Stat Quo Interview About Leaving Shady Records

Interview with Stat Quo... I only included the parts where Em is mentioned.

Stat Quo - No More Shady

There was a time when the mere mention of Eminem¢s record label, Shady Records would make any MC not down with them shake in their tims. Besides the fact that the label was home to two of the highest selling rappers of all time in Eminem himself and 50 Cent, the rest of the label was also jam packed with additional talent like Obie Trice and D12. It was all but guaranteed that every release they put out would go on to sell at least a million copies.

Even the Shady Empire wasn¢t immune to the sales slump that hit the music industry though. Add to that the departure of Eminem¢s first protégé Obie Trice, 50 Cent¢s decreasing sales, and talk of Dr. Dre¢s Detox album with no release date in sight and it becomes evident that the once invincible label is in fact mortal.

Although the roster is talented and deep including Cashis and Bobby Creekwater, none have released albums. Keeping all this in mind, it¢s no surprise that long time Shady soldier Stat Quo has finally picked up and left.

Signed to the label for five years and given a bunch of release dates Stat left the label without an album to his name. His album Statlanta was highly anticipated and rumored to be a masterpiece. Sixshot.Com¢s ONG>Jon Michael recently caught up with Stat Quo to discuss his departure from Shady Records, his relationship with Eminem, and whether he thinks Detox will ever come out.

Sixshot.Com: So Stat the recent news is that you¢re no longer with Shady Records.

Stat Quo: Yeah, I'm no longer down with Shady/Aftermath.

Sixshot.Com: How did the split go down man?

Stat Quo: I signed to Shady in late 2003 and other than being on the Re-Up album and some other projects I wasn't really seeing my career move at the rate that I wanted it to. I didn't see an end in sight in terms of a release date for my album. If you're not Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, or Eminem they're not really trying to put your album out and I can understand that with the music business being the way it is. It was just my time to go.

Sixshot.Com: Let me ask you, as far as your album goes would you say it was more so Jimmy Iovine holding it back or Eminem and Dre holding it back?

Stat Quo: I really don¢t think it was a Jimmy thing but at the end it kind of was because Jimmy wanted an Eminem, 50 Cent, and Dr. Dre album. I was supposed to come out like three and a half years ago and from a business standpoint that would have been the best move because at the time they had the game on lock. They could have sold blank CD¢s at that time. People would have just bought it off the name.

Sixshot.Com: So who was it that was disagreeing about the first single?

Stat Quo: It was all of us, all of us that were involved in the project. Em and me had made a decision and then was like, “I don¢t know” and once that gets thrown in there, you know what I mean? Dre liked a record that I did and thought it was the one but it didn¢t do too well at radio and I was apprehensive. It was on The Re-Up but it didn¢t really take off like it was supposed to.

Sixshot.Com: You and Obie Trice are both gone and you two were major pieces to the puzzle. Do you think Shady Records is going to be the same?

Stat Quo: I mean I don¢t know. The clock is definitely ticking. It¢ll obviously be a little different because we¢re not there. They got a talented roster though. You can¢t deny that. The only way I see the artists on Shady/Aftermath coming out is if Eminem, 50, and Dre put out their albums. If they don¢t then Bobby Creek and D12 can¢t put out their albums. The stockholders need these records to come out.

They need these millions of dollars so there could be a Shady Records and an Aftermath or a G-Unit. In my opinion it¢s just a case of why would I spend all of this money on a maybe when I could just do the sure thing? When Dre, 50, or Em put out an album you know they¢re going to sell. They want the sure thing but that¢s just my opinion. They could turn around tomorrow and put out everybody¢s album but I doubt it.

Sixshot.Com: In your opinion, is Dre¢s album ever going to come out?

Stat Quo: Um, maybe in 2010. I told him that one time before and he laughed at me. In my opinion I don¢t think it¢s coming out anytime soon. I want it to come out. I want him to put his record out. He works hard and makes so much great music. I think Dre and Em are just very important to hip-hop music. Rap is real 'single-driven' right now and that¢s kinda changed the whole scope of rap music.

Not a lot of people are just putting out that real hip-hop, so if Em and Dre do then that helps hip-hop as a whole. It¢s not just about oh I need to put out a Stat Quo album It¢s about hip-hop overall. Eminem and Dre are really important to hip-hop. I know Em is going to put out an album I ain¢t even worried about that. Dre I don¢t know. I really don¢t.

Sixshot.Com: Has your relationship with Eminem been affected by this situation?

Stat Quo: I haven¢t talked to Eminem in a while so I really don¢t know. I haven¢t talked to Dre or anybody over there for a while. When he was sick in the hospital I sent a get well soon type of deal over to his house but I really haven¢t spoken to him. He¢s good dude but who knows? It probably has affected the relationship.

Sixshot.Com: What was Eminem¢s reaction when he found out you wanted out of your deal?

Stat Quo: It was a mutual thing and from their side it was like, “okay cool” At Interscope they want albums for 50 Cent, Dre, and Eminem and that¢s what it is. There¢s nothing to be upset about, you know what I mean? There¢s nothing to be mad about. This is a business man. Those three albums make sure that Interscope can have those fancy offices and all those people can have jobs. They depend on Dre¢s album. They depend on Eminem¢s album. They depend on 50 Cent¢s album. Do I have some personal animosity about not getting to put my album out? Yeah. But you gotta realize that this is a business. I can¢t cry over no spilled milk. I¢m not gonna sit over here and be mad at Eminem or whoever.

I¢m not mad, I¢m good. I thank them for everything they did for me. I think that¢s some ho ass shit when somebody leaves a team and then talks shit about them. That¢s not my style. I¢m not on that shit. They gave me a chance and helped me out. Is there things I wanted them to do differently? Yeah, but there¢s things they wanted me to do differently so it is what it is. I¢m not gonna disrespect those gentleman because they did some shit for me, Paul Rosenberg, all of them. Those are good people at the end of the day and they¢re just trying to make it themselves.