It seems like most rappers have their own labels just so they can call themselves businessmen. Somewhere along the way it became un-cool to be just an artist but on occasion an artist/label head does find some real talent. Lupe Fiasco is one of them signing his Chicago counterpart to his 1st and 15th Records.

While most artists would be happy just to be signed, Gemstones is nobody’s sidekick and has the lyrics to back it up. He plans to have a career all his own without walking in the shadow of Lupe Fiasco.

He has the backing, he has the means, and most of all he has the talent. Gemstones is definitely one to watch for. Sixshot.com caught up with Gem to discuss Lupe Fiasco, why Chicago is “haterville”, and his upcoming album Troubles of the World.

You were on The Cool a lot and the buzz is crazy. How does it feel to be getting this much attention?

It feels good man. I’d belying if I said it didn’t. It’s something I always wanted and I worked hard for it. It has its down times to it but for the most part it’s good.

You’re signed to 1st and 15th, which is Lupe Fiasco’s label. How did you two meet?

Lupe and me met through a mutual friend, this kid named George. His rap name was Arrogant and I was going to the studio with him to lay a track down. He said this kid Lupe Fiasco was coming through to feature on the track. After three hours of waiting,  Lupe and Stack Bundles finally walk through the door. We didn’t do the track but we got a hot cipher poppin’. We were going bar for bar and when it was over we exchanged information. Lupe was feelin’ me and I like what he was about and before I knew it I was signed to 1st and 15th.

Let me ask you man, Lupe kind of gets put in that box with Kanye and Pharrell, that whole hipster, skateboarding thing. Do you feel you’re in that box as well?

They say if you wanna know where you’re going in life then look who you’re around. They say birds of a feather flock together. That’s who I roll with and that’s who I break bread with. I make similar music but when I drop the album I don’t know if that’s where they’ll put me. Not that that’s a bad place to sit because Kanye, Pharrell, and Lupe are all real successful. I would hope that they would sit me alone because I wanna be different. I wanna be left of everybody else. If they’re left then I wanna go right. I’m my own entity but I would be cool with a Kanye, Lupe, or Pharrell box.

Being signed to a successful artist in Lupe Fiasco, do you think you will get stuck in his shadow?

Nah not at all because I’m just as good as Lupe. For the most part when you have artists signed to other artists the main artist is the best artist. It’s like the artist plays Robin to the artist who signed them, like the Batman. With us it’s like a toss up. Some people might think Lupe is better than Stones and some people might think Stones is better than Lupe. I’m just not there yet but my talent holds just as much weight as Lupe’s. I compliment his style and he compliments mine. Talent wins in the end so when this mixtape drops and then the album sfter that people will see that I can hold my own.

The only two that did that before in my opinion was Jay and Beans. Remember around the Dynasty? There was a time when it was a toss up and some people thought Beans was better than Jay. That’s the only other situation like that that I can remember.

Chicago isn’t the easiest place to get put on. What were you doing to get your name out there?

I had just graduated from high school and I went to a small high school of performing arts so I was acting and whatever. I just knew I wanted to get on. I wanted to sign to Bad Boy. Mase was hot at the time and Biggie was my favorite. I was working jobs but I was always writing. We don’t have Def Jam, Atlantic, or none of that over here. We got a lot of people trying to get on over whether they are producers, rappers, or whatever. I wasn’t running around but I wanted it and I knew eventually it would come. I had little interactions with a couple of independent labels but I wasn’t grinding hard for it. I ran right into mine and the grind began after I got signed.

Since you’ve been signed, has life changed a lot?

It’s had its ups and downs. You know they say more money more problems. You lose a lot of friends and there’s a lot of jealousy but all that comes with the territory. I’ve gotten to travel a lot and I’ve grown a lot as an artist and as a person. The jealousy comes though especially being from Chicago. This is haterville. I’ll get on a podium and make a statement in front of the whole city because they know it’s real. If you doing anything in any type of way they gonna try and bring you down. This city likes nobody. We were the first people in this city to get a label deal. There were a lot of people hating on us.

They thought Lupe was a nerd ass nigga but we were behind the scenes doing our homework. It was like we came out of the blue but when it happened there were a lot of people messed up in the head. There was a lot of hatred. Instead of realizing it was a big look for our city people were just hating. They went against the movement instead of embracing it. The hate outweighed the love and the love was coming from outside of the city. Lupe’s lowest sales and radio spins came from Chicago, crazy right?

I’ve definitely heard this said before, why do you think Chicago is like that?

I wish I knew. You gotta go somewhere else to blow up. If you think you’re blowing up here you’re living in Neverland. What you gotta do if you’re here is leave. You gotta blow up somewhere else and then Chicago will accept you. If they see you on TV in Chicago and then you come back you’ll probably get some love. Let somebody try to hustle their CD on the corner though and they are gonna get no love at all. You could be selling a mixtape for five dollars and having a show with a one dollar admission and they’ll tell you to get the fuck out of there. Right next to you will be the bootleg man and he got Young Jeezy, Gucci Mane, and Yung Joc and they’re gonna walk right past you and cop that Young Jeezy.

If I was famous though and was on that corner selling those same CD’s dudes would be buggin’ out and cop right away. I would be like turn around and let me see your spinal chord, let me see your back because you were running away last time I saw you and that’s the only way I can identify you. That’s Chicago fam. If anybody supports you it’s because they feel sorry for you and that’s it.

That’s crazy man, so tell us how the debut album is coming.

That album is incredible man. When I did the original Testimony of Gemstones it was so good that I had to go in and start changing shit. I had to start reevaluating. The album is dope and I can’t wait. I can’t wait for the world to hear it. On Troubles of the World I just take you home with me. I take you through my life. I’ve lived an interesting life but it’s no different from yours. We all go through the same things. You can’t make a whole album about 26’s. Everybody ain’t rich man. If everybody is rich then where all the broke people at? What about the cats that didn’t sell drugs? You’ll hear it, it’s hot. Testimony of Gemstones, which drops next week, is like a sneak preview to Trouble of the World.

Aight man, tell us release date, everything that’s coming up. Tell us the deal.

God willing my album Trouble of the World will be out this year. The mixtape will be out this Friday or maybe next. I’m jumping on the 'Glow in The Dark' tour as soon as I finish up these few tracks for my album. Also, Lupe and me did MTV’s  Diary, which was real hot.

So what you wanna say to the fans out there Gem?

Stay tuned man and check the Myspace at www.myspace.com/fnfgemini. Google Gemstones and you either gonna get some actual gemstones or me. I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help me God. I got you. Trouble of the World coming soon.