With videos such as "I Never Seen a Man Cry," "Smile" and his latest, "On My Block," Scarface always seems to drop clips that are just as poignant as his heralded, mind-searing words. The Houston legend says his new video, "Someday," is no different.
"I dont really wanna give it all away," he said on Tuesday at Def Jam's New York offices. "If you notice the videos I been shooting in the past, it's always been relevant to what's going on. It's always been a different look for rap as far as I'm concerned. I always wanna shoot sh-- thats different than what somebody else would do. I'm not into videos thats right there in your face. I like people to draw their own conclusions. 'On My Block' could have easily had the normal robbings, dice games, dominoes, cookouts (see "Lens Recap: Scarface's 'On My Block'").
"[The new video] is more about what's going on in real life," he added. "The names and faces change in the neighborhood but its the same situation. Evan Bernard directed this video, and he is one of the dope-ass alternative shooters to me. I think he did a hell of a job. On this new video for 'Someday,' it's real. I didnt use [the track's guest star] Faith Evans in the video. I love Faith dearly, but I didn't want 'the singing video.' I didnt want 'the rappin' video.' I dont like the lip-syncing-type videos. I like for people to listen to the words and see the visual."
People who have listened to some mixtapes and radio mixshows lately have heard Face collaborating with another R&B songstress, Ashanti, on a track said to be the "remix" of her current single, "Baby." Ashanti wrote "Baby" after listening to Face's "Mary Jane" off of his 1997 Untouchable LP. But as the former Geto Boy tells it, he had nothing to do with "Baby"'s reworking.
"I didn't jump on the remix," Face said. "A DJ in Houston started playing 'Baby' and he had the mix of my 'Mary Jane' vocals in the song. They did it. I dont have a problem with it, but I never seen an original artist appear on the remake or spin-off of one of his songs. I kinda just wanna stick to the program."
Face, who will appear on the new albums from Fat Joe and Jay-Z, already has a game plan programmed in his brain for his next album.
"I just do it, I'm finin' to start recording," he disclosed. "It's going to be me and Kanye West and Mike Dean and my uncle Eddie. We gonna lock down in the studio for like a year. Probably hammer out 60 songs. Man, I probably got 100 songs or 200 songs that didnt make my previous albums. They just be sitting in the studio."
The leader of the Facemob, who hinted his group may be coming out with an album in the next few months, wants to issue some of his previously unreleased material eventually. However, all of you who want to hear some of his best work all on one album sooner than later can, as Face's former label Rap-A-Lot is putting out Scarface's Greatest Hits, which includes a new song, "Love & Friendship," on October 22.
"It's so late in my career, I'm just thrilled to be a part of it," Face humbly assessed of his ability to still be lauded for his music after over a decade in the game (see "Scarface, Heralded For His Past, Keeps Eye On Future"). "I'm thrilled to death that people feel my sh--. [The Fix] was the easiest album I ever made. I dont know why, it was a breeze to do it. It was a lot of paperwork that kind of stagnated the process of getting the album done, but after it was all said and done, it was the easiest record I ever done. The next record is going to be even easier than that."
As an executive, Scarface runs the Def Jam South record label, home to Ludacris and Disturbing Tha Peace, among other artists. Ludacris may be coming out again on the solo tip faster than we expect. The man he calls "Uncle Scarface" said to look for Luda's new album, Chicken and Beer, within the next three months (see "Ludacris Loves Chicken, Wants Ladies To Hush Up During The Nookie").
Scarface's Greatest Hits track list, according to a spokesperson for the project:
- "Love & Friendship"
- "Mr. Scarface"
- "Money & the Power"
- "Let Me Roll"
- "Southside"
- "Mary Jane"
- "Goin' Down"
- "Smile" (featuring Tupac and Johnny P.)
- "F--- Faces" (featuring Too Short, Devin the Dude and Tela)
- "Homies and Thugs" (featuring Master P)
- "G's"
- "Now I Feel Ya"
- "I Seen a Man Die"
- "Hand of the Dead Body" (featuring Ice Cube)
- "Look Into My Eyes"
- "Jesse James"
- "Born Killer"
- "A Minute to Pray"