Artist/Group Name (also group members’ names): John Robinson AKA LIL SCI of Scienz of Life Reppin’ (What city you reppin’?): JR is reppin NY/NJ/ATL/LA Affiliation (What crew or artists you roll with?): Beatvizion / MF DOOM / Shaman Work / METAL FACE ACADEMY Influences (Who inspires you? Not limited to just hip-hop: The 1960’s Jazz Revolution, Hip Hop’s true Pioneers, Elders of the Robinson Family, and so many more positive forces that exist! Backstory (How’d you get in the game? How did the group form? What work did you put in before getting signed to a label?) Scienz of Life were discovered in NYC by Bobbito Garcia who at the time was a primary force on the independent HipHop scene via his various showcases and his Radio show on WKCR 89.9 along side DJ Stretch Armstrong. In 1996 Bobbito released SOL’s debut 12” The powers of 9 Ether on his own Fondle’em Records. Scienz of Life really paid there dues hitting up countless notable venues through out the Tri-State Area and the south east spreading their movement in hopes of eventually taking the music to the next level. Later moving to ATL after the release of the Scienz debut full length on Subverse Music is where JR officially met MF DOOM. The rest is history! Current project (What are you pushing right now? What can people expect from it? Feel free to just hype your album here…why did you name the album that name? Was there a theme? Any funny stories during its creation?) In Stores now on Shaman Work Recordings John Robinson presents “The Leak Edition Vol. 2” with magnetic vibes, guest production from the industries finest and international buzz, real heads can’t afford to sleep on this latest installment. John Robinson (aka Lil’ Sci of the legendary east coast group Scienz of Life) shut the studio down with usual suspects: I.D. 4 Windz, Madlib, MF DOOM, Wale Oyejide, K Dubble, and Ta’Raach, along with other fresh sounds courtesy of Ammon Contact. Beware; the result is a rebirth of Robinson’s chiseled personality that spits nothing less than lyrical perfection. The new release is definitely a perfect prelude to JR’s highly anticipated “Who is This Man?” LP (production by MF DOOM, Madlib, ID 4 Windz, & J-Dilla) which is due out in early 2007. Purpose (What kind of impact do you hope to have on the game? Do you just want to go platinum or is there something more?) J.R.’s goal in music is to be able to inspire massive amounts of people on a similar level of the many that inspired us. Our main objective is legacy we want to be remembered for our contribution to the world of music. If going platinum falls within this too! Then so be it.. Is hip-hop really dead? (Wax philosophical here, break down what you think of hip-hop today or compare it to when you were coming up. Good? Bad? Break it down!) Yes Hip Hop Died on December 25th and his name is James Brown! We will help the movement to resurrect HIP HOP in this new day and time. Three wishes (If you had three wishes to change anything within hip-hop, what would they be? Bring someone back to life? Get a Kanye West beat? Make snap music disappear?): The first thing I would change would be to bring more of a balance to mass media. In the form of getting the same level of marketing for music with substance and integrity as music with no message at all and at times dis respectful to the culture. I would bring back Jam Master Jay because we were able to meet him personally and he was a big loss to our culture. So many have no idea of the beautiful spirit that was moved on went he left us. Lastly I would make is easier for the younger generation to learn about the roots and foundation of the culture. We need this to happen more than we know!

Artist/Group Name : Scienz of Life Lil Sci and I.D. 4 Windz Reppin’ (What city you reppin’?): We are reppin NY/NJ Affiliation (What crew or artists you roll with?): Beatvizion / MF DOOM / Shaman Work Influences (Who inspires you? Not limited to just hip-hop): Coltrane, True School HipHop, 70’s Soul, 60’s Jazz, Bob Marley, Malcolm and many more. Backstory (How’d you get in the game? How did the group form? What work did you put in before getting signed to a label?) Scienz of Life were discovered in NYC by Bobbito Garcia who at the time was a primary force on the independent HipHop scene via his various showcases and his Radio show on WKCR 89.9 along side DJ Stretch Armstrong. In 1996 Bobbito released SOL’s debut 12” The powers of 9 Ether on his own Fondle’em Records. Scienz of Life really paid there dues hitting up countless notable venues through out the Tri-State Area and the south east spreading their movement in hopes of eventually taking the music to the next level. Current project (What are you pushing right now? What can people expect from it? Feel free to just hype your album here…why did you name the album that name? Was there a theme? Any funny stories during its creation?) In Stores now on Shaman Work Recordings Scienz of Life – The Blaxploitation Sessions. This album is a directly inspired by the Golden Era of HipHop blended with 70’s Soul and the 1960’s Jazz Revolution. The Blaxploitation Sessions was directly inspired by The Blaxploitation Era, a short-lived black film genre in the 1970’s here in the wilderness of North America. Blaxploitation was the expression of inner city life from a New York perspective through the lens of Hollywood. This is the same expression that gave birth to brothers Lil Sci and ID 4 Windz of Scienz of Life in the 1970’s era in The South Bronx New York. These very sessions were mostly created during a time while Sci was residing on the west coast (LA) and 4 Windz was on the east coast (NJ-NY). Brilliantly the two paint a picture of their perspective of the different environments in which they dwelled, but do so in a way where it feels as if they were together creating this project. The essence of this time period was instilled in these two brothers in order for them to share with the rest of the world visually through music an image and era that influence the entire planet! The Blaxploitation Sessions tells a story of a time in which Scienz was born and still live to this very moment. Energy never DIES! Let’s celebrate Life! Purpose (What kind of impact do you hope to have on the game? Do you just want to go platinum or is there something more?) Scienz of Life’s goal in music is to be able to inspire massive amounts of people on a similar level of the many that inspired us. Our main objective is legacy we want to be remembered for our contribution to the world of music. If going platinum falls within this too! Then so be it.. Is hip-hop really dead? (Wax philosophical here, break down what you think of hip-hop today or compare it to when you were coming up. Good? Bad? Break it down!) Yes Hip Hop Died on December 25th and his name is James Brown! We will help the movement to resurrect HIP HOP in this new day and time. Three wishes (If you had three wishes to change anything within hip-hop, what would they be? Bring someone back to life? Get a Kanye West beat? Make snap music disappear?): The first thing I would change would be to bring more of a balance to mass media. In the form of getting the same level of marketing for music with substance and integrity as music with no message at all and at times dis respectful to the culture. I would bring back Jam Master Jay because we were able to meet him personally and he was a big loss to our culture. So many have no idea of the beautiful spirit that was moved on went he left us. Lastly I would make is easier for the younger generation to learn about the roots and foundation of the culture. We need this to happen more than we know!

Artist/Group Name: Wale Oyejide Reppin’ (What city you reppin’?): Nigeria, West Africa Affiliation (What crew or artists you roll with?): Shaman Work Influences (Who inspires you? Not limited to just hip-hop): Curtis Mayfield, Sly Stone, Fela Kuti, Bugz in the Attic Backstory (How’d you get in the game? How did the group form? What work did you put in before getting signed to a label?) Originally, I played in a few indie-rock bands before transitioning into production work. My first break came off winning an online beat battle which led to me getting picked up by the now defunct Third Earth Music. They put out my first record under the ‘Science Fiction’ moniker, and then came Shaman Work. Current project (What are you pushing right now? What can people expect from it? Feel free to just hype your album here…why did you name the album that name? Was there a theme? Any funny stories during its creation?) “Save Yourselves” its still in the early stages, but it’ll probably be some kind of overly self righteous social commentary. Basically, my usual. Purpose (What kind of impact do you hope to have on the game? Do you just want to go platinum or is there something more?) I just hope to be able to put out music with integrity and inspire people. Is hip-hop really dead? (Wax philosophical here, break down what you think of hip-hop today or compare it to when you were coming up. Good? Bad? Break it down!) No. Some people just whine too much. If it’s broke, fix it. Personally, I’m not really too concerned with what anyone else is doing. I think if artists focused more on bettering themselves, everyone would have a lot less to complain about. Three wishes (If you had three wishes to change anything within hip-hop, what would they be? Bring someone back to life? Get a Kanye West beat? Make snap music disappear?): -More producers would pick up live instrumentation -People would actually try to learn the craft of real song writing -Rappers would stop taking themselves so seriously.

Artist/Group Name: Motion Man Masters of illusion/Clifton Santiago/Paul Kenneth/Ernie Drastic/Motion Stanfield Reppin’: I was born in Hayward California I have lived all over the bay. I Represent the HAYSTACK… Affiliation: I am an introvert. I usually do my own thang. Occasionally you’ll see me with the likes Of Kutmasta Kurt or Kool Keith. L.C., Fat Head, or Tytus Penn Influences: God, My late Father Walter Ralph Laster (RIP POPS), NFL, Frankie Beverly and Maze, Nas, Big Bootys, I have a pretty big list this could turn into an album shout out. Backstory: I heard Rappers delight and I was in the mirrors reciting the lyrics. I was hooked. My 1st label deal was with Stepsun records Bill Stepheny’s label. I got the deal through Sway and tech of wake up show fame who were representing me at the time. My next label deal was with an indie threshold records Kutmasta Kurt’s label which I reside on now. I had known Kurt for while so we recorded some things together and he decided he wanted to put me out as an artist. We’ve been rolling ever since. Current project: My album out know is titled Pablitos Way. It was basically put together in the mold of a radio cassette tape that was made. When I would make tapes off the radio it would be all types of different sounding songs on the tape. I wanted to bring it back and have my album have that feel to it. I titled it Pablitos Way because that’s my name in Spanish Paul. When I was younger a lot of my friends moms would call me Pablo or Pablito when I came around there cribs so the name kinda stuck with me. Purpose: Platinum? Of course. I also want stability and be able to put out records until I don’t want to anymore. Is hip-hop really dead? It’s just over saturated now. I mean when I was coming up I had to really look hard for good hip hop records, now you gotta look even harder. Most stuff they play is just geared at blowing up. Then bye-bye tomorrow. A quick buck. Well see though its time for a change something’s gotta give. Three wishes: I wish my man Tupac was still here. Every time I saw Pac he was real cool with me and always asked ‘Motion? When yo shit droppin?’ I wish the Djs who you was cool with and used to love your shit and would hang with you tuff before they got put on would Play your records now. Yea and I would love a Kayne West track, or Pharrell, or Dre.

Artist/Group Name (also group members’ names): NICOLAY Reppin’ (What city you reppin’?): WILMINGTON, NC & UTRECHT, NL Affiliation (What crew or artists you roll with?): FOREIGN EXCHANGE Influences (Who inspires you? Not limited to just hip-hop): J DILLA, PRINCE, COLDPLAY, ZERO 7, 4 HERO, JAZZANOVA, DANGER MOUSE Backstory (How’d you get in the game? How did the group form? What work did you put in before getting signed to a label?) MET PHONTE OF LITTLE BROTHER ON THE OKAYPLAYER BOARDS AND WE ENDED UP DOING AN ALBUM TOGETHER, THE FOREIGN EXCHANGE. I HAVE BEEN WORKING IN MUSIC FOR MORE THAN A DECADE NOW, PLAYING IN BANDS AND RECORDING. Current project (What are you pushing right now? What can people expect from it? Feel free to just hype your album here…why did you name the album that name? Was there a theme? Any funny stories during its creation?) HERE, HBE RECORDS YOU WILL HEAR SOME UP & COMING ARTISTS (BLACK SPADE, WIZ KHALIFA, KAY) & SOME PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH FROM THE FOREIGN EXCHANGE (YAHZARAH & DARIEN BROCKINGTON) THE NAME OF THE ALBUM ACTUALLY CAME FROM MY GIRLFRIEND, WHO AT THE TIME WAS LIVING IN THE STATES AND I IN THE NETHERLANDS. SHE USE TO ALWAYS SAY TO ME: I AM HERE, YOU ARE THERE, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THE ‘T’. Purpose (What kind of impact do you hope to have on the game? Do you just want to go platinum or is there something more?) FOR ONE, I DON’T LIKE TO THINK OF IT AS A ‘GAME’, BUT OVERALL, I JUST HOPE TO MAKE MUSIC THAT UNTIMATELY WILL STAND THE TEST OF TIME, AND HOPEFULLY PEOPLE WILL REMEMBER AND ENJOY FOR YEARS TO COME. I HAVE NO INTEREST IN GOING PLATINUM, OF COURSE MAKING MONEY IS THE GOAL, BUT ITS MORE IMPORTANT TO ME TO MAKE GOOD MUSIC Is hip-hop really dead? (Wax philosophical here, break down what you think of hip-hop today or compare it to when you were coming up. Good? Bad? Break it down!) I THINK EVERYONE THAT CLAIMS HIP HOP IS DEAD, SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR ANOTHER JOB. IF YOU HAVE A LOVE FOR HIP HOP, THE GOAL SHOULD BE TO KEEP IT ALIVE AND GROWING. Three wishes (If you had three wishes to change anything within hip-hop, what would they be? Bring someone back to life? Get a Kanye West beat? Make snap music disappear?): THE ONLY WISHES I HAVE, IS THAT ALL MY LOVED ONES STAY SAFE AND HAPPY. I DON’T HAVE ANY WISHES IN MY CAREER, MAINLY CAUSE I GREAT GOALS AND STRIVE TO ACCOMPLISH THEM, ALSO, I DON’T WANT TO JINX WHAT I DO THROUGH WISHING.

Artist/Group Name (also group members’ names): Da Beatminerz (Evil Dee & Mr. Walt) Reppin’ (What city you reppin’?): Bucktown, NY Affiliation (What crew or artists you roll with?): Too Numerous to Mention but Most Known for Boot Camp Clik Influences (Who inspires you? Not limited to just hip-hop): Anything that sounds good (Early Stevie, James, Prince, Curtis Mayfield,Vintage Reggae, Psychedelic, etc., etc.) Backstory (How’d you get in the game? How did the group form? What work did you put in before getting signed to a label?) Always been into music since we were kids. We both worked in different record stores. Current project (What are you pushing right now? What can people expect from it? Feel free to just hype your album here…why did you name the album that name? Was there a theme? Any funny stories during its creation?) Got "Unmarked Music" Coming out @ the top of the year. Called "Unmarked Music" cuz It’sunder the table hip hop. Purpose (What kind of impact do you hope to have on the game? Do you just want to go platinum or is there something more?) Just want the music to be heard Is hip-hop really dead? (Wax philosophical here, break down what you think of hip-hop today or compare it to when you were coming up. Good? Bad? Break it down!) It goes thru it’s different cycles. Right Now, It’s time for someone else to shine. Three wishes (If you had three wishes to change anything within hip-hop, what would they be? Bring someone back to life? Get a Kanye West beat? Make snap music disappear?): Don’t really have 3 wishes. Well, We got one. Pick Up "Umarked Music" when it comes out.

Artist/Group Name (also group members’ names): “EVIDENCE” 1/3 rd of DILATED PEOPLES or 100% of Me. Reppin’ (What city you reppin’?): VENICE (L.A)- CA AAALLL DAAAY!!!! Affiliation (What crew or artists you roll with?): Dilated of course, Beat Junkies, ABB fam, The Alchemist, Defari, Planet Asia, Dj Revolution, Swollen Members, My Manager Brock…Too many peoples to name. Influences (Who inspires you? Not limited to just hip-hop): Weed, women, good books (Dan Brown, Michael Connelly), other rappers & producers who constantly raise the bar, movies, haters, coffee and traveling. Backstory (How’d you get in the game? How did the group form? What work did you put in before getting signed to a label?) I was born in 1976. My parents played great music when I was young (Beatles,Police,Aretha Franklin,Chaka Khan,Foreigner,etc)…I was raised in Santa Monica, then Venice Beach. When I was about 5 or 6, I realized I didn’t have to like what they liked. That was around the time when movies like “Beat Street,” “Breakin’,” “Wildstyle,” etc… were out and POPPN! I chose rap music to be what I LIKED. Being that I would go to the Santa Monica Pier, or Venice Beach all the time Hip Hop culture was everywhere I looked. It wasn’t like I went to the movies and then never saw or heard it again…It was right in my face. I was a breakdancer 1st then a grafitti artist then a skater. In 1990 I moved next door to QD3 in Venice. I would hear loud beats every night next door and I would wonder what they were doing back there. I introduced myself one day and said what do you do back there? He said, ”My name is Quincy, I’m a rap producer.” From that point on that’s all I wanted to do. Be a rapper. I hustled a couple beats from him and went around the city trying to find somebody to rap with. I found Rakaa at the HipHopShop on Melrose. I said lets do a demo…we did and formed the group Dilated Peoples (Alchemist came up with the name). We put 3 classic 12 inches out on ABB records, ”Third Degree,” “Work The Angles” & “Guaranteed.” A few years and a lot of shows later the majors came knocking on our door. We signed with Capitol in 2000 and the rest is history. Current project (What are you pushing right now? What can people expect from it? Feel free to just hype your album here…why did you name the album that name? Was there a theme? Any funny stories during its creation?) I am putting the last touches on my 1st SOLO album, THE WEATHERMAN LP! I have been waiting for this opportunity for a LONG time. I wasn’t able to put it out due to contractual issues with Capitol Records. However I am done with my contract and am really looking forward to taking this to the people DIRECT! I’m back on ABB (“INDEPENDENT AS FUCK” –El P) and I have a reborn hunger that I think the people will notice when they hear what I’ve been cooking up).The whole concept of The Weatherman is to erase the misconception that it never rains in Southern Cali with the Reign Of Evidence. It’s a very misleading place. People think its all gangsta rap but I’m here to show a different side of things. Plus it’s a nickname my fans gave me back in the day. On the internet people were saying, ”He’s dope but he talks about weather too much.” So I wrote…………. ”Some think I’m clever/others think I’m the one who makes too many references to Weather/Or not/ I’m feeling you beyond words explained/you set up a battle outdoors, then prayed for rain.” This is going to be one of the most focused releases for the 07. Production By myself, The Alchemist, DJ Khalil, Sid Roams (Bravo & Joey Chavez), Jake One & Babuuuuuuuuuu!!! Guests include……go buy it and find out! LOL. Purpose (What kind of impact do you hope to have on the game? Do you just want to go platinum or is there something more?) I just want my shit available! I don’t wanna hear,”I couldn’t find it” The rest will fall into place. Is hip-hop really dead? (Wax philosophical here, break down what you think of hip-hop today or compare it to when you were coming up. Good? Bad? Break it down!) HIP HOP is NOT dead. Maybe certain elements of the culture are being over shined by a lot of shitty Rap music but it’s here more than it ever has been…ITS BIG BUISNESS. Three wishes (If you had three wishes to change anything within hip-hop, what would they be? Bring someone back to life? Get a Kanye West beat? Make snap music disappear?) I had one of Kanye’s best beats to date already (THIS WAY).. I try to”snap” in the mirror sometimes; Little Brother said I look like John Travolta when I try to do it. I would love to bring Big L, Big Pun, Notorious Big (isn’t that crazy how they all have Big in their names) Too Poetic, Rob One, JMJ, Dilla or DJ Dusk back…..But I really wish I could bring my mother back(JANA TAYLOR FOREVER) who I lost to cancer 2 ½ years ago. I have been through tremendous ups and downs since. I miss her a lot. Click here toview Evidence

By: William E. Ketchum III When it comes to mixtapes, Big Mike’s resume speaks for itself. Since his entrance into the game in the mid 90′s, the Connecticut native has worked with the likes of G-Unit and Jadakiss to make street classics like The Future Is Now and The Champ Is Here, respectively. His spot among mixtape DJs’ elite was solidified at last year’s Justo Mixtape Awards, where he won Best Hip-Hop Mixtape DJ, Best Mixtape, and Best Duo. Since then, Big Mike has continued to release a string of mixtapes, including his This Is Why I’m Hot series (Part 5: 4th Quarter Edition of the series is cosigned by this web site), and grabbed the Best Mixtape Personality award at this year’s Justo Awards. In an interview with CrackSpace via AOL Instant Messenger, Big Mike gives a rundown of his ascension to and his views on the mixtape scene. HipHopCrack: First off, tell me about your come-up as far as DJing—how you started DJing, and when you decided to take it serious. Big Mike: I’ve been DJing since 94. A friend of mine in school, DJ Don V, had turntables, and I would go to his house and mess around with his turntables. They were Gemini BD1600 turntables, with a Gemini mixer. Soon after that I ended up buying his, and that’s how I got my start. Where I’m from—Danbury, Connecticut—there there arnt a lot of record stores. I used to work at a supermarket making like $125 a week, and I would spend about 80 on records. I would buy them through the mail from Beat Street in Brooklyn, shout to DJ Kulcha, and also drive down to rock and soul when I got a chance. In 2001 I got serious, when I started droping mixtapes, networking reaching out to artist etc. HipHopCrack: What made you decide to take that big step? Big Mike:: I was tired of sititng on the sidelines, and I was ready to get in the game. I met a connect to get music before a lot of people, so he really helped me take it to the top. HipHopCrack: As a mixtape DJ, getting exclusives is basically what makes you or breaks you. How difficult is it for you to get these songs before any other DJs get a hold of them? Big Mike: Its very difficult right now even worst because of the internet u can’t stop working got to stay ahead of everyone. I have to keep my connects up, (and maintain) personal relationships with artists. Bottom line, no matter what field you are in, whoever is hot wants to fuck with someone else that’s hot. There is really not a shortcut to this. You have to be consistent; any real artist that has achieved a leavel of success knows that it starts at the mixtapes, goes to the clubs, and then to the radio. You can’t build a house with out the foundation HipHopCrack: Mixtapes are all over the place these days…How did you go about making your own brand of mixtapes to stand apart from everybody else’s? Big Mike: My tapes are known for straight exclusives, shit you can’t hear anywhere else. Plus, I’ve got The LOX behind me. They’ve been killing the mixtapes, and I always get their stuff first. HipHopCrack: You’ve spoken about getting connects, and that’s a crucial part of the business; but a lot of young DJs are reading this, wondering how to get connects in the first place. What kind of advice would you give them as far as networking? Big Mike: To even to get to that leavel stay consistent and get your niche, and they will come to you—they have to. HipHopCrack: You’ve been DJing since 1994. What would you say is a good change that’s happened in the DJing game since then, and what’s a bad change that’s happened since then? Big Mike:Bad is the politics that goes on now. If you aren’t on a commercial radio station you get treated like shit, but it’s those same artist that get 1,000 spins a week but flop because they don’t get their base on the streets. They wonder why they flopped, and it’s because they shitted on the street mixtape DJ. That’s where your base comes from. The good thing all my pears ahead of me—DJ Clue, DJ KaySlay, etc.—are are able to put out retail albums and get national TV exposure. HipHopCrack: Rap’s history largely consists of the music being watered down once it gets more mainstream exposure. Do you think that this same thing can happen with mixtapes? Big Mike: Yep, it’s probably on its way HipHopCrack: How can that be prevented, while still getting mixtapes mainstream exposure? Big Mike: Stay supporting the underground cats, before they get to that level. HipHopCrack: You don’t think the underground cats will water themselves down for the masses once they actually get to that level? Big Mike: No; that’s what radio is for. HipHopCrack: What do you think is the most common misconception about being a mixtape DJ? Big Mike: That we actually can’t DJ,which in my case is totally false. I’ve carried crates for the big doggs—SNS, Craig G, SNS, Craig G, Billy Busch.

By: Nova Slim Ron Artest dropped a rap album this year. That’s right. The same dude that brought it to the fans in the stands back in ’04 in the “Detroit Melee” has something to say. With My World, and his TruWarier imprint, Ron Artest has a big challenge on his hands. Not only does he now have to balance careers as a baller and a label boss, he has to emerge from the preconceived notions the general public has about athletes that rap. (Deion Sanders, anyone?) Did you purposely decide to drop the album just as the season was starting? ARTEST: No, as a matter of fact, dropping the album while the season was just startinghas beendifficult, because I have commitments to the Kings with games and practices and everything, and then I have to do everything I need to do to promote the album. So it’s definitely a challenge juggling everything right now. I’m grateful that I have the support of my coach and my team. There’s a stigma associated with athletes entering hip-hop. What separates your approach to music from people like Shaq, Kobe or A.I.? ARTEST: I’m not really worried about the stigma. People know me as a basketball player, not as a music artist, so I know I’m going to have to work hard and prove myself as any other up-and-coming artist has to. As for Shaq, his album went platinum so no one can hate on that. The music industry is pretty cut-throat right now and it’s hard for established stars to sell music these days. Did you have any fears going into this aside from the fact that you’re an athlete? ARTEST: Yeah, the music industry is very competitive, and being an artist is a lot harder than being a ball player. I have a lot of respect for all the artists out there who have made a name for themselves, as I’ve personally discovered just how hard the music business is. At the same time, I’ve always loved music. It’s always been a passion of mine. I’m thankful that I’m in a position where I can do both– play basketball AND do music. I put 110% into both of them. How did you approach the Detroit incident when using it as material for your album? ARTEST: I have a song on my album called "Haterz" where I discuss the Detroit incident. But other than that, I don’t talk about it on the album. There are so many other things going on in the world, so many more important things. It’s crazy how people still focus on that incident, when there are so many other larger issues people should be looking at. I have some serious songs on the album, some party songs, some songs for the ladies. So really, I address a lot of different things on the album. What else will we learn about you from this album? ARTEST: I hope that people will be able to understand me more a person. I am really just a regular dude at the end of the day, human just like everyone else. I hope people check out the album and enjoy the music. Did you reach out to any of the Queens-bred rappers for blessings or for guestspots? ARTEST: Ya know, I got so much support from artists from other areas of the country – Mike Jones, Fat Joe, Diddy, Juvenile, and so many offers for help from other artists, which I am really thankful for. But I didn’t get much supportfrom the rappers in my own hood -go figure. You opened for Young Jeezy and Fat Joe. How did the crowds receive you? ARTEST: It was amazing. Young Jeezy and Fat Joe are both professionals, so it was an honor to see how they do their thing and how they got the crowds motivated. During the Fat Joe tour, we opened for a crowd of 30,000 people at one show, the crowd was jumping. It was bananas. How do you plan to balance both careers this season? ARTEST: It’s been hard but I’ve been managing it. The most important thing is to get enough rest and not stretch myself too thin. I pace myself and when I’m getting tired I take the time to rest. Otherwise, I’m just on my grind, making sure I’m playing ball to the best of my abilities, and working on promoting the album as much as possible. What are you playing on your ipod? ARTEST: Jay Z’s [In My Lifetime] Volume 1, Mobb Deep’s The Infamous, 50 Cent’s first album, Slick Rick, Eminem’s first two albums, Nas’ Illmatic, Keisha Cole and Dido.

By: William Ketchum III Respect is crucial in rap, and 8Ball has that in spades. With a career that dates back to the early 90s, Ball and his partner MJG’s storytelling skills, witty metaphors and pimpish tricks of the trade have garnered them a reputation that spreads throughout and beyond their stomping grounds of Memphis, Tenn. Adding onto the individual legacy he’s created with several solo albums, his new disc, Light Up The Bomb, is a highlight for the artists on his label 8 Wayz Entertainment. In an interview with HipHopCrack, 8Ball puts his career into perspective, gives his take on southern hip-hop, and speaks on future projects. HipHopCrack: Your album in 2001 was called Almost Famous. What do you think it’ll take to get you “famous” on a national, mainstream level? 8Ball: Well, like I’ve said over and over again, when I titled that album “Almost Famous,” I didn’t mean it like I’m scratching trying to get this certain level of fame. I meant it like I’m really where I want to be. I’m almost famous, I’m at a level…that’s how I describe what I am. I’m not the stereotypical whatevers of being famous; I’m almost famous. HipHopCrack: So where do you see yourself at now? 8Ball: I think at all levels, if you have hustle in you, you always want to try to do better and try to do more. I’m with one of the greatest hip-hop duos to come out of the south, 8Ball & MJG. We’ve been around for years, and people are still buying our albums, people still love what we do. That’s a real big accomplishment in itself. Being able to do my own label, 8 Wayz Entertainment. I’m in a good place right now. A lot of people are still scratching, trying to do the things that I’ve done. But in my mind, I feel like there’s always more to do, no matter how much you’ve got, or how much you’ve done, there’s always more you can do. HipHopCrack: Well what more can you do? 8Ball: You’ve got to think: this is entertainment, and this is life. We’ve got a couple of movies coming up, and things like that. In the entertainment world, we’ve got a couple of movies coming up and things like that. In the entertainment world, there’s always more to do. The industry is forever going; it’s 24-7/365, it don’t close, it don’t stop, and there’s always other people working to what you do better than how you do it and make more money than you and work harder than you at the same thing that you do. I’m always thinking that there’s always work to be done, no matter what. That’s how I look at it. No matter how much money you’ve got, no matter how much you’ve done, there’s just always more to do. You’re always learning stuff every day; as long as you live, you’re going to learn shit. The smartest muthafucka in the world learns something new every day. That’s all I mean by that. HipHopCrack: A common misconception about the south is that the south is less lyrical, and more for just driving and clubbing. Does that make you upset, being a southern artist who takes pride in what he spits? 8Ball: Every form of hip-hop comes from their world. How can you tell the next nigga, “You don’t be doin that, you don’t be clubbin’ all day, poppin ecs all day, or smokin’ all day, or fuckin’ all them bitches and drivin’ all them cars, you don’t be doin’ that shit.” How can you tell a muthafucka that shit, if you don’t be with them all the time to see if they’re doing the shit? The music is going to go where life goes, because hip-hop is reflective of life. This isn’t what the world say, this is my opinion. There’s a lot of partying that goes on around the world, and that’s what the music reflects. Not everybody can rap about the same shit or make the same kind of songs, because then we’ll take the diversity away from hip-hop if it was all the same. HipHopCrack: With that being said, what do you think of the whole “snap” movement? 8Ball: It’s party music, man. That’s undeground, Atlanta party music that went mainstream. Just another form of music. People love it. It’s just another chapter in the book. I’m not ‘finsta be one of them mad niggas. Let’s celebrate what’s going on. If the snap music is lasting longer than people anticipated, that means…it’s hip-hop music, man. I was looking at Ludacris’ shirt at the BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta. I love his shirt. Everybody’s talking about hip-hop’s dead, and all that bullshit. Hip-hop’s not dead; it lives in the south, like Ludacris’ shirt set. It lives all over the world, but it’s alive in the south, man, because people are doing different shit. The world is getting the same kind of music, because that’s what’s popular now, but there’s a lot of different kinds of music going on out here other than just that, but it’s getting the most attention because that’s what’s popular now. I ain’t gon be the nigga that’s gon be mad at everything because I’m not doing it, or it’s not just me. HipHopCrack: Do you think that viewpoint is a product of you being in the game as long as you have? 8Ball: I think my view comes from me being on this earth as long as I have, not just in the game. That’s just my opinion, that’ s just how I look at it. HipHopCrack: What’s it like being on Bad Boy and working under Diddy, compared to your other label situations? 8Ball: To me, it’s just another major label experience. It ain’t groundbreaking, or we ain’t changing the world. Same shit going on over here that’s going on at other major record labels; you’ve got to get in where you fit in. HipHopCrack: Well what would you say is one thing that people don’t know about him that you know after working with him? 8Ball: I think the world knows all the same shit I know about him [laughs]. We don’t work in the studio every day together hand-in-hand, with him standing over us watching everything we do. We don’t work like that. We talk when we talk, we see each other when we see each other, and it’s business. That’s my relationship with Diddy and Bad Boy; we work to gether, and that’s it. We don’t really have a big personal relatoinship; when we see each other, it’s work. It’s about some business. HipHopCrack: What’s the word with the second Bad Boy album? 8Ball: It’ll be out in February. It was lined up to come out earlier, but that’s another example of the major label bullshit. They felt like it wasn’t ready for the October release, so they released Diddy, and our album will be next in February. HipHopCrack: With the extra time, have you added a lot on or taken a last off? 8Ball: That’s just like…I don’t know, you’ve got to really wait and see on that one. I don’t want to say; I want to shock the fans. HipHopCrack: Has the Memphis rap scene been any different since Three 6 Mafia won the Oscar for Hustle & Flow, with more labels coming there to find the “Next big thing?” 8Ball: Yeah, but that’s what major labels are doing right now. They’re shaking trees everywhere. We’ve had our share of people coming through here looking for stuff, but that’s what they’re doing in every small town. HipHopCrack: One of the primary things that people note about the south is that you guys stick together and support each other’s music more than any other area. Where do you think that unity comes from? 8Ball: It’s just the pride of the music, the pride of the art form. People stick with what they love and what they know. It goes the same for West Coast music, East Coast music…cats just stick with what they know and what they feel. We were all we had at a certain time period in this hip-hop thing, so we relate to our music form. We can relate to it all, because it’s all music, and it’s all hip-hop. It makes your head bob, and you like what they’re saying, then you’re relating to it. You can just relate to your backyard a little better when it’s someone from your backyard. HipHopCrack: You also have a film coming out. 8Ball: We just really started on it, we’re literally right now in the writing process of the movie. The casting starts in January, the filming starts in early spring, and hopefully it’ll be out to the public by fall or something like that. We always wanted to do something like this, but it really just came about. I’m not really no actor, I’m not no in front of the camera type of dude, but we’ve been wanting to do this, so we’re just going to explore that side of it and see what it do. We’re going to be starring in the movie, it’s going to be on some Cheech and Chong or Half-Baked type shit. We’ve also got the history of Memphis DVD coming out, hosted by 8Ball & MJG, that should be out in January or February. That’s an 8 Wayz Entertainment thing, it’s just the history of Memphis rap from the beginning till now. All of the pieces of the puzzle are there, from the old school cats to Three 6 Mafia and Yo Gotti. HipHopCrack: The last few years have shown backlash toward rappers who go into acting. Did you have that in mind when thinking about this movie? 8Ball: No, because I’m not going into acting. I’m not doing this trying to be an actor, I’m just making a movie [laughs]. Me and MJG have been wanting to do this, and now we’ve got a chance to do it, so I’m just making a movie. I’m not trying to seek out a Hollywood career. This is 8Ball & MJG’s movie right here. HipHopCrack: With this new album, you give your label a lot of shine. How have you liked having your own label? 8Ball: It’s cool, man. I love music, music is my favorite love, man. This is what I want to do. It’s been a beautiful process to me, and it can only get better. It’s really about just having the chance to have someone who’s been in the game as long as I have, and been through what I have, to be your CEO. I think it’s better for them than I had it, because you have someone there who has been through what we’re going through. At the time, when I first got into the game, me and my CEO were learning shit together.

By Kevin L. Clark The year was 1996. When BET’s Rap City was still showcasing balance in Hip-Hop music, a video aired that showed a back-and-forth exchange between Q-Tip and a newcomer to the Tribe. That “newcomer” was not all that new as it was Queens, NY MC, Consequence. Those familiar with ATCQ knew – Q-Tip’s cousin appeared on The Chase, Part II off of Midnight Marauders. But now, ‘Quence has hooked up with the updated version of the Native Tongues collective by signing to Kanyé West’s – G.O.O.D. Music label. Having release a three-part mixtape series called, The Cons, ‘Quence links up with DJ Clinton Sparks for its fourth installation entitled, Finish What You Started. The mixtape has featured appearance from Mary J. Blige, Bathgate, and G.O.O.D. Music family members, GLC, and Sa-Ra — ‘Quencehas a sure-fire heatrock on the table. Consequence sits down with HipHopCrack as he talks about how even though things in Hip-Hop have changed… they still stay the same, his forever chemistry with cousin, Q-Tip, and why Hip-Hop should be taking it’s death certificate and hand it over to R&B. HHC: In 1993, you were a part of one of the rawest crews in Hip-Hop with A Tribe Called Quest. Over the years, though, the landscape of the music has changed. What do you hope to accomplish with this new mixtape? Consequence: I just want to give people a head’s up with what’s going with the album. I want to continue to gain new listeners and fans. I am definitely proud of this joint. I did it with Clinton Sparks and it is well received by a lot of people. They are saying that it’s the best one that I’ve came out with. I mean I have had a lot of them [mixtapes] come out and this one is definitely the best. It never hurts to cover all the bases… mixtapes, albums, appearing at shows – just whatever can be done to keep your name out there. HHC: Do you think that the climate or trend is ripe for actual “good” music? Consequence: Yeah, I think that people are ready for something different. Some that is relatable, new, and refreshing. I want people to say that they’ve been in the situations that I talk about in this mixtape and even so with the album. I’m not shinin’, son. I’m not all the way successful, so, the album kind of touches upon different aspect of life that should resonate with regular person. The album is supposed to drop on February 6th, 2007. HHC: I mean… Lupé Fiasco seems to be doing successful. So are your co-horts Kanyé West and Common. So with that said, do you think the mainstream public will buy into the Consequence movement? Consequence: You know what’s funny? The public buys into it because they’re different. Before, you had acts like Tag Team and others who were the minority. A Lupé would’ve been the majority during that time. He would’ve been right up there with 3rd Bass and Gangstarr. That’s the landscape of what the music is right now. They’re the small group of MCs who are staying afloat. The times have definitely changed. Those guys that you’ve mentioned are special for how they managed to survive even though the Hip-Hop scene has changed. Fifteen years ago, everybody could rap like that. Look at all those who were hot a while back and tell me where they’re at now! They are gone. Charlie Brown [from Leaders of the New School] is as nice then, as Lupé is now. I think Chip Fu [from Fu-Schnickens], at his prime, is at the level of guys who are special now. It’s just that there isn’t an abundance of emcees now. I think that it’s due to the fact that you got beat over the head with so much good music that you couldn’t take it anymore. Then the times switched. I think that’s how it is now. You’ve been banged over the head with the snap music that the people are just waiting for people to just say something clever. I think that Hip-Hop is something that evolves and revolves. HHC: In light of your new album, “Don’t Quit Your Day Job” – what can your fans and new listeners expect? Consequence: I hope that they enjoy it. The album is from top to bottom, something that I am happy about. There are a lot of records on there. There’s a lot of potential on there. It mostly features the family, GLC, Kanyé West, John Legend, and Really Doe. It’s mostly 80% me on there. I want to showcase myself as much as possible. I want people to know me as an artist and as a person. I don’t have beef with anybody else, but I find it better to have myself on the track. I love to just express myself. I think that one… you beat people to the punch and secondly, nothing sells more across the board than being genuine. People can relate to that. When you put something false on the table, you have the damnedest time trying to fill up those holes. HHC: The other thing that people have been talking about is that A Tribe Called Quest started doing shows together. Will you or have you made appearances during any of their venues? Consequence: I just finished up doing the NBA 2k7 tour with them. We could possibly get back together in the lab and do a collaborative effort. So, I hope that that will be in the works. HHC: What do you think is about the chemistry that you and Q-Tip have that makes people listen so intently? Consequence: I mean it’s because it’s natural. We’ve been doing it for a long time. We have made a lot of records together and it’s just us. When you put the two of us in a booth… it’s a wrap. I mean we’ve established a certain benchmark that most can’t aspire to. We’ve never had a wack joint. We may have an a couple of aight joints, but we’ve never done anything that’s dead wack. I can definitely say that. Even with the demo stuff. I mean… that’s how I ended up getting down with Tribe in the first place. Our chemistry is something concrete and it always works. It never fails. HHC: A lot of acts during Hip-Hop’s “golden years” are coming back onto the scene. Yourself, AZ, Tribe, De La Soul are right alongside acts like Lupé and others who are given the charge of “bringing Hip-Hop back”. Do you think that the music is in such a downward trend that critics and fans alike have been indicating? Consequence: If that is how the fans feel about it then, man, I don’t know. I feel like… how can Hip-Hop be dead when R&B can’t really come out without us? Mariah Carey is the only one who can come out without a chance. Swizz Beats did that single for Beyoncé’s album. Maybe we should start saying that R&B is dead. I mean when’s the last time you heard Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson ballad-type production? It’s not R&B anymore. That’s why Hip-Hop has opened its arms to it. You can’t get on the radio without a Hip-Hop beat, period! R&B is dead and there ain’t no hand coming out of the ground to resurrect it. It’s just sad. I mean you have Hip-Hop producers doing tracks for established acts. Look at what Timbaland has been doing for Justin Timberlake and what Preemo’s done for Christina Aguiliera. No one has a true R&B album anymore. No one has a Pleasure Principle out there. Hip-Hop accommodates the R&B style nowadays. HHC: This new mixtape is titled, “Finish What You Started”. What more do you have left to accomplish in this industry? Consequence: I have so many things you know. I’m really just getting started. I’m building from the ground up. From the underground and hopefully build this brand up till it’s allowing me to be really comfortable. I’m trying to keep my base, which is with the mixtapes. Those are what got me in XXL and The Source. Plus, it’s a good exercise if more than anything else. It allows me to continue to do it and I am glad that the fans allow me to continue to be myself.

By Will “Deshair” Foskey One of the biggest selling Hip-Hop artists in the history of the musical genre, Nelly is a very busy man these days. From his Derrty Entertainment imprint to his successful Apple Bottoms clothing line, the Mayor of St. Louis has brought having the Midas touch back into style. In the next 5 minutes, Nelly shells out the facts on what his fans can look out for over the next year. Since we don’t have much time to chat, what do you currently have going on? Nelly: I’ve been busy working on a lot of projects including Ali & Gipp’s album, Kinfolk. I also have an artist that I’m working with named Avery Storm, that you may be familiar with from the Nasty Girl remix with me, Puff & Jagged Edge. He was only white guy with cornrows in the video, so you can’t miss him. We got Murphy Lee dropping soon, and I have another album coming out. So there’s a lot going on with my label. So when will your new album be released? Nelly: Not until next year. We haven’t titled it or scheduled a date, but it might drop somewhere between the third and fourth quarter of next year. I definitely want to make sure that it’s right. Early this year at the Magic show, you’ve introduced your Children’s line as well as the new wave of the Women’s line of clothing. So now that the fashion world is starting to look towards the Spring line of clothing, what do you have in store for your consumers? Nelly: Let me first start off by giving a lot of congratulations to our designers. I don’t want to act like I’m sitting in the room with boards and shit, drawing up designs and putting things out. It did start off like that, but as a CEO, it’s about hiring the people that you can respect and know that they will do outstanding work. Our Children’s line has taken off faster than our Junior line has. We’re doing a lot of ads as far as showing fathers with their daughters. I’ve done an ad like that myself. Jermaine and his daughter will be doing an ad as well; Ali and his daughter, Gipp and his daughter. We want to show that there are fathers out there that do give a damn about their children. Talk about your foundations and charities that you’re currently working on. Nelly: Indeed, 4sho4kids and Jes Us 4 Jackie. We’re getting people signed up on the Bone Marrow/Stem Cell registry to help fight Leukemia. Leukemia has taken so many lives including my sister who has been gone for over a year now. We’re still pushing; we’ve been able to find 8 different matches which allowed for us to save 8 different lives. You can say what you want about Nelly, but Nelly has helped to save 8 different lives and I don’t know too many people who can say that. Even though we didn’t find a match for my sister, we want to let people know that this is bigger than one person and that we will continue to get the word out there to try to help save as many lives as we can.

By: Kevin Clark With the fifth pick during the 1999 NBA Draft, theToronto Raptors selected Jonathan Rene Bender. Bender, a 7-foot-tall prospect from Picayune Memorial High School, was a college prospect to play at Mississippi State. He was then traded to the Indiana Pacers for Antonio Davis. Bender’s size, athleticism, and skill complimented the Pacers style of play. This never progressed to stats, as Bender proved disappointing. At the end of his career, Bender totaled out at 1,335 points and 530 rebounds (combined offensive and defensive). Having never averaged double digits in scoring and plagued with injuries, Bender sat out most of the 2004-2005 season after playing only seven games. At the end of his playing career, Bender was waved by his team and retired on February of this year. Never one to be counted out, the 25-year-old Mississippian is building himself into a powerful brand. He sits down with HipHopCrack as he talks about his retirement, his upcoming projects, and why people nowadays don’t really respect a daily grind. HHC: You were drafted straight out of High School, although, you had a verbal commitment to Mississipi State. Why did you think that it was more beneficial for you to go to the League, instead of going to college? JB: Actually, I did the verbal commitment when I got out of High School to get the press off of my back. You have to look at things like you’re playing chess. Especially, when you’re indecisive about going to college, the press will try and pinpoint it. Then after that, they’ll make it a focus and I really didn’t want that type of attention. So, it was all a strategy that I had planned. HHC: Do you think that Mississippi is underrated as a basketball state? JB: Yes, I really think that it is. In Mississippi, there are a lot of athletic guys down there that have skills. They just don’t have anything down there that’ll put that spotlight on them. They really struggle down there because they can’t get the right showcase. Right now, I’m in the works, trying to put together a foundation so that attention can be focused on the guys down there back home who have that potential. HHC: Scouts felt that you were the perfect fit with the Raptors and the Pacers for your size, athleticism and just plain skills. Although, your career was plagued with injuries, your high school accomplishments were lauded. Do you think the transition from high school directly into the League left you somewhat unprepared? JB: I was prepared it was just that training and practicing that I was doing in High School had a long term affect on my body. I am glad that I got out of the league before anything serious could happen. The type of training that we were doing wasn’t beneficial good for me during my growth spurt. We were doing a lot of jumping drills and running on the hardwood. That meant a lot of pounding on the knees. Even outside of basketball, when we would get finished with practice, we would continue to ball on the street. So, you’ve went from an inside court to running up and down on concrete. That wears after awhile. Plus, growing up… and even still, you don’t have anyone in your early stages that is there to help you train efficiently. HHC: In the final days of your NBA career, you were waived by the Pacers in 2006 after previously being limited to seven games during the 2004-05 season. Do you think that you were “forced” into retirement by your former team? JB: Nah, I wasn’t forced at all. The team was behind me 120%. After that first year when I came back, I decided to keep my sanity and I had got myself back together. But I had the same pains. Then, I took a couple of MRIs and it showed that my knees weren’t getting any better. The doctor kept asking me what I wanted to do. At the time, I told him that I wanted to keep going. So, we kept trying but it became progressively worse. HHC: But you have yet to file retirement papers. Why? Are you still collecting checks from the team? JB: No, I didn’t sign the papers because you never know. I’m really just taking a year or two off to really try and heal up. If you sign those papers, you’re not allowed to come back. I would make a return if I’m mentally and physically prepared for it. If I can maintain on the court then I’ll continue to try. HHC: Having moved on from professional basketball, you’ve dabbled into real estate and entertainment. What should we expect from you with “Retired at 25”…? JB: The show is basically just about me; it is about me and my life. I was always into music before I played ball. I have a label called Akright Records. A lot of athletes get stereotyped because they have some sort of boutique label. They try to say that they don’t know what they’re doing. But “Retired at 25” is just to show that I have a deep passion for all of the things that I do. I work really hard, despite what others may think of athletes. My daily grind is serious – from boxing to the real estate company to my recording label, I oversee everything that goes on. HHC: You also have a Hip-Hop cooking show? Obviously, Hip-Hop is the selling point, but what else should viewers be looking forward to with this show? JB: The cooking show is more original and looser. The chefs dance and really have a great charisma on screen. Personally, it’s on some New Orleans type stuff. We have a lot of Deep South recipes. On the show, we try to switch it up as much as possible. For instance, we’d fry some oyster and mix it in with greens and pepper it with some spices. These guys have a lot of imagination and they use it to the benefit of the show. We’re finishing up the pilot and we’re getting ready to shop it around to networks. HHC: It seems that Hip-Hop and the NBA have a love-hate thing going on, yet, the players seem to all cool within the culture. You, yourself, have a recording label called Akright Records. Do you see this as a successful venture even after failed attempts by Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant as rappers and even Shaquille O’Neal as a label head? JB: Nah, I don’t like people who just take it as a hobby. I work hard everyday with everything that I do. My daily schedule starts off by me going to the gym. Then from there to the studio; I have credibility with all that I do. It is hard to pick out the real from the fake because there are people out there who have a like for what they do and then there are those who have the love. I’m not one of those lackluster homeboys. I’m into this for the gusto. I have the love for this. I get up at around 7 or 8 in the morning, eat breakfast, I stop to talk with my boxers – we’re putting an album together, so we’re getting the credit sheet together. I stay in the office to work on getting sample clearances with the lawyers. After that, I go to work out. I go to [producer] KLC’s studio in Baton Rouge. At the end of the day, I come home. Even there, I still check on the real estate. I figure out what states I have to be in to shoot for the shows and try to finish up with the pilot for the shows. HHC: For you record label, you’ve concentrated your attention on your hometown and Louisiana, why? What is it about these rappers that you feel they have what it takes to be put out in the national spotlight? JB: I focused on home because that’s where I’m from. Plus, I believe that there is untapped talent that doesn’t get the attention that it deserves. I think that all of the artists signed to Akright bring their own flavor. They’re all going to appeal to the ladies. But I think that Young A, Shawt, and Nosa have a strong future ahead of them. All we have to do is grind hard for us to have something to shock the world with. HHC: For such a young guy – even though you’re older than me [laughs] – you’ve been able to dabble into a lot of things including real estate. What is it about that next level of professionalism that opens up so many opportunities? JB: It just shows that you’ve laid a foundation. That you’ve worked hard for something. Being a professional is like having a stamp, a mark of approval from your peers. It means that you have credentials. It really takes time to achieve that. Once you get that stamp, people respect you because they see you doing your thing. When people are following you they understand that you have a movement behind you. HHC: Why don’t more Black athletes school the youth to the alternatives instead of seemingly encouraging kids to pick up a ball? JB: Because a lot of people like fast money and don’t respect a daily grind. It’s instant money if you have skills. We have a lot of athletic brothers who can make that jump into football and basketball, but not a lot of consciously forward thinking people. There are some people who decide to go into real estate. Other wait until their career is over to try and branch out to create another business. So, a lot of people have the ingenuity, but a lot of others haven’t. Those who haven’t really have the entourages and are really materialistic. They just aren’t taking hold of the opportunities. It’s sad.