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3/6/2006 What's up Ag? I'm feeling piffed out. I'm about to light some of that piff. Everything is looking good with this mixtape that's about to drop. I'm just glad to be here in today's rap game and be visible. That's what it is. I'm real appreciative of where I am right now. Was there a time when you weren't satisfied with where you were? Every artist has their ups and downs. I had my bumps. It got me in grind-mode. I had to get all my music together. It just took decisions and studying more. I'm still a student even though I've been in the game this long. I didn't get my due back then and I was one of the illest rappers. I never got that love. Everything is starting to come true for me now, one step at a time. Did getting with Shiest and Purple City give you a new outlook on music? I've been making groups pop off all my life from Onyx to EPMD. I always knew that I could take it to the next level as a musician because I was always coming with that next raw sound from the streets. Niggas were always checking for me whether I was rapping or making beats. Shiest and I didn't meet on a musical level. It was apparent that I was the man for the job in Purple City. I can handle making songs. I was signed in '95 and Shiest knew my history. Can you clarify any rumors that there are problems in Purple City? Like any group, there is always going to be dilemmas going on in the crew. Every man has their own agenda. I've been doing this for ten years. I'm a boss. Shiest is a boss. Right now, we worked out everything so we can stay a team. It is evident that you have to make it together in this game. You have to make it through the bullshit to make it. I love doing records with Shiest and Un. At the end of the day, Ag has his own agenda. I have my own career. I have to worry about me, so at the end of the day, I have to be promoting myself to where I'm popping. I'm not hating on anyone, but I have to do me and they have to do them. You're going to do you the best way you can do yourself. Nobody's going to look out for you like yourself. At the end of the day, I'm solo with Ike Eyes and Ghetto Rock Stars and the Juk Boys. That's my new company. Purple City will always be my foundation and that's what I'm popping with. Shiest and I have that understanding with each other. It will always be love. That's my dude. Business is business and friends are friends. Shiest and I have a very grounded relationship in this music shit. At the end of the day, whatever we work out is what we work out. We still relax and joke, and that will always be my brother because we popped this shit off. How's the new Purple City album sound? It's hot. It's real hot. I stepped my game up on this one. It's a whole different level of sound. I stepped the beats up on it. It's definitely hard-body. Ike Eyes is on this album and I'm glad he's on board to join the family on this one because he's been riding with me for the longest. It's just real. We're here What can you tell us about your new mixtape? Shit is piff! Straight piff. It's just an installment of what I'm about to drop. It's like pages in a Bible. I really want everybody to know that I put a lot of work into this mixtape. I would appreciate it if everybody can go cop it. I never did a mixtape like this before. This is one that's real special to me. I had a lot of fun doing it. It was a lot of piff smoking in the air and special guests like Smooth B and JR Writer. I'm just keeping it 100. That mixtape right there is already popping because there's a lot of piff on there. There are a lot of exclusive joints on there. It's for the streets. Everybody grabbed onto different joints which is great. This mixtape is way overdue. How's your solo album coming? It's great, man. Right now, I have a whole lot of songs. I'm just really, really picking the special ones that I want people to hear. I have a lot of songs from my albums that never came out that only my inner circle has heard. I'm still trying to bring old music to the table with my new shit. A lot of people still ask me about old records I did. It changes everything. I know it's going to come out how I want it to come out. I'm going to make an album that's going to bring in rap's future. It's going to show people how to put shit out. Niggas think that we're on some gimmick shit. Nah, we're on some real, live shit. It's a movement. Who do you do music for? I do music for me. I'm happy with what I express. If the next man isn't, that's his problem. That's where I stand with it as an artist. My job is to sell records and let people know that I do have a message. Everything I talk about in my rhymes is 100% pure and positive. Everything that you hear is me. It's not anybody influencing me. I've been around the world four times in my life. I have to focus and put myself on the list of greatest rappers. What's up with your rock band Alexander? That's the next shit that I'm on. I'm just coming with some next level music while at the same time being a rap artist. Rock is my second love on a musical level. I love all music. When you hear shit like "Agallah Anthem" on the mixtape, you have to really do the math on that record. That's a rock record. When are we going to hear Alexander? It's on my MySpace page. It's myspace.com/agallahthedonbishopakaeddiepiff. You can go to that and check out my band Alexander. That's the next level of music that I'm doing. We're going to make some good music. It's not going to be rap, but it's going to be some real live shit. It's going to be like Pink Floyd meets Rakim. How important is diversity to Agallah? It's very important. I'm a very diverse artist. I came out with "Ghetto Girl," then came out with "Crookie Monster," then came out with Purple City. Then I might do a joint with Jedi Mind Tricks or the Wu, or do a joint with Talib, M1, or Mos Def. I just did a song for M1's album with Styles P called "Comrade Call." I'm very diverse. If you're doing you, then we can rock. Do people sleep on your skills? I'm one of rap's most slept-on producers and MC's, period. Right now, some people might say "don't fuck with him, whatever, whatever." Niggas are scared to fuck with me. If you got your shit popping, come rock with me. I'm about my business. I'm going to always try to come up with some next-level ideas for the game. What's up with Ike Eyes today? Me and Ike Eyes are going to be putting out a new mixtape. That's going to be crazy. His last two were straight piff. Are you going to keep Ike out of trouble? Yeah. I'm definitely, definitely, definitely, going to help. Ike is keeping himself out of trouble. We definitely want the world to hear us and hear where we're coming from on this side of Brooklyn. It's a whole different channel. It's a whole different perspective. We got other movements that need to be heard, as well as the fam. I'm ready. I'm just ready for the year. How important have mixtapes been to your career? Even before Purple City, I was putting out mixtapes, but nobody could find those mixtapes. I had bullshit covers back then. I got a bad review just because of the cover, but the music on it was hot. Those are joints that I was doing earlier. Expect some hot shit from me now. What happened during your Tommy Boy days? I was young when I signed to Tommy Boy. I didn't know how to do an album. I didn't know how to make an album. Those were my tests and I failed those tests, but I learn from my mistakes. That's what's been most important in my career. You move on from your mistakes and you keep it moving. The critics will always try to disrespect you. I do music for me. I don't do music for Dipset or Purple City fans. What's your favorite thing to do now, rhyme solo, rhyme in Purple City, or make beats? All of them really. Beats are one thing. They're cool. I feel like when I make a beat, that's me. That's really me, even if I'm not rapping, my beat is rapping, and you're rapping on my beat. My tracks have a real signature. I like rapping because it's a way that I can really let myself out. I'll be going through some shit and I'll just be writing out my feelings. I'm thinking, "What the fuck would I be doing if I wasn't doing this shit?" It's like seeing a shrink and the people are paying for it. They're paying for me to get psychiatric treatment. It is therapeutic. What's your state-of-mind today when you make beats? Piffed out. Real piffed out. Light some of that good piff and get my thoughts growing. A lot of my songs are made when I'm piffed out. It takes me there to that level of bringing everybody to Piffland. It's like a fantasy. I'm living a fantasy that everybody wants to live. I'm meeting superstars, riding in limos…my music is a soundtrack to that superstar status. When I touch that machine, I know what to do. Sometimes I make hard rock or metal tracks and sometimes I make smooth tracks. I just try different sounds and see what I can take to the next level. I may practice playing on the Triton or piano. I love the piano. It's one of my best instruments. I just envision myself as a six-piece band all in one man. I look at myself and think of how can I rock the crowd? I love music. Whoever created music…whoever created rap music, God bless them! What advice do you have for young artists? You have to do all that you can. Tomorrow isn't promised to anyone. You have to do everything you can and get your shit popping. Just do you and do it how you do it. Do it to the fullest. You have to bring that new sound in that's "piffed and chopped." What's up with that? I'm borrowing their sound and piffing it out. I'm making my own shit and bringing it back to New York. Hip Hop is Hip Hop and you have to really pop shit off. You have to roll with the punches and try something different, because if you don't, niggas won't really feel you. You have to come out on your G shit, whether you're on some backpack shit or you're on some gangster shit or you're on some smooth shit for the ladies. Who is your favorite rapper? I'm the greatest rapper to me. I may not be to a Jay-Z or 50 Cent fan, but I am to me. I would love to work with any artists. Fuck the limelight. If I get on, I'm helping a whole lot of people when I get on. I just need to get secure. Then I can help others. Ike's been by my side for years. That's one of my inspirations right there as far as grinding and coming up. What's your main focus today? My priorities from day-to-day is waking up, making tracks, keep my buzz going, linking up with my peoples, and make sure everyone is in tune with my moves. I also love staying in touch with my fans. I just did "Lights, Camera, Action" off Remy's album with Scram Jones. I've been producing some shit here and there for some cats. I did some tracks for JR Writer. Right now, we just finished five new Purple City albums. More or less, I'm just getting geared up for my solo and getting ready to put the game in its place. Right now, the kid is buzzing and on fire. I'm just glad for the love. I really, really appreciate the fans for supporting me. I really need it. There wouldn't be me without y'all. I'm just going to keep my head up, sign the contracts that are on the table, and get the music out. I've been in this game for awhile but I missed out on a lot of things because I fell back. After my first deal in '95 I chilled out. People thought I was looking for a deal but I just chilled out. A lot of friends told me not to let it go to waste. That's what I did. I got my act together and got the shit right. I'm still getting it together right now. I'm just keeping it real with my people and letting them know that it's just a step at a time right now. How do you feel about the way everyone says "piff" today? "Piff" comes from my dude Jitterbug. He made up the word. He stays piffed out. I was on my piff shit too, before I met him. We were always using the word "piff" and it just sprung out of hand. We'll be like, "That's piff!" I know what "piff" is and I know what "iff" is. I'm glad people ran with it. It's a bugged out, made-up word. What do you want to say to everyone? Real talk, Agallah is a movement within himself, from producing to rapping to bringing out new artists. Show respect and show love for a nigga that paved the way for a lot of other new artists and acts. I show respect to any man no matter where he's from. I want other rappers to know that. You have to get with people that are about making things happen and are about getting things done. That's when you will succeed in your career and life. I'm not trying to say I'm the best rapper or the best producer, but real talk, I get down for mines to the fullest and I'm going to do it. I'm not here to fail. I'm about my business, and we're doing business, then you have to be about your business before we can take it to the next level. Live life and enjoy it. I love the opportunity and I'm glad to be here and I'm glad to work with anybody that wants to work with somebody on the top of their game. Put me on the big albums. Word.

By Brian Kayser

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