Jadakiss Exclusive Interview
CHAMP MAGAZINE
The Boy Hollywood
CHAMP: What’s goodie Kiss. What are you up to at the current moment?
Jadakiss: Just working baby.. The albums out and I’m still grindin’ and still goin’ hard
CHAMP: The Last Kiss. You’re actually on tour right now. Any backstage stories you can tell us that’s been poppin’ off so far?
Jadakiss: Nah nah, I’m just on a promo tour
CHAMP: The album The Last Kiss was really supposed to be Kiss My Ass, which I was feelin’ no homo, but I mean why was there the name change?
Jadakiss: Because the retailers wasn’t gonna sell em under Kiss My Ass so I had to switch it. It would’ve hurt my numbers.
CHAMP: Does this joint come under Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam, or both?
Jadakiss: Both
CHAMP: Speaking of that. What exactly is the status of the Roc. We hear Jay-Z’s doing the Roc Nation thing and I’m interested in hearing where you stand in that whole situation. Will you be moving over to that situation as well?
Jadakiss: Nah nah I’ma be on Def Jam, he was just able to pull some strings and moves for me.
CHAMP: I actually seen an updated interview where the meaning behind The Last Kiss was the fact that this was going to be The Last of the Kiss-titled series of albums. This will be your third solo album and the question of course will be the growth on this album. You’re now a mentor in the game and not the young new cat when you first started out with Bad Boy. Do you feel that now seeing the competition that could be on your level is not around, would you say that may get in the way of you becoming a better artist?
Jadakiss: Nah nah nah. Nothing in the way. It’s all on me and the individual talent. To be able to cater to showing evolvement and still making all these songs and talkin’ about topics that the young kids can relate to.
CHAMP: One joint I’m definitely feelin’ is the One More Step, where you and Styles P do the punch in and punch out. What other tracks has the streets been telling you that they’re feelin’ on the album?
Jadakiss: They’re really giving me a good response on the whole album. They love Pain and Torture, they love What If, they love the Jazmine Sullivan joint Smoking Guns, they lovin’ the Jeezy joint Something Else, the lovin’ Death Wish, the Wayne joint, they lovin the Pharrell joint Rockin’ With The Best,the Swizz Beatz joint with O.J, They lovin’ all of em. The whole album.
CHAMP: Now who do we got on the production credits for the album?
Jadakiss: We got Pharrell on there. Swizz, Buckwild,Alchemist, Needlz, Eric Hudson, Mr. Porter, Fiend, Neo da Martix, Devine, and that’s about it.
CHAMP: We also got Canada’s own Neenyo Soundsmith on that as well
Jadakiss: Yeah we got my man Neenyo Soundsmith. He did the joint with me and Sheek and S.I.
CHAMP: What was the message you were tryina come across with this album? What did you want fans to take away from the album after listening to it?
Jadakiss: Just that it’s another type of music. Aside all of the music that’s out there, don’t get it focused in that that’s the only type of music. That’s why I felt that this was an important time to drop this album and let some of the young kids know that real lyricists are still around.
CHAMP: The single that was with Ne-Yo. That was the first single. Was that an experimental track or was that actually the first single that you were droppin’ of The Last Kiss?
Jadakiss: Nah that was the first single. That was for the ladies ‘cause ladies buy albums. They get out and copp! So it’s important to let them know that. So that’s why I came out with that.
CHAMP: Definitely. The ladies up here are definitely bumpin’ to that in the clubs and all that. Now the whole J-Hood thing has been going on and it looks like it’s died down now. You stated that you wish him the best of success with his career and you’re really off that now, but for the D-Block fans they want y’all to talk it out and become one again. Sheek a few months ago told me there’s no way Hood could come back, but what’s your views on the possibility of that happening?
Jadakiss: Nah, I don’t think he’ll be able to come back. I wish him the best of luck in his career but we call loyalty around here. We don’t burn no bridges, we don’t step on each others toes or none of that shit. Once you out you pretty much out.
CHAMP: Now of course the Biggie movie dropped and I kinda was unsatisfied that we didn’t see a lot of artists that were around Big portrayed in the movie. Of course that was Voletta Wallaces interpretation of it, but what was your view on the fact that there’s basically no Lox feature in the movie or anything like that?
Jadakiss: I was cool with the movie. I didn’t dig a lot of shit they did in there that much and we came around the end. I didn’t think we had to be in there
CHAMP: As far as the accuracy in the movie, do you feel people were depicted properly because you were around to actually see these people that were portrayed in the movie.
Jadakiss: I mean, I ain’t like Kims character. I ain’t like Pacs character. Everybody else was cool though, but everybody else did a pretty cool job.
CHAMP: I also wanted to get the update on what’s poppin with Sheek and Styles P. I also heard that we got a Lox album in the works by Christmas time.
Jadakiss: Yeah yeah yeah by Christmas time, we got the New Lox Order. That’s the name of that new Lox album. June 2 , there’s a D-Block compilation called No Security and right now you can get that Last Kiss in stores baby
CHAMP: It actually sold out in a bunch of places I heard
Jadakiss: Yeah yeah yeah yeah. It’s doing good it’s doing pretty damn good.
CHAMP: There was some footage of The Lox and Diddy all in one room and it kinda put me in reminisce mode. I heard there’s talks of The Lox going back to Bad Boy and Diddy’s actually putting up some money to recuperate from before.
Jadakiss: Yeah that’s just the talks. We just in the talks right now. It’s all talks. We tryna make it happen, but right now it’s a mere conversation in the workin’
CHAMP: The games bumping with a lot of controversy these days and you were actually the first person to bring Cam back out on stage after his hiatus. How you feelin’ ‘bout the return of Cam back in the game and what’s your relationship like with the homeboy?
Jadakiss: That’s my big homey I actually gotta reach out to him, he hit me, He sayin he want me to get on his album so I gotta get on it and knock that out. Cam came around when I came around so it’s always love.
CHAMP: I’m also seeing (especially in the east) there’s a lot of respect for Jada and I’m lovin’ that. You seem to get along with everyone. We have artists shouting you out on tracks like Hell Rell shouted you out the Shawty Lo joint and as his big brother. Then there’s footage of you with French and Max. How does it feel to be known as that type of person in the game who’s considered neutral and easy to get along with everyone?
Jadakiss: I’m like an OG in the game and I love being that. They know what it is if you violate or try and cross me. I attack you. Other than that I just fall back, get money and do my thing and try to preach that to the youngn’s comin’ up. So I’m cool with that. I earned that nobody put me here.
CHAMP: Feel you on that. Now what else can we expect from Jada for the rest of the year? The Last Kiss is looking like it could win some awards this year and definitely one of the dopest albums that’s been released so far. What else can we expect from Kiss other than the album?
Jadakiss: I mean you’ll see me on tour. I’ll be coming everywhere and be on that tour bus just working the album and promoting it baby. That’s it. I’m working crazy and grindin’ out til the wheels fall off.
CHAMP: When can the Toronto cats expect a show up here?
Jadakiss: I’m workin’ on getting in T-Dot ‘cause you know they don’t like to let me in. I gotta speak to the Prime Minister or somebody and get my Visa so I can come through there and show that love out there.
ONE MORE STEP - JADAKISS FT. STYLES P
