After “Soul On Ice” was released, you were hailed by many as one of the future greats of hip hop. The sound of “Rasassination” really differed however, as well as some of your lyrical content. Was that a conscious decision by you? Was there any outside pressure to make a more radio friendly LP? Looking back, do you view “Rasassination” as a failure or a success, and is there anything you would have done differently?
Ras Kass: Is Biggie criticized for ‘Juicy’? Is Jay-Z for ‘Aint No nikka? Mos Def for ‘Oh No!’ Featuring Nate Dogg? No I think I was criticized for no good reason. I always say “strip both albums of the beats and you can’t tell any two songs apart”. I think the media keeps tryin to make me ashamed of “Rasassination” because it didn’t sell, when I think it was better than “Soul on Ice” in many respects. ‘It Is What It Is’ was written to my mom. I wrote that first verse crying hysterically. When I played it for her we cried together. I can’t let what other people think negatively effect me as a creative person. I’ve always been a true artist. I also like to experiment, and that’s a part of growing. Basically, marketing and promotions (politics, hype and buzz) make records sell. They’re not what makes an album dope or not. My shyt is still ahead of its time. Especially from a west coast rapper perspective. The last great rapper we had was 2Pac and almost every rapper out east coast and down south is using his style.
