"I don’t want to directly blame anybody because I’m not mad. I’m making checks. It’s just that 50 Cent is the main man so if he has a disagreement with Jimmy Iovine or somebody like that, we [Yayo & Lloyd Banks] gotta pay for it."

To hear many tell it, G-Unit has fallen off. Most recently dropped from Interscope Records, and helmed by the continued expansion and success of their leader 50 Cent, it would appear as though the ship has sailed. Tony Yayo, the opinionated and oft iron fist of the background, provides clarification.

Having patterned himself with innovative ideas and strategies for success, Tony Yayo is prepared to do what’s necessary to maintain his own truth and craft. Old feeling die hard, as he has much to say about Game, and Buck’s loyalties, or lack thereof.

Fresh off tour and the successful promotion of his mixtape Gun Powder Guru, Yayo breaks down the truth behind the history of G-Unit, what loyalty means to him, his view on The Game, says why Rick Ross and Fat Joe should stop rapping, and surprisingly reveals himself to be a connoisseur of history.

Yayo, what’s been going on?

I’m happy to be back in NY. We went to a lot of places. One of the places that were my favorite was Moscow, because there are 25 million people there. At one time it was a Communist country and it was funny to me that everyone was equal. No one had more money than anyone else. In the 80’s only three people had a Mercedes Benz. I went on a tour to one of the oldest cathedrals out there. There are a lot of very old things there.  They had a place where people were beheaded. I wanted to see their president Lenin, his body is in a glass box and you can actually go and see him. It was a beautiful experience.

One of my favorite places was Amsterdam. I like to smoke weed, I’m not gonna lie to you. I love it because it’s like zero violence out there. In America, there’s a lot of crime in the streets and things like that but there, crime is like zero. You can go to a coffee shop and buy weed. In the red light district, the women, the prostitutes, they work for the government. When you go on the other side of the world, it’s crazy to see how people live. I ran into Kid Capri and it was nice, we got to eat and smoke and it was amazing.

We had some females with us and we got to take them to the red light district and we took them to sex shows and things like that.

I didn’t know you were so into geographical history.

I try and learn about these places when we go on tour. I know a lot of people think that it’s always just wild and a lot of girls and things like that but when you go places and it’s the first time they see rappers at all, it’s a crazy experience. My first time in London, I loved it because I had never been there. I had the chance to meet a lot of famous soccer players.

I almost got arrested in Oslo. I had Hennessey. When you’re overseas, there’s way less guns and things like that. Everyone is happy. Some of my favorite clubs and places to go are in Paris. I love to go to Paris. Club VIP is so crazy.

Does it feel like work?

Some people are addicted to money, some people are addicted to women or drugs, but 50 is addicted to success. We’ll do three hour shows and he’ll over extend his shows because he’s a workaholic. We’ll get off tour and he’ll go shoot a movie. It is definitely work.  People don’t see the hundred people that are putting together the operation. There are so many people that play a part that you don’t really see. I do feel it’s work. 50 always reminds us to remember that it’s work, because while we’re having so much fun, it’s still about the business. It is really a job. You’ve gotta be on point.

Is making money all in performances right now?

You can see with the success of Banks’ single Beamer, Benz, or Bentley. We were just dropped from Interscope. I wouldn’t say that I want to put my faith in a major but I wouldn’t say I wouldn’t mind being on a major label. We just got dropped from Interscope though, so what are we gonna do? I see Banks put out a record from last year that’s number one in New York City and he put it out on the internet. This is up to artists doing things on our own. We were dropped from Interscope and I haven’t seen too many people besides Lady Gaga with singles out on Interscope. Besides 50 and Eminem, and the big dogs, the success of Banks’ single sold maybe 200,000 downloads on iTunes, without Interscope.

Is there too much emphasis on a major record label?

Lloyd Banks is a perfect example. You’ve got a guy that was just dropped from Interscope and he’s got one of the hottest records out right now. It’s climbing on the Billboard and it’s being added to all the radio outlets. This is a record that him and Juelz did in the basement of his house last year. I know Interscope is biting themselves in the ass right now because a lot of their artists don’t have set-up singles out anyway.

Why would they drop a group moving singles and units then?

Honestly, with me and Banks, we always feel the backlash of 50’s success. He’s a multi-millionaire successful rapper. Him, Dr. Dre, Eminem, they’re all well off. They don’t have to pick up the microphone; they can pick it up whenever they want. If 50 Cent does something to piss somebody off, who do you think feels the backlash of that? Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo.

Is that what happened?

That’s what it is 90 percent of the time. I don’t want to directly blame anybody because I’m not mad. I’m making checks. It’s just that 50 Cent is the main man so if he has a disagreement with Jimmy Iovine or somebody like that, we gotta pay for it.

If G-Unit is a brand that has been cultivated under the big dog, it sounds like they would want to keep him happy, right?

Yeah, that’s what I’m saying; there are a lot of things that don’t make sense to me. If I was Jimmy Iovine, I’d look at Game as different than anybody else in G-Unit. First of all, G-Unit started off with three niggas from the back blocks. Me, 50, and Banks. We all know each other’s grandmothers, Sha Money came around, and we never thought we would sell what we sold. Then Game came along. He got with us; he sold a lot of records, sold a lot of cars, messed with a lot of women. I remember Game’s mother called me the first day I got out jail to thank me, and Game asked me to get on his album. It’s a lot of stuff that confuses me about the Game. The reason why I’m so loyal to 50 Cent is because it’s family.

Being around from the start would give you that type of loyalty, but Game came later.

I remember 50 playing me Game’s album before it came out. With no Game on it and just 50’s vocals. You know how he is. You see a lot of guys that made millions of dollars and are tore down and don’t have a thing to show for it. It’s the drugs, the women, or whatever, the fast cars, clothes, or a combination.  I’m learning by being in the game.

Do you feel less restrained?

I think without being on Interscope, it makes me feel like a free agent. I can do whatever I want to do.

I just dropped a mixtape that I’m getting a check for, Gun Powder Guru, and it’s doing very well. I’m just waiting on the check now. I didn’t have to go through Interscope or any red tape and G-Unit is pushing independently. That’s my inspiration, what Lloyd is doing, having a huge record out with no major label behind it.

Anyone you are particularly dissatisfied with rapping?

I think Ja Rule, Rick Ross, and Fat Joe should stop rapping. Of course. Fat Joe, he had one of the biggest records with Lean Back and then he shitted on Remy and everybody like that, so I really don’t like him. Rick Ross went from drug dealer to Corrections Officer to drug dealer then back to Corrections Officer. Ja Rule, that just goes without saying. People naturally don’t like Yayo. Think about it. All my beef has been 50’s beef.  It’s loyalty. All of them niggas turned around and did a song with Game. That’s bitch nigga shit. That’s what Buck did. I’ve got my own morals and respect and ideas about loyalty. I’ve seen 50 give Buck money and then Buck turn around and say fuck 50.  There’s no love in this shit. You’ve got to know how to win.

With the tone of music, it seems like you’ve got to know where to put your resources.

Records ain’t selling period. The hottest artists are those that are performing, selling out shows, and the artists that the media loves. A lot of media people are going to write negative things about us of course. They are writing about the G-Unity project where we took all the kids from the hood to Great Adventure how we did a free show and fixed up things in the neighbourhood for them. They want to talk about the dumb stuff, and all the hate. G-Unit wasn’t always for the kids, though, so there must be some balance.

I just don’t like any of those guys. It’s always going to be fuck them. To me, they crossed the lines. I don’t care whether 50 is wrong or right. I’m pretty sure if you had a brother and you were in something, it doesn’t matter what you did. This is family.

What are the latest haps?

I’m working on putting out a new single soon. Things are good, checks are coming. I’m back in NYC. The first thing I did was took my kids to Toys R Us and went shopping and stuff like that. People would be surprised with the things I do. I was at Kung Fu with my daughter too, you just never know.

- By Maxine Ross