[Me and Jay] really [are] just attacking [the concept] from two different ways. Like, Jay to me was attacking a movie from that way and I’m trying to do it more in the sense of the plot and the story and the scenarios in the movie, not so much of the characters and the timing and the setting. The movie could take place in the ‘80’s, [but] I’m not gonna make the beats sound like they’re from the ‘80s.

DX: Can you name which producers you got checking out the movie, which ones are gonna be assigned this task?
F: We’re very pre in the production stage right now. I’ve talked with some of my in-house guys about it. I’ve had a talk with Jermaine Dupri about it. I had a talk with DJ Toomp about it. Just Blaze… A few guys that we just talked [to]. Nothing’s been sketched out really on paper or anything yet.

So nobody has came to me [yet] with any tracks or anything. I do have a record done that I did that I think is fitting for the album, but that was not done by a producer who was already in that same mode. The record just happened to be a great record for the theme [of the album].

DX: Can you give us any details on that record?
F: It doesn’t really have a title [yet]. It was actually a record that was done for my last album, From Nothin’ To Somethin’, but we didn’t use it. This cut could go on a themed album, it could go on a not themed album, it’s just a well cut record. And it’s female-friendly [but] not at the same time. It’s hard to describe ‘cause it’s really a skeleton of the record. But it’s done lyrically. We just gotta add some things to it.

So really, this conversation, everything is really premature, nothing is really solid except for that we are going for that theme. I didn’t wanna let the movie [title] out based on how premature the project is right now. I didn’t wanna give anybody else ideas who are maybe in recording now. I just didn’t wanna spoil it by giving too much away.

But I think [divulging the album plans] gives a little challenge to the producers. It gives [them] a chance to think what movie they think it is. It’s like how you shouted out Loso’s Way from Carlito’s Way, it gives [potential album producers] a challenge to see if they really know which movie [it is]. They may say, "Alright, let me watch the movie and see what I get." ‘Cause one thing that’s great about a movie is 10 different people can watch a movie and not all 10 people are gonna get the same thing from watching it. So that’s why I thought it was great that the producers check it out and really get they own feel of the [movie] too.

DX: One last question about the album, American Gangster was sort of a return to the streets for Jay-Z if you will, do you know if your movie inspired release is gonna be more “Breathe” or “Make Me Better”?
F: I mean you could always expect a “Make Me Better” kind of feel in some of the music that I do, or expect at least a single of that kind of caliber. But what I try to do with my music too is always stay versatile [to] where you really don’t know what kind of joint I’m gonna come with. I’m sure even when I came with “Breathe” just coming off of the two popular radio-friendly joints I had I don’t think people were even expecting that to come. And then now to come with “Make Me Better,” when I came with that it was at a point where nobody had those kind of records too. And I think that kind of record sonically cut through everything that was playing [at the time] because of how heavily influenced radio and video is with south music and that’s not the kind of joints that [southerners] actually make either.

So I try to stay versatile. I don’t really wanna give people a sound that they can guarantee me on. I think people know that I can make radio-friendly records. People who get the mixtapes, they know a little bit more of the lyrical talent.

But like, albums to me are different from actually making mixtapes. When I make mixtapes I’m pretty much wide open and free. And sometimes you can have that same freedom with making an album, but albums are a little bit more formatted, you’re trying to attack a different kind of listener and a different kind of buyer sometimes. And you really have to do what works for you. I’m not ashamed of doing any kind of radio records because at the end of the day, that’s what works for me when I put out albums. That’s what makes people interested [in] the project as far as on a commercial mainstream [level]. On another level, when I’m checking for the streets or when I’m checking for other people who are not so following of mainstream music, that’s when I put out mixtapes. That’s when I do remixes with other people. But really, album-wise, I try to keep it versatile. I don’t really want people to bank me on, "Okay, is it gonna be 'Make Me Better' or is it gonna be 'Breathe'?" Just by you even being able to ask me that question, it’s a great thing for me because that means you don’t really know what I’ma come with. Continued on page 3 »