Known as Scipio until about a year ago, X.O. officially joined the Black Wall Street family where his new identity emerged. As a longtime friend of Game, and former affiliate of Ras Kass, X.O. has worked alongside many Hip Hop greats in preparation for becoming one of the next West coast leaders. What made you want to be a rapper? I wasn’t highly social in school. If I don’t know somebody I won’t spark up a conversation. At the time, rap helped me make friends in high school. It was also an outlet for me to talk about shit that was on my mind. I started out writing poetry and it turned into rap. How did you come up under Ras Kass? My ex girlfriend’s sister was involved with Ras Kass. [Ras Kass] officially introduced me to the other side of Hip Hop. Until you actually know someone or someone takes you under their wing and shows you the successful side of Hip Hop, you’re hustling backwards at times. So it’s like I came up under him in that sense, but I was rappin’ and doin’ my own creative shit before that. The way we parted, it was all behind some personal shit. It was a long ass relationship, and it’s a lot of shit…we’d be here all fuckin’ night talkin’ about that. How long ago did you stop associating with him? That was like ’04 or something like that. How did the Black Wall Street situation fall into place? While Ras was in jail, I was doin’ my thang. We had started a company and I was holdin’ it down. That’s when Dougie D, the dude that helped Game get signed to Dre, introduced me to Game. So we’ve been friends since way back. Me and Game started hangin’ real tough and he offered me a situation at Black Wall Street. At that time, I was his hype man and I had went on a couple promo tours. That was before he released his first album. I elected to remain loyal to my other situation with Ras Kass, but me and Game stayed friends. About a year ago, I was in New York and Dougie D reached out to me. He put Game on the phone and I was like, “When I get back to L.A. I’ma fuck with you,” and that’s how it happened.
Game hasn’t earned the reputation for putting out artists yet. What makes you confident that your situation will progress under him? At the end of the day, I’m in charge of my own destiny. This is Black Wall Street and we all have an opportunity to grow into whatever the fuck we want to be. We’re a bunch of entrepreneurs, very talented people. You just gotta have your hustle game up. You gotta have mental stability and be prepared to turn your career into exactly what you want it to be. What’s the update on the Bishop Lamont incident between the two of you? Are y’all squashing that beef? A couple people reached out to me about squashing that shit, and I do forgive people. But I feel like the nigga was outta pocket and he had to be put in his place. But at the end of the day, it’s foolish ‘cause that shit don’t make no muthafuckin’ money for nobody. But you have to be reprimanded for speaking out of place. I understand you need to get your buzz up, but that ain’t the way to do it, especially with a real nigga. Not saying I’m Scarface or nothing, but you can’t play that with a West Coast nigga. Has a lot changed in your life over the last year since signing with Game? I’ve seen a zebra for the first time in real life in Africa. I had a white Thanksgiving in Milan, Italy. I’ve been all over the world and I’m making the best music ever. Everything is moving forward. My name is out there crazy right now. I look at everything in life as a stepping stone. What’s your next step? I’m shooting to put my album out this year. You refer to yourself as “the lost angel.” Where does that analogy come from? I feel like we’re all lost angels. I feel like God put us on this earth and we have a choice. Even though we know what we’re supposed to be doing – it’s all laid out for us about doing right and living right – we’re still out there fuckin up and shit. I can do something and say, “Dear God, forgive me,” and I’m thinking about doin’ it again. My heart is genuine and I love God – that part makes me an angel. But that devil is still on my shoulder and I feel lost at times. //
OZONE MAG // 39