Hip Hoppers are notorious for prematurely crowning their favorite artists “legends.” If you’re fortunate enough to survive a few years in the fickle rap game chances are you’ll be anointed a crown of some sort – “Best in the West,” “King of the South,” etc – by your adoring fans. But in the history of Hip Hop truly few are actually deserved the title legend.

Brad Jordan p.k.a. Scarface has earned his legendary status. After 18 years, four platinum and three gold albums, the south’s first solo superstar has influenced the microphone stylings of everyone from Tupac to Beanie Sigel. Alongside Slick Rick, ‘Face is one of the culture’s greatest narrative poets.

Unfortunately, being a living legend does have its drawbacks. Following the five-mic classic coronation his last release, The Fix, received from The Source magazine expectations are high for his first solo album in over five years, Made. Adding to the heightened spectacle surrounding his latest offering is a non-stop barrage of stones being thrown at the throne by everyone from his first label boss Lil Troy (courtesy of a defamation lawsuit) to rumormongers incessantly chatting about an alleged rift between ‘Face and his longtime employer, Rap-A-Lot Records founder J. Prince.

HipHopDX recently caught up with the original King of the South to discuss these developments in his legendary career over the past few years, his forthcoming eighth studio album [18th overall albums, as one-third of H-Town’s seminal rap group, the Geto Boys], and why his new status as a free agent means Jigga needs to holla at him, which may mean Made will be his final release via the label he helped build.

HipHopDX: The album cover photo for Made shows you staring into a mirror with a weary look on your face like you don’t even wanna do this stuff anymore. Is that what the cover represents or am I reading too much into it?
Scarface: Nah, I don’t think you see that [in the] cover. That cover [shot] is me taking a long look at myself saying, “God damn, finally!” That’s more of a finally look.

DX: So you been waiting to get back in the game?
S: I been waiting to do what I wanna do [and] say what I wanna say.

DX: Last year in an interview, you were quoted as saying, “The Fix was my last album. I’ll never record again. I’ll fuck with my group. Another solo album? No.” So what made you change your mind?
S: Uh…business. The business side will make a muthafucka quit, and the business side will make a muthafucka do it again.

DX: So you’re saying they backed the Brinks truck up?
S: Well, almost.

DX: In that same piece you suggested you wanted to retire because of bad business on the part of Rap-A-Lot. Has that business been addressed?
S: I mean, it’s to be addressed. Everything’s to be worked out, but at the same time you don’t stop [recording]. You have a lot of artists that stopped because they were having disputes with the record labels, and that’s what I don’t wanna do.

DX: But there’s still issues that you and J. Prince gotta sit down and iron out?
S: Yeah, exactly.

DX: In the August 2002 issue of XXL J. Prince was quoted as saying with regards to you and him, “We’re gonna be tied to one another for life.” Do you agree?
S: Yeah, it’s forever.

DX: You’re essentially to Rap-A-Lot what L.L. Cool J is to Def Jam. So why then did J. Prince put together three albums [My Balls And My Word, My Homies 2 and 2 Face] over the past few years without the apparent consent and participation of his flagship artist?
S: Legally right, morally wrong. That’s a question that I can’t answer.

DX: That’s an issue that still needs to be addressed?
S: That’s an issue that’s being addressed, yeah.

DX: Let’s turn the conversation to the new album, Made. On the first street single, “Never,” a line you said caught my ear: “I’ll never turn my back on Jesus.” But I read that you had converted to Islam?
S: Right, and that’s the first thing people would expect for me to do [to speak about Islam]. The most immaculate human being known to man, I never could turn my back on him. What I don’t believe [about Christianity] is…you know what I don’t believe. But I still believe that he is the most immaculate human being known to man.

DX: Something else you spit on another song from Made also caught my attention. On “Big Dogg Status” you said, “A C.I., puttin’ out these DVD’s/Now my shit done hit the streets, he gots to squash the beef/Got the Feds on his team, so they watchin’ me/A mouse trap for a rat, pussy, watch and see.” You might wanna be careful, [Lil Troy] might sue you again.
S: Yeah, well…you know what, I’m not gonna even address none of that shit. That’s a girl, and girls do what girls do. I don’t even play into that hoe shit.

DX: While we’re speaking on Made, I was just curious to know why you didn’t produce any of the album’s tracks?
S: I wanted to focus more on being a writer this time around. I wanted to focus on my writing skills. Continued on page 2 »