Before the coffin closes and Scarface is no more, The Source had to check in with one of the best rappers of all time. Check out the Geto Boy’s final words on the state of Hip-Hop, his dream project and, of course, Black History Month.

By: Sabrina Ford

While in New York promoting his four-mic rated Emeritus, Scarface sat down with The Source. Although cranky at first due to New York weather (“I left 80-degree weather in Houston for this shit?”) and an oncoming cold, it didn’t take long for ‘Face to open up on everything from why he didn’t think rappers should’ve endorsed (then) President-elect Barack Obama (who he loves) to his dream project with two other rap superstars — and why Emeritus will be Scarface’s last album.

The Source: What’s up?

Scarface: I hate doing interviews.

Why’s that?

I just feel like I done said every muthafuckin thing. (laughs) But we got something new to talk about. We got a Black president. That’s some big shit.

Where were you when you heard the news?

I was in Houston and I was at the golf course in the clubhouse playing poker. They had the news on and it said, “We have a new president,” and I looked like, “Oh hell naw,” because, you know, you was expectin’ some bullshit. I know I was, and it wasn’t no bullshit.

You expressed concern about other rappers publicly endorsing Barack Obama during the campaign.

I was like, “Shut the fuck up and let the man campaign.” Let the man run his campaign and don’t go nigga his shit up. You know? Don’t be too niggerish about it. Let him run a smooth campaign. I liked his campaign. It was just the facts and I respect that. John McCain scared me. He’s 74, 75 — got a week or two left. And we got this crazy bitch behind him. She could see Russia from her house. That’s her foreign policy.

You also said you were worried for his safety, being the first black president. Still scared for him?

Naw, I ain’t scared for him ‘cuz I know how everybody else feels about him. You got leaders in other countries that’s down with Obama. I love that dude, man. I genuinely love Obama. That’s like, if you had a black person you had to have represent you, isn’t that the one you would want to go in to rep? You don’t want no muthafucka like Al Sharpton, with his hair all slicked back and shit, with that preachin’ talk shit he be doing. That’s my man, don’t get me wrong. But that don’t speak for us.

Like I always say, I’m very disappointed with how they just give us “the black leaders” like, I’m not acknowledging that. I’m not accepting him as the black leader. We don’t fuck wit Jesse like that. Did you see what Jesse said about Obama? I gotta put that shit out there.

The Fox News clip?

[Scarface is referring to that infamous clip of Jesse Jackson making derogatory statements about Obama while appearing on Fox News. The footage of Jackson, who thought he was safe to speak freely during a commercial break, hit the web.] Yea, I saw the shit on YouTube. Talking about he wants to cut his balls off and then he got his ass out there crying the night he makes his move. He [Obama] gets his shit and he’s the first black president, then Jesse’s up there crying like a muthafucka.

This our Black History Month issue. Many have argued that Black History month isn’t necessary any more, especially with a Black man in the White House. What are your thoughts on that?

That’s like sayin, “Man, we already gave them niggas a month, no we got a black president. Give a nigga a rope and he wanna be a cowboy.” You gotta have Black History like you have white history — President’s Day, Lincoln’s birthday, St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas — all that shit. That’s some white history shit. Don’t get it fucked up. I don’t care what color you are. I just think it’s so important to show everything. I love Black History. I love talkin’ nigga shit. (laughs) I can’t believe people would say we don’t need it [Black History Month].

Can you imagine being forced to work for free? Can you imagine being forced to eat scraps? Can you imagine being treated like less than a citizen, less than a man, less than a human being because of the color of your skin? Can you imagine being hung for looking at a white woman?

I can’t! But, Black people were scared of white people. That shit has got to be addressed. You can’t sweep that fucking dirt under the rug because it’s gonna make a hump — and you gonna trip over that hump. Naw, I fuck with black history.

Are you really retiring from Hip-Hop?

I’m gonna do rap music regardless. I may not make the same type of music, but I’m definitely gonna rap some more. Put me in the booth with anybody. Put me in there with somebody who don’t speak English. Put me in the booth with them. I’ll learn their language and rap with ‘em.

But, you’ve been saying this is your last album.

No, it’ll be Scarface’s last album. Scarface is dead.

What does that mean for the fans that love Scarface? Who will you be the next time you’re in the studio?

I’ll be the artist formerly known as. I’ll be anybody but him [Scarface]. Emeritus, it means to retire with honor and still hold a position. I retired Scarface with honor and he still holds a position as a bad muthafucka.

And what does that mean for the music?

It’s gonna be some better shit going on. I’m just broadening my horizons. I want to make better music.

Is there anybody you would bring Scarface back to collaborate with?

I really wanna work with Nas and I really want to work with Cube. Jordan, Jones, Jackson. Me, Cube, Nas. Press up 150,000 and charge 150 dollars apiece. Independent.

Have you guys talked about it?

Me and Nas talked about it. If you catch Cube, call me when you got him next to you. I got his number but I don’t never call him cuz I figure he busy. But, that’s my man.

What impact do you think technology has had on Hip-Hop?

The Internet fucked us, too. If you ain’t sellin’ 5 million records, you’re fucked because with bootlegs, a week before it’s out everybody got your shit. My boy just called me from the neighborhood the other day like, “Man, I just bought yo shit,” and I was like, “Man, you ain’t bought my shit. Not on no fuckin’ Thursday!” (laughs)

What do you think about the current state of Hip-Hop?

I want that blueprint of the early days of Hip-Hop. It’s like, “Do you know how to build a house?” No. But, if you had money you would build one. Why not learn to build a house before you build it instead of building some shit that’ll make the whole block look bad? Let’s go back to the conventional way of making Hip-Hop records. Let’s do it so this whole shit don’t fall down. Let’s structure it again.

You know how your grandma makes stuffing — that stuffing that’s homemade from scratch — thick and fluffy and stuff? Then you go over homegirl’s house and eat Stove Top. You got the Stove Top rap and you got the ones who really put something behind it. Let’s go back to the blueprint of this shit — when it was original music. There wasn’t no fucking samples! “Five Minutes of Funk!” “Basketball!” No samples!

So who’s your favorite rapper to emerge in the last five years?

Well, we can’t say Wayne or T.I., since they’ve been around for a while, but those are the youngstas that are hot. I like Young Jeezy’s album. I like Wayne’s.

What’s the last great Hip-Hop album you purchased?

Shit… I’d have to say A Tribe Called Quest, Midnight Marauders [released in 1993]. That’s the last dope ass Hip-Hop album. That’s a bad muthafucka. Smoke a joint, get in the car and put Midnight Marauders on.

What does Scarface’s retirement mean for the South being that you are widely considered the Godfather of Southern rap?

I can’t say that I make music for the South. I just so happen to come from the Southern part of the US. I don’t even know where [soul musician] Willie Hutch is from. I don’t know where [musician] Frankie Beverly is from. I want to take the boundaries off Hip-Hop. I come from Houston, but I make music for everybody. I make music for the streets.

Scarface’s Black History Month Reading List

The Willie Lynch Letter and The Making of a Slave, by Kashif Malik Hassan-El

Stono: Documenting And Interpreting a Southern Slave Revolt, by Mark M. Smith

The Mis-Education of the Negro, by Carter G. Woodson

The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life, by Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray