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Milenko500's Mike Hodge interviews Mastamind of Natas. HODGE- I'd like to first start off by saying it's an honor to do this interview with you! You've been a part of the most Original and Wicked Rap group to date. NATAS(ESHAM, MASTAMIND, & TNT) created ACID RAP!

HODGE- Now, with your third solo album on the horizon(due out Jan 9th) you have an opportunity to showcase to the world what MASTAMIND is all about. What kind of differences are your fans gonna notice in this album versus your previous NATAS/MASTAMIND albums?

MASTAMIND- I've never gotten personal with the NATAS shit. I may have sounded that way, but nah. I wanted to keep that shit general cause it was 3 of us. We wanted to entertain people with wicked shit...cause we wanted to scare them. This "STREET VALU" album is so personalized. It's just me telling the streets my rap career. Like, "this is me". I'm not a rookie. I'm more of a seasoned rookie cause I haven't seen the money side of it yet. But as far as seing the rap game, I've done it all. Now it's all personalized ya know.

HODGE- On your past albums you've only done a few collaboration songs. However, I hear you've linked up with a member of G-UNIT(50 CENT's Group) and OG Rap Legend SPICE-1 on your new album. How did these collaborations come about?

MASTAMIND- My boys at Darker Sound Entertainment hooked up with him. He heard me. He showed his love. He noticed I was trying to do something totally on my MASTAMIND name. So he peeped that out and showed his love. Now, SPICE-1 is one of my Idols. He's one of the reasons I even rap hard. Murder Creek got with SPICE-1 and he loved what he heard of me. He didn't have no problem with doing it. Those songs are Fire! I came up on that SPICE-1 shit too. I was just glad to have him on the album in 2004! Blessed.

HODGE- Some early internet leaks of the Lost Souls Records version of Street Valu had some production by LAVEL on it. Is he still on the upcoming album?

MASTAMIND- Yeah LAVEL is still on the album. He did like 4 tracks on it. He did the intro and outro...shit, all the songs he did on it are hot. I've also got Strawberry Shortcutt from Lost Souls doing some vocals and MURDYLE on the "Dangerous Minds" track as well.

HODGE- Bye the way, whatever happened with you and LOST SOULS RECORDS?

MASTAMIND- Lost souls was more like a cliq type thing. Never any papers signed or anything like that. More or less just Strawberry Shortcutt just trying to keep my name alive in the streets. She promoted me strong on the net too. Then, you know those cats at Darker Sound Entertainment saw me over there and thats how I got signed to Darker Sound.

HODGE- I remember when Detroit rapper MOEBADIS was considered by NATAS fans to be an honorary 4th member of NATAS. Are you still close with him these days? He advertised NATAS as possible guests for a few of his "House Arrest" concerts this past year.

MASTAMIND- He's cool. He's cool with everybody in the city. I mean we don't talk everyday. I know him and he knows me ya know. Thats really ESHAM's man. I'm doing my thang ya know. MOEBADIS shows me love and I show love. We might come together on show or something like that. It's all good.

HODGE- Who did the production on the last NATAS album "Godlike"? People speculated that the album was a combination of old unreleased tracks and some new material?

MASTAMIND- I don't produce. I just spit fire ya know. Basically, it was ESHAM & Santos. It was all new songs. It was done in about 3 weeks. That was probobally the downfall to it. I LOVED IT THOUGH! Thats like me at my best...at that time. I was proud of that Record. ESHAM & Santos produced the record though.

HODGE- Your last 3 albums were critically acclaimed in MURDER DOG MAGAZINE! The NATAS album "WWW.COM was named ALBUM OF THE YEAR in 1999. Your solo "THE MINDZI" had a review that read "...it's the best album I've heard in a long time!". And finally your last NATAS album "GODLIKE" was nominated in the BEST OF 2002 section of Murder Dog Magazine. How do you think the critics will recieve your upcoming album?

MASTAMIND- From the fans to the critics to the haters- they're gonna find something on there they'll recognize. They'll be feelin the whole album! I love the album. This is what they wanna hear from me. Thats what I brought from NATAS, and thats what I extend off of with "Street Valu". It's all Hardcore wicked gangsta. It's that. It's just me. It's in my blood. Especially the fans. They're gonna love this. From the Intro to Outro. All the albums you've mentioned from "WWW.COM to "Mindzi" to "Godlike"...those should have all sold more than what they sold man. All of em. They were all my best work at that time. So just imagine how the "STREET VALU" album is gonna sound! It's my best work so far.

HODGE- You once toured with TWIZTID on a branch of the Freekshow Tour. Now, Juggalos are extremely loyal to PSYCHOPATHIC acts. Outsiders are not always greeted to a warm welcome. How did the Juggalos respond to you on that tour?

MASTAMIND- I did about 25 shows with them. It was all Love! Every city. I'm a hellava good hyper on stage. It's always been Juggalo love since day-1. You know it's amazing cause we(NATAS members) don't sound anything like ICP or TWIZTID, but Juggalos know where the wicked shit originated from, and appreciate that. The music might be a little bit ahead of thier time...but I'm ahead of my time. They're gonna slowly get on this album ya know. I'm gonna be selling this album strong all year. It's all love. Every city with the Juggalos. They know the deal.

HODGE- I'd spoken to BLAZE in early 2002 about his views on the NATAS crew(keep in mind this was before ESHAM was signed to Psychopathic Records). He mentioned that he'd always been a big fan of MASTAMIND. While you were on tour with TWIZTID was thier ever any talks of collabs with anyone from PSYCHOPATHIC RECORDS?

MASTAMIND- Everybody from VIOLENT J to BLAZE YA DEAD HOMIE mentioned it. I'm bout business man. I'm bout doing my thang. It's not hard ya know. If somebody says they wanna collab, lets do it. I don't like just talking about it. And we just only talked about it. Nobody came to me like "Yo, lets do this today". But real NATAS fans...all they wanna see is us(NATAS) to come together. It would be hot too. Now my man ESHAM is over there. And TNT is right with him. Hey, I'm glad the fans get to see them 2. They'd love to see MASTAMIND with them. But you know, PSYCHOPATHIC has them. I'm not mad about it at all. It's all Love ya know. But, as long as I do the Hardcore music I do man...they gonna always remember us. You know, we may come together on some tracks and sound like we did. But I ain't waiting for nobody.

HODGE- NATAS fans have begun to speculate about a secret beef between you and fellow NATAS member ESHAM. Any truth to this rumor?

MASTAMIND- It's cause the fans are speaking what they see ya know. And what they hear or don't hear. They don't get any official word, so they form thier own opinions on what they hear. ESHAM & TNT have been promoting on PSYCHOPATHIC for over a year now with no mention of MASTAMIND ya know. The fans notice this. They've been watching. And with no official word all they can do is speculate. If I was a fan and saw Them and no MASTAMIND...I'd think the same thing. But NO, it's NO BEEF! It's never been beef. We've been friends. We'll always be friends. So NO...NO BEEF with ESHAM & TNT.

HODGE- What is the deal with WHITE DEVIL PRODUCTIONS "MASTAMIND Presents- Unfinished Business" Compilation album that was sold in 2002? None of the artists featured on the cd seems to know anything about it?

MASTAMIND- Never heard of it. I'm not hating on whoever put it out though. Go ahead. Keep my name on the streets. It's all good. He's doing his thang.

HODGE- You were featured on a collab track with the Rock group The WORKHORSE MOVEMENT for the "Race Riot" compilation CD. Would you ever consider collaborationg with another Rock band in the future?

MASTAMIND- I never really pay attention to the Rock scene. I'm looking at my competition as the rap industry. Personally, I'd like to do some shit with Korn. I like a rock group that has a hip hop edge to them. I'd like to work with anybody really. I ran into alot of punk rock cats on the Warp Tour. We did 50 tour dates on Warp Tour. We got real cool with some of those bands. I don't dig Punk Rock too much. Like I said, it's gotta have a hip hop edge to it. You know, somebody's gonna hear this record and come calling. I ain't gonna act like a hoe. I'm gonna spit some verses on anybody's who wants me to spit man. I'll collab with anybody.

HODGE- Whats spinning in your cd player these days?

MASTAMIND- JAY Z's "Black Album". I've been studying JAY Z's records for the last 2 weeks or so. I bump alot of mix tapes too. Shit that won't be put out. Man, I got a million mix tapes. I listen to alot of instrumentals too. Shiiit, I'm trying to hear my album. I can't even hear that till january 9th, lol. Ain't too much in my stereo man. I don't listen to music to have a good time with it. I study that shit. I study my competition. The Mutha fuckers better watch out. I'm on em. I'm one up on em.

HODGE- Your old Record Label Gothom Overcore put out a "live" footage/interviews video called Caught In The Act a few years ago. On the video ESHAM, TNT, and Yourself mention a movie idea. It was to star all 3 NATAS members and was titled "Restraining Order". It was hard to tell if ESHAM was being serious about the movie project? Was this idea something real or just a joke?

MASTAMIND- That was an actual movie idea. We had lots of big plans back then. Nothing ever came of that movie project though.

HODGE- I recently saw something online about you re-releasing your first solo EP "LiquidDrano" with a few bonus songs. Any truth to this rumor?

MASTAMIND- Nah, just a rumor. Nothing to it. That would be like a step back and at this point I'm only going forward ya know.

HODGE- You've made guest appearences on the last 2 BEDLAM(Prozak and Madness) albums. Are you gonna be on the new PROZAK solo(produced by MIKE E. CLARK) album as well?

MASTAMIND- Who knows? It's whatever. I ain't hatin. I rap with the smallest to the big names. I see they're trying to keep the wicked shit alive. I appreciate that. So maybee. Everything is up in the air. I'm trying to keep the vibe going.

HODGE- Were you present during the physical altercation with ESHAM & TNT vs. The D12 at the WARP TOUR?

MASTAMIND- I was there. I was towards the front of the stage watching these guys perform. I wasn't all the way in the front row. I was with 10,000 other mother fuckers in a nice spot. They(ESHAM & TNT) were front row though. They finsished on stage. I went back to the bus. By the time I get back there, it had already jumped off. I don't know. It musta started as soon as they got off stage. It was like a 2-3 minute thing. By the time I got there, I was just walking up eating a hot dog thinking shit was all good. I see police lights. I'm like what the fuck happened? I got informed on the whole shit. I barely missed a beat down. Thats all I can really say, know what I mean. Hey thats just the grace of god though. Cause I don't got shit to do with that. I'm affiliated with the beef by name only. I'm with ESHAM & TNT, reppin them niggas. Yeah I'm with NATAS, but I don't know not one nigga in D12. I didn't have beef with them. I still don't. C'mon man. I'm looking at myself as something else totally different from D12. I don't even concern myself with D12 & EMINEM. Forreal it's about getting this money. That whole thing was just a mis-communication. Mother fuckers thought we had beef with them. Shit, I guess they would cause of the shit that be on the albums. But Like I said, it ain't got shit to do with me. I hate that shit happened. I felt like shooting mother fuckers. Hey, I barely missed a beat down. It'll never happen again. I think mother fuckers learned from that shit. It was just a mis-understanding.

HODGE- What was it like touring with old school rap Icon KOOL KIETH a few years back?

MASTAMIND- Yeah, they(KOOL KIETH & JACKY JASPER) were some cool cats. I got a couple phone numbers. I wanna get JACKY JASPER on my next shit. I really wanna know what he's upto these days? Them cats live like Rockstars. It was an experience. Thats all Imma say on that. A hellava experience. On his bus, doing his shows...I like the way KIETH does a show. Real old school with it. Real formatted with it. It was wild. Hellava experience.

HODGE- Speaking of touring, I've noticed a few tour dates listed with you and LAVEL called "The Looney Bin Tour". Is this tour gonna branch into a longterm or even National tour?

MASTAMIND- Who knows man. I'm taking it one day at a time. One show at a time. I'm there doing shows no matter what though. I don't care if it's 2-2000 people there. Gimmie my money and it's all good. Nobody knows how long this tour will last.

HODGE- I'd say that the longest running NATAS rumor is that you guys were friends with TUPAC. Rumor has it that many collab tracks were made with TUPAC and NATAS members. Can you please clear up this rumor once and for all?

MASTAMIND- Nah, I ain't never made no tracks with TUPAC. ESHAM and TNT never made any tracks with TUPAC. I never met TUPAC. I think ESHAM & TNT met him. They never hooked up like that though. TUPAC knew of us though. We can hear it in some of his rhymes and shit. There might have been a lil influence in there ya know. Other than that, nah. I wish though.

HODGE- And finally, with you doing solo work on DARKER SOUND ENTERTAINMENT, and fellow NATAS partner ESHAM on PSYCHOPATHIC RECORDS...is it safe to say that we've seen the last NATAS album already?

MASTAMIND- Oh yeah. It's safe to say. Cause it's like some things going on with the NATAS name that I can't even talk about. I'm NATAS forever man! If it goes down now, it's not gonna be a perfect situation. But, I think right now the whole NATAS story has been written. It's time for new rap fans to get online and download that shit though. Keep going to the stores picking it up and learning from that shit. It's history now. It's a good part of Rap music history. I loved it. I wish we coulda made more albums. Like I say though, it's history.

HODGE- I wanna thank you for taking the time out to do this interview with me. I wish you nothing but the best of luck on your upcoming solo album- "STREET VALU"! You're an Acid Rap Originator and Legend. Keep up the wicked work! Any last words for your fans reading shis?

MASTAMIND- I appeciate the questions HODGE. This was a good opportunity to clear up alot of shit, and to give some insight on my new record. To all the fans and Day 1'ers- this album is my best work to date! It'll make everyone who hears it proud to be a fan. Thanks for all the support throughout my career. I mean that.

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