TIME STAMPS: 2:29 — Mega speaks on his early life, being born in Bed–Stuy, Brooklyn, moving to Co-op City in the Bronx, and the culture shock he experienced when his family moved to the Far Rockaway neighborhood of Queens. They go on to discuss how his mother being murdered when he was four years old impacted him coming up, the importance of not neglecting one’s mental health, and how PTSD is a real thing for so many impoverished communities like Queensbridge. 7:45 — Mega talks about how the strong black women that have been present throughout the course of his life have affected his growth as an artist. They go on to discuss Mega’s take on the deep cultural impact of the Queensbridge housing projects, How Marly Marl and the Juice Crew changed the game, and Mega’s writing style being an extension of MC Shan. They also get into the pride Mega holds in his long history as an independent artist. 13:34 — Talib brings up his view of Queensbridge artists and their knowledge of the street equaling their level of knowledge for the history of hip hop as he goes on to reference bars from Mega’s ‘Bring It Back.’ Mega is asked about his being viewed as one of the most slept-on artists in the game, and he talks about being intentionally overlooked throughout his career by the gatekeepers of the industry, and how he has used that to fuel his fire. 16:53 — Mega is asked about his experience of doing prison time during the release of his childhood friend Nas’ iconic ‘Illmatic’ album which he would have been featured on. They discuss Cormega’s name having buzz around NY before he was locked up, with features on Hot Day’s ‘Going Straight Up,’ PHD’s ‘Set It Off,’ and an opening for Eric B. and Rakim at the Apollo. They also get into the deal he had in the works for an album produced by Marley Marl before getting arrested. 21:25 — Mega reflects on the time of his feature on Nas’ ‘Affirmative Action,’ being fresh out of the penitentiary and the idea of his inclusion in the supergroup the Firm coming to fruition. They explore the politics that came into play during the group’s formation as he outlines how he began to understand he wasn’t going to be included in the lineup after he was excluded from the first photo shoot. They also discuss the love Mega and Nas still had for each other throughout the years of negativity. 25:44 — Mega speaks on the impact and storied legacy of Violator Records Exec Chris Lighty and how they originally connected. They get into Chris’ unique position in the industry as having a street mentality mixed with a strong business sense and how his understanding of Mega’s needs coming out of prison was what got him on board. Mega also talks about how the chance to be affiliated with Def Jam was a dream come true at the time with their legacy of greatness. 30:41 — Mega gets into the unique personality of Queensbridge and how the rappers that hail from the area are a reflection of the greatness and creativity of their community. They go on to talk about the immortal legacy of street legend Supreme Magnetic and also discuss notable cuts from Mega’s 2014 album ‘Mega Philosophy,’ the strategic move of featuring members from The Firm, and the criminal underappreciation of Large Professor who fully produced the record. 35:28 — Mega’s song ‘Rap Basquiat’ is brought up and he is asked about the must-hear second verse of that track. They also get into Mega’s growth as an artist that can be heard on his album ‘Mega Philosophy,’ and explore bars from the song ‘Industry,’ his expecting to be blacklisted with that record, and Mega challenging himself to be more responsible as an artist at the time of penning that album. 40:43 — Mega’s most recent album ‘The Realness II’ is discussed and the tracks ‘Her Name’ which revisits Mega’s ode to hip hop ‘American Beauty,’ as well as ‘White Roses’ with it paying tribute to the icons of the culture. Mega also talks about taking every opportunity to be a supporter of his peers and their endeavors, and also gets into the deep influence the Five Percent Nation has had on the culture and how it’s not discussed enough. 45:59 — Mega talks about what he has coming down the line, including a physical copy of his ‘Black Book’ book of inspirational quotes, new music with Harry Fraud, and a project with Havoc. They go on to discuss the debate over where hip hop originated, the Jamaican influence, and examples of rapping being traced back to the early 1900s. Mega also gives his take on Run DMC being the greatest group ever, how they saved the genre, and they discuss how hip hop became one of the most powerful unifiers in the world.
Speak On It!