Rakim Allah: Guess Who's Back - Day 2

Rakim Allah:
Guess Who's Back - Day 2
Interview Conducted Friday January 16th, 2004!!!

ThaFormula.com - I just wanted to let you know what people were sayin' about that Hennessey situation 'cause you know where they put most of those ads, they put them in the hoodŠ

Rakim - No doubt, but what's good about it now is they treating it good. They got it over in the Caribbean now and it's on Sunset, I don't know if you seen the big one on sunset.

ThaFormula.com - Yeah, I've seen the ads everywhere...

Rakim - That's what's good about it, I do certain things and I choose to lay back a lot and I'm not always in the peoples face and I guess I am now. No matter what they do, bam there goes Rah and not to mention that I'ma keep it real with all my listeners man, my favorite drink is Hennessey man. I don't drink everyday, I may not drink every week, but if I sip something its Hennessey man, so you know it's like it was perfect for me and I'ma keep it real like that, word up.

ThaFormula.com - When you finally left Aftermath, shit went crazy and ridiculous rumors spread around that you had signed with Dreamworks and Premo was gonna do your whole album. What actually happened when you left and what did you decide to do?

Rakim - When I got back and the word hit the street man, uh what had happened man is that I was originally gonna sign with Dreamworks and you know they hollered at Dre to work on the album, and then Dre spoke to me and was like "yo come over to Aftermath." So after it didn't work at Aftermath I figured I owed Dreamworks first dibs or that respect, so I went back to Dreamworks but things didn't work out there. I think Interscope bought Dreamworks so that folded. So then I came back to the East Coast and met with a couple of labels but at this point its like I've been through so much, seen so much, heard so much, its like what I wanted to do was get my own label and a lot of people is not really giving rap artists labels like I know they should be. They are giving rappers production deals and tellin' everybody they are record labels but actually they are production deals and at the end of the day they getting paid a production deal salary and the record label is getting all the cake. So you know I've been blessed to run into some good people man that believe in Rakim, know what I'm trying to do, and know that it could be done, know the world wants it, and you know they investing cake in me man. They have a small label that they are turning into a major label 'cause they got major cake and you know they gave me a big part of the label and that's what I wanna do also...when I find an artist, I wanna give them more then just a dollar a record. I wanna give them what they really deserve man, 'cause I feel no matter what I'm doing, if I'm helping somebody with something, if I'm doing something for somebody or if somebody meet me half way which an artist is doing, but then he's really going a little further 'cause I'm just preparing the vehicle for 'em and he's doing all the work. So I feel he should get paid for that. I'ma get mine. When your selling records like that, it's a lot to go around, but I wanna make sure that the artist is stable and they can set something up man and they ain't gotta live album to album. They can make some money, put that up and invest it and really see what sellin' albums brings to him.

ThaFormula.com - So have you started working on the new album?

Rakim - Yeah, no doubt man. I've been working for the last few days man.

ThaFormula.com - Did you just do this label thing recently?

Rakim - Yeah we just did this like the end of last year, like December. It's called RA Recordz and shit, and I'ma drop the album on my label. We gonna drop it around the summer time. We got some big thangs gonna pop on it. My man Pharell I just spoke to himŠI need to really sit down with that dude man 'cause I know he's gonna give me what I need man. I spoke to Timbaland and Dre. Me and Dre is good man. He told me he's definitely gonna hit me with a track and my man Premier, that's my ace right there. So I'm doing some big things man. We got some other people man that's looking to get into the project. R Kelly and a bunch of people man. So I'ma sit back and see if I can put it together.

ThaFormula.com - One of the other crazy rumors that had spread was that your album was gonna be done by Premo, Pete rock, and Large Pro. But that's just a rumor right?

Rakim - Yeah, that's just a rumor but the thing is I'm in full control of the album and Large Professor, Pete Rock, those are dudes that always hit me with heat. I always respected them and they still got fire. So through my travels man, I'm definitely going through the archives and I'm definitely going at my dogs that got that heat. So be looking for everything man. It's gonna be at least 15 to 18 records on the jump off man. It's gonna be a lot of treats on it, a lot of footage of Rakim chillin' in the hood, chillin' in the studio, chillin' with my kids, you know just chillin'. We putting a lot of scenery behind the tracks itself so if you play it in a computer you can see visuals as well as hear the music. So we putting a lot of little add-ons on the joint. But it's gonna be crazy man.

ThaFormula.com - Do you think that you lost 2 years being at Aftermath or do you look at it as something that helped your career?

Rakim - I think it helped man. Because it's like I never dropped an album every year anyway and in my travels in the last couple of years, I came across a lot of people. I got a chance to live in Cali for a while so I got a chance to really take that in. You know waking up everyday in Cali, going to sleep in Cali, breathing Cali, talkin' Cali, thinkin' Cali, it really lets you know what's going on over there and not just handing off records or driving through the hood after you get off the plane. So it's like I learned a lot over there, I met a lot of people in the hood, I met a lot of fans man and just you know kept the fire lit. Because being in the game this long, what I do is I look for things to keep me amped and it's always the people, so I definitely learned a lot the last couple of years and met a lot of people. For the most part I think the hype on what me and Dre was gonna do just showed me what it is anyway 'cause I never looked at myself like uh, you know I'm modest man, I never looked at myself the way it really is and getting out there and seeing people and talkin' to them and really understanding what people was waiting for, that let me know what my part in the game is, so I'm definitely recharged and ready.

ThaFormula.com - Well I'm glad everything is looking good and it sounds like it's gonna be a big album. Do you have major distribution going down?

Rakim - Yeah, no doubt. We got like four people that's hollering at us right now. We're trying to get the best deal so we definitely going with some major distribution and what's good about it is like I said, my man got major cake so there is no limit to what we're doing. So I feel the whole deal is a major and maybe in a year it'll be major but we definitely doing it on a major level.

ThaFormula.com - I really want this project to work Ra cause some people are thinking it might go the way of "The Master" which got no promotion at all...

Rakim - Nah, we going all the way with this with promotion man and what's good about it is that I don't think it will slip by the world right now. The world got they ears to the street man. You know before the vibe was no where near this big. It was like "well you know Ra is coming back out, boom, boom, boom." But now it's like "Yo! Where is Rakim at? We need the new album!" So it's a different vibe right now. It's a lot of TV promotion within itself from MTV constantly keeping peoples happenings in the kids faces' to just getting out there and grinding. I think the world knows it's coming, they waiting for it and all we gotta do is run through the hood with the bull horn and it's on. But its definitely gonna be in every store and city.

ThaFormula.com - Well you know we definitely gonna help you with this project 100% Ra...

Rakim - You just didŠalso bruh, you're constantly doing it by putting my shit on the 'net and letting the people hold the truth man. I don't speak to a lot of people nahmean? I'ma be a little more touchable to the world on this project but they not gonna get what I just gave you. They gonna get that generic shit, nahmean! (Laughs).

ThaFormula.com - Word! Now I was wondering about those beats I sent you from 9th Wonder, Lord Ron, Necro, and Maxwell. Did you get a chance to listen to them 'cause they definitely wanted to know what you thought of the beats?

Rakim - I listened to all the beats man and see the only reason why I ain't respond like I would of is because I know thatŠuh see, that was like the main problem. The hard, gritty, raw tracks was not what Aftermath was looking for for that album. But at the same time I was feelin' what they doing and I know what they doing. So what you could tell them man is that I'm doing a new project now so keep the joints coming man. And see now, not only am I doing a project, I got a label to so I'ma need tracks for my artists and I'ma need tracks for myself so its a whole different situation. But there was few I was feeling man. I used to just throw the shit in while I was playing a game with my dudes in the crib and just freestyle off that shit you feel me?

ThaFormula.com - So we gonna definitely be hitting you off with tracks from various producers over the next few months. Try and hit you with that hardcore shit...

Rakim - And that's what I'm trying to do man. I ain't mad about where it's at but I know everything ain't gotta sound the same. Everybody ain't gotta do the same thing man and I wanna bring back that raw shit. So you know we gotta have that balance man 'cause there is room for everything but too much of one thing ain't good. So tell them yeah, definitely send me them head bangers man.

ThaFormula.com - So how far along are you with that album?

Rakim - Well I got like 3 joints I did so far but I'm really just starting fresh. I'm just about to get at some of the big producers I'm trying to get at but I had a couple of tracks in the crib that I just wanted to get out the way cause I always wanted to write to them. I got them shits out the way now I'ma start going at some of these heavyweights and you know whoever is hungry man.

ThaFormula.com - So y'all heard Rakim homies.  He wants some serious heat from all producers known and unknown.  We will be sending Rakim beats over tha next few months straight to his doorstep and right into his hands.  No managers, publicist, A&R's.  Tha beats will be going straight to his hands and they will be heard by Rakim himself.  So if your interested in getting your beats to tha God, hit us up at [email removed] Spread tha word & let's give Ra what he deserves!!!  Also, we would like to wish  a Happy Birthday to Rakim Allah from ThaFormula.Com.  If you got any wordz of support you would like to leave The Master, drop them at [email removed] also.  We will make sure he reads your wordz!!!