Last year, Jersey MC Joe Budden needed some lyricists to join him in tearing up the Scram Jones-produced track “Slaughterhouse,” an album cut off his digital-only release Halfway House. The result was seven minutes of utter sickness, featuring guest spots from Brooklynites Joell Ortiz and Nino Bless, West Coast representative Crooked I and Detroit MC Royce Da 5’9”. Late last week, the four sat in DJ Premier’s midtown Manhattan studio, cracking jokes, answering questions, and building the excitement for the debut album of the “Voltron crew.” I talked to them about the future of lyrics, their upcoming Rock the bells tour, and what exactly it is that makes Slaughterhouse a four-headed monster.