ALL OF THE ABOVE: TRAGEDY KHADAFI

QUEENS, NEW YORK | TRAGEDY KHADAFI

INTERVIEW TERRELL “REALIFE” BLACK

WITH OVER 30 YEARS IN THE GAME, QUEENSBRIDGE EMCEE TRAGEDY KHADAFI IS STILL CONTRIBUTING TO THE CULTURE. HIS EMCEEING AND PRODUCTION HAS INFLUENCED HIP HOP FOR SEVERAL DECADES WITH ARTISTS LIKE MOBB DEEP, NAS AND MORE. HE’S RESPONSIBLE FOR INTRODUCING THE WORLD TO ONE OF NEW YORK’S MOST DYNAMIC HIP HOP DUO’S OF THE MID 1990’S, CAPONE - N - NOREAGA. HE RECENTLY CELEBRATED THE 30 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE RELEASE OF HIS FIRST STUDIO ALBUM “INTELLIGENT HOODLUM” WHICH DEBUTED JULY 10TH, 1990 ON A&M RECORDS. VALIDATED RECENTLY CHOPPED IT UP WITH THE QUEENSBRIDGE LEGEND TO DISCUSS THE ANNIVERSARY OF “INTELLIGENT HOODLUM”, THE RELEASE OF HIS NEW PROJECT “HIDDEN FILES”, HIS COOKING SHOW “ON DA CHOW” AND MORE.

“SOMETIME WHEN YOU'RE A PIONEER, YOU DON'T REALLY GET THE CREDIT FOR DOING SOMETHING BECAUSE LATER ON SOMEONE COMES AND THEY HAVE THE ADVANTAGE OF REVITALIZING SOMETHING YOU ALREADY STARTED. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?” - TRAGEDY KHADAFI

VALIDATED: YOU’RE A QUEENSBRIDGE, NEW YORK LEGEND BUT FOR THOSE WHO AREN’T FAMILIAR TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND. 

TRAGEDY KHADAFI: WELL, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I CAME UP AS A YOUNGIN’ OUT OF QUEENSBRIDGE. I WAS ONCE PART OF THE JUICE CREW. I CAME OUT WITH SONGS BEFORE THE JUICE CREW, BUT I WAS ONCE PART OF THE JUICE CREW AS A YOUNGIN’. I CAME OUT WITH MY FIRST COMMERCIAL RELEASE, “INTELLIGENT HOODLUM” BACK IN ’89. AND LATER ON I STARTED THE GROUP CNN, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? PUT THAT TOGETHER AND JUST, YOU KNOW, DROPPED NUMEROUS ALBUMS SINCE THEN, “AGAINST ALL ODDS” (2001), “STILL REPORTIN’…” (2003) AND “THUG MATRIX” (2005), YOU KNOW, DID A COUPLE OF THINGS, YOU KNOW, LIGHT WORK. 

VALIDATED: SO BEING FROM QUEENSBRIDGE, WHAT'S YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF HIP HOP CULTURE? 

TRAGEDY KHADAFI: AH MAN, MY EARLIEST MEMORY OF HIP HOP CULTURE IS LIKE THE PARK JAMS AND YEAH, THE PARK JAMS ARE REAL HISTORICAL. YOU HAD SOME OF THE GREATEST EMCEES GO THROUGH THEIR, GREATEST DJ’S… WITH THEIR SOUND SYSTEMS. AND JUST MY EARLIEST. YEAH, MY EARLIEST MEMORIES IS THE PARK JAMS, MAN. THOSE WERE LIKE PHENOMENAL SETTINGS.  

VALIDATED: YOU MENTIONED YOU PUT TOGETHER CNN, HOW DID THAT WHOLE SITUATION COME ABOUT? 

TRAGEDY KHADAFI: I MEAN BASICALLY CAPONE AND NORIEGA, THEY MET IN JUVENILE JAIL. AND I HAD MET NORE BEFORE HE WENT TO JUVENILE JAIL AND CAPONE WAS FROM QUEENSBRIDGE. SO IT KIND OF LIKE CAME TOGETHER BY THEM MEETING AND THEN KIND OF LIKE CAPONE REINTRODUCING ME TO NORE AND WANTING TO PUT A WHOLE PROJECT TOGETHER WITH BOTH OF THEM. SO, WE BASICALLY CAME TOGETHER AND I ARCHITECTED THE PROJECT.

VALIDATED: QUEENSBRIDGE HAS A LONG LIST OF NOTABLE EMCEES.

TRAGEDY KHADAFI: THERE'S A LOT OF EMCEES THAT CAME OUT OF QUEENSBRIDGE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T NECESSARILY ASSOCIATE WITH QUEENSBRIDGE THE WAY THEY SHOULD. LIKE BLAQ POET, THE WHOLE SCREWBALL HOSTILE, REST IN PEACE. YOU GOT CRAIG G, THE LIST GOES ON AND ON AND ON MAN. YOU GOT THE REAL TJ SWAN, JAY SUPREME. YOU GOT MAD EMCEES OUT OF QUEENSBRIDGE THAT YOU DON'T NECESSARILY GET THAT LIGHT AND THAT LOVE THEY DESERVE. BUT I ALWAYS MAKE SURE I SHOUT THEM OUT. OF COURSE, ROXANNE SHANTE’, MC SHAN, DIMPLES D AND MARLEY MARL. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? IT'S ENDLESS… YOU GOT NATURE. I MEAN, QUEENSBRIDGE IS ENDLESS. 

VALIDATED: WHY DO YOU FEEL IT'S THAT WAY THOUGH?

TRAGEDY KHADAFI: FOR THE MOST PART, YOU KNOW, THE MORE SUCCESSFUL ONES ARE GONNA GET MORE LIGHT. SO THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE GONNA ASSOCIATE QUEENSBRIDGE WITH. AND A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE I MENTIONED, THEY CAME BEFORE ME. SOME OF THEM, THEY CAME BEFORE THE NAS’S AND YOUR MOB DEEP’S. SO THEY DIDN'T REALLY GET… SOMETIME WHEN YOU'RE A PIONEER, YOU DON'T REALLY GET THE CREDIT FOR DOING SOMETHING BECAUSE LATER ON SOMEONE COMES AND THEY HAVE THE ADVANTAGE OF REVITALIZING SOMETHING YOU ALREADY STARTED. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

VALIDATED: BEING A FAN OF HIP HOP, FOR ME IT SEEMS LIKE QUEENSBRIDGE HAS ITS OWN SOUND. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT YOURSELF, YOU KNOW, NAS, NATURE, ETC, WHAT WOULD YOU ATTRIBUTE THAT TO? 

TRAGEDY KHADAFI: I MEAN, EVERYBODY GOT THEIR OWN STYLE IN THEIR OWN RIGHT, BUT WE ALL LEARN FROM SOMEBODY. WE ALL LEARN FROM, YOU KNOW, OR ARE INFLUENCED BY SOMEBODY BEFORE US. LIKE I WAS INFLUENCED BY LIKE KOOL G RAP AND MC SHAN AND BIG DADDY KANE, YOU KNOW, AND NAS, MIGHT'VE BEEN INFLUENCED BY ME AND SO ON AND SO FORTH, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? SO, BUT WE ALL HAVE OUR INDIVIDUAL STYLES, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN AT THE SAME TIME, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S ONLY RIGHT WE GET INFLUENCED BY THOSE WHO COME BEFORE US. AND IT'S ONLY A COMPLIMENT TO US ALL. 

VALIDATED: SO IT'S THE 30TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF YOUR DEBUT SOLO ALBUM “INTELLIGENT HOODLUM”. IT FEATURED TRACKS LIKE “BLACK AND PROUD”, “KEEP STRIVING”, “NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE”. THOSE ARE TIMELESS RECORDS THAT COULD BE THE SOUNDTRACK TO TODAY'S RACIAL TENSION AND UNJUST TREATMENT. WHAT WAS YOUR MINDSET WHEN YOU WROTE THOSE RECORDS? 

TRAGEDY KHADAFI: MYSELF WAS LIKE JUST SEEING MY PEOPLE GO THROUGH A LOT OF STRUGGLE AND A LOT OF INJUSTICE THAT WE STILL GOING THROUGH TODAY. AND MY MINDSET WAS THAT I WANTED TO ADDRESS IT AND I WANTED TO BRING MORE LIGHT TO IT. AND ASIDE FROM, YOU KNOW, YOUR PUBLIC ENEMIES, I FELT LIKE ME BRINGING LIGHT TO IT WOULD BRING IT MORE TO THE STREET BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, DUDES ALSO KNEW THAT I WAS IN THE STREET AND I WAS CLOSER TO THE STREET THAN A LOT OF THE GROUPS I MENTIONED. SO I FELT LIKE I WANTED TO BRING LIGHT TO IT. I FELT LIKE IT WASN'T ENOUGH LIGHT BEING BROUGHT TO IT, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF RECORDS, LIKE “NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE”. 

VALIDATED: SO WHAT'S YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE FACT THAT IT'S 30 YEARS LATER AND WE'RE STILL DEALING WITH THE SAME RACIAL INJUSTICE? 

TRAGEDY KHADAFI: WELL, MY THOUGHTS ON IT IS BASICALLY THE SAME IN A MAJOR SENSE, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT REALLY DOING ENOUGH ABOUT IT. YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE, WE STILL GO OUT HERE AND WE STILL SPEND OUR MONEY WITH ALL THESE CORPORATIONS AND THROW THEM ALL OUR DOLLARS. AND WE STILL ALLOW PEOPLE TO COME IN OFFICE BECAUSE A LOT OF US FEEL AS THOUGH, YOU KNOW, VOTING'S NOT IMPORTANT. A LOT OF US FEEL LIKE ALIGNING OURSELVES WITH A POLITICAL PARTY AND OUR STANCE IS NOT IMPORTANT, BUT WE KEEP NOT DOING THAT. AND IT KEEPS PUTTING THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE LEAST INTEREST IN US IN OFFICE AND ALLOWING THESE CERTAIN LAWS TO BE PUT IN PLACE. LIKE FOR INSTANCE,  WHEN THEY FIRST CAME WITH THE WHOLE ROCKEFELLER LAW SITUATION, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS BASICALLY MADE TO TARGET US. AND IT WAS MADE TO TARGET US AT A SPECIFIC TIME. SO WHAT CAN HAPPEN RIGHT NOW COULD HAPPEN AND THAT'S GENTRIFICATION, AND THAT'S GETTING ALL OF THE SO-CALLED UNDESIRABLES, BLACK PEOPLE OUT OF URBAN AREAS AND MOVING MORE UPPER-CLASS WHITES IN THAT AREA. AND THE REASON WHY THOSE ROCKEFELLER LAWS AND THOSE SUCH LAWS WERE MADE WAS TO TARGET US. WHEREAS, YOU GET CAUGHT WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF CRACK, AND YOU'RE DOING MAD YEARS, OPPOSED TO SOMEONE WHO'S GETTING CAUGHT WITH A BRICK AND DOING LESS TIME, WHICH IS ACTUALLY MORE COCAINE. AND A LITTLE BIT OF CRACK YOU GOT CAUGHT WITH BECAUSE OF THESE FIXATED, YOU KNOW, THESE LAWS THAT WERE STRATEGICALLY PUT IN PLACE TO GET US OUT OF POCKET, TO GET US OUT OF THE AREA AND TARGET US AND TAKE US OUT. SO, IN ESSENCE,  ALL THESE KINDS OF FACTORS ARE INVOLVED AND STILL IN PLACE. MY MESSAGE IS STILL THE SAME, MY MESSAGE HASN'T CHANGED. AND I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO CHANGE, AND WE NEED TO STOP SPENDING SO MUCH MONEY WITH THESE CORPORATIONS. WE NEED TO STOP SUPPORTING THEM WITH ALL OUR DOLLARS, THE BLACK COMMUNITY SPENDS OVER $600 BILLION ANNUALLY, AND SO-CALLED DISPOSABLE INCOME. HOW THE HELL WE GOT ALL THIS MONEY AND WE DON'T GOT ANYTHING. THAT'S WHERE I'M AT WITH IT. 

VALIDATED: I READ SOMEWHERE THAT YOU ORIGINALLY WERE GOING BY THE SAME NAME AS THE DEBUT ALBUM, INTELLIGENT HOODLUM, WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO CHANGE IT TO TRAGEDY? KHADAFI?

TRAGEDY KHADAFI: INTELLIGENT HOODLUM WAS NEVER REALLY MY NAME. IT WAS THE TITLE OF AN ALBUM. AND AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME IN THE INDUSTRY, THE INDUSTRY JUST RAN WITH IT AND STARTED CALLING ME INTELLIGENT HOODLUM. BUT I WAS ALWAYS TRAGEDY. I ADDED KHADAFI ON, BASICALLY, BECAUSE AT THAT TIME IN THE NINETIES, EVERYBODY WAS JACKING TRYING TO BE SOME MOBSTER AND ALL THAT. AND I WAS LIKE, NAH. I WANT TO BE, I'D RATHER ALIGN MYSELF WITH THIS DUDE. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? HE'S ON SOME THIRD WORLD, HE'S ON SOME MILITARY AND I'VE ALWAYS BEEN MILITARY IN THAT SENSE. SO I JUST BASICALLY TOOK ON A MONIKER THAT BETTER SERVE THEM, BE FITTED MY TYPE OF CHARACTER. 

VALIDATED: I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ALSO HAVE A COOKING SHOW. 

TRAGEDY KHADAFI: OH YES, I GOT A COOKING SHOW. I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED THAT. SEE, WITH ALL THIS BEING SAID, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT I DO MY THING IN THE KITCHEN. AS YOU HAVE OTHER ARTISTS IN HIP HOP WHO GET BUSY IN THE KITCHEN. AND LIKE I SAID, HIP HOP HAS GROWN NOW, RIGHT? SEE, YOU GOT ARTISTS WHO GET BUSY IN THE KITCHEN. SO IT WAS LIKE I WANTED TO DO A SHOW THAT, YOU KNOW, FOCUSED ON HIP HOP AND MAKE IT GETTING BUSY IN THE KITCHEN, HIP HOP, GETTING BUSY IN THE KITCHEN, MAKING GOOD FOOD, HAVING A GOOD PLATE AND FEEDING THE CULTURE. 

IT'S GROWN AND SEXY AND IT'S LOUD. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? SO THE SHOW IS CALLED ON “ON DA CHOW” AND BASICALLY A GUEST COMES THROUGH AND THEY MAKE THEIR SIGNATURE DISH JUST FOR YOU. AND OF COURSE, ME AND MY CO-HOST, MR. AT, WE HELP THE GUESTS PREPARE THE MEAL. SO WE GET ALL THE INGREDIENTS THAT THE GUEST SPECIFIES, WE GET THE DRINK AND WE HELP THE GUESTS PREPARE THE MEAL. FIRST EPISODE, WE HAD CHINA MAC. IT WAS AMAZING, THEN WE HAD LORD JAMAL. NOW WE HAVE ROYAL FLUSH AND WE GOT ROXANNE SHANTE’. SO IT'S GOING, IT'S GROWING AND WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF FUN. 

VALIDATED: NICE. AND I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU ACTUALLY HAVE HIP HOP LEGENDS INVOLVED. 

TRAGEDY KHADAFI: OH YES, THAT'S DEFINITELY A FACTOR. NOW YOU CAN GO TO @ONDACHOW ON INSTAGRAM AND FOLLOW THE SHOW. YOU CAN GO TO MY INSTAGRAM @TRAGEDY252, OR YOU COULD JUST GO TO YOUTUBE AND TYPE IN “ON DA CHOW”. FACEBOOK IS “ON DA CHOW TV”. YOU CAN GET A NICE HOT PLATE, MAN. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? Y'ALL GOT TO DO THE DISHES THOUGH. LOL

VALIDATED: SO YOU’RE DROPPING NEW MUSIC SOON, A COUPLE OF PROJECTS?

TRAGEDY KHADAFI: I WANT TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW I’M COMING WITH THIS ALBUM “CRIME CONSTITUENTS”, FEATURING STYLES P, RAEKWON, PLANET ASIA AND MORE. WE WORKING ON THAT, I’M WORKING CLOSE WITH INPHAMUS AND IT’S GOING TO BE SOMETHING REAL SPECIAL. I WANT EVERYBODY TO LOOK FOR THAT. WE GOT PRODUCTION BY STU BANGAS AND CAME ONE, IT’S GOING TO BE A GREAT ALBUM MAN.

VALIDATED: YOU’RE DROPPING “HIDDEN FILES” TOO, WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT IT?

TRAGEDY KHADAFI: THE “HIDDEN FILES” PROJECT IS MORE OF CUTS THAT I'D NEVER NECESSARILY CAME OUT WITH, THAT I HAD STASHED. SOME OF THEM ARE MORE NEW. I'M DROPPING THE NEW PROJECT WITHIN A MONTH OR SO. WE GEARING UP TO DROP A SINGLE ASAP. 

VALIDATED: AND WHAT'S THE FIRST SINGLE OFF OF THE “HIDDEN FILES” PROJECT?

TRAGEDY KHADAFI: THE FIRST SINGLE IS “TIL DEATH CALL US”. IT'S KIND OF LIKE A DOUBLE SINGLES, IT’S “TIL DEATH CALL US” AND A JOINT CALLED “ACID”.

VALIDATED: AND WHO PRODUCED THOSE TRACKS?

TRAGEDY KHADAFI: YEAH, ACTUALLY “ACID” IS PRODUCED BY MY MAN G.S. ADVANCE AND “TIL DEATH CALL US” IS PRODUCED BY JAY SUPREME.

VALIDATED: DO YOU HAVE ANY FEATURES ON THE PROJECT?

TRAGEDY KHADAFI: YEAH, I'VE GOT SEVERAL FEATURES, BUT I'M GONNA KEEP THEM AS A SURPRISE. ONE OF THE FEATURES I'M GONNA LET OUT THE BAG THOUGH, IS GRAND WIZARD. 

VALIDATED: DID YOU WORK WITH ANY OTHER PRODUCERS OTHER THAN G.S. ADVANCE AND JAY SUPREME ON THE ALBUM?

TRAGEDY KHADAFI: I WORKED WITH A COUPLE PEOPLE, UM, I WORKED WITH MY PEOPLES EQ AND I WORKED WITH SCRAM JONES. 

VALIDATED: AND HOW MANY TRACKS IS THE PROJECT? 

TRAGEDY KHADAFI: IT’S GOING TO BE NINE TRACKS. 

VALIDATED: SO WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE OFF TRACK OFF PROJECT?

TRAGEDY KHADAFI: BASICALLY IT'S KINDA TWO, I CAN'T PICK ONE. I GOT TO SAY “ROYALTY” AND “FOUL OPUS”. THE REASON WHY I SAY “ROYALTY” IS BECAUSE IT'S MORE OR LESS ABOUT PEOPLE TRYING TO THROW NEGATIVE ENERGY YOUR WAY AND TRYING TO BLOCK YOU AND KNOCK YOU FROM COMING UP AND HOW YOU GOT TO JUST DEFLECT THAT. AND THE REASON WHY I SAY “FOUL OPUS” IS BECAUSE ON THAT PARTICULAR TRACK, I JUST FEEL LIKE ME AND MY MAN FOUL MONDAY, WE GO IN ON THAT.

VALIDATED: SO YOU'VE BEEN IN THE GAME FOR  30 YEARS, WHAT'S KEPT YOU MOTIVATED TO CONSISTENTLY DROP NEW MUSIC?

TRAGEDY KHADAFI: LIFE KEEPS ME MOTIVATED, YOU KNOW, I'M NEVER REALLY SATISFIED WITH JUST BEING ON A CERTAIN LEVEL OR JUST BEING STAGNATED. I WANT MORE, I WANT MY MUSIC TO MEAN MORE, SO THAT KEEPS ME MOTIVATED AND KEEPS PUSHES ME TO MAKE MY KIND OF MUSIC. SO THAT KEEPS ME HUNGRY. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? I'M LIKE, YO, I'M JUST GOING TO KEEP GOING AT THIS LIKE I DID WHEN I FIRST GRABBED THE MIC. I'M GOING AT IT LIKE THAT. SO THAT HELPS ME. THAT GIVES ME A CERTAIN LEVEL OF HUNGER. 

VALIDATED: ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO ADD?

TRAGEDY KHADAFI: UM, REST IN PEACE TO MY NEPHEW, MAN, THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO SAY RIGHT NOW. I APPRECIATE YOU FAMILY.