And just so you know, the line [about “fake-ass Bloods” from “Killionaire”] in itself was against no rapper and all rappers. Because most of the guys that are rapping to you today, to the audience out there reading this, most of them were children and they saw Colors in the late ‘80s. And when they say Colors them, me, and every other little nigga that saw Colors wanted to be in the Crips because that’s what Rocket was. And because we saw that [repeats line from movie] “Rocket don't joke and Rocket don't smoke; Rocket peel the cap of a nigga.” Like, that’s what we all wanted to do. Now, 20 years later Don Cheadle is a successful fucking actor. And in our dope minds we know that Don Cheadle wasn’t Rocket. And we saw the ‘90s happen, and death and destruction happen. So how can we as 20-something and 30-something-year-old men now – the same little boys who wanted to be a Crip ‘cause we saw Rocket – how the fuck they putting on different colored bandanas today and influence kids to do the same bullshit we was on? That’s my question to the niggas who asking.

DX: Alright, well let’s move over from that particular verse to your words on Grind II specifically, the most stand out to me of which is your shot on what I think is the hardest record on the album in my opinion, “Bang”…
KM: Oh, thank you, man. A lot of people tried to hate. I love that record. That’s our anthem.

DX: Yeah, well let’s get to the shot…
KM: “Sidekick niggas don’t wanna see me conquer/Fired my boss, I don’t need no sponsor.”

DX: You just told me in January that you and Big Boi are back on good terms [click to read]...
KM: We are on good terms. That record was written in November. [Laughs]

DX: Oh okay, but I think you spit the “fired my boss” line in that [“Killionaire”] freestyle though too. KM: I fired my… Let me tell you something, most people who listen to a rap, what are they gonna do if they like that rap? They gon’ repeat the rap, right? So my thing is I don’t care if you think I’m talking about Big Boi, ‘cause I’m not. I want whoever rappin’ that verse to wanna one day fire they boss. I met a kid at a shoe store – I shop at the exclusive shoe stores. You know, the bullshit sneaker addiction, I got one – the kid said, “Mike, I was working at [a chain sneaker store] for $10-an-[hour] last year. I heard your song ‘Promise I Will Not Lose.’ I fired my boss, came and worked for this shoe store, and now me and my partna doing party promotions, and we doing our own New Era design and selling ‘em.” Like, that’s inspiration, man! So please don’t marganilize me saying [the] I “fired my boss” [line] down to me and Big Boi. I had 20 bosses before Big Boi. From the dope trap to the Auto Zone, I fired ‘em all.

DX: Big Mike used to work at the Auto Zone, okay.
KM: At the Auto Zone and the Advanced Auto Parts.

DX: [Laughs] Okay, but in your last interview you said you had been calling Big to get on a song called “Pimpin’ Mayne” with Sleepy Brown and Pimp C.
KM: Yeah, he didn’t get on the song [so] I didn’t put it on the record. Hopefully one day he’ll get on the song and it’ll come out. If he never gets on it, it’s never coming out. ‘Cause I believe The Dungeon Family fans deserve that.

DX: Yeah, let’s get to that, ‘cause you also said Andre 3000…that you would basically go [looking for] him until he got on the album. Did that pan out?
KM: Yeah, it panned out. He jumped this verse off. And it’s…I think we putting it on Pledge III, which comes out in January.

DX: Oh okay, word. You know the title of what that joint is gonna be yet?
KM: Yeah, it’s called “Guns & Glory.”

DX: Wow. Is it Andre 3000 at his A+ peak?
KM: It better be ‘cause I’m at my A+ peak. And this is what the world been waiting to hear.

DX: Yeah, go into that a little bit. You said previously that Dungeon Fam faithful deserve to see you and ‘Kast working together again, why do you think that is?
KM: Well, The Dungeon Family in my mind…and what the fans say to me is [that] they never got that song from me and Dre they wanted. So we gotta give ‘em that. And they wanna hear me and Big do a Southernplayalistic [type] song. Hence, I gave him “Pimpin’ Mayne.” And the one with Dre is just lyrically gon’ be some animal shit. Like, I’m doing my [lyrical] exercises, my crunches and shit, making sure I’m up [to par]. ‘Cause I see what he doing to niggas on them verses. He’s killing niggas, and laughing about it. He think I don’t know that though.

DX: [Laughs] Alright, let’s get back to Grind II. I know you don’t wanna keep talking about this kinda stuff, but you know I gotta ask about “2 Sides.” You’re on a track with the infamous Shawty Lo line talking about those that lie about their location. So are you in any way joining Shawty Lo in his condemnation of T.I.?
KM: Let me tell you something, brother, Michael Render, Carlos Walker, and Clifford Harris are all from the Westside of Atlanta. That’s what that is. So I’m not taking no sides [in their battle]. I’m from Martin Luther King [Street]. If two Bankhead niggas wanna argue, two Bankhead niggas can argue the rest of they life ‘cause I’m arguing with some Martin Luther King niggas over here. That’s what we do on the Westside. The Westside [of Atlanta] is [like] Watts if you from L.A. The Westside is Southside Chicago if you from Chicago. The Westside is Brooklyn if you from New York. It’s a bunch of muthafuckin’ grimey, gritty, hungry [people]. [So] what’s going on with Shawty Lo and Tip, it’s as normal as me arguing with my cousin last week. So no, this [song] is in no way a campaign against the king. I love the king. This ain’t a campaign against the “King of the South” or the “King of Bankhead,” or whichever kings either of them are. I love both them brothers. Continued on page 4 »