DX: Do you have a time frame for when the last UGK album will be released?
BB: Um, right now like I said, we’re still getting some of the music collected and I'm not in control of all of the music Pimp C left; his wife is. So it’s a matter of seeing what she wants to do. So we’re just waiting to see. I would love to see the album come out in fourth quarter ’08, personally. I think it would be a great time to drop an album like that…but at the end of the day, it’s gotta be right, and it’s gotta be done with respect.

DX: Definitely…switching gears for a second, Lupe Fiasco spoke recently to us about your friendship. Tell us a little more about that collaboration "Swang On 'Em," and your mutual respect?
BB: Yeah, man, Lupe, to me, is one of the great up-and-coming writers in this rap genre. ..one thing very few rappers do is let other rappers know that they are tight because a lot of times those people can be a threat to them. So number one, I wanted [Lupe] to know that I liked his flow and respect his content and is there was any advice that I could impart on him; then I would try to impart it…but also he’s just a great friend and a good person to talk to on a regular basis. We have a lot of common world views—not all—but we have a lot in common. Plus he’s a fan of the Houston Hip Hop scene: Willie D and Scarface, Geto Boys and what not. And I’m a big fan of Chicago Hip Hop. I listen to a lot of Crucial Conflict, and Do Or Die, and Twista, and Psychodrama, who are very good friends of mine too. So we aren’t just fans of each other, we are fans of each others' scenes. So there’s a lot of things we have in common to build on. We were even able to record together for my album. The song is called “Swang On Em” and its probably not the record you would expect from Lupe, but he definitely drops that "Go Go Gadget" flow it and it’s crazy.

DX: I think it’s dope that you guys can speak about your friendship. It’s so unfortunate that in this industry there’s always so much talk about beef. It’s about time that two grown men can sit down and say ‘You know what? We have respect for each other."
BB: Just to be 100 about everything, I’m a street person. I come from the street and I reflect the street. And in the street, beef don’t make money. And we about makin’ money. So anytime you got beef or war or whatever, that shit stops the money flow…and it costs money to go to war too. It costs money to beef. And I’m about keeping this money right now; I’m about gettin’ this money and keepin’ it. I’m not fittin’ to let these lil' rumblings get to me. I’m not wit' these third and fourth and fifth party conversations. If somebody got something to say to me, I’m everywhere. At every awards show, album release parties, red carpet, [NBA All Star Game], Super Bowl…all that shit. I'ma probably be at the [MLB All Star Game]. All that shit. I ain't hard to find. So anybody that got a problem with me, I'm very easy to reach out to. But I’m about my money. So if you coming at me and plan on stopping my money, you better have a good reason. And you better be ready for a fight.

DX: I see…Well, with or without beef, music sales are down across the board but especially within Hip Hop. Do you think you’ll follow in the lead of other rappers and begin to venture into other artistic mediums like acting, fashion etc?
BB: I think everyone in the industry, not just rap, but I think everyone across the board is gonna have to put some type of slash after their title because a lot of these outlets…there’s not a lot of money left like there used to be. There used to be incredible artist budgets and incredible endorsement budgets and a lot of different things. But people have abused these things and taken advantage of them to the point where there’s no weight or validity to them anymore. Now people are finding it harder and harder to spend money on rap-related shit. You got these morality clause and people aren’t really living life the way they wanna live it. So with downloading and the incredible accessibility people have…we gotta cross-collateralize ourselves. We can't just expect the music industry that has been paying bills to keep paying bills. So we gotta find some other shit to get in to pay the bills.

DX: Have you been looking into anything specific?
BB: I’m talking to a lot of different people. I wouldn’t wanna say anything before its all done in paper but, yeah…my promotional tour is mainly sponsored by Microsoft and the Zune MP3 player. I’m not just promoting my album; I’m promoting the technology that Microsoft is putting out there. It’s something that I believe in as a consumer and secondly it’s a great look for me as an entertainer. It gives me a way to connect with my fan base in a way that I never would have. People get to look at my Zune tag and see what I’m listening to, they can go [click here] and get daily updates, photos, touring info… these things were never available to me solely with a record company because there is only so much money they can devote to things like that. So with Microsoft coming through with about 90% of the promotional touring budget… it’s just a beautiful thing that probably never would have happened had it just been a music thing. Continued on page 3 »