Do you remember Solar hanging around while you were recording The Ownerz?
Totally.
What was he like?
He would speak like he does in all the interviews I see but not to the degree of the controlling part of how Guru seemed to allow. It is what you allow. That’s why I can’t be mad at Solar. I’m not mad at him. If Guru allowed this stuff he has to blame himself. People were like, “What are you going to do?” I don’t need to do nothing because Solar is not my enemy. We weren’t there to witness it.
What do you wish you had the chance to tell Guru before he passed?
Let’s make another Gang Starr album. We could have done it independently. We could have shared it – 7 Grand and Year Round. I wish I stepped to him with enough time to snap him out of that zone.
I spoke to Big Shug for that story and he said…
About him being his real friend and all that stuff?
Yeah. He said that you and Guru were business associates and not friends. Was that true?
Half true. I called Shug the next day after reading it and said, “Damn, thanks for throwing me under the bus.” He said, “Yo man. You know I wouldn’t do that.” I know how he said it. That statement can be taken the wrong way by readers. I had the right to step to Suge about it even though he originated Gang Starr with Guru. They were friends from Boston. He even said, “When I said it, I meant it in that context.” But I was like, “Shug, when you say that to a reporter, it’s going to be looked at like we didn’t have a friendship in the world.” Shug and I are cool. He’s my family but I was offended when I read that. Guru wasn’t my friend that I grew up with but you have to have a friendship to have that [business] relationship. We’ve shared two or three girls in a bed, shared hotel rooms because we were on a budget. I knew him like I did grow up with him.
I’ve heard you say that Group Home’s Livin’ Proof was your toughest project
Yup.
A lot of people think it’s your best work.
I had to make it that way [because of] their lack of lyrical ability and technique. Guru brought Lil Dap into the picture. Melachi lived on my block when Guru and I moved to the Bronx. Melachi was my little buddy. He was crazy and a violent kid. I mentored him to keep him out of trouble because he was 7:30. When he said “I’ll hit your mother with a metal pipe,” he will do it. I’ve seen him do stuff I won’t say on tape. He would only listen to me though.
It seems like you surrounded yourself with all these loose cannons. Why?
My loyalty to Guru. He gave me the opportunity to get to that point in my career. Any smart person would have left Guru and Gang Starr and done their own thing and that’s because I was tired of the negative energy but I stayed loyal to him. I still love Jeru [the Damaja]. We speak. We just spoke about doing music together again. I held a grudge for many years. Now I’ve learned to let go of that. That is poison in your body. I let go of that grudge I had with Chuck D over “Ten Crack Commandments.” [Writer’s Note: Chuck D sued Premier over sampling his voice on “Ten Crack Commandments.” He objected to his voice being used on a song about drugs.] He said he would dead the issue and when we got home from the Smokin’ Grooves tour, he changed his numbers. Back in 1998, 1999, I ran into him at the 7-11. He had his kids with him and we got into it. I told him, “I can’t believe you lied to me.” This is Chuck D, one of my idols, and I was cursing him out in front of his children. We got the lawsuit and it said Works of Mart, Bad Boy and the Estate of Christopher Wallace. I was like, “Have a heart and let her breath, man.” She lost a son but he doesn’t like his name or voice associated with drugs or alcohol and I respect that. Just tell me, “**** off, I’m suing you.” Don’t tell me that you are going to dead the issue when we get home from tour, and Don’t worry, you’re not going to pay the money and then I have to pay the money. Puffy helped me out and said he would split the costs. That’s why I’m cool with Puff because he helped me deal with that.
Did you ever resolve the issue with Chuck?
When we were leaving Jam Master Jay’s wake, I was dapping up certain people and then I turned around and it’s Chuck. I just hugged him. I was like, “Chuck, I love you.” I apologized for yelling at him. We’re cool now and kick it. Even though he got that money—$85,000 to be exact.
Did “Ya’ Playin Yaself” strain your relationship with Puffy?
Biggie and them took that it the wrong way. We weren’t making that record to diss them. “Playin’ Yaself” had popped off but Puff had power and got [the song] shut down on Hot 97. We weren’t talking about Kim [with the line about] skimpy ass dresses. It was a bigger scope than that. I wouldn’t have made a record like that and then played both sides of the fence. “One Day” is what set the whole thing off. That was talking about the state of hip-hop and how hip-hop had a Versace suit on. We weren’t doing that to diss Big. Big took it that way. I was like, “Dude, why would I work with you and then diss you with my crew?” Same thing when Foxy got mad. Jeru had a good point, he said, “All I said was that she had fake alligator boots on. I said nothing else about her.” She said that she was disease infested on “I Shot Ya.” Jay Black got the worst of it. Jeru said, “We snatched up Jay Black and beat his ***** ass down.” Jay Black would be cool with Jeru to his face but then behind his back to this girl, he would be like, “Why you hanging out with that punk mother****er?” She said, “What?” And put the phone next to Jeru’s ear. He said, “Why you hanging out with that punk mother****er?” So Jeru heard him say it on the phone. Next time we were at the Tunnel, Jay Black was right there and Jeru got in his face. When Jeru did “One Day,” he was like, “Let’s throw that dart.” I wasn’t against that.
Did you get the phone call from Puff afterwards?
Oh yeah, Puff called and left the numbers to his house phone, cell phone and boat phone. Him and Jeru kept arguing. It was like, “Word is bond, don’t ever say my name on no more records.” Jeru was like, “Word is bond? Do you know what ‘Word is bond’ means?” Puff was like, “Yeah, I know what that means. Like I said, Don’t ever say my name on no more records.” Jeru was like, “I can say whatever I want on my records.” It didn’t end right. That was around the time I gave Big the track for “Kick in the Door.” Puff didn’t like it and told me that I ain’t hitting it like I used to. He said that with a security guy next to him so I thought he was trying to play me. Big called me the next day and told me to come to the studio. I was like, “Sure but I have to make a new beat first.” He goes, “Nah, I want the one you did.” I said, “Puff don’t like it.” He said, “**** Puff. I’m going to kill it. I got some things to say though. Your man really got me tight.” I was like, “Do what you got to do.” I remember the night we held the session, it started off just me and Big. Slowly, throughout the night, more people came in. All of a sudden it looked like they were ganging up on me. I was there by myself on purpose because I [thought] if someone is going to act funny, it’s better if I go alone so if they move on me, we deal with things afterwards. I told Big, “Anyone move on Jeru, I’m coming back with him.” And I meant that. Gutta was there. D-Roc was there. Jay Black was there and I had to cover my laugh because I snickered.
Totally.
What was he like?
He would speak like he does in all the interviews I see but not to the degree of the controlling part of how Guru seemed to allow. It is what you allow. That’s why I can’t be mad at Solar. I’m not mad at him. If Guru allowed this stuff he has to blame himself. People were like, “What are you going to do?” I don’t need to do nothing because Solar is not my enemy. We weren’t there to witness it.
What do you wish you had the chance to tell Guru before he passed?
Let’s make another Gang Starr album. We could have done it independently. We could have shared it – 7 Grand and Year Round. I wish I stepped to him with enough time to snap him out of that zone.
I spoke to Big Shug for that story and he said…
About him being his real friend and all that stuff?
Yeah. He said that you and Guru were business associates and not friends. Was that true?
Half true. I called Shug the next day after reading it and said, “Damn, thanks for throwing me under the bus.” He said, “Yo man. You know I wouldn’t do that.” I know how he said it. That statement can be taken the wrong way by readers. I had the right to step to Suge about it even though he originated Gang Starr with Guru. They were friends from Boston. He even said, “When I said it, I meant it in that context.” But I was like, “Shug, when you say that to a reporter, it’s going to be looked at like we didn’t have a friendship in the world.” Shug and I are cool. He’s my family but I was offended when I read that. Guru wasn’t my friend that I grew up with but you have to have a friendship to have that [business] relationship. We’ve shared two or three girls in a bed, shared hotel rooms because we were on a budget. I knew him like I did grow up with him.
I’ve heard you say that Group Home’s Livin’ Proof was your toughest project
Yup.
A lot of people think it’s your best work.
I had to make it that way [because of] their lack of lyrical ability and technique. Guru brought Lil Dap into the picture. Melachi lived on my block when Guru and I moved to the Bronx. Melachi was my little buddy. He was crazy and a violent kid. I mentored him to keep him out of trouble because he was 7:30. When he said “I’ll hit your mother with a metal pipe,” he will do it. I’ve seen him do stuff I won’t say on tape. He would only listen to me though.
It seems like you surrounded yourself with all these loose cannons. Why?
My loyalty to Guru. He gave me the opportunity to get to that point in my career. Any smart person would have left Guru and Gang Starr and done their own thing and that’s because I was tired of the negative energy but I stayed loyal to him. I still love Jeru [the Damaja]. We speak. We just spoke about doing music together again. I held a grudge for many years. Now I’ve learned to let go of that. That is poison in your body. I let go of that grudge I had with Chuck D over “Ten Crack Commandments.” [Writer’s Note: Chuck D sued Premier over sampling his voice on “Ten Crack Commandments.” He objected to his voice being used on a song about drugs.] He said he would dead the issue and when we got home from the Smokin’ Grooves tour, he changed his numbers. Back in 1998, 1999, I ran into him at the 7-11. He had his kids with him and we got into it. I told him, “I can’t believe you lied to me.” This is Chuck D, one of my idols, and I was cursing him out in front of his children. We got the lawsuit and it said Works of Mart, Bad Boy and the Estate of Christopher Wallace. I was like, “Have a heart and let her breath, man.” She lost a son but he doesn’t like his name or voice associated with drugs or alcohol and I respect that. Just tell me, “**** off, I’m suing you.” Don’t tell me that you are going to dead the issue when we get home from tour, and Don’t worry, you’re not going to pay the money and then I have to pay the money. Puffy helped me out and said he would split the costs. That’s why I’m cool with Puff because he helped me deal with that.
Did you ever resolve the issue with Chuck?
When we were leaving Jam Master Jay’s wake, I was dapping up certain people and then I turned around and it’s Chuck. I just hugged him. I was like, “Chuck, I love you.” I apologized for yelling at him. We’re cool now and kick it. Even though he got that money—$85,000 to be exact.
Did “Ya’ Playin Yaself” strain your relationship with Puffy?
Biggie and them took that it the wrong way. We weren’t making that record to diss them. “Playin’ Yaself” had popped off but Puff had power and got [the song] shut down on Hot 97. We weren’t talking about Kim [with the line about] skimpy ass dresses. It was a bigger scope than that. I wouldn’t have made a record like that and then played both sides of the fence. “One Day” is what set the whole thing off. That was talking about the state of hip-hop and how hip-hop had a Versace suit on. We weren’t doing that to diss Big. Big took it that way. I was like, “Dude, why would I work with you and then diss you with my crew?” Same thing when Foxy got mad. Jeru had a good point, he said, “All I said was that she had fake alligator boots on. I said nothing else about her.” She said that she was disease infested on “I Shot Ya.” Jay Black got the worst of it. Jeru said, “We snatched up Jay Black and beat his ***** ass down.” Jay Black would be cool with Jeru to his face but then behind his back to this girl, he would be like, “Why you hanging out with that punk mother****er?” She said, “What?” And put the phone next to Jeru’s ear. He said, “Why you hanging out with that punk mother****er?” So Jeru heard him say it on the phone. Next time we were at the Tunnel, Jay Black was right there and Jeru got in his face. When Jeru did “One Day,” he was like, “Let’s throw that dart.” I wasn’t against that.
Did you get the phone call from Puff afterwards?
Oh yeah, Puff called and left the numbers to his house phone, cell phone and boat phone. Him and Jeru kept arguing. It was like, “Word is bond, don’t ever say my name on no more records.” Jeru was like, “Word is bond? Do you know what ‘Word is bond’ means?” Puff was like, “Yeah, I know what that means. Like I said, Don’t ever say my name on no more records.” Jeru was like, “I can say whatever I want on my records.” It didn’t end right. That was around the time I gave Big the track for “Kick in the Door.” Puff didn’t like it and told me that I ain’t hitting it like I used to. He said that with a security guy next to him so I thought he was trying to play me. Big called me the next day and told me to come to the studio. I was like, “Sure but I have to make a new beat first.” He goes, “Nah, I want the one you did.” I said, “Puff don’t like it.” He said, “**** Puff. I’m going to kill it. I got some things to say though. Your man really got me tight.” I was like, “Do what you got to do.” I remember the night we held the session, it started off just me and Big. Slowly, throughout the night, more people came in. All of a sudden it looked like they were ganging up on me. I was there by myself on purpose because I [thought] if someone is going to act funny, it’s better if I go alone so if they move on me, we deal with things afterwards. I told Big, “Anyone move on Jeru, I’m coming back with him.” And I meant that. Gutta was there. D-Roc was there. Jay Black was there and I had to cover my laugh because I snickered.
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