(Laughs) I know right. His shit is dope too. But he came to the lab and knocked the shit out. That’s my dude right there, man. He’s doing much better, finishing his shit up right now. But, it was good to do that.

I’m sure you really wanted him on the album.

Hell yeah! Hell yeah! Hell yeah! Definitely.

How much input did he have on the song? Is it something you guys crafted together?

He definitely arranged his vocal and put all those harmonies together. It’s like, just letting him do his thing, you know you’re gonna get blessed.

Finally, “Shaka,” why do you feel the song was incomplete without the Obama intro and how upset were you when you couldn’t use it?

Yeah man, it was just like the label acted like he would sue us. Yeah, Obama’s gonna sue us (sarcastically), ask us for royalties and shit ’cause we sold it. That’s their thing like we took the speech off a public domain but we’re selling it so we can get sued. Like, alright, y’all being a little too fuckin’ anal. Like, dude is gonna look at this shit and be like come on now.

Plus you had done some campaigning for him anyhow.

Yeah, and he ain’t pay me so… (Laughs) But I still wanted to put it on there because it’s speaking about my man Shaka, my man J Dubb and my Dad and people I lost. I just named it Shaka ’cause that was my best friend who aint here.
He got murdered.

How old were you when your Pops passed?

16. My dad died of emphysema. Smoking…

You don’t smoke, right? That’s why you’re so extra healthy (Laughs).

(Laughs)

See ya at the gym.