The Interview Questions:
MrMakaveli.net: Can you tell us what Pudgee Tha Phat Bastard has been up to and what we can expect in the near future from yourself?
Pudgee: I have done a lot of behind the scenes work for the past few years. I wrote six songs for left Eye's solo project "Supernova" which was only released overseas. One of those songs was called "Untouchables whch featured Tupac. I Co-wrote and appeared on a song called "Say Aaah" With Shawnna from DTP and the song was used in the first "Fast and Furious" Movie. I developed a group with producer Chad Elliott Called Deja Road that was signed to Arista but was never released due to Arista being broken down and rebuilt. I Co-wrote (With my new group Paradyce) the chorus to "Dog Love" on DMX's new album. The chorus was performed by Amerie, its' his next single. One of my verses for Left Eye was used on the song "Over Me" on TLC's last album. I released several independent singles overseas. I am most recently groom ing a new female Group called Paradyce with Legendary DJ Jazzy Joyce.
MrMakaveli.net: Are you working with any rappers right now and if so can you give us any details on that?
Pudgee: I have been instrumental for quite some time, in the career of Nova (106th and park Hall of famer). I don't currently enjoy the state of Hip-Hop besides the South and 5o Cent. I really did have a burning desire to hear Remy Martin also She's Tite!
MrMakaveli.net: Big Stretch mentioned Pac had heard your demo & wanted to meet you although the deal fell through can you tell us more about it? What was Pac's plans? Where you going to be involved with Thug Life?
Pudgee: The deal never fell thorugh the album was actually released (Give Em' The Finger) but i asked to leave Giant Records after my first single and my A&R got fired. I did meet Pac through a longtime homey (Big Stretch God Bless The Dead). He kept saying one of Digital underground's dancers wantedto meet me and he's gonna have to kill him if he asks again so he took me to him and it was like we knew each other for years. From that day forward the respect and friendship grew. What was Pac's plans? He was in the infant stages of his Emcee career at the time, kind of a secret. He believed people thought he was just a prop or a dancer and he couldn't wait to have a chance to showcase his skills...lol.. Were you going to be involved with Thug Life? The Thug Life clique was mentioned but me joining the team wasnever mentioned. I think Pac sorta always believed i was too much of a leader and i was always with Nas and Akinyele back then but i was fam regardless.
MrMakaveli.net: Did you get to record any tracks with Stretch/Live squad? If so can you give us details on those and what they called?
Pudgee: I never recorded with either of them even though we wrote together (Especially Stretch and I). Stretch and i actually wrote songs for these female rappers that had an album released in the early 90's.
MrMakaveli.net: Did you get to preview any of Pacs albums first hand such as 2Pacalypse Now or Strictly 4 my N.I.G.G.A.Z? Can you remember if any joints got cut from these 2 great albums?
Pudgee: I did always hear his songs in the first verse/chorus stage but no titles i can honestly say i committed to memory. The joke was that we would do a remake of "Checkin Out The Avenue" which was my first single ever and the song that made us friends.
MrMakaveli.net: You collaborated with Biggie Smalls. What was it like working with him? Can you tell us how it was like seeing him perform in the studio?
Pudgee: Working with Biggie was fun and funny! We knew each other for along time before that and had actually did other songs together. He did our first collab on Red Bandit's song "All Men Are Dogs" which also featured Grand Puba, Positive k and others. I will definitely say it wasn't "Work" doing that song. We laughed and joked and freestyled as usual. i need to say That Lord Tariq was on the song also. Shout out to Lil' Cease and Junior Mafia cause they came through that session too.
MrMakaveli.net: How was your relationship with Pac? Can you try to describe it?
Pudgee: There was a song that Pac did called "Never Had a Friend Like Me". I always told him that if he never told the truth, he did when he wrote that song. I have never had anyone represent me so hard and honestly EVER!!!!!!!!!! Pac's friendship gave me a backbone when i felt like just sleeping my life away because if the stress i would encounter.
MrMakaveli.net: Can you tell us any funny stories or things you witnessed 2Pac do?
Pudgee: I think the funniest story i could tell that wouldn't embarass myself or him would be...........Queens Day in Corona when Pac was supposed to meet me and was mad late (The Outlaws will probably remember this) He called me from his cell phone and was like "I'm here" and I was pissed like yoooo...it's mad hours later.
I said where u at and was like "right here"...i'm looking around and around and i don't see nothing but a herd of dudes and once i look in their direction the crowd (of 40 dudes i might add) parts and here comes pac huggin me laughing hysterically and I'm like ummm 'Moses and the red sea???' and we just bust out laughing. From that day forward i would be like moses wuttuppp!
MrMakaveli.net: What were your thoughts on the whole 'Rape trail' thing Pac was going through. Did he talk to you about it? How was he feeling, did he express anything to you that showed he was in pain?
Pudgee: I always gave him strength, my ear and my prayers but I told him I neeevvver wanted to talk about that stuff cause everyone else just wanted to talk about that when they saw him! My position (as a person) is always to be the north star when my friends are lost. I'm everyone's "Rock" Pac and my mom used to say.
MrMakaveli.net: Pac felt Stretch was involved with the shooting in 94'. What were your feelings about hearing that? Can you best describe Pacs emotions/feelings when all this was going down?
Pudgee: The answer is no! i never disrespected Stretch but by then Pac and I had our own relationship and I kinda would shut down on other people so that I wouldn't be randomly tossed on bullshit.
MrMakaveli.net: Did you keep in contact with Stretch? If so how was his reaction/feelings towards Pac hearing what Pac was saying?
Pudgee: Didn't speak to him too much after the madness started unless we met up at this female's house he was dating. Her crib used to be the hangout spot for nas, Akinyele, Large Professor and Ed lover (Who was very close to Stretch).
MrMakaveli.net: Is it true Pac attended Stretchs funeral? Can you give more detail on that and what Pac was saying/feeling at that time? Was he sad Stretch passed on?
Pudgee: I would rather not answer that. I would just say that when u can't find truth you sometimes make your own answers to save your soul from aching.
MrMakaveli.net: Did you record any tracks with Pac? If so can you drop titles for us?
Pudgee: No we actually never did ANYTHING together as weird as that is.
MrMakaveli.net: Pac shouted you out on 'hit em up' was you there for the recording? If so, can you describe how Pac was when rapping that song, how was the atmosphere? If not what were your reaction's to hearing hit em up? & your thoughts on the song as a whole.
Pudgee: The shout out was a crazzzzzy suprise to me cause at that point we hadn't spoken in a week and that was odd for us. We had just talked about me not having to choose sides between he and biggie and all that bullshit that had transpired. I was overwhelmed casue he was campaigning for me hard at thats time. My barber told me about that video shout and then Angie Martinez told me he brought me up during his interview with her. The real ill shit is that i have so much information in my head (from Biggie and Pac) and i watch Tv and say "That's A Lie"! People can twist everything they want up when u have no loved ones toobject to the doctored version of "THE TRUTH". My thoughts on the whole "Issue"is that Pac had a lot of valid points.He and i were equally sensitive to people and things around us so our bond had nothing to do with music. The only thing about music that connected us was the mutual reality perspective.
MrMakaveli.net: Were you present in any of Pacs recording sessions whilst he was on Death Row or his earlier days? if so can you remember which songs he was rapping? What was the atmosphere like?
Pudgee: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! pac knew where i would be comfortable. i'mkinda moddy and outspoken so u know how that is when ur placed in an uncomfortble situation. All you can do is make others uncomfortable so they can know that the feeling isn't an island you have to be alone on....lolololollll... I think that the real joke for me is that i was supposed to stop by Quad Studios the night of the earlier mentioned shooting incident.
MrMakaveli.net: Did you make any cuts for Pacs 'One Nation' album/project? If so can you drop titles on us?
Pudgee: No. The song I did the day after he died was called "Angel Dust" I can forward you a copy to post for the people who loved him as I did if u like.
MrMakaveli.net: Where were you when Pac got shot in 96? How did you hear about it? What were your emotions when you heard of his passing?
Pudgee: Home. I cried for four hours in my mom's lap. I mean if you know your brother was your angel on earth what would you have done you know! My emotions are still the same.....A great hole in my heart where he was. MY BROTHER!
MrMakaveli.net: Whilst the whole Biggie/Tupac drama was going on did you stay in touch with Biggie? If so how was his feelings towards the whole East vs West/Pac vs B.I.G. shit?
Pudgee: I was very cordial with BIGGIE after the incident and we always hung out and joked at the Tunnel (Big New york Club.) But my brother was my brother. Biggie told me that people would take my kindness for weakness and it was all odd to me that they fell out when at one point Biggie expressed interests (to me and pac VERBALLY) of being on Death Row.
MrMakaveli.net: Have Amaru entertainment ever approached you to work on any 2Pac albums especially as you were tight with each other?
Pudgee: Not many people have my contact info and/or know how close we were but after advice from Left eye i have planned to reach out to his mother.
MrMakaveli.net: What is your honest opinion of the Loyal to the game album released back in 2004 which EM produced?
Pudgee: Snoop said something very brilliant on B.E.T recently and that was that he enjoyed Pacs earlier works more than the Death Row Catalog. I must say that i agree! His motivation and emotions were more drawn from personal pain more than inspired by "Haters"and crap u experience as a "Star". Being an entertainer makes your experiences "Common" , if you will, more than the life experience of a young man 'Against The World". When Pac first started his tales were those that anyone looking for a purpose in life. A basketball player could write a story about a groupie but not many can say they were born in prison or their mother was influential in "The Freedom Movement".
MrMakaveli.net: Ne-yo, Dk, papoose to name a few will be appearing on the new Pac album due out later this year, what is your thoughts on that? Do you think Pac would of been happy the way his songs/albums are handled these days?
Pudgee: NO No No! He was very intimate about his choices of collaboration. I do (On the objective side) believe that his "Movement" being kept alive by the introduction of current talent is brilliant on his mother's part. The easiest way to prove this point is to revisit his earlier works and see that he only really worked with people he felt deserved it or he highly respected. He didn't care about "Starpower" or commercial success in the traditional sense. he was a maker of his own destiny.
MrMakaveli.net: Finally is there anything you would like to add and tell the fans about yourself, Pac, stretch or Live Squad we should know?
Pudgee: Treach, Outlaws, Afeni Shakur, Mopreme, Fatal Hussein, Left eye.....His wife Keisha of course and Most importantly to the "Haters"> You can't stop a man from obtaining what God has Planned Unto Him. You will fail in every attempt
TRIBUTE SONG >>
http://www.mrmakaveli.net/audio/Pudgee_Tha_Bastard_-_Angel_Dust-MrMakavelinet-2006.mp3
