and desire is there. Plus year after year after year, the same amount of people are still like "damn we still waiting for your shit," and not just at shows but at malls and shit like that. So that's what keeps you banging too because I'll go to Europe or whatever and they will be like "yo what's up with the album Shug?" Plus with Gangstarr and the vehicles that we have, it still has enabled me to keep me out there. You know like I did the Ill Kid joint with him. We had the Jazmatazz shit too so people still be hearing me. The "The Jig is Up," which was a song that wasn't even released but somebody had pressed it up from a tape. Overseas they got a whole bunch of them shits and that was a hot ass joint but it wasn't meant to come out like that. Plus people are still going to the Internet and looking me up 'cause people tell me this shit. When the shit comes out people will see that with me nothing has become dated and my style is still ever flowin', so it's the hunger that's still there. Me and my man Guru, we've been rappin' for a long time and we still have the "Jones" so to speak. What I mean by that is a lot of veteran rappers make the mistake and try to think that they got to rhyme like other muthafuckas about guns and shit and whatever. But what I'm saying is you're style, you're delivery, you're aggressiveness, word play, wittiness, that shit has to stay up to par. Not that "oh shit I used to drop mad knowledge for the last decade, but know I'm blasting the shit out of muthafuckas." Some do get caught up like that.

Guru - Some go from trying to be a lyrical muthafucka to trying to be a Playboy and Iced out.

Big Shug - My shit is more, "gimme my deal and let the music speak for itself 'cause I'm a multi-talented cat." It ain't all about this rappin' for me. But yo, I'm a MC for real. It ain't like I'm about "lets start an image for me," or whatever. When I meet people they are scared to death. After I meet them they cool. Even fans, when I see them they be whispering to each other like "yo there goes Shug right there."

Guru - That's what I was trying to say earlier! They wouldn't go up to Big Shug and ask him the stupid shit that they will ask me, so don't ask me that stupid shit no more.

THAFORMULA.COM - So when should we expect to see the album?

Big Shug - This is what it is man. These dudes are my cats. With me, we wanna structure some shit like, I'm a family dude. I got 3 kids. That's why you know when I get some shit, its gotta be a deal where it's like "okay lets work this shit out to where I got money in my pocket." I got two kids that live with their moms and I have another young kid that's with me. So you can't just do that bullshit just for the sake of throwing music out because for me it's a business, and its music and it's my livelihood. So you know it's been frustrating but now I see the light through the forest. I see shit right now. For a minute I didn't see 'cause so much drama was happening like Gordon's father died and my father died, and all this shit is happening. Lying ass A&R's and Presidents and shit, where they be too scared in front of me to really spit that so they wait for you to fucking leave. The whole industry is still pussy like that. Its 'cause they're so fucking fake that when a real dude like me comes in and I look at muthafuckaz eye to eye then I be kickin' it to them because they're so fake there scared as shit. You would be surprised man. Some of these top artists be talked to like bitches. But then they see a muthafucka like me and they like, "oh we ain't gonna talk to him like that." I'll probably slap the shit out of somebody if they did that to me. Most of these A&R dudes are some fat muthafuckas that are trying to be cool and shit. These guys are dudes that went to college for 4 years, probably had a silver spoon in they mouth and all that shit, and now that you got somewhere that you always wanted to be, you wanna be a thug. So you got that position and you buggin' rubbin' shoulders with the artists…the majority in this business, the top cats, are not really real cats. It's important to be a real cat, and when I say real I don't mean you gonna smack muthafuckas up and shooting and all that, I don't mean that, I mean just being real and true with yourself. Just being a true person not talking that bullshit. I'll be humble on the right shit but not humble on no ass kissin' shit, or getting' dicked on that bullshit. So you know it took me a little longer. It's been 7 years since "Crush" came out. But the 7th year is the last one.

Guru - That's why I say, if we don't eat, ain't nobody eating!

(Editor's Note: After completing this interview, we sat down with Guru after the release of "The Owners" to speak on how the album did and what's next for Gangstarr.)

THAFORMULA.COM - So how did everything turn out with the album man?

Guru - We're happy about the album. We're touring and making moves. We're working every week and eating. Everybody likes the album. All the real muthafuckas like it. It's just lacking radio play 'cause again we have always been on labels that have a personnel change going on at the time we release our shit and nobody was doing radio promo on East Coast radio. We tried to get some independents hired and they got their checks late and all kind of shit. So it's just a question of like, in a way we feel kinda like were guinea pigs for them to try to establish an urban radio department. Like they are using us for whatever their next ventures are after Gangstarr, which is wack. But at the same time, there is a lot of groups from our era that ain't even got a record deal. So to have a record deal I'm grateful, I'm appreciative, I'm just saying we know the next move is not gonna be staying around there. We're gonna bounce to a better home. But as far as this album, we're gonna make the best of it. We got the new single "Owners" out and we're gonna shoot videos to both with our own money so look out for that.

THAFORMULA.COM - What do you think of the reviews you have gotten for the album?

Guru - I liked the review in the Source, they gave us 4 mics. Maybe it should have been 41/2 but we're happy with 4 mics. Fuck, that shows that XXL didn't know what the fuck they were talkin' about. I'm not mad about it. It's just that that review was done after hearing 5 songs, unmixed, and there are 17 songs on the album. Again, that was the label pushing to get that lead review, you know that lead review with the first picture that's bigger then all the other reviews? They wanted us to have that instead of waiting 'till the shit was almost done and then getting a review. That chick was buggin', but it's all good 'cause we will see her again and we'll be very polite. I'm so past all that bullshit. I just don't understand cats that be hating that can't do this music and ain't from the hood or nothing and try to comment, and then they run back up in their little spot. Come on man, that ain't real. Gangstarr represents 3 things. Street knowledge, Intellect, and spirituality. That's a survival package for today's world. 

THAFORMULA.COM - No doubt...

Guru - And don't hate on Tha Formula.Com, 'cause Tha Formula.Com is the most accurate shit that's going on right now in the internet. Accurate interviews, no fucking propaganda, no extra shit thrown in just to try and get attention.  What's that about? If your gonna say you're Hip-Hop…like Primo said, you got to at least be able to name 5 groups between '79 and '85. If you can't, then you ain't Hip-Hop, and if you're gonna call yourself ALL these names, anything with HIPHOP in it, then be right and exact. Don't promote rumors and all that crazy shit. Get the real story man and don't promote no divide and conquer shit, animosity amongst people, or stir up old beefs and dumb shit. That's wack, and people that do that, they know who they are so stop doing that kiddy shit. Niggaz is grown men. Come on, one phone call and that will be shut down so just stop playing, it's too late in the game to be playing around.

THAFORMULA.COM - So how is the Shug shit coming now?

Guru - Big up to him. Look out for his shit 'cause its coming. He's got the first single called "Counter Punch." We got a deal going down. I can't say the label yet 'cause I don't wanna jinx it. Because every time he's had a deal the label folded. Payday, he was gonna do an album with them and they folded, then he had another deal at Koch through another label and they folded. Look out also for Forbidden, that shit is sick. Haystaxx also.

THAFORMULA.COM - So you had told me that you're shopping some albums right now, what exactly are you shopping?

Guru - Right now I'm shopping Shug but that's almost done. We're shopping Forbidden, and then Premier is working on a distribution deal for Year Round. He's got NYG'z and Black Poet. Then with Ill Kid, I got Krumbsnatcha, the new mix CD "Hate Me More" featuring The Wolves and hosted by myself and DJ Deadeye (It also features 2 bangin' unreleased tracks produced by Pete Rock & DJ Lord Ron). We got also the Krumbsnatcha classics mix tape with "Closer to God," "Make 'Em Pay," "Incredible," an unreleased joint, a joint with Teflon and more. I'm also shoppin' Bald Head Slick, Jazzmatazz and see…all of this is either gonna go as one big entertainment thing or separate deals depending on what happens first. I got the Bald Head Slick shit, I got Guru Presents. Those are two different compilations coming. Premier gots his Premier compilation on Terror Squad/Atlantic. He's gonna have everybody from myself to 50 Cent, to DMX, to Nas and Jay Z. That's gonna be sick. We also have Jazzmatazz I'm shopping and having some meetings with a lot of great labels for that. We're like free agents. Gangstarr will also be free agents in a minute.

THAFORMULA.COM - So your open right now to hearing from any major or independents interested?

Guru - Yeah or any investors.

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