Rap Radar

Before T.I. went to the slammer earlier this month, he gave VIBE one of his last interviews. Below are a few excerpts from the cover story, which goes on sale Nov. 30th. Check out behind the scenes footage here.

I’ve heard you mention how the good that you’ve done is easily forgotten. Do you feel that you’ve been treated unfairly?
If I place my value in the way humans treat me, then maybe. But they’re human, man―they can’t help themselves. They do that to people they know personally. So how can I expect them to treat me, only knowing me through television? They did that to Jesus. They did that to Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali. They did it to every great person you could possibly think of. When it was all good, they was with them. When things got bad, then they was against them.

But in this case things didn’t “get bad.” It’s something you did.
Let me just say this: [he sits up on the couch] If you look at a guy who came up, no pops in the house, moms on welfare, food stamps; started selling dope when he was 12, 13 years old, came up handling guns, being in shoot-outs; started going to jail when he was 15. In all of this chaos and this mischief and lawlessness, the person who was just in jail for machine guns and silencers turns his life around. And now you want to crucify him ―for what? Three pills. I mean, of course it’s wrong and unacceptable and inexcusable. No problem. But in the grand scheme of things, it’s rather petty. It’s rather petty to hold someone’s feet to the fire for something so small when they have overcame things that were so big. All that could have been going wrong―if I was riding with more guns, or if I had gotten into a shoot-out and killed somebody, then I could see that. But just think about it. I’ve gotten it down to this much.

How did you get a drug habit?
I had a lot of work done to my teeth. Oral surgery, extractions, six, seven, eight root canals. Between January to February. As soon as I got out, I had a lot of stuff done. In the joint, you eat shit that is unhealthy for you. I had fillings that fell out and stuff that had to get dealt with. Of course for the pain they gave me oxycontin and hydrocodone. And, mind you, on October 13, 2007, I had cut off everything―weed, alcohol. Then I get these pills and I start taking them for the pain at first. And then I’m like, Wait―this shit makes me feel good. And it’s legal. After the pain went away, I kept taking it. I had like five, six prescriptions. So I had, like 80 pills. Everybody else might have a drink or smoke a blunt, I took a pain pill. Times when I had 18-, 20-hour days, I’d take a pain pill. And eventually I developed―I guess―the beginning stages of dependence.

Have you talked to Eminem about addiction?
Sure. We got a record together, and we talked a lot. I asked him how he knew he was an addict. Basically if you put yourself in harm’s way… if you risk that, you’ve got to assume that there is something fundamentally wrong with your thought process.

Diddy sported a new hairdo last night at the American Music Awards. Along with his two leading ladies Dawn and Kaleena, the trio performed “Coming Home” off The Last Train To Paris.

mwp

In four days, Jay Rock will release his latest street mix Black Friday. But until then here’s the project’s latest leak produced by  Crada. You think you know, but you have no idea, you broke knee grows.

We’re six weeks in and here’s the latest tune from one half of Heltah Skeltah. It’s the Roc—no pun intended.

Today’s November 22nd and you know what that means: Lloyd Banks’ new album The Hunger For More 2 is in stores. But if you purchase it on iTunes, here’s the bonus track featuring Eminem. Break ups are hard to do.

uhtn via nr

Nipsey promised to drop a new track and he keeps his word with the second single from his debut album South Central State of Mind due Dec. 21st.

Joell is an animal on the mic and if you don’t think so, then you might want to check out his latest track off his November 30th release, Free Agent.

mr.x

Welcome to the best of both worlds. According to Sheek Louch, his D-Block faction and Wu-Tang Clan are set to release, Wu/Block at the top of 2011. Let’s see if this holds up.

It’s just another day in the life of Slim Thug, but we’ll let him show us with his latest flick off Tha Thug Show. November 30 is around the corner and it’s almost show time.

Previously: “Black & Yellow (Freestyle)” (Video)

Flex decided to drop this new remix from Jomo featuring Cam and JR. Sounds like a go. Hopefully, we’ll get it performed live at the Dipset Reunion this Friday in NYC.