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Damn, Bleek

With Jay-Z "retired" and the Roc a house divided, it's time for Memphis Bleek to stand on his own.

by Emeka O. | 2005.05.12

First introduced to the world in 1997 as the hungry-voiced shorty on Jay-Z’s “Coming of Age”, Memphis Bleek has forever struggled to escape the long shadow of his legendary mentor. With the Brooklynite’s fourth solo effort, 534, on the way and Young Hov lamping on the sideline (at least for the time being), there’s been no greater opportunity for Bleek to carve out his own identity. We spoke with Memphis about his new album, his relationship with the now-fractured Roc-a-Fella camp and thirty midgets with masks.

What’s good with the new album?

The new album, 534, it’s not even fire, its lava. The first single produced by Swizz. You can hear the energy that’s in there and that lets you know what’s in store on the album.

What are we hearing from this album in terms of collaborations?

Jay did the intro to the album. Then I have a song with MOP. I have two of my artists on two other songs, but all in all it’s just me. I want you to hear a load of Memphis Bleek. Like how it was on Coming of Age and not have too many features on the album.

The initial rumors on this album were that it was going to be exclusively produced by 9th Wonder. Was there any truth to that?

We did so many records together; I wish it could happen in the future. That guy’s very talented; he did three joints on the album though.

When news dropped of Roc split, was there any question of where you were headed? With Jay or Dame, or maybe seeking other representation?

I ain’t goin’ nowhere but under the Jay-Z umbrella, that’s my mentor. If he were to leave the music business, I’m leaving right with him.

It’s dope that you’ve kept your allegiance.

I know who I am as a person, not just who Memphis Bleek is, but who Malik is. I know what I gotta do, man, and loyalty is everything. When you die, the only thing you can take with you is the kind of man you were when you were alive.

Words to live by.

I owe Jay my life. If he tell me to jump off the plank for Hov, I’m jumping.

So what’s your relationship with Jay like now?

We always gonna be cool ‘cause I don’t bug him, I don’t stress him. I’m not there every day tryin to beg for something -- I’m out there tryin to get it for myself and let him be happy with the results of my work.

Are there any hard feelings on Dame’s end? What that relationship like?

It’s alright, we cool. We don’t have no problems, it’s just that I don’t see him as much anymore. You know they doin’ they thing on one end and I’m doin’ my thing on the other. There’s still love there, no problems.

So you’ll still work with the Roc 4 Life camp?

I hope so. If they tell me they want a verse on a record it’s not a problem.

What’s up with your business ventures? What’s up with Get Low records?

I had to put Get Low on the back burner and chill out as far as getting a deal so that my artists can take time to develop and so that I could take advantage of being in the industry like I shoulda done a long time ago. Once I’m at a certain point in my career, then it’ll be easier for Get Low.

I was kinda surprised when I looked at the Get Low roster and saw Lil’ Cease on there.

Lil Cease never was really down. He was trying to get in but with Lil Kim’s situation, it didn’t really work out. We were just trying to help duke get a little buzz on the streets.

Trouble seems to follow that cat everywhere.

That’s my boy though. Him and Kim are going through their little situation so I really wanna sit out without even commenting on that.

So what do you know about the breakup of State Property?

I feel that anytime you break up you lose something, ‘cause when you’re a family, its like losing one of your limbs, like cutting your leg off when you lose a cousin or a brother or something like that. I feel like it’s nothing that a conversation between them and them all getting on the same page won’t handle. You know there’s a lot of egos involved, but nothing can be done about that now because Beans is behind the wall.

During the making of your last album you endured some personal tragedy with your brother getting into an automobile accident. From that, we saw a new, more mature, more intense Bleek. Did the accident change the way you conceived songs?

Definitely, I felt it was time. I felt like I would have been wrong for me to concentrate on a party record when I wasn’t in a party mood. I got my brother all laid up in the hospital with tubes all in him and that made me reflect on memories we had growing up. It was really personal. MADE was sort of album where if you really listened to Memphis Bleek and you really cared about me, you just listen and relax.

Are we going to see a balance between the introspective and street Bleek?

It’s the new and improved Bleek right here: lyrically, subject matter, content of material, the things that I talk about, my delivery. Everything is different, nothing is the same. You listen to Coming of Age and 534, it’s two different people. I didn’t have any responsibility during Coming of Age; the Malik on 534 has a family. So it’s interesting, my life plays out like a movie.

Nice segue into my next question. Just about everyone in the Roc has been involved in some sort of movie project, is that something you see yourself getting into?

I hope so, somebody send me the right script where I don’t always have to play the killer then I’ll think about doing it. But right now, they say when you do to many things, you risk losing them all. I haven’t won in Hip hop yet, so I gotta do that first.

By industry standards, you’ve had a long career.

I been in the game five years. I don’t look at it as a career, I look at it basically as bein’ on a street team for Jay helping him come up with his projects, workin on his albums.

The thing is most artists don’t get to that level, four albums in a five year span is not an easy feat.

And that’s a blessing, you gotta thank God for that, ‘cause like you said, most people don’t even get to that level. I mean, I’ve done four albums -- that’s why I feel that this time is the now or never time, I’m like if it doesn’t happen now I might never have the chance to break through as one of those top-selling artists. That’s why I put my all into this. It’s what I talk about, the kind of person I am. When you see me and meet me in person, you can tell that it’s not fake, it’s not a gimmick. I really live what I’m talking about. Most rappers talk about cars and jewelry that they don’t have. If I talk about it, I’m gonna show it to you. If I tell you that something happened, then it did. If I tell you I did something, I did it. I feel like a lot of people relate to that.

So we’ve been speaking on your longevity, and as long as your career has been, despite a few minor skirmishes you’ve managed you keep your name out of other rappers mouths. In this climate of people creating beef to sell records, how do you manage to keep your name out of the line of fire?

I’m bigger than that, I don’t need to talk about nobody else to sell my records; all I need to do is to be hot. Being involved in this WWF wrestling stuff that going on in the Hip-Hop business, if I’m saying the words out my mouth that me and this man have beef, this means this man is trying to kill me and I’m trying to kill him. I’m bigger than that. I did all that stuff when I was young and dumb. I just wanna win, that’s it.

But there have been instances, I’m not naming names, where people have tried to come at your head.

But I’m bigger than that. As far as me making a record back, I ain’t makin’ a record about nobody no more. If anybody feel that they want to be competitive, then just put up some money and we go battle.

People see you and know that you’re the path to Jay, so little dudes trying to come up in the game may say something about you because of the understanding that getting at you is one step closer to the top.

I understand that, and that’s why I react and respond to situations like I do. I didn’t just jump off the building. ‘Cause when I go crazy, it involves Jay, whether it has anything to do with it or not just because we’re connected to each other. That’s why I don’t pay this little petty stuff no mind, we out there for the giants in the game, dudes like Nas. If your name can be mentioned in the same breath as one of the greats, don’t beef with me.

Being somewhat of a vet, you know the politics of beef being constructed to sell records and other forms of gimmicks; you say you don’t need gimmicks to set you apart, so what does make you different?

You know what? I’m gonna make up a gimmick right now. Tell your peoples that Bleek walks around with thirty niggas with masks, they always have masks on, and they gonna be midgets. We gonna keep it all the way hoodie. Naw, my gimmick is that put together dope songs, I’m hot because the song hot, not because I beat somebody up. [ed. note: this interview took place before Bleek made the news for beating up a busboy at Club NV.]

You’ve been down with Jay since the beginning people saw you as a sidekick, but you broken through that role and become your own man with your own career. What advice do you have for fledgling rappers, new to the game, trying to create their own identities?

Find yourself, when you get the opportunity, open the door for yourself. You don’t have to walk in nobody elses’ shoes, me and Jay are friends, that don’t mean I have to dress, walk, talk and look like him. I’m Bleek. He’s Jay-Z. When I go home at the end of the day, I have to deal with Bleek’s problems. Once you find out who you truly are, then you’ll know what to do.

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