When your nickname is the Godfather and you didn’t give it to yourself after watching that famous gangster flick one too many times, chances are you’re probably quite an intimidating person and Trick Trick is but not to everybody. Unless you disrespect him, someone he loves, his city of Detroit, or his family, getting along with Trick Trick is easy.

A 20-year hip-hop veteran, Trick has delivered the kind of hip-hop consistently that every gangsta rap purist dreams about. His lyrics aren’t mind-boggling but they let you know what’s up. His club anthems are more likely to cause a fight than a frenzy of females but his music is hot and many wouldn’t debate that.

Aside from the hot music, it’s the mystique that surrounds Trick Trick that makes him such a magnetic character. There’s his friendship with Eminem, his high profile collaborations, his issues with Yung Berg, and his shows in which a certain individual’s Transformers chain keeps popping up.

Trick Trick is truly the king of Detroit ,so if you’re heading through the town you might want to make sure you’ve never disrespected it. Sixshot.com sat down with Trick Trick to discuss his switch to Koch, how it feels being an independent artist, his relationship with Eminem, and how he got his nickna me, the Godfather.

Sixshot.Com: You have an album out now man. How has the response been so far?

Trick Trick: It’s been great man. We’re getting a great response. You know we got a few haters out there but that it what it is. That just means you’re doing something right, you know what I’m sayin’? I’m lovin’ the response that I’m getting.

Sixshot.Com: Now let me ask you, you put out this album on Koch. Has there been a big difference between working with Koch and working with Motown?

Trick Trick: It’s the best man. Independent is the way to go. It’s so easy to see money on Koch and they really appreciate all the hard work you put in. There’s also a lot more hard work that has to done on your part but it’s all good.

Sixshot.Com: You have Kid Rock on the album as well as Eminem. What was it like making this album?

Trick Trick: It was fun man. I can’t be doing shit if it’s not fun. Everybody that I recorded with on this album is family. It was fun and it was an honor to be able to make music with people like Kid Rock, Eminem, and Ice Cube. These are people that I’m a fan of so it was real cool. I worked with Dr. Dre also and he started this gangsta shit. I learn a lot working with him. These are multi-platinum artists so it was amazing man. I had a ball.

Sixshot.Com: There are a lot of artists in Detroit really doing their thing. You got Black Milk, Phat Kat, and the list goes on. How do you feel about the hip-hop scene in Detroit right now?

Trick Trick: I’m lovin’ it man. I’m loving it and I can tell you that there’s just more to come. We got a gang of artists out here that are real talented. Everybody’s in the preparation time right now. It’s the preparation time because it’s about to be our time. Royce is comin’ back. We got a gang of people over here man, like seriously a lot of talent. Everybody’s pushing just doing what they do, doing what we do.

Sixshot.Com: You’re kind of at the center of Detroit hip-hop. How would you say you got into that position?

Trick Trick: I been in the game since 1989 man and in Detroit it’s like we had little successes where artists would come out in groups. Since 1990 or 1991 I been eating off this business and staying afloat in this business. I don’t have a job. Music is all I do. I make beats. I sell beats. I rap, you know. I mean who's the Godfather? It’s who’s been putting in the most work and not many people from here have put in as much work as I have. I’ve exceeded the work hat other people have done. I love the other artist. I respect them and I love working with them. The title of Godfather was given to me. I just didn’t make it up, you know?

Sixshot.Com: There’s a rumor that if somebody disrespects Detroit you have your own methods of letting them know that’s not cool.

Trick Trick: I hope nobody would be that dumb. It’s so stupid to disrespect a city. If you’re that stupid then you’ll learn. My methods are what they are. You’ll definitely learn. I just be doin’ it the way I be doin’ it.

Sixshot.Com: You make beats and you rap. If you could only do one, which would it be?

Trick Trick: If I could only do one I would produce. It’s just the whole creative process of building a beat from nothing. I just love it. The beat is what makes people move. You gotta come with the beat first. It’s all about the music. Music is what it’s all about. Before you can make a song you gotta hear that beat. I just love it man.

Sixshot.Com: Trick I’m curious but I’m not going to drag it out. Is the whole situation with Yung Berg straightened out?

Trick Trick: I’m not going to speak on it too much but uh, you know what it is. (Laughs) I think that’s enough.

Sixshot.Com: I know you and Eminem are real close. What’s it like when you two get in the studio together?

Trick Trick: That energy right there is just the illest energy in the world. You got Em who’s like a hip-hop extremist with the words and he’s just like fuck the world and anybody who don’t like it and then you got me who just gets straight to the point. I might not give it to you metaphorically but you’re going to get my point. My point is always going to come across. When you put those two attitudes together you’re going to get some incredible shit.

Eminem isn’t a street artist but he’ll fight in the streets. Me I’m a street nigga. You can’t not find me in the streets. Em gets so much love because he’s so talented and when you put those two crazy attitudes together you got two artists who are going to go real hard. The streets is just my shit. That’s where I was born and raised. That’s where I am not. It’s my lifestyle, you know? It’s all I know so that’s what people are going to get from me and that goes without saying.

Sixshot.Com: When Proof passed how did it affect you and Detroit as a whole?

Trick Trick: It fucked everybody up man. It fucked everybody up. There wasn’t one person that was prepared for that. He was at the hip-hop shop back in the day. He was the mediator between a lot of artists, you know? He was always helping people. There are a lot of great artists that are great artists because of Proof including Royce and me. He’s the one who taught me how to do hooks really. I owe him a lot and it was so fucked up. I wasn’t ready for that. The whole city got dark. It rained like a motherfucker that night.

Sixshot.Com: The album is out Trick. What else can we look forward to?

Trick Trick: I’m working on a movie, a clothing line, music, of course. I got a lot poppin’ right now man.

Sixshot.Com: Anything you’d like to say to all the people out there?

Trick Trick: Yeah, act in a respectful way so you could get respect. Don’t act disrespectful because then you might get it back and find yourself in an uncomfortable situation. 

www.myspace.com/tricktrickGS