@MannieFresh spoke with HHDX recently about his time spent working with Kanye and his G.O.O.D. Music stable. Here’s the interview below, interesting to say the least.
DX: Going back to that [tour] clip, you’re seen in there giving a nice little motivational speech to the G.O.O.D. Music fam. So does this mean you’re officially G.O.O.D. Music in-house yourself now?
Mannie Fresh: Well, we working that out. I’m kind of funny about signing with people. Dude, I’ve been through so much. And I’m not saying I think Kanye is a bad person, but I can’t tell you what that is right now. It’s really on me, and what space I’m in. I’m not saying that I wouldn’t do it, but it’s gotta be something that makes sense for me.
DX: Was any sort of formal offer put forward, or any extending of the hand saying “If you want to, come on”?
Mannie Fresh: I can’t really say if [there was]. It’s one of them things where – Let me just put it like this, Kanye is kinda mysterious about the things that he do. And I can’t really let no cats out the bag. I’m sorry to give you an answer like that, but I can’t really say what’s in the works. Y’all just gotta wait to see what happens.
DX: That’s cool. I gotta ask the next question though: Can you tell the readers of HipHopDX what you were doing in that pic that surfaced a few weeks back of you and Pusha T working together?
Mannie Fresh: Oh yeah, we in the studio, definitely working. That’s what I do; I’m a producer. But, I just think that – Like I said, y’all just gotta hold on and wait. I’m in somebody else’s house right now, so I gotta go by they rules. I think it would be kinda disrespectful if I went against what was asked of me.
DX: That’s cool. I gotta ask the next question though: Can you tell the readers of HipHopDX what you were doing in that pic that surfaced a few weeks back of you and Pusha T working together?
Mannie Fresh: Oh yeah, we in the studio, definitely working. That’s what I do; I’m a producer. But, I just think that – Like I said, y’all just gotta hold on and wait. I’m in somebody else’s house right now, so I gotta go by they rules. I think it would be kinda disrespectful if I went against what was asked of me.
DX: Now, switching gears here to the subject you know we had to touch upon in this interview … Did Mystikal give you any kind of a heads-up that he was gonna sign to Cash Money?
Mannie Fresh: Nah, dude. But, to each his own. As a man I gotta respect his moves. If he thought that was good for him, so be it. I’m not upset about it or nothing like that. And on top of that, look at Mannie, look at where Mannie’s moving at [now]. He’s doing his thing, I’m doing my thing. But to answer your question, nah, I didn’t see that one coming.
DX: Yeah, I didn’t see it coming either ‘cause I’m old enough to remember [U.N.L.V.’s] “Drag Em N Tha River.” [Laughs]
Mannie Fresh: I didn’t see that one coming at all. But, at the end of the day, he gotta take care of his family. So I’m not mad at him. If that’s the best move for him, and he feels like that’s what he needs to do, so be it.
DX: Your rep contacted DX in December and said that you’re still gonna keep working with Mystikal. Is that still the plan as of today?
Mannie Fresh: That’s the plan, but I gotta leave it on him. Like I said, I really don’t care who he’s signed to, as long as my business is taken care of right. And, that’s the deal with Cash Money. It’s no hard feelings. Let’s just take care of business right, that’s it.
DX: Another producer, a fellow legend actually, I do need to ask you about – and I hope you can be a little more revealing with – is Dr. Dre. When did you work with the good doctor?
Mannie Fresh: Actually, it was the same week that I was out there with Kanye. [Dr.] Dre’s dude found out I was out there, and they came and found me and brought me over to his crib. And we chatted, and the next thing you know, we in the studio.
I am a fan of Dr. Dre. I grew up on N.W.A. That [meeting] meant way more than doing music. Like, you get to sit down with one of your idols, one of your heroes, like, “Damn, this is Dr. Dre!”
I am a fan of Dr. Dre. I grew up on N.W.A. That [meeting] meant way more than doing music. Like, you get to sit down with one of your idols, one of your heroes, like, “Damn, this is Dr. Dre!”
DX: Did you like play him tracks, or did you guys actually build something together?
Mannie Fresh: I played him some tracks. The crazy thing about this is I’m still in love with Hip Hop to the point that I don’t even know that these people know me. So to know that Dr. Dre knows Mannie Fresh, that’s crazy to me. I’m like, “This dude really knows me! He knows songs that I’ve done.” So, to me, that’s like, “Damn dude, you are successful.” Like I said, it ain’t about the money.
