You’ve always played a large part in Wu-Tang and have also done strong solo albums. Where do you feel you realize your potential the most, with Wu-Tang members or independent works?
When I do my solo I recognize because with the group you get help. When you by yourself you by yourself. So I feel by yourself, when I be rolling like that it’s harder for me.
You’ve started GFK Poker. Are you just supplementing your rapping career or do you plan on moving more on the business side altogether?
I mean becoming more on the business side of everything. I’m still going to do what I do, I’m just stretching my arms right now, you know I mean? I’m just trying to cover a bunch of ground and not only do one thing. Just trying to maneuver, you know whatever G-d gives me, just trying to cover all aspects.
You are working on 8 Diagrams with Wu-Tang now. What should we expect from that album?
Whatever it is the album is gonna be a smash. I can tell you that because that is what the people is looking for and its time to play no games. So if I’m on it and if I’m cosigning it, you know, its gonna be worth listening to.
New York has been known for its lyricism but lately radio waves are playing more of simplified party music. What do you think is the key to encourage Hip Hop lyricism?
We just gotta be doing what we been doing. We gotta be more original, you know I mean? Start thinking of more ways to do our music. They having fun with it in the South so we gotta have fun with our music instead of killing everything. Also DJs gotta start supporting us, New York and East Coast artists. ‘Cause we not getting that love like other people be getting that love. Gotta [respect] that home stuff. It’s both. It’s on the MC and it’s on the DJ.
You didn’t market your last 2 albums with a lot of videos and radio play. Why is that?
That was on DefJam. It wasn’t me. I didn’t market because if it was up to me and my money it would have been marketed. But you know the last album was a freeby. So I knew that it wasn’t gonna happen like that. Fishscale, you know I mean, was under a new umbrella with LA Reid. I don’t thing they were too familiar with me and my statuses on the street and all that, but you gotta go through that. I’m not trying to be disappointed, it just make me stronger. Sometime you may be a little frustrated when you loose yourself but it is what it is.
Are you working on another solo album?
Yes. I’m working on a Wu album and a solo album. Looking for a November date for myself but we just gonna keep it like that, not gonna give you no titles on nothing like that.
The rumor is that you are working with Irv Gotti. Is that for a new album?
No. I don’t know where that came from.