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BIG NOYD RETURNS
WITH ”ILLUSTRIOUS” NEW ALBUM
 Although he’s a seasoned veteran in the
hip-hop game, rapper Big Noyd is just as driven now as he was when he debuted
on Mobb Deep’s classic album, “The Infamous”, in 1995 (actually, he was also on their very first LP,
“Juvenille Hell”, in ‘93. But “Infamous” was Mobb’s true breakout album). Noyd’s memorable verse on the song “Give
Up The Goods” catapulted the Queensbridge rapper into stardom and earned him
his first solo record deal. He would go on to release three well-received
solo albums and contribute verses to all but one of Mobb Deep’s LPs.
Noyd’s latest album, “Illustrious”, is in stores right now, courtesy
of Koch Records. The album is executive-produced by Lil’ Fame (of
everyone’s favorite Brownsville duo, M.O.P.) and features fierce lyricist Joell
Ortiz, R&B siren Kira and reggae artist
Serani.
Being that I’m a lover of hardcore, street-saturated lyrics and brass-knuckled
beats, I really enjoyed “Illustrious”. Lil’ Fame, who also goes by the
moniker Fizzy Womack, shows versatility throughout the four tracks he produced
for the album. From the laid-back, bass-heavy “Things Done Changed” to
the kinetic, smack-you-in-the-face beat on “Back Up In This B***h”, Fame’s full
repertoire is on display. You can tell Fizzy paid close attention to DJ
Premier during their many studio sessions. Other producers on
“Illustrious” include Ric Rude, Street Radio and Prince &
Machavelli.
I
hooked up with Big Noyd at Koch Records and kicked it with him about his latest
project, Mobb Deep’s G-Unit affiliation and his thoughts on the current state
of hip-hop music.
Dirty Angel: You’ve been in
the game for some time now. You’ve got a lot of memorable verses on a lot
of memorable albums. What’s “Illustrious” going to add to the Big Noyd
catalog?
Big Noyd: This one right here is pretty new because I was
working with Fame from M.O.P., so that alone… just the production alone… is out
of my element. It’s not the Mobb Deep sound; the Queensbridge
sound. I mean, it’s still that gritty, struggle hip-hop, but just that
alone… it’s a different sound. And working with Fame is good ‘cause it’s
just a lot of energy. I knew him for a while, but I never really did
music with him. So I got to know him as a person and he’s a cool dude, so
that’s one of the basic different things from my last LP.
Angel: What do you hope to
accomplish with “Illustrious”, whether that’s finally, artistically or
whatever?
Noyd: Well, definitely artistically… because like I said,
it’s a different sound. So this way I can carry on for at least another
two albums before I start working with other artists. Hopefully this will
make enough noise to carry me to be able to put out an artist in the next year
and a half or something like that. This way, they appreciate this music
and see where I’m going with it for the future.
Angel: So why’s you choose to
work with Lil’ Fame? How’d that collaboration come about?
Noyd: Actually, Koch got a studio… actually, Bob Perry… in
Brooklyn. And I did one song with (Fame). It came out so hot it was
like, “Yo, let’s do a couple of more joints”. Then before you know it, we
was like eight songs in already. So it actually just happened.
Angel: Hop-hop fans tend to
have short-term memories at times. Do you feel a need to re-introduce
yourself to the audience out there now?
Noyd: Even if I didn’t have to, I want to ‘cause it’s a
different sound; it’s a different Noyd from the first time I came out with some
music. I’m a little older now. So I want to come out like a brand
new artist in a sense. I know the industry, they know me, but the fans
done changed by now from them hits I’ve been on; the stuff I did with Mobb
Deep, the stuff I did with 50 (Cent) before he even blew up. They
probably don’t even know I was on them songs… the people that listen to 105
(FM) or BET; they probably wouldn’t even recognize me from that, so… it’s kind
of cool to come out as a new artist. I got the insight in the industry as
being in the game for a while. But as far as the fans, a lot of them
don’t even know who I am at this point.
Angel: Since your career
began, technology changed. The way people listen to their music, the way
people get their music is different than before. There’s an even wider
audience around the world. Are there any differences as to how you approach
making an album now, as opposed to how you used to make them when your career
began?
Noyd: Not really, man. ‘Cause all I do is eat (and) sleep
rap. You know what I mean? Like, when I’m not even working on an album
I’m in the studio. So basically I just hear a new beat, hear something I
like… the best part is working with producers even they’re known or not known,
just the sound alone. Basically for me making an album is all the
same. I just get up, do like 30 songs, pick the best 15 out of them 30…
put some skits together.
Angel: You’ve got a lot of
memorable verses and my favorite in particular is the one “Streets Raised Me”
on (Mobb Deep’s) Murda Muzik. “This is something you feel, n***a, like the
theme song from ‘ Hill Street Blues’ / This is real, this is ill
street news…” What was poppin’ off
with you at the time, man? What inspired you to lay that verse down because
that s**t was tough.
Noyd: A lot of people from the hood thought I was
talking about Havoc’s brother because at that time he committed suicide, and he
had a little sister that he left behind. But it was some of that in
there, but it wasn’t particularly about him. It’s just that was what was
going on at the time. If you listen to that album, that album’s kind of
dark. ‘Cause there was a lot of stuff going on with Havoc’s brother and
stuff like that, but that’s just what I was feeling at the time. It
wasn’t nothing particular, but that was just the vibe at the time.
Angel: Did Mobb Deep’s G-Unit
affiliation trickle down to you in any way? Did the affiliation with G-Unit
ever help you or did it not affect you at all?
Noyd: Nah, it ain’t affect me at all. I got a lot of
people who hit me up on the MySpace and the web, like, “Why you not on (Mobb
Deep’s G-Unit produced album) Blood Money” and
this kind of thing. But a lot of people don’t know that even before they
got with G-Unit, Mobb Deep was in a situation (where) they was kind of hurtin’.
They put out an album with Jive, I believe, that didn’t do well.
Everybody was standing on their own two at that time; Everybody doing what they
got to do to eat, feed they family and deal. When we was able to come
back to the table, we do what we got to do. So, that’s where we at now,
you know what I mean? I didn’t make the G-Unit album because I was out doing
certain things. And plus, 50’s a businessman. I guess he looks at
it like, “Why put Noyd on this album that may go platinum, he’s not signed to
G-Unit. Yeah, he gets on this verse blowin’ up on a Mobb Deep song, here
he go getting a situation somewhere else on the strength of G-Unit. He’s
not signing no papers”. Which I respect… its business. But I didn’t
take nothing personal, like… Mobb Deep is family before rap; ain’t got nothing
to do with rap. We used to share the same crib for five years. His
mother and my mother is family. So the fans may look at it like, “Why you
not on Blood Money”, but our relationship
goes way further than that, so it’s nothing.
Angel: Speaking of Mobb Deep,
Prodigy’s going to be serving his 3 & ½ year bid (for gun possession)
soon. You’ve paid debts to society in your lifetime as well. Do you
think there’s any way Prodigy could work this bid to his advantage?
Noyd: Yeah, definitely, man. Because first of all, his
health; he’s not going to be in the street running around drinking, doing a lot
of smoking and stuff that he’s usually doing. You know, getting the
proper rest that he’s going to be able to get. Just hopefully, man,
knowledge wise… just picking up some more books than he probably would do being
in the streets. Getting more knowledge and coming out a better man
hopefully. It’s easier said than done ‘cause once you get in there,
there’s no telling what could happen. It’s a whole ‘nother world in
there, you know what I mean? But, there is a chance where he could not get in
with the crowd that don’t got nothing to live for. Even though he’ll be
in there for a minute, but I still believe his career as an artist…. He’s still
got a chance to do his thing. Like you said, he’s been in the game for a
minute and he’s a legend almost, already. So, I think he can use it to
his advantage, come out and write a lot more rhymes. He might have the
tracks, the beats and stuff like that, but he still got music. He still
can send some kind of music to the streets, so hopefully he can use that time
to better himself.
Angel: So will you do more
acting in the future? We saw you play the lead in “Murda Muzik: The
Movie”. Is that a passion of yours as well?
Noyd: Hopefully, I enjoyed it a lot, making the “Murda
Muzik” movie. That’s the first script I ever really did. It was
really easy for me ‘cause it was close to home. If I was to do something
I’d like to do something out of my element, like playing a crackhead (laughs)…
something that’s completely not me, you know? Just to see if I’m capable of
doing it, show the skills. Hopefully something will present itself.
Angel: As an artist who’s
been in the game as long as you have, are you satisfied with the way things are
going in the hip-hop industry… business-wise and artistically?
Noyd: You know what, man? A lot of people (saying) hip-hop’s
dead and all that, man, but I don’t knock what’s going on now. It’s just
a different element at this point with rap, know what I mean? A lot of songs
come out now, you hear it, you got to dance to it. That’s not me, but I
enjoy it too. You’re not going to catch me doing it as an artist, but
when I go to the clubs I enjoy that music. It’s all good, you know what I
mean? I got a daughter that’s nine, she likes music that’s on radio and that
makes me like it. So it’s all good, I don’t mind, man. As long as
we can keep it real, it won’t be like disco at one point, when rap is just
completely over. Hopefully that will never happen. If there’s
something that we’re doing wrong now, that it might become that, hopefully we
can change that now ‘cause rap needs to stay around forever. ‘Cause it’s
more than just music, it’s hip-hop, you know what I mean? It’s graffiti, it’s a
style of clothes, it’s a style of life… being. So hopefully it’ll only
get better.
Angel: At the very end, when
all is said and done; whenever you decide to hang up your mic and people look
back at your extensive catalog, what do you want people to say about Big
Noyd?
Noyd: Hopefully, it goes on beyond being an artist.
I’ll be able to turn into a businessman. Not only that he rapped, he had
ill verses, he’s a cool person. And one of the things that I shine more…
I don’t suck as a lyricist, don’t get it twisted. But my element is more
performing on-stage, that’s what I bring to the table of hip-hop. Like,
I’m a performer more than anything. So hopefully people respect the shows
when they come out; I give good energy. And then (they’ll) like the music
but hopefully they’ll see me grow from just, “He came all the way from the hood
in Queensbridge and made something out of nothing. He became an artist to
this entrepreneur” and get it poppin’. Hopefully I can get another artist
and give back and just keep it going.
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