What producers are you working with?
I didn’t start on my album yet. I’ve been trying to think of the framework of it, the title, the concept, what I’m going to go at, what I’m going to talk about this time around. Get all of that down. I’m thinking of numerous producers. I know everybody. It depends who gives me the right material. Whoever got that heat, see Bleek.

Talk about your evolution as an artist. I know a while back you were dealing with some personal stuff.
Every album I release I have one of those songs. It’s sad to say that it always takes an album or a song I have to write about someone who passed away or something tragic that happened in my life. But hey, that’s how life has been going for me. I think this time I’m going to do a more personal album. Get more into my life in detail, letting people know what’s going on with me. I try to keep that off the mind. When you think about it, it turns you into a different person. I’m definitely in a better place. Last year I wouldn’t even be thinking about coming to work. You see I’m at work, in my office, every day, 9 to 5. I definitely came up as a man. I’m not a child running the street no more. I got a lot of responsibilities, lot of people to look after, family. I definitely see myself as an artist growing and have more room to grow.

You seem to like making party songs.
That’s my zone right now. I like to make club records. The whole reaction of going in the club and doing a show and when that beat drops and seeing the whole dance floor shake and vibrate off your music, that’s the best feeling. That’s the type of music I like to make. That makes people make reactions and they lose they mind on the dance floor. I’m definitely going to come with some more club music.

What do you think it will take to bring the East back?
The East ain’t never went nowhere. We still here. We doing our thing. We got a lot of talented artists capable of doing numerous things. They just have to think about themselves. That’s the problem with the East. Everybody thinking about the next man. I understand people think beef sells records. Not if you don’t have a hit to follow that beef up. If the radio ain’t playing the smasher, you ain’t going to sell nothing. Everybody down South, mid West, they have fun and they have fun together. Not only by themselves. They don’t go have fun in the club and diss the next man having fun next to them. That’s why they successful. It’s good music. That’s why R&B now, it’s picked up. Sales went up 50% this year. Why? You listen to an R&B song and they not talking about the next person. You not going to hear Gerald Levert in an R&B song talking about R. Kelly. With rap that’s what you hear. People get tired of that. I can’t even listen to a whole album no more. Cause you going to hear something about somebody else. I’m the type of person where if you feel like you have a problem with that man, you step to him and say something. You don’t go in the studio and write about another man. That’s homo to me. I was raised, if I have a problem with you I have to see you. Then after that if I have to talk about it in a record, then I talk about it. But I’m not going to slander your name and I don’t even know you just because I feel a vibe. That’s wack. That’s corny. People just use that to sell records now. That’s it. Continued on page 3 »