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ThaFormula.com - How did the Nod Factor album do for you?.

Mad Skillz - I mean it did pretty good and it got my name recognized.  It made people aware of me.  I felt it was a good album for the time that it came out.  Heavily East Coast influenced album but it was cool..  

ThaFormula.com - What went wrong with the album as far as the label promotion?

Mad Skillz - The album was pretty much done, we had a buzz and what happened is Junior Mafia came out.  That was a Biggie project.  Biggie had just came off of the success of Ready To Die.  That was like 3 million.  Back then it was about who puts on who.  Back then I wasn't latched on to any famous rapper.  No disrespect to Junior Mafia cause they were a good group.  So anything to get tied to Bad Boy or that street credibility was cool for Atlantic, so they started pushin that real hard and everything else just fell to the wayside.  Me, Artifacts, know what I'm sayin.  I mean I had everything covered, but it was just like all the promotion stopped cause at that time "Players Anthem" was out and buzzin and they were rushin Biggie to finish the album and you know Junior Mafia ended up sellin a million copies.

ThaFormula.com - So if it wasn't for Junior Mafia, do you feel your album would have done alot better?

Mad Skillz - Yeah, cause they didn't have anything else and I was the hottest thing they had.

ThaFormula.com - The thing that was wack was that the Nod Factor was blowin up commercially and in the underground.

Mad Skillz - It was and  we was just gettin over that hump.  Stations were adding it and right back then I didn't know about all the politics and all that other stuff that you gotta go through.  But all I knew was that I was gettin some burn and then it all just stopped and my manager at the time wasn't the type of person to take the reigns and just do what we had to do.  So it was over before it started. I mean I still get shows off of those songs.     

ThaFormula.com - You were supposed to be comin to L.A. recently with Talib.  What happened with that?

Mad Skillz - I got on tour with Xzibit, so we had to X the Kweli thing.  

ThaFormula.com - So how was touring with Xzibit?

Mad Skillz - It was crazy.  I just got my name back out there at he begining of the year.  Then X wanted me to stay on the west Coast dates because the Alkoholiks was doing the West Coast dates and he didn't have an opening act for the East Coast dates, so I was doing those and I definitely enjoyed being out on the road with them.  

ThaFormula.com - So did you end up getting drooped from the label or did you just decide to leave?

Mad Skillz - I asked for a release.  I didn't wanna be there anymore..

ThaFormula.com - So what happened with you and Timberlands label?.

Mad Skillz - Well, I was on Timbaland's label.  I just didn't really want to wait cause I signed to Timbaland's label in August of 97.  His first act was Bubba and he just came out in 2001.  I kinda felt like it was just a waiting game and Tim was just trying to get alot of his business straight so he could put out the stuff he wanted to the right way.  So I got off cause I felt I could make some other moves on my own.  So I got off and did "Ghost Writer".

ThaFormula.com - That track caught alot of people by surprise.

Mad Skillz - Yeah man, It was a good record for me.

ThaFormula.com - Does it ever bother you that 5 years later you only have one album, when someone like you should have 2 or 3 albums by now? 

Mad Skillz - It doesn't bother me cause everybody that I come across usually just ell me that I didn't get a fair shot.  If you got a fair shot, you would be out of here.  But I learned that I don't have to put an album out to survive.  I learned that I could put 2 twelve inches out a year and live cause I don't need alot and I'm not one of those flossy dudes.

ThaFormula.com - So how did you hook up with The Beatnuts on the "Nod Factor" track ?  

Mad Skillz - My A & R knew him from just workin on previous projects and it just jumped off. They gave us a beat tape and we listened to it and actually the Nod Factor was a second part of a beat.  Another beat was playing then this funny noise came on and then this other beat just came on, but he was like that's just one track.  But I was like, "I just want that part".  We worked it out and I got it for a pretty good price and the rest is history.  Psycho Les did that beat all by himself.  The Beatnuts share production, but you know Lester did that. 

ThaFormula.com - How was it workin with Les?

Mad Skillz - He was a funny dude man. He's very animated, but he's a very cool cat.

ThaFormula.com - Did you guys record anything else that didn't make the album? 

Mad Skillz - I think I might of recorded one or two songs that maybe Buckwild did that didn't make the album.     

ThaFormula.com - So how did you hook up with Eastern Conference?. 

Mad Skillz - I did "Lick The Balls" on Eastern Conference and Milo really liked that record and said we should put this joint out.  So I did it and checks started coming in cause that 12" started sellin like crazy and that's when I first realized I can do this.  I wasn't feenin for an album.  The only thing that a record company would have been able to give me back then was shoot a video. From there I dropped "Ghost writer" and then the Rawkus thing.    

ThaFormula.com - So when will people finally see a Mad Skillz album?

Mad Skillz - I could have put out a Mad Skillz album on Flavatown and sold substantially well, but it was just the fact that I'm the type of person that if I'm gonna do something, I want to do it the right way.  I didn't wanna throw an album out with no video, no nothing.

ThaFormula.com - So how are things going now?

Mad Skillz - Well my album is almost finished.  It's crazy B. It's crazy.  I got Timbaland on there.  I got Knottz on there.  I got the Neptunes.  High tek is on there twice.  I got my man fusion who did "Ghost Writer".  I got Missy on there and Musiq Soulchild.  It will definitely be a ground breaking album as far as Rawkus is concerned.    

ThaFormula.com - So how does Rawkus feel about the album?

Mad Skillz - Oh, they love it. They are going crazy right now.

ThaFormula.com - But what about the delays with albums droppin on Rawkus.  Why have Kool G Rap, Last Emperor, and albums like that been pushed back so long?

Mad Skillz - They don't have a distributor right now.  The last album they had from the distribution was the Beatminerz album.  They were distributed by Priority, so you know Priority folded, but it was kinda good for Rawkus anyways because the last album they owed Priority was The Beatminerz album.  So they were already negotiating with other labels as far as putting out there stuff.  

ThaFormula.com - But doesn't that fuck the Beatminerz up though?

Mad Skillz - It fucked the Beatminerz up anyway cause they didn't push they shit.  they didn't push The Beatminerz and they didn't push Hi - Tek either.  

ThaFormula.com - But don't you worry that that might happen with your album also?

Mad Skillz - nah, I'm confident in my album right now to where it's like, just put my shit out and I'll live off of shows.  Shoot me a video and put my shit out cause I got good records and they are not just good hip hop records.  I can't see puttin out an album on any label, if the label is not excited about the project.  If I bring you some shit and I don't see no excitement about it, then I can't expect you to be excited about pushing my shit.  that's why I felt I had to bring things to Rawkus that no one else can bring to Rawkus.  So I reached out to Timbaland, I reached out to the Neptunes.  

ThaFormula.com - Do you ever worry that reaching out to someone as commercial as Timbaland can affect you?

Mad Skillz - Not really, because Rawkus is trying to move in a different direction right now and I'm going to be a part of that movement.  I already did a record with Timbaland that came out on Rawkus, which was on the B - Side of "Ghost Writer".  Now the Rawkus fans have a tendency to alienate certain artists cause of who they might be affiliated with or what they do, and that's sad.  But I don't expect just Rawkus fans to buy my album.  I expect Mad Skillz fans to buy my album.  I expect to make new fans and I expect to get out on the road and do some touring to get my name out there.  I didn't make a backpack album.   But every song that I have and every person that I have on a song and every beat that I have on a song from a certain producer, their is a reason why it's there.  Timbaland is from VA, he's from Virginia.  The Neptunes are from Virginia and always have been.  Knottz is from Virginia.  

ThaFormula.com - So our people gonna get commercial songs or Mad Skillz songs?

Mad Skillz - They are gonna get a complete full type of album.  Like I said, I don't have a bunch of back pack records. I made those and there is a couple on there.  But I know what I gotta do.  Of course you know back pack niggaz will be like "Oh My God, he has a song with Missy Elliot".  But Missy is VA and then again I got Missy on a song, but Hi - Tek did the beat.  I put her over the most gutter's joint that we could have did.  You just have to have a reason to do what you wanna do and when you learn this game and you learn what you wanna get out this game and the way to do it, like I'm so ready to do it right now cause I know exactly what I need to do in order to eat the way I wanna eat.  

ThaFormula.com - No doubt alot of heads out there expect artists to live off of straight props?

Mad Skillz - yeah, and you can't do that cause props don't pay my bills.  To this day I love "Nod Factor", but right now is a different time and a different era, so if you expect me to come out with a "Nod Factor" in 2001, it's not gonna happen.  That's a different time and different era.  It's like everybody was saying Nas should go back and try to do "Illmatic" and that was 94.  He can't do that again man.  That's like capturing lightning in a bottle B.  And it's no disrespect to Nas cause he's a dope rappa, but it's just hard to back to that realm.  Times were different, things were different. People should let an artist grow man.  It's like if Nas made Illmatic right now today, think about the people who would buy it.  There wouldn't be alot of us buying it.  If Nas made an album like he did then, the backpackaz would run out and get it, the cats who love Primo will run out and get it, but it's not enough to feed Nas.  It's not enough to make Nas get to that next level.  Unless you really pullin down like 9 dollars a cd and you make yourself 100,000 cd's.  

ThaFormula.com - But then that would never happen cause you would not be able to afford all those producers and artists on your album?

Mad Skillz - Exactly, unless you did that whole fucken album on favors and you would still be assed out.  I'm just trying to do me.  I'm still the same mc, but I know alot more now then I did then.. 

ThaFormula.com - Who do you think will win this battle between Nas and Jay - Z.  Who do you see comin out on top?

Mad Skillz - I don't know man cause they are both murderers with the rhymes.  They both are very intelligent mc's.  I wouldn't count Nas out though.  But you can't go to war with a nigga like Jay - Z man.  Not in this industry you can't.  The way this shit is structured right now.  There is no way you can go to war with Jay - Z.  That's a muthafucka who sells gold in a week on the same day of a national tragedy.  That shit is big.  that's establishment and that's where half of these rappaz wanna be.  I know that's where I wanna be.  Think about that man.  That's power man and if you really wanna survive in this game then you wanna have power man.  Like the Canibus and LL situation.  Canibus really gave it to LL, but when LL answered back, his audience was so much bigger.  It wasn't like he blew his ass out cause Canibus is bananas dog.  He's crazy.  He is a problem, but your going at a muthafucka that's been in the game for 15 years.

ThaFormula.com - And it seems like he almost ended up finishing Canibus career?

Mad Skillz - Yeah, and who wants that.  I wouldn't totally count Canibus out, but it's a hard rope to climb cause he has nothing right now.  But also the last muthafucka that you wanna go up against now is a muthafucka that don't got shit to lose.  That's why I still believe that he's a problem.  

ThaFormula.com - Actually he just dropped a new album and I gotta say it's a very strange album?

Mad Skillz - I heard it's pretty weird.  But where he is in his career today, it's crazy to me that he would just put out something as a gamble cause somebody was telling me that he put out this album just to make you look at rap and see how wack rap is.  But I'm thinkin to myself could he take that gamble right now because nobody is gonna run to the store to get that.  

ThaFormula.com - Because if what he put out is actually what you say, then I have to say it's pretty amazing to do something like that.

Mad Skillz - But if it's just him being him, it's over.  But he ain't no dumb muthafucka man.  I just gotta sit down and listen to it and me being from an mc standpoint, I think I will be able to see it.

ThaFormula.com - Alright, when you perform the "Ghost Writer" on stage do you say the names when you perform it..

Mad Skillz - I mean there has been a couple of times I have.  I never really thought that much about it.  But I only do it live. I only will let it out at shows because it's like a added feature if you come to a show.  It's kinda like a slam dunk.  I could lay the ball up, but the arena is full of people and they came to see me play.  I'm on a fast break by myself so I gotta do something flashy.  

ThaFormula.com - But why bleep out the names? You probably would have sold alot more records if you would have left the names in.

Mad Skillz - I know I would have sold more, but maybe that's just a Canibus thing I did, but I put it out there because I wanted to let that topic be touched upon.  I know that there is alot of cats that want to hear it and I still might put it on the album.  

ThaFormula.com - Do you realize how many people are dying to know what those names are?

Mad Skillz - I know man cause I hear it all the time.  Every time I got to a radio station, every time a DJ approaches me.  We'll see man.  It's possible that it still could happen.  

ThaFormula.com - So you been gettin paid off of writing for how many years now?

Mad Skillz - Shit, since I came in the game in 96.  I first got introduced to writing while I was writing on my album.  I can't front and say I starved cause I haven't.    

ThaFormula.com - But your not the only one right?

Mad Skillz - Oh, nah man.  Their is a couple of Ghost Writers man.  There is plenty of us man.  It's almost like a secret society now.      

ThaFormula.com - Besides yourself, is there any other names you can tell as far as Ghost writers go?

Mad Skillz - Let's see, there is Sauce Money.  He did some shit for Puff.  Camron did some shit for some people.  Bathgate writes for puff now.  Who else. Their is a couple of more cats that are in the game and they are just writers.      

ThaFormula.com - Who did you start off writing for?

Mad Skillz - A small group that I didn't expect to do much and they didn't.  They got in and got out.  Like Biggie was a ghost writer.  Jigga is probably the biggest one.      

ThaFormula.com - So do you still get alot of calls for lyrics?

Mad Skillz - yeah.  I mean I don't get alot, but it's usually people that I already worked with.  But it helps you as a writer man cause it's easy for me to become somebody else.  I mean Big Daddy Kane used to ghost write.  It just wasn't no big business back then.  But I think if I would have threw those names in that record, the phone wouldn't ring like it does now.  So that might be one of the reasons why I never really did it.  See when I made Ghost writer alot of people thought I was mad at everybody.  I wasn't mad at everybody.  I might have been mad at about 3 or 4 people, but those situations have been resolved, but I just couldn't do one verse so I just threw everybody else in.  There's like 3 or 4 that I was going through alot of paperwork and bullshit to get my money, but their was no animosity really.  I gotta go back and count how many bleeps I put in that record.  I know it was a good at least 6 or 7.

ThaFormula.com - Did you ever get any phone calls from some of the names you called out tellin you not to say the names?

Mad Skillz - Yeah, yeah.  Like "C'mon B, why we gotta go through that shit".  Like it takes a record for me to finally get a phone call from you.  I been callin you, but when you hear Stretch Armstrong playing a record called "Ghost Writer" on Hot 97 one night, then you call me like, "Yo man, I been trying to get in contact with you".  I'm like, "Yeah, whatever B".  Those are the people that I really wanted to throw out there cause I was mad, I'm not gonna front.  The song was written one night out of just being pissed.  I just had never released it.  But Milo and them was like, "Yo, put this shit out man". So I said alright Imma put it out, but I'm not gonna put the names in it. They were like, "Nah man, put the names in it or at least put a few names in it".  The plan was to do another 12" once the first one had died down and the sells had slowed down, I was gonna do a version with the names in it.  But I just never did it.  I just couldn't bring myself to do it.  

ThaFormula.com - How was it filmin that Eastern Conference II video?

Mad Skillz - It was cool.  It was quick and fast.  It was on some bootleg shit.  We was just runnin around the city settin up shit.   

ThaFormula.com - So are you gonna have a video for your album.  Are you going all out?

Mad Skillz - Yeah man, we gonna do something probably in February but I'm not sure what the single is gonna be yet though, but were trying to close it out now.  Hopefully I can drop a single and video by the first quarter next year and the album by the second quarter.   I mean I am in a rush to finish it cause I wanna turn it in and when I turn it in, I know that's when the ball is gonna start rollin as far as marketing and all that other shit.  Rawkus has got something up there sleeve.  I don't really know who they are gonna go through as far as distribution.  People been sayin Def Jam and other people are sayin Sony, but they have access and it's not like nobody is callin.  I think it's just a pick and choose.  They still corolate stuff and say come on let's get it together cause at the begining of the year we movin with everything.  Sound Bombing 3, Kool G Rap, Mad Skillz, Cocoa B's, the next Mos Def album.

ThaFormula.com - Do you think the Last Emperor will ever drop?

Mad Skillz - I don't know man.  I did a couple of shows with him and he was a real cool dude man.  I just don't know what they are gonna do with his project..

ThaFormula.com - Lately alot of people have been dissin Rawkus.  Is it as bad as they say it is over there?

Mad Skillz - I mean it could be that this time next year I might be singin a different story, but they haven't rubbed me the wrong way and I ain't got nothing bad to say about them and I can only speak for myself..

ThaFormula.com - So are you havin any production from Milo on your new album?

Mad Skillz - Nah man.  He was supposed to do 2 cuts, but we never really got in and nailed them so I'm pretty much closin shop now.

ThaFormula.com - So is there anyone out there that you are looking to close shop with?

Mad Skillz - I mean I got all the joints really.  I think I might do one more song maybe with the Neptunes and their is this beat that Danja Mouf gave to me that's kinda hot and I might use that.  Other then that, it's a rap cause I got everything I need.  

ThaFormula.com - I'm surprised you didn't get Alchemist man.

Mad Skillz - He said he was gonna hit me with a beat tape, but he never did.  I saw him in Miami and he was like yo!  Jay Dee, uh, he hit me up like, "Yo, can I just get one in" cause he was up at the studio with Knottz hearin a couple of my joints.  And I was like, just holla cause I think alot of people are gonna be shocked with this album cause I made a good hip hop album and I'm very proud of this record man.  I know the back packaz ain't gonna be overwhelmed with it, but I got those records on there for them.  I didn't alienate them totally.  I didn't turn around and make a whole other type of album.  I got that shit on there where I'm spittin, I got them battle joints, and I got a real beautiful record about the state of hip hop that I couldn't clear, but I'm still gonna promo it to DJ's around the time when we tryin to build a buzz for the album.  Right now I just did this freestyle over this Bubba Sparkxx shit where I'm runnin through it like the old freestyle track I did on Stretch and Bobbito.  I just did another one and it's bananas.  

ThaFormula.com - So who exactly owns Flavatown?

Mad Skillz - It's me, Lonnie B, Danja Mouf, and Bill McGee.  

ThaFormula.com - What was the main reason why you didn't drop your album on Flavatown?

Mad Skillz - Just because I knew that I would have to work so much more harder at it and I didn't wanna half way come out.  I mean we were  limited  as far as what we could do.  Like I wouldn't have been able to get Neptunes on that album or Timbaland on there.  I gotta do it full scale.  I can't just have like 15,000 Cd's and they scarcely available.  You know how it is man.  If the consumer goes into Best Buy and the shit ain't in there, then 9 times out of ten their not gonna run all over the city lookin for it.  Also, when it's independent you got to create your buzz.  I got a good management team and they are gonna move me out on the road with Musiq Soulchild.  This year and upcoming next year we settin up a tour.  All the elements I didn't have last time, I have now.  So I can't see me losing.  I wanna have the biggest release as far as Rawkus is concerned.  I wanna be the artist to bring the first milestones to the label.  I wanna have the biggest first we so far.  I wanna have the biggest radio record so far.  I just wanna keep it going and I know that makes it easier for the Supafriendz as a unit. I mean Rawkus is lovin the record and everyone is excited.

ThaFormula.com - Now you got your props from a certain battle right?

Mad Skillz - Yeah, it was that 93 New Music seminar battle with Supernatural. I mean I lost and came in second place, but now that I look back, I'm kinda glad I did lose because the curse of the winner is like they never really reach their full potential as far as the industry is concerned.  

ThaFormula.com - Did you feel that you lost that battle?

Mad Skillz - Nah, I didn't.  Alot of people in the building didn't feel I did.  But I proved to people that I can make a record.  I proved people wrong with Nod Factor, The B - Boy Document, the Aaliyah remix.  I showed that I can make a song.  So I've done what I had to do.   

ThaFormula.com - So what do you expect and hope to get out of your album man?

Mad Skillz - I just wanna be heard again.  I'm way passed where I was when I first dropped.  I understand the rules to the game.  I just want that fair shot, cause I know when I get it, it's over!!.   

ThaFormula.com - Be Sure To Check out Tame 1, Copywrite, J -Zone, Cage, Mr. Eon, Mad Skillz, Aka The Eastern Conference All-stars II new video here (56k) here (Cable/DSL).

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