HHDX: What was your manager talking about when he told the writer of the URB piece, in reference to your involvement in 8 Diagrams, “If the business is not taken care of [then] there will be no album or tour”?
Raekwon: Business is important. When you dealing with a team everything gotta be correct. Managers gotta make sure that they know what their artist is getting into, as far as everything that come with doing a record. You could never try to get something done if it ain’t organized. That’s one of the things that we all stessin’ on this go-round, that everybody is able to provide the quality time that’s needed for this record. We had to come to some kind of agreement before we could actually say this record was gonna come to life.

HHDX: In an interview you did with ThaFormula.com back in April you said, with regards to your new album, “I will not give you this Cuban Linx II album until I feel everything is right with me and my business…”
Raekwon: That’s definitely important to me, because when you dealing with a classic record, the return of something classic, I want everything to be right. I wanna be at a house that actually believes in whatever I’m dealing with. And if I gotta feel kinda skeptical and doubtful about who’s gonna help me move this record the way it needs to be moved, I wouldn’t put it out. I’m not gonna sabotage myself. First and foremost, I got an all-star cast on it. Everybody did they thing. I did my thing. And I refuse to throw it out there and it don’t get the proper legwork that it needs.

HHDX: Is that a concern you’ve had with Aftermath, or Interscope?
Raekwon: We going back and forth. It’s definitely a tight situation, but it’s all about being comfortable and being secure with a strong team behind you. But everything is still just basically being litigated.

HHDX: So when are we gonna get that purple CD?
Raekwon: It’s damn near 200% done. I wanna drop it on a major, but you’re definitely gonna get it by the summer of next year. By hook or crook. If I gotta do it independent, I gotta release it. I did a lot of hard work on this record and I refuse to throw it out and people be like, Yo Rae, I ain’t know your shit was out. Nah, I can’t afford for that to happen no more. That happened to me on The Lex Diamond Story. That happened to me on Immobilarity. I’m not going for it on this one. I’m not letting the industry control my destiny on this record. People been wanting this record for the last 10 years, so I gotta make sure that this shit is bulletproof. Continued on page 3 »