DX: You had Nas on the track “Gun for Gun” on The Offering. He has recently changed the controversial album title from Nigger to Nothing due to public and private pressures. He continues to release controversial videos, visuals and lyrics, mainly powerful, colonial-depicting imagery. And when you’re talking about “the movement”, Nas has been controversial with his previous album also, Hip Hop is Dead. In your opinion, is Nas just creating controversy or does he have a point?
P: I don’t know man, I saw an interview with him where he’s bigging up stic [click to read] – I think he got dead prez on his album doing beats or whatever. But Nas has always been clever, like how he came out like with Hip Hop is Dead. I don’t know, I think Nas should have never backed down or listened to Def Jam – he should get off that label. He didn’t even need that, he could have started his own thing, signed with anybody, but every man is a man, they do what they gotta do. It’s just like Alicia Keys [click to read]: once you stand up against what they’re pushing, don’t ever back down in what you want to do. I think he’s putting out [The Nigger Tape] [click to listen]…I didn’t approve of him changing the title, he should have kept that. I wanted to see him justify that [laughing] or point it out - why he did it. If it was just pure ignorance, that would have been on him.

DX: In all fairness, it could be viewed as pure ignorance. The way he’s been explaining it to the media, his justification doesn’t really hold water.
P: That’s true. And I gotta get into it; really pay more attention to that. I saw the title, looked at it, but I was at the studio most of the time. I was like, “Wow man, what was that about?” But if that was about ignorance, he shouldn’t have even named it that. That’s all I gotta say on that.

DX: 8 Diagrams [click to read]. You were expected on the album as it was reported that you would be on it. What happened?
P: Another incident of showing up to the studio and everybody saying, "It’s time for change man." I’ve been talking to RZA [click to read], he knows that. Change came. If you squeeze the hold so tight, the diamond is still gonna come out – it’s gonna bust. So it’s like, things change. Everybody sees what’s going on amongst the brothers, Raekwon [click to read] and all this movement…all I wanted to do is just get up on there but I guess they locked it out – Wu-Tang had to see one more time if it was like that. But now it’s grinding time, everybody’s grinding now. I didn’t get on the album; I don’t know what RZA did with those tracks, but I know I’m on that Chosen album. So if they put me off that album, then it’s something else then. [Laughs]

DX: How do you think Wu as a group is holding up today?
P: Things change. It’s not the same; it’s not like the '90s. I think the strong will survive and the strong is surviving, and right now it’s just real. It’s like you get out there, get in the studio, do your shows. It’s the only way rappers are surviving right now. Shows come about by making good music. Soon it’s not even gonna be about a name, it’s just about making good music. Fans gotta support – man, I’m tired of the fans. They running around here supporting all this garbage. You gotta start support what you’re really into, true artists.

DX: That’d be good. The HRSMN project. You know I’m gonna ask about that…
P: I’ve seen Canibus [click to read] at the show and hopefully we’re gonna get this thing started.

DX: Okay, let’s be real. Why is it taking so long?
P: Because you got four major cats, one cat locked up here and there. Everyone’s in controversy [laughing]. Every four major cat is in controversy, doing their music. Everybody’s majorly talented and so they’re always busy.

DX: But aside from people being incarcerated – because that wasn’t the case the entire time – this project was in the works for years now, and not even half the album is completed.
P: We got songs done.

DX: How many?
P: Uh, I would say a good strong five. Everything else is just miscellaneous. There’s maybe seven or eight.

DX: Is there somebody leading the project?
P: Nah, it just happened man. We came up here, we knocked out a couple of joints [in] L.A. Some of the old stuff I remember leaked before.

DX: Maybe someone should take the initiative?
P: I might do that. Continued on page 4 »