Have you ever been around somebody who don’t wanna hang around you because they know that they can’t be the person that they made up in their head, because you’re around and you know [who they really are]?

DX: Word. [Laughs] Yeah.
S: Nah…y'all don’t want me around because I know the truth. None of y'all niggas bust guns, none of y'all niggas been to jail. No, no…you’re not tough! What made y'all tough is (that) we went 300 niggas deep and the hood held y'all down and y'all all kicked doors down, and fought together. What happened when niggas got rich? They left everybody. But, here’s the flipside, and I tell niggas in my hood everyday. Niggas don’t owe anybody anything. Niggas are their own, man. Get out there and get your own. I’m not crying…I do have career and I’m in a position that niggas will kill for. Everything that I’m saying is the truth because you can bare witness. You can see it yourself without me being involved. Do you think I want to be involved? Nah. Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang..how? If I see them, I’d say what’s up but that’s it. I’m not gonna front for no cameras like we peoples, 'cause we aren’t.

DX: Outside of rap, you had a lot of visibility in television, when did you think the tables turned and things started to go in the opposite direction for career?
S: I didn’t have that guidance. My moms is a fuckin’ drug addict and my pops is in prison. My brothas was these niggas, you feel me? This was my guidance. Instead of fuckin’ schoolin’ me, like the gods, and giving me the true knowledge of myself, wisdom and understanding and setting me up right, niggas let me get fucked up in the politics and bullshit of the streets. At the height of my career, I was still being caught up in lil' bullshit and went to prison. But, you know what? The fucked up part about it was, is that I was a kid and I didn’t know no better.

DX: I always thought that what Memphis Bleek wanted the most, beyond anything was respect. Whether or not Jay is going to back him financially or not, as an emcee, I would think he wanted the respect. With that, you’ve performed with Big Daddy Kane, 2Pac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., do you ever feel like, your opportunity has passed to be a superstar emcee?
S: Nah. You know why? Because I’m not that. I was never in it for that. This shit was therapy for me. My moms was a dope head; my pops was a dope head, and as a kid, I was fucked up mentally. When Hip Hop came along, it was a way for me to say that my aunt died from AIDS, and I watched her deteriorate. For me, it was a way for me to express that and say it. It’s true to me. I wouldn’t give a fuck- niggas will tell you, Shy think he regular like everybody else and that’s his problem. I was never in it for that. I don’t make shit up. This is my life. Everything I say, I can prove. Everything is documented. I don’t give a fuck about people's response. I’ve met the best and I’ve touched mics with the best. To some people, I am the best. I’m good, as far as that. My joy comes from seeing lil’ niggas do their shit. My ultimate goal is to be big CEO, and gives dudes the opportunity to taste it, that haven’t tasted it. I’ve tasted it though. Some dudes will never be able to taste.

DX: Let’s talk about Bottom Up Records and your vision for the company.
S: I don’t believe in cheating people because I’ve been cheated. Each artist with Bottom Up is still independent or of their own. Of course, I’m going to make money with them, but overall, they're independent. It’s not just a record label but also a school of education. I want to educate each artist that comes through me about his or her own LLC, incorporation, etc. It’s not them personally doing business with Shyheim but corporation to corporation doing business. That’s the first step. Niggas will never be able to say that I did them dirty. I want to make my people stronger as a people.

DX: Let’s talk about the new album.
S: I’m very competitive. The album is incredible but Jay's album came out, Kanye's album came out, 50's [album] came out. I thought Kanye’s album was very, very, very good. I thought to myself, "You know what? This is my competition. Them lil' niggas are not my competition." I don’t care who you name. Those are lil’ niggas to me. The big dogs are my competition. I had to go back…and dudes are gonna have a problem this year. Whoever got a problem, fuck ‘em. If I ain’t getting money with you then we have problems. The funny part about it is, is that; I’m really [laughing] tough.

DX: [Laughs] What can we look forward to on the album, as far as concepts and production?
S: Concepts- well I’m concepts crazy. I touch abortion topics, “big brother, little brother” topics, coming up, prison topics, all that. I’ve never done the bouncy in the club, dancy dancy records. My shit is reality Hip Hop. If you like reality Hip Hop, about pain, solutions to problems, revolutionary shit, then you can check me for that. That’s what I’m all about- power of the people. Continued on page 4 »