Roc-A-Fella ain’t only Jay-Z, that’s what people have to learn. Jay-Z’s friend Memphis Bleek who you probably know from guest appearances on Jay’s albums or wherever, is preparing to release his third solo album called “M.A.D.E.”, out on December 16. Sixshot spoke to one of the finest guys in this game and asked him a couple of questions:
  

Hey Memph, can you hear me?

Yeah, I hear you, man, what’s up? 

How is it going?

Chillin’, man, I can’t complain.  Your browser does not support inline frames or is currently configured not to display inline frames. N>

Heard you just got back from the dentist’s, huh?

Yeah (laughing)

Hey, I don’t know whether you remember or not, but we had a conversation 8 months ago when you, Jay and Sigel were in Switzerland 

Okay, okay…

I interviewed you and Sigel, don’t know if you remember [read the interview with Memph an d Beans on Sixshot.com!]? 

Yeah, man, just show me your id because of the pic! (laughing)

(laughing) Well, man, it’s good to hear that you’re back in the game! 

Yeah, man, I’m happy that I actually am back, it feels like my first album, man!

Does it sound like it? 

No, it sounds like my third, it sounds grown up, it sounds like I’m grown now. The first one I was a child and I’m grown now.

Tell us more about the record! For example, what does the title “M.A.D.E.” stand for? 

It stands for money, attitude, direction and education…

…okay… 

I chose that title because money, attitude, direction and education are like the four keys in life. You need money to get by, you gotta have the right attitude ‘cause else you won't make it far and you gotta be proud of you but not arrogant, you need to know the right direction in life, otherwise you get off the right track, and then education is the key to the right path, I mean, I ain’t never seen any dumb people getting rich, they’re all clever in a certain way.

True that! Producers? 

I got Just Blaze, I got Kanye West, Digga, Scott Storch to name a few.

Are there any real musical differences in comparison to your older albums [“The Coming Of Age” and “The Understanding] or is it just another version of the older ones? 

It’s just really more grown up. It’s more focused on my life, like, you know, it’s really just more grown up, you know, I’m not shootin everybody up in the street no more (laughing).

So you sick dude really did that, huh? 

(laughing) Yeah, right, I’ve already done that. So now I gotta come up with something else! And that be like everything, you know…

I heard you have a son! 

… Definitely, man.

Did that have an influence on your record? 

Definitely. You know I can’t run around like a child no more, ‘cause I really got something to live for.

Is that a positive responsibility? 

Definitely, man, I mean, it’s like the best thing in life. The best thing in life is life.

Sounds perfect. Do you have a favorite track on your album by accident? 

Every track is a favorite track to me, but the one that really is my most, most favorite track is the last song on the album, “Won’t change a thing” feat. Lil’ Cease. And it’s about, like, you know, some people wake up and look into the mirror and are mad on who they are, you know? It’s just like, if I had the chance to live my life all over, I’d do it the same exact way, you know what I mean? With all the ups and downs, with all the bad and the good stuff. I’m just not mad about the man that I am today. That’s what we wanted to tell people.

It was written in your bio that you collected radio-singles for that record. Are you more on the airplay or on the street side of the game with this record? 

I make records, I don’t separate myself from either street or radio, you know, I just make the records that I love and that I feel. And if the radios decide to play that then that’s a great thing, you know, and if the streets decide to consider me street, then that’s a great thing too. I just make records that I am comfortable with, that I wanna talk about, you know, that I think you should hear this, you know?

But still, you can influence for example with the producers, I mean there are producers that are hit-makers! 

Yeah, like, you just have to hear it, I don’t like my music being categorised ‘cause, you know, to me, it’s still just music, and it sounds like good music to me, so you just have to listen to it and decide whether you like it or not.

Memph, when you spat those verses on the intro of Jay-Z’s “Volume 2 – Hard Knock Life”, I was like, man, this guy gotta come out right now ‘cause he’s so hot. Yet, your two albums were great, but they didn’t go platinum. How important are your sales to you and how do you feel about that in general? How do you try to combine your talent and your reputation with big numbers? 

There ain’t no way, man, I’m telling you. Like, you know, you can’t really direct it, I just make music like I said, and I am glad if even five-hundred thousand cop my album. If I never sell a million records in my life I don’t care, I’m still the same man, and I love the music, as long as people respect me, it’s all good. So like, whatever my records do, I’m happy with it, you know?

Don’t you feel like with your reputation, you deserve more than you already achieved? 

Naw, I don’t deserve more, man, I’m grateful for what I have, you can’t be too greedy, man, you know what I mean? That’s what turns people down, they think they gotta go platinum with the next record, and the record they thought would make them go platinum walks them out of the rap game, know what I mean?

So you don’t have a commercial masterplan? 

No, I’m just okay with that man, I mean, if my first record sold 10 million units, how could I go better than that? I mean, it’s like, I wanna go step by step, my first album went gold, my second album went gold too but it sold nine hundred thousand copies, so it was almost platinum. If I sold ten million with my first one and then only went gold with my second, you wouldn’t even be talking to me no more right now.

Jesus Christ, that’s true. You just convinced me! 

(laughing) You know, you always gotta try to be a little better than what you already did, but only a little better, else the bar is just too damn high! People always comparing!

That’s kind of true, we saw what happened with Jigga. Everything was compared to “Reasonable doubt”… How do you feel about his retirement anyway? 

It’s like this. You know, people work really hard nine to five every day of the week and they can’t really do what they wanna do ‘cause they always gotta check into the boss, you know, the boss gotta say so, you know? So, they worry about getting fired. That was the same thing with me, you know, I never could really do that what I wanted ‘cause I always had to answer to him.

To Jay? 

Yeah, but now he’s retiring, so it’s like, I am my own boss now, so I can do whatever I wanna do…

But doesn’t this sound kinda awkward to yourself? I mean, Jay used to be your friend not your boss! Was his influence that big on your albums up to now? 

Defnitely, man. It’s like that, you know, you always wanna be as big as Jay is without being like him!

Which is kinda hard! 

Which is very hard! (Laughing) That’s the influence I had, you know. I mean, if you listen to the rap game there’s a lot of people that wanna sound just like Jay. But I practically live with the n***a, you know what I am saying? I never did that, never! I wanna be better!

The “new, improved Jay-Z”! [from Jay-Z’s “Volume 2: Hard Knock Life”] 

Exactly. I wanna better, I don’t wanna be like him. And that’s want people want me to be: Me copying him, people would be more upset at me than for just being myself and never sell a record.

Sounds like you know what you want. 

Definitely, I love this game. It’s like, Jay is like an older brother to me, and I also love the people I work with.

Considering the fact that you already appeared on Jay-Z’s “Reasonable Doubt” and he’s retiring now. Have you ever considered retiring yourself? 

Naw, probably when I make as much money as he did! (laughing)

Another ten years in the game? 

Definitely, man, as long as I feel it. I love when I go out to a club, give autographs to fans and everything, that’s like my breath, I love the life as an artist, so I’ll stay at least a little longer – ‘cause I just feel it and love it.

Thanks for the interview!

*Disclaimer: Exclusive Memphis Bleek interview was conducted by Emm of Sixshot.com. No part of this interview may be duplicated without written permission from SixShot.com. The interview content or text layout may not be altered in any shape or form.