"This album is the truest look into me not just as an artist, but as a writer and as a person. I came into my own in a lot of ways on this album. Born And Raised is the first album where I talk about being a father and the impact my daughter has had on my life. It's also the first time I experimented with live sound without the guidance of a producer and the first time I got to record with producers and artist whose work inspired me to become an emcee.”
 
Born And Raised will also feature collaborations with Big Daddy Kane, Parish Smith of EPMD, Grand Puba, KRS-One, Tragedy, Havoc, Lil Fame, Marley Marl, and DJ Red Alert.

Speaking of the highly celebrated “Mega Fresh X” collaboration produced by Buckwild where the Queensbridge MC spits rhymes among the legends. Mega added:

“These were the MCs I looked up to so I wanted to pay homage to them. I remember the days when I had Kane's posters on my wall, CDs by KRS-One and like everybody in New York. I used to record DJ Red Alert cassettes off the radio, so for me to do a song with Kane, KRS-One, Puba, and P.M.D. and then on top of that have Red Alert on it, is a dream realized."

Hip-Hop Wired also recently spoke with Mega about rappers becoming responsible for their lyrics and the messages they are sending kids. Click here to read.

    1. Intro (The 3rd Coming)
    2. Girl
    3. Love Your Family (Feat. Havoc)
    4. Get It In (Feat. Lil Fame of M.O.P.)
    5. The Other Side
    6. Live And Learn
    7. Make It Clear
    8. Journey
    9. Define Yourself (Feat. Tragedy Khadafi & Havoc)
    10. What Did I Do
    11. Dirty Game
    12. One Purpose
    13. Rapture
    14. Mega Fresh X (Feat. DJ Red Alert, Parish Smith (of EPMD), Grand Puba (of Brand Nubian), KRS-One & Big Daddy Kane)

"This album is the truest look into me not just as an artist, but as a writer and as a person. I came into my own in a lot of ways on this album. Born And Raised is the first album where I talk about being a father and the impact my daughter has had on my life. It's also the first time I experimented with live sound without the guidance of a producer and the first time I got to record with producers and artist whose work inspired me to become an emcee.”

Born And Raised will also feature collaborations with Big Daddy Kane, Parish Smith of EPMD, Grand Puba, KRS-One, Tragedy, Havoc, Lil Fame, Marley Marl, and DJ Red Alert. Speaking of the highly celebrated “Mega Fresh X” collaboration produced by Buckwild, Mega added:

“These were the MCs I looked up to so I wanted to pay homage to them. I remember the days when I had Kane's posters on my wall, CDs by KRS-One and like everybody in New York. I used to record DJ Red Alert cassettes off the radio, so for me to do a song with Kane, KRS-One, Puba, and P.M.D. and then on top of that have Red Alert on it, is a dream realized."

One of the most internet savvy MCs in the game, Cormega connects with fans on his own website www.legalhustle.net and online sites like MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. The album cover for Born And Raised was created entirely by his online community and is a result of his interaction with the fans.

"Besides my own love for real Hip-Hop, the reason why I still record new music is for the fans. They energize me, encourage me, and are always full of ideas and I wanted to find a way for them to be a part of the creation of this album so I reached out to them online. The result is the whole concept of the Born And Raised front cover.”

The fonts, graphic editing, and layout were entirely created by fans and members of Cormega's online community.

"I was born in Brooklyn, lived in Co-op City, Far Rockaway, and Queensbridge so you'll notice each place represented on the album cover," explains Cormega. "We also went through a stack of photos to select the images you see of me through the years."

For more information on Cormega and his upcoming project, log on to www.Legalhustle.net.