ChiBangin.com - The Official Chicago Rap Site Twista Interview

Twista

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Q: What do you have to say about people who say you changed your real style a lil bit to gain a mainstream buzz? (*Payroll_Chitown_Stone) Some people have said you have sold-out your old style and switched to a more mainstream style. How do you feel about this subject? (*C-Stylez)

A: That's something that people say when someone starts getting it on a larger scale. I been rapping the same way for years. If you listen to my new record, you'll hear songs that sound like “Get It Wet,” you'll hear songs that sound like “Dreams” off the Mobstaz album. It's really the same style of music I been doing, its just people fool they self when they see you get a certain amount of success. I see it happen all the time, cause I'm a fan too. When your success is moderate and low, and you still touchable, then they feel like you being true. But all of a sudden when everybody likes you and you on the stations with the big dogs and everything, people tend to fool they selves sometimes and say ‘oh his style of music changed' but it's like damn if you gon' say it about anybody, say it about anybody but Twista. I been rappin' bout Chi-Town and spittin' it for the ladies and doin' what I been doin' for years even on the new album. It's just talk that come out people's mouth once you get a little success.

Q: Is there any element of becoming a mainstream star that you don't really like? (*shak81) Is mainstream access worth it so far? (*CHUCK BURNZ) Now that you have recieved worldwide success would you say everything was worth it? (*C-Stylez)

A: People think the grind gets easier, but it don't. It gets harder. The thing that I learned after chasing this dream for 10, 11 years and finally getting it, is that I want to do music to the full beat of my drum and not to the beat of somebody elses drum. Meaning I don't always want to have to get out here and show my ass and talk to everybody all the time. I be chillin' jo, nigga from Chicago. The best part I like about makin' music now is being in the studio makin' songs. It's one thing I don't really like is just being too famous. Sometimes I be wantin' to break it down and just chill on the porch, but can't do it.

Q: What songs of yours have you wrote that you feel can relate to you and your fans the most? (*LiLxMaMix69)

A: That's a hard one jo. It'll be songs that nobody really know about that be some of my favorites. But comin' off the top of my head I would probably say "Adrenaline Rush" or "Overdose."

Q: What's the deal with Maze from the original Speedknot Mobstaz? (*Redd)

A: Me and Liffy Stokes had moved deep out south and Maze was still stayin' on the Westside. So we started to not be able to see each other on a day-to-day basis. That started it (the separation), then just little things. Maze was screwin' up, he'll tell you himself; just bein' around people that's trying to get around him for the wrong reasons and him just following suit and growing up. Me and Lif were like the big brothers to Maze, so at a certain point you get your swagger up and you want to break loose when you goin' from a boy to a man. That was a transitional period where he wanted to show me, ‘look I'm a man I ain't shorty Maze no mo.' So we had a little fall out and Maze was away for about a year or so. We had Turtle [Banxx] around and we was always cool, so it was natural to put him in play for a minute. But once we got to chattin' back with Maze real good, we put everything back into perspective. Now he grown now.

Q: What's happening with the whole Legit Ballin Family? (*Redd)

A: Me and Toxic still work together now. Toxic did a lot of production on the new record now. Me, Lif, Maze, Toxic all us still tight. I still talk to Highbeam, I don't really see Bennie Franks that much. Really I'm cool with everybody over there except there was a problem with the owners. It was me trying to put my buddies on and everybody started takin' my kindness for weakness and tryin' to take advantage and ‘here take this shit, you can have it.' I went on and did something else.

Q: Since the once known disgrements with Traxster seem to be squashed, can we expect the true classic combo to finally play out and let the true legacy live on? (*Daowl) If you had to do it all over again since the beef with Traxster till now, would you do it the same? (*meanmug) Is there still overdose part 2 coming out? (*HollaAtUrThug)

A: He did “Like a 24” on “Kamikaze.” That was me lettin' Chicago know and him know that, that stuff was kinda in the past. He did like 5 or 6 tracks for the new Mobstaz album. Then I got him workin' on “Overdose part 2” for me too. With me now, beef is not more important than a check to me. If I thought that me and him could get a check, I won't let a personal feeling that I got towards him stop me from goin' in the studio where we can get a check. When I was a shorty, the beef was more important than the check. When you grown up and got bills to pay, the check is more important than the beef.

Q: What are your feelings on the G-Unit Young Buck? I don't think that will work out once Buk and PsychoDrama come up. (*RunninOffAtTheMouth)

A: I was like damn, Buk might have to change his name. It wasn't so personal to me, but even before then I seen 1 or 2 ‘Young Bucks' out there. So it wasn't a new thing to me for another Young Buck to come out. Well I know he (Yung Buk of PsychoDrama) probably take it a little more personal, like ‘damn this nigga got my name.' I wish he ain't have his name, but this ain't the first time I heard a person come out with the name Young Buck. He (Yung Buk of PsychoDrama) might have to play with it a little bit, put a lil sum at the beginning or end of it.

At Twista's request, he goes 1 on 1 with ChiBangin.com....

Twista explains where he feels his newest album "The Day After" ranks amongst his previous albums:

I can't really say just better or worse. I'll say it's more grown. I can't say the “Kamikaze” record is doper than “Adrenaline Rush.” It's the growth, each one represents the growth of where I'm at as an artist. “The Day After,” I will go on record and say I feel that one is a classic. Out of all of them, that's the one I feel most cocky about is the new one.

Twista gives his opinions on Chicago artists:

PsychoDrama they underground legends who had chances to take it to a higher level, but I think just got caught into a niche of not knowing what moves to make business wise and messin' with a few of the wrong people business wise. They just got a little caught up like me, but was never really able to come up out of it and get it like they should. I think they just need the right direction to be able to get it before it's too late. I feel like they some of the biggest Chicago underground legends. I put them in the top 3. Wildstyle one of the dopest producers and underrated lyricists out of Chi-Town. He's pretty much the nucleus for Crucial Conflict. The one that holds them together, help come up with they sound and everything. Wildstyle reminds me a lot of DJ Quik, similar types of personalities, the way they put it down artistically. I look at Crucial Conflict definitely as legends of the Chi, but Wildstyle is like one of the slept on, underrated mc's and producers that be puttin' it down. With E.C. Illa, it didn't matter he was white or nothin'. He was hangin' around the brothas, kickin' it with Ill State back in the day. The thing I like about E.C. is he always tryin' and he seems to have a better business sense and a hustlin' sense than a lot of the guys that's tryin' to get on. Sometimes you gon' get the break, but if you don't get the break, you still gotta create ways that move yo shit. So what I respect and like a lot about E.C. is that he don't give up and he always got somethin' crackin' and he always got a nice sound to his music. Johnny P is also an artist who I feel dabbled around a little bit, but never messed with the right people or the right situation for him to be able to get his talent to shine. A real talented brother, as soon as he start singing you can tell he suppose to be famous, he suppose to be a star, but it was like a Chicago problem. We got vultures sometimes that's around us doin' our business and workin' for us. At the same time, we gotta be smarter, we growin' up too. How he made certain decisions left or right, he would probably be in a better position, but that goes for a lot of Chicago artists. That's my man though, he on the new album on “Chocolate Fe's and Redbones.”

Twista lastly breaks down his current views on Chicago Rap:

Let me add one thing I want to say, ‘cause when Chicago niggas look, I want them to look at this one thing. When you look at New York and you look at the West Coast, look at the special they just showed recently. You'll see LL in the audience rappin' all of Big Daddy Kane's lyrics. You see Snoop Dogg bringin' out Ice T. You see Game who is a Blood still able to get down with Snoop who is a Crip. You gotta honor your peers man. That's the one thing I don't like with Chicago artists. I know you want to get on. I know you want to shine and I know you want to be looked at as the one who's shittin' on the rest of ‘em, but you can't shit on the ones who put it down before you. Really when a Chicago artist don't respect me more so as a person or as Twista, to me you ain't shit. To me you don't even know what you wanna do, if you in this and you can't respect that you from the city and I'm Twista. They sittin' there sayin' smart shit in their interviews about me. To me, them is kids, they don't even deserve a chance. All you little Chicago niggas who don't want to give me my respect, as the grand daddy in this boy, I'ma tear yo little head off of you. Honor the ones that put it down before you. I'm here to help you, not hurt you.