19th. It’s actually our third indie album. We’ve got TQ, Khujo Goodie, and an up-and-coming artist named Malachi on there. We’re dropping three singles: “Celebrate,” “Real Talk,” and “Big Ballin’,” featuring Stormey and Bun B. We grew up on Bun B, so that was big. Stormey is a part of the Outlawz family now. Stormey: I’m on “These Are The Times,” “Sacred Vows,” and a few other songs. What does it take to become an Outlaw? Kastro: Understanding the codes and ethics. If you have honor and loyalty, everything else will fall into place. Do you think the album sounds similar to the music you put out with Pac? Noble: I think the music is definitely similar. It’s that ghetto gospel. That’s a label that Pac came up with for our music. You know that feeling you get when you listen to Pac that you don’t get from nobody else? When you play our shit a couple times, you gonna get that same feeling. Edi: Our last album, Novocain, was slower. This album is really a lot more aggressive; it’s a lot of hardcore messages. Our whole thing is for the underdogs and the downtrodden and the have-nots anyway. We rap for the dudes on the come-up, cause that’s what we are too. You ain’t never gonna hear dudes on our album talkin’ about the keys comin’ in and out like it’s all gravy. We ain’t tellin’ that story. That ain’t what we’re living. We got songs like “Listen to Me,” where we’re talking about drug abuse. We talk the young dudes that’s comin’ up sniffing. Stormey: We wanted to step away from the hype and bring it from a different perspective. I think the times demand some kind of responsibility and consciousness, so we decided to drop an album for the people who need that guidance in their life. We need that guidance too. So you’re sorta the conscience of hip-hop. Edi: Definitely, and Pac was too. Pac never really bigged up the drug dealing aspect more than he did the other side. He kinda had a balance in his music. I think artists need to do that more often. I know this is rap and everybody’s gotta be confident and be that nigga, but still, everybody’s got a crackhead or a dope fiend in their family too. If you see somebody tryin’ to kick the habit, tell their story too. I’m not one of them people that’s gonna say, “Niggas need to stop glorifying violence,” cause I think that shit needs to be out there too for the whole world to see. I don’t think it should be a secret, but somebody’s gotta talk about what happens afterwards. If you love real uncut raw hip-hop without a lot of fluff, buy the Outlawz album. A lot of people would think the Outlawz are a West coast group, but you’re actually recording in Atlanta, right? Kastro: We’ve been based in Atlanta for a few years. Atlanta is more family-oriented, it’s a great place to raise a family. We’ve got roots in every region of the country, so I don’t think you could put it in a regional category. Noble: Our album is just us. I think because Pac was on the West coast, muthafuckers labeled us a West coast group, but we’re actually from the East coast. If you hear me spit on “Hail Mary,” you’ll know I’m an East coast nigga. We’ve got something for everybody: East, West, Midwest, and down South. Our music is a product of us.
How do you feel about the Tupac albums that have been released since his death, like the recent album that Eminem produced? Kastro: I’m all for it. A lot of people disagree with the fact that Eminem executive-produced it, and I kinda understand why, but at the same time Eminem really put his heart and soul into it. Em is a huge fan of Pac. Pac influenced his life, so why shouldn’t he get the chance to put his hands on it and touch it? Everybody else has. The music is serving a greater purpose, in multiple ways. One, it’s keeping him alive. If his music wasn’t coming out, people would want it to come out because people still buy it. It’s also establishing a foundation for a center for the performing arts that’s going to be built in Stone Mountain, GA. That’s not gonna be cheap. Noble: Pac wouldn’t have it no other way than for his moms to put it out. We’re big supporters of his moms, so whatever she wants, we’re riding with her. That’s her son, she gave birth to him. Everything as far as Pac’s music is up to her. We really couldn’t be mad at her. But, the streets don’t be feeling that shit. The streets would probably rather hear people that they know Pac was cool with on his songs. But who are people to judge? As far as Eminem, he’s probably Pac’s number one fan, just like everybody else. For him to be a part of the project, hell yeah. But yeah, the streets don’t really be feeling that shit. We go everywhere and hear that shit. We don’t control that, though. It would drive us crazy if we got mad at everything. We’re just trying to step it up, man. We’re the legacy, it’s up to us to continue the shit. He’s been gone for damn near ten years, and I think we’re better than we’ve ever been. We’re trying to bring something new to the table. That nigga did enough. Some of Pac’s vocals have been used on collaborations with artists that he dissed while he was alive. Do you think that’s disrespectful? Kastro: I don’t see why anybody should feel disrespected because it ain’t have nothing to do with them. To each his own. It’s fuckin’ music. People don’t know how much he got along with people when he was alive, they just know that he rapped about it. Nobody knows what direction it was going. Just enjoy the music and relax. Edi: Some of the collaborations are good. Some are whack. I ain’t gonna say that I like everything, cause I really don’t. Pac’s not here to make and produce his own music, so if he was here shit would be sounding much better. You’re dealing with tracks that are almost ten years old, so it’s hard to recapture that magic. Most producers do their best and put in their all, but for some cats it’s just about a check. They know that if they get their name on a Pac project, that’s gonna lead to other work. People have different motives. Was your family involved with the Black Panthers? Kastro: My aunt was a part of that organization. I might be a byproduct of that somewhat. Edi: My family was more into the hustler side of things; drug addiction and drug selling. A lot of the things that plague the black community also plagued the Black Panthers: drug abuse, sex abuse, stuff like that. The streets and the Panthers were always closely related, both positively and negatively. When my family came in, it was a friendship type of thing, but my family was more into the street side of things. A lot of my family and Pac’s family are so closely relat-
ed on both sides. We was a product of the positives and the negatives of the Panther movement, and that’s what we talk about our music. Instead of biggin’ up the drug dealing, we talk about the repercussions. Do you think racism has gotten better or worse in America? Kastro: Racism ain’t go nowhere, it’s just camoflauged. The same people that controlled the country back then are controlling it now. Maybe they’re allowing people to get more money, but I don’t really see the difference. It’s more hidden and indirect. Instead of saying, “You stupid nigger,” they’re more tricky about it. How would you describe each member of the group? How do you all fit together? Noble: We’re just like a puzzle. If I do a song and them niggas ain’t here, I lay a verse or a hook and I know they’re gonna come behind me and say exactly what I wanted to say. Edi’s the OG nigga. I’m the youngest Outlaw. Kastro is like, fuckin’ extra smart, man. He’s like a damn mad scientist. It’s unusual to see a group last ten years and still be together. What’s your secret? Noble: Number one, niggas love each other. We’ve all got good hearts. Niggas ain’t liars, niggas are honest. We just basically all live by the same muthafuckin’ code. All three of us, we’re really good dudes, takin’ care of our kids and shit. We all humble niggas. I think Pac just instilled something in us. Pac was around a lot of dudes, and he put something into everybody. Edi and Kastro, they basically grew up with Pac since they were little kids. Pac changed my life. That nigga came in and really looked out and embraced me and showed me the game, so I’m forever loyal. He wanted us to stick together, no matter what. There was seven Outlawz, and now there’s three of us left. To me, our music is the best it’s ever been, and that’s no bullshit. What happened to the other four members? Noble: Fatal basically left the group after Pac passed. He really just didn’t wanna come back to Cali. Then when Yaki [Kadafi] passed, he was basically done. He ain’t even wanna rap for a minute so he just bounced. Fatal is still my nigga, though. Napoleon left maybe a year and a half ago because of a lil situation, but we got love for him too. Me, Edi, and K, we gon’ hold this shit down. We really ‘bout to step this shit up. How did Kadafi pass? Kastro: He was shot and killed in Jersey a month after Pac got killed. It was just a jealous nigga. Stormey, you’re the newest Outlaw? Stormey: I’m the newest Outlaw. I’m from Chicago. We’ve been messin’ around for years. We started doing music real heavy a few years ago, and prior to that I was in New York recording with Smif and Wesson from the Boot Camp clique. It was destiny for me to get down with the Outlawz. Everything played out the way it was supposed to. We always messed around with the music thing because it was just something we had in common. Outside of that, we’re brothers. We’re like family. If the music went away today, we’d still have each other. I’m real focused, and I think they saw that in me. Real talk, I probably leave the studio only 24 hours out of a week. No exaggeration. They saw my determination, my talent, my will, and my drive. It was just a perfect match; heaven-sent. They say things that I can’t say, and I was just what they needed for this next mission. It’s chapter two of this thug life revolution.
OZONE MAR 2005
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