A lot has changed for the rapper since people were rocking "Brand New".

During an interview with HipHopWired, the Chicago rapper updated on what has been the long wait for his sophomore album, falling back on Kanye West this go around and what to expect with El Che.

“I think with El Che, what people can expect is just more of the same, more Hip-Hop.  The good thing about the Rhymefest brand is that you get something different with every release.  Blue Collar was one thing, and the Michael Jackson dedication album was a whole another experience, The Manual was a whole nother experience from anything that I've done thus far.”

As West was such a factor on Blue Collar, Fest felt as though his involvement may have done more hurt than help as some might have looked at him as being dependent on his friend when it came to the recording process.

“My thing is that I realized through that experience that coat-tailing somebody doesn't work.  I don't want people to play a Rhymefest song because they want to hear Kanye.  You want to hear Kanye, go buy a Kanye West album.  I want people, like if people say Lupe, they think “Superstar” they think “Kick, Push” they think all this stuff.  When people say Rhymefest, they need to think “Say What's Up”, “How High”, “Bullet and a Target”, they need to think of my songs and I don't think I can accomplish that by having artists that overshadow me on my records. 

Just for the image alone, I'm not saying rhyme-wise, but the image they have will overshadow what I'm bringing to the table.  I need to build up what I am as an artist and that's why on this album I put people on there that I feel like we're on the same level.  So when you see me and Phonte do a joint, or me and Skyzoo do a joint, or Saigon, then it seems more real.”

He also elaborated on the politics behind the record label and what caused the long process behind actually releasing his second solo project.

“I mean, there's always label issues, the fans don't see that.  You can't just put out an album when you want to put out an album, although you're the one that gets blamed when it doesn't come out, you're the one that gets blamed when it's not successful.  But sometimes when you do your business the wrong way, you gotta wait.  Or when you think something is going to happen and people are promising you stuff and you wait and you wait, they'll make you wait until you dry up and there's no more of you left and so I had to escape that situation.”

Go cop Rhymefest's newest album El Che, in stores now.

“On record, I don't have a problem with Ice Cube, but if Ice Cube tries to push me, I will chew his f**king head off.”

With the recent trend of subliminal dissing going on amongst rappers, Glasses Malone clearly has no problems with the direct approach and just saying names.

As Ice Cube has been taking jabs and lightweight downplaying the New West, Malone reflects on his own prior issues with Cube and would be more than willing to battle it out with the OG rapper.

An interview with HipHopWired revealed how Malone feels on Cube's recent shots and although he respects him, there's only so much a person can take.

“Honestly man, Ice Cube is recording songs for a pro (?), Ice Cube is on a promotional run.  I don't know, you know maybe some things I say he took offense to before, but like I said in the interview I did with AllHipHop.com, I don't go no disrespect for that dude, that dude molded my style.  I'm sure he read that too but he's constantly going on, there's only so long I'm just going to let somebody get out of line with it.”

In regards to an actual record sending shots at Cube, Malone says it is non-existent, but always a possibility if given enough incentive.

“Like right now, do I have an Ice Cube diss record?  No, I ain't got no Ice Cube diss record.  I listen to his songs, I listened to his songs yesterday.  That's kind of like ridiculous, but at the end of the day, I am a man and I do this rap Shyte pretty well and if you don't know how well I do it these fools are going to explain to you how well I do this.”

Above all else, the rapper maintains having a respect for Cube and all that he has done for the West in his rapping career and a battle would all be just in the spirit of competition.

“I would love, I wouldn't mind, like if you want to start with me on the microphone, I'm like N***a come on.  As of right now, I don't have no record dissing that dude, that's f**king Ice Cube.  You know what I mean?  I'm like damn, f**kin I'm a fan.  But like I say, sometimes like you know, he might have took whatever I said in the wrong light and maybe he got something to say about it.  But like I say, Jay Rock is right in that situation, he should have said it right at somebody.”

After a while, talk does fall on a deaf ear, so it's good to know that some want to simply box in the ring and find out who stands victorious.  Let the lyrics speak for themselves.

Does anyone think the Cube, NOW, would be able to go 12 rounds and deliver a 2010 “No Vaseline” or would the underdog prevail?

Juelz Santana is another artist that can add his name to the list as the Reagan Era was allegedly dropping on Valentine's Day, but it clearly didn't.

The general frustration is the fact that the music is free, so what could possibly be taking all of this time for the project to just drop?

Recently completing The Green Ghost Project, DJ Green Lantern spoke with HipHopWired on the matter of rappers trying to create a full project.

“I will say, on the positive side, that people are taking time with their work and even like the Fab mixtape. He's taking some time to tune that up.  Jay Electronia, same thing.  Me and styles pushed our Shyte back to tune it up the right way. I wasn't really happy with the mastering and Shyte.  It just shows you people tale the quality and the material on it, they take it seriously.”

He made reference to Drake and how So Far Gone set a standard and completely changed the way a rapper chooses to approach creating his/her mixtape now as they try and make it a more rounded project

“Especially since Drake, how that performed. That's technically a mixtape, so it's like your x y z artist and you put your mixtape out in the back of your mind and maybe the front of your mind, you're thinking damn this sh8t, not that it's going up against drake, but you're dropping the same thing for your career. What this tape can do for you is what that did for him, so don't slouch at all on what you're doing because look what the hell he did for his. It's no more ‘Oh, it's just a mixtape', that's over.”

Anyone has to respect that fact that these artists are trying to present their best, but let's just keep dates concealed for future reference and just let people know when it's actually going to drop.

Not since Shyne and his 10 year sentence has Hip Hop been under such a microscope by the law and received such heavy penalties.

L.O.X. member Styles P is one that has seen the cell when he was arrested and served an 8 month bid at the Valhalla Correctional Facility in upstate New York back in 2002.  Doing time for stabbing a man in the buttocks, the rapper is one that used his time incarcerated to reflect and make sure that he never stood inside a cell again.

Styles P recently caught up with HipHopWired and gave his opinion on rappers getting caught up by the law as of late and stating that every man must be aware of their movements.

“To answer your question truthfully, you got to watch what you do nowadays.   People, every man is responsible for their own actions, but people have got to remember most of the time, the justice system doesn't really work too fair, I really don't know, that ain't for me to judge.”

He even added more on his own situation, but wasn't sure if the sudden spur had any hidden meaning with the government.

“I've been through that situation I understand that life has its ups and downs, you got trials and tribulations, there's a reason behind everything, I really don't know what's going on, everybody got to be safe and you got to watch your movements and watch what you're doing.”

It's no longer enough to be famous and think that money will keep ignorant actions under the rug.  People must be willing to make better decisions and accept the fact that no man can escape consequences.

Dropping Too Hood 2 Be Hollywood back in December, he releases the visual to “Back To The Money” featuring Magnolia Chop.

If you look close enough, many will notice the cameo of Juvenile which only furthers the speculation that the Hot Boys are, in fact, coming back for a reunion.

Speaking with HipHopWired, the rapper spoke on the reunion and how Lil Wayne's incarceration will affect the release.

“It [will] probably hold up the release of it but it's still gonna happen. Hopefully they give him a slap on the wrist…Fu&$ man, he in a fu&%ed up situation, hopefully they give him some house arrest or something.”

The rapper also spoke on his project and who to expect to hear from on his recent album.

“I got Wayne on the album.   I got Juvenile on the album, Trey Songz on the album, C Murder, Young Buck, T.I. on the album, Young Jeezy and of course Boosie on the album.”

Outside of the music, the rapper intends to give everyone a reminder of who he is by stepping in film.

“I'm doing a biography of my life story……I'm still here and everybody counting me out I'm still here.”

With two years of dealing with politics, B.G. is more than ready to get things back in gear and continue dropping material like he was before.

Not allowing the politics to set him back mentally, Bleek continues his grind until the drop with the release of the track “Still Ill”

“Still Ill”

HipHopWired was able to catch up with Bleek and speak with the rapper on the upcoming release and what to expect as well as dispelling certain misconceptions.

“I'm gonna make it happen, trust me with this album I'm gonna come strong and let people know, everything that you've been hearing over the years, it's all been Bleek. I didn't have a deal when Coming of Age and “It's Alright” came out, none of that. It's just crazy the way people think. Rumors get started now, somebody think of it in their house and they just put in on the blog and it goes everywhere and everybody believes it.”

He also added creating his own brand and the details behind the delay on the album.

“Oh man, just basically showing people the growth and the process of building my own establishment right now Get low Records. That's what's been the long delay, I felt like I didn't want to put out another release under Def Jam if they going to look at me selling 400,000 copies as a loss. I'd rather lose on my own label like that, you know what I mean. So it was the process of getting out the deal, the process of getting a distribution deal and one that's suitable for me, one that generates the right amount of attention as well as the assets, I didn't want to just jump on any deal if that's the case I'd be doing what every other rapper [is doing].”

Scheduled for a release on March 23, Bleek will step to the plate to show that he's capable of standing on his own without Roc A Fella behind him.

Before Eminem returned with Relapse, group from Tennessee were known as representatives for horror core in their rap music.

Times have changed and as a result, the group has done the same.  Down to Juicy J and DJ Paul, a changing market has made it necessary for the duo to find a change in their overall sounds to appeal to a newer crowd.

Catching up with HipHopWired.com the duo was able to speak on adapting to a new environment and establishing production that will leave them well received by the mainstream public.

“We've done a few changes, we did a few changes because times change, people's ears change. “Lolli Lolli”, that was really different for us but it sold over 2,000,000 digital downloads, it actually put us on an international level, we've been doing stuff overseas, we've been to Germany twice, we've been to Italy, Japan, Taiwan, Canada, we got a lot of other shows coming up overseas.”

Juicy J added that their new sound isn't meant to water down what people most know them for as they still plan to feed their hardcore fans that have been around since before the Academy Award.  Overall, money from all sides is better than just one.

“It put us on an international level but we still got our underground stuff, our underground CDs for our fan base, so it's really like we expanded. And we look at it like, it's like we get a check from the underground and get a check form the mainstream and the pop side to as well, we just trying to get money across the board.”

Still embracing their newfound fame, they maintain their hustle and know that they have to go even harder now that they have reached a higher platform in their career.

“Everything is changing we got a lot of doors opened for us, still just doing what we do, still putting out underground albums, we still got a lot of major stuff coming out. Still hustling man, can't stop.”

In order to achieve and maintain success, it is necessary to make some changes in the usual and create an updated blueprint.  For Three Six, the transition has only created an outlet for even more opportunity so who can argue with that?