#59 - Twista

legendary artist. He's been a part of a lot of legendary moments in hip hop. So we discussed all of that shit and much more. So that's coming up. A shout out to our sponsor, odd Socks. Man. Listen, you gotta go to odd soxofficial dot com keyword oot leg cav al right, type that in and you'll save twenty percent off all the licenses. They got SpongeBob, Nickelodeon, fucking Ruto, Scarface, Sweetest Fish PEPSI. I mean, we could just keep going on and on. All right, wwe get you some stone

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It's the Bootleg cap podcast. All right, look at Bootleg cav podcast, Boutlet Cats show. We got a legend. I don't say that lightly. Twist this here, and I appreciate that. You're a fucking legend, bro, appreciate it. Hey, man, listen, I just want to say I've been trying. I feel like I've been dming you probably for about six months, trying to be like, yeah when you come to LA man,

like it's been a while. Man, I know, we always like trying to lock in GLA and then when I was at the radio station, I mean I've probably been dming you longer than that because were trying to get you on the radio station and shit, and yeah, it's good to have you here though. Bro. Man, man, it's a hey, better late than never. Run one hundred percent, Man, hundred percent. You have so much just historical legacy in the game. Bro. You know what I'm saying, It's been

a long time. Let's started. Like obviously, I remember I first heard you probably it was probably around like ninety nine when I was like a kid and you already you know, moving and shaking. But it was it was a I think the first song I probably ever heard you, I really it was probably pop Pemp Yeah, and then digging into all the other shit, the speeding up mobsters

and all that, you know what I'm saying. So like during that era in Chicago hip hop, this was before the drill shit, I felt like it was like what you were doing a crucial conflict was doing. And then on the other side of the token, it was like common sense in the Resurrection and you know, and Solt. It always just felt like Chicago has always kind of been two sides sonically at all times. It was like

like south side West side. You know, you have to you know, shout to the north side too, but you know, mostly like a south side West side thing, not really intuit with each other, but just you know, two different vibes a little bit when it came to music, Yeah, what what is it that inspired you to wrap the

way you rap originally? Because you you know, I always have this talk with UH, with the homie rints that when it comes to the like Tech nine two, we've we've talked about you a lot when it comes to chopping. There's nobody who can UH really like you, like when you wrap, it's so clean. Some people can rap fast, but it's really hard to understand. Like you enunciate so perfectly every single like it's it's like, to me, that's

what it's about. That that's that's the limit of it is how clear can you say your words at a certain pace or k you know, so to me, that's what it's about. It's a complete package. And once once one is over the other one, then you're not really doing it the right way. But when did you start to master that, like and what were the influences that kind of made you decide to start rapping that way?

This was early on just really because I was doing so many, so many rhymes where I'm having punchlines and stuff like that, and like more into battles like the younger stage, you know, and I wanted to sound different, make something different, make a song, or just a new flow. So I started like changing up the flow and making

different patterns. And then every once in a while, you were, you know, uh, coming up the street and not be backing into the beat, and then just a little more, then a little more, and then you start to hear a few other rappers doing it here and there, you know, oh man. And then one day I just decided I want to make a whole song like that. I'm like, I always make little phrases like that. Let me make a whole song like that, you know. And then I

started making songs like mister Tongue Twisters. That's crazy? So what year? What year was mister tongue twister? Man? A long time ago, like ninety one or something like that. Ninety one. That's so crazy. You know, it's crazy too, because I think it was ninety one. I was, I was four now. But what's crazy is uh? Like I remember as a kid like there was like this. I don't know if it was a bee for weird energy between you boys in Chicago and the Bone Thugs guys.

Mm hmm. It was kind of like I think they might have said something on Art of War. Yeah, I think it was Art of War, right, it was on that album, like all of the all of the early early app was that that had that style at some form or time got out their body a little bit, right, yeah, because it was like no, you bite me, you bite me? Well I was doing it first. Yeah, we all got out of our body a little bit about that type

of stuff. So that was that was early on when you know, we all were trying to stay claim at a certain vibe, not realizing that we were all the founders of a certain sound facts people. You know, once we started to realize how many people we influenced, then that's when we realized that we were all brothers in the sex who who who said something first? Back then, like who took the first? So you were the first? Okay, so it was you first? Yeah? Yeah, I think I

kicked it off first. I think I saw a crazy bone when we was doing a video for Spit Your Game. Okay, yeah I remember, Yo, that's crazy. Yeah, because years later you guys end up working on that together. Yeah yeah, yeah, shout out to crazy. You know, all of them are eyes though you know, yeah, that's dope. Yeah, that's it's crazy. As we think about like how rap beef is now, it's like it's not a lot of mature and getting

PASTI it anymore, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, you know, uh, and then then there is some you know, so hopefully hopefully a lot of the younger cats look at the way we moved a little bit and kind of kind

of follow suit. You know, when did you realize that you had something like because we I think every rapper has a you know, whether it's back then getting your demo in the right person's hand, or hearing your record on the radio, or when was the first instance where you realize like, oh I could really like make real money off this rap shit. Man, I probably can't remember the first. The first probably entering entering h contests back then, you know, because this was how I first got on.

It's like just getting in contests and stuff like that. So I think it was maybe me and my guy Creed getting in the show U one day or should I say, a contest and did a song and got the opportunity to record them. You know, once people start paying for stuff, right, once you saw people paid money for it to see me. Yeah, paid to see a show or something like that. You know, things like that. Yeah,

that's wild. So you ended up putting out Adrenaline Rush. Uh. You were kind of like a I don't want to call you an underground favorite, but you were kind of like a you had like a dope Colt following and hip hop. I remember when the Uh Paid in full soundtrack Slash Rock Rockefeller album came out. It was like it was like a double disc album, and that was the first time that I it was the We Are the Champions record and the way the way Dame brought you in on that record was so legendary. And you

just came. You caught a fucking body and I think I might have saw it was like maybe a video you or something in Chicago getting the Rockefeller chain put on you. Uh, it wasn't Chicago. It was somewhere. It was on stage though, right it was on stage, Yeah, yeah, it was that was that was an a dope vibe right there. Shout out to the homie. Dang. Yeah. How did talk about how your relationship with Rockefeller started? Just

early on a little bit of everything. I will say Kanye Dame and Jay all in some form of fashion just just had something to do with me being involved with Rockefeller of course Jay, you know, with him being who he is and us doing what we did with like uh you know, uh is that your chick popping tags? Right? Just like that? And then of course Yay having that vibe and bring bringing me along in that whole vibe, and then even with that vibe, but like dang with

the Champions joint. So yeah, it was crazy. Everybody I was cool with all of that. Was h Did you have a relationship with Kanye first because of the Chicago share or did you It's not really like have a relationship, but before he became Kanye West per se, he was already cool. He was already cool. Yeah. Yeah, we didn't kick it a lot or nothing like that, but we always was around each other, especially on the music scene,

you know in Chicago. So so yeah, yeah, it's crazy because you mentioned is that your chicken and popping tags? Those are some crazy joints, crazy features. Is that your chick is Like I think that's one of those records that it's forgotten it hip hop, you know what I'm saying, Like we forgot rocking that joint. That joint is fucking That ship is a classic, man, that's my joint. That's

the I think it's the hardest Memphis Bleak record. That ship. Okay, shout out, I mean shout out to Bleak, but that's shout out to the homie Bleak. So who So originally, what made you decide to go to rock? I mean, obviously at the time, it probably wasn't hard to make the Rockefeller decision because it's the hardest crew and hip hop at the moment, right, Yeah, yeah, we was rocking. Yeah, yeah,

I was loving it. You know, that whole vibe. To be around that team at that time period was definitely a plus, you know, and then to be vibing with him was a whole other thing. So so it was cool. What was give me like a Rockefeller story, man, one that like just being being around that era, being around Hole during that time something that we like people might not know, just like a crazy experience that you had

back then. Just always weirded out at Jay's prediction ability, how he would look up and say, you know that slow Jams was gonna be a hit, and then it would it would happen. And then like me writing Is This the End? That song with P Diddy? And when I did that song and walking in the room with Jay and P Diddy chopping it up and we were talking. We started talking about the is this the End joint? And I remember how how I was doing that joint.

I was faded writing that joint, you know, so like real faded, and I had some good weed that I never had before. So I wrote that joint and everything. So we was in there talking about it and was looking at it, and he just looked at it. He was he was high when you wrote that, So it was just but it was strange because I was real high when I wrote that, so for some reason about

the flow, he knew I was high. The Origin of the Slow Jams is a record that I distinctly remember, like being in high school and and that being like my favorite record. You know, that was a record that was it was early Kanye as far as you know, that was like one of Kanye's early earliest records. I feel like it was like through the Wire and then that came and and that just kind of added to his allure and that was really that was really like, was that like your first hit record? As far as

like radio like solo radio level. Yeah, yeah, that was. That was like the biggest record of my career, hands down. Overnight Celebrity was nice too, though, Man, that was that was the joint, you know, that was something to have to come with. Yeah, the whole the vibe of that, you know. So I got lucky being able to come with that one and him going as hard on the beat as he was able. It was crazy. Now, but Slow Jams tell us about that record? How was it made?

Like what were the origins of that record? Like, like like Slow Jams was something that was a vibe that U Yay already had. He already just just had the whole aura of it. He had the beat, He had an idea of what he wanted me to do, so you know, me obviously knowing what I'm hearing is like like dope as hell, you know, not not knowing it was gonna beat that fucking beat, but I'm I'm like, man, I gotta body this, so I'm doing my thing on it.

But then he put Jamie on it and the way it all came together and that was like right, that was like peak Jamie as an artist too, or really I feel like that is what really kind of kicked off people taking Jamie serious as a singer. It was that song. That song was because that was before Unpredictable, that was before that his album. That was like the very first time that we were like, oh Jamie Fox could sing. Yeah, That's what turned it on to me

for us music career. He always was talented to of course, of course that record coming out like turned it on and launched that opportunity. And you say, Jay called that record he knew it was gonna be a hit when you were around Yay early did did? Did he? I mean, because I always tell people who aren't like real hardcore Kanye fans, is Kanye has always been oh you some

water something? Is there some water in there? I always tell people who haven't followed Kanye West until recently over the last ten years that, like, Kanye has always been a very confident dude. Yeah, you know what I'm saying, Like, I don't think I mean, it's obviously magnified a lot, you know, but I feel like Kanye has always kind

of been a mad scientist. Yeah, yeah, for sure, mad scientists, right, Yeah, Like working with him, because you were working with him that was before college dropout right, Yeah, that was before Slow James was BEFO calls dropout for that released. You know, I already had a vibe of of how he worked and and and just what he do because I was around him when he was making beats early on, you know, so I was I would always know that his sound

was very unique. His choice of music was like a like a DJ, almost like a you know, it felt like a DJ. I was like, man, he knows the records. You So, yeah, he was always dope to talk about to Cameron. So Cam has always paid homage to the shy he used to live there. Yeah, he on Purple Haze, he re redid adrenaline Rush and you you caught a fucking body on that. What is it about Cam in Chicago? And like just the homage and the and the respect

he's always shown. Man, it's it's been I mean, it's been dope to see over the over the last however many years. I just feel like, you know, it's an old saying where they say real recognized real, you know, and I just think, uh, you know, the vibes really you know, like like like where he from and how he get down and shot town people and how they get down. And then just cam being a person that moved around though he was in Ohio at one point, chilling doing his thing too, like Chicago as well as

other places. So him being a fan of my music as well me being a fan of his music. It was real dope when he came because he was in Chicago and we actually sat right there in each other's face and talked about doing that record. So he did he come to you? And when he when he came to you, was he like, y'all, I want to remake this for purple Hats. Yeah, he had a mastermind already. He knew exactly what the fuck you wanted. Yeah, So that's what made the record so fun, was because he

knew exactly how he wanted. That's wild, yo. Let me ask you this. With Kamakazi being a classic record, right, that was your only album on Rockefeller, I didn't actually have an album, so that album wasn't So what was your situation with him because you had to ain't on you had the features you know that it was it was It was pretty much more like a family vibe. Okay, okay, okay, that we could have took further, but at the time. I was on Atlantic Records, right, I knew that album

came out through Atlantic. I didn't know Rock, so it didn't. So you technically never dropped an album album through Rockefeller. Damn, that's crazy. So that was just some family ties ship, like hey, you're part of the gang. Here's the change, you know what I'm saying. Like, definitely, that was far as far as we could take it. We would have took it further if if the companies could have merged the situation. But you know, unfortunately that couldn't happen. So

I had to keep it moving, keep it moving. Who is who were you closest with on the roster because there was such a large roster of artists. But you know, we're talking about the young guns. Were talking about all the state property beans Memphis, Like who was like your your your closest comrade on the Rockefeller roster. Everybody was cool. I had a vibe with everybody. I probably kicked it the most with with a bleak and Freeway. Freeway is

a good dude man. Probably kicked it with the most shouts to free It's crazy to see the evolution of what you got started in the nineties with chopping and and and and rapping that way. There's so many dope artists who do it. Now, the you know, the logics of the world. We mentioned Rits. You know, obviously tech nines are o G text tech and getting that bag. Who are some artists that that you respect what they do when it comes to chopping like that? Damn? Who

was that I was talking about the day? Damn? Oh man, you caught me up on that one too. It's I want to remember so hard. I can't remember the name of the group though, but definitely the people who you name and are still people who I listened to, like like Rits and stuff like that. Now, Hey, by the way, rit Riz, you and Rich ever talk about doing the EP together? Yeah, okay, okay, okay, because he's he's mentioned that too, Yes, my boy. So he mentioned it that

in passing and I was like, hey, you that'd be crazy. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we we mentioned it. It's gonna happen. It's gonna happen. We're gonna be in the right space at the right time. He's also another one of those guys that raps very fast, but like enunciates his words so where it's just like if you're listening. You understand every single thing he's saying. Yeah, you know, like you some some some people got a funk zoned with it, and then some people, you know,

they just do it. You know, you gotta have a funk zone with it. You know. I want to talk. So, so your boy had set me some talking points and I had no idea that you a group that that that it'll come to me. Okay, Okay, So I didn't know that you are a concealed gun carry instructor. Yeahal carrier, so official certified us c c A and n R A cance Carry instructor. Yeah, and you started a new gun safety company called the Gun Camp. This is in Chicago. Yeah.

So I'm because I'm I'm a proponent. I'm a pretty liberal dude, but I'm very very you know, I feel like we should all have a right to protect ourselves. You know what I'm saying. How did you get involved in in that? Because I would never in my wildest dreams picture you know, man, Like, I've always been into firearms. But then when I got my concealed carry, my boy Eddie trained me to get my concealed carry license. And then when I wanted to be an instructor. My boy

Creative Can trained me. Uh my Creative trained me to be a concealed carry instructor really during that whole quarantine, you know. So I think a lot of us got an extra career in the quarantine around that quarantine thing. So you know what happened with me was I got into that whole industry very heavy, you know, and became an instructor and just you know, just been going after a lot of certifications, being a few extra ones, you know. So that's something I'm into heavy. I'm an advocate for

Second Amendment. Yeah, definitely. I want to. I want to teach people the right way when it comes to course guns and guns safety and yeah, just that people's thought process about guns. Yeah. I think that sometimes in hip hop we get like a little like wrapped up in like, uh, whatever the popular issue is at the time. And you know, I always talk with Killer Mike about this because Killer Mike's also very pro Second Amendment. He's gotten a lot of ship for that, by the way, Like they came

came for him a lot. But I think that, uh, you know, especially in La No, they've came for Mike a lot. I know, that and it's it's wild. It's like it doesn't make any sense. And you know, I think that he would always say, like our people more than anybody. We need to protect ourselves more than anybody, you know what I'm saying, especially with what we're going on in the world the last you know, with this Trump ship and all this other wild ship, like you

never know, but it's never know what can happen. Like we live in I live in California, and it's like out here they pretty much make it as impossible as possible for you to protect yourself. So it's like out here, motherfuckers is getting robbed ships. I'm from Phoenix though, Phoenix is anybody can have a gun, Yeah, but you can't have a negligent discharge in Phoenix, right what you mean?

I think in Arizona, if you have a negligent discharge, it's a little rough, you know, if you just fire the gun with that Yeah, with that type of I just know that. I know they're like I could literally give you my gun and that's you. It's your gun now. You don't have to worry about registering it. You don't know what I mean? Like cats is really it's the wild wild We No, I'm sure, I'm sure. Right two cars, I was gonna says, it's like two sides of the coin.

Because if we think of Chicago and the gun violence in Chicago, right, like you know, I see people are gonna get guns no matter what. Right that That pretty much says it, like, like, no matter how the gun laws are different in the state, you still got violence. Yeah. And the people who are who want those guns, who are committing those crimes, they're gonna get those guns no matter get no matter what. So why not be protected

like legally obviously you know what I'm saying. What they say, the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. Ain't that the truth? Ain't that the truth? Yeah, it's a very It's just I just think, you know, it's interesting, Like I think more more people like yourself and Mike should like, you know, I think it's dope that you guys talk about that because in hip hop, you know, and I'm, like I said, I'm pretty much liberal on most things,

just the gun ship. I'm like, listen, man, like this was America for a reason. It's it's in the constitution that we could protect ourselves, you know what I mean? And it is what it is. And you know a lot of times we you know, we are conditioned to have a perception of guns that make you go. You know, well everybody else is going. So your your thing is is to try to just educate people like yo, like this is you know, because because guns a scary thing,

you know what I'm saying. So when you do these courses, you're teaching people about the weapon. You're teaching people how to take it apart, put it back, Like what are

you teaching people? Yeah, we're teaching all of that. We're teaching people how to break a gun down, put it back together, like you know, a field strip so you can clean it and everything, the parts to a gun, how to hold a gun, proper stance, proper grip, the safety rules, you know, how to keep your finger off the trigger, you know how to make sure you don't muzzle anybody, the whole everything. So so not only just the mentality of having a gun, but how to properly

uh care for a gun and handle it with safety. Right, So you said during the during the pandemic, you pick that up because I know you do a lot of live shows like I know that you like under normal, normal circumstances, you do a bunch of live shows every year. How many live shows would you say you do year? I don't know that's a question for somebody else. A lot, but a lot, yeah, because I know you're in Phoenix a lot. You know how many Justice books you're out there?

Shout out to Justice? But but uh, what did you like like outside of learning this new this new trade? What how did Holse did you handle the pandemic? Because the ship was kind of you know, at first, it was kind of like, I feel like the first couple of months it felt like, oh well I could work from home. I feel like I threw a lot. I drew a lot of portraits and stuff like that. You know really Yeah, that was actually the first thing that I did as a kid. So you were always a

good artist. First talent that popped out was me drawing. Yeah, so you was whipping up some portraits during the pandemic. Yeah, you know, did you watch the Tiger what's the guy's name, Tiger King? Did you watch Tiger King on Netflix? Oh? You didn't watch that? You heard of that? Though I heard of it. I ain't sitting on. It didn't grab me. I wasn't. You know, it wasn't a time frame where

it grabbed me enough to say, let me watch. What are your thoughts on on you know, Chicago's music seeing the last eight years, nine years with the drill ship because the drill the drill, So when it first came out for me, I really wasn't because I'm like, I love the lyrical ship, you know what I mean, Like it was just it was, it wasn't for me. I mean I loved it. You know, a lot of people

have different different perceptions of music at different times. So at that time, me listening to the music, it's a lot of different reasons. Like you could listen to some of the drill music and you will see, like damn, from a DJ perspective, adrenaline rush fits right on top of it, right right, yeah, yeah, So definitely I'm locked

in from that perspective. Then I saw too as technology advanced and people got a chance to open their laptops and see how Chicago really was from a Chief Keith perspective, and little Dirk and all of these guys right here that's coming up doing anything and you're like, wow, you know, so now you got something new that you never saw that and now we got another element added on to hip hop with this old drill ol vibe and it and it kind of shifted the way everybody is doing

their music. So because you know, like, not only was I waiting on Chicago to just come with that constant quality music, man, once they started lighting it up, man, I was like, yeah, I feel like whatever you want to say. Man, Like all has influenced everything going on right now. Like we just were in New York interviewing all the Brooklyn Drill rappers and it was like all

of them are just straight. Yo. I grew up listening to Chief Keith and Dirk and g Herbo and yeah, and all those guys too, like shout out to Dirk, shout out to g Herbo. Like those guys have evolved musically too, that's right. Yeah, and their talents have young bulls. They be killing it. Man, I love it. You love it? What else out of Chicago or you check? Because you know, like I said, there's the other side of Chicago. You

know there's guys like Vic Mensa. I mean, obviously Chance has been on quite a run since about twenty thirteen. You like like, yeah, Vic Spencer too. Is a guy named Vic Spencer and Chicago to be killing it to really? Oh Vic Spencer, I think you said Vic Spencer, like Vic Spencer, no, the Chicago slang Vic Spencer. Yeah, Yo,

what's going on with uh? With the Crucial Conflict guys? Man, the last time I heard I heard ah, I want to say it was was a Wild Style or or one of them dudes was on vic Mensa was a part of a group called the Kids These Days and the and they redid Hey okay, and I think the dude was on and I was like, yo, I used to love the Final Tick. They still do show Final Tick was my ship. Yeah, and they still perform those records. Man, you you you definitely need to check out a Crucial

Conflict show. One of the guy's names is wild Style was one of his names? Was it never? Yeh Never? I'm trying to remember if I remember Wild Style Never? Cold Hart and Co. Yeah, that ship and that showdown record. Yeah, that was to tell you that album was a Crucial Conflict you did. What's up with the Do or Die? Guys? Still doing shows, still doing their games. I do a

lot of records with them. You know what would you like like like you know, because because uh, there was definitely a vibe about that music y'all were making, Like, uh it was some because you know, we think of Chicago and I remember as a kid seeing the documentary, like getting the documentary from Blockbuster that I forget which pimpin documentary was, but you remember they was doing pimping

documentaries in the nineties. Yeah, And I remember Ice T went to the Player's Ball in Chicago go and there was like all kinds of famous pimps. There was like mister White. I can't even remember all the pimps in this movie, but Chicago's known for pimping for that culture, right yeah. Yeah, and that vibe and that player Ship

record got made. Yeah, and I felt like that some of those records were just they kind of just fit that vibe and it was something it was like it's like it almost was like a real Midwest Like at the time, there was West Coast, there was East Coast, and like like that was like to me, like what I what I kind of computed as like Midwest ship. Yeah, I mean it was everywhere though. You you you definitely had it, you know out this way, you know, a lot of

the Bay. Yeah, yeah, yeah, but but so I just feel like when you when you input that vibe in a certain place, I think it's just the aura, you know, the aura the swag of the whole pimp culture, you know, more so than anything, just would affect the music and the certain way, you know. One hundred. You got a new project coming out for twenty Yeah, a joint project. Yeah for twenty you know, like when you were speaking of the young bulls in Chicago, definitely years. We can

talk about it. Man, we want to go grab him. You're doing a joint album. It's my man, Relo. He got some dope music. You know, in Chicago, we'd be doing our thing. He'd be doing this thing in the studio. You know, he's been working in my studio for a long time, and uh, Relo' he'd be coming with it all right. So for twenty what's what's the name of the album? Man? The news and that news or nothing news and nine? And how long have you guys been

making music together? He's been how long you've been working like two years? Okay, you I gotta figure this out because this guy's you've you've killed so many rappers on so many songs. It's like embarrassing, like you got you gotta hit list of guys you just put under the dirt on their own records. You know what I'm saying, How it's never that man, but it is, it's not It might not be that on purpose. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you pick up I pick up the energy of the

of the artists I'm working with. I'm always excited about the music and I always try to try to please. So you yeah, what kind of pressure is it hopping on a record with this guy or doing a whole album blood alone. It's a lot of pressure. But you know, I create, so I make sure the music ain one. Everything gotta be up the part. You know. It's like you say, definitely a legend. So I step in the booth gonna make sure I gotta have everything in order.

And then plus you know, see you might not be be into his music as of yet, but once you get into his music and see how you know, how artistic and prolific he is with it, you will see it's not a problem for him to get on the record, if anything. In some In some ways it's reverse a lot of times because remember I'm I'm from a certain era, and I have to stay relevant and keep up. And if I don't stay fresh and youthful thinking, then I

can't mesh into that whole vibe. Right So, if anything, I'm hearing fabulous, fabulous music when I come into the studio every day. So when I get off of the opportunity to get on it, I got to make sure that when I'm on it, I ain't coming with something that's like, man, you got Musha sound and old as hello. You get what I'm saying. So, if anything, I gotta kill it and have that same mentality just as much as he might. How many records it's on this projects?

Five records on that? Okay? So five piece nice? Still five people? Are you from Chicago as well? South Side? Okay? How would you say you described like you describe where you fit into, like like the Chicago sound right now? Basically, I'm just gonna usher in a new sound because, like you say, it's a whole bunch of drill rappers. But I'm coming. I'm telling the shorties to stay positive, create, you know what I'm saying, dream and chase their gold.

So we trying to step outside of the drill and just give them the real dig for show that's I mean ship City for like that Birth Common and Hey, I want to just acknowledge some of the most influential guys that don't get love the cool kids. Shout out to Chicago's on the cool Man, Shout out to Uck English, Michael Rocks, you know those guys. Those guys have influenced so much when it came to fashion and sonics and music, and they they really get their credit, you know what

I'm saying. So those guys that are super legends, man, So shout out to the cool kids much love. So the album comes out on the twentieth. Yeah, that makes sense. Man. It's a holiday holiday definitely a holiday Yeah, and it's a dope record. You're gonna like it. You're gonna be surprised. Any features Yeah yeah, yeah, the one two punch Man. You're gonna be surprised. You're gonna enjoy it. You're gonna be like, oh man, all right, well yo ghost, go go get that. And then are you working on any

any more solo? Shiit Twists? Yeah? After that, we got I got a project solo that's gonna be called shoot a Ready, Shoot a Ready, shoot a Ready. Yeah, so that how many records are you on that it's pretty much done. I probably got like one record to do just because you know, and it's like a combination. It's it's flat out my original sound, but it's a combination of what you would normally hear me do musically, me attacking and beats and music. And then you got me.

You got me doing music from the perspective talking about guns from a perspective that you've never heard. You used to rah rah gun ship, but I'm talking about guns from a perspective you never heard before. So you're talking about guns from the perspective of a guy who teaches a gun course. Now, not that it ain't that simple, right right, right, right right, you know, but when you know you ain't gonna hear me say clip, you gonna hear me say magazine. Okay, you know, but it's dope,

you're gonna hear it. Uh. Talk about what you're doing with the real estate ship right now, because I think the real estate market is I don't know how it is in Chicago, but I don't know everywhere else. It's crazy right now? Yeah, I mean, is that something that you've been investing in it for a while Yeah, I mean, we definitely dabble in that area too. You know, I try to have my hands and a few things. Right now.

They say, if you ain't got your hands in about five if you ain't got income coming from like five different sources, then you you lacking, you know, So we definitely try to keep busy and things like real estate. You know, what I do with the music, what I do as far as the gun life, a bunch of things.

Has there ever been any talks because we got the bad Boy Reunion tour, which was legendary, Yeah, there's been, you know, so many dope, like it's kind of Has there ever been anything kicked around about doing any sort of like Rockefeller Reunion tour or show or anything like that. I mean, I know that Dame Jay relationship is obviously what it is. I don't know, but if they do it,

I gotta jump down. And if they do another Bad Boy too, I'm gonna have to send a clip of me doing is this the end of the Diddy so he can see, like, damn, twist this ship like yesterday, so he can be like, come on in, come on, you still got your Rockefeller Jane. Of course, that's something that like, that's like history, man. Yeah, I need to bust it out of the show or someone day or an occasion, you know, a great moment or something. Bust it out. Who actually, Like, do you remember the actual

show where you got to change? Because I remember seeing it. I just don't remember, like like you said, it wasn't in Chicago. But what was the actual remember the actual place I was? I can't remember, but I remember how the stage looked and everything, when Dang walked on stage, how he gave it to me, the whole presentation thing,

so I was real good. Do you think Dame gets it's like misunderstood sometimes because I feel like Dame's I feel like he's I feel like when I when I hear him talk, I understand what he's trying to say. I just think sometimes he says it in a way that might be off footing to certain people, a little too rough, but I understand what he's saying. I always understand what he's saying. Like he's never really wrong, he just might have say it a little rough. Yeah. Yeah,

I definitely think he gets misunderstood a lot. But if you listen to him the right way, like you said, there's nothing but gems, so many gems. Yeah, did you ever have one of those experiences with Dame where maybe he because you know, I always think back to watching backstage, you know the movie where he was going off on Clue and and Kevin Lyles, And I mean did you ever were you ever like a witness or a part

of a go off moment? Yeah, I'm glad I miss all. Yeah, I wouldn't round those, Yeah, because like I feel like, what year did you What year was We Are the Champions? Was that in two thousand and two? Two thousand and one? You know you're gonna have a problem trying to give me the guest these years the match up these records that was paid in full soundtrack? Hey, when when they sent you that record We Are the Champions? Was everyone's else ship already on it? Were you like like like

like how did you hear it? I was actually in New York. I was actually standing in the studio with Beanie Siegel with them talking about the record with with with Dame explaining to me how he wanted it to sound and everything, and uh, why did I record that? I can't remember recorded record? Did? I recorded in Chicago? And I can't remember when I recorded it, but I remember writing it and I remembering in New York vibe.

You remember where I recorded Champions at Well, we got the record in New York and I took it back to Chicago. That's what happened. Were you there? Because I always what I loved about Beanie Siegus verse on that song is it was really not it was just really him. It was just him talking going off. Yeah, like it was. It was just like energy. It wasn't so much about his rapping as much as it was like, yeah, you know what I mean, like he would stop. Yeah. I

love that vibe he put on that. Were you around, like, like you said, you were in with Beanie when that record got like explained was he did he record it that night or I don't think he recorded it that night, but uh yeah, I don't think he recorded that night, but he was definitely around and just you know, the whole vibe and everything. And then you know, I was the new one to the team. So that's that was the energy that I had on that record right there

on the Champion. Oh yeah, when they brought you on, when Dame brought you on, it was like, oh man, and then you just you hit the home run. Yo. Who's somebody who you've recorded a song with or that you hopped on a record or with where you were intimidated when it came to like you know, you've worked with a lot of legends, man, and like I said, you've you've done your thing on a lot of people's records and made them look crazy. But who's somebody who

you were like extra? Like, Man, I really got to bring my ship. Damn. I don't know. I mean, I love hate doing records with Tech nine. Ah yeah, I love hate doing records with that dude. You guys got some ship? Did you gotta work? It is like I know he feel the same way. Trust me, if you

ask him, you feel the same. Yeah. If you if you're in a lazy mode, you don't want to do a record, you gotta be ready, you gotta you gotta like miss the ship out of rap tech N. I feel like Tech nine always has the biggest chip on his shoulder or what he raps like, no matter what he's like, always it's like it's just there's a chip and it's just it's too much going on. You you were on, you were on, you were on the Worldwide Choppers with Buster Rhymes, yellow Wolf. There was a lot

of people on that record. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Like that record was crazy, Like when you go back and listen to that, that was like eight minutes straight of people just from all over the word, people from Instant, from Turkey on there, all kinds of it was yeah, tech Nis Man tech Nis also for a lot of artists. If you want to come up, go watch a tech nine concerts so you can figure out how to perform too, because that motherfucker's a beast live. Oh yeah, so who

are you? You got another guy? It's probably a bunch of them, but I can't think of any right now that uh pops right in my head of course, j of course Jay yeah, hm hmm popping popping tags. Was one man do this record with this person, and I was like, damn god mh. I wouldn't say, uh, worried or scared, but probably my thought process on how I was gonna come with my delivery or what to do

with this particular person. You know, so like damn this such and such or this so and something right, you know, so like Mariah somebody like that, you know, yeah, like damn, you know, but like like another rapper or something like that. It's probably somebody. I just can't think of anybody right now besides Tech Technicals that's the one that and probably Buster. Yeah, it's the work. You gotta put some damn work in you gonna feel like all that sometimes for sure? For sure?

What's your favorite personally? Like, what's your favorite album of yours? Adrenaline Rush. Adrenaline Rush. That was ninety seven, right, I'm over asking you about years and ship about about ninety six Adrenaline Rush. Man should remember, But yeah, I said, I feel like that's an album too. That's also like, uh, you know, we don't. It's it's one of them. I feel like it's like a cult classic. Like my favorite movie is called The Big Lebowski is right up there.

A lot of a lot of people don't talk about The Big Lebowski. I feel like Adrenaline Rush is a cold claxic, like it's like if you know, you know, you know what I mean, you had to be there type shit. Yeah, that's my joint right there. Man. That's you know, of course Kama Kazi and my first album. But Kama Kazi was like your commercial peak as far as like hit records on an album, right, just like that was like, yeah, yeah, I would call it my

commercial peak. Yeah yeah, yeah yeah. Do you think what do you think like kind of you know, because you've you've had such a long career, obviously still doing your thing, but what do you think worked against you kind of extending that peak longer? Me? Me loving rap from a certain angle, you know, I always love rap from a rapper's perspective and not a be in the industry's perspective, and so sometimes some of that may have hindered me.

You know, always had the will to want to be half normal, half amazing or in this thing, you know, so I gotta have a little bit of normal in my life, and I think that thought process kind of you know, hinders me. And because because to be in the industry, man like successful people outside of it don't realize how much hard work it is. It's it's way harder than the nine to five, but they don't know that until they try to get in it and do it,

you know. So so you're saying essentially, like you know, like like you said, you know, if you're in an industry, you gotta go to functions, you gotta kind of you gotta. I mean, you gotta kind of have fake friends, like people who you kind of talk to just because it's a good like. You know, there's associates. There's a lot of people who you might consider acquaintance has been not friends in the music industry, right man, You gotta do, you gotta do. It's a lot of bullshitting other people

in this an extremely lot of bullshitting yourself. And it's just only so much I can bullshit myself, you know what I mean? So I just got to keep it real. I wanted to be a dope ass rapper, rock shows, rock people, put out records, and there was a certain extent of it, you know. So so to get to a certain level, to have to act a certain way or be a certain way, or fake a certain friendship with certain people. And isn't that I just couldn't be into all that. What was a feature that almost happened

that didn't happen for you? Damn? Oh, I know it's gonna be one that come right in. I always think back to like just being like a big, a big fan of Biggie and thinking like how I got a late when I got a late? When I first off let me say I love all rappers in Texas. I'm a fan of all rappers in Texas. And with that being said, I was just about to do a feature with Mo three. Oh yeah, we was like probably days away, right, We were literally literally days away from working on a

record together. So he yeah, he passed. Was it this year? Was it late last year? Most three is dope? Man? He just put a new album out too, So that just came out Friday. All of them guys dope man. So you've always just been a big fan of the Texas guys. Yeah, all the Texas got Dallas, Houston, all

of them. Yeah, hey shure, hey man. What was it like coming up at the same time as Common in the same city, because that's the common I mean I loved Resurrection and like that era of Common, like when he was common sense, like you guys kind of being on like opposite sounds of the same like of the same city. Like, did you guys have a good relationship

in the nineties, Like yeah, we was always cool. We never really got a chance to like hang around each other, like right as much as we probably could have, but you know, just was on different vibes. You know, he was a south Side guy was the West Side guy. My music was, you know, more street orientated. His was more hip hop orientated. You know, were you rooting for him when he when he when he put out the bitching you against Ice Cube? Oh yeah that was bad.

That was what was gonna happen, you know, but damn, I didn't know what was gonna happen like that as smooth as it happened. Yeah, I think Cube is self even respected. I would out when I saw Cube too. Man, I had a fan out moment of course. Yeah, like, damn, there's a few of those guys ship. I mean, I it's crazy because you know, losing DMX, that was one of the few guys in hip hop I met who I like, really was like starstruck, id like tell him, like, man,

you don't stand what you meant to me? Bro, Like you know what I'm saying. I saw him at an award show and I fanned out and didn't speak to him. He was walking past, so he didn't really see me, and I had the opportunity to probably speak to him, but I just looked and fanned out. And because of the current situation, that that's one moment I regret that I didn't go straight at him. Yeah, yeah, it's crazy man. Yeah,

you know, he lived a good life. You know, there was an interview clip that I saw recently on the Drink Champs where he said, if I dropped dead tomorrow, I lived a good life. And he did live a good life man. Yeah, touched a lot of people. So rest in peace to Dmax. Well, look, the new album is out for twenty yeah, ep, and then a new Twisted album will be coming shortly after its you said

it's pretty much done yep. For twenty we got News at nine with Relo or Dreamer right here with your Shot Town, and then we got Shoot Already that's coming after that. We got a bunch of dope songs. You go. It's like a mixture of Adrenaline Rush and Shooter song features on that. Oh yeah, it's a few surprises on that. I didn't go too hard with the features. It's a few surprises. I kept it adrenaline Rush esque. Do you enjoy being independent now, like as opposed to the major

label shit? Yeah, I've always enjoyed it once I got into it, you know. Yeah, when we first started off, we was killing it too, right. It's always like, you know, it's I think nowadays, specifically back in the day, it would makes sense to sign to a major label. Yeah. I think once you learn, learn the ropes a little bit, learn the business, got people on your team that can kind of emulate what you would get from a record label,

and especially got some income. Well yeah, now I feel like nowadays you get there, you go straight to the fans. Back in the day, you kind of needed a label to get to your fans. Yeah, because it's like technology was expensive then. Yeah, now it's free labels they had the money to do it. Right now, technology advanced to the level where you know, it can't be controlled like that, and and you know, in one way, so I think a lot of artists today got an advantage. You know.

The advantage today is that you can use technology in a way that we couldn't in the past. The other difference though, is that the playing field you got so many people to be up against that also have the Internet for free, got you, and so it kind of balances itself out. You have the ogs like, oh, y'all got it easier than us, because not really, because Newcat's got to go against a million other people. When you were probably the only person rapping in your neighborhood, right,

because now everyone's rapping. Everyone can get fruity woops, everyone can go buy a mic for one hundred dollars or so. So it evens itself out. Yeah, it's like you got the little perception, the gifting, the curses of each era even themselves out for sure, because like now you got like you said, it's the everything's so saturated. It's like it's like DJing. You know, back in the day, you had to buy records, you had to learn how to actually mix. You know. Now you got a laptop, you

download some songs. Yeah, you get a little controller and you go do a gig. Back in the day, it was not like that. But now you know, you can literally play a video of a DJ's old DJ set, right. That shit crazy. Well, look Twisted, Thank you for coming through, man, the legend Twister. Go get your new new project. Appreciate you coming through. Man. Let's get to it. Boom perfect much love y'all,