ThaFormula.com - The first time I came across you guys was on the first "Soul Assassins" LP, how did you hook up with Muggs and the Soul Assassins?

Godfather - That's my people's. I met them through Mobb Deep when they was doing the first Soul Assassins album. Mobb Deep was there doin’ some tracks. We let him hear a song or two and he just liked us from there. He was like, you all can get on my album if you all want and we just rode it out from there.

ThaFormula.com -  How was it getting to work with someone like Muggs?

Godfather - That's like working with a legend you know what I'm sayin’? It was fuckin’ beautiful. That's all a nigga dreamed of comin’ up. That's like a group that's been around for so long. It's like Cypress Hill has been around from day one, so working with them was like a dream come true you know what I mean.

ThaFormula.com - How did this Infamous Mobb come about?

Godfather - Well Infamous Mobb had been formed, it's just we was never full throttle on this rap shit. It wasn't always about rap. We was just part of Havoc and P, but we was The Infamous and that's how they got the title for the second album. It was so strong that they kept it and put it as part of their name and made it the Infamous Mobb Deep. If you notice from the beginning it was just Mobb Deep until they dropped the Infamous, then they started saying the Infamous Mobb Deep. Also on the second album you can see us in the picture. We’ve been there since day one. We all lived on the same block and grew up together since day one and we still here.

ThaFormula.com - So what's the production like on this album?

Godfather - Alright well we got Havoc, he's one of our main producers. Also, Alchemist, that's my fuckin’ brother you know. We also got inside producers. People we know. V.I.C. from the Beatnuts did a beat for us and then we got Muggs. We just fuck with family right now to let everybody we can hold it down. We all got solo songs on the album. We did our solo songs to let them know we can hold it down for dolo and all that good shit.

ThaFormula.com - You got any guest MC's on this album?

Godfather - Yeah, we got Havoc & P. We got Noyd, Timex, and all up and coming new muthafuckas, besides Havoc, Noyd, and Prodigy.

ThaFormula.com - Do you guys have any plan on getting caught up in all this drama that has been going on or is that something you rather not even get into?

Godfather - I mean we been caught up from day one. It ain't nothing new.

ThaFormula.com - When someone like Jay-Z steps to Mobb Deep are they steppin ’ to the whole crew including The Infamous Mobb?

Godfather - Of course I'm gonna feel some type of feelings towards it, but we all grown men. Them 2 dudes are doing their thing you know what I'm sayin ’. When the time calls for it, we will be heard. But otherwise were just trying to handle business and keep ourselves focused. Trying to make something happen as far as independently.

ThaFormula.com - How did you get hooked up with Landspeed?

Godfather - We been dealin’ with Landspped for like a year and a half now. Since right before we lost our deal with Virgin. We just wasn't feelin’ what they was talkin’ about at the time. They wasn't talkin’ the right numbers so we shit them down.

ThaFormula.com - So you guys were on Virgin before?

Godfather - Yeah, we was on Virgin before but they dropped us.

ThaFormula.com - Did this happen when Virgin started cleaning up house?

Godfather - Nah, it happened a little before that. We had a little fallin’ out. We wasn't makin’ the music that they required. They was lookin for more of a pop sound or some shit like that and we wasn't tying to change for them. They wanted to change our shit. They were shittin’ on us. I'll say it like this, for every album sold on Virgin we get $1.60 split 3 ways, and we took it cause it was a major. It was a big name, and once opportunity knocks, you got to take it cause ain't no tellin’ when it's gonna knock again. So therefore we jumped on the situation and got as much as we can from it and ran with it. They wasn't feelin’ the long run so they released us, but really we released them and just went our separate ways and here we are now with this album "Special Edition."

ThaFormula.com - So with Landspeed the numbers are good? You’re happy with what's going on there?

Godfather - Oh, for sure. Definitely. We wouldn't have went along with the deal if we wasn't happy, know what I'm sayin? We getting’ a hell of a different cut.

ThaFormula.com - So, is the album is complete and ready to roll?

Godfather - The album is complete. 16 songs. One bonus song and we ready to ride March 26th 2002. It's the Infamous Mobb presents "Special Edition."

ThaFormula.com - What's up with the name “Special Edition?" How did tha name come about?

Godfather - Because that's what it is man, it's a Special Edition and something that was well waited for, and plus we did a song called "Special Edition" that Alchemist produced and shit was just crazy so you know we just ran with it.

ThaFormula.com - How many tracks did Alchemist do on the album?

Godfather - Alchemist did 7 tracks on the album because that's our homie and like our main producer. Him and Havoc are our 2 main producers.

ThaFormula.com - What did Muggs lay down for the album?

Godfather - Muggs did one track.

ThaFormula.com - How come Muggs don't do more tracks on the album?

Godfather - The track that we got from Muggs was the same track that was on the Soul Assassins 2 LP. The reason why we did that was because we felt that everybody that was supposed to hear that didn't hear it. It could have got out there a little more than what it got out there, so therefore we decided to use it again and just try to give it that extra edge.

ThaFormula.com - Muggs’ 2nd Lp was really slept on and didn't get the publicity or sales it deserved. Why do you think people ain't feelin’ real hip-hop much anymore man?

Godfather - Yeah, I know man. It's like an illusion son.

ThaFormula.com - For second I thought my taste in music was going bad..

Godfather - Yeah, me too. I thought I was fuckin’ up. But the people out there are blinded by the material things man. Ain't nobody paying attention to what’s real because they think all that bling-bling shit is real. They fucked up right now in the head. Somebody has got to bring them back down to earth and show them where we at.

ThaFormula.com - So now that your independent and you are getting a bigger piece of the pie now, what will make you guys happy as far as the album is concerned?

Godfather - We take what we deserve, you know what I’m sayin’? Whatever God blesses us with, we get. We got high expectations man, but we can't call it before it's laid out. Music is very funny now especially after the twin towers shit and all that other crazy shit. Everything went down. Everybody's sales went down. It's crazy.

ThaFormula.com - Why has the connection between Alchemist and the Mobb always been so tight?

Godfather - I don't know man. We just family man. Alchemist came out of nowhere son. He our brother son. He came from the heavens. The gods ent him son and now he's part of us forever man. He's my brother and I love him to death.

ThaFormula.com - So will you guys be droppin’ any solo albums after the Infamous album?

Godfather - Nah, we got the next Infamous album coming out hopefully before the year's out. We are ten songs deep into our next shit right now. Once this album drops and we get some numbers on it, somebody major pick us up and we ride from there.

ThaFormula.com - So you guys are still lookin’ for a major to pick you up again?

Godfather - Well, we want a major, but just for distribution. It's gonna come out through our own shit still. It's gonna be IM3 records but we need major distribution, or if Landspeed wanna renegotiate the contracts depending on the sales or whatever you know.

ThaFormula.com - Do you see as independent the only way to go to keep full creative control of your project?

Godfather - Nah, I don't see independent as the only way to go. I see it as an opportunity. Once opportunity knocks, you gotta take what you can get because opportunity ain't gonna knock forever yo. There ain't no tellin’ when it's gonna knock again. If it knock on the door you gotta answer the door because it ain't guaranteed it's gonna knock again. Opportunity is a muthafucka and a lot of people miss out yo. Like for instance, Prodigy and Havoc. When they first signed, they signed for 60,000 or some shit like that. That ain't no money, but they dropped the Infamous album, it went gold so they had to renegotiate. That's when they got they’re bonus. They didn't worry about it from the door. They took the opportunity and ran with it until they proved themselves. When you take a deal like that and you go gold, they gotta renegotiate your contract, they gotta rewrite your contract.

ThaFormula.com - Does it make it a lot harder money wise when it's a group?

Godfather - Hell nah man. It's just good to see everybody eatin’. We all got kids, brothers and sisters and were hoping that this can do something for us. I know it is because our shit is so raw. It's straight from the heart and ain't no music better then that.

ThaFormula.com - Why weren't you guys on the 41st side compilation?

Godfather - It wasn't the right time for us man. We were concentrating on our own shit and we didn't really try to get involved.

ThaFormula.com - What would you say is the explanation and reason for all the drama going on between QB artists and all the other shit?

Godfather - Because we the fuckin’ illest dunn. Back in the fuckin’ days we were the illest. We got LL, Mobb Deep, and Nas. Nas is the illest and Nas crushed Jay-Z son. He destroyed that man's career son, and then Jay-Z wanna talk about his daughter. Come on dude.

ThaFormula.com - Do you think Jay -Z started going downhill after Ether?

Godfather - Yeah after Ether, but soon as he opened his mouth and started talkin about his daughter, he brought himself down to the lowest level possible. Ain't no coming back from that. Word! I'll piss on that nigga! Fuck that nigga! Word! He don't get no respect from me whatsoever. He ain't no man.

ThaFormula.com - Is the beef over, only on wax, or on on sight?

Godfather - It could go anyway, you know what I'm sayin’. However niggas choose it. I mean I think it would be better if it just stayed on wax because don't nobody wanna get bodied for this rap shit. But then you have niggas like Jay talkin’ about niggas babies and dummy shit that make you feel like just peelin’ a niggas head off. That ain't got nothin to do with rap. What does that got to do with rap? I got 2 daughters myself son. I don't wanna talk about nobodies daughter! That's some baby shit.

ThaFormula.com - Why do you think Nas came out with the track "Destroy and Rebuild"?

Godfather - Because it's time to destroy and rebuild. That's what he feels in his heart and he's gonna speak it.

ThaFormula.com - So when you heard the song, did you agree with it?

Godfather - I didn't agree completely because there is 2 sides to every story. I'm in the hood everyday and there is 2 sides to every story. I ain't trying to shit on nobody. I ain't trying to put anybody on front street, but there is 2 sides to every story.

ThaFormula.com - As far as with Prodigy and Nas, everything is cool right?

Godfather - Love is love, you know that. That's my dunn, mosquito. We call Nas mosquito. That's our little thing we got from back in the days and shit with Ill Will, all my peoples and shit.

ThaFormula.com - Is there anything you wanna say to the people reading this interview?

Godfather - Fuck y'all!! (Laughs) Nah man, I love all you, all word! I wanna tell everybody to look out for the album Special edition. We the Infamous Mobb, QB city, Queensbridge I love you to death. All my muthafuckas in the west. Muthafuckas getting that paper all over the world. I thank you for getting’ me this interview and shit like that.

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