DX: Barack Obama has said that he likes Hip Hop, but that he has an issue with the messages in Hip Hop. There was also a lot of controversy surrounding Ludacris’ song “Politics As Usual,” and how it affected Obama’s campaign. Have you gotten to speak to Obama about the mixtape? Does hearing what he’s said about Hip Hop give you an idea of how to approach it?
DJ Green Lantern: Of course, that tells me what I need to stay away from. I want him to be able to not have to distance himself from it. You’ve got Republicans and people who don’t want him to win, they want to put him with messages…like the Ludacris record. Ludacris said some things, and it’s his opinion, right? But the people who don’t want Barack to win want to make it seem like it’s [Barack’s] opinion. What I’ve done is, on this joint, I made sure nobody said anything was inflammatory that he couldn’t stand behind. I don’t want to do him a disservice at all. I don’t want to make it to where he has to denounce it, because that’s what it is. He may personally be saying, “That’s Ludacris’ opinion,” but now that he’s in a race, he has to publicly denounce it, or it’ll look like he’s embracing it. I don’t want to have to go through that.

DX: One of my friends listens to your freestyle show. He brought up that you tolerate non-freestyles, and he used the Beanie Sigel and Freeway show as an example. Are you in a tough position to say something to them to people like that?
DJ Green Lantern: To be honest, man, these days, you’ve got to be thankful that people are rapping. There’s so many non-rapping-ass-rappers that’s out here, I’m just glad you’re spitting something. There’s so many people that come on the show, and I’m like, “Aww, you won’t even rap? Dog, ain’t that what you do for a profession? You’re coming on the show, have something.” But that comes with all of these hustlers. “I’m not a rapper, I’m a hustler.” That really comes with a lot of them, they really get into that mindstate. But as far as freestyle vs. written? I’d rather hear a well put-together written joint that no one’s heard before than a sloppy, off-the-top freestyle just for the sake ‘cause it’s a freestyle. We never say, “This is the part where you have to freestyle;” we say, “On the spot. Se need bars.” You feel like going off the top? Cool, but we’re nationwide, so I don’t want your off-the-top to sound like, “Cat, fat, hat, bat.” I’d rather have a hot written than versus a wack off-the-top, any day.