Ask people in the Midwest who their favorite rapper is, and chances
are you'll be surprised to find their answer isn't Jay-Z, NAS or
Eminem, but Twista. On January 27, the Chicago native will release
Kamikaze -- his much anticipated joint venture between Atlantic
and Roc-A-Fella Records. With Kamikaze, Twista, who has spent the
last few years running his Legit Ballin' record label and making
guest appearances on tracks by other artists, is primed to impact
a music buying public that has yet to fully embrace his extraordinary
talents. I recently caught up with the lyrical acrobat who is currently
blazing airwaves from Pittsburgh to St. Louis with the album's first
single, "Slow Jamz," featuring Roc family member Kanye
West and singer/comedian Jamie Foxx.
You've
already reaped the financial benefits of independent success.
Why do you want to go back to a major label when you're used to
running the show yourself?
"Both
of them have their ups and downs. It's true that being on a major
label, you don't get money like you would on an independent. On
the flip side, you're not in the loop when you're independent.
After you get that money, you start looking for other things,
like access to BET and performing in different cities. Basically,
it's a bigger poster. That's what I'm looking for with this venture
-- a bigger poster."
Your
second album, Adrenaline Rush, is considered a classic by many
rap fans, especially in the Midwest where people quote it like
thugs quote Pac. Can die-hard Twista addicts get that fix again
from Kamikaze?
"I
wanted to give the same vibe [as Adrenaline Rush], but expand.
Where I had 'Feels So Good,' I got 'Still Feels Good.' Where I
had 'Adrenaline Rush,' I got 'Kill Em All,' but I also have some
new stuff. There are more slow cuts on there for the ladies like
'One More Time.' I guess you could say this album is Adrenaline
Rush with bonus tracks." Many
critics and fans had written you off as a novelty act after your
debut release failed to catch fire. How did you avoid disappearing
from the music scene?
"Doing
guest appearances and industry word of mouth kept me in the game.
Plus, I love what I do. I can't think of a time when I wrote a
rhyme where I just didn't give a f**k. I'm a true lyricist. If
you got true talent and it's for real, not just some one hit wonder
sh*t, you can make a career out of this. But you got to be true
to your craft like Eminem or Tupac. It's like being a good mechanic.
You always gonna get work."
With
all the controversy surrounding R. Kelly, is it safe to say you're
the undisputed King of Chi-town now? Or at least in the Rap world?
"I
feel like it's that way with the average crowd, but there's still
some haters. What really made me feel good was when the Jay-Z
tour came through town. When he brought me out on stage, the response
from the fans let me know, 'Ni**a... we wit you.'"
Chicago
also has a lot of fine sistas. Being king has it's benefits, so
what do you look for when recruiting for the royal stable?
"[Laughs]
A fatty. That's the first thing I look for. She's got to have
a fatty. Then I move from the waist up. I like em to have a cute
face, luscious lips and pretty eyes. I'm not too particular about
weight. I actually like em thick, but the attitude is important.
She can't be snotty at the gate."
Jigga is calling it quits. You plan on hanging
up the mic anytime soon?
"A
brotha is pushing up on 30 [laughing] and I don't want to be 36,
37 still trying to rap. Maybe I can still tour or something, but
not making records."
Okay,
so we know you got the Midwest on lock and folks in the South
feelin' you. What's the reception like in other parts of the country?
"There's
still work to do on the East and West coast. I got some buzz out
East from my affiliation with Jay-Z, but I really want that West
side. Out there it's still like, 'Who is Twista?' It's like golf
and I'm Tiger Woods. Like golf was already established, but because
of Tiger it's growing. The music industry already knows about
Twista, but I want everyone to know."
Check
the rest of the interview at
www.bayermack.com.
Real Player: 
Windows Media: 
