Curren$y just released New Jet City last week, which stands as his 15th project since 2011. The prolific emcee sees no signs of slowing down, as he's revealed some of the projects he's working on in a recent interview. Spitta announces that his long awaited project with Wiz is now going to be a studio album rather than a mixtape, says he's working with Ski Beatz on his next LP, and reveals plans to work with Joey Bada$$ in the future.
Read excerpts from the interview below.
What drives you to record and release so much free music?
Curren$y: Seeing that people are happy with the output of the music, and that just makes me wanna keep them happy. If they like the music it’s nothing for me to go to the studio. I always say when people ask me about the output of the records, I always say if my favorite rapper went to the studio that much I would be happy. You only want as much out of your favorite rapper that’s possible. If Max B would have released a song everyday I would have been in heaven. He was one of my favorites, so I feel like the people who listen to me, if I’m one of their favorites, they want to jam as much as possible. So it’s nothing for me to do it.
Speaking of your next retail album, you recently tweeted that you and Ski Beatz started working on some new music. How far along in the process have you gotten for you next studio album?
We haven’t lined up physically. He’s been sending some music through, and I’ve been recording since we’ve been working on New Jet City. I was already working on the album. I got some songs on the side. I don’t know exactly how many, but I got some jams from Ski and a few other people.
How do you decide which tracks you want to put on your mixtape versus which ones you want to save for your retail album?
It’s just based on how they sound. I don’t really say when I start recording “oh right now I’m working on such and such” or “I’m working on this project.” I’m really just working, and where ever things can fit, they fit. We just go to the studio everyday just on the strength. It’s not really because we’re working on a said project. It’s just, we make music, so we got to be in the studio. I just happened to sit back and say, “I hadn’t put anything out in a second.” Even though I just dropped 3 Piece Set, it was just three songs, and I was like well let me give them some more jams before I fall back.
You did an interview last year where you were quoted saying you felt “hip hop is fucked up” at the time. Do you still feel that way now?
Not so much. There are people who making strides, and people are fighting. Joey Bada$$ is around. Just seeing the moves he’s been able to make. And knowing how much time he’s got left to grow in the game. It’s promising.
Are there any other artist out now that…
It’s a grip, but if I name more I would leave out some. But Joey is the homie. Joey is in my heart for sure. I make no bones about mentioning him.
Do you think a collaboration with him could show up anytime soon?
Yeah, we’ve already exchanged info. We working.
What about the project with Wiz? Do you guys have an idea of when that’s going to drop?
When the smoke clear. You know my man trying to have his son. He got a baby on the way. I gotta shoot these visuals for this project. And I gotta start getting my solo album straight. He already put out his second solo album, so I gotta make my other studio joint and then we’ll probably get to it. Or we may do it before I put out another album. It’s gonna be for retail. Live In Concert's not a free tape no more, because all the bread we had to spend on clearing [the samples] I gotta count some of that shit back.
Read the full interview here.