New Tony Yayo Interview (Speaks on His album, Game, Mobb Deep, MOP & More)

[Mr. Humonculous]

TONY YAYO ALBUM TALK

Were you disappointed not being able to represent like you wanted on the first G-Unit album?

Oh man, the first G-Unit album, you know I was on two songs, one called Groupie Love, the other one I forgot but…yeah I was a little disappointed but everything happens for a reason man but I was still on the cover.

Can you tell us what you were doing in jail when Eminem came onstage at the Grammys with a Free Yayo t shirt?

Oh man, I'ma keep it real with you, Em called me the day before and told me he had a surprise and basically the next day he wore the Free Yayo shirt, I had to tell the people in the dayroom 'I'm watching the Grammys cause my boy's gonna be on it and he's got a surprise for me,' and then he shouted me out, I was in the dayroom C73 2 Lower, I'm watching the TV, Em with the Free Yayo thing, he shouts me out, I'm kicking over chairs, throwing over tables, I'm just acting a fool man.

What was the reaction of other inmates cause you were not as famous before the Grammy event?

The other inmates couldn't believe it, a lot of people were happy for me, a lot of people were jealous but me I know how to stay on my grind

When we interviewed 50, it seemed like he was more excited with your project than any other G-Unit member, do you feel closer to him than the other members?

I've been with 50 since he was dealing with Jam Master Jay, Rest In Peace to him, you know I was there for that and then I was with 50 when he was dealing with Tone & Poke at Columbia but you know they never really paid me too much mind, I had the skills back then and I have them now. Then after he got shot I was there for him, by his side, whatever street issues he has, I'm there for him. Then for the mixtape things I was on the grind with him, all the shows, you know. It's just more than rap between me and him, that's my brother.

50 also told us that MCs will have to change their lyrical content after your album drops, just like they did after Get Rich or Die Trying, how do you feel about that?

Yeah because my album is comparable to Get Rich Or Die Trying, I promise you, I'm not gonna let anybody down, I have 17 hard records and I'm not just rhyming about 'I've got a nice chain, a nice whip,' I'm hitting the street issues, I'm hitting the clubs, labels, everything there's to rhyme about, I'm gonna rhyme about it.

Since G-Unit came out with all the mixtapes, it seems like artists nowadays need to put in more work before they drop an album, what do you think was your impact on the music business?

I mean, if you look at G-Unit, we changed the game, I mean we've put out mixtape songs that Dre and Em thought were supposed to be for our album, we was taking songs that you'd never heard of and taking the beat and making new songs with it. You look at the mixtape game now, it's oversaturated, mixtapes was always there but we took them to the next level…mixtapes is a tool of promotion now, people use it to promote sneakers, clothes, everything. Every mixtape we've made has been a quality mixtape, our mixtapes have been better than peoples' albums.

How do you feel about Mobb Deep and MOP getting signed to G-Unit?

I'm excited about it. 50 Cent actually came to me with the idea and I told him to run with it, I've been a fan of Mobb Deep since 'Shook Ones' and I've been a fan of M.O.P. since 'How about Some Hardcore.'

Do you think it's also gonna bring more credibility for those who thought y'all went mainstream?

I mean, the haters, they don't know the formula, we released records like 'What up Gangsta' or 'I'm Supposed to Die Tonight,' ninety percent of our albums be street orientated but you also gotta make records like 'On Fire,' 'In the Club,' 'Shorty Wanna Ride,' 'So Seductive'; those are the records that take you to the top 40 and as long as you're still being you when you're doing it, nobody can't say nothing to take credibility from you. You hear the record '21 Questions,' 50's talking about doing time in jail and if the female is still gonna be there for him. So you know he's still being him and he's doing them records that everybody can relate to.

Can you tell us about the first single, 'So Seductive?

I actually wrote that right before 50 wrote 'Candy Shop' that's why you hear him say 'So Seductive.' I played it for him and he decided he wanted to get on it and he said 'this should be the first single.' I wanted to be me on the record, I'm talking about 'don't call my [Parole Officer]. The album won't be like no other, I don't sound like nobody, that's one thing about G-Unit: none of us sound alike but we all rhyme about the same content.

MOP would be a great match for you on a song; do you regret not having them on your album?

Oh man, I regret not having M.O.P. on my album but I'm definitely gonna do songs on their album and they're definitely gonna be on my next album.

Can you tell us about the guests you have on 'Thoughts of a Predicated Felon'?

You know I had to get my favorite white boy, Eminem and then from Eminem I had to get Obie Trice 'cause that's one of my favorite rappers out of Detroit, then I got 50, I got Lloyd Banks, Young Buck, the first lady of G-Unit, Olivia, Jagged Edge, Joe, I got Kokane from California, he's an O.G., he used to be with Snoop and I got our new artist, Spider Loc, straight outta California.

Can you confirm that Kokane is on G-Unit?

I mean, it's not confirmed yet but you know, Kokane's a good artist, a lot of people are talking about him and we're just working right now.

What about the producers?

You know I had to get Dr. Dre for 'Live by the Gun,' I got Eminem of course, I believe he's on the level of Dre now, he really stepped his game up, I got Havoc from Mobb Deep, I got Sam Sneed, I got a lot of new artists like this kid named Focus, I got JR, lots of new guys.

What's your favorite song on 'Thoughts of a Predicate Felon'?

I would say the favorite song on my album is 'Drama Setter' with Eminem and Obie Trice.

What is it about exactly?

It's just a real grimy record.

The album also comes with a DVD, right?

Yeah I have a DVD. You can see some footage of me getting out of jail, all the things that I went through, it's real crazy.

Do you write your lyrics on the beat or do you search for a beat to match your lyrics?

I mean sometimes I search for the beat to write the lyrics and sometimes I have songs down and just find the beat for it so it goes both ways with me.

Do you have to be in a certain place and a certain mood to write your lyrics?

Sometimes yeah, when I'm in a certain mood. When I'm around Banks, I get more excited cause it's like a friendly competition between me, Banks, Buck, Spider Loc and now we have M.O.P. as well as 50 so now when we sit down and we write records it's gonna be getting even more crazy

One of 50's talents is to write catchy hooks, is this something you've mastered, being around 50?

Yeah, of course, that's one thing I've learned from him, I think he's the best songwriter out there right now and watching him taught me how to format hooks and make them catchy.

How long did it take you to record the album?

It took me 8 months.

Are you the type of MC to record like 10 songs in one day?

I'm the type of guy to do probably 3 songs a day, I accept criticism so all the songs I do I ask people how they like 'em. When a person says 'it's alright,' I trash my songs. When a person says 'the song is hot, it's album material' I keep it. That's how I let Dre, Em, 50 hear my music, Banks, Buck, as well as my friends that surround me.

Would you consider it a failure if you sold less than a certain amount of records?

Of course, I mean not a failure but I'd be disappointed with myself if I don't sell a certain amount my first week, I wanna sell about 625,000 my first week, otherwise I'm not gonna be too happy.

Have you heard Game's '300 bars' that leaked last week?

It's sort of like R. Kelly's song.

He says 'Tony Yayo I bets 10 Gs you flop'

Man, he knows I'm not gonna flop so that's just a hater. And I don't think he's gonna have 10 Gs.

How do you feel about the way Game handled himself before he got kicked out of G-Unit?

I mean this guy's an idiot, I mean this guy's crazy, when you look at the situation he's been in, it's the same guy that said '**** Jay-Z' and Jay-Z is considered a legend in the rap game, then the next day he says 'sorry' to him. He says 'Beanie Sigel can suck my dick' and the next day he says 'sorry' to him. He says '**** Joe Budden' and the next day he's in The Source with him, he says '**** Benzino,' the next day he's on the cover of the Source. He says 'Tony Yayo's the best rapper in G-Unit' the next day he says 'Tony Yayo's gonna flop.'

Let's say you cross his path tomorrow, what happens?

Ah man, I'm on parole, I'm not thinking about that guy, man. I mean, I can't tell you what's gonna happen but I'm not looking to kill him or nothing like that.

So how hard is it for you to live with all the parole restrictions and what's your typical day like?

When I'm in New York City, I gotta be in by 9 o' clock and a typical day…you know, I had a baby while I was in jail, she's two years old, her name is Maniyah so you know I do my music, I go to the gym, probably go to Banks' house, get ready for this album but now I'm on promo so my whole schedule's changed.

Are you gonna be able to perform at the Anger Management Tour?

You can catch me at the Anger Management Tour, I'm gonna give you a show like you"ve never seen in your life.

I've heard rumors that you were in Miami a few days ago and that something happened with DJ Khaled on the radio, is that right?

Yeah, it wasn't really a big situation. Basically when I go to the radio, radio is everything so I went up there and it was supposed to be an interview with a lady named K. Foxx and Khaled and you know, I'm trying to be professional in what I do, you know what I'm saying? So if you're there to interview me, I don't give a **** about Terror Squad, I don't give a **** about Khaled, **** both of them. I went up there, I shook K. Foxx's hand, [Khaled] was standing there, he didn't wanna shake my hand but he still wanted to do the interview with me, that's the same guy that's playing my record 'So Seductive.' It must not have been so serious with him if he's spinning the record. So basically he didn't wanna shake my hand so I told him 'you know what? **** you and **** Terror Squad and before things got ugly, I was the bigger man and I walked out.

I saw one of your pictures in XXL Magazine where you're sitting on a couch with your daughter, was it taken at your crib?

For the XXL pictures, I went to Brooklyn, I went to the projects right by my cousin's house. Cause you know, I'm in the hood heavy man, I'm Queens cause that's my roots and where I be at but Brooklyn's like my second home, you know. When I'm not out on the road I like to be in the streets man so I went to Brooklyn right by Marcy and we took some pictures there.

Do you think Jay Z is doing a good job as Def Jam president with all the first releases?

I mean the albums aren't doing too good but I think Jay's a good businessman, there's nothing bad I can say about the guy 'cause he built an empire. But as for the first releases, they didn't look too good.

Is there anything you'd like to do aside G-Unit like have your own Tony Yayo sneaker, or clothing line?

I want to start acting, I got my own sneaker coming out on Reebok/G-Unit, I got my own video game coming out on cell phones, it's called Free Yayo, it's a beautiful thing. I'm working on a liquor deal right now, I got lots of offers, it's a beautiful thing, and I also wanna get into acting, I think I can do it. In my vocabulary, one thing I've learned is never say 'you think' or 'you're gon' try' just do it.


www.hiphopgame.com

[eS El Duque]

for some reason i think this is fake lol...but if it isn't fake

"...Terror Squad and before things got ugly, I was the bigger man and I walked out. "

lol, the dude talks about keeping it gangsta

[Caution2006]

for some reason i think this is fake lol...but if it isn't fake

"...Terror Squad and before things got ugly, I was the bigger man and I walked out. "

lol, the dude talks about keeping it gangsta

[SlickPants]

You know I had to get Dr. Dre for 'Live by the Gun,' I got Eminem of course, I believe he's on the level of Dre now, he really stepped his game up, I got Havoc from Mobb Deep, I got Sam Sneed, I got a lot of new artists like this kid named Focus, I got JR, lots of new guys.

Goddamn... Dre, Havoc, Sam Sneed, Focus!!!!!  Who the hell do people think this guy is?

[::Mr. Hahn::]

I'm looking forward to this because 50 hyping it up so much, but fuck..his flow is terrible in almost everything i've heard..

[Meho]

You know I had to get Dr. Dre for 'Live by the Gun,' I got Eminem of course, I believe he's on the level of Dre now, he really stepped his game up, I got Havoc from Mobb Deep, I got Sam Sneed, I got a lot of new artists like this kid named Focus, I got JR, lots of new guys.

Goddamn... Dre, Havoc, Sam Sneed, Focus!!!!!  Who the hell do people think this guy is?

agreed.hes gonna have dope producers,waaaaay to good for him.hes right abotu game changing opinions though.but that was when he was with gunit and all confused.will wait for the insturmental album

[Elevz]

Are you gonna be able to perform at the Anger Management Tour?
You can catch me at the Anger Management Tour, I'm gonna give you a show like you"ve never seen in your life.

I can only imagine what that will be like, lmao.

Would you consider it a failure if you sold less than a certain amount of records?
Of course, I mean not a failure but I'd be disappointed with myself if I don't sell a certain amount my first week, I wanna sell about 625,000 my first week, otherwise I'm not gonna be too happy.

Okay... There's no way he'll sell that much lol - I expect him to do less than 300.000, so there you go.

[ABN]

^i´ll be extremely surprised if he sells more then what Game did in his first week and he sold like 570k or something like that.

[wcsoldier]

So Dre produced Live by the gun. Thought it was Focus  . Anyway beats could be dope n all these feats make this album more a compilation than a Yayo album  

[The Predator]

''What about the producers?

You know I had to get Dr. Dre for 'Live by the Gun,' I got Eminem of course, I believe he's on the level of Dre now'' 

Eminems on the level of Dr Dre now

.

[wcsoldier]

lol . I think it was a deal between Yayo and Em: Em was agree to wear a free Yayo shirt at the Awards if Yayo told he was at Dre level 

[Capo Di Tutti I Capi]

''What about the producers?

You know I had to get Dr. Dre for 'Live by the Gun,' I got Eminem of course, I believe he's on the level of Dre now'' 

Eminems on the level of Dr Dre now

.

LMAO this guy is an idiot

[Minkaveli]

skip it

[W-Side]

Oh man, I regret not having M.O.P. on my album but I'm definitely gonna do songs on their album

 

[Elevz]

Uhhh... He got an alternate album cover?



That cover is actually kinda dope. Better than the other one.