i can't call it.
im sure there will be a point in which you cannot tell one record from the next (see last 3 mobb deep records or first 4 EPMD joints)---but i think that our advantage is actual planning. cats don't plan. they don't foreplay, they dont even bother to think---what will the climate be in 2008. they never think about that shit. we see a science in all this. i personally think we will be cool for the 5 year cycle (77-82, 82-87, 87-92, 92-97, 97-02, and this being the 02-07 cycle) im more worried about 2007. every "2" and "7" year we make our most drastic shit (organix, and phren were met with the most indifference from "the hell is this?" (or) to "the fuck was that?" (phren)---but it allows us to "buy time" til the next cycle (i see 3 records a cycle)

i somehow thought this was gonna be the graceland album (we went to cuba and had updated buena vista social club ideas)--then we jammed and the first 3 weeks it was gonna be the organix redux album---i wasn't with this just yet....i believe in starting the cycle again (organc album, refined organic hip hop jazz, underground ill lyrical, musical soothing album, crazy throw you off record, simple no tricks no frills album)

now if we add more to it (the graceland album, all instrumental album, guest star album (we considered doing that mos/com/pha/kwei/thought album)--even the bandless all beats album)


so there are different personalities we can explore--- i do know that eventually we will have to start all over again (my problem with prince and stevie and earth wind....them playing catch up vs. just going for what they know)

i just dont feel like we are playing "catch up"---this still feels "natural". i dont feel like we reached our peak yet that some hip hop acts who are still making records are at. we will return to first base once we get to the place where we are so out of the marketplace that we wont even feel the need to compete.


ie- i get calls from stevie's office all the time. he wants me to drum program. i dont want to do that. if steve aint doing no throwback shit then i aint even tryna call back to get my heart broken. if steve wants to compete with chingy? go ahead.

santana done gave cats false hope that a lil bit of this and a lil bit of that will make it 11 million city.---


but everyone knows that was santana's blandest shit. (actually im working with herbie right now and he keeps saying the S word. but at least his vision is getting thom yorke and chris martin on board so this might be interesting)---so its like if you roll the dice and think you can hit bullseye. then go ahead. approximate the market. if not? i think you should do what you do best.

id rather fail doing organic shit than playing catch up.


but this is clearly our moment and im not letting the fear of "what will they think" make me ruin a million dollar empire.


so this album has its own stripes just like the other 6.