thaFormula.com - The last time we spoke, you felt that your first album "Monkey Bars" would not be heard right or slept on, were you surprised at how well it was received?

Sean Price - Yeah, very much so. The reception was crazy. It was a big time gap between "Magnum Force" and "Monkey Bars" so I probably thought they wasn't gonna catch on. The industry was so saturated with so much bullshit and I figured they wasn't gonna get around to it but it worked.

thaFormula.com - What was the first piece of good news you heard about "Monkey Bars" that made you say, okay things might actually work out with this project?

Sean Price - The first couple of shows. I noticed people were there saying the words. That was wild and I was surprised.

thaFormula.com - Did it sell what you hoped man?

Sean Price - Nah, never. I knew where I was at in the Independent shit but you just think like "I wanna sell this, or maybe I can do this" then "ahh I didn't, fuck it."

thaFormula.com - What was it about 9th Wonder and Khrysis that made you wanna work with them?

Sean Price - I went out there to do "Monkey Bars," they did the last couple of songs when I wrapped it up. "Onion Head" ended up being my single. A lot of people liked "Heartburn." XM Radio had "Bye Bye" spinning on their play list. So I was like when I start on album two, I'ma start it down South with y'all and then finish it up North.

thaFormula.com - Did you know 9th and Khrysis at all before recording with them?

Sean Price - Yeah, I had did a show previously in North Carolina at this place called "Cats Cradle" and I met 9th, Khrysis and them. Matter of fact when I first met 9th he played me "Heartburn." I was like "yeah hold that for me." I don't know if he held it for me, but when I came back it was there though. I have Little Brothers first album. Evil Dee put me on to them and I thought they were dope. I was like "yo I would love to get a beat from 9th." So you know I just wanted to try something different man.

thaFormula.com - Do you think that is the problem with a lot of the vets from back in the day that they sometimes don't wanna try something different?

Sean Price - I don't know what's the problem with the older dudes or the other vets. I just know that you got to keep up.

thaFormula.com - 'Cause you've done something that not many artists with your years in the game have been able to do. You have reinvented yourself and its worked really well...

Sean Price - It's the rhymes man. They are very serious. You could be 80 years old, if you are spittin' bodies, they are gonna love it. There is no age limit on good lyrics. Like Fat Joe, he's like 36 or 37. People love Fat Joe. Jay-Z is 36 and they love him to. It ain't a age. It ain't like this old man is getting busy. They respect lyrics.

thaFormula.com - Why do you think people make it seem like you can't rhyme anymore at a certain age?

Sean Price - That be young rappers saying that. I don't hear that from street dudes. I hear that from young rappers who are intimidated. Them young rappers be intimidated. Don't worry about my age, I'm getting busy.

thaFormula.com - Then you got people that feel a rapper shouldn't be rapping about certain topics after a certain age. What are your thoughts on that?

Sean Price - I don't know man, they got issues. I rap about what I feel and I'm 34. So what! Are you mad that I'm 34 and still getting busy?

thaFormula.com - It's funny to me how people can accept someone like Al Pacino or Robert Deniro making gangsta movies at the age of 50, but can't accept a rapper spittin' gangsta shit after a certain age...

Sean Price - Exactly, I feel you on that. But they are gonna have to accept it. I'm listening to a lot of these young dudes man and they are not sounding that good. I like Saigon, Tru Life and couple others, but the rest of them dudes is garbage. For the most part these youngstas is garbage.

thaFormula.com - So when you look around at the rappers today, do you say "man this shit is wide open for me?"

Sean Price - Yeah. I was like, yo the game is crazy right now, I can definitely capitalize on it. Dudes is garbage. Dudes have a hot single and their album is trash. I make quality albums so this is my shot and I definitely need to take advantage.

thaFormula.com - Dou you think that the days of an artist dropping an album every 3 to 4 tears is over and that you have to drop an album every year in the times we are in now?

Sean Price - Yeah, because these artists are so disposable right now and these fans are becoming like that too. It's like if we don't keep doing stuff, forget about it. You got to keep working, which I don't mind 'cause I got rhymes for days. As long as the beat is hot I don't mind. I could have put this album out last year. "Jesus Price Superstar" was done before the boot camp album, but we had the "Triple Threat" thing going with "Monkey Bars," 9th & Buck, and Tek N' Steele. I could have put my album out right after that but I was like "you know what, let's end it on another note, lets put a Boot Camp album out and then start all over. That just closed the page on that "Triple Threat" thing with the Boot Camp "Last Stand." Now we are gonna get into a whole new series, which is me, Tek N' Steele who are about to go in the studio and work on the next album, Buckshot and 9th Wonder are working on another album, and I got my artist Ruste Juxx who is probably about to drop an album. So we are getting' ready for the next phase. Then Duck Down got some other artists that are not Boot Camp that's about to drop.

thaFormula.com - How was it recording this Boot Camp album compared to "The Chosen Few" album?

Sean Price - Honestly, it was work. When they started doing the album me and Rock wasn't there. Rock was on tour with me. Then we came back and they had about 12 songs when I got back. So they got it started, then when we got back we added on. We made more songs we added on.

thaFormula.com - How does it finally feel to be looked at as a quality solo artist and no longer the other guy from Heltah Skeltah?

Sean Price - Yeah! That feels great B. That's why I did two albums before I did the Heltah Skeltah album. The first one is to let you know I'm here, I'm back if you remember me. This new one is to let you know it's not a fluke. I'm serious and I'm not just a solo artist too. Me and Rock are finally getting this Heltah Skeltah album together and I'm a solo artist forever.

thaFormula.com - You sound a lot happier with your situation now man then the last time we spoke. What changed so much?

Sean Price - I've been blessed man. Allah is good man, I had a good year man. I went from the brokest rapper you know to having a six-figure year B. I'm dead serious and that's all Duck Down putting in that work. Dru, Buckshot, my managers, me doing a lot of work. A whole lot of features, touring with Ghostface, Jedi Mind Tricks, Non-Phixion and you know just being on the road.

thaFormula.com - What percentage of your income would you say came from record sales man?

Sean Price - Probably 25 percent and 75 percent came from the grind. Just like you said earlier, if you don't keep doing stuff then your not gonna be relevant. So you know I do mad features. Now I'm starting to do voice-over work for like commercials and stuff. That's a whole 'nother level and good money too. I might do a Reebok commercial but just the voice-overs saying "the new Reebok" or whatever. So I just started that. Some dude ran up on me and said, "hey I love your voice," I was like "what?" (Laughs). He was like "nah, nothing like that" and gave me a card. So I went down there and it popped off.

thaFormula.com - If there was no more money in Hip-Hop would you still be doing this?

Sean Price - Yeah I was doing it when I was assed out so there is no question, hell yeah. It ain't about the money but it is as you wanna be rewarded for your craft. If there was no money, my mind still thinks like a rapper so I'ma write a rhyme anyway.

thaFormula.com - Why do you think that most of the new young rappers today would answer no to that question?

Sean Price - I don't know man. I don't even be around them young boy rappers. I don't be around no rappers. But to a certain degree it is about the money. I hate to say it but it is. You know you want money. It's like there is a very good chance that my next album might be on a major. People are hollering right now, but I'ma be Sean P wherever I go. If I make that move, Dru would love me to make that move 'cause he's also my manager and he wants big things for me.

thaFormula.com - Yeah but you paid your dues to get there man. Did it for the love and art of, these young kids that come in just for the money is what I'm talking about…

Sean Price - Yeah, but that's a lot of them now because they are all disposable like that. It's the labels fault to because there is no real artist development. It's like "what you got? Oh word alright we gonna put that out as a single, that's real cute." They rush a album out and it be trash. Then the cute little kid goes on tour with Bow Wow and the make that bread. It is what it is.

thaFormula.com - It seems like that disposable era is coming to a halt though with how the sales are going today. Do you think that we might start seeing a lot of changes in music now?

Sean Price - Yeah, especially if I get a major deal. What you been getting from me, you are gonna get. Just being on a major gives you a broader scale to get it out to the people. That's all I will be using a major for. If you sign me then you know what you signed and what you're getting. I'm not gonna get on a major and act different. I'ma do what I been doing 'cause that's why you all wanted me in the first place. But then again when you're on a major and a dude like me, it's hard for a dude like me on a major. Look at Ghostface, he's dope but his sells ain't like they should be.

thaFormula.com - So is that something that you have to think about and ask yourself if its even worth it?

Sean Price - Yeah, because I don't want to get on no major and then get dropped because I didn't sell this or that. We are gonna see though, I'ma keep my fingers crossed.

thaFormula.com - What has been the thing that has driven you the most and kept you so hungry?

Sean Price - Well like I said, there was a big time lapse between "Magnum Force" and "Monkey Bars" and I was going through hell man. I just wanted to make sure that whatever I do I would be rewarded for my craft. I just put that work in man. The desire, the hunger, the finances and knowing that not too many people do what I do. I'm like "yo hold on they need to get a taste of what I do." Hopefully it will work out but I'm gonna give them me and see what happens. That's where all that comes from and I was glad they liked it and I'ma continue to do it all day. Dru Ha did a good job, Buck did a good job and "Monkey Bars" did what it did. It set me up for this one to keep the name going.

thaFormula.com - Did you ever imagine that you would be in a position to release a highly anticipated second album?

Sean Price - Nah. I hoped for it but nah. I always hope for the best but expect the worst so if it do happen, I'm kind of like "ehh, I knew it." But I just see how the game is, everybody's album gets leaked. It's always some kind of bullshit going on. It's like "ahh I'm gonna get caught out there." The Heltah Skeltah thing was another reason why I wanted to do another solo album just to get from under Rock's shadow. It was like Heltah Skeltah is Rock and that other guy. They know who the other guy is now.

thaFormula.com - Did you feel any pressure coming into the second album after receiving so much praise for your debut solo album?

Sean Price - No pressure. I felt great. If they loved that first shit I'ma definitely give it them even better this time. On the new album I kept it true to form. I didn't go crazy on this album. I still got the same rah, rah humorous shit from before. My shit is hard body but then again it's kind of funny and shit. I kept it me.

thaFormula.com - Now I remember you went to North Carolina and did 10 joints in 5 days for the new album which at the time you were calling "Mighty Flow Young," why did you decide to change the title?

Sean Price - When I first went down there the name of the album was "Mighty Flow Young." I got s song on my album called "King Kong." You could tell that was a "Mighty Flow Young" song 'cause I'm even singing on there. Everybody kept going "thank you son, this is that real Hip-Hop, you savin' the game." I got those emails a lot. So I was like "damn I'm the savior, "Jesus Price." So the people came up with that man. So this new album is "Jesus Price Superstar." Like in the Bible, I'm not well versed but if you read the Bible it says Jesus went to the town and spread the word and the word is god. Jesus Price is going through the 'hood spreading the word and the word is Hip-Hop. That's where it starts and ends at. I think this album is harder then "Monkey Bars." Now is it better, that's for y'all to decide. But it's a good album though. Jesus Price is official for sure.

thaFormula.com - So now that you have wrapped this album up, what do you have lined up after this?

Sean Price - Well me and Dru are working on some things. I'm definitely gonna start album number three. The Heltah Skeltah album, that's tough though man. It's a lot of pressure on me for this third album man. It wasn't no pressure doing album two, but doing the third Heltah Skeltah is hard man. Me and Rock ain't got no problems personally, it's just making it right. We got about 9 or 10 songs and we only like 1. So that tells you where we at.

thaFormula.com - How are those 9 songs though man?

Sean Price - They suck (Laughs). What you want me to say? They suck. I'm not saying I'm nice and Rock is wack, I'm just saying overall the songs suck. The pressures crazy. Also though man, I'm doing a little side project with Guilty Simpson. Me and Guilty Simpson are doing an album together. We're working on it right now.

thaFormula.com - That's crazy, how did that come about man?

Sean Price - My man Dan Green called me and said "would you do an album with Guilty Simpson." I'm like "who?" So I went and did the knowledge, downloaded a few songs listened to him and thought "oh this nigga is serious." So I told him "definitely. yeah." Then he said the dude Black Milk is gonna do a lot of production on it. So I'm like "lets do it man 'cause that's something different."

thaFormula.com - Wow! So you got Black Milk doing the majority of the production?

Sean Price - Yeah the bulk of it. Were about two songs into the album. We just started but its working out lovely though.

thaFormula.com - Another thing man, do you feel that you are at your prime right now lyrically or do you feel you still have ways to go before you hit your peak?

Sean Price - Sometimes I feel like I'm at my peek, but then I write some shit and uh you know I always amaze myself. I'll write something and be like "oh shit," and start smiling. I'll be writing then you will just hear a little giggle come out. That giggle means your ass is in trouble. I'm about to spit a body, nahmean?

thaFormula.com - I ask this question to a lot of artists man. Why do so many artists have such huge egos and act so arrogant or come off like dickheads while some of the legends like Rakim and others are some of the most humble cats you will ever meet?

Sean Price - 'Cause we grew man. Trust me, I probably was a dickhead when I first came out too. I guess we believe our own hype. I can remember when I first got signed, Dru was trying to introduce me to people. I was like "ehh," then Buck told me when I introduce you to people you take that shit serious. I was like "alright I got you." He checked me, which I needed. They always say I think uh, "the ass is connected to the persons foot you step on" or some shit like that. "Be careful because the feet you step on just might be attached to the ass you have to kiss later." Something like that, I'm not sure if I'm saying it right. So you know, remain humble man.

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