Mr. Cheeks: The Real King of Queens

[STILLDRE IS THE GODFATHER]

Cheeks is back—again. After pulling through the worst birthday of his life in 1999—LB fam member Freaky Tah was killed—Cheeks exhaled (okay, so he was burning trees…) and got his groove back on his 2001 solo debut, John P. Kelly. The LB IV Life dropped one of the year's hottest party anthems "Lights Camera Action," and it almost felt like 1995 again, when "Lifestyles Of The Rich And Shameless" and "Leeps, Lex Coups, Bimaz & Benz" were hits. While his last joint ("Lights Camera Action") is still bumpin' in the clubs, Cheeks is feeling the heat once again with Lil' Kim on the Timbaland-produced "The Jump Off."

Yeah, she called him. Why wouldn't she call the rapper responsible for that catchy hook she swiped for her hit? Well, she did. And as spring approaches, so too does the release date for Cheeks' second solo shot, Back Again. Featuring more fire like his first single, "Crush On You," featuring Mario Winans, the P. Diddy-produced "Pimpalicious," "Reminisce" featuring Pete Rock & CL Smooth, "The Hussle" with M.O.P. and "I Apologize" featuring Glenn Lewis, his CD is an ambitious blend of the two styles he loves most, R&B and rap. Most important, it's music that makes you—and him—high. And that's why he does his damn thing.

Catching up with him at the Universal Records office in midtown Manhattan, Cheeks is feeling good, musically, physically, emotionally, you name it. (Yes, he has a blunt in hand.) His album is ready to drop, he resides in Miami with his wifey and kid and he's running his own label called Diane's Boys. Cheeks breaks down his business like this: Steve Marley's label, Ghetto Youths and Diane's Boys, his label form One Fam Music. Diane's Boys reps groups with names like Queen's Most Wanted, Versatile, Garcia Family, Izzy Dead and Papa Don that hail from NY, FL and NC. Time has been good to Cheeks. Though the Lost Boyz aren't doin' it right now, Pretty Lou sits right beside Cheeks. There is no doubt, they remain LB IV Life, with one member lost and a little more sunshine added to their lives to brighten up their grim, cloudy past. That's what's up...

Did Lil' Kim come to you to do "The Jump Off?"
Yeah, she called me up. She's like it's only right to do it with the cat that started it right there. "Jeeps, Lex Coups, Bimaz & Benz," that's the original Lost Boyz joint. I'm one of the original members of The Lost Boyz, Why not? Get me up on there. I'm with it. Who else you gonna put on there? Gonna have me really upset. She reached out. I said I'm on it. She know I got her back whatever though.

How has hip-hop changed now compared to back then?
It's crazy different. Lot of cats that's not here that was there when we was doing that type of music. Pac, Biggie, Pun, L. You know the world gonna expand. That was '94, nine years ago. Now n*ggas getting Platinum chains when you sign on a label and a 2-way. The game is gonna be the game. It changed up. The strong survive. That's the bottom line. That's how I look at it. I could be being fed up and not making music because I lost Freaky Tah, and Lost Boyz could be real corny, not trying to do nothing. We're survivors. We gonna hold it down and make the damn thing go down. The game definitely changed. It changed like sports change. Ain't wearing the tight shorts no moreHow do you feel about hip-hop today?
There's always been corny music and hot music. You either hear beautiful music or hear crappy music. I don't really listen to the radio or look at BET. I just really be an ordinary guy. I make music that I would want to hear. If I go to a party, I want to hear some comfortable enjoyment music. Not only the beats sound hard, but lyrically too.

Do you think 50 Cent is repping Queens right now?
Yeah, I knew him since he was yah high. I knew him since he was a shorty. It's all good. It's good to see him doing his thing. Queens always puts out flavor though. Nas, Mobb Deep, Lost Boyz, Run DMC, LL Cool J. We got a whole history of hit makers. He's doing his thing. It's his time to do that thing. It's his calling right now. Do your thing. I got nothing but love…

Did you want a 50/Cheeks collabo on your album?
We ain't been hooked up like that before. I ain't seen a n*gga in a minute. It's all good though. I keep in touch with his main man. He's doing his thing. I'm doing my thing. We gonna get there. We gonna meet up one day and knock it out.