Post by Dark 7 Invader on Aug 10, 2005 3:57:57 GMT -5
T. JONES: “What goes on?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Chilling, baby! I’ve been grinding, all day, everyday. I’m putting out this record. Interviews, T.V. shows, deals, soundtracks. Rhyming, baby!”
T.JONES: “Your debut solo album. ‘The Return Of The Prodigal Sunn’ was just released. Tell us about the LP.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “‘The Return Of The Prodigal Sunn’ is my own little masterpiece. That’s my little life, trials, and tribulations all in one little CD of 15 tracks. Each track speaks for itself. You have life. You have death. I’m a ‘Soul Survivor’ who is ‘Moving On Up’. You have ‘Procrastinators’ and ‘The Traitor’. That’s ‘Betrayal’. I stay ‘Campaigning’ because that’s what you have to do to eat. It’s a constant ‘Manhunt’. Then, you have to calm down. After the ‘Manhunt’, get some ‘Lovely Ladies’. The way the album is, every title connects. When you drive through Brooklyn, that’s all you see.”
T.JONES: “Who handled the production on ‘The Return Of The Prodigal Sunn’?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I’ve got production my Rza and J.Wells. I’ve got a couple of in-house producers from my newly formed company. I formed my own company called Godz Incorporated. I have B Original, K Beats, and Magnatta Productions. I have a guy named DJ Battle, who is out of France. He works for The Source magazine in France. I was on a tribute for Ol' Dirty. It was this mix-tape that was being put together. He told me that he did tracks. He sent me some music. It was all live. There is a live band out there. Track 2. It’s called ‘Soul Survivor’. Rza did ‘Lovely Ladies’ and ‘Brutality’. I did those tracks last. The other songs, I had.”
T.JONES: “What song on ‘The Return Of The Prodigal Sunn’ took you the longest to complete?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “‘Betrayal’. It was a story. It was written like a story, with the skit, the song, and the actual breakdown of what was going on. It’s about 2 cats who betrayed me and how you never know who to trust.”
T.JONES: “The song ‘Betrayal’ is dope. The first time I heard it, I caught someone in a lie and I was furious. Driving around, I was listening to the track. Not only did it help my anger but it gave me perspective on the situation of betrayal. Is ‘Betrayal’ a true story?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Fragments of it. For the most, it is. You know how things are written in parables? I wrote it in parables. There are pieces of all things in my life, in that rhyme. It happened. You know what I mean?”
T.JONES: “Do you have a favorite song on the album?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “My favorite is ‘Soul Survivor’. I like that one. I like ‘Godz People’ too.”
T.JONES: “Besides it being a solo LP, how is ‘The Return Of The Prodigal Sunn’ different from the last 2 Sunz Of Man albums (‘The Last Shall Be First’ and ‘Saviorz Day’)?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “It’s different because it’s coming from just me, P Sunn, The 4th chamber of the Sunz Of Man. The others had 4 pieces on the chess board. You have to limit your angels with a group. Now, it’s on me. All my creativity and energy is put in. I am the Executive Producer. I had to make sure everything went the right way.”
T.JONES: “You started Godz Inc. How did you get Godz Inc. started?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I started it from doing the knowledge of years and years in the industry as an artist. My brother, Rza was the executive from the gate. Wu-Tang! I analyzed and saw what it really was. All hustles are the same. It’s just a different route. I just applied the hustle that I already had. Throughout the years, I never took sh*t for granted. In the beginning, you do, but you learn that you can’t do it again. You can’t take sh*t for granted. The things you take for granted can be your downfall. You know what I mean?”
T.JONES: “Were you taken for granted back then?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I can really say that I was taken for granted. I trusted motherf*ckers. You know what I’m saying? Knowledge. I had knowledge. You have to really be on point. You have to have the knowledge. I’m happy because I’m glad I went through everything I went through. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today. I gained knowledge through the years from just being out there. I’m grateful that the opportunity came. Music.”
T.JONES: “Just the fact that you are still on the mic, shows that you are a survivor. Some people never come back. How did you do this?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I respect that. Thank you. Music is my art. You know what I mean? When I did it, I always did with me first. It’s real.”
T.JONES: “How did you hook up with Free Agency Records to release this new album?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I met Marc Copeland about 6 or 7 years ago. Priority Records was his home. We were working on ‘Wu Chronicles Chapter II’ with 12 O’clock and Shyheim. He called me up. At the time, Rza and Priority were doing business. At the time, business was crazy. Rza gave me the connect. He said, ‘You got a hot single over there and cats are requesting it hard’. I met Marc Copeland.”
T.JONES: “How difficult was it to release ‘The Return Of The Prodigal Sunn’ compared to the release ‘The Last Shall Be First’ or ‘Saviorz Day’?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “‘Saviorz Day’ was more like, if you can’t safe yourself, don’t talk about saving others. That was what that LP was about. We were just showing the world the refinement after ‘The Last Shall Be First’. We came back to the table. It is what it is. We were saved like that. Killah Priest wasn’t with us. He’s a world traveler. He had deals going on. We had to take time and sit down at the table.”
T.JONES: “Will Killah Priest ever return to Sunz Of Mann?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Yeah. There’s no beef. We’re brothers. We laugh and joke like kids when we’re together. Business is business. Business is a cold game. He came to the album release party at The Lemon Lounge in Manhattan. He popped up.”
T.JONES: “Can fans expect another Sunz Of Man album?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Sure. They can expect it, but there’s nothing planned in the future. I’m in my corner now. I’ve been in this game for so many years and have been featured on so many records, but I still feel that I haven’t fully developed. Right now, I’m scoping that up. I’m shining me up.”
T.JONES: “What is your all time favorite collaboration so far? What is the one you are most proud of?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I like the one I did with Junior Reed and Guru on the ‘Jazzmatazz Street Soul’ album called ‘Mashin Up The World’. When I went in, I had the opportunity to be myself. It wasn’t like I had to write a certain way or for the certain song or video. I just had to get on and do my thing. It’s freedom. A lot of cats don’t have that.”
T.JONES: “You were featured on many Wu-Tang Clan collaborations. Out of all of the Wu-Tang Clan collaborations, which ones are you most proud of?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I love ‘Street Chemistry’ from the Ghostface album ‘Bulletproof Wallets’. I love ‘Do You’.”
T.JONES: “Many of the Wu-Tang Clan records now are recorded in California instead of New York City. How different is the vibe in California as opposed to recording in New York?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “The only thing that is different is the space and the lack of people. As far as family and the people you grew up with, you know? Out here, in California, you do your job. People know you and you may know a couple of people. There are less distractions. At home, it’s different. New York is a melting pot. When we started, we were grinding. It was raw. Now that we are young men, we are smoothing it out. The words are clearer.”
T.JONES: “On some of the other Wu-Tang Clan albums you were on like ‘Bobby Digital In Stereo’ and ‘Killa Beez’ compilations; you were labeled as ‘Prodical’.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “That’s was a mistake. Right here? It’s me. Something like that always happened. There were songs not being added to albums. ‘Street Chemistry’ on Ghostface’s ‘Bulletproof Wallets’ had a problem too. The song wasn’t listed on the album. That’s why he left the label. I don’t get caught up in stuff like that. On the Jazzmatazz CD, they spelled my name right. I was there like that.”
T.JONES: “How did you hook up with Guru for that collaboration on the ‘Jazzmatazz Street Soul’ album? What was it like?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Guru? He’s a classic. We always connected from back in the day. Bed-Stuy! Just came through D&D Studios one night. He told me that he wanted me to jump on a compilation he was doing called ‘Bald Head Slick’. I saw him up in this club called Cheetah’s. We partied together. We used to party all the time. He told me to come by D&D. I slid though there. The same night, Junior Reid from Black Urehu slid through. 8-0ff Agallah The Assassin came through. He was there. He produced the track. It’s street song. It’s the perfect title for that compilation.”
T.JONES: “For the Guru and Junior Reid collaboration, you guys were all together in the studio but for other collaborations, some artists do not even meet face to face. Some collaborations are done via mail. Were any of the collaborations on ‘The Return Of The Prodigal Sunn’ like that?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I had some mailed collaborations, around 2 joints. 12 O’clock was in Florida at the time. I collab’d him in. GK The Artist was out in Florida too. They were working on an album. We used technology and they jumped in. The rest were just live.”
T.JONES: “Where did you find Madame Dee?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Madame Dee? I found her about 3 or 4 years ago. She’s on that last Wu-Tang Clan, ‘Iron Flag’ album. She was on ‘Babies’. I met her through a friend of mine. She told me that she could sing and I said, ‘Let me hear something’. I heard it and was cool with it. I was doing the Two On Da Road project at the time. Me and 12 O’clock from Brooklyn Zoo have a project called Two On Da Road. We were doing our record while the Wu-Tang Clan was doing ‘The W’ album. She got on the joint and wrote the words out for us. Did that Luther Vandross song, ‘Woke up this morning…’ We wrote that and she blew it up. We loved it. She dropped it on us. That was before Raekwon got it a year later. That song was originally for the Two On The Road Project. We were at the Ghostface album release party in New York. Rza came up to me and said, ‘Yo, Sunn, that track? I want to put that on ‘Iron Flag’. You killed that rhyme on there’. No doubt? She collaborated on that and ‘Babies’. It was on.”
T.JONES: “What was it like working with Wyclef and Earth, Wind, & Fire for ‘Shining Star’?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “It was a beautiful thing. Earth, Wind, & Fire actually wanted to remake that song and Wyclef had that dance but street sound. Dirty hooked it up. We blasted that in the limo when we pulled up to the ‘Ghetto Superstar’ video shoot.”
T.JONES: “How is working with Rza different than working with other producers?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Rza is family, in-house. We’re like brothers. It’s all natural. We can feel about what a person says. Family can take that. It’s a real person who is telling you something. If you don’t like it, you don’t like it. Rza has thousands of beats. It’s more La Familia.”
T.JONES: “Who are some producers who you would like to collaborate with in the future?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I would like to collaborate with The Neptunes. I would like to work with DJ Premier. Whoever I’m feeling, basically. Right now, I got to get in the circle and analyze the person and music. If the music is good, it’s all good.”
T.JONES: “When doing a song, do you write rhymes to the beat first, or do you have the theme or lyrics ready?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Sometimes, I write to the beat. For most of the story rhymes, I like my data in my head with all of the stuff I have been through. Word chemistry. For joints like ‘Soul Survivor’, I just flew in. It was pure energy. I can write rhymes in 10 or 15 minutes.”
T.JONES: “Who are some artists who you would like to collaborate with in the future?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I like Jill Scott. Jill’s cool. I want to do something with her. I like the eccentric women who are doing their thing. I would like to rock something with Jay-Z and Ron Isley.”
T.JONES: “Wu-Tang Clan did that joint with Ron Isley, ‘Back In The Game’ for the ‘Iron Flag’ LP.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Yeah, I was there.”
T.JONES: “If you could remake any classic hip-hop song, what song would it be? How would you approach the remake?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I don’t know. Cats already did them. I would like to make ‘What’s Going On’ by Marvin Gaye.”
T.JONES: “I want to pay my respects for the passing of Ol’ Dirty Bastard.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Thank you, man. I appreciate it.”
T.JONES: “Where were you when O.D.B. passed away?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I was right here in Los Angeles when I got the news. I saw him a couple of months before that at a party. We were chilling. I heard the news and I flew in for the funeral.”
T.JONES: “What did you think about O.D.B. signing with Roc-A-Fella Records?”
SUNN: “I thought it was a good business move.”
T.JONES: “Why did you make the move to Los Angeles?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Well, I’ve been coming to Los Angeles. Wu-Tang has been out here for like 10 or 12 years. I’ve been here for like 4 years. We’ve always been out here. There’s more business out here. We’re more active. We’re more productive out here. Sometimes, in New York, there is so much hate.”
T.JONES: “How different is the industry in L.A.?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Yeah, you can be doing 20 different things here. In New York, it’s hard to get 1 or 2 things going on. It’s like a concrete jungle versus a desert.”
T.JONES: “Where were you on September 11th, 2001? How did you deal with it? How do you think it has affected or will affect hip-hop?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “On September 11th, I was right here in L.A. That’s crazy, right? I left here and there were like 5 earthquakes over here. The whole place was a zoo, man.”
T.JONES: “What was the last incident of racism you experienced?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “T-Mobile. Them bastards! T-Mobile stole my phone and my money. I have this company, Godz Incorporated. I’m a Black man. I mailed in my certificate of incorporation. They tell me that there is a discrepancy on my account. I never had an account with them! They told me that I had to wait 60 days to get my money back. She took my number in August. I had many connections on it. They took it and shut it down. They gave me no explanation. I’ve been hearing stories from 15 or 20 people about T-Mobile. Somebody has to stop those cats and all of those phone companies out there. Once they see how many phone calls you are making and how much business you are doing, they think you rely on their number. They think that they control you. It’s a form of slavery. F*ck T-Mobile!”
T. JONES: “Word association time. I’m going to say a name of a group or person. Then, you say the first word that pops in your head. So, if I say ‘Chuck D’, you may say ‘Revolution’. If I said ‘Flavor Flav’, you may say ‘Clock’, ‘Crack’, or ‘The Surreal Life’. Okay?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Yeah, man.”
T.JONES: “Rza.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Genius.”
T.JONES: “50 Cent.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Classic.”
T.JONES: “Eminem.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Surprising.”
T.JONES: “O.D.B.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Legend.”
T.JONES: “Killah Priest.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Word chemist.”
T.JONES: “Jay-Z.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Classic.”
T.JONES: “Marley Marl.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Classic.”
T.JONES: “The Game.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Surprising.”
T.JONES: “Busta Rhymes.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Flava.”
T.JONES: “Curtis Mayfield.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Classical legend.”
T.JONES: “Smokey Robinson.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Classical legend.”
T.JONES: “George Bush.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “*sshole.”
T.JONES: “What is your favorite part of your live show or your set?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “When I talk to the people. I explain that I’m there. It’s really me. What I’m saying, is really real.”
T.JONES: “When you performed live with Sunz Of Man, you shared the stage with other emcees. As a solo artist, how do you handle the live show?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “It’s cool. As far as me being solo now? Even when I’m solo, I still have cats on the stage with me. Killarmy is with me. My boys coming out are with me. Shacronz and Free Murder are with me. They are on my single ‘Brutality’. It just got added to 26 radios across the country.”
T.JONES: “You have some television projects in the works. Tell us about them.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I have a couple of joints in the works. First, I have a T.V. show on Showtime. My man, Omar Sharif and I worked on it. It’s called ‘American Rap Stars’. It’s actually going down in history as one of the mostly aired rap documentaries on cable. The concept is hip-hop after 9-11. Many heads are in there like Russell Simmons, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, me, Rza, Masta Killa, Jadakiss, Hell Razah from Sunz Of Mann, Sticky Fingaz and the whole Onyx crew, Jamie Foxx, and The Outlawz. Jam Master Jay gets his star on The Walk of Fame. It’s the last footage of him.”
T.JONES: “What is ‘The Shelter’?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “‘The Shelter’ is a drama I created as a 2 picture deal with cats in Hollywood. It’s in development. It’s about 3 kids and 4 social workers, a dysfunctional family. It’s about a shelter. It goes into the kids and the counselors. We went to Showtime and HBO. Showtime is feeling it. I’m partners with Troy Garrity, Jane Fonda’s son. Baltimore Spring Creek Productions, run by Paula Wienstein. It takes 5 years really to get off. HBO wanted it but they are producing that new show called ‘Rome’. It took Ray Romano 5 years. No one knew him but look at him now. He wrote his own show. It’s a nice little statement.”
T.JONES: “You were also in ‘Sex And The City’. How did you get that role? What was the filming process like?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “‘Sex And The City’ was cool. I played in the episode, ‘No Ifs Ands Or Butts’. I played a rapper who was fed up with my manager, who was dating Kim Cattrall’s character. It was a lovely thing. I got mad love on the set. It was actually the first episode that had some brothers on there, some Black people. I think HBO was getting heat about it. Black people watch the show too. The guy from ‘Oz’, J.D. Williams, was my co-partner on that.”
T.JONES: “For those who do not know, what are the meanings behind Sunz Of Man and Prodigal Sunn?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “The sun is the largest source of known energy. The sun is also the life source and the symbol of truth. Intelligence! We just came with the title meaning ‘Intelligent men’. The word ‘prodigal’ is ‘extravagant’ and also ‘wasteful’. My life? I have wasted time. You have to go back and see what is really going on. At the end of that, ‘Sunn’ is the light out of the darkness. You got light and day, extravagant light. That’s what I’m bringing to cats.”
T. JONES: “What was the biggest mistake you have made in your career?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Biggest mistake? I can’t really say. The situation I am in now is great. If I made a mistake, I wouldn’t be in this situation. I would say that one of my errors was not coming in with a lawyer and not having my own business team. These were probably my biggest mistakes.”
T.JONES: “Many independent hip-hop artists are more popular in Europe. Some artists, like Grand Agent and Maylay Sparks, actually moved to Europe. How is the reception from European audiences different from American audiences?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Overseas, I’m a rock star. Overseas, people actually take time to listen. In America, only a few listen. Everyone is caught up in the American way of material things. Money, drugs, glamour, and fame. Out there, they are already rich. I’m about to get out of here too. I got a Grammy in France. I got an award in Germany. I did this song called ‘Ich Lebe’. I love hip-hop. I live for hip-hop. I did another song called ‘The Saga’ in France. Out there, we have like 10 or 15 gold records. The day we dropped our record out there, 2 of the other records went gold. It went gold in one day.”
T.JONES: “What is hip-hop lacking?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “It is lacking knowledge. It’s lacking the substance of where it really came from, from the gate. It’s lacking the foundation. That’s what knowledge is. People don’t know where it came from. They don’t pay respect for those who poured their blood, sweat, and tears into it. You have hip-hop and then, you have the program. 85% is the program. 10% is programming the 85%.”
T.JONES: "What are some major misconceptions that you think people have of you?"
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I don’t really know, man. I don’t get caught up in what people think. I guess some think that I’m too nice.”
T.JONES: “What is the current status of Wu-Tang Clan?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Everybody is on their own rock. They are all doing their own thing. We did that for about a year or so. Now, we are putting things back together. We have a plan. We will put the new Wu-Tang album together. That’s what it is. Wu-Tang is forever. Right now, we are congregating. We have plenty of tracks already recorded, but which ones do we use? Which ones will me make new? We are doing our homework. I did my own homework and put my album out. It’s new stuff. Not the same old sh*t. It’s time for brothers to catch up, baby! I did Shady radio. It’s rare when an artist comes to the set and they are feeling the record. A couple different fans called. There were 20 positive ones and maybe like 4 negative ones. The positive ones destroyed the negative ones. ‘Don’t listen to them! I’m from Tennessee’, said one. I was like, ‘Word? I’m from Brooklyn!’ They were saying, ‘That sh*t is real! That’s some new stuff. I ain’t never heard stuff like that before’. Even the fans were saying that people are programmed and they do not want to hear anything new. The programmed people want to hear the same thing. Hip-hop is a culture. It never had to be just one way. It’s a growth. That’s why I’m here. Here comes the Mack truck.”
T.JONES: “What was your childhood like? What kind of kid was Prodigal Sunn?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Childhood was crazy, man. I’ve been shot, locked up, and stuff. I don’t want to glorify that. Some cats make their career off that. All the same things that those cats who are selling 10 millions of records went through, I went through that same sh*t.”
T.JONES: “What 3 words would you use to describe Brooklyn?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Hard times, baby! It’s hard times bound with love. You gotta eat. That’s what makes you strong when you’re coming out of Brooklyn. It’s a family thing. You got cats moving in Brooklyn right now who are all colors, all flavors. The crime still goes on but n*ggas have respect. That’s what it’s all about. It’s different out here in California. In Brooklyn, if you did something real bad, you’re gonna get it. Jersey too! Anywhere in the tri-state area. That goes from the Black households to the white households to the Chinese households.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Chilling, baby! I’ve been grinding, all day, everyday. I’m putting out this record. Interviews, T.V. shows, deals, soundtracks. Rhyming, baby!”
T.JONES: “Your debut solo album. ‘The Return Of The Prodigal Sunn’ was just released. Tell us about the LP.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “‘The Return Of The Prodigal Sunn’ is my own little masterpiece. That’s my little life, trials, and tribulations all in one little CD of 15 tracks. Each track speaks for itself. You have life. You have death. I’m a ‘Soul Survivor’ who is ‘Moving On Up’. You have ‘Procrastinators’ and ‘The Traitor’. That’s ‘Betrayal’. I stay ‘Campaigning’ because that’s what you have to do to eat. It’s a constant ‘Manhunt’. Then, you have to calm down. After the ‘Manhunt’, get some ‘Lovely Ladies’. The way the album is, every title connects. When you drive through Brooklyn, that’s all you see.”
T.JONES: “Who handled the production on ‘The Return Of The Prodigal Sunn’?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I’ve got production my Rza and J.Wells. I’ve got a couple of in-house producers from my newly formed company. I formed my own company called Godz Incorporated. I have B Original, K Beats, and Magnatta Productions. I have a guy named DJ Battle, who is out of France. He works for The Source magazine in France. I was on a tribute for Ol' Dirty. It was this mix-tape that was being put together. He told me that he did tracks. He sent me some music. It was all live. There is a live band out there. Track 2. It’s called ‘Soul Survivor’. Rza did ‘Lovely Ladies’ and ‘Brutality’. I did those tracks last. The other songs, I had.”
T.JONES: “What song on ‘The Return Of The Prodigal Sunn’ took you the longest to complete?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “‘Betrayal’. It was a story. It was written like a story, with the skit, the song, and the actual breakdown of what was going on. It’s about 2 cats who betrayed me and how you never know who to trust.”
T.JONES: “The song ‘Betrayal’ is dope. The first time I heard it, I caught someone in a lie and I was furious. Driving around, I was listening to the track. Not only did it help my anger but it gave me perspective on the situation of betrayal. Is ‘Betrayal’ a true story?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Fragments of it. For the most, it is. You know how things are written in parables? I wrote it in parables. There are pieces of all things in my life, in that rhyme. It happened. You know what I mean?”
T.JONES: “Do you have a favorite song on the album?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “My favorite is ‘Soul Survivor’. I like that one. I like ‘Godz People’ too.”
T.JONES: “Besides it being a solo LP, how is ‘The Return Of The Prodigal Sunn’ different from the last 2 Sunz Of Man albums (‘The Last Shall Be First’ and ‘Saviorz Day’)?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “It’s different because it’s coming from just me, P Sunn, The 4th chamber of the Sunz Of Man. The others had 4 pieces on the chess board. You have to limit your angels with a group. Now, it’s on me. All my creativity and energy is put in. I am the Executive Producer. I had to make sure everything went the right way.”
T.JONES: “You started Godz Inc. How did you get Godz Inc. started?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I started it from doing the knowledge of years and years in the industry as an artist. My brother, Rza was the executive from the gate. Wu-Tang! I analyzed and saw what it really was. All hustles are the same. It’s just a different route. I just applied the hustle that I already had. Throughout the years, I never took sh*t for granted. In the beginning, you do, but you learn that you can’t do it again. You can’t take sh*t for granted. The things you take for granted can be your downfall. You know what I mean?”
T.JONES: “Were you taken for granted back then?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I can really say that I was taken for granted. I trusted motherf*ckers. You know what I’m saying? Knowledge. I had knowledge. You have to really be on point. You have to have the knowledge. I’m happy because I’m glad I went through everything I went through. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today. I gained knowledge through the years from just being out there. I’m grateful that the opportunity came. Music.”
T.JONES: “Just the fact that you are still on the mic, shows that you are a survivor. Some people never come back. How did you do this?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I respect that. Thank you. Music is my art. You know what I mean? When I did it, I always did with me first. It’s real.”
T.JONES: “How did you hook up with Free Agency Records to release this new album?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I met Marc Copeland about 6 or 7 years ago. Priority Records was his home. We were working on ‘Wu Chronicles Chapter II’ with 12 O’clock and Shyheim. He called me up. At the time, Rza and Priority were doing business. At the time, business was crazy. Rza gave me the connect. He said, ‘You got a hot single over there and cats are requesting it hard’. I met Marc Copeland.”
T.JONES: “How difficult was it to release ‘The Return Of The Prodigal Sunn’ compared to the release ‘The Last Shall Be First’ or ‘Saviorz Day’?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “‘Saviorz Day’ was more like, if you can’t safe yourself, don’t talk about saving others. That was what that LP was about. We were just showing the world the refinement after ‘The Last Shall Be First’. We came back to the table. It is what it is. We were saved like that. Killah Priest wasn’t with us. He’s a world traveler. He had deals going on. We had to take time and sit down at the table.”
T.JONES: “Will Killah Priest ever return to Sunz Of Mann?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Yeah. There’s no beef. We’re brothers. We laugh and joke like kids when we’re together. Business is business. Business is a cold game. He came to the album release party at The Lemon Lounge in Manhattan. He popped up.”
T.JONES: “Can fans expect another Sunz Of Man album?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Sure. They can expect it, but there’s nothing planned in the future. I’m in my corner now. I’ve been in this game for so many years and have been featured on so many records, but I still feel that I haven’t fully developed. Right now, I’m scoping that up. I’m shining me up.”
T.JONES: “What is your all time favorite collaboration so far? What is the one you are most proud of?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I like the one I did with Junior Reed and Guru on the ‘Jazzmatazz Street Soul’ album called ‘Mashin Up The World’. When I went in, I had the opportunity to be myself. It wasn’t like I had to write a certain way or for the certain song or video. I just had to get on and do my thing. It’s freedom. A lot of cats don’t have that.”
T.JONES: “You were featured on many Wu-Tang Clan collaborations. Out of all of the Wu-Tang Clan collaborations, which ones are you most proud of?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I love ‘Street Chemistry’ from the Ghostface album ‘Bulletproof Wallets’. I love ‘Do You’.”
T.JONES: “Many of the Wu-Tang Clan records now are recorded in California instead of New York City. How different is the vibe in California as opposed to recording in New York?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “The only thing that is different is the space and the lack of people. As far as family and the people you grew up with, you know? Out here, in California, you do your job. People know you and you may know a couple of people. There are less distractions. At home, it’s different. New York is a melting pot. When we started, we were grinding. It was raw. Now that we are young men, we are smoothing it out. The words are clearer.”
T.JONES: “On some of the other Wu-Tang Clan albums you were on like ‘Bobby Digital In Stereo’ and ‘Killa Beez’ compilations; you were labeled as ‘Prodical’.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “That’s was a mistake. Right here? It’s me. Something like that always happened. There were songs not being added to albums. ‘Street Chemistry’ on Ghostface’s ‘Bulletproof Wallets’ had a problem too. The song wasn’t listed on the album. That’s why he left the label. I don’t get caught up in stuff like that. On the Jazzmatazz CD, they spelled my name right. I was there like that.”
T.JONES: “How did you hook up with Guru for that collaboration on the ‘Jazzmatazz Street Soul’ album? What was it like?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Guru? He’s a classic. We always connected from back in the day. Bed-Stuy! Just came through D&D Studios one night. He told me that he wanted me to jump on a compilation he was doing called ‘Bald Head Slick’. I saw him up in this club called Cheetah’s. We partied together. We used to party all the time. He told me to come by D&D. I slid though there. The same night, Junior Reid from Black Urehu slid through. 8-0ff Agallah The Assassin came through. He was there. He produced the track. It’s street song. It’s the perfect title for that compilation.”
T.JONES: “For the Guru and Junior Reid collaboration, you guys were all together in the studio but for other collaborations, some artists do not even meet face to face. Some collaborations are done via mail. Were any of the collaborations on ‘The Return Of The Prodigal Sunn’ like that?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I had some mailed collaborations, around 2 joints. 12 O’clock was in Florida at the time. I collab’d him in. GK The Artist was out in Florida too. They were working on an album. We used technology and they jumped in. The rest were just live.”
T.JONES: “Where did you find Madame Dee?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Madame Dee? I found her about 3 or 4 years ago. She’s on that last Wu-Tang Clan, ‘Iron Flag’ album. She was on ‘Babies’. I met her through a friend of mine. She told me that she could sing and I said, ‘Let me hear something’. I heard it and was cool with it. I was doing the Two On Da Road project at the time. Me and 12 O’clock from Brooklyn Zoo have a project called Two On Da Road. We were doing our record while the Wu-Tang Clan was doing ‘The W’ album. She got on the joint and wrote the words out for us. Did that Luther Vandross song, ‘Woke up this morning…’ We wrote that and she blew it up. We loved it. She dropped it on us. That was before Raekwon got it a year later. That song was originally for the Two On The Road Project. We were at the Ghostface album release party in New York. Rza came up to me and said, ‘Yo, Sunn, that track? I want to put that on ‘Iron Flag’. You killed that rhyme on there’. No doubt? She collaborated on that and ‘Babies’. It was on.”
T.JONES: “What was it like working with Wyclef and Earth, Wind, & Fire for ‘Shining Star’?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “It was a beautiful thing. Earth, Wind, & Fire actually wanted to remake that song and Wyclef had that dance but street sound. Dirty hooked it up. We blasted that in the limo when we pulled up to the ‘Ghetto Superstar’ video shoot.”
T.JONES: “How is working with Rza different than working with other producers?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Rza is family, in-house. We’re like brothers. It’s all natural. We can feel about what a person says. Family can take that. It’s a real person who is telling you something. If you don’t like it, you don’t like it. Rza has thousands of beats. It’s more La Familia.”
T.JONES: “Who are some producers who you would like to collaborate with in the future?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I would like to collaborate with The Neptunes. I would like to work with DJ Premier. Whoever I’m feeling, basically. Right now, I got to get in the circle and analyze the person and music. If the music is good, it’s all good.”
T.JONES: “When doing a song, do you write rhymes to the beat first, or do you have the theme or lyrics ready?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Sometimes, I write to the beat. For most of the story rhymes, I like my data in my head with all of the stuff I have been through. Word chemistry. For joints like ‘Soul Survivor’, I just flew in. It was pure energy. I can write rhymes in 10 or 15 minutes.”
T.JONES: “Who are some artists who you would like to collaborate with in the future?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I like Jill Scott. Jill’s cool. I want to do something with her. I like the eccentric women who are doing their thing. I would like to rock something with Jay-Z and Ron Isley.”
T.JONES: “Wu-Tang Clan did that joint with Ron Isley, ‘Back In The Game’ for the ‘Iron Flag’ LP.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Yeah, I was there.”
T.JONES: “If you could remake any classic hip-hop song, what song would it be? How would you approach the remake?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I don’t know. Cats already did them. I would like to make ‘What’s Going On’ by Marvin Gaye.”
T.JONES: “I want to pay my respects for the passing of Ol’ Dirty Bastard.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Thank you, man. I appreciate it.”
T.JONES: “Where were you when O.D.B. passed away?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I was right here in Los Angeles when I got the news. I saw him a couple of months before that at a party. We were chilling. I heard the news and I flew in for the funeral.”
T.JONES: “What did you think about O.D.B. signing with Roc-A-Fella Records?”
SUNN: “I thought it was a good business move.”
T.JONES: “Why did you make the move to Los Angeles?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Well, I’ve been coming to Los Angeles. Wu-Tang has been out here for like 10 or 12 years. I’ve been here for like 4 years. We’ve always been out here. There’s more business out here. We’re more active. We’re more productive out here. Sometimes, in New York, there is so much hate.”
T.JONES: “How different is the industry in L.A.?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Yeah, you can be doing 20 different things here. In New York, it’s hard to get 1 or 2 things going on. It’s like a concrete jungle versus a desert.”
T.JONES: “Where were you on September 11th, 2001? How did you deal with it? How do you think it has affected or will affect hip-hop?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “On September 11th, I was right here in L.A. That’s crazy, right? I left here and there were like 5 earthquakes over here. The whole place was a zoo, man.”
T.JONES: “What was the last incident of racism you experienced?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “T-Mobile. Them bastards! T-Mobile stole my phone and my money. I have this company, Godz Incorporated. I’m a Black man. I mailed in my certificate of incorporation. They tell me that there is a discrepancy on my account. I never had an account with them! They told me that I had to wait 60 days to get my money back. She took my number in August. I had many connections on it. They took it and shut it down. They gave me no explanation. I’ve been hearing stories from 15 or 20 people about T-Mobile. Somebody has to stop those cats and all of those phone companies out there. Once they see how many phone calls you are making and how much business you are doing, they think you rely on their number. They think that they control you. It’s a form of slavery. F*ck T-Mobile!”
T. JONES: “Word association time. I’m going to say a name of a group or person. Then, you say the first word that pops in your head. So, if I say ‘Chuck D’, you may say ‘Revolution’. If I said ‘Flavor Flav’, you may say ‘Clock’, ‘Crack’, or ‘The Surreal Life’. Okay?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Yeah, man.”
T.JONES: “Rza.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Genius.”
T.JONES: “50 Cent.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Classic.”
T.JONES: “Eminem.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Surprising.”
T.JONES: “O.D.B.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Legend.”
T.JONES: “Killah Priest.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Word chemist.”
T.JONES: “Jay-Z.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Classic.”
T.JONES: “Marley Marl.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Classic.”
T.JONES: “The Game.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Surprising.”
T.JONES: “Busta Rhymes.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Flava.”
T.JONES: “Curtis Mayfield.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Classical legend.”
T.JONES: “Smokey Robinson.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Classical legend.”
T.JONES: “George Bush.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “*sshole.”
T.JONES: “What is your favorite part of your live show or your set?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “When I talk to the people. I explain that I’m there. It’s really me. What I’m saying, is really real.”
T.JONES: “When you performed live with Sunz Of Man, you shared the stage with other emcees. As a solo artist, how do you handle the live show?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “It’s cool. As far as me being solo now? Even when I’m solo, I still have cats on the stage with me. Killarmy is with me. My boys coming out are with me. Shacronz and Free Murder are with me. They are on my single ‘Brutality’. It just got added to 26 radios across the country.”
T.JONES: “You have some television projects in the works. Tell us about them.”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I have a couple of joints in the works. First, I have a T.V. show on Showtime. My man, Omar Sharif and I worked on it. It’s called ‘American Rap Stars’. It’s actually going down in history as one of the mostly aired rap documentaries on cable. The concept is hip-hop after 9-11. Many heads are in there like Russell Simmons, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, me, Rza, Masta Killa, Jadakiss, Hell Razah from Sunz Of Mann, Sticky Fingaz and the whole Onyx crew, Jamie Foxx, and The Outlawz. Jam Master Jay gets his star on The Walk of Fame. It’s the last footage of him.”
T.JONES: “What is ‘The Shelter’?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “‘The Shelter’ is a drama I created as a 2 picture deal with cats in Hollywood. It’s in development. It’s about 3 kids and 4 social workers, a dysfunctional family. It’s about a shelter. It goes into the kids and the counselors. We went to Showtime and HBO. Showtime is feeling it. I’m partners with Troy Garrity, Jane Fonda’s son. Baltimore Spring Creek Productions, run by Paula Wienstein. It takes 5 years really to get off. HBO wanted it but they are producing that new show called ‘Rome’. It took Ray Romano 5 years. No one knew him but look at him now. He wrote his own show. It’s a nice little statement.”
T.JONES: “You were also in ‘Sex And The City’. How did you get that role? What was the filming process like?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “‘Sex And The City’ was cool. I played in the episode, ‘No Ifs Ands Or Butts’. I played a rapper who was fed up with my manager, who was dating Kim Cattrall’s character. It was a lovely thing. I got mad love on the set. It was actually the first episode that had some brothers on there, some Black people. I think HBO was getting heat about it. Black people watch the show too. The guy from ‘Oz’, J.D. Williams, was my co-partner on that.”
T.JONES: “For those who do not know, what are the meanings behind Sunz Of Man and Prodigal Sunn?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “The sun is the largest source of known energy. The sun is also the life source and the symbol of truth. Intelligence! We just came with the title meaning ‘Intelligent men’. The word ‘prodigal’ is ‘extravagant’ and also ‘wasteful’. My life? I have wasted time. You have to go back and see what is really going on. At the end of that, ‘Sunn’ is the light out of the darkness. You got light and day, extravagant light. That’s what I’m bringing to cats.”
T. JONES: “What was the biggest mistake you have made in your career?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Biggest mistake? I can’t really say. The situation I am in now is great. If I made a mistake, I wouldn’t be in this situation. I would say that one of my errors was not coming in with a lawyer and not having my own business team. These were probably my biggest mistakes.”
T.JONES: “Many independent hip-hop artists are more popular in Europe. Some artists, like Grand Agent and Maylay Sparks, actually moved to Europe. How is the reception from European audiences different from American audiences?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Overseas, I’m a rock star. Overseas, people actually take time to listen. In America, only a few listen. Everyone is caught up in the American way of material things. Money, drugs, glamour, and fame. Out there, they are already rich. I’m about to get out of here too. I got a Grammy in France. I got an award in Germany. I did this song called ‘Ich Lebe’. I love hip-hop. I live for hip-hop. I did another song called ‘The Saga’ in France. Out there, we have like 10 or 15 gold records. The day we dropped our record out there, 2 of the other records went gold. It went gold in one day.”
T.JONES: “What is hip-hop lacking?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “It is lacking knowledge. It’s lacking the substance of where it really came from, from the gate. It’s lacking the foundation. That’s what knowledge is. People don’t know where it came from. They don’t pay respect for those who poured their blood, sweat, and tears into it. You have hip-hop and then, you have the program. 85% is the program. 10% is programming the 85%.”
T.JONES: "What are some major misconceptions that you think people have of you?"
PRODIGAL SUNN: “I don’t really know, man. I don’t get caught up in what people think. I guess some think that I’m too nice.”
T.JONES: “What is the current status of Wu-Tang Clan?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Everybody is on their own rock. They are all doing their own thing. We did that for about a year or so. Now, we are putting things back together. We have a plan. We will put the new Wu-Tang album together. That’s what it is. Wu-Tang is forever. Right now, we are congregating. We have plenty of tracks already recorded, but which ones do we use? Which ones will me make new? We are doing our homework. I did my own homework and put my album out. It’s new stuff. Not the same old sh*t. It’s time for brothers to catch up, baby! I did Shady radio. It’s rare when an artist comes to the set and they are feeling the record. A couple different fans called. There were 20 positive ones and maybe like 4 negative ones. The positive ones destroyed the negative ones. ‘Don’t listen to them! I’m from Tennessee’, said one. I was like, ‘Word? I’m from Brooklyn!’ They were saying, ‘That sh*t is real! That’s some new stuff. I ain’t never heard stuff like that before’. Even the fans were saying that people are programmed and they do not want to hear anything new. The programmed people want to hear the same thing. Hip-hop is a culture. It never had to be just one way. It’s a growth. That’s why I’m here. Here comes the Mack truck.”
T.JONES: “What was your childhood like? What kind of kid was Prodigal Sunn?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Childhood was crazy, man. I’ve been shot, locked up, and stuff. I don’t want to glorify that. Some cats make their career off that. All the same things that those cats who are selling 10 millions of records went through, I went through that same sh*t.”
T.JONES: “What 3 words would you use to describe Brooklyn?”
PRODIGAL SUNN: “Hard times, baby! It’s hard times bound with love. You gotta eat. That’s what makes you strong when you’re coming out of Brooklyn. It’s a family thing. You got cats moving in Brooklyn right now who are all colors, all flavors. The crime still goes on but n*ggas have respect. That’s what it’s all about. It’s different out here in California. In Brooklyn, if you did something real bad, you’re gonna get it. Jersey too! Anywhere in the tri-state area. That goes from the Black households to the white households to the Chinese households.”