Fat Cap magazine: Scarface picks his: Top 5 dead or alive (Extended Edition)

When legends put their Top 5,
Scarface is on there.
What does the man have an affinity for?

Hip Hop has come to mean
different things to different people.
It originated as an authentic form of expression,
one that 'Face has utilized to the fullest.
Through powerful, reflective,
and uplifting lyrics Hip Hop defied
the odds and embraced the years as it
has became a widely appreciated
and celebrated genre of music.
Hip Hop at its best carries our aspirations,
our struggles, our bliss and our betrayals.

In a perfect world we entrust our MCs
to demonstrate a level of awareness of our community.
Candid lyricism in conjunction with tangible
real life experiences is part of
the amalgamation that is Scarface. Scarface,
a man who needs no introduction,
is one of our living lyrical icons.

In an unbridled interview,
he reveals his extended edition of
AllHipHop.com’s
Top 5 Dead Or Alive,
Top 5 Southern MCs and
Top 5 of Right Now.

RAKIM

Scarface:
The way that Rakim put words together is like no other.

AllHipHop.com:
For the younger generation who may be unfamiliar with Rakim;
which track do they really need to listen to?
Do you remember what made you first gravitate towards him?

Scarface:
Listen to [Eric B. & Rakim’s] “Follow The Leader.”
The main said,
“…A furified freestyle,
lyrics of fury/ my third eye makes me shine like jewelry…
[chuckles]
goddam! N****s talk about chains;
the man said his third eye makes him shine like jewelry!

KRS-ONE

AllHipHop.com:
What about KRS makes him stand out amongst others?

Scarface:
“Criminal Minded.”
To me KRS-ONE had that pause—it picks back
up—he had a swagger from that “Criminal Minded” album.
You know, that was really our star.

KOOL G RAP

AllHipHop.com:
What about Kool G Rap earned your respect?

Scarface:
…He had a song called “Truly Yours”—
and that’s really the best girl diss that I ever heard.

AllHipHop.com:
[laughs]

Scarface:
He dissed somebody and I was like, damn.
[starts emceeing]
“This I dedicate to the girl I hate…”
[mimics the DJ Polo beat, uh uh uh uh uh uh]
“This I dedicate to the girl I hate…”
Man, that is a fantastic come line—

AllHipHop.com:
You think it’s been timeless?

Scarface:
It’s timeless. Yes, “Truly Yours”

ICE CUBE

AllHipHop.com:
What made you become an Ice Cube fan?

Scarface:
[starts reciting a verse from Cube’s “A Bird in the Hand”]
“Fresh out of school I was a high school grad/
had to get a job because I was a high school dad…/
but there was no SC for this youngster/
I didn’t have no money/
so I had to punch the clock…”
That boy Cube is cold;
that boy Ice Cube is sick!

AllHipHop.com:
Which MC is your last pick?

Scarface:
I really have to think about that last one.
S***, of all time, you got to say LL Cool J, dawg.

AllHipHop.com:
LL?

LL COOL J

Scarface:
Yep!
Top five of all time,
you got to put LL in that top five of all time.

AllHipHop.com:
Now, if there were a top 6:

NAS

Scarface:
Nas.
I think Nas is a bad motherf***er.

AllHipHop.com:
What do you think about his evolution as an MC?
Does he still possess the same hunger he had with Illmatic?
Is he more lyrically potent now or
has he grown complacent as his wealth has increased?

Scarface:
I like Nas as an MC.
I like Nas period.
It don’t matter.

AllHipHop.com:
You know I have to go here;
it’s interesting that you didn’t name any Southern MCs.
Why didn’t any of those make the list?

Scarface:
Of all time,
there’s not a greatest Southern MC
of all time that could be in there, in my opinion.

AllHipHop.com:
I love you’re being real even
though you’re from the South.

Scarface:
I mean of all time
—If I did one for [the] South MCs
I would say — Top five of all time, it’s 3000

ANDRE 3000

Scarface:
I really like Andre 300, right now.
Because his word usage, his word play.

JUVENILE

Scarface:
Let’s see, Juvie said,
“The District Attorney don’t give a fuck about y’all/
she got to run again for office again in the fall…”
That boy Juvenile was a damn fool!

BUN B

Scarface:
…Did I say Bun B?
S**t, Bun, Juvie,
Who am I forgetting?

AllHipHop.com:
It’s hard. I’m thinking.
Z-RO got lyrics; but, to consider him at the top.
I dunno.
That’s a big distinction.

Scarface:
Cee-Lo Green

AllHipHop.com:
Check you out.
So, we’re traveling to Georgia with that Dungeon Family.
Do you like Cee-Lo with Goodie Mob or with Gnarls Barkley?

Scarface:
Both.

Scarface:
[snatches Cee-Lo’s voice]
“You got to get up, get out/
cut that bulls*** out/
ain’t you sick and tired or have to get up and get out..”
That boy is cold.

DEVIN THE DUDE

AllHipHop.com:
Devin, I love Devin.
But why is he so slept on;
what about Mr. Copeland is overlooked?

Scarface:
That’s the fucking Bill Withers of Southern Hip-Hop.
Devin can put a wash in a n**** from our day.

AllHipHop.com:
What I love about Devin is
the ease that he can go from a party song like
“Don’t Get Me Wrong” with the Coughee Brothaz
to crazy lyricism like on “Write & Wrong.”
I absolutely love Devin as
a lyricist and as a man;
he’s good people.

Scarface:
That motherfucker says,
“When you’re wrong/
motherfuckers want to talk about you/
when you’re wrong/
motherfuckers want to criticize you…”

AllHipHop.com:
Any more lists?

Scarface:
My top five of Right Now
(Rappers presently active, in no particular order).

JAY-Z

Scarface:
I like Jay-Z right now

AllHipHop.com:
Do you think that
the Blueprint 3 is going to live up to the hype?

Scarface:
I dunno, man.
You said, ‘will the Blueprint 3 live up to the hype,’
I think it will to answer your question.
I need to talk to him.
I just want to talk to him and
let him know where we’re at [MCs in the game] right now.
You know what I mean?
Jay-Z is serious though.
I like Jay-Z.
Now the Blueprint 3—I need to talk to him bad, man.

AllHipHop.com:
Let him know if he’s still looking
for features he can holla at me.
Or you can call him on three way.

Scarface:
[laughs]

YOUNG JEEZY

AllHipHop.com:
What about Young Jeezy do you like?

Scarface:
I like Young Jeezy, man.
I like him a lot.

AllHipHop.com:
What do you say to the critics
who question his dope boy motif?
How long can you rhyme about work?

Scarface:
They’re just critics, man.
They can’t rap a f***ing lick.
They don’t know the game at all.
They don’t know s*** about it.

AllHipHop.com:
So you feel as long as people can
identify with Jeezy he’ll be appreciated?

Scarface:
S***, I appreciate him.
I love Young Jeezy.
[adopts Jeezy’s cadence]
“I’m young by the way…”
[starts singing hook from “Get Allot”]
“I get a lot of that/
put your hands in the air if you get a lot of that…”

AllHipHop.com:
That says a lot coming from you.
That beat by Nicco is incredible.

Scarface:
Yeah I like it.

LIL WAYNE

AllHipHop.com:
What about Lil Wayne;
is it just his word play?

Scarface:
Wayne can play.
Young Moula [laughs].
His rhyming is very nice.

AllHipHop.com:
What do you think about him
challenging the boundaries of Hip-Hop?

Scarface:
I like it; I like that s***, man.
He went there.

BEANIE SIGEL