Memphis Bleek: All Hip Hop Interview

AllHipHop.com: What have you been doing since your last album?

Memphis Bleek: Just working. We got a detailing shop in Edison, NJ. It’s called Custom Car Details. I've been over here working on custom cars. A new album. You know, doing music, trying get outta the Def Jam situation once Jay left. You know, get my own situation.

AllHipHop.com: Are you currently released from Roc-a-Fella? Whose decision was it?

Memphis Bleek: It was a mutual decision between me and Jay because he was leaving Def Jam to start Roc Nation. So the whole thing was like "Yo’, how long am I gonna be the little man?" I been an Indian all my life. I gotta be the Chief one day. I gotta bunch of people behind me that wanna shine. Me being under him they never gonna get a chance. So, he agreed. He said it was the best thing and that people are gonna respect me for making my own decision and for being a man and stepping out of that shadow, which is an unbelievable show to even try to get out of. So, it was a mutual decision. We both came to the agreement that going independent might be the best way to do my thing right now.

AllHipHop.com: You’re currently signed with Mass Appeal Entertainment, right?

Memphis Bleek: Yeah.

AllHipHop.com: What has that experience been like?

Memphis Bleek: Aww man, a learning process. The guy who owns it, Marcus Siskind, me and him met through my lawyer. We built a cool relationship. He’s teaching me things that I've never known. Before, (at a major label) I would just put the beat on, I rap, I smoke, we drink, and put it on the radio. Now, it’s like I’m finding out the politics behind the scenes.

AllHipHop.com: What is your relationship with your former label mates (Beanie, Amil, etc.)?

Memphis Bleek: I haven’t seen Amil every since we did “Hey Papi”. I haven’t seen Beans every since we did Powerhouse. I speak to Freeway here and there. I just spoke to Young Chris and Young Neef not too long ago. I ain’t seen Petey Crack ever since he went on his little thing against Jay. I spoke to Oschino not too long ago. And Sparks just e-mailed me like a week ago. If you ask me, everybody still cool. I ain’t got no problems with nobody.

AllHipHop.com: Beanie was saying some things about you and Jay being fake. What is your response to that?

Memphis Bleek: (says in a sarcastic tone) Yea, I’m mad fake. (laughs) I’ma keep it all the way real, Beans is my brother. I been knowing Beans since I was 16 years old. I grew up with Beans. We been through ups, downs, flossin to not flossin to now. I can’t down that man. There’s nothing I can say bad about him to discredit him. He may feel like he need to do that to get to where he needs to be but where I need to be, it don’t involve him and it don’t involve me discrediting him. That’s always gon be my dude.

Read the full interview:
All Hip Hop - Memphis Bleek: The Process of Determination

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All Hip Hop - Memphis Bleek Is Forever Roc, The Critic Jay-Z
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