Ask any scholar, and they’ll tell you the kiddie-themed veneer of Christmas hides some surprisingly foul origins. Ritual sacrifices, orgies and other non-Santa approved activities lie at the heart of America’s biggest consumer holiday. So hailing from a crew responsible for song titles like “Murda Murda” and “Suck It or Not” make Juelz Santana the perfect emcee to offer some perspective on having a Hip Hop holiday.
Let’s be honest. Chances are, if you frequent HipHopDX, the only large, bearded man you expected to see during the fourth quarter was Rick Ross. And his idea of snow and trees is decidedly different from the one jolly old Santa Claus is familiar with. Breaking the tradition of Kurtis Blow’s “Christmas Rappin’” and Run DMC’s “Christmas in Hollis,” Juelz Santana carries the torch for all who prefer Friday After Next and Bad Santa over It’s a Wonderful Life. Besides, even if you don’t bother with Christmas, Juelz offers an uncensored take on everything from the multiple rifts within the Dipset to the delays of his I Can’t Feel My Face collabo with Lil Wayne.
HipHopDX: Whose idea was the Tribute to Bad Santa mixtape?
Juelz Santana: Jim actually put that together. Last year, Jim put the Christmas album out through Koch, so I guess he had another deal he was gonna do with them. You know I put out the Skull Gang Takover mixtape a while ago, and the movement has been kind of crazy. He asked me if I wanted to have the team put a couple records on this album, and I was like, “Hell yeah. Why not?”
This is a chance to get them some money and let them do something they never did. I mean, I’ve never done a Christmas album. We only put three records on the album, so it’s not [entirely] Skull Gang.
DX: “Christmas Eve” talks about robbing people during the holidays, so it definitely sounds inspired by Bad Santa.
Juelz Santana: That’s one of my favorite songs on the Christmas album though. I didn’t even know it was especially for this project, because that just sounds like something that goes on in the hood. That’s how a lot of niggas feel, man.
DX: Have you ever seen the movie?
Juelz Santana: Nah, they were already in the process of doing the joint when Jim [Jones] asked me. I got the team together, and we just rocked out. I got my own studio in Jersey, and Jim has his studio downtown. We’re always together, but he’s got Byrdgang and I’ve got Skull Gang.
DX: Christmas is coming, but we’re also officially in a recession. Are we gonna see the Dips in Harlem handing out turkeys or something?
Juelz Santana: [laughs] Yeah, we definitely gone have to do that, man. I’ve been getting up with my niggas to figure out how we can give back. I’m mad I didn’t get a chance to give away turkeys. I ain’t even get no turkey though, because I was doing a show during my Thanksgiving. But, for Christmas I definitely plan on doing a toy drive type of thing. We’ll have all the artists donate drive around the city—hit the hospitals, schools and give to some of the less fortunate kids.
I did something like that last year, and we gave away a couple Playstations. I stay in my hood, and I’m a hood active nigga. I always do shit in my parks and stuff like that, but around Christmas time it just gets a little too cold, but we’re gonna make it happen.
DX: When you grow up in the hood, you’re likely to get socks or some other wack gift instead of what you really want. What’s the worst Christmas gift you’ve ever received?
Juelz Santana: I don’t know, man. Coming from where I came from, I was always just grateful for whatever I got. But, at the same time, you know how you expect one thing and you get something else? There were a lot of times where I was expecting a bike or something and I’d end up getting some clothes or some bullshit. When you’re a kid, you don’t want to see no fucking long johns. Other than that, there wasn’t anything where I was just like, “Damn, this is the worst gift.”
DX: True. Now that you’re in a different tax bracket, what has been the best gift?
Juelz Santana: To be honest, the best gift is just being with family. That’s how I really feel. As far as the material stuff goes, I won’t front. My nigga [Lil] Wayne [click to read] gave me a chain one time. He gave me a crazy chain—one of them shit’s Pharrell [click to read] be wearin’. You know, the Gucci link?
DX: Oh yeah. That’s a hell of a lot better than some long johns.
Juelz Santana: Yeah, but the crazy part was that I had already bought one of those about a month before. I spent about 40 to $50,000 on that joint. So that was definitely one of the nicer gifts I got outside of somebody being family. I was like, “Damn, that’s love.” Me and Weezy are cool like that. I actually gave him a piece like that for his birthday too. It was an M.O.B. piece with the blood diamonds in it and all that.
DX: Now, you also have a little man, right?
Juelz Santana: Yeah, my son is five. All the Christmases have been good for him, but this should be a real memorable one for him. He’s in tune a lot more. He knows what he wants, and he knows a lot more about Santa. The first couple years were just introducing him to Christmas and letting him know about those types of things. Now he’s ready, and he wants to know why the toys aren’t here already.
DX: So he’s putting the bug in your ear about particular gifts?
Juelz Santana: Yeah, he’s heavy into the superhero stuff. He’s on whatever is hot with the superheroes, so I just tell him to keep his mother posted. I’ll see if he’s been bad or good and let Santa know.
DX: Well, speaking of young dudes, it wasn’t too long ago that you were coming into the game as a teenager, right?
Juelz Santana: Yeah, I came into the game real young and not knowledgeable about a lot of things. I was just real excited and eager to do something better with my life other than being on that motherfuckin’ corner with the risk of that three hour bus ride upstate. I don’t wanna talk about the places I was going to, but I was just doing a lot of the wrong things.
I was all about getting out of trouble, and being able to utilize my talents. I had a guy like [Cam'ron], who I looked up to so much…I still look up to Cam in certain ways, ya dig? He just does a lot of things that I don’t like. But, back to what I was saying. The vibe was just different. Coming out of the street, I wanted to do something better.
DX: What would you say is the biggest difference between you now and then?
Juelz Santana: Growth, learning and my knowledge of everything that’s going on. I’ve always been a real observant person. I picked up on a lot of extra shit that other niggas wouldn’t have. Being 25 and in the position that I’m in, I don’t feel there’s any better situation I could be in.
Things look real bright, and niggas is checkin’ for me. Niggas know how I give it up, and they know my career wasn’t built on one record. It wasn’t built on no bullshit. Niggas know me for going hard and putting work in. I put a lot of that Dipset shit on my back for a while, and niggas know what’s up. I’ve never been the one to get on the cameras and pop a whole bunch of shit. I just deliver.
DX: And we can assume the same applies with Skull Gang?
Juelz Santana: Niggas see what it is. We out right now, movin’ and killin’ the Internet. I feel our buzz is crazy to be coming out with a new movement so fast. That Skull Gang Takeover mixtape is in the streets, and we’re doing videos for every song. We just shot a video for “Body Like a Maserati.” That’s a crazy record, and it’s probably going on the Skull Gang album. I paid for that out of my pocket. I didn’t wait for no label to give us a deal or nothing. Even though we’ve got labels hollering, I know what works from being in the Diplomats. That’s what the game’s been missing. Niggas aren’t down to sacrifice what you’ve got for what you believe in. That’s what I’m doing right now.
DX: So what do you have on deck?
Juelz Santana: The Skull Gang Takeover mixtape is in the streets, and be on the lookout for that Takeover DVD. I’m about to put out my solo mixtape, which is The Reagan Era. Right after that, we’re dropping another Skull Gang mixtape called The Takeover Continues. It’s actually done already, but we’re just waiting to give ‘em my mixtape first. I got my Skull Gang artists involved with my mixtape a little bit more. A little while after that, I’m gonna drop my solo album, which is called Born to Lose Built to Win.
Right now, I’m just gearing up and prepping everybody. I feel like I’ve been away for a while. To just come back and drop a 12-song album after being away for so long is not what I do. I do mixtapes, and I give people more than that. So I’ve put my groundwork in and plant these seeds, so I can watch ‘em bloom and blossom. That’s what I’m doing right now.
I Can’t Feel My Face with me and Wayne is still happening. I’m about to call him back and chop it up with him in a minute. The good thing I tell everybody about me and him is that the music is already done. If you were to come to my studio right now, I could play you 35 records from me and Wayne.
DX: So at this point you’re just waiting for one of these labels to write the check for that?
Juelz Santana: Exactly, and that ain’t hard. I got my business squared away to where I can deal with it, and he has his business squared away. His album came out already. Neither his label or my label wanted us to put that out without either of our solo albums dropping first. We’re at a good point right now, and it’s all gearing up for my solo album.
DX: You started out in Draftpick, then Dipset and now Skull Gang. How important is it to you to be part of a team?
Juelz Santana: It’s so important, because I’m one of them dudes who likes to see people around me shining. I don’t want niggas to have to wait ‘til I eat to go eat—even though I’ll take them with me to go eat, because they my niggas like that. But I want you to be able to do that on your own. I want niggas to move the same way we got to move. It was where we could all walk in the club and stand on our own. When me, Cam, Jim and Zeke got in there together, it was just extra crazy. That’s when it really feels good like, “Oh, guess who just walked in the house? Jim Jones just came. There’s Juelz…oh they’re all together.”
I didn’t try to put together the same thing as them. I’ve got people from different places. I got my man Rabb, he’s from Richmond, Virginia. I got my man John Depp from Queens. I bring that Diplomat swagg from Harlem, and that’s gonna always be there for me. I wanted to bring another sound when it came to Skull Gang. I’ve got my R&B artist, and her name is Starr—she’s crazy. And, of course, we got the one and only UnKasa [click to read]. That’s my nigga, my brother since day one. He goes so hard and he’s so talented. He’s gonna be a shocker to a lot of people, and he’ll do a lot of things that people won’t expect. We gonna kill these niggas.
DX: Does your establishment of Skull Gang and Jimmy’s thing with Byrdgang mean the end of the Diplomats as we know it?
Juelz Santana: I tell people, there’s no hard feelings with Cam. The business wasn’t right so I couldn’t continue, but it’s still Diplomats for life. I always tell fans it was the business that wasn’t right. As some of the fans get older, I hope they’ll understand that. When you get put in that situation, you realize this is life and you can’t be stupid. We weren’t getting treated right after we helped build this shit brick by brick. Now you’re at the top of the building and a nigga just wants to give you a piece of a sandwich. He don’t even wanna let you sit down and eat the whole hero with him after you built the whole building—not even with him, but for him.
So, it got to the point where I couldn’t be stupid no more. I played the loyal position for a minute, and I tried to get it right. We just couldn’t make it work. But, it’s still Dipset for life. When you see me, it’s Dipset. When you see Jim, it’s Dipset. It’s one person missing, and it’s not because we want him missing, it’s because that’s what he chose to do. What are we supposed to do, stop? Nah, we can’t stop. How would the people look at us?
I want fans to really look at the situation and be like, “Who looks like the one that’s out the loop?” And that’s for real. I’m not trying to say nothing funny. I’m not with trying to badmouth a nigga or nothing. I hope everything does come to a place where we can get back together in a room and do what we gotta do. But as of now, it is what it is.
DX: It’s kind of ugly right now with JR Writer and Max B going back and forth [click to listen].
Juelz Santana: Yeah, yeah that’s for attention, nahmean? The other day this cat was like, “Yo, what’s up with you and Max B?” My new thing is, “Nigga don’t ask me what’s up with him, ask him what’s up with him.” I don’t know what’s up with these niggas, man. When I see niggas it’s nothing. So, if niggas want to get on DVDs and pop that fly shit, it doesn’t make sense.
I always tell people, niggas don’t know what you do until you do it to them. I’m a real street nigga, and ain’t nobody scaring me by talking over no fucking camera. Like I said, when I see niggas, they act like they didn’t even wanna see me. Then niggas be on interviews saying shit like hypocrites, because it goes all against what they said in another interview. I can’t entertain those types of dudes.
I’m the type of dude where, other dudes will get scared when I come back out. They know that bullshit ain’t gonna work no more. A nigga can’t ever say they wrote no records for me. I sit on my own pedestal and do what the fuck I do. I don’t wanna hear none of that shit. If it don’t apply, let it fly. A nigga didn’t mention my name.
DX: On a more positive note, I think Diplomat fans were really happy to see Ludacris bring you guys out at his album release party.
Juelz Santana: Yeah, that was crazy. That was love; shout out to [Ludacris] [click to read]. I’ve met him through my travels in this game, and we’ve always had a good relationship. I always respected him as an artist and acknowledged him as one of the more lyrical people in the game. We always had that kind bond where we would chop it up every time we saw each other. I was actually supposed to be on [Release Therapy], but due to my business difficulties a lot of shit wasn’t cleared. I actually did a record with Luda, but it didn’t get on the album because of that. He and Chaka [Zulu] always reach out, and if I’m in Atlanta I try to do the same thing.
DX: Although it happened a while ago, it was great to see Rakim pop up in your “Mic Check” video. Did you two get to build during that time?
Juelz Santana: Yeah, Rakim [click to read] came to my studio and schooled me on a few things. He talked about how he felt about certain things that were going on. He told me he had a lot of respect for me. He knew I had a lot of respect for him, and I definitely expressed that. We were actually supposed to do the “Mic Check” remix together, and I also did a “Know the Ledge” freestyle for my mixtape, but something happened. I think he had some kind of family issue, and we never linked back up. But, a nigga don’t have to tell somebody like Rakim he’s a legend. C’mon man, he might as well get “Legend” tattooed on his forehead.
DX: It’s got to feel good seeing OGs like Rakim and Naughty By Nature reach out and show you love, right?
Juelz Santana: Yeah, that’s why I’m so proud of my career and where I’m at right now. These are people that I never thought I would be around—never thought I would get to do records with. And they show me love. Even being in the cipher with niggas like [Jadakiss] [click to read], because there was a time when I was buying mixtapes too. And these are the people I was listening too. It’s just like how he said he used to buy mixtapes with Biggie on there, and then next thing you know, they’re doing a record with him. It’s the same way with me now. When I see niggas like that, they show me just as much love as I show them. Jada, [Fabolous] [click to read], all them niggas show a nigga love when they see me, and it’s the same way vice versa.
DX: So now that the Def Jam situation has been taken care of, are we gonna see an older, wiser Juelz? We can assume everybody in the building is safe?
Juelz Santana: Oh yeah, that was a while ago. That dude actually got fired a week after the incident, and they knew it wasn’t my fault. They knew that when I come in Def Jam, I come to handle business. I’m not no rah-rah person, because at the end of the day, that’s my place of business. L.A. Reid heard about the situation, and I’m sure he was kind of disturbed. But, at the same time, I’m sure he was like, “Damn. Juelz had to have been provoked to do that, especially in this building.” They know I wouldn’t just go off the rip like that. Dude kind of insulted me a little bit. I felt like he wasn’t respecting my G, with me being who I was in the building. He thought he could talk to me any type of way.
I’m like the smaller guy out the camp. I feel like if anybody feels like they can get away with it, it’s gonna be on me. It’s crazy that it’s like that. I’m thinking, “Y’all don’t see the way these young niggas are nowadays? The little niggas are the wildest. You better do some research. Who do the older niggas go get to pop niggas?”
That’s why I be fallin’ back. I don’t ever want to get back into that element, because I was a young, wild nigga. I had to train myself to not be that person, because when I go there, I go all the way there. It’s no hold on, chill out. We bang, bang boogie on niggas. I try my best to not only save them, but save me. I know how far it could go. I’m willing to go all the way there, but I don’t want to do that. I’ve got too much going right now.
You don’t have to be that type of person, because a lot of these niggas is out here frontin’ anyway. They get with certain niggas, and they try to be a different person. Just be you, man. People will like you for who you are, and if not then they don’t really fuck with you like that anyway.
DX: True. So, let’s say we have this same conversation five years from now. Where do you and Skull Gang hope to be?
Juelz Santana: Ah, it’s gonna be big, man. I don’t even know. Where ever the world is at, we’re gonna be involved and active. Hopefully we’ll be really rich and still a family unit. The main objective is to stay grounded, stay focused and keep making this strong music. It’s by the grace of God that we get to be anywhere, man.
Let’s be honest. Chances are, if you frequent HipHopDX, the only large, bearded man you expected to see during the fourth quarter was Rick Ross. And his idea of snow and trees is decidedly different from the one jolly old Santa Claus is familiar with. Breaking the tradition of Kurtis Blow’s “Christmas Rappin’” and Run DMC’s “Christmas in Hollis,” Juelz Santana carries the torch for all who prefer Friday After Next and Bad Santa over It’s a Wonderful Life. Besides, even if you don’t bother with Christmas, Juelz offers an uncensored take on everything from the multiple rifts within the Dipset to the delays of his I Can’t Feel My Face collabo with Lil Wayne.
HipHopDX: Whose idea was the Tribute to Bad Santa mixtape?
Juelz Santana: Jim actually put that together. Last year, Jim put the Christmas album out through Koch, so I guess he had another deal he was gonna do with them. You know I put out the Skull Gang Takover mixtape a while ago, and the movement has been kind of crazy. He asked me if I wanted to have the team put a couple records on this album, and I was like, “Hell yeah. Why not?”
This is a chance to get them some money and let them do something they never did. I mean, I’ve never done a Christmas album. We only put three records on the album, so it’s not [entirely] Skull Gang.
DX: “Christmas Eve” talks about robbing people during the holidays, so it definitely sounds inspired by Bad Santa.
Juelz Santana: That’s one of my favorite songs on the Christmas album though. I didn’t even know it was especially for this project, because that just sounds like something that goes on in the hood. That’s how a lot of niggas feel, man.
DX: Have you ever seen the movie?
Juelz Santana: Nah, they were already in the process of doing the joint when Jim [Jones] asked me. I got the team together, and we just rocked out. I got my own studio in Jersey, and Jim has his studio downtown. We’re always together, but he’s got Byrdgang and I’ve got Skull Gang.
DX: Christmas is coming, but we’re also officially in a recession. Are we gonna see the Dips in Harlem handing out turkeys or something?
Juelz Santana: [laughs] Yeah, we definitely gone have to do that, man. I’ve been getting up with my niggas to figure out how we can give back. I’m mad I didn’t get a chance to give away turkeys. I ain’t even get no turkey though, because I was doing a show during my Thanksgiving. But, for Christmas I definitely plan on doing a toy drive type of thing. We’ll have all the artists donate drive around the city—hit the hospitals, schools and give to some of the less fortunate kids.
I did something like that last year, and we gave away a couple Playstations. I stay in my hood, and I’m a hood active nigga. I always do shit in my parks and stuff like that, but around Christmas time it just gets a little too cold, but we’re gonna make it happen.
DX: When you grow up in the hood, you’re likely to get socks or some other wack gift instead of what you really want. What’s the worst Christmas gift you’ve ever received?
Juelz Santana: I don’t know, man. Coming from where I came from, I was always just grateful for whatever I got. But, at the same time, you know how you expect one thing and you get something else? There were a lot of times where I was expecting a bike or something and I’d end up getting some clothes or some bullshit. When you’re a kid, you don’t want to see no fucking long johns. Other than that, there wasn’t anything where I was just like, “Damn, this is the worst gift.”
DX: True. Now that you’re in a different tax bracket, what has been the best gift?
Juelz Santana: To be honest, the best gift is just being with family. That’s how I really feel. As far as the material stuff goes, I won’t front. My nigga [Lil] Wayne [click to read] gave me a chain one time. He gave me a crazy chain—one of them shit’s Pharrell [click to read] be wearin’. You know, the Gucci link?
DX: Oh yeah. That’s a hell of a lot better than some long johns.
Juelz Santana: Yeah, but the crazy part was that I had already bought one of those about a month before. I spent about 40 to $50,000 on that joint. So that was definitely one of the nicer gifts I got outside of somebody being family. I was like, “Damn, that’s love.” Me and Weezy are cool like that. I actually gave him a piece like that for his birthday too. It was an M.O.B. piece with the blood diamonds in it and all that.
DX: Now, you also have a little man, right?
Juelz Santana: Yeah, my son is five. All the Christmases have been good for him, but this should be a real memorable one for him. He’s in tune a lot more. He knows what he wants, and he knows a lot more about Santa. The first couple years were just introducing him to Christmas and letting him know about those types of things. Now he’s ready, and he wants to know why the toys aren’t here already.
DX: So he’s putting the bug in your ear about particular gifts?
Juelz Santana: Yeah, he’s heavy into the superhero stuff. He’s on whatever is hot with the superheroes, so I just tell him to keep his mother posted. I’ll see if he’s been bad or good and let Santa know.
DX: Well, speaking of young dudes, it wasn’t too long ago that you were coming into the game as a teenager, right?
Juelz Santana: Yeah, I came into the game real young and not knowledgeable about a lot of things. I was just real excited and eager to do something better with my life other than being on that motherfuckin’ corner with the risk of that three hour bus ride upstate. I don’t wanna talk about the places I was going to, but I was just doing a lot of the wrong things.
I was all about getting out of trouble, and being able to utilize my talents. I had a guy like [Cam'ron], who I looked up to so much…I still look up to Cam in certain ways, ya dig? He just does a lot of things that I don’t like. But, back to what I was saying. The vibe was just different. Coming out of the street, I wanted to do something better.
DX: What would you say is the biggest difference between you now and then?
Juelz Santana: Growth, learning and my knowledge of everything that’s going on. I’ve always been a real observant person. I picked up on a lot of extra shit that other niggas wouldn’t have. Being 25 and in the position that I’m in, I don’t feel there’s any better situation I could be in.
Things look real bright, and niggas is checkin’ for me. Niggas know how I give it up, and they know my career wasn’t built on one record. It wasn’t built on no bullshit. Niggas know me for going hard and putting work in. I put a lot of that Dipset shit on my back for a while, and niggas know what’s up. I’ve never been the one to get on the cameras and pop a whole bunch of shit. I just deliver.
DX: And we can assume the same applies with Skull Gang?
Juelz Santana: Niggas see what it is. We out right now, movin’ and killin’ the Internet. I feel our buzz is crazy to be coming out with a new movement so fast. That Skull Gang Takeover mixtape is in the streets, and we’re doing videos for every song. We just shot a video for “Body Like a Maserati.” That’s a crazy record, and it’s probably going on the Skull Gang album. I paid for that out of my pocket. I didn’t wait for no label to give us a deal or nothing. Even though we’ve got labels hollering, I know what works from being in the Diplomats. That’s what the game’s been missing. Niggas aren’t down to sacrifice what you’ve got for what you believe in. That’s what I’m doing right now.
DX: So what do you have on deck?
Juelz Santana: The Skull Gang Takeover mixtape is in the streets, and be on the lookout for that Takeover DVD. I’m about to put out my solo mixtape, which is The Reagan Era. Right after that, we’re dropping another Skull Gang mixtape called The Takeover Continues. It’s actually done already, but we’re just waiting to give ‘em my mixtape first. I got my Skull Gang artists involved with my mixtape a little bit more. A little while after that, I’m gonna drop my solo album, which is called Born to Lose Built to Win.
Right now, I’m just gearing up and prepping everybody. I feel like I’ve been away for a while. To just come back and drop a 12-song album after being away for so long is not what I do. I do mixtapes, and I give people more than that. So I’ve put my groundwork in and plant these seeds, so I can watch ‘em bloom and blossom. That’s what I’m doing right now.
I Can’t Feel My Face with me and Wayne is still happening. I’m about to call him back and chop it up with him in a minute. The good thing I tell everybody about me and him is that the music is already done. If you were to come to my studio right now, I could play you 35 records from me and Wayne.
DX: So at this point you’re just waiting for one of these labels to write the check for that?
Juelz Santana: Exactly, and that ain’t hard. I got my business squared away to where I can deal with it, and he has his business squared away. His album came out already. Neither his label or my label wanted us to put that out without either of our solo albums dropping first. We’re at a good point right now, and it’s all gearing up for my solo album.
DX: You started out in Draftpick, then Dipset and now Skull Gang. How important is it to you to be part of a team?
Juelz Santana: It’s so important, because I’m one of them dudes who likes to see people around me shining. I don’t want niggas to have to wait ‘til I eat to go eat—even though I’ll take them with me to go eat, because they my niggas like that. But I want you to be able to do that on your own. I want niggas to move the same way we got to move. It was where we could all walk in the club and stand on our own. When me, Cam, Jim and Zeke got in there together, it was just extra crazy. That’s when it really feels good like, “Oh, guess who just walked in the house? Jim Jones just came. There’s Juelz…oh they’re all together.”
I didn’t try to put together the same thing as them. I’ve got people from different places. I got my man Rabb, he’s from Richmond, Virginia. I got my man John Depp from Queens. I bring that Diplomat swagg from Harlem, and that’s gonna always be there for me. I wanted to bring another sound when it came to Skull Gang. I’ve got my R&B artist, and her name is Starr—she’s crazy. And, of course, we got the one and only UnKasa [click to read]. That’s my nigga, my brother since day one. He goes so hard and he’s so talented. He’s gonna be a shocker to a lot of people, and he’ll do a lot of things that people won’t expect. We gonna kill these niggas.
DX: Does your establishment of Skull Gang and Jimmy’s thing with Byrdgang mean the end of the Diplomats as we know it?
Juelz Santana: I tell people, there’s no hard feelings with Cam. The business wasn’t right so I couldn’t continue, but it’s still Diplomats for life. I always tell fans it was the business that wasn’t right. As some of the fans get older, I hope they’ll understand that. When you get put in that situation, you realize this is life and you can’t be stupid. We weren’t getting treated right after we helped build this shit brick by brick. Now you’re at the top of the building and a nigga just wants to give you a piece of a sandwich. He don’t even wanna let you sit down and eat the whole hero with him after you built the whole building—not even with him, but for him.
So, it got to the point where I couldn’t be stupid no more. I played the loyal position for a minute, and I tried to get it right. We just couldn’t make it work. But, it’s still Dipset for life. When you see me, it’s Dipset. When you see Jim, it’s Dipset. It’s one person missing, and it’s not because we want him missing, it’s because that’s what he chose to do. What are we supposed to do, stop? Nah, we can’t stop. How would the people look at us?
I want fans to really look at the situation and be like, “Who looks like the one that’s out the loop?” And that’s for real. I’m not trying to say nothing funny. I’m not with trying to badmouth a nigga or nothing. I hope everything does come to a place where we can get back together in a room and do what we gotta do. But as of now, it is what it is.
DX: It’s kind of ugly right now with JR Writer and Max B going back and forth [click to listen].
Juelz Santana: Yeah, yeah that’s for attention, nahmean? The other day this cat was like, “Yo, what’s up with you and Max B?” My new thing is, “Nigga don’t ask me what’s up with him, ask him what’s up with him.” I don’t know what’s up with these niggas, man. When I see niggas it’s nothing. So, if niggas want to get on DVDs and pop that fly shit, it doesn’t make sense.
I always tell people, niggas don’t know what you do until you do it to them. I’m a real street nigga, and ain’t nobody scaring me by talking over no fucking camera. Like I said, when I see niggas, they act like they didn’t even wanna see me. Then niggas be on interviews saying shit like hypocrites, because it goes all against what they said in another interview. I can’t entertain those types of dudes.
I’m the type of dude where, other dudes will get scared when I come back out. They know that bullshit ain’t gonna work no more. A nigga can’t ever say they wrote no records for me. I sit on my own pedestal and do what the fuck I do. I don’t wanna hear none of that shit. If it don’t apply, let it fly. A nigga didn’t mention my name.
DX: On a more positive note, I think Diplomat fans were really happy to see Ludacris bring you guys out at his album release party.
Juelz Santana: Yeah, that was crazy. That was love; shout out to [Ludacris] [click to read]. I’ve met him through my travels in this game, and we’ve always had a good relationship. I always respected him as an artist and acknowledged him as one of the more lyrical people in the game. We always had that kind bond where we would chop it up every time we saw each other. I was actually supposed to be on [Release Therapy], but due to my business difficulties a lot of shit wasn’t cleared. I actually did a record with Luda, but it didn’t get on the album because of that. He and Chaka [Zulu] always reach out, and if I’m in Atlanta I try to do the same thing.
DX: Although it happened a while ago, it was great to see Rakim pop up in your “Mic Check” video. Did you two get to build during that time?
Juelz Santana: Yeah, Rakim [click to read] came to my studio and schooled me on a few things. He talked about how he felt about certain things that were going on. He told me he had a lot of respect for me. He knew I had a lot of respect for him, and I definitely expressed that. We were actually supposed to do the “Mic Check” remix together, and I also did a “Know the Ledge” freestyle for my mixtape, but something happened. I think he had some kind of family issue, and we never linked back up. But, a nigga don’t have to tell somebody like Rakim he’s a legend. C’mon man, he might as well get “Legend” tattooed on his forehead.
DX: It’s got to feel good seeing OGs like Rakim and Naughty By Nature reach out and show you love, right?
Juelz Santana: Yeah, that’s why I’m so proud of my career and where I’m at right now. These are people that I never thought I would be around—never thought I would get to do records with. And they show me love. Even being in the cipher with niggas like [Jadakiss] [click to read], because there was a time when I was buying mixtapes too. And these are the people I was listening too. It’s just like how he said he used to buy mixtapes with Biggie on there, and then next thing you know, they’re doing a record with him. It’s the same way with me now. When I see niggas like that, they show me just as much love as I show them. Jada, [Fabolous] [click to read], all them niggas show a nigga love when they see me, and it’s the same way vice versa.
DX: So now that the Def Jam situation has been taken care of, are we gonna see an older, wiser Juelz? We can assume everybody in the building is safe?
Juelz Santana: Oh yeah, that was a while ago. That dude actually got fired a week after the incident, and they knew it wasn’t my fault. They knew that when I come in Def Jam, I come to handle business. I’m not no rah-rah person, because at the end of the day, that’s my place of business. L.A. Reid heard about the situation, and I’m sure he was kind of disturbed. But, at the same time, I’m sure he was like, “Damn. Juelz had to have been provoked to do that, especially in this building.” They know I wouldn’t just go off the rip like that. Dude kind of insulted me a little bit. I felt like he wasn’t respecting my G, with me being who I was in the building. He thought he could talk to me any type of way.
I’m like the smaller guy out the camp. I feel like if anybody feels like they can get away with it, it’s gonna be on me. It’s crazy that it’s like that. I’m thinking, “Y’all don’t see the way these young niggas are nowadays? The little niggas are the wildest. You better do some research. Who do the older niggas go get to pop niggas?”
That’s why I be fallin’ back. I don’t ever want to get back into that element, because I was a young, wild nigga. I had to train myself to not be that person, because when I go there, I go all the way there. It’s no hold on, chill out. We bang, bang boogie on niggas. I try my best to not only save them, but save me. I know how far it could go. I’m willing to go all the way there, but I don’t want to do that. I’ve got too much going right now.
You don’t have to be that type of person, because a lot of these niggas is out here frontin’ anyway. They get with certain niggas, and they try to be a different person. Just be you, man. People will like you for who you are, and if not then they don’t really fuck with you like that anyway.
DX: True. So, let’s say we have this same conversation five years from now. Where do you and Skull Gang hope to be?
Juelz Santana: Ah, it’s gonna be big, man. I don’t even know. Where ever the world is at, we’re gonna be involved and active. Hopefully we’ll be really rich and still a family unit. The main objective is to stay grounded, stay focused and keep making this strong music. It’s by the grace of God that we get to be anywhere, man.
