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Interview: Stat Quo Speaks With Raptalk!

Written by Styles

Monday, 12 May 2008

Stat Quo recently took time out of his busy schedule to speak to raptalk about the current status of his long awaited debut album "Statlanta" and why it's taken so long to be released, Dr. Dre and his Detox project, The rumors surrounding Eminem and much more!

Questions asked by: Lunatic 63

Q: What’s going on with you Stat?

Nothing much bro, how about you?

Q: How you doing man?

I’m beautiful, I’m alive.

Q: Let’s get right into if we can, why has Statlanta suffered so many push backs over the last few years?

Man…if it was up to me, it would have came out a long time ago. The power trick that is going on in the music industry you know? You have to deal with that. It’s not all about music all the time, unfortunately; so that is why.

Q: Now you’ve been on Interscope for about six years…

It hasn’t been six years.

Q: Sorry, how long has it been?

I signed there around 2004.

Q: Ok, my bad; so you’ve been on Interscope for about four years, have you ever got frustrated and thought about leaving?

Everyday

Q: Everyday?

Everyday (laughs). Ofcourse you get frustrated, you know? The frustration has settled in and I think everybody in the music industry right now is frustrated period. Nobody is really – if you’ve noticed, a lot of rap albums aren’t coming out right now because these executives are scrambling – it’s kind of crazy right now for Hip-Hop in general.

Q: Sales are down a crazy percentage for Hip-Hop right now, so I understand what you’re saying.

At this point it’s the whole genre, you know? It just so happens that I work with Shady/Aftermath and somebody like (Dr.) Dre who is such a perfectionist anyway and then you add the whole fear about what’s going on in the industry – you put all that together and it makes for a crazy situation. That’s what we’re involved with right now.

Q: I understand. Is their a new date in place for the “Statlanta” album?

I don’t know. The world is going to hear the album soon regardless. If the label doesn’t put it out, I’ll put it out myself.

Q: You shot a video for the “Here We Go” record, is that correct?

Yeah.

Q: Why did we never get a chance to see that video?

Because we didn’t like the video, that’s number one; that’s pretty much what that was. The video didn’t come out like it was intended it to be. If something doesn’t represent me and what I’m trying to do, I’ll scrap it and try again next time. You don’t want to make matters worse for you with your video.

Q: Ok. Will that record and “Grits” still appear on the album?

I don’t know (laughs).

Q: Ok.

It depends on who puts it out. If I were to release the record myself, then yes. But if it strictly appears on the internet, that’ll probably be on it. Who knows what’s going to be on there if it comes out through the label.

Q: So at this point you’re not to sure about the tracklisting?

I’m sure about it but it depends on how it’s going to come out – if it comes out the right way or not.

Q: There was a record rumored to be on the album with Dr. Dre and Scarface called “The Way It Be” is that still going to appear on it?

Yeah.

Q: Ok, and how many Dr. Dre beats do you have on the record?
It’s just Scarface now.

Q: Dr. Dre has been taken off the song?

Well no, he never did the verse.

Q: Did he do the beat on that one?

Yeah, he did.

Q: And how many Dr. Dre beats can we expect to hear on the album?

A lot; about six or seven.

Q: And have you been asked to contribute anything to Detox yet?

Yeah.

Q: Tell us about that.

I’ve been working on that as long as I’ve been working on my album to be real with you. I have been trying to help (Dr.) Dre with that for a minute; it’s going good, hopefully he’ll put it out this year – I’d like to see him put that record out.

Q: We all would.

Just to see him perform again and do his thing; I think that would be a great look for him. I think Hip-Hop fans really miss him and what he brings to the game. I think the fans really want him to put that record out; at the end of the day that has to be that man’s decision to want to do that. He is one of the few people that can decide when his album comes out, you know what I mean? He can make that decision. When he feels like it’s the right time, he’ll do this thing; you know what I’m saying? I’m behind him 200% on whatever he’s trying to do.

Q: Have you contributed with actual music or just ghost writing?

I’m all in it, everything. To be honest with you, that album has changed so many times, who knows what it sounds like right now. I’ve been in Atlanta kind of nourishing my hometown and spending time with my son, being a father. I’ve also been ghostwriting for other rappers, keeping the life going. As far as what he’s working on now, I haven’t been out there since the end of 2007. I’ve been in Atlanta and he changes his mind an awful lot on what he wants to do, so it could be a whole other album right now. I know Bishop (Lamont) is in there with him everyday contributing. I’m going on this tour in Germany and when I get back, I am suppose to go out there and see what’s going on in Hip-Hop a little bit; but as of right now I’m in Atlanta and I’m kicking it.

Q: What other producers do you have on the album?

Well you know I have Eminem on there; Scott Storch. Nottz, Mr. Porter, The Fire Department, LT Moe, you know? Some other cats; I have Three 6 Mafia as well.

Q: You mention having Mr. Porter on the album who is a well-known member of D12. Proof’s death anniversary just hit two years the other day, how did that death effect you?

I mean when you lose a friend – everyone can relate to losing a friend. It affected me a lot because he was one of the guys that when I came in, really broke a lot of stuff down for me and gave me a lot of advice. When you lose someone that goes the way that he did – it’s just like wow. God rest his soul, he’s in a better place; we are just trying to hold him down out here.

Q: You also mentioned having Eminem producing on the album; There’s been a lot of rumors floating around him in the last few months - what’s the deal with him right now?

He’s working on his record, he’s fine – he’s doing his thing. He’s excited man, it’s going down. He’ll be back better than ever, because I heard some of the album and it’s crazy; that’s coming.

Q: The title of it is “King Mathers” is that correct?

You know what; I don’t know the title of the album; that’s a good question. Next time I talk to him, I’ll ask him. Like I said, I’ve kind of been out of that loop as far as what’s going on because it has been so crazy.

We are talking about people’s personal lives; when certain people are going through something personally and need support, you call and ask how they’re doing. You don’t really discuss at that point “what’s up with your album?” you know what I’m saying? That’s the farthest thing from our mind. It’s more like “how you doing?” and “how’s the family?” you know what I’m saying? That type of deal – I could care less about the title of his album or anything else. I’m more concerned with how he’s doing as a person, or how Dre is doing, you know? Detox, Me-tox. These are people I consider to be friends of mine, so I want to know how they’re doing other than that.

At the end of it all I love music, but this is our lives we’re living. It has to be bigger than us just doing music together; you know what I’m saying?

Q: Some say artists from Atlanta aren’t very lyrical, so how do you respond to those claims being a lyrical artist yourself?

I mean you have all types of artists from everywhere. Biz Markie was from New York but he wasn’t crazy lyrical when you compare him to KRS-One or Rakim. Does that mean that because the majority of rappers out of New York were lyrical at the time, that you can’t make party music when rap was originated on party music?

Everybody can say what they want; you can put me in any category you want. I just do my thing and as far as Atlanta and the Hip-Hop scene, I am proud about what’s going on. People always talking about how they dislike Soulja Boy – man its kid’s music, you know what I’m saying?

Biz Markie did a record called “Picking Boogers” back in the day; you know what I’m saying? For a New York cat to make a song like that and have it be accepted, it was a beautiful thing. That is why I don’t understand why some people hate so much on a Soulja Boy; it’s kid music man.

Q: I understand that. Which artists influenced you growing up?

Every time an artist is asked a question like this, the answers are always the same. I’m going to switch it up a bit and say everybody; and I don’t just mean every artist, I mean everybody in the world. I love making music and everything I see or hear while I’m here has motivated me to a certain extent.

Q: I’m with you on that. Do you have any last words for the fans before I let you go?

Yeah, I do. I want to thank all my fans for sticking with me and remaining a fan over the last four years – I promise you will get to hear the album soon.

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