Guilty Simpson is more than just Dilla. The Detroit duo may have had a mutual respect and admiration for one another, but any head near and far knows that Simpson is more kin to Orenthal James on the mic than Homer or Bart.

The Almighty Dreadnaughtz affiliate may not be on your iPod next to your favorite “trap rapper,” but Simpson offers an alternative that may not be found in your Top 40 radio stations. As the rugged one sits down with HipHopDX, he puts his career in perspective amidst the Dilla tie-ins, how Hip Hop will affect the presidential race and shows support for Eminem in his time of need.

HipHopDX: At lot of heads are looking at you as the next out of Detroit and the Dilla co-sign is a major look. With how much love J. Dilla has received now and during his career – how much of that is being blessed upon you with your project?
Guilty Simpson: With my project concerning Dilla, there is a lot of legal stuff tied into it. There are people who think that I should owe my whole career to him. While I do admit his influence helped, I’ve been crackin’ heads in Detroit way before that. I was a known emcee in the D. Musically, I’ve worked with Mr. Porter, and he’s another incredible producer. He’s helped me a lot as well. But Dilla’s influence is in tune with the whole industry. Everyone gives him his props. Without his stamp of approval, I know that people wouldn’t be giving me this type of look. I’m appreciative of everything that I learned from him and am glad to have worked with him.

DX: With love comes hate. Do you get the hometown push like other acts from elsewhere get?
GS: I wouldn’t say that I do. Amongst my peers who make music, they respect my grind and my hustle. But the city is divided amongst what the sound of Detroit should be. You have a few heads out there who think that the drug rap is where it should be at. But it kind of borrows from what the south is doing, you know? Then you have those who believe in hip hop and lyricism. I’m blessed because I feel like I bridge the gap between both, respectively. I have the Hip Hop heads who love the lyrics, but I get the love from the streets. I just don’t have the whole city conquered yet.

DX: So, is the D what you want or do you want to strike out for a wider audience?
GS: I really do, but at the same time, I love Detroit and everything it gives me and continues to give. You’re going to hear me scream out Detroit throughout my entire career. That’ll never stop, but me conquering Detroit isn’t a goal that I have high up on my list. I feel like I’m killin’ ‘em right now, you know? But the D is a small point on the world’s map. I’ve been in Europe twice, rockin’ out to sold out shows. So you know how dope that is…?

DX: Yeah. That’s got to be ill. So, what else do you have coming up?
GS: I have some work with Sean Price. Even before that I have my album Ode to the Ghetto. I’m putting in a lot of work with the homie Jay Electronica. I’ve known him for years. Heads are really starting to look at him now, but that’s another incredible artist who I enjoy working with. Madlib and I are working on this free EP called OJ Simpson. Madlib is the OJ and you know who I am. [Laughs] I’m working with The Goon Squad, too. I have a lot of things in the works. It’s just enough to let people know that I’m out here, grinding, and that I have a lot more songs that I can bring to the table. I am really going to give people some quality shit.

DX: Now, I met you at the NBA 2K8 Bounce Tour when it came to New York. The crowd loved that appeal that you brought to the table. How do you think yours compares to those in the majors with a similar appeal?
GS: I bring that real to the table. I’m not saying that everyone or anyone in the game is lying. I just have those tracks. I have a song called “Robbery,” but I have a song called, “A Man’s World.” That allows me to show that I’m not just one-minded. I’m human on the track, you know? I have songs that ladies think are blatantly disrespectful, but I also have a love song for the shorties. It’s not always about diamonds, money and cars, but at the end of the day, I’d like to think that the rappers in the game at least chill wit some female that they care about. I’m about honesty. I’ll honestly fuck someone up, but I’d still do a song about loving a babe. Having that honesty doesn’t put me in a box to have to prove something. People try to fit a criteria, yet they’re not even what they claim to be. That puts a lot of pressure on these rappers. I’d rather be me than be a character.

DX: All the old conventional methods of doing business in the music industry is falling short and/or changing. How do you approach the game differently?
GS: I think the main thing is that I want to get busy with these shows. Especially on this independent level, I want to be as approachable as possible to the fans. I want to try to stay busy. If someone wants me to come to Boise, Idaho, we can’t count on the consumer to go out and buy the albums, you know? The underground is strictly into downloading. That’s how they support the music. I’m not afraid to give shit away, so hopefully that’ll change people perception of us in the underground. I would love for people to spend $12, $13 dollars on my CD, but I will stick to my formula of making something happen. Continued on page 2 »