that works for me. But other than that, just hittin’ the bar, doing dips, push-ups, squats, and writing. Chris Rock says you get more props when you get out of jail then when you get out of college. It depends. If you’re from the streets, they’re gonna love that [when you get out of prison]. If you’re not from the streets, the college boys gonna get the love. Do you think getting out of prison is something you should be having a party for? I think you should have the biggest party for getting out of the belly of the beast. You was condemned; oppressed. And when you graduate from college you should party too, cause that’s the same thing. That’s the belly of the beast in college, too, with all them finals, and you’re broke! [laughing]
money in the air. I threw my jacket in the air. I threw everything in the air. Enjoyed myself. I drove here [to Greensboro, North Carolina] from Baltimore. Today is Saturday, and I’m here for the Welcome Home Freekey Zekey party. What kind of effect do you think your prison time had on your sons? The effect was major. It was major on me to be away from someone that you really, truly, honestly love unconditionally. So being away from them was real serious, but you know, I stayed in contact. Called, wrote, sent pictures. That kept the closeness and love attached.
How did your prison experience compare to what we seen on Oz and in the movies? It is that, but exaggerated a little to keep Hollywood’s pockets fat. But it’s not too far from the truth at all. I heard they had a limo waiting for you when you were released. Yeah, a big limo. I was tryin’ to get the helicopter to land, no bullshit! That’s my word. But [the prison] was in a no-fly zone, and the government wouldn’t allow it. That’s state property. I was gonna have big-booty chicks with “Kiss My Ass” written on their buttcheeks when I’m walkin’ out [of prison]. You know, I like to have fun like that. What’s the first thing you did when you got in the limo? I was bonin’. [laughing] Steph, what up? You know, we poured some Henny, poured some champagne, stopped by to see one of my dudes that was on work release. Then we got on the private jet and it was over. That was five days ago. You said you haven’t slept in the five days since then? Five days and countin’. So walk me through those five days. Well, [November] 20th, I land. Millionaire. Everybody was there, except Jim, he had a party or something in Miami. Juelz was somewhere else, but Cam was there. MTV came, Jim called, a whole slew of people was there, all types of DVDs filming. Drove back to the hood, seen a couple dudes, Left, went to the outskirts, seen more dudes. At night, hopped in the whip. Killa [Cam’Ron] surprised me with my new house. I thought I was goin’ back to my old house but he surprised me and got me a new house and a new whip. So I had to go back to the hood and show ‘em [the new whip] and I got into a big fight. Somebody tried to take my chain, so I slapped him up. He bit me, uh, here. Whatever this is called. [points at his right eyebrow]. Where is he now? He might be just wakin’ up. [laughing] So, yeah, that was Monday, that ended around 4:30, 5 AM. Tuesday I had to go to Baltimore. I’m still in jail mode so I woke up at 6 AM. I got a phone call that my son wanted to see me. He’s in Baltimore, so I got myself together and drove all the way to Baltimore. He wanted to come with me, so I drove him all the way back. I bought him a whole slew of X-Box games. Then he gets mad cause he remembers he gotta go back home, so when I take him back I buy him a whole slew of PlayStation 3 joints. Sat back and played a couple of games with him. Left and went to the studio with Killa. Came back and fell asleep, this is at 4:30 in the morning. I wake up at 5:45, 6 AM. And then, wait, what day is that? What happened Wednesday? Was that Thanksgiving? [laughing] Thanksgiving was Thursday. What the hell? Okay, I don’t remember Wednesday. I was drunk and high as a muthafucker and all I know is that I didn’t wanna do nothing but drink water on Thursday. My mother didn’t finish with the turkey until 9:00 at night! But that was okay because I didn’t feel like eating nothing anyway. Friday I had to take my son back to Baltimore. That drive was crazy, and he was mad, cause he didn’t want me to go. Oh, before that, we went to 145th & Broadway and copped him all kinds of hats, shoes, clothes, boxers, socks. I spent everything, he got it all. He likes to eat so I took him to Copeland’s on 145th. Then we drove him all the way back. That was Friday. Oh, no! I forgot, when I was drivin’ him to Baltimore I got a beep and it’s Jim. Jim was like, “What up, son?” I said, “I’m good, fam, I’m all the way out in Baltimore!” and he’s like, “Me too!” Next thing I know, I’m on stage [in Baltimore] with Jim. BALLIN’! Throwin’
OF PRISONY] T U O T O G I Y “[THE DA DY TRIED TO TAKE M SOMEBO SLAPPED HIM. HE BIT RE.” CHAIN, SO I ME RIGHT HE Did the experience show you who your true friends were? Oh my God. Thank you! I needed that. I don’t need to [go to prison] all the time, but I needed to get my eyes open. A whole lot of people that told me they were gonna be there through everything were gone. “Don’t worry, I got you, I got your mother, the kids are straight,” poundin’ on their chest, “That’s my word, I love you, I’ll die for you,” and as soon as I went [to prison] they went out. Out of my life. This is what it showed me, even though I already knew: I’ve been with Jim, Cam, and Juelz since before we all had mustaches, and they all stayed. When you’re in jail, you need people, and they came through. Word is bond. Of course Cam’Ron has been a celebrity for a while, but as far as the whole Dipset movement, it probably wasn’t as strong when you went away. How much of a difference is it now that you’re out, especially with Jim having a huge single right now? It’s a 900 degree flip. When I was out, it was all about the struggle. Everybody was – well, we still are – tight-knit. We was a group, you know? That’s all we knew, the grind, the struggle, the hard times. Everything seemed all fucked up and as soon as I went to jail is when Come Home With Me came out. We got out of debt and then I went to jail. I feel like Moses. He sent everybody to the Promised Land and then he fell. That’s what I did and when I looked up, everybody was doing good, so it was bittersweet. It was bitter because I couldn’t be there with them, but it was so good to see them blow. You know, that’s why I got shot. That’s why I did time. That’s why everybody was goin’ to jail. This is where all the pain finally paid off. Now that you’re out, how do you avoid ending up in the same situations? How do you plan to stay out? Yeah, it is a revolving door. I’ve seen people come back five or six times [while I was in prison]. But now I don’t have to touch anything illegal no more and that’s beautiful. That was our dream and now we’re finally there. So now it’s just about focusing and hustling. If you’re a true hustler, you’ll know how to switch your hustle. You can’t be a one-minded hustler cause you ain’t gonna get nowhere. OZONE has a lot of prison readers. Anything you’d like to say to them? Most definitely: Don’t fuck up when you get the fuck out, man. All them fake ass dreams and all that shit. You think you’re gonna chill for six months and you’re not gonna fall back; you’re not gonna get in the drug thing anymore. Stop kidding yourself, man. You know that it’s a struggle every day. You see them big rims spinning, and after one or two hours [out], you’re ready to go get a pack. If you’re gonna do your thing illegally, get smart, man! Find a person who’s on their way with a legal business. Invest and stop runnin’ around trying to get a new pair of sneakers. Don’t invest in the rims, man. Invest in college for that snot-nosed little dude right there. He’ll help you have longevity and you’ll end up buying car lots. Just keep your head up, all of you that’s down in the struggle. 99