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Interview with Napoleon Part 1 of 2
Interview Date 12:15 p.m., April 16, 2003
Interviewee: Napoleon
Interviewer: Jon Peters
Transcription: Jon Peters, Sharmeen, Young G
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Major Topics Include:
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Jon - HitEmUp.com: HitEmUp.com Exclusive Interview with Napoleon
*Intro*
Jon - HitEmUp.com: We might as well get into it with the question most people want to know right now... What's
the situation with the Outlawz?
Napoleon: Well, I really, I don't know what's going on with the Outlawz, I ain't hollered at them
cats in a while, I ain't hollered at them cats in awhile so you know, I don't really know what's going on with them.
Jon - HitEmUp.com: What's your situation, what's your relationship with the Outlawz right now?
Napoleon: Right now, I'm no longer a member of the Outlawz, but, I'm a Outlaw for life, cause
that's me, I brought too much to that name so no man can take that away from me, you know what I mean. Because I brought
a lot to the table with the Outlawz and they know that. So right now, they doing their thing and I'm doing my thing.
Jon - HitEmUp.com: What happened with that situation and what caused you to leave?
Napoleon: The situation, that made me leave, I feel like, I really feel like Allah planned that day bro you know
what I mean. First of all, before, it wasn't a situation, but, it was just a lot of stuff that, you know me and the
Outlawz were talking about, and it was jus like the people that they had around doing the Tupac footage at the time.
Like for example, the Tupac album that just came out, Better Dayz, everything that I said in Arabic, people erased, you
know what I mean. And it ain't have nothing to do with the Outlawz, it was just the people that was around.
But I really feel like Allah is best of the Planners. So it basically was like damn man, if I don't have no freedom on a
Tupac album, man, it's basically like what the hell is going on right now , you know what I mean. So I can't say what I
want to say on a Pac album, because of the people that was around that situation. And I was a little hot at the
situation man, but as far as the way we left it, I took a trip to Mecca. Alhamdulillah (thanks to Allah) did my Hajj
(pilgrimage), Mashallah (what Allah wishes is beautiful) , matter of fact I did my Hajj in February, and when I got back
it was jus like I felt like my heart was so pure, the Outlawz was on tour at the time, and I couldn't see myself going
on tour to do them songs, to do that stuff of the past, with the cussing, and all that stuff. At the time, it was like I
felt so pure, you know what I mean. And why couldn't do it. Right now and I feel that when I curse now when I do some
raps and some curses might come out. But that's me now. But when I first came back from Mecca I didn't wanna do that you
know what I mean. I didn't want to go on tour, so I called them and I said... you know I told them I couldn't go on
tour, and this and this I told them you know you all have a good tour, y'all do your thing, and they just left it at
that, "okay", you know what I mean, it wasn't no, you know it was as simple as that.
Jon - HitEmUp.com: As far as Better Dayz, and the songs that were edited, didn't that have a lot
to do with religion?
Napoleon: I don't really know man, but how you gonna go from, this that I was saying man, how we
going to go from a group called the Outlawz, when Pac was living, we were saying the hell with everybody bro. That's how
I had the name Napoleon, that's why we had the name EDI, that's why we had the name, um Kastro, you know what I mean,
and Fatal. That's why we had all these names, Kadafi. We had these names for a reason. We came up in a group that said
whatever was on our minds. Then we come out, all of a sudden a couple years later, Pac dead, they're letting people say
"no we're not going to say this". And I'm like, c'mon man, how, what kinda group, cause I'm an Outlaw to the
fullest man, I don't want people to get it twisted just cause I went to Hajj and now I'm a Muslim, to me, I feel even
danger than ever, you know what I mean, dangerous than ever, it's just that I'm more clever now, you feel me.
And I'm like how are you going to go from a group of Outlawz to now we can't say this, and what we wanna
say, you don't wanna say this, you don't wanna say, everything I say in Arabic they wanna take off, if say something
about Bush they wanna take it off. That's me, right? I'm always going to be a man that's going to speak my mind. You
know what I mean. And I was like, I ain't like that, and being in that situation, that was just, that had me hot man. I
just knew, I just knew, that's when something hit me and said man, it'll never be the same no more, Pac's not here,
it'll never be the same, once it got to a point where we Outlawz and we gotta watch what we say on a Tupac album, you
know what I mean. And that ain't what we about, you know what I mean. I don't want people to get it
twisted, just cause
I'm not gonna curse no more, stuff like that, like I said on my records, they still street, they still thugged out, to
me it's even worse than ever, to be honest with you, just more clever, just that I'm a Muslim now, being a Muslim, it
ain't no mo better a souljah than a Muslim.
So right now I'm at the highest level of where I'm trying to get, you feel me. Before I look at it like
I was a knucklehead kicking up dust, now I feel like I'm more on an OG status kicking up dust, because I'm a Muslim now.
We got rules to being a Muslim. And it ain't no stronger souljah than a Muslim. You know what I mean? So a lot of people
get it twisted, oh my God he's a Muslim now, he's soft and all that, let me tell you something bro, like I said earlier,
let a cat run up on me you know, I don't got nothing to prove dog, but let a cat run up on me and see if I'm all talk,
simple as that.
Jon - HitEmUp.com: So what direction do you want to take with your music now?
Napoleon: Right now my music got a message like I said man, it's like my music is more of where I feel like being
a solo artist and being in the Outlawz I couldn't say what I wanted being in the Outlawz because it's a group thing. You
know gotta ride to a group. Now that I am solo I could do the music I wanna do. Instead of followin their way they
could follow me. The music that I am doing now is still street bro, it's still basically street, it's more positive. I
mix it up I got something for the females on my album, I got something for the street niggaz on my album, I got
something for the Muslims on my album. I never gonna go all the way to the left, that ain't me, because no matter what,
it's still in my blood. It's who I am, know what I mean. Like I said Islam just made me stronger, the character that I
was, Islam just made it stronger it's like I was missing a brick, and now that I got that brick, my house is complete,
bro that's what Islam gave me so it's like nothing changed. I don't know why people think it's changed but nothing
changed and they'll see, they'll see, my music is more fire than ever.
Jon - HitEmUp.com: What record label are you on now then?
Napoleon: My record label is ICU, but I got three major record deals on the table right now, three major record
deals, one of them I turned down, cause it was way to the left, it wasn't what I want. And it's real crazy like how I,
after I came back from my Hajj I never even went shopping my deal, it's like people been calling me, it's like I been
going to meetings, I got people that want to put me in movies, it's like all this stuff, Alhamdulillah, that happened,
and I start sayin Allah Akbar (Allah is Great), you know what I mean, cause I got all these things coming towards me, I
got three deals, actually I'll say two cause one of them I shut down, they looking real good, and they major deals, you
know what I mean, I'm taking my time, cause I want people to sweat me man, you know I want people to come at me. And I'm
a cat no matter what, I'm gonna get the deal that I want, because I have Allah on my side bro, so no matter what, I'm
submitting dog, all I do is do my music, sit back, and I know that Allah gonna bring the deal that I want, know what I
mean.
Jon - HitEmUp.com: What record label was it that you shot down?
Napoleon: I can't even say it, I won't even say it, know what I mean, I really won't say it.
Jon - HitEmUp.com: What's you relationship with Fatal right now?
Napoleon: Fatal, we... me and Fatal talked a couple weeks ago, we chopped it up, you know what I
mean. Fatal always in Jersey, around cats, and you know first thing he said "Mu you, out of the Outlawz, you was
the one I really had, you know, always gonna have love for, know what I mean" And me and Fatal chop it up. We jus
chopped, we talked, left it at that. He doing his solo, I'm doing my solo, maybe in the future you'll hear me and the
brother on some things, you know what I mean.
Jon - HitEmUp.com: What are your thoughts on his joining Ja Rule's label?
Napoleon: All the power to him, more power to him bro. Man even, if and when, the Outlawz, they
get a deal, I heard they got some deals on the table, more power to them, you know what I mean. It's that I'm a man, it's
enough money for everybody, I want everybody to get they deals, because I really think even I'm not in the Outlawz, the
Outlawz still deserve what they got coming, I feel like they deserve what they got man, they still gonna be a high
powered group bro, they still was a trendy group man. So I know that the Outlawz gonna get what they deserve. Just like
Fatal gonna get what he deserve man, he came from Pac man, he put it down man, so no matter what, I feel like we gonna
get what we deserve, you feel me.
Jon - HitEmUp.com: Yeah, yeah. What's the status of the Napoleon/Jayo Felony album that was being talked about
awhile ago?
Napoleon: Man, I don't even know man. Somebody called it a deal, I'm not even thinking about that, you know what
I mean. I think Jayo Felony had somebody that was gonna do the deal, but I ain't talked with him since I came back from
Mecca. So, like I said man, I been doing some FI-RE, when I say that now and I can vouch, that I'm coming with some
heat, and I think a lot of people are gonna be surprised bro, I really do. Cause I think a lot of people like oh my God,
he's a Muslim now, and he's not going to do this, but the funny part about it like I don't know when you cuss, I'm like
I got something inside of me that's, I guess that's what it was, Islam, cause if you got Islam, you got everything, put
it like that, can't nothing stop you. You got the Deen (The Path) in your heart can't no one and nobody stop you. And
that's for real bro. You na mean.
So it's like my music, they gonna hear it. It's still street, and it's still thugged out, to the fullest
man. To the fullest. I got to the level that I always wanted to get, I know how to make records now, I can literally say
that I can make a record, that the radio will spin, right now the radio for all the fans in Los Angeles, Power 106 gonna
world premier one of my singles, it's a song I did that's dedicated to Tupac that a lot of people love, you know what I
mean, a song dedicated to Pac. And Power 106 is gonna world premier it this week and my deal ain't even close yet. And
they called me with this stuff, so, everything's Alhamdulillah man.
Jon - HitEmUp.com: Well I know a lot of the fans are looking forward to a solo album, Scriptures from a Thugz
Point of View, is that still the title?
Napoleon: That's what it... I might change it, but that's what it is right now.
Jon - HitEmUp.com: If you had your ideal situation, you signed a deal, how quickly after signing do you think the
album would be released?
Napoleon: Basically, it really it depends, after I play this single, on the radio... I gotta see, how people...
how it's going to affect people, cause the label wanna know, if um, if I had a hot-hot single, which I'm going to say
this Tupac thing is going to do it, I don't really want it but everybody else saying you should put the Pac single out
first, if I had a hot-hot single they could get to shooting a video and do that ASAP. But it also includes whenever I
close the deal man. Cause I'm really, really trying to be patient, and I always find out patient is the best thing, I'm
not gonna be like, ok I finally got a major record label deal on the table, lemme sign it, that's not what I'm going to
do because, that's basically telling me, I been patient all this time, look what I got, being patient I get
exact...everything I'll need everything that's coming for me.
So mostly I wanna be patient man cause I'm not bout to come out with a solo album, and they don't treat me, cause I
really feel like I'm a star, a super-star, man that's the difference, there's some people that just regular rappers and
some people that are super-stars, there's some people that stand out, and some people that just don't stand out, some
people shine some people don't shine, one thing about me I feel like I was one of the shining stars in the Outlawz.
Regardless, you know what I mean. So I'm not going to rush to a label that's going to throw me out there, I need
somebody that's going to at least put millions up, 1.5 or a million, behind my project, know what I mean. Promote it to
the fullest, so I'ma be patient to get what I want. It's like I got people from...I'm about to get married May 2nd,
Inshallah on that, then after the honeymoon I'm going to the US and Jersey I'm going to play the streets, get on all the
mixtapes. Actually I got a song about to get on mixtapes this week, I did a song with the Diplomats. You heard of the
Diplomats?
Jon - HitEmUp.com: Yeah.
Napoleon: K, well I did a song with the Diplomats, actually we been doing a lot of songs man, we collaborating a
lot. You know I'm out there...did somethin on the Jim Jones album, um, the Diplomats did somethin on my album, you know
they interested in me to the fullest, you know what I mean, them the lil homeboys, they out here they come chill and we
just kick it, and we got a lot of collaborations we doin together and that song about to hit that mixtape soon. The song
I did with them cats. I got Devin the Dude on the album, and I got my little brother, Mussamil, he changed his name to
Mussamil, and
um basically that's about it man. I'm just trying to do my
thing bro.
Actually me and Mussamil we been doin a lot of work together, I just came back from Utah last night. I been doing a lot
of shows bro, I been out there ripping it up for a minute, actually in June, I'm going to Germany, and
Switzerland, and
I'm going to be out there you know what I mean, I'm going to be out there with Sean-Paul, and another cat named Taz, a
Los Angeles artist, I'm going to be out there putting it down for like a month, and my little brother will be out there
with me.
Basically everything I have is a Alhumdulillah, everything's beautiful. And to be honest with you, if it wasn't
beautiful, it's still Alhumdulillah. No matter what Allah want for me I'm going to accept it no matter what, and if my 2
or 3 deals on a record label fall right now, I'ma still say Alhumdulillah cause nothing effects me man. None of that
matters to me man, my main thing is to get to paradise and try to help Muslims around the world, that's my thang bro.
But right now that's how my situation is, no matter what I got a one track mind, that mean Alhumdulillah. If I go
outside right now and my house is on fire and my car's on fire, I'ma still say Alhumdulillah. That's praising Allah
cause nothing matters to me nothing can happen to me that He don't want to happen, you know mean, so I know the deal
that go through, is whatever Allah want for me, whatever happen to me, if I sell a million records, Allah want it, if I
sell 5 records, Allah want it. So whatever Allah want for me, that's all I can accept man, nothing else matters, you
feel me.
Jon - HitEmUp.com: So when are you coming up to tour in Vancouver?
Napoleon: Actually I met some brothers when I was in Mecca from Vancouver, some beautiful Muslim brothers, some
beautiful brothers, I'm going to keep in touch and Inshallah (God willing) I'll be out there. Man I'm bout to be
everywhere pretty soon, Inshallah man. It's like I'm putting it down, I don't even sleep no more man, since I came back
from Mecca I been working hard, really really working hard, I just got picked up my a big management company that manage
a lot of big, big actors, a lot of actors, I don't wanna say the name, I got picked up by them last week, like I said,
I'm going to get into the movies, we putting all the paper work now, it's a big, big company out of Beverley Hills. So
it's like, I'm going to start getting into the movies, I'm gonna start, I'm doing a lot man. Like I said, Allah just got
a plan, Allah the Best of the Planners, man I leave everything in Allah's Hands. Man whatever He wants, you know,
whatever Allah wants I'm going to do it man. So whatever He brings to the table, I have to accept it, no matter what
man.
And it's funny man, cause I talk to my home girl Sharmeen, sister Sharmeen Assalamualaiakum (peace be
unto you), and when I say Salaam I'm talkin to my sister Sharmeen. And she was telling me how cats, for the longest man
they on the Internet and they saying you not real nomore, and none of that affects me, I never jumped on it, I was
never like, let me go get on the Internet, cause I know me, know what I mean. I laugh at that kinda stuff, at least they
talking about me, at least they ain't forget about a brother. Even if they saying I'm not real no more, at least they
saying my name. I must be real enough for them to keep saying my name. What cats don't realize is nothing changed about
me, like I said, let a brother run up, and see what happens, simple as that man.
Like I said, can't nothing, and no one, and I can say this with all my heart, can't nothing and no one stop a true
Muslim that do his Salaat (daily prayer) 5 times a day. Can't nothing, no-thing, but Allah. Can't nothin happen to me
that Allah don't want. No man can do nothing to me, I'm not superman, just feel like I got the best thing on my side, I
have Allah, can't nothing stop me bro, unless Allah want it to happen man. If you got 3 guns against my face, you ain't
doin nothing to me unless Allah want it to happen man. And that's the best plan...that's the best thing to have on your
side is Allah, a lot of cats don't got that man. So these cats running their mouth, I got something you don't have, how
can you stop me, how can you do some harm to me and I got Allah. You na mean, if Allah don't want nothin to harm me they
can't harm me man. That's the mentality I have now, and that's the true soldier man.
The Mecca thing, the Islam thing, just molded me to the man that I needed to be, it just molded me to a true soldier, it
made me a better person man, it just got me to where I don't drink, I don't smoke no more, you know what I mean, I don't
drink, I don't smoke, a better father to my son, I'm a better person to people, I always have a smile, I'm happy, I
never thought... man I was a suicidal at once , I didn't think life could get like this bro. I always had a hole in my
heart, and I thought it was because my mother and father got murdered, you know but now that I got Allah, I feel good
bro. So I'm happy 24/7, you know what I mean, I'm saying I never, ever thought life could get like this, and I'm a true
soldier man, I'm not even having sex till I get married. And that's a true soldier, cats say how can you do that, cat's
so weak they can't even do nothing like that bro. It takes a true soldier to do that, that's called discipline, that's
what Islam gave me you know. It gave me the real military mind. That's like cat's over in Iraq right now fighting, these
cats can't have sex until they go home. That's what I said, I wanna see if I can not have sex until I get married, and
I'm going to do that. I went to Mecca and cleansed all my sins. I ain't touching no girls, I ain't touching my
fiance, until I get married. You know what I mean, Alhumdulillah, Allah been blessing me man, and I been able to do that.
And I get married May 2nd, Inshallah man. Na mean like I said everything is all focused, in the way I thought it was.
It's like stuff poppin up in front of my eyes that I never thought would happen.
That's the beauty of Allah man, what else can you ask for when you have Allah. Sometimes I think like,
everything I prayed for, Allah gave me man, and it's still comin. My prayers are still getting answered. It's almost
scary man, put it like that. Everyday I pray for what Allah's given me, a Muslim wife, my son, I'm raising him
Islamically, cause that's what counts to me right now man. Thats what counts right here. My religion comes first before
anything, and it was hard for people to accept that man, but Islam come before anything, the music and everything, you
know what I mean. I'm about to go to college for religion, man cause I wanna start speaking, like going around the world
speaking on religion. But I got a lot of work coming up now so I really can't do it, because I been studying so much
bout everybody's religion, Judaism, Christianity, everything. I can really debate with anybody, and let them know that
Islam is the true religion, put it that way. But it's Inshallah to be able to sit down and one day do that man.
Jon - HitEmUp.com: How are the plans for the mosque developing?
Napoleon: The mosque, it's basically, you know, when Allah want me to do it I'll do it man. Maybe if I woulda
never told nobody and I'd have just done it, Allah would have blessed me to be able to open a Mosque long time ago. I
think I open my mouth too much, and that's one thing we don't do in Islam. See now I know I should have kept it quiet.
And then when I opened the mosque, I could say look I have a Masjid (another word for Mosque). So whenever Allah want
me to do it, It'll happen man. Shoutout to Rab man. Sayin Assalamualaikum to my man Rab.
END Part 1 | Continue to Part 2
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