The most cliché thing to say about Glasses Malone is that he’s had a long journey leading up to this point. However, it’s the only thing that makes perfect sense to say since it took over five years, two deals and several setbacks to finally get a project on the shelves. That project is a collaborative effort with West Coast legend, Mack 10, titled Money Music.
In our second interview, Glasses discusses where the idea for Money Music came from and the reason for the long delay (originally, they set out to put it out in July). We then transition into the Blu Division movie he shot earlier in the year, when we can expect it and the idea behind creating it. After, G says he has a 100% set date for Beach Cruiser and will be launching a campaign for it soon. Other topics include Nate Dogg and White Lightning 2 (crazy information).
What’s going on, world? It’s your boy Sermon, and we’re here with one of Watt’s Finest, Glasses Malone. How you doing, G?
I’m good, just preparing for the release of Mack & Malone on April 12 and being real ecstatic that I made it to the stores.
It’s been a long time coming. So, where’d the idea for this collaborative album, Mack & Malone: Money Music, come from?
It was something we had planned to do when we first got together. We knew we were just two in the same. We both had same drug dealing pasts and the gangbanging past. Mack is like my mentor, so it was just dope to get in there with a legend and make some good music.
It took a while to come out as well. You guys had planned on dropping it last July. What was the reason behind the long delay?
The record business just seems to have this stagger where it takes forever for projects to come out. Once it does come out, it was all worth it. If you not ready to go all the way out with it, it’ll shake you off. A lot of people will get shook off the trailer trying to make it in the industry. You need to be on the money or be out of time. It’s definitely working. I feel like I accomplished something. It’s bigger than any drug I ever sold or any deal I ever made. It ain’t easy to put out music in this industry, let alone make it to the record stores. It seems like it would be easier than it is, but it’s not.
G, you’ve been executive producing and starring in a short film. What’d you enjoy most about shooting it?
I loved seeing it come to life, watching everyone bring it to life. The words became visuals and that was crazy. I was watching a clip and thinking, “This is unbelievable. How is this really happening?”
How did the whole idea to create a short film happen?
This year – like the whole EV spirit and business sense, I like that – I wanted to launch my independent label [Blu Division], like a lot of my artists are coming into their own and I want to start putting them out. I also wanted people to know who they were before they came out, and the film is doing that: introducing them and showing their characteristics.
When can we expect to see the film?
I have a trailer going out this summer. I don’t want to say an exact date though, I want to be right. This is my whole project and this is my soundtrack, so I don’t want to give y’all a date and not follow through like in the past. I’m signed to a Major label and have to line it up with everything Cash Money is doing. Hopefully, I will get to drop the film and the soundtrack later this year in stores and online.
So, Beach Cruiser is still not out. We’ve spoke several times about release dates, but they came and go. What’s the situation with it as of right now?
As of right now, I got a 100% sure release date, which is rare, it took me forever. The campaign starts next month and it’ll be real informative to what I’ve been through and how hard it was working through the delays. We are going to New York to really launch it. I’m excited.
I said once I get that out, I might quit. I don’t even think I’ll be able to breathe right. That week, I’m going to drink every day. I might not make it out that week.
*Laughs* You also finished White Lightning 2. What can you tell us about the project and was there pressure following up with such a classic tape?
I’m just going in and in, it’s the best project I’ve did in my life. Its real music – Beach Cruiser is dope, it’s like I dabbled in Gangsta Soul a lot, which is kind of my own genre, but White Lightning 2 is Gangsta Soul to the T. Gangsta Soul is like this ill cross of Blues, Soul and Gangsta together. It’s just really live music. I feel like I should’ve been out in the 50’s and 60’s with the way this sounds.
I got 1500 really helping me a lot and he’s produced about 75% of it. I got, of course, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross and my team. It’s really just me with this album and I got my own band I been working on. Bo-Rock is doing some work on WL2. I’m going to be doing a record with Tyga that I hope ends up on it. It’s me at my lyrical best with WL2. I’m trying to impress Kanye West, Rick Ross and them with this shit.
It’s just an amazing project. I’m going to shoot a video for the street single, “Call Me T.I,” at the end of April in Atlanta. I met T.I. a few times and we just had live conversations. I relate to that dude in a lot of ways. The song just talks about it. The public hasn’t heard it yet but that’s how deep Bird and YMCMB are about the record.
You know it’s funny; I didn’t even really try to top White Lightning. I just went in there and made crazy music. I don’t even know if I can top the first one because I don’t even know what made the first one so crazy. I know WL2 is better than anything I ever did though. I’m still in the studio every day making more songs for it.
When can we expect to see that in stores and will it be through Blu-Division?
Nah, Baby, Mack Maine and everybody heard it and they clinched on it that fast. I’m hoping we can get it out this year along with Beach Cruiser, but I don’t know. I’m sure Beach Cruiser is coming this summer. That was the set-back between White Lightning 2 and the Blu-Division movie; I don’t know what’s going to happen at the end of this year. It depends on what happens with Beach Cruiser. I’m going to be letting people hear what I got with White Lightning 2 in previews. I’m creating so much music that I have a crazy 12 song album and a crazy 12 song mixtape. Once they hear the mixtape and then the album, it’s just amazing.
Moving on, Nate Dogg recently passed away. How did you feel about that?
Anybody who ever came to a G. Malone show knows that I honor Nate Dogg way before he passed away, and I’m going to keep on doing it.
I hate the pleasure to work with him one time. I never released the song; however, a lot of other people released it called “Can’t Be Faded.” That was the song I did with him in the studio and I got the original version, but I never put it out because, honestly, of how expensive it was *laughs*. He was one of the realest dudes and cool as hell, but his business was so sharp. His manager called me like, “yeah, G, Nate fucks with your music. That’s why he’s only going to charge you $50,000,” and then he wanted $30,000 for the beat. Eighty-thousand for a record was pretty crazy to me. I seen him a few times after that, but I didn’t trip because he was a legend. I’d rather never put it out because I didn’t pay him. That’s how much respect I have for him.
What’s your favorite Nate Dogg record or featured record?
It’d have to be “These Days.” Right before I got my low-rider, I had a ’54 convertible bug with a 1911 or 1912 engine and it was clean. It was crazy. That song came on *begins singing hook* and it drove me crazy. I also like Ice Cube’s collaboration with Nate on “Greed.” I used to be speeding to that *begins singing hook*.
