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ThaFormula.com - Why did you come to Raptivism records Shabaam?.

Shabaam Sahdeeq - I thought it would be a good place for my new album after working with them on the No More Prisons compilation.  

ThaFormula.com - How many singles did you drop with Rawkus?

Shabaam Sahdeeq - Man, I dropped six singles with Rawkus.  My first record was on Freeze.  I dropped like consecutive joints with them man.  

ThaFormula.com - So what was the main reason for the delay with your album?

Shabaam Sahdeeq - I don't know.  They dickheads.  What's the delay with The Last Emperor's album.  What's the delay with fucken G Rap's album. That shit was done when I was leaving Rawkus.  What's the delay with The Beatminerz album.  I don't hear about it no more. They wack and they don't know what the fuck they doin over there man.

ThaFormula.com - Alot of mc's out there think that once you sign a record deal that's it.

Shabaam Sahdeeq - Nah Yo.  That's like the birth.  Gettin the deal is like the birth and going through all the bullshit is like growin up from an infant.  That shit is the start of the problems man.  Just cause you get a deal don't mean that you are fucken gonna blow up.  It's all about how you control your whole career.     

ThaFormula.com - I remember Thirstin tellin me how Rawkus never offered him a decent deal.

Shabaam Sahdeeq - Yeah,  and I did that shit like 4 or 5 times.  This shit is like the NBA.  Black niggaz run around and white boyz get paid.  That's just how they got it.  They basically givin us pennies and they gettin paid.    

ThaFormula.com - How long ago did you complete your album with Rawkus?

Shabaam Sahdeeq - I completed my album like 2 years ago, but the album that came out now was completed like 2 or 3 months ago.  Nothing on the new album that I ever dropped is on there. I didn't go and take old songs from Rawkus albums or none of that.  I did a whole other album and they still ain't put certain heads out that was done when I was done.  At first everything was about new innovative artists and Soundbombing had all new muthafuckaz you ain't never heard of and now it's all about gettin niggaz who are already shinin on there own label and they even lettin them shine more.  What's the sense of havin Beenie on Soundbombing 2.  Beenie get enough shine on fucken Roc -A- Fella.  That's like when they did 1999.  I mean I feel Common, but you got a compilation for your label.  You are supposed to do a video for a artist on your label.  That's who you promotin.  Instead you do a video for Common Sense so he can go right to MCA and blow up.  They not makin sense.

ThaFormula.com - So did you have a contract with Rawkus?

Shabaam Sahdeeq - When I first came there, I took the little pennies and did them singles so I could get a buzz going and then I signed a deal with them.  But then the relationship with them just got doomed because I seen where there head is at.  Plus I had the same management as Pharoah and he kind of shitted over my shit too.  He fucked shit up for Pharoah and me.  When Pharaoh's shit blew up, Rawkus didn't expect him to blow up so he owned alot of shit like publishing and masters.  So once the record started blowin up, he was making more money off of that then what they was making of the sell of the record.  Plus when his shit blew up, they came with the video like 2 or 3 months later. If your a good manager, you are supposed to make sure the muthafuckin artist clears the sample.  Your not supposed to be gettin sued a year later after the shit blew up.  I feel like the owners did good at gettin the label at where they at right now, but they kind of forget what officially got them there.  They tried to put up the front like they were all about upliftment, independent, and all that, but that was all a fucken front because there is mad money behind Rawkus.  It's just like a major label basically.  They put up the front like they was an independent underground label at first.  I'm not knockin them for tryin to blow, but at least remember the niggaz who got you there.  They told me mad time, "Yeah, we gonna make your shit proper and throw the video", just pretty much sellin me dreams.  I end up sittin there with a whole album full of heaters that ain't even commin out.  They was basically ridin Mos Def and Talib's dick.  

ThaFormula.com - Why diss Mos and talib?

Shabaam Sahdeeq - I felt that when I was on the label, certain things like I had studio sessions where Mos was supposed to show and he ain't never fucken showed.  I mean don't say you gonna do a joint with a nigga and then have a nigga sittin in the studio waitin for you and shit like 3 or 4 consecutive times.  As far as like shows and songs or little projects that was going on, the only thing I really ever jumped on with them was 41 shots and what I kicked was relevant.  I mentioned everybody who died from police brutality up to then.  I guess they felt like they were to righteous or to conscious to have me rockin with them or whatever.  My shit is on some street shit, but I'm not showin it on every song.  The whole shit ain't G'd out, but then again I'm not preachin at niggaz so I guess I didn't fit into there criteria and to me they be doin the same shit I'm doin.  All that rhymin about this and that is all a front to me.  I remember them sayin how they not gonna perform with such and such cause that's Liquor and Seagram's or whatever, but then I see a muthafucka drunk as hell.  So all that shit is a front and I think that's a gimmick in itself.    

ThaFormula.com - Well alot of people have been questioning Mos Def lately.  Questions about the Nike commercial, playin a cop on TV and shit like that has been spreading.

Shabaam Sahdeeq - I thought he was supposed to be a renegade for the hip hop culture and all that shit, but soon as shit start blowin up, he shows he's just like everybody else.  To me the real revolutionaries of hip hop is Public Enemy, Dead Prez. Basically they are it.  If you really want some revolutionary shit, that's dead prez.  I see them doin mad shit in the community and the shit is not watered down.  It's not a gimmick.  The shit is real.  If they banned from clubs, they banned from clubs, Fuck it!  For more info on Raptivism Records, check out www.raptivism.com for the latest on the label, Shabaam, Tahir, and future projects.

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