Jedi Mind Tricks is known for its violent lyrics, but you also wrote a lot of social & political conscious tracks like shadow business about modern day slavery and the track trail of lies where you talk about 90 pound skinny bitches. How do you match the violent lyrics with those tracks?
That’s actually a good point. Sometimes one thing creates the other, you know. Sometimes the social situations or the political situations where we at creates some of that violent shit in what we do. Because you get tired of it, so it creates aggression and aggression creates violence. So sometimes it’s manifested itself in different ways.
You’re flirting with death and even with suicide in your lyrics. What’s the story behind tracks as Before the great collapse, razorblade salvation, black winter day & death messiah?
I think I’ve been fascinated with death since my father died. I’ve always had dreams that I would die young too. So I’ve always been kind of fascinated with death and what happens, because I don’t know. None of us know until we die. So it’s something that has always played a part in our music, because I’ve always been interested in the idea of death and everyone’s culturally different idea of death. Christians and Muslims to Buddhism to Hara Krishna, you know, I mean there are people who think there’s a heaven; people who think they’re reincarnated; people who think you’re turned into worms and the dirt. That’s intriguing to me.
And what’s your believe?
I don’t know anymore. On a record I said “Is it God or is it the Big Bang theory?” I have personal beliefs and I follow Islam, but at the end of the day I like to believe we all go somewhere better. But I’m not smart enough to pretend like I know what happens to us when we die.
A Jedi Mind Tricks album always has had a lot of movie samples. Even the name Jedi Mind Tricks is from a movie. How important are movies or books for your writing?
I’m really influenced by film. I’m really a big Stanley Kubrick fan, I love Dario Argento from Italy. I’ve always been into art. I was always really into film and the type of music I listened to was always really diverse. When I grew up I listened to what my parents played: Sam Cook, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye. And when I was eleven or twelve my brothers played me Norwegian Metal, Black Metal and Slayer and that type of shit. And then I grew older and I was a Hip-Hop kid, because I was a product of the eighties. I always had weird shit going on in my head. And that kind of makes you what you are and what you write about.
You live in Philadelphia and you said in an interview about Philadelphia that it was an angry city. Why is Philadelphia an angry city?
We’re the most violent city in America, the murder capitol of the US. There’s a lot of injustice in Philadelphia, a lot of dirty cops, Mumia Abu-Jamal is unjustly in jail on death row for killing a police officer he didn’t kill, police brutality is at an all time high in Philly. We have overpopulation, economic problems, gentrification, they’re kicking the poor out to build nice rich houses for rich people, but then where do the poor people go? So then you stack more people on top of more people on top of more people and when that happens, it starts combustion. So that’s what happens in the ghetto, that’s what happens in our city.
Is that one of the reasons Jedi Mind Tricks exist?
Absolutely! The city is a huge part of who we are. I firmly believe that the artist is created by the artists’ environment. The experiences that the artist had sort of mould into who the artist is and why he exists. I would be a different person, a different mc, who knows what I would be if I didn’t grow up where I did. With the past I had and living where I lived. All those things are elements that shape the type of artist you are.
And you recorded all your albums in Philadelphia?
Yeah, all except one. We did Visions of Ghandi in New York and the first Outerspace album. We spent a few months in New York working on Visions of Ghandi and Outerspace’s record Blood and Ashes. We worked with Chris Conway, who actually won a Grammy for the Marshall Mathers LP. He did all the early DITC shit, Big L, all the Show & AG records, he did all the Beatnuts records, all the Fat Joe records when he was on Relativity Records. He actually played the drums on “Who stole my piece of chicken” on the first Organized record. So we recorded in New York with Chris, and he’s a good guy, but we feel comfortable in Philly. Because the thing about recording where you live is like you can roll out of bed, grab a beer and go to the studio. In New York you’re 90 miles away from home and things have to be more planned. It’s less spontaneous.
Is it important to have a spontaneous vibe when you’re working on an album?
Yeah, that’s how I like to do it. See me and Stoupe are on different sides of the spectrum. Basically if you look at the whole sum of the parts of the group you would think it’s just me and Stoupe, but the group is really me, Stoupe, Jus Allah, DJ Kwestion and Outerspace. That’s really what it is. So it’s like DJ Kwestion and Stoupe are more the laidback, smoke weed, stay in the house type guys and me and Jus Allah are guys who say: yo let’s go the studio late, let’s drink, smoke. You know what I mean? So the vibe is different. Stoupe would be in the studio about 9 AM laying beats down and I’m like; yo I be there 10 at night. A lot of the creative process originates at Stoupe’s house before we even go into the studio. I just pick the beats there and we start working from there. You don’t want to do that in the studio, because it takes too much time and money. We pay 65 dollars an hour. I don’t want to pay that just to be bullshitting in the studio. So we try to get a lot of ideas sort of ironed out before we even go into the studio. So I write at home, drink a beer, put on headphones and Stoupe does a lot of stuff, beatwise, at his home. By the time we hit the studio it’s like; yo come through, drink a beer, record, we have fun, we chill, do the vocals and just relax. I need to be in a relaxed atmosphere. Everyone’s always so uptight. Stoupe gets me uptight! He’s a super perfectionist! He wants to do everything early and I want to do it around 10 at night. When I’m going out, he’s going to bed. And still we have this dynamic for 17 years. It’s like the brother you love, but you have nothing in common with. We have the music in common and I love him. He is my brother.
Do you think you’ll ever grow apart?
I think you have to give each other space to do your own thing. Boyfriend and girlfriend sometimes need some time apart. Business partners need time apart. Best friends sometimes need time apart. But you still love the person. I actually have a friend from California, her name is Liz and Stoupe did a whole record with her singing over his beats. It’s like Portishead type shit. So he was working on that, when I did the Pharaohs stuff. So we let each other do our own stuff, but we’ll always do the Jedi Mind stuff.
Stoupe is also wrapping up his producer record right now. He’s got M.O.P. on that, Joell Ortiz will be on it, Slaine, Outerspace, all AOTP members and DJ Kwestion did all the cuts, so he’s spreading his wings and so am I. But we always come back together.
I was wondering, because Stoupe is great producer.
Incredible, but you know what; he hates working with other people.
Yeah that was my question. I mean he did an album with Canibus, but never did beats for someone like Kool G Rap or something.
Everyone has asked him. Rakim asked him. Saigon asked him. Big people asked him, but he has this loyalty issue. I told him: “yo do other stuff,” but he doesn’t travel, he doesn’t fly and if you’re not going to do that, you need other ways to get your income supplemented. I’m out there, touring, but he don’t want to get on a plane, so I tell him if you’re not going to do that, you need to do other shit. So I’m trying man, I’m trying to twist his arm, but I’m happy he did the producer record and this record he did with my friend Liz is unbelievable.
When can we expect these records?
The new Army of the Pharaohs record and the new Stoupe producer record will be out in spring. By april, so pretty soon.
So there’s a new Army of the Pharaohs record coming out too?
Yeah, I just finished that before we got to Europe and when I get back, I’m going to mix it. So it’s done, like recorded, but we still have to mix it down. DJ Kwestion did three beats, it’s good, it’s all family.
From the first to the second AOTP record, there were a lot of changes in the line-up. You added a few cats like Doap Nixon and King Magnetic. Are there going to be more changes in the line-up for the new AOTP record?
No, not really, it’s pretty much the same people.
Is Apathy on it?
Apathy is on a lot of it! And I put Journalist on, he was on the 2000 B.C. record from Canibus. He’s from Philly and I’ve known him since High School, so I put him on a song. Block McCloud from Brooklyn Academy, he’s on a song, he did the hook and a verse. But other than that, it’s everyone you know.
How does such a record come together? I mean you’re the executive producer for the AOTP records and I heard you say that you like executive producing an album more than being an artist. What’s your job when you are executive producing an album?
I think when you work with other creative people, someone always needs to give a project guidance. Not to tell them what to do, but to say; yo this is good, but could be better or that beat is allright, but here’s a better beat. But I only do that with people that I love.
With AOTP it’s like we’re all family outside of this rapshit and that’s the difference between us and all the other rapgroups. We hang out together, Crypt’s kids know me, Planet’s kids know me. All these guys come to my house and we chill right there. Executive producing is really the challenge to bring the best out of someone. That’s how I explain the job of an executive producer. Someone else might explain it differently, but that’s my definition. So when it comes to AOTP, I don’t tell people what to write or anything like that. I pick the beats and decide who sounds best over that particular beat. And with 12 mc’s and 12 producers it’s a mess, so someone has to create that cohesion.
On the track the presidents wife some words are censored, also on Blades of Glory a joint you did with Outerspace words are censored, but I’m pretty sure it’s the name George Bush what’s censored there. Was there an important reason for you to do that?
That’s the label, man! I didn’t even wanted it out there if they would do it, but they did. They said that I would go to jail, because after 9/11 George Bush had that Patriot Act and that allowed them to do what they wanted to do. So the label said: they’re going to fucking lock you up for terrorist threats. But still I don’t give a fuck, I never censor shit I say, I mean I say “Fuck the police,” I don’t give a fuck!
Yeah you clearly hear it’s the name George Bush what’s being censored, right?
Yeah! Definitely! With “The President’s Wife” I said, fuck it, let’s leak it on the internet, so one day, I’ll do that. Because me and Des really worked hard on that track. The beat, the cuts it’s all there, but it don’t sound good in the current version. Everybody always said; you never do a concept record. So when we do a concept record, they cut it up.
That label is Babygrande. Are you still with them?
Yeah, sort of. I owe them one more record and then I’m gone. The new AOTP record is coming out on Babygrande, but that’s the last album. I’ve got my own new label already in set and place. It’s called Enemy Soil Records. We got tons of records coming out in ’09 and 2010. I’ve got them already lined up. I’m just waiting to get out of this slave contract with Babygrande. They’re just dirtbags and you can’t rob people like that, man, motherfuckers get killed that way. But I owe them what I owe them and I’m a man of my word and I’m going to give them what they’re owed.
What can we expect from your new label, Enemy Soil Records?
Well, as soon as I get back from Europe, me and Ill Bill are starting on a record called Heavy Metal Kings. We already got beats from DJ Muggs, DJ Premier, DJ Lethal, DJ Kwestion and Madlib, so we’re going to write to those beats. Then I’m going to do a solo record, Jus Allah is going to do a solo record, DJ Kwestion is doing a producer record, a new Outerspace record. And that’s all going through the new label.
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