thaFormula.com - Now that you went through the label situation with Jay-Z with the "Fish Scale" and "More Fish" albums, how has it been and how do you feel about it now?

Ghostface - Jay's doing what he got to do and I'm doing what I got to do. I'm learning more as the years go on as far as what I got to do for myself to make things work. It's not really what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. It ain't how it was 10 years ago when Def jam was in its prime.

thaFormula.com - So what do you say about all the artists that complain about their label not doing this or that?

Ghostface - You got to do what you got to do. It's a whole new day and time. I don't know about any other label. I know about my brothers that's on my label, like Meth. He was used to the way certain things used to run at Def Jam. The people that ran that are at Atlantic somewhere or Warner. Same thing with LL, it's crazy now. I came to Def Jam from Sony 'cause I wanted to win there. But when I got there they broke out. So I was stranded and had to do what I had to do. So right about now I ain't even worrying about the numbers man. All I'm worrying about is putting out good music and the people accepting my shit.

thaFormula.com - Do most people at the labels even care about Hip-Hop nowadays?

Ghostface - It's politics now. Personally I don't think they care about Hip-Hop. It's more politics now then it was back then.

thaFormula.com - How hard is it for an artist to make good music on a major label or what they want to make instead of what the label wants them to make?

Ghostface - It ain't hard for me. I got my lane already so it's not hard for me. The only thing hard for me is getting my samples cleared and running out of money to pay for samples. Other than that, I can make good music all day.

thaFormula.com - How do you think Hip-Hop would be right now if we were still able to sample anything without any problems?

Ghostface - Shit would be off the meat rack 'cause you could do a lot of shit with samples and shit.

thaFormula.com - Is the "More Fish" album that dropped last week just tracks that were left over from "Fish Scale?"

Ghostface - Nah, a lot of that stuff is brand new. Probably like 3 or 4 cuts were left over from "Fish Scale," the rest is all new stuff.

thaFormula.com - What made you give UK producer Lewis Parker a track on the album, as that is something that we rarely see?

Ghostface - I don't give a fuck if you from Alaska, I will give you a chance G if you got something that I like.

thaFormula.com - Why do you think more major artists don't give these young up and coming Hip-Hop producers a shot like that?

Ghostface - They might not be in what I am caught up in. Their sound might not be like mine. Everybody got different flavors. Beats is like women man. Everybody likes different types of women. Just like there is a certain way how I like my beats.

thaFormula.com - Did you feel you had a good radio single in "Back Like That?"

Ghostface - I had a good single, but you know it's how God makes it. You can wake up one day and be big as fucking Oprah, but that's how God makes it. What it is is what it is. I gave people good albums almost all my life, but it is what it is. You might get a clown nigga that could just blow up way more than me. Not to call him a clown, but God just opened his way up. I'm just here man and maybe this might not be my destiny, maybe this is a stepping stone and it's meant for me to do something else but it's gonna have to start through here to lead to something else. So "Back like That" could have been bigger, but God said it's not time yet. So even if I get tired, I got to do what I got to do.

thaFormula.com - When you look back at your catalog man, does it get frustrating for you seeing as how you have dropped so many dope albums?

Ghostface - I used to get frustrated, but now that I'm more spiritual now, it don't bother me because I know everything happens for a reason and that God deals with people that are patient. So I know I'm gonna struggle before I get to where he needs me to be. I used to get frustrated and say, "damn, why is these muthafuckas like that and I'm here?" But everything happens on God's time and I understand now. So I don't get frustrated no more. Even if this album sold 2,000 copies, I got to walk with that. I still got to go ahead and make more albums until it pops.

thaFormula.com - Were you happy with how "Fish Scale" was received by the people?

Ghostface - Yeah, in a sense. 'Cause you know a lot of people gave it a good review, especially the magazines. So that means more to me than somebody sitting there talking shit about me even if I didn't sell whatever, whatever. I don't care what I sold. If everybody loved it more then those that hated it, then I'm good man.

thaFormula.com - Now I know everybody is asking about the new Wu-Tang album, but what's the main reason holding back that album from being done?

Ghostface - Agreements. Where brothers can't agree upon certain things. There is no beef. It's just more or less brothers saying, "I don't like this or that contract or how this is being ran." It's more or less everybody putting the past behind and moving on or we would still be stuck.

thaFormula.com - Can Wu-Tang still be big on a mainstream level?

Ghostface - I'm not sure. It depends because we got a lot of Wu fans still. If we come with the good music like how we did on our first couple of albums, then I think that we can make some noise.

thaFormula.com - Even without ODB? I mean he was a very big part of those Wu-Tang albums...

Ghostface - Yeah he was a big part of it. But for the sake of his legacy and the people who love Wu, he's still with us even if he's not there physically. I don't think because Dirt is gone, people are not gonna buy the album. I think they are gonna cop it to see what is going on and what their favorite rap group has got to say in these days and times.

thaFormula.com - How hard is the grind on a major and what does it take to promote a new album?

Ghostface - It's rough because you have to constantly be moving and you know that you have to do this to try and sell a unit or two. It's also harder because I'm a diabetic at the same time. Sometimes they book all your shit back to back when you can't really get no rest or nothing like that. Then you got to wake up early in the morning to catch a flight to go do this, then you got to be at a club just to show your face and shake hands with muthafuckas. But this is what I do to make a living. So if you are really into it this way and you wanna become a rapper or whatever, you got to really get on your grind. Until you start getting your name out there and getting rich where you can fall back for a second, then this is what you got to do man. So I treat every album like it was my first album. For me or Wu-Tang, I got to stay on my grind. That's how come I am accepted in a lot of places like Nebraska, Oregon, etc. Weird towns like that where they will accept me 'cause I give them my all. For 50 people, I'll fuck around and stand on stage for 2 hours until my shirt is wet, then sign autographs and be the last one leaving the club. That's what gives me the power to come back. They got to feel me and touch my hands. Where other muthafuckas will give them 2 songs, leave and have the muthafuckas mad. I'd rather have them happy.

thaFormula.com - What's the most important person to hire as an artist when getting into this industry?

Ghostface - You got to have a lawyer. A manager too. Everybody counts man 'cause lawyers is shiesty too. Everybody is not faithful to you. You can't really trust nobody. You might need another lawyer just to look over that lawyer, but it's just like that. This is the game and you can't trust nobody son. You need it all. Your lawyer, your manager, your accountant, etc.

thaFormula.com - Many of the artists today are either dickheads or arrogant muthafuckas but some of the legends like yourself or Rakim that have been through it all are some of the coolest brothas we have ever spoken to, why is that man?

Ghostface - I'm a down to earth brother. I understand that this is just rap and the things that we do inside rap is an illusion man. This is not the real world man. The hereafter is where the real shits really gonna go down. This is a trial for me. I don't gotta frown my face and talk greasy in every interview. I was a wild nigga coming up. If you hear "Cuban Linx" and all that shit, we was really doing some shit. I was really fucking a lot of niggaz up and doing a lot of bullshit. But when you get more spiritual and get more closer to the Father, things change. 'Cause you ain't livin' just to be livin' son. There is a reason for your purpose of being here. Not just to be here just to act like a dick all your life or act like you are a straight killer. Anybody can get killed. I'm not here to waste my blood and my sperm and let my seeds go to waste. You can't mix pork with beef. Some day you are gonna have to humble yourself to the ways of the world. Everything has law and everything humbles and submits to the will of God. So that's what we have to do and I understand that. We are all brothers at the end of the day so why would I wanna fuck around and be greasy or cut your throat or smoke you? What did you do to me? I never broke bread with you. That's people that are uncivilized and living the savage way of life. But they not gonna get it now because God only gives the awareness to those he wants to give it to. So if they don't got it now, it might come to them in the future some other time. It's just not time for them yet. God opened my mind and my eyes up a lot earlier than certain other people. I used to do the same thing them other muthafuckas used to do. But I know now. There are those that don't know and they are not held responsible for what they don't know. I know. So if I punch you in the face and I know that it is wrong, my penalty is gonna come back double. So that's why I am the way I am right now. I got families man. I got people I feed every month. I got to do this. If I don't show my appreciation in what God has done for me, he can take all this away from me. I don't need that to happen 'cause I came too far for this shit. So I got to humble my way out. I'm a grown man so that's why I am the way I am.

thaFormula.com - You being someone that is in good with Nas, why do you think people in the South are taking the whole "Hip-Hop Is Dead" thing the wrong way or are they taking it the wrong way?

Ghostface - Because they are poppin' right now. So when he says that, they get a funny feelin' like he's talking about them. But I didn't fall into that. It's just in the hands of the South now, but it was their turn. Also, as far as us getting creative and making good music, it is dead. I'm talking about how we make music on the East Coast. I'm not saying it's dead for the South and all that. But what I do get upset at is that everybody supports the South movement, but don't support what we doing. I don't get played in the South. No East Coast rappers gets played in the South. But it was destined to be this way. They had to have it G because it's God's plan.

thaFormula.com - With so many legends just completely falling off, how have you managed to stay sharp all these years?

Ghostface - Times change man. I realized for me to stay relevant is that I have got to be around young muthafuckas. I need to be around my young family because they keep me young. So I got to be around them and I got to keep my ear to the street. Mainly though, I got to do me. I pray to God everytime I do an album that the people accept this album the way that it was supposed to be accepted. So I pray a lot and God knows that this music means a lot to me because it's my reputation on the line. I don't wanna be an old rapper where I lose my flow. I seen that happen to a lot of rappers and I don't wanna go like that so fast. I believe I can still do this until I die and that's my plan. It don't have to be over a Hip-Hop track. It could be over some grown man Hip-Hop shit because things do evolve into other things.

thaFormula.com - Finally, what's the most important thing you have learned throughout your journey in this industry man?

Ghostface - I keep God first man. I try my best to keep the Devil off my planet because there are snakes everywhere. I don't have too many friends. I try to stay with the immediate friends I got because I don't feel like making no more because it's hard to trust a muthafucka. In the end I'm just grateful to be here man.

feedback: info@thaformula.com

Be  sure to join the over 600,000 Industry Heads that have signed up to our exclusive mailing list!!  Click here to join and receive exclusive interviews only available to members. Leave contact info ( name, email address, city, state, and country) at info@thaformula.com.