thaFormula.com - What label on you gonna be dropping "The Testament" on?

Cormega - On my label "Legal Hustle," but I got a different distributor.

thaFormula.com - The last time we spoke you told me that Def Jam wanted crazy loot for that album.  How did you end up getting it?

Cormega - Years passed and ni99az made moves man.  I got juice.

thaFormula.com - Now there was a comment you made about the underground scene recently.  Some people were happy you spoke on it and others were upset?

Cormega - Anybody that got upset over that, it just goes to show how low their level of comprehension is.  All you got to do is go to Cormegasite.com and read my January update, which I do every month and you will see it's not even what some people are trying to make it out to be.

thaFormula.com - What brought you to actually speak out on the underground like that?

Cormega - Because somebody one day tried to say I don't consider Mega underground or whatever.  Who are you to tell me what I am when I been in this game my whole life.  Hip-hop is something that we allowed people to be a part of.  This was some private code shit.  Rap used to be like slang.  It was a slang that niggaz wasn't up on.  So don't try to come in my world and change the rules like what they did with Rock & Roll.  Who the fuck are you to tell me what underground is when I studied this shit my whole life.  I opened up for Rakim, got beats from Large Professor, got KRS One on my next album.  Ni99az just need to fall back with that shit.  If a rapper thinks he's underground and he thinks he's better then me, I'm willing to battle him.  Anything that you say you can do, I'm pretty sure I can do it to or I can probably do it better.  I been doing this for years upon years.  You got people like KRS looking at me like the torch bearer or the voice of their generation.  Like when they say Jason Kid reminds people of the way point guards used to be.  The pass first, then score point guard.  People look at me as a reflection of that era.  Like when Large Professor said on thaFormula.com that I remind him of that golden era of rap, I took that as a dope compliment because I never knew that he felt that way.  Me hearing that from people that I look up to means that I'm doing something right, so I'm gonna continue doing this.  Just because your not excepted by mainstream, doesn't necessarily make you underground and just because you rhyme different from somebody else, doesn't make you underground.  Even if you are underground, that doesn't make you better or worst then the next person.  Everybody has their own flavor.  Just do what you do and stop acting like your hip hop and somebody else ain't.

thaFormula.com - One thing I have noticed is when you say a comment speaking on the underground, some people are gonna try and turn it into a racist comment and that's what really upsets me about it...

Cormega - After that statement I also said that you have the Black, disgruntled artist, who claims he's keeping it real and ain't down for the mainstream.  But if given the chance to be mainstream, he would go mainstream.  I said that right after the first comment, but nobody commented on that.  I also recently said that some of the white producers are coming with more heat then some of the black producers lately.  Alot of the Black producers are getting lazy and then white producers are coming with bangers.  Nobody can use the race card on me because if you look at my "Legal Hustle" mixtape, alot of the producers on it are white.  My fans, no matter what color they are know that I respect them and love them for what they are.  So I just laugh at that.  The only thing I care about is green!  That shit is played out.  This is a new millennium and I'm not about that shit!

thaFormula.com - How has www.cormegasite.com done for you and are you happy with what it has done?

Cormega - I didn't really know what it could do since I'm new to this internet shit, but I like the fact that I am able to talk to people.  I get to see what my fans feel and what my fans want.  So I think it's a good thing and I think it's a good mechanism for me to get my music heard and get my opinions heard.  So I'm really diggin' it.

thaFormula.com - Do you think that more artists should interact with their fans like that?

Cormega - I think everybody should interact with their fans. Without your fans, what are you? Without your fans your just trying to be a rapper.  You are wishing you had fans.  I remember how I was like "oh shit" at the first autograph I signed.  So now that I'm on, why would I not wanna sign autographs.  You got some people that don't wanna sign autographs and I look at them like they are crazy.  At the end of the day, we work for the fans.  Your fan is your boss.  If your fan says fuck you, then your fired.  But if your fan shows love, then you still got your job.  My fans keep me going cause there have been times I wanted to say fuck this rap shit, but my fans keep me going.  

thaFormula.com - What exactly should people expect from The Testament?

Cormega - I think it's doper that it happened like this, because now you are getting "The Testament" the way I want it.  Not the way an A&R would have wanted it.  I had a song with Carl Thomas the singer.  That was supposed to be for "The Testament" but it doesn't fit "The Testament."  Not to say that it wasn't a dope record because it was a dope record, but that's not something that Cormega would have did, that's something that Cormega did to make the label happy.  So now there is more freedom now.  Now I can do songs the way I would have wanted it done as opposed to, alright let me do this to show the label that I can do records like this.

thaFormula.com - How does it feel to put out an album that was made when you started your career.  Does it bring back alot of memories?

Cormega - Hell yeah.  I think it's gonna bring back memories for alot of people, because it also reminds you of an ill era in rap.  Also there is two versions of some songs where the original versions will be on "The Testament."  You gonna have 2 versions of the song "Testament" on  the album that I'm about to put out.  Your gonna have "Angel Dust" the way I like it on there and "killaz Theme" the way I like it on there.  The intro is gonna be the way I would have liked the intro.  It's my way this time and I think it's good that it's my way because "The Realness" was my way, "The True Meaning" was my way and they were all well received.  Also with "The Testament" I'm going to do a remix album.  See I was gonna do a remix of these songs and then add them to "The Testament", but it would have took to long.  So I will put it out as soon as I get it done and then I'm gonna leak some acapellas to some of the fans, so I can see how they make remixes.  If I hear some of the remixes and they sound dope, then maybe I will holla at them to do a real remix and they can make some money.

thaFormula.com - What should people expect from the DVD you got coming soon?

Cormega - The DVD is gonna be so dope.  I got so much shit on their.  I'm gonna do some real slick commentary to.  I got shit that shows how the police is fucked up.  After one of my friends got killed by the police, we came from his funeral and we just standing around in the projects in Brooklyn and then like 100 police came with shields, helmets and sticks.  They looked like they was ready to fuck us up.  Why else would police come with shields, helmets and sticks.  That's riot gear. Usually they just come in a patrol car.  If you want us to leave, all you got to say is leave.  But they came with riot gear on and the only reason they didn't take action against us is because we had a white guy that was filming.  They felt he might have been somebody from a news station or something.  I got mad shit on their.  I got behind the scenes footage of me in the studio, on tour and just chillin' also.  I don't know exactly when I will be dropping it but it will be out within the next 6 months.

thaFormula.com - Do you and Prodigy still speak to each other at all?

Cormega - We don't frequent the same circles.  I come to the projects alot.  I'm gonna stop coming to the projects alot like that cause I don't really have anything to prove anymore.  He don't be in the same circles I be in.  I just seen Havoc and we kicked it for a minute.  I just do what I do and every rapper just do what they do.  It's not like were in the same basketball scene where we got to see each other all the time.  We are all living our separate lives.  

thaFormula.com - I just remember you guys seemed to be kickin' alot when you dropped "The Realness".

Cormega - We used to but also at that time, Prodigy was about to get a label deal with Priority, but Priority kept asking what's up with Mega.  So Prodigy asked me to sign with Infamous to have him secure a label deal and I said yeah, I would do it.

thaFormula.com - So what happened with that?

Cormega - I don't know.  I mean I couldn't wait no more because I was just on the shelf with Def Jam for 4 years so I didn't have the time to wait.  I'm a hustler and I ain't got time to be waiting.  My whole thing was, I'm gonna put this shit out independent and do what I do and if your shit pops off with that and you still need me just holla at me.  But Legal Hustle just took off on it's own with the independent shit so now everybody is following my path and going independent.

thaFormula.com - That would have been nice because you and the Mobb got good chemistry man...

Cormega - I ain't gonna front, we do.  I sound good over havoc beats.  I wouldn't mind doing a song with ni99az again.  I was also a little upset at Prodigy, but I'm gonna show you better then I can tell you.  Everybody has their side of the story, but when my DVD comes out, I'm gonna show you because I got it on my DVD.  That's what I love about doing a DVD.  When my DVD comes out your gonna see alot of shit.

thaFormula.com - Now that you established yourself as an artist and are one of the best independent artists in the game, how do you look at your situation with Nas 3 years later?

Cormega - I'm glad everything happened the way it happened, especially with The Firm.  I'm the type of person that when I fuck with you, I fuck with you hard, I ride or die.  So it's like The Firm, I was to loyal of a nigga to fuck with them.  Foxy will even tell you.  If one of them got beef with somebody, I'm gonna handle that beef, they don't even gotta handle it.  So I would have put myself out there for people that wouldn't have kept it 100 percent real with me.  Also, when I heard people saying The Firm would have been a better album if Mega would have been on it, that made me see that I had a value.  Also, look at everyone of them and look at me right now.  I sell more then a good percentage of The Firm now.  So that's crazy and that made me see my value as an artist.  I mean I still ended up selling 40,000 of my Legal Hustle mixtape album, which is dope.  I was only hoping it would do 50,000 since record stores don't like to fuck with Presents type of albums.  It sold 40,000 and at the rate it's going it will end up selling 50,000.  You got some artists that put out independent albums that still haven't sold 50,000 and my mixtape sold 50,000.  So that right there showed me my value.  Especially since the promotion on that album by Koch was terrible.  So me having differences with people just helped me be a stronger individual.  

So now that I look back at it, I got to thank them because I learned so much from it like nothing lasts forever.  If we would have stayed grounded and stayed together it would have been dope.  We were like the elite super group of rap, but you can't be in a dick ridah environment.  Like I remember when Nas was doing the "It Was Written" album.  I would walk in the studio and let's just say I would hear a beat that was wack.  I'd be like, "yo son, that shit sounds like a shampoo commercial."  I remember everybody in the room looked at me like I said something so terrible.  They looked at me so crazy that I felt uncomfortable.  It was like OK, in the Nas environment you got to kiss his ass.  But that's not good for his career.  Because when your not keepin' it real with him, your not helping his music.  Where as if you critique his beats and say he needs a better beat, then his shit would have been better.  We have had our differences, but I bet you he respects me more then he respects alot of ni99az and he respects my judgment.  I know people that don't even like me that say Mega has one of the best ears for beats in the business.

thaFormula.com - If a miracle was to ever happen and a collabo with Nas presented itself, would you ever do it?

Cormega - I don't think about it.  I'm not gonna front though, alot of people ask me to do that.  I have had my own fans ask.  But we would have to settle our differences like men before we did anything.

thaFormula.com - So you don't feel you have reached the point where you have outgrown your differences?

Cormega - When I heard "Build & Destroy", some of it was funny to me.  But I'm from the streets and when you tell somebody suck my dick, that's something that's real serious and it's gonna take a while for me to get over that line.  The songs he made and the grimy shit that he done in the industry to stop me from putting out an album, I'm over that.  It's just the suck my dick part.  If he never said that, we probably would have been cool now.  So I'm not thinking of doing nothing with him.

thaFormula.com - So do you think it's at a point where you guys could never be in the same room together?

Cormega - He has reached out to me through mutual people, but I haven't reached back.  At the same time, we grew up together.  It's not like the Nas or Jay Z beef or the Biggie and Pac.  I mean when Nas mom died, I was sad.  I seen that lady thousands of times.  There are 365 days in the year.  I have seen her thousands of times.

thaFormula.com - You know I ask because time is ticking.  Unity is very important right now in hip-hop if we are gonna preserve what's left of this underground scene.  Cause I'm seeing alot of these artists sale numbers and the situation is getting critical for alot of people in the independent scene.

Cormega - See when I see those numbers, that's why I don't change my formula and it's a blessing.  I see artists that people give respect to like Tragedy who sold like 1,500 his first week.  So when I see my sales in comparison to those peoples sales, it just makes me love my fans more.  I don't take my shit for granted because I understand it's a blessing for me to do the numbers that I'm doing.  Everyday I think about that shit cause it's crazy to me.  When "The Testament" comes out, I'm gonna really see something though.  Every time a album comes out I get nervous and I'm very nervous right now.  I think we should all make a stand to because alot of rappers don't show that we stand for nothing.  You had the Tsunami tragedy that just happened so why can't we make a "We are the world" record.  I'm ready to do that.  We need to get up and do some shit like that.  I'll commit to it.  I wouldn't even want no money. The money would just go to proceeds for the victims and stuff like that just shows a community within a community.  We need to do something like that.

thaFormula.com - Do you feel that you get more respect now as an artist then when you first dropped "The Realness"?

Cormega - I already see the power & respect that I'm getting as an artist and the shit is only growing.  The Source just gave me a Quotable of the Month for "Love Is Love."  "Love is Love" is a song on The Testament album.  When you go in the store next week and buy the Source, I got a quotable.  I never got a quotable in my life.  So I can't complain.  I got a Source award, I got the Impact Underground Music award, the Quotable, so I can't complain.  Alot of underground artists complain or got alot of animosity towards the mainstream.  I don't got animosity towards the mainstream.  I feel sorry for the mainstream because they like clowns.  I redicule them.  They sell gold, but I make more money then you from just selling 100,000.  While you are just recouping at Gold.  I don't got no complaints.  I'm the away team coming to the home court trying to silence the crowd.  I love that because everything that people have tried to say about me, I have proved them wrong.  I mean I got everything that I could ever want and I thank god for it.  I silenced every critic.

thaFormula.com – There is nothing left for you to prove man, except whatever you need to prove to yourself...

Cormega - What I'm gonna try to prove to myself now, is that after the Testament comes out, that's just gonna be closure.  That's gonna close one chapter and then I'm gonna come back with a renewed vigor.  The "Urban Legend" album I swear to me is my best album ever.  Once that comes, if you don't give me my props then, just say I don't like Mega.  I'm trying to show people that I'm a legitimate artists.  It's not no gimmick.  I don't got no beef records or none of that.  I'm trying to show people that I'm a real mc and that I got respect for the culture which is why I did the track with Krs, PMD, Grand Puba and Kane.  I didn't do it to help my sales because it's not gonna help my sales.  I did that song because it was an honor for me to do that song with them.

thaFormula.com - So how is "Urban Legend" coming along right now?

Cormega - Well you know I only do 14 songs.  I got like 9 songs done and then I got some producers that's just jumping on board.  Like I just got off the phone with Sha Money XL.  He said he's got some heat for me.  Whenever me and him get together, it's something crazy.  He did "Angel Dust" on Testament.  He did "Get Out My Way" on The Realness.  The last album he was mad busy cause he was working on 50's shit so he didn't get a chance to do nothing for me.  Pete Rock said to tell the fans that he's definitely on there.  Fame from M.O.P. gave me some heat.  Ayatollah gave me some.  Nottz gave me some heat.  My producer team is bananas.  That's all I can say.  When this album comes out man forget about it.

thaFormula.com - Did you ever hook up with Premier at all or is that something that you never tried to hook up?

Cormega - You know some people every time they see me show me love and say they wanna fuck with me, but it never happens.  I'm under the assumption that he don't wanna ruin his relationship with Nas and I respect that if that's what it is.  I been in the rap game since as far as with Def Jam since 96'.  I been putting out albums since 2001.  It's 2005 now and you been telling me you gonna give me a beat since before my album came out and I haven't gotten no beat.  Non Phixion got a beat and they came out after me and this guy got a beat and that guy got a beat.  So either our schedules are conflicting crazily or it's just not gonna happen.  So I don't even try to get a beat from him no more.  I respect him.  He's still one of my favorite producers and I like him as a person, but I'm not really stressing to get a beat from him.

thaFormula.com - I always wondered what you would sound like over a Easy Moe Bee beat?

Cormega - I spoke to him and I just need to follow up on that.  I wanna holla at RZA to and Havoc.  If I get RZA and Havoc on this album to, I don't know man!  I got vocals from Havoc that he did for me.  So I could put that on my album or I could put that on something else.  When you think about it, I haven't had a solo album out in 2 years because the Legal Hustle wasn't a solo Cormega album and The Testament is really a retro album.  There is a "Dead Man Walking 2" on their that is totally like new.  But it's not new like where I'm standing right now mentally as an artist.  Lyrically and flow wise, I'm really going somewhere else on Urban Legend.  I got a rhyme that's so crazy, that when I hear, it fucks me up.  So that's how I feel about this album.

thaFormula.com - What about Alchemist.  Your not messing with alchemist much no more or what?

Cormega - I wouldn't mind getting a beat from Alchemist.  I really haven't vibed with Alchemist in a minute but I'm gonna holla at Alchemist.  Alchemist is dope man.  I heard some shit from him recently when I was in the studio with Fame from M.O.P. cause he did some shit for Fame.  That shit was so incredible that I told Fame that he had to use that beat.  That shit was incredible.  I haven't heard to many beats from producers that are incredible in a minute.  When Urban Legend comes out son, the shit I'm saying, Oh My god!  When I get to California for that show you are gonna understand.

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