Mannie Fresh and Yasiin Bey may seem like a peculiar combination, but the former Cash Money Records producer has confirmed that the pair has completed the upcoming OMFGOD album. The New Orleans native also spoke about his work with Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music team, his friendship with Mystikal and more in an exclusive interview.
HipHopDX spoke with the touring DJ during a gig last week in New York. After teasing fans last year with some amazing behind-the-scenes footage showing the guys at work, Fresh says fans can scoop up the project soon.
“We actually mixing it right now,” said the plain-spoken Fresh about the 10-track album. “We recorded way more than that. But rather than to [just] have somebody say like, ‘Oh, wow’ – I think a lot of times when you do that you throw away music. So, I just wanna give people like ten bangers and let’s be out.”
Fresh spoke glowingly of his Brooklyn counterpart, saying the collaboration “kinda came easy” and that both men admire each other’s past product.
Along with the good comes the bad however, and folks hoping that Fresh would join forces with Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music full time will have to settle for one-off single joints as the proud down south veteran wants to build his own empire. “I chose not to really do that, to a certain degree, because I don’t wanna be signed to nobody,” said Fresh. “I think Kanye’s a genius. But Kanye got his own space. It’s time for Mannie Fresh to get his own space as well.”
Mystikal’s signing with Fresh’s former compatriots at Cash Money all but ruined any hope that a joint record between the fan favorites will happen, but it hasn’t sullied their longtime friendship despite the label beef. “Me and dude, we’re one hundred,” he reiterated. “And, for whatever reasons he took the deal – he’s a grown man, he can do whatever he wants.”
OMFGOD will be released digitally sometime this year, with the pair waiting to release the record after Bey’s film schedule slows down.
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Photo: YouTube
