24: After I first heard “Diamonds On My Neck” I though to
myself Swizz Beatz produced it Hype Williams directed it and Smitty killed it,
so what happen after that with J Records because your album has yet to come
out?

Smitty: It was a beautiful time (laughing) everything was
moving so fast and I was a priority at J Records. I’ll never forget I was doing
a record with Kanye (“Ghetto” ft. Scarface and John Legend) and he told me you
got a problem, and I asked him what’s my problem and he said I had too many
people that cared about my project, too many people have opinions on what
should be next and what should be now and basically it became a clash of the
minds because you have the people at the office saying well we need a record
that will [be] equally or more successful than “Diamonds On My Neck” or we
don’t feel comfortable dropping another single with the album. Then you have
the streets saying drop “Ghetto” and keep it moving, you have the buzz and
niggas is fucking with you. So you go through the up’s and down’s of one person
saying this and one person saying that before you know it, 5/6 months go by and
you really have to come with a record equally successful. So now the people are
going to be expecting a record just as big as your last instead of just taking
advantage of the fact that the record was just a lifestyle crossover record. So
I’m in a situation where I got to come with another hit and instead of me
pushing the issue I said you know what let me come with a record that’s equal
to it because I never wanted to be in position where I was telling the label no
I’m going to go with this record and fuck what y’all think. To me that’s how
artist get dropped because the label is not backing it and if it doesn’t work,
the artist is dropped, so now after all of the playing around and back and
fourth it took about 8 months to a year and I came with the “Lil Haiti” record
produced by The Runners and this the record J Records thought that they could
get but I knew they could not because it was too much of a hood record. So when
people ask what happen after “Diamonds On My Neck” a lot of things happen after
about 4/5 (“Diamonds On My Neck remix ft. Lil Wayne & Twista”, “Lil Haiti”,
“Natural Born Hustler ft. Akon”, Died In Your Arms” and “Died In Your Arms
Remix”) singles came after that song but the point is none of those singles
have transcended the way “Diamonds On My Neck” did whether it be the label or
lack of interest.

24: Why do you feel like all of this was happening to you?

Smitty: Between 24HourHipHop.com and me I think they took
advantage of the fact that I was an accomplished songwriter and I have such a
high quantity of songs, they always felt that they could get something bigger,
always felt they could get something better. Compared to another label where
they would take what they can get from their artist and make the best of it
especially if it sounds anywhere close to a hit record. And the sad part about
it would be that I would have a record with Akon like “Natural Born Hustler”
and Akon comes out and now they would want to run back and get that record and
put it out. So this is what kept happening because they are a label that keeps
trying to follow a trend instead of setting the trend!

24: I was actually sitting in the office at J Records
because I’m actually working with Polo Grounds Music and one of your records
was being played and I thought to myself, what are they doing with your project
because in reality, there is only yourself and Cassidy at the label, no disrespect
to Cassidy?

Smitty: Yeah, me and Cassidy are really the only two who can
go toe to toe with most niggas out here and I’m going to be real with you,
Cassidy is my dude and his record “Drink and My 2 Step” was falling apart until
Swizz made his move at Universal and Swizz took the money and made that record
pop. Swizz played the political role for that record, he’s on that record he
got hot with “Money In The Bank” over at Universal and he took it to Flex
because that’s his man because they were going to lose that record as well and
I know what Cassidy is going through. Swizz and I talked about it and the
problem is that the production company I’m signed to, he doesn’t understand how
to move like that. That’s why when I was trying to make that move to Polo
grounds which I’m still trying to do, I was talking to Brain [Leach] last week
and it’s a touchy situation, but the litigation is keeping me from doing it so
Brain would have to go out on a limb to deal with all of the bullshit that
comes along with Smitty. But at the end of the day everyone understands I’m a
career artist, I keep grinding, I keep going and make real records that are
going to sell albums, not just ringtones nothing against those artist, but I am
a career artist and that’s why they haven’t drop me yet and they don’t want to
drop me.

24: Which would you rather happen at this point, be released
from J Records or let them put out the album?

Smitty: If you listened to the freestyles I have been doing
I have been crying to get dropped and they don’t want to drop me, they don’t
want to let me go. Not only because of my talent but because of the money they
have already spent trying to break me as an artist. So my move is to get with
Brain Leach and Polo Grounds Music and its crazy that you’re over there because
he has a good position over there and he actually knows what he’s doing when it
comes to breaking records and that’s really the best move for me and this is
what Cassidy had to do with Swizz. Swizz got out of there and is over at
Universal so he can get his music pushed from different angles. I love J
Records to death, but if you just have them pushing your record, your record is
only going to go so far. You need Polo Grounds you need other people helping
and they might not want to admit that but it’s just the truth homie! My ideal
situation would be to shoot the video for this “Tell Me” record with Chris
Brown because this record is going to be bigger then Smitty. It’s the type of
record that will throw me into the pile with all of the top artist in the game
right now. So I would want to shoot the video and drop the album with Polo
Grounds Music/J Records. To be honest I would not be comfortable dropping the
album with my production company and J Records because we would not do any
numbers, they don’t have the chemistry. I’m not saying they don’t know what
there doing, but they don’t have the chemistry. Brain does what he does and
works the record then comes to J Records, he doesn’t just bring a record and
leave it up to J Records first.

24 I recently heard Trick Daddy on 99 Jamz and he mentioned
DJ Khaled and how he doesn’t play certain records. Personally I’m in New York
right now but when I ask what’s playing on the radio I hear Rick Ross and Flo
Rida and I love them both but I don’t hear Brisco, Triple C’s, C-Ride, Smitty,
PM, etc. How do you feel about this subject?

Smitty: I’m not here to diss Khaled. He was an advocate of
me and was the first person championing me the same way he’s doing Ross now. If
I get too touchy about it, it’s going to sound like I’m a hatter so like I say,
I just kick away the chair and allow people to hang themselves. At the end of
the day I think we all gave Khaled notable records to play, I can only speak
for myself but “Died In Your Arms” is one of them which I even have T-Pain and
Rick Ross who he champion on the remix and he still didn’t find the record good
enough to play it. So I took it personal and made a record “You Don’t Love Me”
because I personally gave you the record and I put your name in the record I
said “Khaled you got to play this we the best.” So for you not to play the
record you can’t tell me that’s not a slap in the face. I don’t think what he
does is any different then what DJ Clue does with Dersert Storm, DJ Whoo Kid
and G-Unit, or DJ Drama and Grand Hustle but if the record is hot, Drama or Greg Street will still
play it regardless. Khaled I love you, you’re my brother but your bias ways are
coming off to people in a negative way and it’s suppose to be a 305 Movement
and it’s creating a divider.

24: Tell me about Close
Range and some of the
things you have been up to lately?

Smitty: I’m glad you asked me about that. They gave me that
edge because at one point I was a little comfortable with being signed and I
now see why Jay-Z went and got State Property and why B.I.G. had Junior Mafia
because these young cats tell you what you might not want to hear, but have to
hear. So these dudes just made it easier for me to say let’s just do it from
the ground up and start doing these freestyles and let these niggas know what
I’m really about. They spit raw too and I try to make it more of a family thing
and not like a G-Unit thing where its 2/3 guys and me. It’s a family and we all
been together for a while and outside of music. It was later that we said you
know what, I think we can do this rap shit together and if I can do a record
with them and it gets a buzz all over the country from the name I have, then
it’s a blessing. I’m not trying to get a label deal or production deal, if it
happens cool but that’s not what where trying to do.

24: Tell me about your latest video “Straight Trappin” ft. Close
Range?

Smitty: It was just an idea and I was tried of the street
video. I had saw in the past with the artist sitting next to the car and
showing off his chain and the women and wanting to do a street video that
people could still watch even if it was not done with a 500,000 dollar budget.
In Hip Hop this is what we were built on. I Youtubed KRS One’s video for “Love
Is Gone Get You” and it’s just him in the room and the Ghetto Boys video for
“Mind Playing Tricks On Me.” So when did we get to the point where we need a $500,000
dollar video like I had with Hype Williams, which I did. Also the funny thing
is that a lot of young niggas don’t know its “Straight Ballin” from Pac; it’s a
lot of Pac fans but only a hand full of real Pac fans. It made sense to put it
together for the new generation and the only Pac fans and pay a tribute along
with showing a day in the life of Close Range. At the end of the day I need to
start putting out a visual with the music and connect the face and start a
whole new movement. I saw Webbie went through the same thing with Universal and
started a whole new thing with Trill Entertainment and look how that turned
out.

24: Are you still doing the ghostwriting thing?

Smitty: Yeah, Dr. Dre just recently sent me a beat and I
submitted a song for the Detox album, its called “Making History,” I’m not sure
what’s going on with that album but my relationship just stepped back up with
him, so me and Alfonso at Aftermath been talking and I’m going to head out
there, so that’s a blessing. It has always been my passion to put out an album
and a Close Range album and write for about 3
artist.

24: Any last words you want to say to the people?

Smitty: Check out Lime Light for anything on Smitty or hit
me up at Good Company Management, www.myspace.com/smitty
and www.jrecords.com. Check for all of my
mixtapes that’s out and that are coming out soon, Ghetto Soul Clothing, Shout
Out Dade Wear and fuck with Smitty. Brain Leach holla at me we gone make this a
Polo Grounds Thing!

SMITTY & CLOSE RANGE