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Cormega: Heart On His Sleeve :: The Queensbridge MC discusses his life in pictures

By Brandon Perkins   Photography by Kay Shinn

09/26/07 :: URB web

Cormega wears his Queensbridge heritage like a t-shirt, but when URB.com met up with him at Hollywood’s Renaissance Hotel, the MC was quite literally wearing his Queensbridge heritage as a t-shirt. It wasn’t just some designer co-opting the neighborhood that’s produced everyone from Marley Marl to Nas to 50 Cent, but it was one celebrating a recent reunion of blocks from the ol’ burrough, in the crispiest and most turquoise way possible. From the poolside rooftop, the veteran rapper speaks on his three hour and 40 minute DVD (surriously?), the requisite state of the game address and about the shiny faces hanging from his neck…and the beauty of these internuts, pause, is that you get to hear it:

After the parlay you just heard (or are still listening to), ‘Mega gave URB.com an exclusive on what will be the backbone of his new record. And while every rapper calls their latest their greatest, he said something as his fingers fumbled for the play button that separated it from the usual pre-album self-jingoism. “I made The Realness in two weeks,” and without much guidance, he added. But the new record, which features production from Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Ayatollah, Notts and Lil Fame (of the bangers URB.com heard), has been a minute in the making. “You know how sometimes an athelete has all this potential and doesn’t do anything with it until they get surrounded by the right people? I have the best coaching staff I’ve ever had.”

And from the tracks we heard, it shows. Be it the most dagger-filled album introduction of his career (and that says a lot), the Premo cut that’s floating around the dub dub dub or the gulliest Lil Fame cut the Mash Out Posse dude has made in a minute...the new jawn shows real promise. However, the standout cut is one that’s been under wraps for over a year: “Fresh.” Featuring PMD, Grand Puba, KRS-One and Big Daddy Kane, the cut is produced by DJ Red Alert, and while everyone brings their A-game, Cormega still owns it. But, in reality, Queensbridge wouldn’t allow for anything else.