HHDX: First of all I want to ask, how you felt about the recent March issue of XXL magazine putting you on a milk carton as a missing artist? Did that motivate you to make a name for yourself again?

Rampage: I felt that it was a good tool to use to get me back in the booth with my A&R "Streety Combz" and felony music behind me. We just went in and tried to create some of that classical NY music we are so in need of. So at the end of the day it was very motivating.

HHDX: Now considering that Rampage hasn’t been around for a good minute, reintroduce yourself to those who may not know. Where have you been? What have you been doing? I heard you’ve been ghostwriting for folks.

Rampage: I've been in between recording songs. (I’ve been) writing songs and enjoying the residuals of past projects. I am Rampage the official lieutenant of the Flipmode Squad and CEO of Deep Freeze Records. My Staff is road manager Al Motley, DJ Blaze, Sabrina and my A&R Streety Combs. My new artist is R&B recording star Lady Day, out of Mount Airy Philadelphia. I can’t say who I’ve ghostwritten for because that will defeat its purpose. But I had my hand in several big projects.

HHDX: We gotta talk about the Flipmode situation. What the hell happened? The crew seemed so intact and primed to blow and then it seemed that the crew disappeared overnight. We always see Spliff and Busta but what about Baby Cham, Rah Digga, Lord Have Mercy and yourself?

Rampage: First I’d like to say Flipmode is still the Squad!!!! Nothing really happened. We are all still together even with the newest additions. What happened was strenuous touring led us away from our home duties so we just all took a step back to be with our families. We all still keep in contact. We just took a huge breather and started doing our own ventures. But we are as tight as we were since day 1 in 1996.

HHDX: How come you haven’t been on any of Busta’s projects? You cats still in contact with one another at all?

Rampage: First off, that is my 1st cousin and I love son. And for the record, we cut records that the world still hasn’t heard from the Flipmode album that wasn’t released on J Records. I talk to Busta daily and we critique our projects. If you take a look at The Big Bang tracklist, I am on that album. He is also on my upcoming album which will be released on Sureshot/Deep Freeze Records June 6th and Busta is May 16th Continued on page 2 »