Interview: Cormega Talks New Album, Changing Hip Hop & More

It has been a good five years since Cormega has released an album, but in no shape or form does that mean he has lost his touch. The rapper is back with a conscious vengeance and is willing to show that there is more to hip-hop than what the eyes can see. In the midst of preparation for the release of his upcoming album, Mega Philosophy, Cormega took some time to speak to RESPECT. Mag about the album’s sound, his legacy, and more.

RESPECT.: Your last album was five years ago. How does it feels to be back since your last album?

Cormega: I feel like my album was needed in this industry. It was necessary in today’s rap industry. When I made my last album, I was just trying to be creative and put together a good album and show a bit of growth but on this one I feel like it was necessary. It’s like the genre is being taken for a joke, so I just wanted to come out with something real.

Tell us about the concept of the album.

Initially when I was making the album, there was no concept. I just love working with Large Professor. He is one of my favorite producers so when I get an opportunity to work with him I tend to capitalize on that. I think the first song we made for the album was “Industry.” When we made the demo it stuck with me. Also, the subject matter was consistent with my mind state. After that, every song I was making for the album had to be at that level and nothing less. In this genre, people think they know you better than you know yourself; they like to put you in the box. But this is the album where I wanted to show everyone that there is more to me as an artist than what they think they know about me.

Do you feel you were doing that because you wanted to make an album that was more honest and real?

No, I was trying to do that from my first album. When I put out The Realness there was vulnerability and honesty stated on it because it was like my first step into the industry and after that I put out The True Meaning and the rest of my albums I felt now it was about legacy. When people call me a legend, it makes me feel very uncomfortable because I feel like I don’t deserve it. People who are considered legends have put out so much work and I haven’t put out an album in five years. People who are legends have put in so much more work and have elevated into a different place. This album now is about my legacy because this is the most refined album out of all of them.

You have Raekwon, AZ, Redman and few more artists on this album. How was it like creating music with them?

To have them on this album was really important. Like I said, I’m fighting for my genre and these guys are the champions at it. I’ve been on tour with these guys before and I respect all of them. You’re talking about the three of the dopest spitters. Two of them are all about spitting lyrics in their particular style. So that was symbolic for me to have them on my album. It was important for me to have Nature on my album too. People know our past. The beautiful thing about me and Nature is we showed growth. Today, nobody can ask me about Nature because me and him did a grown up thing and put our differences to the side. We did shows together and now we have a song together so that was important. The song with Raekwon was important. I had to have a song in there that was a bit edgy and the Raekwon song was perfect. Like I said, I wanted this album to be worldly so I have this singer from Zimbabwe. Like, everyone on my album is a fighter. Usually people get features from big artists to sell their album, but everyone on my album is underrated.

Was there a specific track that you enjoyed making more than the others?

The intro to the album is crazy to me. That wasn’t even the intro there was a different version. When I played that for people they be like, “Rewind that one more time.” Also the song “More”and “MARS.” The song “More” took me in a different round as an artist. “More” is like, “Wow I didn’t even know Cormega could go there. “ There is going to be lot of people who would say I didn’t even know he could go there with that song so that’s why I like that song. I like the song “Home” it has lot jewels in that song. I think lot of girls going to like that song. It has a certain feel to it. This album is definitely for the thinker.

Mega Philosophy is due to release on the 22nd. How are you feeling about the release?

I’m definitely still nervous, but I’m not as nervous as I was before. It is still a good feeling. Here is the thing: when I used to put out a song and I thought it was the shit, it would get mixed reaction. Most of the time Cormega songs are like a good feel and gets consistent, good feedback. There were times that I would do a feature with people and I might think that song is incredible and then the feedback comes back and its like ehh. Like 60/40. I recently did song with this artist and I sent it to my publicist and my publicist was like ehh, but I thought the song was dope, but that’s something you have to fear sometimes. So when I put out “Industry” and I saw people peek and got the feedback and saw them clean up their plates and ask for more it made me feel a bit better. I know lot of artists in the industry sometimes put out their best song and when their album comes out, it’s mediocre compared to what they put out before. I don’t think I’m going to have that problem.

If you could tell your fans one thing about Mega Philosophy that they could only get from you, what would it be?

This is the closest you will be to Cory. All those years you got to listen to Cormega, now you get to hear the real me. When I put out The Realness that shit was made out of anger because i was upset with the label and wanted to speak my thoughts and about the conflicts I had with other rappers. I was just venting on that album. Then when I put out The True Meaning that was after me trying to prove the media and everybody wrong who didn’t want to give me my props even though The Realness was one of the most successful albums. On this album I’m not trying to prove to anything to anyone. This album is for the legacy, for the fans and listeners. So this is the closest your going to get to Cormega as an artist. That’s what I would tell the fans.