DX: You wanna drop any hints of what the album might be called, any thoughts yet about what you wanna do?
Young Jeezy: Nah, I don’t wanna give it to you. You know I got it though. But don’t be surprised if Don Cannon [click to read] got like six of ‘em on there. [Laughs] You feel me?

DX: Yeah, that’s gotta happen. Now wasn’t Eminem supposed to lay down some tracks for The Recession?
Young Jeezy: Nah, I heard that [though]. I don’t know where that shit came from, man. I heard that one time before too.

DX: Yeah, that [rumor] was all over the Internet. Any plans of a Jeezy and Eminem union, you ever gave it any thought?
Young Jeezy: Shit, that might work out though. Definitely might work out.

DX: Now we talked about the sound of The Recession meeting mixed reviews, and it looks like the content of the album is also being critiqued for not speaking on the actual recession enough. Save for a few tracks there’s a lot of “Scott Storch everywhere” speak. [Laughs].
Young Jeezy: [Laughs] What’s wrong with that?

DX: Do you feel like you touched on the actual recession enough on The Recession?
Young Jeezy: I mean, but the thing about it, it wasn’t actually supposed to be just all… Who would wanna buy an album just talking all about the recession?

DX: You reading the newspaper to a beat. [Laughs].
Young Jeezy: Yeah. It was more so to drop them jewels, man, here and there. It’s like, you can hide little shit in music and people get it and it takes ‘em a long way. You don’t wanna be the one sitting there going aww it’s fucked up, what we gonna do, please help us. You wanna kinda still do you. The whole recession concept was like, okay, it’s fucked up out here but we gonna get through it. And here’s some good music to get you through it. And everything I’ma give you is gonna be an anthem. I’m not gonna sit here and try to rap you to death. I’m gonna give you anthems. Like, if you feel like you wanna get a little crunk and crazy you throw on that “Who Dat.” You feel like you wanna just kinda be a little bit more laid back you throw on that “Circulate.” You wanna hear a little rap shit you throw on that “Word Play” [click to listen]. If you wanna feel some of that hard, melodic-ass crazy shit you put on that “Amazin'” or that “Hustlaz Ambition.” So it wasn’t really like I was gonna sit there and make 18 tracks about the recession. It wouldn’t have made sense.

DX: Do you agree with Jay-Z’s opining on “Jockin’ Jay-Z” [click to listen] that talking about the recession is depressing?
Young Jeezy: I mean, that’s how he feel. I don’t feel like that. Hell nah, I don’t feel like that. I felt like it was definitely needed and necessary to address it because real people go through that type of shit. And real niggas like real music. Real people like real music. That’s how they get through hard times.

DX: On “The Recession (Intro)” you spit: “They say, ‘Young won’t you make it rain?’/Bitch is you insane?” [Laughs] Is making it rain officially played out in 2008?
Young Jeezy: It’s like when shit get fucked up you gotta…how can I say this? Any real person know that if you used to doing something and shit slow up, it’s like, why would you continue to do that? Like, at that point you trying to keep up with the Joneses. So you might as well just do you. And that’s what the album is about too. Like, man, you gotta learn how to maintain. You might can’t go to strip clubs five nights a week now. You might wanna [only] go to one. It’s like when money’s plentiful, yeah, you can throw that shit in the air if you want to. But shit, me right now, I’m thinking of some better shit I can do with mine.

DX: Speaking of, on “Welcome Back” [click to listen] there’s mention of some “stuntin'” and “shinin'” and being “on my money shit,” so has the recession reached Young Jeezy and affected your spending habits?
Young Jeezy: Shit, my gas $7 too. I still deal with real life issues. But it wasn’t necessarily like…you [mentioned] the shinin,’ that was more some motivational like, okay, you know it’s fucked up but we gon’ look our best. That’s what “Put On” [click to view] was about, just looking your best even though times is fucked up. But you know, I gotta talk that money shit, ‘cause that’s how I feel. Even though it’s fucked up I’m still on “my Angelina shit.” I still “want that Brad Pitt dough,” I don’t give a fuck. And I’ma figure out a way to get it, you feel me?

DX: I gotta ask you this though, on “My President” [click to listen] you show your support for Obama, but do you support his proposed tax increase for folks making over $250,000 a year such as yourself?
Young Jeezy: The only reason I would say [yes] is because it gotta come from somewhere. And we all know that. It all gotta come from somewhere. We gotta be realistic about it. We could sit here and bitch, moan, groan and complain, but shit, you know it’s gotta come from somewhere or we all gon’ be fucked up. Like, it doesn’t even make sense to think somebody ain’t gon’ get hit.

DX: I think that’s cool, Jeezy’s prepared to pay his share.
Young Jeezy: Yeah, yeah, you know I do my part, man. I mean, shit, you know Uncle Sam is a silent partner baby!

DX: And I heard you just registered to vote for the first time?
Young Jeezy: Yeah man, I had been trying to get my shit straight so I could go overseas and do some shows and get some money and shit, and it came back at around the time that the voter registration thing was going on. And when he told me I was able to vote I was like, “Fuck it, I’ma go do it.” I had never done it before. I’ma do my part, show my support. So definitely that’s what I did. Continued on page 3 »