IAMGAWD Interview

Jeff: 0:47

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Anthony: 0:49

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Jeff: 2:42

Yo yo yo we got our special guest I am God from Shy Town Shy Town stand up underground rap album just dropped recently Murder Castle was good homie thank you for for joining us.

IAMGAWD: 2:59

I appreciate y'all having me man. I'm good I'm good man. Happy to be here. My fucking Friday man forgot to get oh let me get the weekend started bro. I'm happy to be here.

Jeff: 3:09

Appreciate y'all know your new album is out. I was listening to that shit on title that's just available everywhere. My favorite song on that shit is murder one. I believe you dropped the video for that one. So that's that's why I was the only green slide Yeah, so that should is dope and I was like who's this New York cat because you sound rude New York. You know I'm saying as I look at your backdrop now you guys have taught me how to rap you got some Timberlands, in the background? You got some Jordans. Like I'm like alright, this dude must be from New York but then obviously you started listening you rep Chicago a lot and your lyrics so I'm like oh, he's from Shark Tank. So tell us tell us your story. Man. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

IAMGAWD: 3:45

So yeah, basically the New York influences is undeniable like the biggest told me how to rap you know I'm saying like I originally started off probably around like 10 or some trying to rap and she sounded like Do or Die twisted I thought it was baby twist at one point in time just went that fast so initially you know I'm saying yeah and I still fuck with it from time to time the show them off they're like I still do it but definitely not as much as I used to. But yeah southwest out of Chicago all the clear quartz you know saying shout out to land he took the buildings but they can take the memories. Now the font project you know, I'm saying it was tore down in 2009 Like I said southwest side. I consider myself more South Side and west side though because like I was never really out west you know I'm saying got a little family out there but if I went into it I was always outside somewhere you know I'm saying so even with the school high school ourselves and shit I'm not currently in the city right now. I'm like 45 minutes outside the city. Yeah, Chicago you know I'm saying to went to Chicago when to Chicago and got them. But I grew up in a musical household. My Oh gee, I'm even told me my alphabet of notable artists at a time. So shit like asbl Be sure B is for Bobby Brown. C is for cameo D is for the bar. She liked that. You know, I'm saying she was always singing running around a crib singing No, Sunday's was the gospel day. You know, I'm saying heavy gospel music through the creative cleaning up, you know, I'm saying shit like that. So, it man like musical influences began early on, you understand? Before I started getting into rapping or whatever. I used to call myself trying to sing dance. You know, I'm saying all that shit at a young age. I used to draw, you know, saying I was good with the pencil or whatever.

Jeff: 5:27

Or element? Yeah, like elements of hip hop.

IAMGAWD: 5:30

Yeah, you know, I'm saying like, what? Tupac Brenda's got a baby. You know, I'm saying I told the story before like that video. Kind of made me look at rap. Like, oh shit, you know, like, I was five at that time. So but I remember excuse me seeing that video. And it was in black and white and even One five I'm still cognizant enough of mine enough to be able to understand certain should be talking about so I never heard of it at five I never heard nobody like having a baby on a bathroom floor and then putting the baby in a dumpster and shit like that. I'm like what? Like so I was terrified as a five year old but I couldn't look away it's one of those things where you stuck like It shocked me but I couldn't look away and I used to watch that video every time it came on. Like y'all have video music Well, I'm saying y'all Oh, no way all based I know you east coast, but just know how New York Okay, so y'all I think y'all did have y'all have video music box Correct? Yes, sir. We had the box you know I'm saying the chute to what you call we had the box we have

Anthony: 6:30

yet to put it. Yeah,

IAMGAWD: 6:32

yeah, fax fax. So you had to call in the video. Like I used to watch that video. They should all the time. You know, I'm saying so that's that's kind of how I started.

Jeff: 6:41

I left out on your intro, I left out the CEO of no mediocre recordings two

IAMGAWD: 6:46

years. So my first business endeavor as a January 2022. Just some light news, and I'm ready to start taking on artists, other artists myself, you know, I'm still gonna want to come up on the ground. I'm still ascending. So that's something I'd definitely be interested in. You understand? Once I get my feet wet, get my feet planted. You know, I'm saying my feet already wet. And once I get them planted. And so what I'm trying to do, definitely, but as of right now, I'm the owner operator and stop playing.

Jeff: 7:14

What was that line that Biggie said? I'm the player president. I'm not only a client,

IAMGAWD: 7:20

I'm not only the client, I'm gonna play a president.

Jeff: 7:22

Now. This is your this is your fourth album right? Murder Castle. Yeah, since

IAMGAWD: 7:27

2020. I've been I've been rapping for roughly say I got my I put in my 10,000 hours. Like I didn't put in my 20,000 hours. I've been rapping for 20 plus years. You know, I'm saying I'm 36 you understand? So I've been rapping for 20 plus years. So no, this is just like, This is my second when you said I had shit on the internet since around like the 2010 timeframe, I stopped calling myself quitting around like 2016 So you know, took a little brief hiatus, thought I was gonna be able to hang the mic up. But you know, like they say, oh, have is that hard. And now

Jeff: 8:01

you were going back to you said like your mom's or whatnot, you know, you would listen to the music, you know, your parents was listening? Do you find yourself like going back and using that and your music? You know, setting that influence doll beats are those you know, those melodies are those hooks or whatever.

IAMGAWD: 8:17

Not sometimes, but not necessarily I play it more than anything is I play it more than trying to incorporate it you know, I'm saying that to my actual music. If I hear something that a producer bring to my attention and it's incorporated in a course of his noble values it but I'm not really taking loops or samples to nobody, like a incorporate this into a beat for me. You know, I'm saying I'm not really I'm not really doing that I kind of, I'm not saying I'm against it or nothing. I just kind of let the producer do them. And whatever they come with, if I'm feeling it, I'm feeling it. But I play it more than

Jeff: 8:47

the Puff Daddy shit. You know, I'm saying he took all the joints from the 70s and 80s. You know, and if you ain't really grew up listening to that shit, you wouldn't have known where this came from, you will know that's just dope. Absolutely. Now who you who would you say are your influences? I mean,

IAMGAWD: 9:03

my main inspiration, right? My main inspiration as I got older was not not just my favorite emcee, hands down dead or alive. But definitely all the the, the regular cast of characters that everybody will say I'm from that era. So you understand. I'm gonna say knives. I'm gonna say Puck, I'm gonna say pawn. I'm gonna say X. I'm gonna say gee, I'm gonna say I'm gonna say que nos. And he mentioned pun, like, I'm gonna say, No, we're gonna get into that. Oh, yeah, come on, man. That in the middle a little wiggly. Little did we know that. We read him some

Jeff: 9:37

lights. And that was a throwaway line. That was a throwaway line. He said that as a joke.

IAMGAWD: 9:42

Yeah, like, anybody out here still trying to deny the greatness of Christopher Rios. Can you talk? I'm not even trying to engage humans. I'm not even saying I'm gonna

Jeff: 9:52

let you talk. And because we have this argument all the time.

IAMGAWD: 9:55

No, I'm not even a

Anthony: 9:58

man's name because he Latin which right? Am I supposed to read for your people?

Jeff: 10:02

I admit it. I never said I never said that person was shit. I never said that. You'd never said that. But you never mentioned them in any conversation. When we talk about the goats pun is not nowhere anywhere near your list. And I'm not talking to you in general. I'm talking and I don't want to make this a race thing. But we're going to have to get make it a little bit of a race that we're going to have to because we're gonna have to, because I feel like and we're gonna get into Eminem too. Because Because, yeah, I do this and yeah, I mean, the black community. The black community does this to me. I'm sorry, man. The black community does this to em. And they do this upon a lot. Where okay, if you don't relate to the music, that's okay. That's one thing, but to not acknowledge that you know how dope they are. Are how great they are is another thing. Like I can't relate to Jay Z selling cocaine because I've never done it. But I got him in my top five. Like Jay Z is in my top five. Right. But I never hear you know what I'm saying? Obviously, I got a lot of black friends. You ask them Yeah, who's your top? punters never mentioned Eminem has never mentioned. And I always thought it was a race thing. I hope I'm wrong. I could be you're not I'm saying?

IAMGAWD: 11:10

I wouldn't say I wouldn't say so. I wouldn't say so. I just think that you have to have a specific year to really put pulling in your top only because he is his reign was so short lived. And I understand he put out the same amount of albums as be exactly it was a larger than life character. Before he passed like Putin was still ascending. You know, I'm saying but I'm an MC through and through. So for my MC perspective, Pong, took my brain to the next level and show me what you could do as far as rep. Like before the end, it was the it was the I don't want to call it basic, but it was the regular punch line. Floyd Cassidy JD kids then was my biggest, but when I heard dead in the middle of Little Italy, I'm like, Oh, shit, you can do that. You know, I'm saying so like, Pong really expanded my mind and I gotta shut out Kuji rap for that. Because Kuji rap is the main direct influence on porn. So Kuji rap indirectly influenced me. And hearing those stories made me go back and listen to Kuzey like, oh, no, this was a demon. Like who was he is one of my favorite rappers ever. You know, I'm saying so it's like, I wouldn't say it's a race thing. You know, I'm saying but for me, I'm gonna MC maybe the negative talk was really just not rappers, you know, I'm saying I don't know if that got something to do with it. But I appreciate intricacy and agility, the agility of how you play with your words.

Anthony: 12:26

It's no diss against them. And they're one of one and one of one. There's just no other pun. There's no other end. They like there's no other white dude, you put on a list. There's no other Spanish or you put a list there one of one. That's what makes them stand out. So when you start come off, you're always going to name you're gonna name pump before you name Joe. Yeah, Joe been around longer. No joke, right? And the same thing with em. You're not gonna see like a logical, you're not gonna have no other way of representing them. They just want a one. It's not a distort them to that you're in a culture dominated by, you know, do this. It's the reverse. Like you asked white people about basketball. They don't have Larry Bird, the top five, right? I get it, but you don't deserve to beat him. Because he's Larry. He's one of us. So I get it. I don't get mad at it. When people don't mention because I know they're gonna mention punt. Eventually, they're gonna mention em, eventually. But like I said,

IAMGAWD: 13:12

mmm, my top team and I didn't put him in my top five because I feel like he's still living in my opinion. His reign was short lived. Now I understand super rap kind of soars battle rap, was they gonna hold him as high as they possibly can to the death of them. But for me, I really only fuck with his early work. Um, I got an m&m During the Slim Shady era. So from 99 to about 2003 Four is when I was like, fucking with m&m heavy. He and my top 10 Just off that run alone. But the shit after that, I can't sit here and tell you that, that I really was a fan of it. I ain't gonna shit on him. Because even now today, he's still technically superior to what a lot of motherfuckers had done before him but that's not the only thing that I hang my hat on when I say when I put them off on a list or rank them or whatever you know, I'm saying like he's definitely you know, I'm saying contributed to the art form and he submitted but you want to send I just I'll fuck with Slim Shady you know, I'm saying I felt like after the sobriety and all that, to me, his music didn't hit the same you know, I'm saying that's just me. Yeah, my top 10 But I couldn't put them no higher than that. His reign

Jeff: 14:23

at the top was short, like leprechauns. As there's a lot of dudes, but like, and then we go back to Putin, like Fat Joe was just on the map HOFA podcast and he was talking about how he's so underrated and all it is, to me federal wasn't even the second best in his own group. Because I had fun and then I had Cuban link after him. Cuba links is super nice.

IAMGAWD: 14:43

Today you had like Armageddon and triple like, and then we're ready came into the to the picture. So I wasn't a fan of Joe before polling. I can't even start I wasn't a fan of Paul. It made me like Joe Klein made me rock with Joe. Yeah.

Anthony: 15:00

And you can make a one on one view. We got his argument but he just is just he's outstanding. Especially we're looking at lyricism it's a difference when you when talking about the lyrical miracle is a difference because I know what he taught you know you talk now as you talk Jay but there's not any that many better represented world and black thought I was gonna say black thought is a miracle lyrical dude and he's super nice. He just dropped some new shit easily and that's just fire him shoot with him in danger mass right? But that's what he does. So it's that's the beauty of hip hop its beauty culture. It's not one size fits all looking for some gangster shit we got you over here with some conscious we got you here some thoughtful you want to speak about the Children's Society life we got you here. You want to dope shit you want to trap shit we got. It's never one thing. It only gets a little bit confusing when we're trying I've narrowed down to like, who are the best of the best? And the thing is that it's hard to do a Mount Rushmore things you can but it's like there's just like basketball there's certain things in certain areas that people were great at that might be able to do this or that but I wouldn't put them here like canes one of the best rappers of all time is in my top 10 No because a lot of people are just surpass them just kind of just the game has grown they rap better they do better they've performed better to know distance Kane is no distance care was one no designee G Rap it's not just that they wouldn't

IAMGAWD: 16:25

allow me to interject right because I felt the way around it personally you know I'm saying I don't even include the forefathers I'm gonna call them I don't include the forefathers in my top five discussions because to me I felt like this disrespectful they made the blueprint for what all of us do so they're like icon status like you will never hear me mentioned K RS one Kool G Rap Big Daddy Kane rock him. None of those dudes in my top five because they're above a Tabatabai lol Oh, I was never the biggest ll fan so look to the legend. I did fuck with them around a certain period of time around. Around I want to say I will consider him a forefather. I can't remember the time period. It was maybe when I say four or five I mean the first ones like he was he was afternoon you know I'm saying he was afternoon. He a forefather for what we know or what we knew as modern day rap as far as like bridge and mainstream with steel being MC I give them forefather that but when I say four or five I mean the first not like the first because it Rockhampton wasn't the first rap was but the first month was to be signed to a label and put out music I'm talking about specifically Kr s Big Daddy Kane Rakim Kool G Rap slight Rick them right the yes like Right, exactly. So those motherfuckers that never come out my mouth as far as in the list because y'all the reason why we do what the fuck we do, so I wouldn't reduce them to list you know, I'm saying they are Mount Rushmore, in my in my opinion in my mind. You know, I'm saying that when you get to the ladder, you want to send everybody to come after them. Everybody's got to play as far as what you put them out on a list where you work, right? They're legends

Jeff: 18:05

before I move on. Yeah, before I move on from punk, I'm gonna get off the subject. You said the little the little Italy verse was the one that made you start liking him. That's not even the part that made me start liking him the verse that made me start liking him was the one where he was like, the first murderers the worst. I thirst further for reverse birth. That show was a tongue twister and shit. And you had to like listen to this shit. And I used to write this shit down to try to get it. And I was like, this is different. Right? And you know, like, we will talk about this a lot on here. Like, for a big dude like that. He wasted no breath. He was from that Kuji rap cloth. You know, I'm saying they didn't waste no syllables, no breath. No spaces was wasted at all. And he would breathe.

IAMGAWD: 18:45

But you got to understand it 98 I was 12 years and so I wrote pulling off when I first saw him like I saw and her. Okay, so I saw in her poem before tweens 98 My first encounter with Pauling was the original amount of play video. And at that time, I was heavy east coast into the locks and sheets I didn't want to hit No r&b sheet in the rap sheet. So the Darling Darling name the old days the old Jason I'm like Oh Jay he's like I know who they was and respected because my mom used to play that shit too but I didn't want to hear that rap at that time. So I was this fat Mexican and that's my ignorance is a Chicago Nigut everybody was Mexicans us you know I'm saying you wouldn't black if you look Hispanic he was Mexican. I mean low key it is but that's just what it was at the time. I was 12 Ignorant knew I'm saying growing up and I'm used to what I'm used to is fat Mexican legal like the fuck out I'm gonna hit a shit and then like, as I got older, like not even that far after the pack it's probably a couple months after that because that was off the capital punishment sheet. I think it was lamb wire though. So maybe it was on a one line on why it came out but like 99 Maybe a year after capital punishment or some shit like that came out like I got I got a hold of lamb wire and I'll read them so many fucking computers just like download music and get them infected with viruses and all that dumb shit but like that's when I heard capital punishment as a whole and I'm like oh shit and then I heard the doll and I'm like, Oh, this was like this the same dude I'm like oh my god I slept you're saying like if I could double myself and punch myself in the fucking mouth asleep and I would have noticed because I'm like wow, I really wrote buddy off off and he was spitting on not a play he was spitting like as I go back and I listen to this shit like he was spitting but my 12 year old mind for whatever reason didn't want to hit us you know I'm saying and maybe it was how you looked or I don't know you know I'm saying but much respect opponent like I don't know what the fuck I was on a twill but I definitely got off that way you could say Oh,

Jeff: 20:44

I think it's a crime that his son and getting put on Yeah, like that, bro. I mean, I know He's killing in an underground and shit but I know he's really eating like he should be eating.

IAMGAWD: 20:52

Oh no man but yeah Chris rivers is nice, but yo, super nice to laughing

Anthony: 20:57

people man I appreciate that you know it's hard it's hard when you're the son of a legend it just hard like no matter what you do your compared to him that should definitely

IAMGAWD: 21:08

I think it's deeper than that though. I think it's deeper than that I already think it's the shadow of his pops I think it's the whole Joshi and I'm not saying Joe was doing anything to keep him from from blowing up I'm not saying that at all I'm just saying like some wrong we don't have that shit go if you don't rock with this small fucker right you don't rock with him. And Joe was the big fish and Chris is just Chris rivers. So yeah, he's a son of a legend. But you know what all the turmoil between his family and with Joe I think that should play a big role and they should I don't think nobody really wants to touch him. Just because you know he not right he not rocking with Joe the way certain people might feel like he shouldn't be Oh noises outside looking well I know is

Jeff: 21:45

this meant to make sense? If you're supposed to be my best friend if Anthony, God forbid, passes away and his you know, he leaves his kid behind with his you know, his baby mother or whatever. And met his baby mother and rockin with each other. I'm still gonna make sure his son eats you know what I'm saying? That's

IAMGAWD: 22:01

just law. Honestly. From what I heard from, from what our fragile say in a recent interview, I don't know if this was on a map shit, or I can't remember what I'm saying. But I think it was the map sheet. He said that they was doing a tripping for pawn sometime in the past. And he reached out to Chris to have him perform like do your pops versus betweens and everything else I want you to rock with him. And he said the day before he hit him like Yo, you ready? He's like my mom. My mother said I can't do it. You know I'm saying so I can't say his job. You know I'm saying like, that's his family. You want to say like he can ride with his fam you know I'm saying so I think this is deeper than what we know. But this is what I heard Joe say out his own mouth so it's unfortunate but it is what it is nice. I spoke with him.

Jeff: 22:49

Yeah, moving on. What's your Chinatown top three. I'm gonna give you mine. Chicago. I'll give you mine. Okay, common number one. Kanye number two I don't know who I got three but that's my one and two.

Anthony: 23:04

For sure. Common one Twister to Kanye three

IAMGAWD: 23:07

I got twisted three I got twisted three talking about twist the two that we talked we talked about just wrapped the year you can you can easily have twisted

Jeff: 23:17

but it's just everything that was not just right up is the influence

IAMGAWD: 23:19

but I'm just saying like no okay, you talking about okay, see? Oh, I put it to you like this. I'm gonna give you my top three artists and they might top top three rappers matzah they in no particular order though. My top three rappers will probably be common Lou and Twister. My top three artists of all time from Chicago will probably be Kanye. I want to make sure I get this shit right. Kanye because I it's always on top rappers shit to me. I never really looked at artists in his totality as far as to create, but it probably be Kanye common. And that last one would be Kanye comment. I gotta be twisted. Kanye common and twisted. But the rap was a B common twisting and looping. Common twisting was kind of a

Jeff: 24:14

this is pretty Kardashian Kanye. Oh,

Anthony: 24:17

absolutely.

Jeff: 24:18

Absolutely everything post Kardashian like I just block it out of my memory. Like I don't I don't count that. That's like Jordan when he played with the wisdom. I count that

IAMGAWD: 24:26

for me up until like, up until My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. That's the last thing I really liked him after that, or everything up to that. I mean, she ate always heartbreaks anytime but I wasn't on their way. I wasn't on our way on did he released that black skinhead shit in between that time too. Yeah, I think it was gonna be those two was the only ones that I didn't fuck with. But the 808 is hard and heartbreaking. The Rock and Roll show he was on when I didn't I wouldn't jacking it you know I'm saying but everything outside of those two in that low error error from college dropout to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. I mean, with the exception of those two projects for me personally. That's one of the greatest ruins

Jeff: 25:11

it is. Yo but let's bring it back to you. I am God. That's an acronym.

IAMGAWD: 25:18

Yeah, so tell us about that. Yeah, so it breaks down into I am getting ahead without devolving and you know what that basically mean is like I'm gonna get one going it's already destined it's already pre written pre written I'm gonna get one going without having to sell my soul to do something that I'm not gonna be comfortable with. I'm not finna rock no person, nothing to skirt. I'm not fitting Yeah, I'm not going to do none of that shit. And if that mean that I can't get the success that I want to so be it. I just won't have it but I have to look in the mirror and be able to be comfortable with, with a reflection, I see, I want to be able to be a proper example to my two sons that something I'm proud of what I'm saying. So it's beyond me, but I'm not going 10 steps backward to move one step forward, you know, I'm saying if that makes any sense, like, it's, it's something about, you know, it's a way of life and then just no name. It's a way of life. And, you know, I'm saying it for those who want to take it to a place of blasphemy and say, I'm being blasphemous, oh, I'm not 5% But you know, I'm saying the gods and the herbs told us that, you know, I'm saying a black man is God. And you know, even if you want to take it to the Bible, the Bible says, We made in His image, so you can sit on your heads and pray to the scout all day, and nothing falling from the sky, but hail, sleet, snow and rain, you know, I'm saying you still have to get up on your feet and make whatever happen. happen. You know, I'm saying so it's like, in that sense, we are. We are masters of our destiny. You know, I'm saying we control what happened even though I said, it's, it was it's written, but you got to walk that walk. You got to take that journey. Yes, it is up to you and your limbs. And so I stand on masters

Jeff: 26:54

of our fate like Rayquaza so you ain't so you ain't trying to sell your booty hold, man. Yo, like,

IAMGAWD: 27:03

we gotta hear that.

Jeff: 27:07

Now, but you know how they always say that shit. Like, I ain't gonna wear a dress. And you know, there's like, there's that whole that whole thing about, you know, in Hollywood, where they always make the black celebrities, whether it's Chris Rock, whether it's Eddie Murphy, whether it's whoever, you know, I'm saying Dave Chappelle, even like they've always wanted to dress you know what I mean? And you know, you can say that Illuminati I

IAMGAWD: 27:25

don't have no main strength. I don't have mainstream aspiration. I'm not saying that I never do business inside mainstream music. But you know, if it happens, then it makes sense. Cool. But right now my focus is grassroots building no mediocre continue to put on with filthy record, shut out filthy records, filthy Analects record company. Mod. I'm trying to elevate Chicago underground hip hop, it has nothing to do with the mainstream. So it's much easier to navigate and do it your way. You want to be doing some grass roots shit, you know, saying it's a much slower burn. It takes a much longer time to reach the level you want to get to. But you know, I'm pasties. The industry is the ones who put all these MAFAC and restrictions on this shit anyway, they told us that you couldn't be older than 25. And to do that, they told us you couldn't be a superstar for 20 Some they told us you couldn't do this. You couldn't do that. They told us that the first year was a flop is overweight for you. They told us this, you know, I'm saying and we just went along with the sheet. So, you know, I'm learning a lot of shit that I was told. As a younger, young adult or as a child, I'm still unlearning a lot of shit. Like it's 2020 to six months away from 2023 row. You know, I'm saying like, a lot of that sheet is outdated, you know, I'm saying so. I don't have no aspirations right now currently to do anything mainstream. I'm not looking for new label deals like the current state of music. It's not even suited for artists like me to even flourish. I mean, I understand Vinnie with a Def Jam shit and shit like that, but maybe they know something or not, don't you understand? I'm comfortable doing the type of music I'm doing. I like doing the type of music I'm doing. You know, I'm saying so.

Jeff: 29:05

Like, would you ever like if somebody threw a bag at you? Would you ever consider like switching up your lyrics dumbing it down so to speak? You know, I'm saying just for a bag. Like like not like Jay said, you know, I don't doubt my audience a double my dollars type shit.

IAMGAWD: 29:19

I did it already not for a bag. But I did it in a sense to try to elevate my status and get further. That's why I quit. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. That led me to quit in 2016 I put out three joints and I was still rapping but they was heavily trapping influence. You know, I'm saying and it was like, a loan with the current state of the music in 2016. And this and that. It's like I just I was over. I was over this I was over this shit. I was disgusted even you know I'm saying this I'm like, fuck this shit. I'll work a job and I'm gonna Why the fuck I thought I could do that. Like, like I worked a job I've been working like them to my whole life but meaning I don't know why the fuck I thought I could work in the field a man for the rest of my life. Like day by day I'm over that shit. You know I'm saying it was like no, I really can't and plus with the murders that have been resolved and Nick It's like they put the battery in but what really it was kind of wait, because I didn't even know what the fuck was able to was I just seen that static select the freestyle when he was going after the battle rap niggas and I'm like, Oh, this is nice. And he got to twist it up. Spin. I'm like, Oh, like this shouldn't be back. I'm back. Let's go you know, I'm saying and that's really what it was. It was and so he definitely caught me was an inspiration in as far as me picking up the pen again because I was over

Jeff: 30:28

the shoe. And because I was gonna ask you that you already you're leading into all the shit I was gonna ask you I was gonna ask you you took a hiatus you know, I'm saying I was gonna ask you like what made you just fucking quit? Like was it the fact that you know you wasn't finna do the music that was popping right now. You know, I'm saying like you felt like the lyrical shit that he was trying to spit or the message he was trying to portray Your convey like was the people wasn't really it was going on deaf ears.

IAMGAWD: 30:51

Like around that time or my focus was shitting on anything they were quite hard like it was only a few artists that was really getting away with it you know I'm saying and carry with me and one of them co excuse me oh and a few others they wasn't only once correct what's the oldest come up around that time? So it was Dude, it was dudes out like it never went on. Well, I don't want to sound like one of them. You know, I'm saying like it never went away it was still always around. It was just the fact of how proactive you were in the search to try to find a shoe that you liked. And at that time, I was still you know, always chalk chalk it up to hip hop as we explore you understand throughout the 90s and early 2000s who was whole because the superstars word the lyrical ball focus, you know, I'm saying like, you could be lyrical and sell 5 million records you know, I'm saying decades ago, so we didn't really have to do no dig and now it got to the point where certain well for the Starlene tour was more like the raucous crowd the most deaths and you know, I'm saying like lyricist lounge type shit. And those were the real lyricism they asked and the mainstream thinkers would really own shit, but me as a shorty I grew up on contemporary rap which was like Hard Knock light Volume Two I am shit like that I got on NAS and I am I missed the initial impact for it was written and Illmatic you know said I was too young I wouldn't own it like that yet you know I'm saying but I grew up in the era of contemporary rap that's what it would be called you know I'm saying labeled in the magazines or whatever or in SAM Goody or whatever you got the CD from the music from so you know, we were spoiled you know I'm saying so with this internet wave shit, you have to actually do a lot of digging to find anything reminiscent of that you know, I'm saying so and I fell into the trap of still want to be spoiled. So not No, no, no, not even realizing we've been spoiled. I just thought like, hey, this what is wrong with these niggas is trash. Why do you not rapping? You know, I'm saying why do my TV and a not really rapping? You know, I'm saying so it's like, that's, but I was still young though. When you y'all you don't know. She knew I'm saying I'm 36 now so I understand that she didn't I see it much clearer for whatever it is that instead of saying

Jeff: 33:01

you know, a lot of dudes I think we're doing too and Jay was one of the main dudes doing this shit. Like they was putting out the bullshit commercial song It's a hard knock life which I hate that's like my I hate this shit. But end up but then the real shit was in the album you had to listen to the album and find the shit that you know the real lyrical shit because I used to hate

IAMGAWD: 33:19

he said that I wanted to join a blueprint blueprint. No dummy that's the shit I'm sprinkling the album with the keep the registers. So yeah, that's always been a formula. It's always not always but that's what I say. LL Cool J is a forefather that I will say I will give Elio

Jeff: 33:37

that that was like the first Drake like he made this girl song to make you know, but then in the album's he had the shit with met the man and DMX and Redman and cannabis that was in the album. You know what I mean? He would always introduce new cats. But the mainstream she was the girl songs, you know, I mean, hey, love, whatever. Exactly. And the clothes she's right.

Anthony: 33:59

About man, like, you still gotta be from I'm bad. Come on, like, he didn't know Jack the Ripper. Like, I was always good at that. Like you like Jack the Ripper? No, not really. I think okay, good, I think is a good attempt on him trying to be hardcore. But he figured out himself, like, he's one of the most honest representative was because like, I'm not that dude. Like, you'd like you don't ever hear no timeout. I moved this amount. So this so that? No, it was basically, I love chicks chicks. I could wrap them. And that's it, like it. Never freed from it. That's the problem is when people try to be something that they not. When you talk in this trap shooting, I know you're not doing it. But sometimes people can escape that Ross made a whole career talking about him selling dope. And everybody knew he was a corrections officer. But he was so good at what he's doing. No one cared like, Alright, fine. We know,

IAMGAWD: 34:55

I don't know about that example. Overall. I don't know. What about that example. I understand why a lot of people feel that way. But I'm from the era to where gang members were police officers. You know, I'm saying and they was like, they Yeah, so it's like, honestly, he lied about it. But he could have been in the hole and somebody down. We don't know that he can't legally say he was holding somebody now. So I never took that as like, oh, this negating saying Oh, don't be able to see oh, I never looked at it like that because that might have been a plot on something bigger that we're not privy to. And I'm not trying to capitalize them but I just know of situations to where my focus had a badge and a gun but they was patrolling they said making sure shit was cool. You know I'm saying so it's like, I never really I never really took to that that. That theory on roles, but on the cry MAFAC a wood.

Anthony: 35:49

Oh, I'm from New York. I know that. I know. I know a lot of people who've got badges and they're doing two types of blues, one for work.

Jeff: 36:01

But ll ll was the first dude that I ever heard call himself to go. LL Cool. J greatest of all time. I was like, I definitely got to credit him with this when I was like, Oh, he's he's gotta believe him. You know, I'm

IAMGAWD: 36:12

saying he said that shit. What album was that? Was that phenomenon?

Jeff: 36:16

I think that was phenomenon. Yeah.

IAMGAWD: 36:18

So that's the error that I got. lol, I knew who he was. Obviously, I know who he was. I got in trouble. years it wasn't 40 foot singing doing it and doing it well. But um, I definitely knew who he was. You don't say he was a superstar. By the time he got in the house. I think the TV show in the house was already out. But that's the that's the error that I really started paying attention to hail. Because 4321 was what is one of my favorite rap songs of all time. You know, I'm saying so it was and looking back that album was kind of ah, but he had some joints over the,

Jeff: 36:48

the 4321 that's what started to be for him and cannabis. Right. Exactly. Which at the time, I mean, I'm young, I'm like in high school, whatever, and we're not you know, we're not paying attention that he's talking to the same dude that's on the track with him. You know, I mean, years later.

IAMGAWD: 37:02

Like I said, Yeah, that's 98 Like I said, I'm 12 so I didn't I didn't keep it I didn't even know cannabis had a mic. I knew he showed it in a video I didn't even know cannabis had a mic when his arm at that time. I barely even knew what cannabis looked like before the video. I just knew cannabis from ripping fucking mixtapes. I don't even know what the fuck he looked like I didn't

Jeff: 37:21

even know about that beef until the DVD came out. What was the beef the beef? They had the beef series with beef. Yeah. And they talked about it on now. I'm like, we're and then you could go on YouTube and find the original versus you know, where cannabis is asking him like, Yo, let me borrow that.

IAMGAWD: 37:38

Yeah, is that a Michael you're on?

Jeff: 37:42

And then KERS is like yo, this is LL Cool. J You don't borrow nothing. Say you don't ask

IAMGAWD: 37:47

him to borrow, which I totally disagree with. But

Jeff: 37:50

well at the time cannabis is the rookie and Ella was putting you on his track. And it's one of the singles on his new album. You know, I'm saying he's putting you on, but it's a homage

IAMGAWD: 38:01

I guess 100 Me Yeah, yeah, he didn't say he didn't say I take the mic off ale homes and battling. See? Yo ale is that a Michael you're on your I'm saying like It's like come on bro. What Method Man says something that caught my attention in that in that same documentary? He said l always been like that. You want her Breaking Dawn you I'm saying so it's like he always looked for shit to like, put him in the game will make him hot. You want to say and I get that and I'm not even gonna front on the strategy like controversy been selling you I'm saying so it is what it is. And plus, at that time, it wasn't that controversial because battle rap was still very much so very important part of the culture. You understand it's it's not like that no more like Drake change that with the back the back and all that shit battle raps ain't even really, I mean, not battle raps. But this wreck it's not even really looked at his lane no more. You know what I'm saying? Like it took push to kind of put it back in its proper perspective. To the extent that he did with the story you're adding on sheet. So Drake kind of really skew I will say fucked up because there's a totally different demographic out here, like, but he skewed what a diss record is. Now it got to be something that you could play in a club and that statement, and it never had to be like that.

Jeff: 39:19

You can compare that shit to sports, bro. Like we grew up in the 90s where you know, I'm saying files wasn't called. You could push motherfuckers and grab them and slam them. Like I'm a Knicks fan. And you know, we hated Jordan Jordan go into the paint. We were slamming him and fucking him up. He had to earn his points now every you know, you know Boston and New York it was a rivalry they hated each other Yankees and Red Sox. Now everybody's friends. You know what I'm saying? In sports. And I feel like that's the same shit when you heard a battle or a beef Jay and NAS ello and cannabis. Like he was like Oh, POC and Biggie was like yo somebody could get hurt somebody could get shot somebody could get killed you fell it was real now MAFAC is a battling each other but they're on the same song together you know what I mean? And they friends and they gonna go drink after the song is done you know like you know it's not like no beef shit like this just make some songs and then just try to sell some shit

Anthony: 40:09

at the bigger pockets see how far I can go like we really don't want to take it there like it was going to go there with Drake and push and Jay Prince's like, call me shit. Definitely. Alright, cool. But nobody wanted to go that far no more because it leads to some shit you don't want to like glad to get to. That's why I keep seeing like these little young rappers like dinos shit like that. Because it's like it's some shit on a song and lead to people getting murdered over some shit that probably could be worth it. Most times it's like it's some other shit going on. It just happened to rhyme about it but it's like It's weird though. I don't want nobody diving further right but sometimes you gotta let people know let it should happen on wax but We just don't live in that time too much it's different.

IAMGAWD: 40:50

Yeah, I was just talking to one of my guys before I've known and actually like, I hate when my focus echoed it should be Jim Jones is dangerous being a rapper these days. No THE FUCK IS NOT it's dangerous trying to juggle being a street nigger and being a rapper any public figure is just that rapper street nigger go hand in hand is dangerous trying to be a street nigger in a public figure is dangerous and to be a street nigger and a rapper that's was Damian a rapper and dangerous because all rappers are not street niggas all rappers did not have to be street niggas you know, I'm saying like, so I don't own all about it, I think is a lot of goofy shit going on. Nick is doing a lot of goofy shit. Bringing the streets into the music way too much and I know streets always been a part of him he was I definitely noticed I used to quote styles Pete you shoot him in the head, shoot him in the face in the chest at 1314 years old. So I know. But what I'm saying is I it's allowed to be drawn. You know, I'm saying like, only but so much of the street should actually spill over into the music. You know what I'm saying? But that's all different story.

Jeff: 41:55

But even you even you saying that depends too because you could talk about Takashi. He made music. He ratted people out snitch claimed all types of sets that ain't you know, he's chillin, you know, I'm saying. So it's like, it depends who you are. I guess you know, I mean,

IAMGAWD: 42:10

what can what can you not do in this era? You gotta let NAS X putting on aesthetics. Pretending to be pregnant. You want to say you got a whole snitch that's in a game. You don't want to say like, what can you not do in this era? Like it's overweight bro is overweight. You know, I'm saying there's room for everything like the Internet has sold to that. Like there is room for absolutely everything. And you want to know why? Because there's all types of people in the world that condone certain shit. You know, I'm saying this was always gonna be a group war fan base for whoever. Like, I'm surprised. I'm very surprised that openly gay rapper ain't pocket. You almost no, I'm not. I'm talking about outside of Linux. Like, I'm very surprised. And they took it to the like to the moon and pass that. I'm very surprised. You won't say because the way the LGBTQ community be going, as far as my focus will say the slightest thing. They will have a support of at least a million. Like that's platinum every release. You want to say like I'm very surprised that that ain't that ain't happened yet. Like I'm astounded. I'm dumbfounded.

Jeff: 43:11

There's two of them. I mean, besides nice eggs, you can say Tyler the Creator. He's making all hell he's selling all types of stadiums right now. You know, I'm saying every night

IAMGAWD: 43:19

when he won't come out. I've never heard them kind of came out and say yes, yeah, but we know it's fucking

Jeff: 43:25

we know he's gay. And until you say, and you heard some of his lyrics.

IAMGAWD: 43:31

I don't kiss the funk.

Jeff: 43:33

He was on five flags basically saying

IAMGAWD: 43:36

Eminem shadow Eminem shadow range right fucking that's all

Anthony: 43:42

the fucking murderer even though he's murdered his mother every record I don't believe he's I'm

IAMGAWD: 43:46

saying I've never heard Tyler come out and say that he's homosexual. So I wouldn't put that on me it just me personally

Anthony: 43:51

until I see what your boyfriend I don't believe it's my level like

Jeff: 43:55

alright, now I call this the soft error this is the software on every aspect musically sports people just softer bro.

IAMGAWD: 44:02

It just watered down it's very watered down.

Anthony: 44:05

You know what I mean? Because it wasn't hard but come on man. How many NBA fights you actually remember what people's actually can fuck

Jeff: 44:10

up? I remember a lot of them bulls and pistons joints. I remember a lot of heat joint.

IAMGAWD: 44:15

It was more than the 80s my fucking Larry Bird and Dr. Jane trying to rip each other's fucking the Adam's apple clothesline up and Scott wrote a big it

Anthony: 44:26

wasn't that good? It wasn't really throwing they've worked trust me go back all I

IAMGAWD: 44:31

could remember and I could remember Shaq and Shaq and Chuck and I could remember Chris childs busting off cold

Jeff: 44:36

What about the heat and the next one about the heat in the next bow they had to the coach was holding on right right right right. He threw punches but everyone

Anthony: 44:47

started pushing

IAMGAWD: 44:48

was a melee I give him that besides the Madison House and there's still a melee it was a few

Jeff: 44:54

we just named like five from the 90s Bro when he told her

Anthony: 44:58

name was more aggressive.

IAMGAWD: 45:00

The last two was early 2000s When

Jeff: 45:02

whenever Madison

Anthony: 45:05

right and like said that wasn't NBA on NBA violence that was me going into the stand like we checking them off left and right see what Jackson's religion they're gonna be like nah, nope, crack him and crack him but played by not saying they thought But could they understand it as a business what have you got to beat the shit out of each other and shorten my career when I might have to make millions of dollars doesn't make sense.

Jeff: 45:30

There's some core cause comes competitive spirit bro and I come from that, you know, I'm saying like this whole ring Chaisson and super team and shit like I don't that should just it kills me in size slowly like it does some to me, you know? I mean, like even if I go to a park and I'm playing pickup games, and like the two tallest dudes want to pick me on a team, I'd be like, Yo, First of all, let's split both of y'all up and let's make the shift fan like I don't even want to do that in a pickup game you know, because that's just no fun in that

Anthony: 45:55

you take me to personal man is just entertainment. They don't care. think oh, man,

IAMGAWD: 46:00

I'll fuck with adults cute.

Anthony: 46:02

It's cute, but I'm like look, I guess in this regard, and this needs to be fair and they go fuck that like being fair.

IAMGAWD: 46:10

I've worked with that but I feel like purity is something that we can control to a certain extent and niggas choose to throw away purity all too often for business and entertainment. And I understand we all want to be in a team muffled who's gonna make money but you can't stop the purity out of every fucking thing. You know? I'm saying like, I'm a I'm not a purist, diehard, but it's just certain aspects of shit like basketball for example. For example, The NBA is not even really truly basketball. It's isolation and three point shooting. There's no post game X is really no passing. You know, I'm saying like the NBA has its own brand of basketball. You know, I'm saying it's NBA ball. You know, I'm saying it's not basketball if you really take into account the whole game is no post play is not a lot of passing anymore. It's no really no fun of defense really over really run plays no more. You know, I'm saying it's defense now. Like because it's the postseason like they let you go love. They get a little you get a little physical in the postseason with defense, but it's entertainment, you know, I'm saying but it's just like, I just don't like how shit morphs and yes, evolution but I just don't like how ship because evolution don't necessarily mean shit is getting better. You just mean it's adapting to whatever the current circumstance is, in order to survive, you know, I'm saying so I don't mean it's better. You know, I'm saying but it is what it is, you know, I'm saying like, I would much rather see something because I look at the art and sheet and that's why I'm like, I'll look at the art and shit like, I can't cook I don't work on cars and shit. But I will sit up and watch a show about a month ago restoring this old classic call of a month ago making a gourmet dish I was sitting on watch some type of shows because I appreciate the art and shoot you I'm saying like it takes a certain type of individual to be able to do that and do it at a high level. So Oh, no, it is what it is. Like for example,

Jeff: 47:56

like the shit that Kevin Durant pulled when he went to the wars to me that's to this day to me, that's the softest shit I've ever seen in sports history. You know what I'm saying? Like that should turn me so off bro. And I'm a Knicks fan. You can say I'm bitter we suck we never win and cool. But he went to get he was up three one with OKC on the Warriors blew it. And he gonna go join them right and then when some rings like that, to me that she was just softer shit. And that was just a microcosm of like the era that we're in to me of the mentality of these cats. Now,

IAMGAWD: 48:28

I don't disagree with you. I don't disagree with him saying I just chokes it up. I mean, I just chalked it up to it being what it is, is what it is like. I won't even go through that whole shit about allowing it to frustrate me to the point to where I rant about him. Well, I used to I used to do that shit. Definitely. Like, especially with rap like I hated Jesus. When he first came out. I was like, we went from listening to Jay Z to Jeezy overnight to seem like it's like a none of my biggest like listening to the shit that I like. No one's like they owe this shit. Like when niggas is more ad libs and actual lyrics and I'm like, bro, what the fuck is this? And everybody ownership Don't you understand what I love? Jeez, you know, I'm saying like, I've learned to expand my musical taste a little bit and get out the lyrical miracle box you know, I'm saying and embrace it. You understand? It's like not listening. Jeezy or like I fuck with them, you know, I'm saying so. It's just, oh, no, it was a growing thing about growth and maturity for me, but it's like now even the shit that I don't like, it makes no sense to shout to the moon or tell the public that I don't like it because guess what, it's plenty more folks that do like it or else it wouldn't exist. So I'm not saying let's let goofy shit slide and not speak out about that. But we should evolve and it takes us different shapes and forms like what are we gonna do? We got to deal with the Shoe Man. It's gonna continue to happen

Jeff: 49:48

and staying on sports. Somebody in Twitter wanted me to ask you what's your favorite sports teams? Yo

IAMGAWD: 49:54

I really don't gotten on bro. Like I really don't I can't even say that Robin Oh Chicago sports we're

Anthony: 49:59

gonna say the booth I know everyone's like It's like bro sports is cool but sometimes like you get to a particular time like there's no point of me being emotionally invested these niggas are more like like our holes and walls full of fucking games

IAMGAWD: 50:13

Yeah bro I would love to root for my hometown teams and awards they trying to get it back right a fire that trash as for an office finally gonna get some new people up there so I tried to get it right slowly but surely. Um, I like to move they may but I can't really say I have no favorite sports teams like I'm still mad that I kind of missed the Jordan era because I was so young and I took that for granted because we was winning championships so fucking much you know I'm saying like, again I was my youth I was young. That's those was my formative years and rap so rap had all my attention. Fuck a basketball. I was too young to really understand what he was doing for the 9192 93. That was before I was in Tourette about a time 9697 98 came I missed them because I was so engulfed in rap. Like, I didn't give a fuck about nothing but rap, you know, I'm saying so, I felt like it was gonna last forever. I felt like the booze was gonna always win championships. Like we was winning championships. It's I can remember like, bro, my mama used to be outside in a project on the front porch with a big ass karaoke machine like singing and doing all types of shit. Every time we want a championship. I remember that she was be shooting and it's like New Year's basic, you know, I'm saying like, lighting fireworks. You know, I'm saying like, Mama got the karaoke machine outside. She's singing and she DJ like, not DJing but like, you know how to old school DJ like talking to the crowd and, and shit like that. And like doing all that type of shit. I was like, I thought they should last forever, bro. So I didn't really catch not actually, I definitely sat down and watched games. I've never been to the old Chicago stadium or the United Center where he was playing, but I've sat down and seeing him play. I can remember him saying as a shorty. I remember the flu game that I remember some of these wizards he has to but I remember certain Chicago shit. Like I remember the flu game. I remember the championship. I think that was the when he went in on Father's Day. And his father passed after his father passed. I think that was the spirit frame. The one the first one when he came back for the second father got murdered. I remember that one. Yeah, because I remember him crying and shit. So I definitely remember seeing him but it's just like, I wasn't locked in. I wasn't paying attention to what I didn't understand the greatness at that time. I was too young and my focus was in other places. I like basketball but always knew that I wouldn't ever be a Hooper. I'm fine. And I just never dedicated myself to none other than rap. Like, pit.

Jeff: 52:32

Yo, tell me what you think about core dejo as a lyrical artist. He's right now currently my favorite of Otter young cats like in the 20s Court days my favorite. Yeah, you don't and I get shit. Even gives me my off court day like no, the dude is nice.

IAMGAWD: 52:47

not fuck with me. Correct? If I'll be learning to sit here and say that he can rap? Do I listen to his music? Not really. But I can say that for a lot of my focus. Like I just be so tapped into my own shit. Like, it's not like I don't listen to outside shit. But only get up for certain artists. You know, I'm saying like, in all honesty, I listened to a lot of more focus. We all never heard of who I know semi personally more than I listen to more focus who everybody know, you know, I'm saying so MAFAC has got to be super nice. You know, I'm saying for me to even want to really be moved to tap into what they doing.

Jeff: 53:24

Who are some artists who would like to collaborate with

IAMGAWD: 53:27

all the niggas that everybody hailed as the best? So my focus can go on right? The soda ransoms, the Conway's the Benny's all them you know I'm saying the 38 specialists anybody who the Rome streets anybody with them off everything is the best I'm competitive like that but I don't know disrespectful shit but like I said, I'll put in my 20,000 hours so sometimes I have to catch myself from feeling a certain type of way when he's less come out with more focus don't mention because it's like bro, nobody know you might calm the fuck down. Like I'm that competitive? Like Nick I know my shit is at least as nice as these other niggas like you couldn't can't sit a million dollars in cash in front of me to believe otherwise I'm not taking you know I'm saying because I know that I'm just as nice might not be better but I'm just as nice as all the things I've mentioned. I've been doing this shit for way too long and I take it way too serious you know I'm saying so then you know I'm saying those type of models whether it's like I'm I'm collabing with you I'm saying my peers you know I'm saying like I said I'm pushing the Chicago line to Chicago. Chicago underground so definitely the likes of expensive feel more green we use will Sims J Hayes am Early Morning Britain caught a Freddy gold so so many more you know I'm saying def see green slime solar fire this is so many of us you know I'm saying we we deeply sail like you will be surprised like if I if you had enough time in the day and I gave you a project from each of the artists that I know of personally from Chicago alone you'd like these Nick is just as nice as Rochester upstate New York names like we just don't know what he's more focused like we got we got to talk them off like it's led to doing the show bro like and that's why I'm so serious and aggressive with the Chicago share because I feel like Chicago we never really planted our flag. Well folks know about Chicago but we more of a consumer market we give greatness to the industry like we don't have we not we ain't planted our flag we don't have the same have we not a New York or LA or even a south down south at this point. At this point. We have more of a consumer market like we muffled there's no we've given your greatness time and time again. But for some reason it never translated to Chicago being one of those places, you know, I'm saying so it's like it's a it's a consumer market. You know, I'm saying so what I'm really trying to contribute to doing I ain't trying to do this show long. What I'm trying to contribute to is putting Chicago on a map in a real way as far as the underground that mafia goes no, that's why us The hashtag Chicago never forgot how to rap y'all let this drill should Captivate y'all and y'all thought all we do is kill each other and you know I'm saying and rap about it and now like we never stopped wrapping up his mouth like it's just the fact that Chicago was also one of those markets that always want to cling to anything industry because the industry gets the biggest look you I'm saying the industry industry industry that's the bright lights big city shit. So Chicago want to cling on to that shit and you'll see in Chicago like many other cities don't embrace what's hot regardless of what genre it is, you know, I'm saying like, if it ain't get into the industry look down we're gonna give a fuck about it

Jeff: 56:23

that's what I was gonna say because I think it's just like okay trap is in everybody wants to do to trap shit. But like Brian Yeah, he comes out he's a backpacker. Calm and comes out. He's a conscious rapper and that she wasn't selling you know, I'm saying you know, Lupe is a backpack a twister comes out and he's doing the fashion so they're not conforming to the shit that's really selling at the time. I mean, Kanye I guess is an exception because he was still selling and making money but he you know, he kept switching up to so it's like none of them was doing the trap shit or none of them was really sound in New York or southern West Coast or sounding south you know what I mean? So that that maybe that's what it is that that you're that style hasn't really caught on to where became you know, like mainstream success where it became the popular shit at the time.

IAMGAWD: 57:02

We'll see I got a pocket of Chicago to fuck with me heavy is just it's like everywhere else it's the older people use them because believe it or not, Chicago has a rich hip hop history you know I'm saying riches fuck you know I'm saying so like it's more focused that that see me and salute me like yeah you carrying on the tradition like this is this is Chicago do this to Mr. Fogg is just don't know it. That's because a lot of our Chicago History is not well documented. You know I'm saying like it's been how many documentaries and interviews about the about the birth of hip hop in New York has been how many documentaries and movies and story told about LA and gangsta rap has been how many artists from the self that blue to told you the story of Atlanta and Houston and New Orleans in this one and that one Chicago shit is not well documented at all and plus a lot of those artists didn't make it to mainstream success the only ones who really come from that that made it just mainstream success is no ID common tracks to a certain extent and twisted you know I'm saying Lupe was like the next generation after you know I'm saying Wait, it's not really a lot of people who like if I actually right now, back in Eminem battle days, who was the only mafia gonna wax Eminem twice? Would you know Will he from Chicago and he go by the name of MC juice ju Weiss he whacks me twice once on videotape and once it wasn't recorded, you know I'm saying like back in Eminem battle days when he was looked to be on touch you know, I'm saying so we have a rich hip hop history you know, I'm saying but it's just not documented so you wouldn't ever know that so you would think everything started with crucial conflict and common and twist the when really it didn't twist the like? People just know twisted for fast rap bro twisted is a fucking beast boss. Like, listen, go find. I think it's Apple Music though. I don't know where it's at. I can't remember why I heard it. But he dropped the project in 94. You know, his class. His Classic is adrenaline rush 97 And by that time, he was doing a speed rap sheet where he dropped one project where he rap and slow flow New York sheet. This is the time when you were going through a stretch and it's like three or four songs he didn't stretch on it. It's called resurrection. I think he kind of like didn't get no bust it's common had an album called resurrection to you. I'm saying so but I don't know if this is loud. Or if this is Atlantic twisted. I know he started off loud. I can't tell you what label it was on. But it's called resurrection. Look that up this month. Fuck is going crazy. You only read fast on one song. Listen to his cadence. This listen to this flows like twisted correct, bro. It ain't just a multi syllable. I mean, it ain't just a double time. She like twisted karate from that era, like real hip hop sheet.

Jeff: 59:46

Obviously, you've heard of back with sweetie. Yeah,

IAMGAWD: 59:49

that's Oh, my shout out to my own group.

Jeff: 59:51

I never we had never met her. Yeah, I was gonna say I would love to see a collab with child shout out to revolt records. They put me on to you. And they also put me on the hook. And I fuck Well, heavy we had a few months ago. And she's like, I feel like she's like, Yeah, she's like the female lyrical miracle type of rapper. And she you know, she reminds me of like Lauryn Hill mixed with like, whoever the fuck, she's nice as hell. I feel like that's somebody you know, that you can you could do some magic with?

IAMGAWD: 1:00:16

Absolutely. Like, I love her style, because her style is derived from her poetry. Yes. And she says she's the right and she's a poet. And she like that, like that album. Christina Shante She sounds like she's speaking from a podium. Her voice is powerful was fun. And she real pro black she earth? You know, I'm saying she 5% You know, I'm saying so it's like that comes across in her music. So it's like, she has a very powerful not just the voice like her voice, her pride the presence of a voice the way she deliver her shit. It sounds like she had a podium you I'm saying awesome awesome you know I'm saying Angela Davis she you know I'm saying like, I fuck with what you had when I first heard Christina Shante I'm like damn, okay,

Jeff: 1:00:59

but yo, before we end it we always have to this is the final question we always ask anybody and I think you already mentioned a couple of them but who's your top five that are alive of all time.

IAMGAWD: 1:01:11

I'm gonna try to put these in order Top Five dead or alive baking in pot share the number one spot because I feel like you can tell one story without the other and it was both super influential, influential in their own way. So baking in pot, share share my number one spot number two I got NAS NAS basically after rock him taught me for this how to rap NAS retold my focus how to rap basically lead from that Kool G Rap rock chemistry. I don't feel like it's too many more focus that could touch like 96 Knives you know I'm saying like 96 nods it's probably my favorite rapper ever. Just that whole period of him and how he was putting the shoot down. I understand the impact that a O Matic and shoot but it was written out it was a different beast. Um so at number two I got knives number three I think I put Jada you know I'm saying you can't I really don't like putting business into like just the music shit but my father's always like to mention his achievements and accomplishments outside of music, which is cool. But I mean even with just the music like all we want to talk about it's hits like Reasonable Doubt is one of my favorite rap albums ever. You know I'm saying like as artists with multiple classes, so I got him at number three and number four I'm putting x DMX recipe X was definitely a heavy influence to me he was very much so needed he came into town with bad boy he was dominating shit and everything was shiny and glossy and I feel like my focus was getting tatted and he was the perfect the perfect contrast today you know I'm saying on first of all flagger that could fucking bark on a record you know I'm saying and make me feel it and not laugh at it first of all fucko who could prey on a record and and not make me feel like he was a lame you know I'm saying like again this is my younger way of thinking you know I'm saying just yeah you know I'm saying X was he felt that that pop voice so to speak after parkpass You know I'm saying a very similar in a approaching a content but your ex will be number four and then number five we talked about him before and I understand this other artists is probably more decorated that I could put here but for me no because porn is on he just blew my fucking mind like when I heard a rap like he really unlocked the part of my brain as far as rap and show me that I didn't have to be a punchline rap was sound just like JD kids or whatever you can switch your floor up and still be just as liberal even more liberal you know I'm saying so those would be my top five all the time that that list don't don't change and then the 1015 Those not interchangeable but I got a few there there's there's some in it but yeah, that's where it kind of gets sketchy.

Jeff: 1:03:55

We got three of the same I got I got NAS I got pun and I got Jay on my on my top five. And then I got Eminem. And then number five usually changes sometimes I put Lauryn Hill up there. Sometimes I put met the man sometimes I put blackdot Sometimes I put Royce.

IAMGAWD: 1:04:11

I got Q but I got cubed number number six by he kicked off my arm. My second team. You could go with my team so cute like that their certificate was some some crazy. That's another like Illmatic death certificate. It was written Reasonable Doubt capital punishment. It's more of like, some of the best. It's dark in hell, it's hot. Some of the best fucking rap albums ever.

Jeff: 1:04:37

It's dark in his heart to this day. It's still my favorite hip hop album of all time. It's hard.

IAMGAWD: 1:04:42

It's not okay. I can't say it's my favorite. But it's hard. It's hard. I'll probably say that's tough.

Jeff: 1:04:48

But you'll always end with a quote today. I'm gonna quote Eminem because he said, Why be a king? When you can be a god? I am God. Thank you for coming on. Now. I mean, I don't want to put you on the spot. But is there any possible way you can send us off with a eight a 1610 for a two you see, I've only been turned down once.

IAMGAWD: 1:05:17

Let me see. Let me see. Let me see. I'm always writing but I just don't be remembering issues. Let me see if I could scroll through the mental Rolodex real quick. It's funny because I was just saying some shit that I wrote earlier today at work trying to pass the time what the fuck was it?

Jeff: 1:05:30

Come on, come out the phone like met the man did when he saw blackdot on?

IAMGAWD: 1:05:35

Yeah, yeah, I've seen it. I've seen it. Hey, but real quick not to try to switch subjects but I didn't notice but niggas was like bringing the whole pads to radio in freestyle. Like back into it. didn't know what it is it blew my fucking yo like no disrespect to take it further I saw Ghostface that piqued the Austin when I spoke son maybe because he was read national honor I think there was he was read national for PAM Oh, back in the 90s That's crazy Oh cannabis

Jeff: 1:06:04

went to I don't know how recent this was cannabis went to a battle with his notebook bro he was reading his battle I mean I'm not you know I don't hate that you're not because I'm not good at memorizing shit either so you know I don't knock it but if you're gonna go to a battle for money, you gotta come prepared I feel you know, I mean

IAMGAWD: 1:06:24

I'm drawing a blank right now so yeah, so we

Anthony: 1:06:29

should do the Friday like yo,

IAMGAWD: 1:06:31

that definitely ain't no pressure. He did catch me off guard because it definitely

Anthony: 1:06:40

like why are you here you gotta Athan you

Jeff: 1:06:44

I even acts at one time I'm like do you think I should stop asking rappers to spit on we've had like maybe five rappers on him so far only one has turned me down it was like no I'm not doing I

IAMGAWD: 1:06:54

honestly think my focus don't ask enough you know I'm saying like I honestly think more focused on what x enough like I will be I would like to be asked to wrap but you know I'm saying like I'm just so used to I'm just so used to my focus like not doing no more and a fucking verse I'm looking for I can I

Jeff: 1:07:11

remember when I remember when slaughterhouse went up to the radio it was on with like Ebro in them and they just kept talking and talking and Joelle got mad he was like yo let us just rap bro just asked me to write this interview share we came up here to rap.

IAMGAWD: 1:07:25

Fucking man I say indelible flows that heavy handed land incredible blow swell up your nose leaking with multiple medical bowls were better righteously the devil was exposed hungry as if my scheduled will show was chasing after a measurable goals from the city way as cocaine highs and federal lows and nowadays rapids cloud chasing and terrible close. I pay respects to the forefathers in the rural misfits you pay bitches to reach a dick pics. facepalm niggas is Goofy's in every sense of the word I call was excruciating agony, like a sensitive nerve, the sickest and seven consonants my verbal skill only compliments my confidence verbal incontinence shitting on rap was uncontrollably pay me around give Mrs. She can fill it in her ovaries I'm notably one of the nicest defiant ah it's funny how I used to run with disciples now I am God.

Jeff: 1:08:13

Woof woof woof I am God thank you for coming through man. Tell everybody where they can find you where they can check you out.

IAMGAWD: 1:08:21

So yeah, I'm on I'm on Twitter I'm on Instagram at God I'm seeing as GA WD E mc e YouTube is I am god i AMGA web yeah man like the Murder Castle produced entirely by the black depths out now. The streaming and all on all platforms. We still got a few pieces of vinyl left so if you went to that whole market Elam say hit up no mediocre.bandcamp.com Again that's no mediocre and old me de IOC are in that band camp.com And you know I'm saying get to we're buying a CD whatever you know I'm saying digital downloads all that you know I'm saying but a is streaming everywhere. Also go back you know I'm saying like check out my other three projects to say I kicked it off in 2020 Shout out the homie Max Julian we did the self titled project I am God. The integrity 2021 produced entirely by the homie custom made the eternal reflection again in 2021 Me and the homie Dr. Mindbender Hells Angels and have his demons and that'll be in 2022 with the murder chasm ship produced entirely by the homie to black depths shout out filthy Analects record company to K green slam Dev C tone live solo five Shawn don't you I'm saying no mediocre you know I'm saying I'm here shout out all the Chicago homies you know I'm saying big feel weasel you want to send all the guys you know I'm saying? Yeah man like we

Jeff: 1:09:47

never forgot how to rap Dobby I'm gonna going down I'm gonna give me one of them. Fine. I'm trying to collect vinyls now. I'm gonna copy that last one you got Yeah, so

IAMGAWD: 1:09:54

gratitude will appreciate that

Jeff: 1:09:55

yo, that was episode 99 man go check us out on our website the culture dot one Yo, I am God thank you for coming through though.

rap music playing: 1:10:26

Murder 1 - IAMGAWD