DX: Okay, so how far are you in the process of album recording?
BB: We’ve recorded 10-20 records already, so we’re just in there vibing with each other and feeling the music out, and just putting everything where it needs to be and just staying productive while we’re doing different things; so we’re in the process. We plan on recording 100 to 200 tracks…

DX: How are you going about beat selection?
BB: We’re going in-house. Krayzie’s doing a lot of production. Mr. Scott Storch has sent us some stuff. Mr. Damon Elliott who happens to be Dionne Warwick’s son, who’s done work for us in the past, is getting us stuff. We’re in talks with Dr. Dre; we’re in talks with Akon [click to read]. We’re in talks with many different producers and everyone’s coming together now like, “Wow they’re actually doing it again, this is going to be a terrific event,” so everybody wants to be a part of it right now.

DX: How do you feel about the final product of your last album, A Song for You?
BB: I think the final product is doing remarkable right now. We’re actually in plans to go overseas and keep on marketing and promoting. I have a couple of shows we’re still doing so we’re still promoting and things of that nature, while we’re focusing on what we’re doing out here. And the fellas are giving me enough room to do what I need to do to make sure we get that as far as we can, and keep building our success with trends, and make sure that we have stuff with archives and catalogues and all those beautiful things we’re doing…

DX: How many records have sold so far?
BB: We’re at about 35,000.

DX: Once again, you opted for an Indie record label, After Platinum Records. Are you satisfied with the label support?
BB: The label is supporting it to such a phenomal – whatever I need, the label is there for me. We have another video; we’re trying to get BET to air the video, we’re trying to get people to request it a little more. We’ve had 400-500 spins on the Twista [click to read] [record "Money"]. We had 400-500 spins on “A Song for You" [click to read], and we’re just really trying to build that up in order to get that over there and try to play the political game the way it can be played…they’re also putting their hats into this reality show that Bone is doing so everything is just coming together right now in such a phenomenal way –

DX: What’s the show about?
BB: It’s a reality show about Bone getting back together. We’re in a mansion living together, in the studio, Flesh getting up out of prison…all those different things so it’s gonna be phenomenal. The title of it is Living in Harmony.

DX: Great title. When will it air?
BB: As soon as it can; once we finish shooting it and then making sure we submit it to the proper people and you know how that goes – it’s a process after that.

DX: “What Have I Learned” has both spiritual and religious meaning attached to it. What did you want to convey through this track?
BB: That entire record is like a Book of Psalms to me and all of the musicians there with. And that was the basic vibe of that record; something mellow, something intelligent. A little upper class – with you know, the new world order going on and so many different things that are happening. People can’t look at each other in the eye no more; people are focused on the lower halves; Sodom and Gomorrah is running ramped. Satan has captured the earth and he’s full of great wrath and it’s something I’ve noticed earlier on from the inception of Christ. It’s more or less harnessing all those different things, understanding it and then finding out what’s going on with it and then trying to have some sort of water that wasn’t dragon water; that was good water, a nice good clean glass of water.

DX: Joel Madden of Good Charlotte is on the album. How did that collabo come about?
BB: All of the collaborations actually came through After Platinum. They put all of it together from [DMX] to Good Charlotte to Twista…

DX: Joel is a creative addition to the album. Should Hip Hop welcome other genres more often?
BB: Well I don’t know. I think that Hip Hop should do what Hip Hop feels that it should do. I look at it as all-around music. I don’t think people are wearing baggy pants because black people are in style; I think it’s because baggy pants are in style. I don’t think it’s secluded to one particular understanding; it’s about being comfortable, it’s about not being irritated, it’s about enjoying what you’re hearing. ‘Cause nobody wants a hot plate of doo doo. Nobody wants that; that’s like a hot place of shit. And if you find somebody happy eating a hot plate of shit, then they’re not caring about your taste buds, they’re not caring about your senses…

DX: Some people have stated that incorporating R&B with Hip Hop is partly what is “destroying” Hip Hop today. You have many R & B choruses in your music. How do you feel about that statement?
BB: Well I’m not mad at anybody for their personal opinion; it’s something that they may feel. But [if] you focus on yourself and you focus on the fans, you tend to have a better reaction. You focus on you and everything else will come toward you. Everyone needs to take a valuable lesson from Jesus Christ. And his ministry was for three years and there are billions and billions and billions and billions of people that believe in him. So it’s how you do things; and it’s how you put yourself forth that brings that goodness that comes back to you. Continued on page 3 »