E.D.I. interview!

[myrealname]

JG: This is the OutlawRecordz.com official interview with EDI from the Outlawz...

EDI: I wanna thank all the fans that went out and bought Novakane, this new album. And the last one, Ride Wit Us Or Collide Wit Us, and the one before that, Still I Rise. This is EDI Mean talkin' to y'all. Appreciate the thug love sincerely. Y'all keep up the good work. Keep supportin us. Keep votin for us on 106 and Park, MTV, wherever and however. One Love.

JG: Ok, for those who haven't picked up Novakane yet, describe the album, and what's the difference between this album and your previous albums?

EDI: Well, Novakane, is just, you know, a collection of feelings and songs and ideas and thoughts that we had, you know what I mean, between Ride Wit Us or Collide Wit Us and right now. Some old songs, some new songs. You know? We just put it together. Of course Novakane, the title came from one of our great songs we did, back in the day called Novakane. And this album, the difference between this album and the last album is just basically.. Ride Wit Us or Collide Wit Us was just a collection of stuff we had sittin' around at the time, ya know? We said let's just put an album together to keep our name out there.

JG: How are the sales doing for Novakane, in comparison to some of your previous releases?

EDI: Well, you know, obviously Still I Rise was a success for us being that it was done with 2pac. It sold, you know, something like four hundred thousand copies in the first week alone. And being that we independent now. The numbers we did independent are equivalent to the numbers we did with Still I Rise. You know it was great as an independent group, we're able to own our own company one hundred percent, our masses, our publishin', our copyrightin', everything, one hundred percent, it's great, you know what I mean? We about at 80,000 copies right now, I believe if I'm not mistaken, and we satisfied, the single's gettin' nation-wide play. We gettin' rotation on BET, a lot of things that didn't happen with Ride Wit Us or Collide Wit Us.

JG: How come you didn't produce any tracks on the album?

EDI: Uh, for a couple of reasons.. One of em was, I was really tryin' to concentrate more on writing. I was trying to give some of the other cats more of a chance to shine. You know, producin' was really like more of a second job, a hobby for me. It's not something I do.. Even though now, I'm gonna start doin it more now on the Blood Brothers album, and on Napolean's and Noble's solo album and on the next Outlawz album you gonna hear a lot of my production. And my producer Mack, the same, the dude that did Loyalty, I just signed him to my production company 'We Got Kidz' You'll be hearin a lot more from him and you'll be hearin a lot more production from me in the future. I just took a break on this album kinda. (paused, EDI had to tell one of his kids to leave the room)

EDI: Aight, so what was you sayin now? When are we gonna come to their country?

JG: Yeah so you got any current touring plans or anything like that?

EDI: Aight, well we're trying to do this tour right now in the states. We're trying to tour real heavily. It'll cross overseas. Germany mostly.. And we're tryin to hit everywhere they got love for the Outlawz. So, if you want us in your town, you want us in your country.. You know, try to get with your local promoters and have them put together a show for us, ya know? We'll come wherever.

JG: You got any artists on the planned tour?

EDI: It's a Fat Joe tour, we're trying to get on, hopefully.. you know what I mean? Fat Joe, Bubba Sparxxx...

JG: Ok, we know right now, the DVD is in production. Tell the fans why they should go out and get this when it drops...

EDI: I mean, cause if you a die-hard Outlawz fan like we got.. it gives you a chance to see us, you know, behind the scenes, and get to know us in a way you didn't, never got a chance to get to know us, you know what I mean? A lot of y'all might have seen Death Row Uncut.. That DVD they put out. They had some things on us on there.. You know? Some of the shit was negative, some of it was positive, you know? whatever whatever.. But this will give you a more introspective insight on us, you know what I mean, you get to see me kickin' it, you get to see me ridin' around in my navigator, you know? Doin what I do. You get to see Napolean doin what he do, Noble and Kastro doin what they do, you know what I mean, individually, it gives people a chance to see us as individuals, because a lot of times, as a group, you just get to know the group, and you don't get to know the personal things about me and shit. You know, each and every person, get to see what each member of the group got on their minds. So when we drop these solo albums, it'll give people a chance to say like, 'Ok I see how EDI kick it' you know what I mean, 'I wanna go pick up his solo project, him and kastro, you know, get to know them a little bit better' You know what I mean? So on and so forth.

JG: Excluding 2pac or the Outlawz, who's the person that you've enjoyed workin' with the most.

EDI: Ummm.. you know we always have a good time workin' with Bad Azz. He definitely a cool brother to work with. but there's so many man, I done worked with Scarface, you know what I mean? I done been on records with Tupac and Biggie, as a young nigga, you know what I mean, I done worked with so many people and I enjoyed them all to be honest with ya. Whoever I got a chance to work with, you know what I mean, whoever gave me a chance to be on a record, Scarface, Willie D., whoever, I enjoyed it all.

JG: Most of the time when people hear 'Outlawz' they associate you with 2pac, are you proud of that or would you rather have a better chance to make a name for yourselves?

EDI: I'm proud of that mostly, more than anything else. Anything that I may have accomplished, or anything, I'm proud of the fact that I got to record with Tupac Shakur, the greatest rapper of all time, you know what I mean? That's what I'm most proud of, you know what I mean, I probably wouldn't do nothin' else that'll make me more proud, you know, If I go ten million platinum tomorrow, doin songs with Pac will still be bigger than everything, when I look back on my life you know what I mean?

JG: Yeah.. What are your thoughts on people that think Pac's still alive?

EDI: Well, you know, I understand they pain basically.. That's all I can say to that. I understand your pain.

JG: Ok, you did an album at Death Row and Rap-A-Lot. How would you feel if Death Row tried to release that album without your consent like they did with Snoop?

EDI: You know, eventually that's gonna come. You know what I mean? Cause that's just how they do. You know what I mean, eventually that's gonna come, and really, I ain't really got no problems with it like that, I ain't really got no problems with that. I probably won't get what I'm supposed to get, maybe I will, maybe I won't, but you know what I mean, I'm eatin' regardless.. so can't nobody stop me from eating.

[myrealname]

JG: K, I got about four or five people wantin' me to ask, what do you think about Death Row's artist The Realest?

EDI: Well, I mean, you know what I mean, I see The Realest as a dude, that's just a fan of Pac's, you know what I mean? He ain't no different than Ja Rule or whoever else was a fan of Pac. You know what I mean, steal little bits and pieces of Pac or whatever. Ain't no difference man, I ain't mad at the dude. You know what I mean, he's tryin to survive just like the rest of us. You know what I mean, he's just gotta do him. Only advice I can really give him is, you know, dude just be yourself.

JG: What can you tell us about the upcoming 2pac album?

EDI: I can't tell you much man.. I can't really talk about that. All I can say, it's gonna be big, it's gonna be huge.. When it's gonna drop, I can't tell you the title, I can't tell you nothin'. All I wanna say to all the Pac fans man, just like myself man, if you waitin for it man, this is worth to wait for, you know what I mean, you will not be disappointed.

JG: If you could work with any producers in the industry right now, who would it be?

EDI: Damn, that's a good question.. Let me see man... Umm, I like.. I like what Timberland do, you know, I think he a real talented dude, you know what I mean, I like him as a producer, and, really, you know what I mean, I'm likely to work with the dudes who ain't got no name you know what I mean. You know, the dudes with these real big names, they ain't tryin to give the little guy a shot. And that's what Pac was about, and that's what I'm about. When I get to a point, where I'm doin tracks for 100 grand a track, you know what I mean, I just can't see myself being the type of dude that, you know, just cause I'm gettin one hundred grand a track, say no to ten thousand or twenty thousand for some of them young cats coming up. Not saying that a lot of these producers don't do that, but most of em don't. And I ain't really, you know what I mean, a lot of these producers, they ain't really that hot to me.

JG: [What's] the one thing that Pac taught you that you value the most?

EDI: Just a lot about principles man, and standin on your beliefs and goin to the grave with that, dyin for it, you know what I mean, just dyin' for what you believe in. You know, I always admire that about the dude. The dude has principles and values that he wouldn't break for nobody. I don't care how big, you know what I mean, who you had, how many guns you had, dude just wasn't bendin' for nobody. And I admire that, I admire his spirit, you know what I mean, he just taught by just being himself, you know what I mean. He was an orator and he would teach you through speaking, but I learned most of my lessons from Pac just by watching him.

JG: Your 'Blood Brothers' album is almost done right? Can you give us an update and what's it gonna be like?

EDI: Well, I can tell you this off the top man, it ain't, it's gonna be outlaw-rooted, but it's not gonna sound like that, you know what I mean, just tryin to establish something else, you know, push the boundaries a little further, you know what I mean, the type of things, that we ain't talked about and we ain't found. The type of shit, me and K on this, you know, it's something different. It's just me and Kastro, you know, hookin' up, doin what we do. You know what I mean, we've known each other the longest. So we know each other real well, we've been doin this together for a long ass time, almost 20 years. So, you know what I mean, it's just gonna be heat, it's gonna be fire. Just me and Kastro, the 'Blood Brothers' album. You know what I mean?

JG: Yeah.. How would you describe Kadafi as a person?

EDI: Yo, Kadafi was just like, I've said it before and I'll say it again, he was the rawest Outlaw, he had the most raw lyrical talent as a rapper, as an emcee, you know what I mean, as a poet, and he was a real live thug and street nigga to boot. You know what I mean, real live, and real true to his family, and just a real good dude, and I miss him everyday man. The world, you know what I mean, they lost something when Kadafi.. Kadafi died, you know what I mean.. The rap game lost something that was like, you know, he was ahead, he was like what, you know, all the Jadakiss's, and the Fabulous's, and a lot of the dude's hot from New York. Yak was like that nigga, you know what I mean. Real lyrically, extremely gritty, you know what I mean, he was gonna fuck the game up in a lot of ways, you know what I mean. He was a visionary too man, he told me like, back in like 96. He was tellin' me about Jay-Z then, he was always, you know, knowin' who was hot. You know we was beefin' with the nigga at the time or whatever, not really beefin', making diss records. Kadafi was like 'Yo that nigga's spittin' some good shit' And I was like 'Man, that nigga..' I wasn't even trying to hear it. But look where Jay-Z at today... He's at the top of his game. Kadafi said that back then.

JG: In Eminem's beef with Everlast, he and D-12 took some of your lyrics and the beat from the "Hit Em Up" track, and made "Quitter" with that, you got any opinions on that?

EDI: Nah man, I ain't got no.. I see that as payin' respects, cause we made the greatest diss record ever. And now you just hear a million diss records now, you know, but "Hit Em Up" will always be the greatest diss record ever, period.

JG: You got an opinion on Jay-Z's beef with Nas?

EDI: Nah, I like Nas' album better, if that means anything. I think 'Stillmatic' is better than 'The Blueprint' You know what I mean, that's all I care about. Other than that, they makin' money off the shit, so it's all good.

JG: Where would you like to see Outlaw Recordz in 2002?

EDI: Just becomin' one of the major players in the game. You know, up and comin', we ain't greedy. You now, we want it all, but we wanna work for it. You know what I mean, Outlaw Recordz, we here for the long hual, you know what I mean, we ain't just trying to get a big deal, you know what I mean, put out a couple hot records and then be gone in two years. That's not our plan. Our plan is to be around to be around for quite some time. You know, take Outlaw Recordz into all areas and all branches. And hopefully be something we can leave our sons, you know what I mean, cause we all got children.. And we tryin to leave a legacy on em. And Outlaw Recordz is just like the tree, there's gonna be a bunch of branches comin' from Outlaw Recordz, you know what I mean, we just gotta establish that first, so everything else can grow from it.

JG: You guys ever considered doing a 'RIP Tupac' tour?

EDI: Oh yeah, definitely, definitely, and when the time is right, that's gonna go down. And it's gonna be huge, get a lot of artists, we gonna get a lot of artists, you know what I mean, that feel Pac, you know what I mean, all the dudes that wanna support that, we gonna ride it down and we gonna do that. And it's not gonna be like a RIP to Tupac tour, it'd be more like a tribute, you know, us and goin and payin' tribute to him, you know what I mean, it'll be vibrant.

JG: Ok, so that's all the questions we got, so you got anything else you wanna say?

EDI: Yo, just keep supportin' the Outlawz, I know y'all gonna keep supportin' 2pac. Support Outlaw Recordz with everything, you know, everything we put out in the future. Hold it down, vote on 106 and Park on BET, spread the love.

[thaquikster]

yeah i like how tha lawz connect wit us fans kastro iz a member on tha forum of their site

[.:Hercy Buggz:.]

Do Outlawz got beef with Snoop Dr.Dre??

[G2ThaV]

Do Outlawz got beef with Snoop Dr.Dre??

they dont got no beef wif snoop & dre, on the real but , outlawz dont give a fuck about dre & snoop , just like dre & snoop dont give a fuck about them. there only connection was pac & being on deathrow.

Actually there was a possibly a diss to Snoop on UTEOT , and there was also possibly a diss back by the Eastsidaz on Duces & trays album.

[LAZEEEEEE]

i personalee dont' think da 'lawz r dat great n e mo witout kadafi, hussein fatal, pac & mussolini aka big syke....dey ain't shyt ........dea ite but dey don't sound dat good at all like dey use 222222............

[tuwac_shakur]

JG: Yeah.. How would you describe Kadafi as a person?  

EDI: Yo, Kadafi was just like, I've said it before and I'll say it again, he was the rawest Outlaw, he had the most raw lyrical talent as a rapper, as an emcee, you know what I mean, as a poet, and he was a real live thug and street nigga to boot. You know what I mean, real live, and real true to his family, and just a real good dude, and I miss him everyday man. The world, you know what I mean, they lost something when Kadafi.. Kadafi died, you know what I mean.. The rap game lost something that was like, you know, he was ahead, he was like what, you know, all the Jadakiss's, and the Fabulous's, and a lot of the dude's hot from New York. Yak was like that nigga, you know what I mean. Real lyrically, extremely gritty, you know what I mean, he was gonna fuck the game up in a lot of ways, you know what I mean. He was a visionary too man, he told me like, back in like 96. He was tellin' me about Jay-Z then, he was always, you know, knowin' who was hot. You know we was beefin' with the nigga at the time or whatever, not really beefin', making diss records. Kadafi was like 'Yo that nigga's spittin' some good shit' And I was like 'Man, that nigga..' I wasn't even trying to hear it. But look where Jay-Z at today... He's at the top of his game. Kadafi said that back then.  


e.d.i has definately got an eye for talent

[LAZEEEEEE]

mayne fabolous is horrible.........he'z az crapee az nelly... dey both sound like dea doin mother goose rymez dey got no skillz n i've herd fabolous freestylez fuckin weak shyttttt.........

[tuwac_shakur]

why don't you type properly instead of trying to portray yourself as being from the hood, when really your just a young whitey from the burbs .

i think you havent heard fab's freestyles because they are truly fa bo lo us.

ive noticed that fabolous mostly gets love from people in the hood instead of rap fans in the burbs.

fabolous is gonna blow the game up big time!


holla back young'n whooooo whooooooo
holla back whooooo whoooooooooooooo