Bang 'Em Smurf and Domination discuss their debut album

Now, God Giveth God Taketh Away finds Bang 'Em Smurf and Domination delivering reflective street narratives with a degree of wit and depth more commonly associated with hip-hop's golden age. "I see jiggaboos, singing and dancing and running around like chickens with their heads cut off," says Domination, who more often opts for a brutally honest and more serious tone with his music. Regarding the socially conscious "On My Side," he explains, "It addresses a lot of political things - police brutality; why I use the word nigga; the rebels in Haiti; Rodney King. It's a positive message." And after experiencing various instances of industry blackballing at the hands of Curtis Jackson, Bang 'Em Smurf and Domination choose to address the subject of their beef only once, on the self-explanatory "When You Was Down."

Smurf, eager to prove he doesn't need controversy to sell records, explains: "We're really just trying to make music. To me, all this 50 beef is overrated. Domination is talented, and makes good music, and that's what we wanna prove to the world." Though Smurf is unfortunately being held as state property until the summer of 2007, Domination has little reason to fret. His humble demeanor belies the confidence he has in himself. "I didn't realize this was my calling," he recollects. "It was a hobby to me. I was doing freestyles, and I was nice at it. I used to battle Tony Yayo on the block. I used to spit rhymes for 50; he actually stole a few of my lines. Smurf believed in me and pushed me to write songs. If you don't believe my music, I'll give you a copy for free, and then you tell me you don't like it." And just like that, God Giveth....