Scarface

Scarface's Rooted To Feature Akon, Jadakiss

11 May 2012 12:27:31 EDT

'It's just a structure that can't be moved and that would be me,' Face tells 'RapFix Live' about meaning behind album title.
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Four years ago, when Scarface dropped Emeritus, he said it would be the last album in a long, illustrious career that included well-regarded works like 1994's The Diary, 1997's The Untouchable and 2002's The Fix. But just like Jay-Z, Too $hort and other MCs who have pledged to walk away from rap, the Houston lyricist just couldn't stay away.

Face's follow-up Rooted is on the way, and when the former Geto Boy moseyed up to "RapFix Live" on Wednesday, he firmly replanted his hip-hop flag. Rap retirement is clearly a foregone feeling, as the man born Brad Jordan breaks down the significance of his new album title. "It's just a structure that's gonna be there. It's like a concrete pillar, you can't get it out the way, it's there, it's grounded," he says of Rooted. "It's just a structure that can't be moved and that would be me."

The veteran MC estimates that the LP is about 98 percent done, but Face is also a well-documented perfectionist; if he could, he'd tinker with an album for years before releasing it. "You're gonna see an album this summer," Scarface promised, before humorously backtracking, "or this fall, winter."

When Rooted does arrive, it'll feature vocal contributions from Akon, Cee Lo, John Legend and Jadakiss and production from Virginia beatsmith Nottz and underground favorite Jake One. Ultimately Scarface credits California producer Ervin "EP" Pope with helping to refine Rooted. "I got some good stuff. EP saved the project," he said of the producer who has crafted beats for Ne-Yo and Game. "I just sent him my whole album, that's how much I cared if he leaked it or not, but instead he finished the tracks, he put the hooks on, he put some instruments in and he made the album. I appreciate EP for what he did."

What's your favorite Scarface album? Let us know in the comments!

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Scarface, Beanie Sigel A Dozen Songs Into Mac & Brad LP

10 May 2012 18:10:57 EDT

'It can be done,' Face tells 'RapFix Live' of getting old pal Jay-Z to guest on collaboration album.
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway

It all started in 1999 when Beanie Sigel enlisted Scarface to rap on "Mac & Brad," an album cut off of his fiery debut, The Truth. Thirteen years later, rap fans are still eagerly awaiting a Sigel/Face collaboration.

So the longtime friends have decided to give the people an entire album's worth. The Houston rap legend estimates that the album will be out sometime next year, but when he swung through "RapFix Live" this week, he gave an update on the LP and then fumbled around for his iPhone to let the Broad Street Bully tell it himself.

"We doin' songs, I got six, he got six," Scarface said. "It's a process that we go through to do this album."

Face Mob finally found Sigel's number in his address book and called his rap buddy, who picked up on the first ring. "It's a reality now; you know our word is our bond. We said we gonna do somethin', we gonna do it," Beanie said about the Mac & BradLP.

As a duo, Beans and Scarface displayed a tremendous amount of lyrical chemistry, but there were also times that they would throw Jay-Z in the mix. And as a trio, the well-regarded MCs created memorable cuts such as the introspective Hov track "This Can't Be Life" and the Kanye West-produced "Guess Who's Back" from Face's 2002 masterpiece, The Fix.

These days, getting Jay-Z and Kanye on a track today might be bit difficult, especially seeing as how Jigga and Sigel had a falling-out some years ago. But Scarface is hopeful that there's always a chance for old friends to reconcile. "I hope so. I look forward to it," he said. "It's hard to tell, but it's a reality, though. It's real, it can be done, we all alive."

Uncle Face admits that he himself isn't in contact with Jay-Z and Kanye like he once was — not that there's any beef, they just kind of lost touch.

"I used to have everybody's number on speed dial like that," Face explained. "I hit Jay-Z, and Jay-Z pick up on the first ring. Now I might hit Jay-Z and I might not hear from him for two years," he said laughing hysterically at his own joke. "I used to call Kanye, Kanye pick up on the first ring, now Kanye don't even got no phone, that's how much times have changed.

Do you think Jay or Kanye would hop on a Scarface/Beanie album? Tell us in the comments!

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Scarface Learned Child-Support Lesson The Hard Way

09 May 2012 22:01:45 EDT

'My advice to any father out there is that if you send anything, you send it through the courts,' MC says on 'RapFix Live.'
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Scarface had to learn a hard lesson when he sat in jail from October 2010 to August 2011. The Houston rap legend, who was jailed for failure to pay child support after it was tallied that he owed more than $123,000, cleared the air on Wednesday's (May 9) episode of "RapFix Live." The MC explained that his mistake wasn't that he didn't pay his just due — it was that he didn't keep proper record of his payments.

"In the system, when your kids get grown and you pay all this money direct and it's time for the money to stop being issued out, they gonna want to appeal because there ain't no more money coming in no more," the "I Seen a Man Die" rapper explained to "RapFix" host Sway. "So they may go and say you ain't pay nothing, so that how it go."

Face's logic is that, if he wasn't paying child support for all these years, why didn't his child's mother come after him earlier? "21 years? C'mon, man. You want to do it now, 21 years later?" he rhetorically questioned. "Why you ain't do that 20 years ago, if it really was what it was?"

Regardless of what happened in the past, the rapper, who is planning to drop a new solo album later this year, is ready to move on. "It was an experience that I like to touch on and not dwell on," he said. "It was a learning experience, and my advice to any father out there is that if you send anything, you send it through the courts. That's the best way to do, because at the end of the day, you not gonna get no credit for it."

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Travis Porter And Scarface To Mix It Up On 'RapFix Live'

07 May 2012 19:59:49 EDT

Wednesday's show will also pay tribute to fallen Beastie Boy Adam 'MCA' Yauch.
By Rob Markman

There's no telling what's going to happen on Wednesday's "RapFix Live" when host Sway Calloway brings Atlanta's wild boys Travis Porter and hip-hop legend Scarface to the red couch.

Ali, Quez and Strap of Travis Porter have been on their rap grind for quite a few years, but now that they're getting set to release their major-label debut, From Day 1, on May 29, things really look to be paying off. TP's first official album features 2 Chainz, Jeremih, Tyga, Mac Miller and Mike Posner, but more importantly will be filled with the same type of rambunctious party starters that the trio has hung their hat on. So "RFL" fans can expect the same type of energy when Travis Porter make their way onto the MTV News set on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com.

That's not all, though. Houston rap icon Scarface will be making his very first appearance on the show, as he and Sway will run down his 20-plus-year career in rap. After getting his start with the Geto Boys in the late 1980s, Mr. Scarface went on to build a storied solo career. By mixing true grit and raw emotion with introspective lyrics and heartfelt flows, Scarface has delivered unforgettable hip-hop tracks like 1994's "I Seen a Man Die" and his powerful 1997 duet with Tupac Shakur, "Smile."

Face dropped his last official album, Emeritus, in 2008 but went on to drop his first official mixtape, Dopeman Music, two years later. In 2010 he was locked up and spent 10 months behind bars for failure to pay child support. It was reported that the rapper owed more than $123,000 in support, but now Face's focus is back in the studio after he and frequent collaborator Beanie Sigel announced plans for a collaborative Mac & Brad LP.

"RapFix Live" will also honor the life of fallen Beastie Boy Adam "MCA" Yauch, who died on Friday after a three-year battle with cancer.

Catch Travis Porter and Scarface on "RapFix Live" Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com, and be sure to join the Twitter conversation using the hashtag #RapFixLive. Send your questions for the artists @MTVRapFix!

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Scarface's Grandma Inspired 'Mind Playing Tricks On Me'

30 Nov 2011 17:13:48 EST

Geto Boys alum (and his grandmother) appear on Sunday's 'Yo! MTV Raps: Classic Cuts.'
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Rahman Ali Bugg

Scarface and the Geto Boys inspired so many up-and-coming rappers with their 1991 classic "Mind Playing Tricks on Me." The Notorious B.I.G., 50 Cent, Prodigy, Game, Killer Mike and the Clipse have all either sampled the track or referenced it in their lyrics, but fans might be surprised to learn that it was Scarface's grandmother who inspired him to write the influential track.

"He came to the room. I think I was just mumbling to myself, my lips were working or something, and he said, 'Mama, what you talkin' about?' I said, 'Oh, nothing, my mind's just playing tricks on me,' " the rapper's grandmother told MTV News as her famous grandson looked on. "I didn't have no idea he was gonna go out and make a song about it."

In the song's memorable video, 'Face experiences hallucinations, running from a shadowy figure he believes is out to get him. The clip was a mainstay on "Yo! MTV Raps" back in the 1990s. On Sunday, the iconic video show is making a comeback with a new special "MTV2 Presents: Yo! MTV Raps: Classic Cuts." The show will examine the stories behind some of rap's most influential records, including "Mind Playing Tricks On Me."

While the world loved the Geto Boys' breakout single, Mama 'Face had a little problem with the profane language. "When I heard it and he came out with it, I tell you the truth, it just overflowed me, I tell ya, and then I heard some little ol' words to it, and I thought I'd bring it to his attention," she said before she told MTV News the advice she then shared with her rapping grandson: "Now that you got your foot in the door, clean your act up a little bit."

Watch "MTV2 Presents: Yo! MTV Raps: Classic Cuts" on Sunday, December 4, at 12 a.m. ET, immediately after the "2011 Sucker Free Awards."

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Scarface Released From Jail

23 Aug 2011 13:54:12 EDT

Houston rapper spent 10 months behind bars for failure to pay child support.
By Rob Markman

After 10 months behind bars for failure to pay child support, Scarface was recently released from Harris County Jail in Texas and is now prepping an album for the end of the year, a rep for the Houston rapper confirmed to MTV News.

The Geto Boys rapper (born Brad Jordan) was jailed October 13, and it was reported by XXLMag.com that 'Face owed more than $123,000 in child support on four separate cases. Bonds were reportedly set in each case with separate amounts: one for $93,376, another for $50,000, a third bond for $30,000 and the fourth and final one for $500, bringing the grand total to $123,372.

It was also reported that the "I Seen a Man Die" MC was being held on unspecified federal charges, but MTV News has not been able to confirm that information.

Scarface made his mark as the leader of the Geto Boys, the Texas group that broke out with the 1991 single "Mind Playing Tricks on Me." Soon after, 'Face embarked on a solo career and dropped his own debut, 1993's Mr. Scarface Is Back. In the years that followed, he continued to release well-regarded albums, including 1994's Diary and 1997's Untouchable, which featured his Tupac-assisted single "Smile." In 2008, Scarface released what he called his final album, Emeritus. He then followed up in 2010 with his mixtape Dopeman Music before being locked up later that year.

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Scarface Comes Out Of Retirement, Announces First Mixtape

26 Mar 2010 06:51:00 EDT

'I always wanted to drop a mixtape on my own,' MC tells Mixtape Daily.
By Shaheem Reid

The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive

First things first: A huge R.I.P. to Eric "Eazy-E" Wright who died 15 years ago Friday (March 26) at the age of 31. Eazy meant so much to the rap game — not just a godfather of gangsta rap, his business acumen was unparallelled and he helped revolutionize the independent record hustle. Your genius was amazing, O.G.

With that said, it's only right we keep it legendary for today's piece — and we have a humdinger. Scarface hit us up with a trailer and not only is the Houston trailblazer coming out of his short rap retirement, but 'Face is putting out his first ever street CD.

"I'm a free agent," he said. "I always wanted to drop a mixtape on my own. So I just said, 'Let's drop an independent mixtape.' I feel that I should be as an adult and musician and pioneer — that's what they call me. ... I feel that I need to move on to another stage with the way I deliver my music to the public. I got a lot of sh-- and I'm using about 3 percent of what I know about music. I'm not using it all. I'm music. I can play that sh-- long enough for a real musician to catch it and feel me, where I'm going, and we make magic like that."

'Face strongly hinted that we'll hear live instrumentation on his mixtape.

"I'm f---ing music — I love music," he said. "I eat, sleep and sh-- music. I been around music all my life. I was born in a band. My uncles and cousin were in a band ... my daddy was a DJ. That's all I ever knew. My mom was in a band. She was a singer. That's all I ever knew was being in a band. I'm comfortable being onstage in front of people, playing all the instruments."

Check for Scarface's Dope Man Music this spring.

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

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Mixtape Daily: Scarface, Jim Jones, Tech N9ne

22 Mar 2010 07:51:00 EDT

Scarface comes out of retirement, announces first mixtape.
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Lil Wayne's 'On Fire' Inspired By 'Scarface,' Producer Dre Says

04 Dec 2009 17:13:00 EST

'It's something Rick James would bug out on,' one half of Cool & Dre says of Rebirth track.
By Shaheem Reid

Boom, goes the dynamite: Lil Wayne talks about a woman who ignites his life on his new single from his forthcoming Rebirth LP, "On Fire."

"I said, 'Shawty, let me play up in your match box,' " he sings. "And she's on fire!/ ... She's steamin'!"

"She's hot as hell, call her Helen," he later raps. "Fireman to her rescue like 9-11."

"He's talking about a chick that's on fire," explained Dre, who, along with his partner Cool, produced the record, as well as a handful of other songs on Rebirth. "He's on his knees praying to the Lord to keep him clear because she's on fire. He's got a bad one! She's that bad that's she might have came straight outta hell. I think he's shooting a video for it. I think the video would be outrageous."

Wayne's track samples Amy Holland's "She's on Fire" from the soundtrack to the classic film "Scarface."

"If you speak to Wayne, Wayne will tell you the reason why he loves the record is he gets to do everything on the record," Dre said. "He gets to spit on the record, he gets to sing on the record, he gets to play the guitar on the record. One night I was watching 'Scarface,' and I woke up in the morning, had the damn 'She's on Fire' in my head. I called up Cool, like, 'Yo, we gotta flip this.' The way the sample was, you couldn't flip it. It's like a disco song, but you hear the guitars. I was like, 'We should put this sh-- on steroids and turn it all the way up. Throw some 808s on it and really crank this sh-- up.' We redid the whole beat and kept the 'she's on fire' [vocal sample]. We gave it to Wayne. Wayne is the Fireman, so it's perfect. But we heard it after he did it — we didn't know he was gonna kill the guitar like he did.

"That's him laying the guitar," Dre added. "It's never us producing a beat for Wayne. It's a collaboration. It's always a collaboration. It's not like, 'OK, make a beat.' We're making the music with him in mind and the sh-- he does, [thinking,] 'He'll probably rap; make the music change here.' When we gave him the Pro Tools, he goes in and he amplifies the beat. That song has drops all over it where hits the guitar. Music is so f---ing boring right now. It's good to wake muthaf---as up. Wayne sings on it, he spits on it, and he plays the guitar on it. He gives you everything on one record where his mind is at right now."

Wayne plays the bass on another Rebirth record, a track called "Da Da Da."

"We did that record as well," Dre said. "He plays the bass on the record. 'She's on Fire,' it has more of an urban feel because of 'Scarface.' It has heavy 808. 'Da Da Da' is some rock sh--, but it's some really hot sh--. And not rock sh--. I don't wanna say 'rock sh--.' It's everything too. He plays the bass on the record, he sings on it, spits on it. It's something Rick James would bug out on. It's hot."

Cool & Dre also produced the upcoming Young Money album, and they did the current Game single "Big Money." The Miami duo have Rick Ross and Yo Gotti on the production plate as well.

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Atlanta's DJ Drama Brings 'A Different Flavor' On Gangsta Grillz II

27 Mar 2009 15:25:00 EDT

Spinner nabs Ludacris, Nas, T.I., Scarface and more hip-hop heavyweights for his second LP.
By Shaheem Reid

ATLANTA — No stress from anybody trying to sue over his name. No cops shutting down his studio. DJ Drama said making his new album, Gangsta Grillz: The Album II, was way more peaceful than the first time around.

"This one got put together a lot more faster," Dram said, sitting in his brand-new home. "We didn't have to worry about anybody knocking the door down. That was a plus. But we learned a lot from the first album, and we banged it out song-wise. It ain't rocket science. It's quality music. What I'm known for."

ATL's biggest DJ said for part two in his album series, he kept around team members like T.I. and his artists La Da Darkman and Willie the Kid but focused on wrangling some new MCs.


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"That was one of the most exciting things for me, was working with the people I didn't get a chance to work with on the last album," the Philly native said. "Ludacris is on this album. He's home team, he's Atlanta, so it's only right for him to be on the Gangsta Grillz album — if not the first one, then the second one. Scarface is on this album. He's somebody I really wanted on the first album. Nas is on this album. To work with him in itself is special. Busta [Rhymes] is on this album. As big as the original version of 'Cannon' was, it didn't make my first album. I got The-Dream, Fabolous, Gucci Mane is on, like, three times doing what he does. He wasn't on the last album, so I told him to go into overdrive for this album.

"One of the things about this album was to bring a different flavor. Show my fanbase something different," Dram added.

Gangsta Grillz II's first single is "Day Dreaming," featuring Akon, Tip and Snoop Dogg. We'll get a couple of more songs before the LP drops May 19.

"I got two records I'm pushing out," Drama explained. "I got this Dream record with La and Too Short on it [called 'Tipper Love'] that's gonna smash the club and the radio. Dream is on fire right now. I had to go get the O.G. Too Short for this. La is doing his thing in the streets, so that's gonna smash.

"Then I got this one that's ridiculous with Gucci, OJ Da Juiceman and Lonnie Mack that's produced by Zaytoven," he said of "Ridiculous," which also features Yo Gotti. "That's gonna tear the streets up. So I'm gonna do a double drop and hit 'em in the head two times."

Drumma Boy, DJ Khalil, Lil' C and Tricky Stewart are among the producers. Drama is hitting the road to promote his LP and told us he loves that his release date is packed with so many other LPs, such as Fat Joe's Jealous Ones Still Envy 2, Busta Rhymes' Back on My B.S. and Eminem's Relapse.

"Hey, they'll be in the stores, let's do it," he said. "Me and Bus was talking about that the other day. Eminem is the homie. I work for him over at Shade 45 [Radio]. Him and [Em's manager] Paul [Rosenberg] have always shown me a lot of love. I'm glad he's back in the game. I'm used to coming out on legendary days. Last time I came out with Scarface and Ghostface. I'm excited."

As always, expect Drama to continue with his Gangsta Grillz mixtapes as well. The next one is top-secret for now, but he did say that it is with an artist the fans have been asking him to make a tape with.

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