ThaFormula.Com - How was the response to "Sick of Being Rich" and how did things turn out with that album?   

J-Zone - It was a 50/50 response.  Alot of people who had never heard of me before liked the album and alot of people that I respect liked the album.  My diehard fans really liked the album, but alot of regular hip hop fans hated on it.  Fuck it though, I don't care. 

ThaFormula.Com - Now what happened on your last trip out to L.A.?

J-Zone - Well from a recording standpoint, I went out there with a beat cd and was ready to record and knock things out and then alot of people never came through.  People were busy, had their own schedule or whatever the case may be, but at the end of the day I'm glad it happened that way because I came home mad and ready to do the whole album for self.

ThaFormula.Com - So when you got back to New York how close were you to just saying fuck this hip hop shit?

J-Zone - When I first came home, I was ready to quit because I was really looking to do this production album and the shit didn't happen.  I didn't see myself doing another album, but I was feeling the direction that my beats were going in.  But shopping beats nowadays ain't what it used to be because everybody has their man doing their beats so it was difficult to make some kind of a living off of doing beats for people unless your doing major label shit which I wasn't.  So I was like, alright I can't get paid off of doing freelance beats, I might as well just start rappin' on these shits and one of the only people who got down was Devin The Dude.  So I had that Devin The Dude track done.  I went and got Celph, Stallion, and Shid because they are family and I just said fuck it, Imma handle the rest of the rhymin' myself.  So if people like it they do and if they don't, fuck them.  The album is a funny album and I had a real good time doing it.  I wanted to prove to myself that I don't need no fucking million guests on my album to make it happen.  That I could handle the rhymin' by myself so that's what I did.  

ThaFormula.Com - How surprised were you that you got Devin down on the album?

J-Zone - I was crazy surprised cause I didn't expect that shit at all.  Out of all the people that I got in touch with for this album, I thought Devin would be like a bonus cause I didn't think it would be possible.  I emailed him and he called me back in two days.  He didn't even email me back.  I left my number and he called me. So that was some real shit.  Here is a dude who has been on records with Dre, Roots, Jay-Z, etc.  That shows that Devin is a real person.  You don't meet people like that in the industry who take time to get back to you.  Within three weeks I had the hook and the verse in the mail.   There is people with way less respect and way less clout then Devin that act more premadonna then that.  So I got nothing but much respect for that dude.

ThaFormula.Com - How was the response to the first single?

J-Zone - The word of mouth was real good.  Alot of people really liked it.  In terms of all my singles, that was probably the most well received.  That one and 5 star Hooptie.  But response doesn't always translate to sales because my biggest selling 12" was "Slap" and that had no radio play. But it outsold all of my singles.  It's weird.  Sometimes buzz doesn't necessarily equal sales.    

ThaFormula.Com - You were a little nervous about your new album before it dropped.  Why was that Zone?

J-Zone - I wasn't nervous about the music at all.  I listen to this album and I say with confidence that production wise and in terms of my rhymin', it's the best work I've done.  But sometimes you get nervous because people always seem to want you to do what you did before.  Like people get to know you for a certain thing, but my views at age 20 and 21 when I made Music For Tu Madre, aren't the same now that I'm 27.  Alot can change in 6 years.  I made Music For Tu Madre when I was in college.  I would sit in my house and watch MTV & BET and see the same shit over and over.  So you know I made a statement about it.  But then you realize when you get into the industry and you become part of the underground, you start to feel like the underground is some kind of safe haven where you will be accepted just for doing your art.  But I found out when I would get into the "underground" scene, it's the same thing but less money.  There is still politics.  Half the college radio DJ's operate like Hot 97 would.  It's some shit where it's all politics.  If I don't get my record charted, they won't play my shit.  It's like everybody is in like their little clicks.  It's real clickish just like the mainstream.  So my views changed.  On my first album and last album, my approach to music was different then the first 3.  There is some things that I'll always do.  I have certain trademarks that I had since my first album and I still have.  Like the humor and I always have some wild, crazy sounding beats.  This album I wanted to go the funk rout.  I grew up listening to funk.  On this album I turned the bass way up, turned the drums out loud, mixed it so the shit is knocking real hard.  I just wanted to make some funk shit and I wasn't sure how people would take that.  My approach to music is different.  I'm not gonna sit up here and talk about saving hip-hop because I realize that one man can't do it alone.  So all you could do is make good records.  Every record I done, reflected how I felt at the time and I don't regret none of my records.  

ThaFormula.Com - How good did your first EP's actually do?

J-Zone - It did pretty well because it was all independent and I was getting 8 bucks a unit.  I was pressing those myself and selling them to distributors.  Back then the market was a little less crowded.  When you put out a record, people would notice it.  If I were to come out now, like I did then, I would fail.  But back in 1998 and 1999 if you went into Fat beats, there would be 30 records on the shelf and chances are you were gonna hear my shit eventually.  But then now when you got to Fat Beats there is 180 records on the shelf.  So if I were to try to do that now without a guest appearance, without a well known person on there, and the best artwork, I'm gonna get overlooked.  So I came in the game when you were still able to come in the independent market and get noticed.  Independent records were still selling 3,000 units then.  You could still put out a 12" and sell 3,500 copies.  Now if you sell 2,000 units and break even, you went platinum.  It's just a different game right now.  That's the business side of it, but from an artistic standpoint, people get older and they wanna do different things and they wanna move on.  It's easy to sit up here and say, damn why doesn't Busta Rhymes rap like he did on "Case of The PTA."  It's easy to say that, but look at it from Busta Rhymes standpoint.  He made "Case of The PTA" 14 years ago.  So he's thinking why am I gonna make "Case of The PTA" again, but then your average fan is saying, why doesn't he go back to that.  When I was younger I would do the same thing.  So now Half the people are saying I changed, half the people are saying I stayed exactly the same.  With all that trying to please people, you wind up being miserable.  So when I make records I only please myself and I hope people like it.  

ThaFormula.Com - So how has the new album "A Job Ain't Nothing But Work" done?

J-Zone - I heard that my new album had no internet buzz, but the preorders were strong.  The preorders were bigger then the last one.  The reviews I been getting are very solid.  So if people like my first 2 albums better then that's fine because they are still there for you to go listen to.  Just like nobody should be getting mad at my opinion, I can't be mad at nobody else's opinion.  

ThaFormula.Com - What project do you got coming up production wise?

J-Zone - Well my main thing is I'm working with Celph Titled.  Were working on something similar to how Jaylib was done.  Were both doing beats and were both rhyming on it and were gonna fuck alot of people's heads up.  I always respected self and were friends outside this music shit.  We just been working on some songs and hopefully it will come out as a project next year.  But right now were just recording and trading beats.  So right now I'm working on that.  I did some tracks on the upcoming Casual album and his album is looking tight.  I did 3 beats on there.  Casual is a dope artist so I'm happy to be working with him.  The beat selling game every year gets harder and harder because more people are kind of doing there own shit.  Right now the underground is like a poor man's mainstream.  Just like you would go to the Neptunes or this producer to get a track, it's kind of the same thing in the underground.  I'm not complaining.  I did shit for Prince Po, Casual, Leak Bros., & Akinyle.  But since I finished the album, I just been focusing on my own projects and a couple of people that I'm doing beats for.  I really just wanna just kind of focus on my own shit because I'm all about making albums.  Doing beats is cool and I do wanna work with people, but I just like working on projects man and this shit with Celph is really something that I wanna work on.

ThaFormula.Com - Do you think you could still make albums like your first 2 EP's if you wanted to?

J-Zone - Yeah, I can do it technically.  I know what kind of sounds I used, what kind of EQ's I used, what kind of rhymes to write, and I could execute it.  But it wouldn't be as good and you gotta make what's in your heart.  I'm proud of all of my records but I'm not in the same place anymore.  When your 20 years old and your living in a college dorm, your mind state is gonna be different then when your 27 and on your own.  Back then I used to hear people complain about Puff and Mase, but then you just get tired of complaining after a while.  The more you complain, the worst it seems to get.  Like it or not the big record labels and these faggot ass DJ's are the tastemakers.  They are the ones who say this is what the masses are gonna embrace and as long as they are in power, that shit is gonna keep on doing what it's gonna do.  So I can do 3 things.  I can crawl under a rock and die, I can keep complaining about it, or I can do what I'm feeling right now and keep going, and that's what I'm doing.  I'm not gonna go back and do my older shit or go out there and make my shit strictly for MTV.  I'm gonna do whatever I'm feeling and the day I can't pay my bills off of it anymore, I'm just gonna hang it up.  But at least I can go to bed at night saying, that every record I have ever done at the time that I made it was what I wanted to do.  As long as I can do that, then at least I got my self respect and no one can take that shit from me.  Right now I'm happier then I ever been because I'm doing what I love to do and I'm happy with the music that I'm making right now.

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.