Since the release of 534 in 2005, rapper Memphis Bleek has been somewhat quiet and the dynasty he once stood behind has changed dramatically. Beans and Freeway suffered lackluster numbers and it seemed as though Jay was stepping away from his team to pursue a new venture with Roc Nation. Speaking with HipHopWired, Bleek shed some light on what’s been going on since 2005.
In relation to all those that seem to have a voice without actually being behind the wheel, Bleek has offered a solution that may tell the story that many have been curious about as it relates to the Roc.
“I’m about to put together a little documentary of Roc-A-Fella through my eyes so people can hear my story and hear how it really goes. When you leave it up to the critics, they think it’s just a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”
Although there is no release date, as of yet, Bleek assured the fact that he was indeed going to make sure that it happens.
Outside of the music, Bleek has ventured out to potentially pick up movie roles. History has shown the rapper in films such as State Property and Paper Soldiers.
“I just got a script for this movie. I think Maino is supposed to be the star in it. They got Jadakiss in it and some other people. They just sent me the script and I’m reading over it. If the role is right, I’m in it, but other than that I’m not just going to do it to be like, yo I’m an actor. That’s not what I do.
I gotta do natural roles. I just can’t do something out of the ordinary and play myself. My thing is, no disrespect, but I can’t play the role Sticky Fingaz played in Next Friday. I can’t act a slap on camera. You have to cut me a nice check for that one.”
After Jay-Z left his position as president at Def Jam and witnessing what happened in terms of sales with Freeway’s Free At Last and Beanie Sigel’s The Solution, it seemed as though the run of the Roc was coming to a close. Along with the lack of promotion for a team that used to be the strongest, both cuts were lacking in terms of those apart of Roc-La-Familia which would make some think that the group has completely disbanded.
“Everybody is cool with me. I ain’t never had no physical altercation or argument or lose any money with anybody so it’s still the same relationship that we had when we were down. I just did a party with Beans like a month ago in Vegas with me, him and Freeway. I spoke to Chris and I speak to Neef all the time. Ain’t no love lost, it’s just everybody is out doing their own thing. There ain’t no problems, trust me. We have known each other too long and too well for there to be a problem. If there was, we wouldn’t address it through music and somebody would be in the middle of the street scrapping.”
Bleek’s absence from the side of Jay has also created speculation of a drift between the two and some have come to believe that their long history and bond has dwindled immensely since they first started coming up and dropping heat like “Coming of Age” and “Is That Your Chick.”
“My relationship with Hov is the same way it was when we lived in 534. Me being on the album, me being on stage or being on tour, that doesn’t matter. You can erase all of that and that would not change the fact that he is Shawn Carter from apartment 5C and I’m Malik Cox from apartment 3D. Real talk.”
In terms of music, Bleek is returning with the album The Process which is set for a November 24 release. Although branching out as the CEO for his own label, Get Low Records, the love remains as Jay will stand behind his longtime friend as executive producer.
“With the whole album, I’m trying to bring a New York sound so I’m tryna have a theme like Scarface with the strings and that get money music like those songs in Scarface and Hoodlum, stuff like that. I want this album to be the soundtrack of a person’s life with this album. Producers are gonna be Just Blaze, NO I.D., Swizz Beats and 9th Wonder of course. I also have some underground producers. With features, I have two joints with Pharell and we’re trying to see which is the hardest. I got one joint with Rick Ross and I got one with Trey Songz right now.”
There is currently no first single, but Bleek has stated that something should pop up in the next few weeks.
