We just couldn’t get together. You got two artists with two big years. His train was runnin’ and runnin’ and runnin’. He was busy, I was busy, so we couldn’t get together. All I missed was just not having his style involved on the album, knowing we both work well together and everyone feels like we should have worked together. The positive side is that I get to show everybody that I still have the confidence and creativity to go out there and do it without feeling like I need somebody else. I could have chased him and chased him and chased him, but I ain’t that type of artist. I was here before he was here making records and eating, so I didn’t feel a need to chase him down again. If he was a little too busy for me then hey, I gotta put my shit together and get it out. I’m on my own. No funny feelings towards [Kanye] or nothing like that. I don’t really care. I’m just doing my thing. He’s my guy, so if he needs me I got his back. On some of your older albums, a lot of your production had a West coast feel to it. Do you think you have drawn from the West coast a lot? Yeah, cause I like music. The East coast has a lot of music and the way they make stuff sound, but it was certain ways the West coast made music that stayed with me better. I’m a rhythmical type of person. When I heard that real music with the instruments being played loud, and the strings and shit like that, I’m like, yeah, this some real music. Then to hear niggas rap over that too, that meant so much more to me than a simple one-two drum loop. The West Coast took it there and made real music then rapped on it, and I’m really vibing to that. What other ventures do you have planned for the future? We got a lot of projects coming up. We got the Speedknot Mobstaz coming out early next year and Ty Nitty coming out in the middle of the year. We got artists we really trying to get out there. Like I said, the doors for Chicago and the Midwest are wide open, so we need to run through there as fast as we can. My whole thing is about getting that grimy sound out of Chicago the way it should be out there, cause I feel like it’s not out like it should be. You got other artists that put other artists on and try to show Chicago in their light, but I wanna see the grimy niggas get on. I seen Crucial Conflict come out and Do or Die, and a lot of artists following different styles, but I just haven’t seen regular real grimy niggas coming out of the city. That’s what I wanna see. I wanna help the process of the real grimy street niggas in Chicago. Some of the artists that come out of Chicago represent East coast rap, guys in Chicago represent the thugs and gangstas and hustlas. I represent the West coast version of Chicago rap, where I wanna see N.W.A get on. Do you have any non-music ventures in the works? Well, I’ve got a book coming. (laughing) But why am I telling you that? Definitely. We got a movie I’m involved in, a quick cameo. I got video game stuff I’m working on, like LA Rush with Midway Games. I’m about to work on something new with them. I’m hustling hard and it’s all coming together. Anything else you’d like to say? I just want everybody to look forward to seeing what Twista is doing next. I got new videos coming out. I want to keep the train running for a while. A lot of people say I’m a music man, so I like being involved in a lot of other stuff, things I see the 50 Cents and other artists get into. But I’m more of a music man. I like to be at the crib, work in the studio, be out on the road doing shows for the fans. Not to make it so simple, but that’s me. On a tour bus going city to city, getting up close and personal with the fans, letting them see how a Chicago nigga get by. So I’m back and forth: studio, road, studio, road. 72
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