Yonkers, New York native Jadakiss steps in for the latest exclusive Industry Interview for THE3XGP.COM! Rick From Chicago talked to Jada about his upcoming album The Last Kiss, filming Letter to B.I.G., the importance of the Internet, John Cena, eating sardines and more!  – Special Thanks goes out to Diego @ Cornerstone.

Jadakiss

RFC: Kiss of Death was a great body of work that was released in 2004, which was the sophomore effort to your solo debut, Kiss Tha Game Goodbye.  Here we are 5 years later, The Last Kiss is on the way on Tuesday, April 07, 2009.  New recording label, new management.  How has the transition been so far?

Jadakiss: It’s been alright, it’s been pretty good.   It’s pretty much been the same thing I’ve been through, just trying to maximize my opportunities with the new label and the new management na mean?  I’m just trying to do everything I did a little bit better than the last time.

Watch Jada’s Cyper performance right herre

RFC: We saw you at the 2008 BET Hip-Hop Awards as in the house announcer which gave the show a great narrative.  And then you handled your business in “The Cypher” segment where you were the cleanup hitter following your Def Jam mates (Ace Hood, Juelz Santana).  Was that fun to do or was it all business?

Jadakiss: It was business and it was fun.  Those ciphers are cool but I didn’t really like the beat, so I had to get up real early in the morning and just sit with it.  Na mean, just vibe out with the beat.  So by the ten, it came all lovely at the end.  As far as doing the voice of the show, it was a new experience which was very fun, a lot of people gave me a lot of love, saying I did good on the show.  It was a good thing.

Jadakiss on set of Letter To B.I.G.

RFC: When you filmed ‘Letter To B.I.G.’, they styled you up top to down, especially with the Coogi sweater which was a trademark look for B.I.G.  Recreating that visual was a great tribute.  My question is, was that an original Coogi sweater?

Jadakiss: Yeah.  Coogi sent that.

RFC: One of the lines that stand outs from that track is “The game has got cheaper, rappers is more commercially successful now But the heart’s a lot weaker” (Letter To B.I.G.).  I don’t think it gets any more sincere than that Jada.

Jadakiss: Yeah.  That’s just how I feel .  Coming in from when I got into the game to where the game is today, is how I feel about it.  That’s just my personal opinion.  I don’t know how true it is, but that’s just how I feel from when I came in till now, na mean?  Others might have they own opinion.

RFC: New York rap.  Do you think the Mecca of hip-hop is where it’s supposed to be at right now?

Jadakiss: Yeah, I think we doing good right now.  We’re coming up strong, and we’re pulling up the rear right now.  We’re about to take that position we want right now where we want to be, na mean?

Jadakiss – Can’t Stop Me (2009)

RFC: The new video ‘Can’t Stop Me’, where was the location of this video shoot, was it filmed on the west coast?

Jadakiss: Yeah, we shot it downtown Cali.

RFC: The opening visual, was that in Korea town?

Jadakiss: Yeah that’s downtown China town.

RFC: There’s a nice visual with that boss man in the pool hall who’s eating those sardines.  Would Jada ever eat that kind of food?

Jadakiss: Na I used to eat sardines, not them yo.  He had some real ones.  I used to eat the ones out of the can (laughs).

RFC: Kiss My Ass – the mixtape is now out which saw you reunite with the evil genius, DJ Green Lantern.  You guys made history with ‘The Champ Is Here‘, which was an anthem embraced by everyone including John Cena.  How did you feel about Cena coining your catchphrase?

Jadakiss: Oh word?  I didn’t even know that!  He be comin’ out saying that?

RFC: Long time, he’s been holding it down.

Jadakiss: The Champ Is Here?

Jadakiss – MTV Mixtape Monday (03-09-09)

RFC: Yeah because he’s always the champ on the show.

Jadakiss: That’s just a good thing.  That was from (Muhammed) Ali.  The actual sample that Green used was Will Smith from Ali (the movie).  But we couldn’t do use that so I re-did the hook.  Whenever a song spreads like that, it’s always a plus.

RFC: Jada, retail sales from this year are down 11.7% compared to same total at this time last year.  It’s a lot harder to sell records these days.  Do you feel with album delays in general that it’s a way to protect the artist or the record label’s investment?

Jadakiss: A record label is always going to protect their investment.  With the sales being down, you gotta find something else to do.  You gotta stay on the road, you gotta get some sponsorships (endorsements), and you gotta do tours.  You gotta try and get yourself into other things.  The music business is just a stepping stone, but it starts with the music.  If you make good music and cater to the fans that like you, then you’ll be all right form there.  You gotta find ways to make money, whether it’s in sales or touring na mean?  If the sales are down, then shows gotta be up.  It all balances itself out.

Jadakiss – Who Run This (2008)

RFC: We’ve seen you in a more active environment, from a viral point of view.  Your presence on the web is letting you reconnect with your core base and in the process, attract new audiences who weren’t brought up on ‘Money, Power, Respect‘ or ’We Gonna Make It.’  It seems like the media machine must pass through the Internet, do you agree?

Jadakiss: Yea, yea yea.  Definitely.  You gotta use the internet.   If you don’t, you lost in the source.  This is what’s poppin’, this is what the little kids do, go home from school and they hittin’ the sites up.  They surfing YouTube and they on everything.  So if you don’t cater to that and put yourself on there, you ain’t gonna be nowhere.  Na mean? You gotta get with the Joneses or get outta here.

Ne-Yo with Jadakiss on set of By My Side

RFC: One of our readers wants to ask how did you come up with your rapping name Jadakiss, how did it originate?

Jadakiss: One of the oldest cats in my hood gave me that name.  He just said it one day.  “I’m chillen out here with Jadakiss.”  I said what? I’mma try that in a rhyme, I just tried it and people started asking who’s that kid Jadakiss?  And I just kept it.

RFC: OK moving onto the next category we have a feature called 5 favorite questions.

Jadakiss 5 ‘Favorite’ Questions

Favorite Biggie track of all time: Who Shot Ya (The Notorious B.I.G., 1994)

Favorite producer to work with: Preemo (DJ Premier)

Favorite drink in the club: Patron.

Favorite New Era cap you ever wore: Blue Yankee fitted.

Favorite Top 5 Dead or Alive: Biggie, Nas, Jay-Z, Andre 3000 and Styles P.

RFC: Right now I’d like to do a little word association with you.  I’ll mention to you some names or words and whatever comes to mind, you can respond back with a short answer that best sums it up ok?

Jadakiss: Alright.

The Lox/D-Block

Jadakiss Word Association

The Lox: Hard.

Hip Hop Sole.com: Future.

Diddy: Business.

Maxwell (Tried to get for The Last Kiss): Down to earth.

Yonkers, New York: The hidden Burough.

Jadakiss – Why (2004)

RFC: Before we conclude, are there any shouts or plugs you’d like to give right now?

Jadakiss: Every website, every magazine, everybody across the world that supports D-Block, Jadakiss, The Lox.  Make sure you get that Last Kiss album one love baby… ‘A-ha!

RFC: Alright Jada, thank you for taking the time to talk with THE3XGP.COM, we wish you continued success when your new album drops.

Jadakiss: No doubt, thanks a lot.