DX: Whether in album artwork or on your website, you’ve spotlighted certain starlets and whatnot. Once you really got your career moving, how good did it feel to do things like that?
IB: [Laughs] Yeah. It feels great to be able to do that. It was a little harder 10 years ago, just the lines of communication weren’t as connectable. Now with the internet, it’s so easy to network with people, including the porn industry.

DX: Whether Ashley Blue or Avena Lee, do you think giving shine to these girls through your fanbase has built theirs?
IB: Absolutely. That’s me getting my Howard Stern on. [Laughs]

DX: There are people that say Hip Hop is losing its art. With the advent of Gonzo porn and the decline of adult movie houses, there’s people who make the same argument about porn – like the Burt Reynolds character in Boogie Nights. What do you think?
IB: Nah, man. [Laughs] Not porn, man. Even though, I’ll tell you – the old school porns had a little bit of acting involved. Talk to Joey [Silvera] or anybody that came from the old school, Ron Jeremy, these guys…if anything, if they did take the acting serious, it was more in a comedic kind of way. I think it’s kind of ridiculous how some of these companies have gotten way out of control with the production values. I like the Gonzo type of porns. I like the grimy shit. [Laughs] For me, the action taking place in the Roman Coliseum is fuckin’ useless to me.

DX: Yet in your music and personality, you seem like such an old school guy. I would have guessed that the theater aspect, you would have missed. Especially as a New Yorker, these historic places are an endangered species. Though it was before your time, do you feel nostalgic for the era of middle class suburbanites lining up around the corner to go see Deep Throat?
IB: [Laughs] Just going to Times Square right now is just like going to Disney World. Back in the days, it was way more grimy; I definitely miss that. I miss that aspect. I’m from Brooklyn. I grew up in the Canarsie area of Brooklyn, and if you know that area at all, once you get out of Canarsie, it’s East New York. There’s a street called Pennsylvania Avenue. There used to be a XXX theater called the Pennway 6. I was always intrigued with it. It was grimy. They had the big marquis with the porno names like Debbie Does ‘Em All, all that shit. Come to find out, a kid that I grew up, this kid Jeff that lived in the building across from me, his pop was the fuckin’ manager of the Pennway 6. I was always jealous of Jeff. [Laughs] Man, I wish my dad was the manager of a fuckin’ porno theater. [Laughs] I miss it. Things are a little bit different now. There’s a time and place. Really, at that time, I really had no business being that intrigued with it. Being a father now, I definitely have a little bit of a different outlook on it now than I did then. All the same, from a nostalgic point of view, yeah. I definitely miss that era.

DX: How do you feel about people from the Hip Hop community going into porn? Also, Heather Hunter dropped an album. How do you feel about porn folks coming to Hip Hop?
IB: On both counts, I think it’s cool. Really, it boils down to doing what you want to do. Who’s to say that Heather Hunter isn’t musically inclined way before she got into the porn industry? I don’t know. I never heard her music. I can’t really build on that. More power to her. You’d be surprised. One of my homeboys, this dude named Darktooth, he’s an editor. He’s pretty much done editing for every major porn company in the business. He actually owns a store in L.A., in the Valley, called The Basement. This is a dude that basically took the money he made in the porn industry and invested it into Hip Hop. Now he’s got a spot. It’s like the Fat Beats of the Valley.

DX: The directors and the actors and actresses seem to really connect to you and your music. What’s the best compliment you’ve gotten from the industry?
IB: Joey Silvera told me that mine and Necro’s music inspired him to make porn. [Laughs] I thought that was pretty fuckin’ cool.

DX: What do you think Soulja Boy means with “Superman that hoe”?
IB: Wow! Yo! Spank her. [Laughs] Spank her with a dick. I don’t know? But how Superman would do it. [Laughs hysterically]

DX: Whether it’s a starlet or a film, can you spotlight a favorite?
IB: Shit man. I can tell you a company that I think is dope. Evil Angel. Evil Angel is the dopest company ever. The most consistent company in the game.

DX: Before we let you go, what’s going on with the music?
IB: The album is done. Reprisal is my next solo album. It’s done. Right now I’m just finishing up paperwork. We are looking at a March release. It’s gonna be a CD plus a DVD. I was actually able to get in the studio with [DJ Premier]. Premo was able to get in there. Other than that, it is what it is.

DX: “White Nigger” is still to be on there? The song already has people talking...
IB: Yup. As of right now, it’ll be on the album. Yep. Other than that, I’m working on La Coka Nostra as well, and we’re getting together in a couple weeks to finish the album. We’ve got three different situations for that album on the table, and we’re just trying to make a final fuckin’ decision.

Check: www.unclehowie.com and www.myspace.com/illbill