Naijiel Hale, the son of the legendary West Coast artist Nate Dogg, has had his share of run-ins with law enforcement in the past. When Hale was 21-years old, in 2017, as a cornerback on Montana State’s football team, he was at the center of a drug raid, when he allegedly made drug deals with undercover cops. Prior to this, in 2015, as a cornerback at Washington University, he was dismissed from the program for a “disciplinary” issue.

Today, he brings to light exactly what the “disciplinary” issue was, while speaking out against the NFL. The message was then shared by Snoop Dogg, drawing more eyes to it.

Naijiel explains that when he joined the team, he was honest with them about having mental health issues. He had been shot weeks before he arrived, as he says, and weed was his only way to cope with the trauma. Washington advised him to see a psychologist, only for her to then “run back and tell the coaches and for them to use it against me.” 

He ends his post by advocating for better mental health programs, “We need better menta health programs when sending kids of color who been seeing trauma from viral videos to personal trauma to college! Instead of allowing them to think they ability on the field & money will make it go away.” He adds in his caption: “Or we can just start going to black colleges s/o all my niggas in the league who know the shit is a trash system if you truly need help. Ps: a guy who decided he’d rather speak and be misunderstood for a bit.”

Read his full message below, as well as an earlier post he shared calling out the NFL.

It’s difficult to imagine what prompted DMX to discredit Lloyd Banks in such a public fashion. Considering that the G-Unit rapper has been widely recognized as The Punchline King, it’s fair to assume that his bars have left an impression. Many are quick to cite early cuts like “That’s What’s Up” and his breakout “Victory Freestyle” as a testament to his lyrical prowess. With the bulk of his reputation having been cultivated on the mixtape circuit, which in itself encourages bars over structure and substance alike, it was initially difficult to assess Banks’ potential as a solo artist. Yet that changed with the release of his debut album The Hunger For More, an album that boasted classics like “On Fire,” “Warrior Part 2,” and arguably the greatest track of Lloyd Banks’ career in “Till The End.”

Though high caliber punchlines were expected on a Banks LP, “Till The End” unearthed additional depth in the young emcee. That of a storyteller, capable of conjuring striking images and emotional impact, never once diluted by an expansive three verse structure. A far cry from his mixtape material in subject matter, Banks retains his clever vernacular and imaginative control over language. “Nobody dead knew they would die before they woke, they probably started off a beautiful day with weed smoke,” he raps, opening the haunting reflection on a bleak note. “Out of last night’s pussy, the murder that she wrote, cold sweating from a nightmare, mind on a C-note.” Themes not unfamiliar to rap fans, the perils of a young hustler’s dangerous lifestyle; mirrored in many ways by mafioso rap, Banks understands how disloyalty speeds up the inevitability of death.

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Paranoia is another major theme in “Till The End,” and Banks’s second verse slowly expands the narrative to reveal some of his grievances. Like many young self-made men, Banks moves with a chip on his shoulder, both inspired and frustrated by his doubters. It’s a timeless reflection of the street cycle. Even those closest friends can fall prey to the trappings of jealousy and envy under the right circumstances. Given the track’s ominous opening — that of a violent drive-by shooting — there’s a constant sense of tension permeating throughout. It’s a testament to Banks’ ability to become one with an instrumental, his morose retrospection fueled by Eminem’s haunting lullaby. “The confusion of jealousy and dishonor will spin ya,” he warns. “But then nothing hurt worse than when that gunpowder’s in ya.” It’s something he himself grapples with, taking solace in achieving victory with those he deems kin.

Yet perhaps the damage has already been done, leaving behind unhealable scars. Even though Nate Dogg’s chorus is a comforting presence, it’s hard to shake the nightmarish foreshadowing of the opening moments. It’s not clear when death is coming for Banks, but rest assured that he knows it’s coming. And sadly, as he knows all too well, the ending is often bloody. Especially for a man who continues to carry his principles forward. “Keep my, mind on my money, and my head to the sky, I never really smile much, if you was here you’d know why,” he confesses. “There’s frustration and fire if you look in my eye.” Even amidst success, it’s difficult to discern whether Banks is even willing to accept happiness. Though he proceeds to rattle off many of his personal accomplishments, be it achieving desirability as a bachelor or commercial success as a rapper, he still cannot bring himself to smile.

Inevitably remains one of the driving themes of “Til The End.” It hangs over Banks like a guillotine blade. The fact that success is only a pitstop on the overall road, a road that is not straight, but rather circular in nature. For him, it begins and ends in the hood — the place that built him up as a man only to plant the seeds for his eventual downfall. Perhaps, as complex as it may seem, there’s a strange sense of comfort in knowing that. It would explain why Banks opted for such a tranquil instrumental, one that might otherwise evoke feelings of peace. The song packs even more impact knowing what transpired within G-Unit, a group torn apart from within, not unlike the topics explored in his lyrics. The authenticity with which Banks renders this range of themes, his cadence equally weary and wistful, makes “Till The End” stand as one of his crowning artistic achievements.

The nerve, the audacity, thought Ja Rule, upon witnessing the music video to 50 Cent’s latest Get Rich Or Die Tryin single “21 Questions.” After giving me such a hard time. A fair takeaway from our fictitious imagining of Rule, who previously found himself on the receiving end of some scathing “Back Down” bars. “I’m back in the game shawty, to rule and conquer you sing for hoes and sound like the cookie monster,” rapped 50 Cent, his ire magnified by Dr. Dre’s blood-chilling production. A narrative that was quickly seized by many of Fif’s battle-ready comrades — which is to say the entire Shady Records roster — determined to rewrite Ja’s personal history.

And like that, Ja Rule’s transition from the murderous mind behind Veni Vedi Vici, who once seemed at home spitting bars alongside DMX and Jay-Z, to the “singing rapper” was complete. At least in the eyes of the public, who were becoming increasingly enamored with 50 Cent’s unapologetic reputation as hip-hop’s most talented villain. Despite Ja having recently set the charts ablaze with “Livin’ It Up,” Fifty’s “Back Down” was simply too brutal a blow for Ja’s image to withstand. Yet 50 didn’t merely kill Ja Rule on wax; it’s likely he absorbed part of his soul in the process, imbuing the stone-cold rapper with a never-before-seen sensitivity. Though melodies were often implemented in Fif’s early music, his singsong delivery closer to taunting than crooning, never were they so overtly present — and uncharacteristically saccharine– than in “21 Questions.”

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In a 2007 interview, 50 Cent reflected on Dr. Dre’s first impressions of “21 Question,” imploring the rapper to leave the track on the cutting room floor. “Dre was, like, ‘How you goin’ to be gangsta this and that and then put this sappy love song on?’” reflects Fif, who kindly countered Dre’s counsel with his own desire to express his full character. Evidently, there was a hopeless romantic buried beneath the violent bravado. One that seemed like a far cry from the looming presence that stalked the “Corner Bodega.” That oozed arrogance over Dr. Dre’s thunderous organ-gunfire tandem on “Heat.” That managed to bridge the vastly different worlds of the streets and the suburbs by giving them a vicious and charismatic figure to champion. Yet here he was, declaring his love to be equivalent to that of a glutton’s for cake.

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In lesser hands “21 Questions” might have been an aberration. It’s vastly different from its fellow Get Rich brethren, both thematically and musically; where both Dre and Eminem tend to operate within the minor key, producer Dirty Swift blessed Fif with the instrumental equivalent to an uplifting daydream. And though he originally protested its inclusion on the album, Dr. Dre’s capable hands perfected the mix, ensuring a sense of sonic cohesion would be retained — why else do you think those drums hit like that? Effectively boom-bap at its core, albeit a slightly more romanticized take, 50 manages to feel at ease over the lush string pads and trebly guitars. Even though he’s essentially baring his deepest insecurities, he does so with the affable charm of a surprisingly relatable leading man. Throw in an immediately catchy chorus from the King Of Hooks himself, the legendary Nate Dogg, and it’s no surprise that Fif caught himself basking in the afterglow of another hit.

Once the initial shock of hearing 50 Cent’s first love song wore off, the many merits of “21 Questions” quickly became evident. For one, it provided the versatility that 50 Cent initially desired to reveal, his vulnerable performance coming off as surprisingly sincere. True, he likely understood the commercial benefits of widening his demographical reach, crafty businessman that he is, but his attempts at diversifying his sound appeared to stem from a genuine place. Given that many of his subsequent singles seemed designed with the female market in mind, it’s entirely likely that Fif developed a framework with “21 Questions,” albeit a more sexually-charged variant. On Get Rich, however, 50 Cent seemed content with building a genuine connection beyond the physical, channeling the spirit of rappers like Fabolous, LL Cool J, and yes — Ja Rule.

In 1993, Death Row records signed a young man by the name of Nathaniel Hale to their notorious roster. Only a few years removed from serving three years in the United States Marines in Okinawa Japan, tasked with helping provide ammunition to soldiers stationed in the Pacific Ocean, Nate Dogg’s artistic development might never have come to pass under different circumstances. As fate would have it, Nate Dogg’s return to Los Angeles would find him reunited with his longtime friend Warren G and his cousin Snoop Dogg, both of whom happened to be aspiring rappers. Together as “213”, the trio’s demo would eventually find itself in the possession of Warren G’s step-brother Dr. Dre.

In the early nineties, Death Row was a haven for young creatives, a place where house parties would ring off in a perpetual state and studio sessions would make stars of the undiscovered. Deep in the throes of The Chronic, Dr. Dre’s first studio album since N.W.A broke up in 1991, Nate Dogg earned his first major label placement with a contribution to the iconic “Deeez Nuuuts,” closing the track with a lengthy outro. “I heard you want to fuck with Dre,” he sings, slipping into falsetto. “You picked the wrong muthafuckin’ day.” You can almost picture the vibe in the studio as he was laying it down, the dawning realization that the Death Row roster had a weapon on their hands.

Though Nate Dogg would only feature a single time on Snoop Dogg’s debut Doggystyle, the sexually-charged “Ain’t No Fun,” the following year would prove to be a turning point in his young career. Despite struggling with the remnants of his criminal past, with two robbery charges in 1991 and 1994, Nate Dogg would soon experience his first taste of commercial glory thanks to “Regulate,” his legendary collaboration with Warren G. Not only did the narrative-fueled duet serve as a revealing introduction to Nate Dogg’s melodic capabilities, it also provided a deeper insight into his character. People weren’t used to singers being so dangerous; the juxtaposition of his soulful voice vowing to “make some bodies turn cold” was as chilling as it was soothing. There’s a reason “Regulate” continues to withstand the test of time as a classic, and much like in the song itself, it’s Nate Dogg heroic presence that stands triumphant.

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While 2Pac Shakur went on to join Death Row in 1995, one year prior he released his first and only album with his group Thug Life, which featured Nate Dogg’s vocals on the highlight “How Long Will They Mourn Me,” a tribute to the late Kato. Co-produced by Warren G, who made sure to slide the track over to his fellow Regulator for a chorus, the song became the first of several collaborations between Nate and Pac. He would go on to appear on 2Pac’s All Eyez On Me, singing the hooks on both “Scandalouz” and the posse cut “All Bout U.” Unfortunately, heightened tensions both within and beyond the Death Row camp reached a climax with the murder of 2Pac Shakur on September 13th, 1996. Not to mention the fact that Snoop Dogg had been facing a murder charge of his own, all while stirring the brewing tension with Bad Boy during the volatile 1995 Source Awards. Though Snoop was ultimately acquitted of all charges, the dark cloud looming over Suge Knight’s Death Row Records would go on to send the Doggfather packing for greener pastures.

Though Nate Dogg decided to stick with Death Row to release his debut album, the double-disc and heavily Daz Dillinger-produced G-Funk Classics, the ambitious project was unceremoniously shelved despite its intended release date of 1996. It eventually hit stores two years later in 1998, but it’s unclear as to whether Nate had actively been recording new music for the album’s updated release date. Though he may very well have remained loyal to Death Row in the fallout of Pac’s murder, it soon became evident that the legal storm ravaging the once-prosperous label was proving detrimental to his music career. He was eventually able to part ways with Death Row, a process no doubt aided by Suge’s incarceration.

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As expected, Nate quickly gravitated toward his longtime collaborator Snoop Dogg, blessing his No Limit Top Dogg album with the iconic “Bitch Please” chorus. His Death Row ties likely played a role in earning him a pair of placements on Dr. Dre’s sophomoric 2001, the success of which helped build the foundation of the legendary Up In Smoke Tour. Featuring Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Dr. Dre as the headlining acts, Nate joined a stacked lineup including Xzibit, Kurupt, D12, Westside Connection, and many more. Unfortunately, Nate’s involvement was nearly jeopardized by his arrest on June 20th, 2000, which found him taken in by a SWAT team on alleged charges of kidnapping, domestic violence, making terrorist threats and arson. With Nate’s involvement in the tour no longer a ble option, Xzibit remembers how they desperately sought to find a last-minute replacement before settling on Tyrese. Unfortunately, the actor simply wasn’t cutting it, nor was he particularly willing to learn Nate’s lyrics — not even “smoke weed every day.” 

“Long story short, man, Dre bailed [Nate Dogg] out,” recalls Xzibit. “And he bailed him out just in time for the fucking show. He paid a million dollars to get that n***a out of jail. And so [Nate] came into the arena at the last minute, right before that song. The show had just started. When he walked out, everybody knew he was in jail, and they knew how much the bail was. When he walked out on that stage, dude, that motherfucking arena just blew up. It just blew up. It was like sounds of people screaming for Nate. And he stood there for a long time without saying nothing. And so when he put that mic up and started singing, dude, it was over.”

Following the release of Dr. Dre’s 2001 and the subsequent Up In Smoke Tour, Nate Dogg found himself experiencing a second wind, a heightened state of popularity fueled by his stellar contributions to “Xxplosive” and “The Next Episode.” It’s become common knowledge that Nate Dogg is regarded as the King Of Hooks, and this era is largely the time during which the field was sown. Bonds forged during the legendary tour were honored in the years that followed. Nate became a frequent collaborator to Xzibit and Eminem, blessing the former with hooks for “Been A Long Time” and “Say My Name,” and the latter with “Bitch Please 2” and “Till I Collapse.”

In 2001, he dropped off his stacked sophomore album Music & Me, and two years later came his final eponymous drop, complete with guest appearances from every corner of the rap game. Never one to forget his roots, Nate Dogg became a stalwart presence to his fellow west coast artists, many of whom he regarded as friends. In the early millennium, he lent his voice to Bad Azz, Shade Sheist, Knoc-Turn’al, WC, DJ Quik, and many more — not to mention his former Death Row collaborators Snoop Dogg, Daz Dillinger, and Kurupt Young Gotti. 

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Despite his hometown loyalty to the west coast, Nate Dogg’s reach extended far beyond his stomping grounds. The early millennium proved an especially fruitful time for Nate, who lent his voice to some of hip-hop’s iconic anthems, collaborating with artists from the East Coast to the Dirty South. When Jadakiss delivered his Kiss Of Death single “Time’s Up,” Nate Dogg was there with the hook. When Ludacris engaged in some interstate pimpery on “Area Codes,” Nate Dogg held it down as the quintessential wingman. When Mos Def and Pharoahe Monch, two of the game’s deadliest underground-adjacent lyricists, united on “Oh No,” Nate Dogg slid onto the Rocwilder-produced instrumental and elevated the classic to a higher plane of existence. Not to mention keeping the Aftermath ties thriving with a standout chorus on 50 Cent’s “21 Questions.”

Fueled by a love of music and celebrating the many friends he made throughout his storied career, Nate’s inimitable talents continued to be sought until his health issues began to pile up in 2007 when a stroke left him partially paralyzed. After suffering another stroke the following year, Nate’s conditioned worsened, though his manager Rod McGrew believed the rapper would eventually make a recovery. Sadly, Nate Dogg passed away on March 15th, 2011, due to complications from his previous strokes. He was 41 years old. Yet even today, nine years removed from his tragic death, Nate Dogg’s shoes have yet to be filled. His status as the King Of Hooks remains uncontested, as it likely shall for as long as hip-hop thrives. Rest in peace to the Regulator, who forever altered the fabric of west coast rap and spurred a generation to form a new daily habit. 

He’s always held down the West Coast and was praised as a rapper from Los Angeles, but Xzibit‘s roots didn’t begin there. Because of his ties to artists like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, and Ice Cube early on in his career—and because of his sound—Xzibit was assumed to have been born and bred in Southern California. In 2005, various artists joined together for the West Coast Peace Treaty, an event moderated by Steve Harvey. Xzibit gave a speech at the gathering about how they should come together in L.A., and in the middle of his discourse, someone stood up and tried to check him. The man yelled, “N*gga you from Albuquerque!”

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The Game recently recounted the funny story for HipHopDX, recalling that the moment was jarring for him. “It’s like finding out Santa Clause didn’t make these cookies,” The Game recently said. Xzibit has now addressed his 15-year-old West Coast Peace Treaty moment, clarifying his history with how he came to hold down Los Angeles.

“Here’s the thing, I’m not from New Mexico, I was born in Detroit,” Xzibit says with a smile. “I lived in New Mexico, but I was only there for seven years and then I cam here at 17 and then lived the rest of my life here. That being said, it’s very interesting the sh*t that people hold onto. You can easily pick up a phone and Google my name and see that I’m not from f*cking New Mexico! I love New Mexico. I loved Albuquerque, I got a lotta friends there, but I’m not from f*cking New Mexico.” He added that because of that story, some people think he’s from the country of Mexico.

After sharing a few laughs about the incident, Xzibit listed a few other rappers who are hailed as Los Angeles icons but were born in other states. “Kurupt is from Philly! Nate Dogg is from Mississippi. Tupac is from New York! Get the f*ck outta here!” Xzibit added. “It doesn’t f*cking matter. If you’re gonna throw the stone, n*gga, throw the stone at everybody… And even if I was from Albuquerque, you let an Albuquerque n*gga come here and take all of Los Angeles. Holla at me.” Check out the funny clip below. 

Few sins sting as deeply as a DJ who cuts “The Next Episode” before Nate Dogg gets a chance to belt out his immortal wisdom: “smoke weed every day.” That’s only the tip of the iceberg of Nate’s unique style of musical genius. A baritone singer who first caught the ear of Dr. Dre and went on to lay vocals on The Chronic’s infamous “Deeez Nuuuts,” the late Nathaniel Dwayne Hale went on to collaborate with damn near every legendary rapper who comes to mind.

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That’s no exaggeration. Before passing away due to stroke-related complications, Nate had amassed a repertoire of collabs with Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Ludacris, 2Pac, The Game, Jadakiss, Fabolous, Warren G, DJ Quik, and many more. Few can think of “The West Coast” as a general presence without hearing a Nate Dogg hook. It’s no surprise that the beloved maestro remains mourned to this day, as evidenced by those who took to Instagram to pay respects on his death anniversary yesterday.

Xzibit, a frequent collaborator of Nate on songs like “Been A Long Time,” “Bitch Please,” and “Multiply,” offered up some kind words in his honor. Likewise did his cousin Snoop Dogg, who shared a picture of them sitting courtside. Daz Dillinger also held it down for his DPGC soldier, making it clear that the fallen will not soon be forgotten. And naturally, fellow “Regulator” Warren G lamented the loss and what might have been under different circumstances.  In an era sorely lacking a presence like big Nate Dogg, it feels fair to say that hooks have never quite been the same. Rest in peace to a hip-hop legend. 

We have love for Nate Dogg‘s “I Got Love” and apparently, Jadakiss does, too. The New York rapper stopped by Power 106 in Los Angeles to visit the L.A. Leakers to show off his impressive freestyle skills and he did so over the late Long Beach legend’s classic track. Jadakiss is known near and far as an emcee who can bring hard bars, and he didn’t disappoint with this latest freestyle look.

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“You know I will let the nine burst / West Coast mixtape kiss my converse / ‘Fore you play your part gotta read your lines first / ‘Fore it’s in your heart gotta be in your mind first,” Jadakiss rapped effortlessly. “Album is out now / I’m hearin’ ’em chant that / You know it’s heroin whenever I stamp that / Know how I do n*ggas / You know that I chew n*ggas / Seasoned veterans or one of these new n*ggas / Gotta be kiddin’ me / Could never get rid of me / Even if they kill me I’m still the epitome.”

That was just the beginning of Jadakiss’s freestyle and he continued to dominate for another minute and a half. His recent release, Ignatius, is being hailed as the album hip hop needed in 2020, so check out the project here and watch Jadakiss drops bars with the L.A. Leakers below.

When longtime hip-hop fans get together and the topic of the “King Of Hooks” arises, it doesn’t take long before the legendary Nate Dogg‘s name is mentioned. Responsible for adding no shortage of melody and sauce to the G-funk movement, Nate Dogg’s repertoire includes such classics as Dr. Dre‘s “The Next Episode,” Snoop Dogg’s “Ain’t No Fun,” Mos Def’s “Oh No,” Warren G‘s “Regulate,” 50 Cent’s “21 Questions,” Eminem’s “Till I Collapse,” Jadakiss‘ “Time’s Up,” and Fabolous‘ “Can’t Deny It” — among countless others.

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Given all that he contributed to game, be it on his native west coast or during the away games, it’s totally fair to deem the late great Nate as the bonafide “King Of Hooks.” Now, the honorary title has been literally etched in stone. This weekend, Nate’s headstone in a Forest Lawn, Long Beach cemetery was redone with a highly detailed and intricate update reflecting his royal status. The design was done by Cemetary Tim, who shared images of his handiwork on Instagram. The headstone cites lyrics from the title track of Music And Me, which dropped in 2001. It reads:

“Time does change, but the music it remains the same
I hit em with the music from the slaves
Oh my goodness, what my ancestors gave
I don’t want you to think I don’t know
They taught me how to reach deep down and touch the soul
Without my music, where would I be
You thought me how to cry and still remain a G
You keep alot of soldiers at ease
And together the next level proceed”

Closing out with the wisdom “it ain’t a hit till Nate Dogg spit,” the headstone also draws attention to Nate’s time served with the U.S Marines. Sad though the passing of a legend may be, it’s always bittersweet to see the celebrations of life to follow. Check out the beautiful headstone below, as well as an image from the unveiling ceremony — longtime friend and collaborator Daz Dillinger was in attendance, as well as Nate’s brother Samuel Hale.

Nate Dogg passed away on March 15, 2011, after suffering complications from several strokes. What is your favorite hook from the King?

He once dubbed himself “the well-known asshole.” Back when he was an emerging lyricist in Detroit, whose rugged authenticity and impressive vocabulary ultimately captured the attention of one Marshall Mathers. Before long, Obie found himself joining the rapidly-expanding Shady Records movement, moving alongside D12, 50 Cent, and Aftermath ally Dr. Dre. In September of 2003, Obie Trice delivered his debut album Cheers, a project many fans still praise as classic.

Since then, the man who famously created “real name, no gimmicks” has delivered five studio albums, including his most recent: the aptly titled The Fifth. With an upcoming tour planned alongside Snoop Dogg, Warren G, Tha Dogg Pound, and several D12 members, I had the chance to have a conversation with Obie, covering his experiences on the come-up, riding with Eminem and 50 Cent at the height of their beef with Murda Inc, and lessons learned from West Coast legends like Nate Dogg and Dr. Dre

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Hey Obie, how you doing? Thanks so much for taking the time. Much appreciated. First off, congrats on The Fifth. How does it feel to look back on another chapter of your discography?

I’ma continue to make music, man. I’m glad I got another album out. It’s a dope album, it sounds dope to me. I’m working on my sixth album as well. I like to put out music and continue my catalog. 

You strike me as an artist who really thinks about the arrangement of a project when you’re putting it together. When you go to the studio, do you have a vision of what you want to do, or do you let the process take control?

I kinda do both. I try to put together a project that’s pertaining to a particular style of music. Different sounds coinciding together. Something like The Fifth, I wanted to do a record that moved. The sequence was right. The way the album flows. At times I go in there just making records and picking out which ones feel the best. Scrapping the ones that aren’t too eyebrow-raising. I do both. 

You’ve got one of the most unique flows. Your vocabulary, the way you structure your verse with multisyllabic schemes. How did you start developing that style?

You know, I’ve always been in the dictionary since I was little. My father used to have me in the dictionary, reading words and learning words when I was a kid. I’m big on words. I like new words. I get a word a day emailed to me every day. I’m into finessing words and matching them together. It’s always been the way I approach a project. 

I was just listening to “Go To Sleep” with you, Em, and DMX — your verse on that is crazy. You’re laying down threats in an articulate, eloquent fashion. Super dope. 

Thanks man.

You came up in the Detroit scene. How did you carry yourself when you first decided to take music seriously? When did you realize you were making waves in your local scene? 

I had put out some independent music a long time ago, some vinyl records. “Mr. Trice.” “Dope, Job, Homeless,” “Gimmie My DAT Back,” “Well Known Asshole.” All these songs I put out back then kinda gave me a push in Detroit. I was known here in the city. During that time, Marshall was getting on with his career. He got a whiff of me and he got it popping from there. I’ve always been going to the Cyphers, the Hip-Hop Shops, the Lush, St. Andrews. All the spots in Detroit back in the day. That was my thing.

Did you ever do any battle rap? 

Not really man. I used to go to the Hip-Hop Shop, and I’d just flow up there. I wasn’t into the whole battle rap thing until later on. When my career was going off, when we was getting into it and had issues with certain cats in the industry. It was later on in life I started getting into the battling. As far as in the Cyphers, in a circle battling other dudes, I never did that. 

It all comes back to me, man. I was a really big Shady Records fan, so when you were on the radar I did my best to dive into your catalog back in the day. The first song I ever heard you on was “1×1” with Proof and J. Hill. What was your relationship with Proof like before Shady? 

When word was getting around that I might sign with Marshall, me and Proof got real tight. I would be in the studio with Proof all the time. We used to run around with each other a lot. Funny you mention that song “1×1” with J. Hill. We was at a studio at this guy’s house making that. MC Breed was there. The owner of the house, he’s dead now. Proof is dead. Breed is dead. J. Hill, he’s a coach now for a football team I believe. That’s some history right there — there was a lot of shit going on at that time. 

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To me, and I think many people, Cheers is a classic. That just turned fifteen. When you first joined the Shady team and you were piecing the album together, what was the energy at the label like? Like you mentioned before, you guys were all in the middle of some major feuds. Was that reflected in the energy at the label? 

The energy from the shit with Marshall was going through, and it definitely had an impact. You gotta remember, when I was making that record, we still was doing shows and getting into situations where shit could have got real bad out there. Getting in fights, traveling everywhere. Getting into situations with different individuals in the industry. There was a lot going on when I was making Cheers.

On top of that, I had lost a lot of people I ran the streets with to gun violence. Muthafuckas was going to prison. It was a whole lotta shit going on. At the same time, I’m trying to maintain. I got a daughter, a little girl. That energy from that album reflected all of that stuff. Definitely a lot was dealing with Shady and what we all was going through. D12, Proof getting in a fight in Miami with the Terror Squad. We rolled to New York and we gotta be super strapped up everywhere we go. It was a mess. 

I was on the D12 album before that. 50 was moving with Get Rich Or Die Tryin. That whole [Invasion] mixtape run, you know, it was all of us. We was all on these tours, we was all going through shit. It definitely came as a reflection of what’s going on with Cheers. 

On that note, one of the best songs from Shady’s dominant run was “We All Die One Day.” What was the studio session like for that track? 

Oh yeah! That track, we had Tony Yayo in the studio. Lloyd Banks was there. 50. Bunch of D12 cats was there. We was all getting to know each other. We was vibing off each other’s energy. Like, my n***a Lloyd Banks! Yayo hyping shit up there, 50 talking that shit. It was one of those things, we all had to get to know each other real fast. They was from New York. We were from Detroit. They would fly into Michigan and we’d all be in the studio, learning different things from each other.

The vibe was tough, man. It was like, we was all in there vibing. 50 would lay a verse, Banks laid a verse, I laid my verse. We played it all fuckin’ night, over and over again, tweaking it with Marshall. It was one of those things. Let’s wrap this shit up. Cause I came late. Cheers was supposed to come out before 50, but he had so much momentum with the whole mixtape run, he put Get Rich Or Die Tryin together so fast, we had so many songs done. He kinda jumped before me and came out. 

When we were making those records on my album, the posse cuts, we was just ready to go. Let’s get Obie out. It’s time to drop that shit now. I was on the label at least two and a half years at that point.

Word, I remember seeing “Rap Name” on BET. 

Right. And the D12 album as well, I did the “Obie Trice” skit. It was a long time coming.

How long did you work on Cheers altogether?

Shit, I still got songs from Cheers I didn’t use. Unreleased music I didn’t even use. It was a lot of songs we did, man. I really got a budget open, probably about six months before I had a release date — maybe a year before I had an actual date. We probably worked on that shit about a good year strong.

Any particular stories that stand out from the making of? Any particular sessions or advice that stuck with you?

One time, with Nate Dogg. I was supposed to go to California and fuck with Nate Dogg. I went out, went to the club. I was always hearing that back in the day, 2Pac used to go to the club and then go to the studio for the rest of the night. That’s what I was on. I went to go party for a minute, then I’ma be in the studio all night. But Nate Dogg called me like, ‘Yo Obie, this is a business man! Fuck the club, we got a session, let’s do it!’ [Laughs] 

I end up staying at the club anyway, went up to the studio later and we worked it out. But I wish I never would have done that. I wish I would have went straight to the studio off the plane. Handled my business and did what I’m supposed to do. Even though we knocked the records out. It was just the point that he said ‘this is a business.’ I was just in L.A. trying to party at the clubs, and go to the studio after. That stuck with me. Rest in peace Nate Dogg. 

Rest in peace Nate Dogg.  Looking back, you can say you have a Nate Dogg collaboration produced by Dr. Dre. That’s incredible.

Oh yeah. 

What was it like working with Dre? 

Dre is a cool dude, man. He’s a laid back, chill, to his business type of guy. Get in there, make song bangin’ ass shit, play a bunch of records, see what you feeling. Tell you ‘I was working on one for you’ and give you that special feeling inside. Like damn, Dr. Dre actually made one for me specifically! Not just a bunch of beats on a CD. He was making beats specifically for my sound. Dre was cool man, I had the best time working with Dre. I’m definitely going to do that again before I’m up out of here. Before the music stops. 

As far as I’m concerned, you got one of Dre’s best beats of all time with “Oh.” There’s a new element every verse. The second has the harpsichord, the third has the strings. Crazy.

[Hums “Oh” melody] Yeah that’s crazy. Exactly. 

What would you say is the biggest difference between Cheers and The Fifth? 

It’s a different day in music. Different styles, the kids like different shit. Music I tend to like to make is old school, basically. I came out in 2003. It’s 2020 now. I’m an OG in the game. It’s a different genre of music. I kinda stick to my guns and I don’t try and be doing shit I ain’t necessarily used to. I might have a sound particular to today, but I’ma definitely keep my swag on it. I definitely want the kids to listen to some of the music Idrop, so I do use some of the newer style beats sometimes. Just to play around with it and see how I feel. My core fans like me to stick to what I’m used to, but I don’t mind switching it sometimes. Playing with the new wave. 

Looking at your catalog now, five albums in. Which one do you hold the closest to your heart? 

Definitely Cheers is my favorite. I had the best time, and it’s my favorite album. I like Bottoms Up as well. The one I like the least would probably be The Hangover. I was going through a lot at that time. If I want to say the best one is definitely Cheers, I’ma say TheFifth is maybe second. Second Round’s On Me is third. Bottom’s Up would be the fourth.

Nice. Are you looking forward to the upcoming tour with Snoop Dogg? 

Oh yeah, man. We going to Canada soon, I got a Canadian tour coming up. Australia, the U.K. We gon’ tear that down with Snoop. I’m looking forward to getting out there man, and doing this album. The guy I had doing the majority of the beats, Magnedo7, he worked with Marshall a lot in the past. I can’t wait to get on stage and see how these sounds resonate through these speakers on these stages. 

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