Im Oh So Serious

Billy Danze has been making hip-hop history since 1993 as part of legendary group M.O.P. Viewed as the poster boy for true East Coast gangsta rap, Billy Danze’s gruff and grimy vocals have laced some of the most revered anthem hip-hop has ever had.

From "Ante Up", to possibly the greatest remix ever, Jay-Z’s "U Don’t Know" (Remix), he always made the song his own.

A few years ago M.O.P left quite a few mouths open when they signed with 50 Cent’s G-Unit. In addition, we haven’t gotten that album we’ve been waiting for.

Luckily, I got to sit down with Billy Danze to talk about all the rumors that have been flying around regarding G-Unit, and trouble within the M.O.P family. I hear a lot of you complaining that hip-hop went soft, well how about some hardcore?

I gotta ask you bro, because a lot of people have been talking. Is everything cool within the M.O.P family?

Yeah of course, of course. I don’t want anybody to get it mixed up, like M.O.P is a group. We’re not a group, it’s not just Billy and Fame, it’s a gang of us, it’s a family and it’s something that started long before rap music. So anything that has anything to do with the industry would never be able to penetrate what it is that we have. We good, I have a responsibility to make sure that we all stay in pocket and Fame has that same obligation.

There’s always been a lot of stories floating around, but I want to get it from the source. What was M.O.P’s time at Rocafella like?

It was good, it was great. Dame [Dash] was a hell of a big brother, a hell of a dude to fuck with, him and Jay-Z. While we were there we dealt mostly with Dame because Jay was an artist and had to stay on his toes and keep moving. It was always good over there and its still good today as far as I’m concerned, we never had a problem with Rocafella.

Their situation was, they broke up and we didn’t want to be a part of Damon Dash Music Group and we didn’t want to be a part of whatever Jay-Z was doing so we decided to just bow out.

Now I’m sure you had offers from literally, everywhere. Why did you make the decision to go with G-Unit?

G-Unit was mainly Fame’s decision but I back Fame on anything he wants to do. My main concern was being signed to an artist because artists have their own careers to manage and we might not get the proper attention. So like I said it was mostly Fame but I don’t think it was a bad decision. G-Unit is still one of the biggest labels out there today in terms of getting attention so I don’t think it was such a bad move for us.

Do you have a personal relationship with 50 Cent?

Yeah, it’s as personal as it is. This is something I wanted the fans to know too because a lot of them were mad that we signed to G-Unit because they might not like 50 or whatever the case may be. But, this is business, man. I didn’t sign to G-Unit to become 50 Cent, Tony Yayo, Young Buck, or one of those guys. I signed with them to be able to get my music to the people that appreciate it. I’ve had countless conversations with 50 and we pretty much see eye to eye.

What is up with these stories about 50 trying to get you guys in the gym, trying to get you to lose weight? These stories have been floating around since you signed to G-Unit.

I really don’t know, you would have to ask 50 about that. I’m sitting in the gym right now. It’s something that I do anyway. Sometimes I fall off and sometimes I don’t, but in 50’s defense, if you own a store a something is out of place on the shelf, you’re gonna try and put it in the right place. That’s just the way you make money. 50 didn’t come in the game when we first came in the game.

When we came in the game was when people first started thinking they could make some money in the game, when people first started having that thought. You gotta respect 50’s opinion if he wants to make money. I mean I didn’t sign with G-Unit so I could not make money. And they didn’t want us over there so they could make no money. It’s only business bro, that’s it.

Do you feel, at the end of that day, that the G-Unit affiliation will broaden your audience?

Yeah, I cant even bullshit on that. I was just thinking about that. I mean before G-Unit even came in to existence we had traveled the world but since we’ve gone out with them we’ve been places we’ve never been and the people were happy to see us. That exposes us to a different pocket of the world where maybe they wanted to hear M.O.P but they couldn’t get us full-fledged. I’m happy about everything brother.

Another thing people are dying to know is, where’s the album?

The album is done twice now. (Laughs) It’s all about the set-up. If the set up isn’t right, I wont allow it come out, Fif wont allow it to come out and I don’t want people to think it’s being held back because it’s not ready. It just has to be released with the right perspective. I’ve been in this game for too long to just keep dropping music and not reap the benefits that I should. I appreciate the fans that are bearing with us.

From time to time, we’ll drop joints, a mixtape, whatever. I have a solo project coming out. Fame is heavy into the production. You’ll always be able to get the M.O.P until the set-up for the album is right. The set-up has to be right. I’ve put too much into my career to make it where somebody eats more off Billy Danze than Billy Danze does.

Do we have an album title yet, guest appearances, anything you could give us?

Fame and me were talking and we’re gonna let an M.O.P fan name the album. We’ll do like a contest and whoever comes up with the dopest name, that will be the name of the album. We’ll give a press release and a track listing with the description of the records and we’ll let the fans pick the title because they’re the reason why we do this. We want the fans to participate in this album.

Was most of the production handled by Fame?

No. We got production from everybody, DJ Premier, DR Period, Lil Fame of course and a few other dude. I’m telling you though; we got a slew of records. I’m not gonna waste any records; it doesn’t make sense to me.

Any guest appearances on there?

I’m gonna be on Fame’s and Fame is gonna be on my album but basically it’s just family for now. We got Redman on a joint, which is totally fucking, incredible, incredible. I mean if you follow out careers you’ll know that we won’t work with somebody just because they’re hot at the time. I gotta meet somebody and they gotta be a good dude or a good woman and be dope and then we’ll work something out. Because I like to stay within my circle so if there’s a problem we can handle it and it doesn’t go to the press and all that.

How’s the solo album coming?

Oh, that’s crazy, it’s called Behind Gates and the first joint off there is "God Bless and Good Night". It’s been a while since people have heard from M.O.P and a lot of artists have come out since then. And it’s like, okay thank you; your time is up now, "God Bless and Good Night". It’s time for M.O.P to do what the fuck they gotta do so that’s why I chose that as the first record. I got a street record right now called "Gangsta", [DJ] Kay Slay is heavy on it right now, street DJ’s across the country are heavy on it right now.

Behind Gates means a lot of things, like a dude in jail could be like I’m behind these fuckin’ gates. Where I come from me and my whole family felt like it was us and then everybody else in the world were hangin’ out together. It’s just behind gates, period. It’s like Bill Danze, a.k.a Bill Gates, who’s behind Gates? That’s why I reach out to brothers like you, so we could get this poppin’ with the right circle and take this thing and run with it.

Now lemme ask you Billy, G-Unit is known for having a lot of beef in the industry. Have people had any reaction to you since you’ve been aligned with them?

No, not at all. I’m grown man, I’m on that grown man shit. I did a lot of fly shit in my life but the flyest shit I ever did was make it home to my kids.

I’ll do whatever I have to do to make it home to my kids so I don’t put myself in positions where I could get killed or compromise my freedom.

Anybody that has beef with G-Unit or whatever can sit down with me and see that I have my priorities set.

Hood nigga? All the way. Street Nigga? All the way. But there’s a point in your life, like man I’m tired of being banned from every major city, we have been banned from every major city in the United States. I can’t go to the club unless it’s just my wife and me. I just want people to know that I’m a grown man and I don’t fuck with childish nonsense.

Whatever problem they have at G-Unit anyway, they don’t need our help, they been handling it. 50 didn’t sign M.O.P for that reason, I think he signed us because he genuinely a fan.

How About Some Hardcore? Was in 1993, that’s 15 years into the game, how has it changed?

Hip-Hop itself hasn’t changed but the industry has changed. Hip-hop is hip-hop, people may not consider it hip-hop but hip-hop is just being creative, so in a sense that’s hip-hop. What the East Coast calls hip-hop, today’s hip-hop isn’t it but I don’t have a problem with nothing that’s put out. Change isn’t bad; it’s a good thing. Music that makes other artists want to write records is what’s supposed to happen. I believe it’s changed for the better.

What about the sales situation?

Could you imagine a world without music? Either way, whoever is gonna be the person that is gonna sell the music, or make the music, is gonna make money. Cd’s are down but the downloads are up so it’s always the same money. If a motherfucker is sittin’ around with vinyl, he gotta understand they got the Serato and all that shit. There’s downloads, so there’s money. Just make sure you’re deal is right and that they don’t get all the digital, as a matter of fact I don’t need you now. I can say fuck off. I like to do it where one hand washes the other though, let’s get money.

How have M.O.P internet sales been?

We don’t have any new music out but when we first put them out they did great and that’s why I’m putting out Behind Gates. Listen when I’m telling you dogg, this has been a few months in the making. G"od Bless and Good Night" is in Japan, it’s in Holland. I got a lot of feedback so I’m really happy I released it. People are lovin’ it, the bounce is incredible. It’s everything I believe a record should be. Some people want me to just wild out, my jailhouse dude; the Gangsta record is for them. From what I’m hearing from Rikers and Attica they’re talkin’ about Billy Danze in the yard. I represent for them, the people that feel forgotten about.

Anything you’d like to say to your fans?

Stay tuned; look out for Behind Gates, Fame’s Fame and Glory, which is incredible. M.O.P album is coming soon. I’d like to thank ya’ll for fighting for us because we fight for ya’ll.

Where can they check you?

I need my people to hit me up man. I don’t want no third party. I wanna talk to ya’ll myself so here’s my personal email address and you can hit me up there, Marxsman1@Yahoo.Com.

NEWSKULL

lol@ I am in the gym... good read...

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DAVID BROWN CLOTHING

Viktor Vaughn

legend, props

BrooklynZ Finest

MOP is the best group out...

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Killarmy and M.O.P to the mo´fucking death!

asalazar

true that.