Twista’s sophomore release was seven years in the making, but the delay was worth his wait. The fast-rhyming Chicago rapper saw “Kamikaze” debut at number one on the Billboard charts in early February.

“It hasn?t fully set in. It’s a blessing and I’m just going around smiling at everybody,” Twista says, on the line from a Chicago studio where he is working on the album for his rap crew, the Speedknot Mobstaz. “If something like this is meant to happen to somebody who is going to appreciate it, it really did this time.”

The album was pushed back repeatedly, initially scheduled for a release in 2002.

The scared Twista had some doubts about whether or not it would ever be released.

“I was terrified. I was like, ‘Is this a conspiracy? Was it never meant for my album to come out? Are they not telling me something? Am I shelved and they don?t want to tell me?’ You start thinking all types of crazy stuff but you keep working.”

He agreed to hold off on the release for two reasons. “One, ’cause I knew that I wanted to come out stronger and I’m a patient person. In the long run it would pay off. Two, I was so nervous cause it was my sophomore album.”

With so many delays, it is not unreasonable to think Twista and his record label, Atlantic, were on bad terms. That is not the case. He has been rapping for 13 years, releasing two albums in the early 90s under the name “Tung Twista.” He was even crowned the fastest rapper in the world by Guinness. He says he has had bad relationships with labels in the past.

“That?s why you didn?t see me for 7 years. It’s a blessing to have that much knowledge and to have something like [a number one album] happen to you because you know what the game is about, and you know what you got to do.”

Twista wanted the album released much earlier, but Atlantic convinced him to wait until he had a buzzworthy single. They released “Slow Jamz,” featuring Kanye West and actor Jamie Foxx, late last year and it soon saw enormous radio play.

“Slow Jamz” was originally slated for Kanye West’s debut album, which was released the next month, but Twista wasn’t content with that arrangement. “I really believed in the song.” West was fine with having the song appear on both albums, which ultimately was what happened.

“The road got a little bumpy on the business end but for the most part, you got two young positive brothers from the same city. We both almost had the same sales, we both debuted high.”

But when someone wants to buy that song, they might not buy Twista’s album. Is he worried about splitting his sales with Kanye?

“You think about that, but we both do so much work together. I really feel safe that this one time, people will love two artists and get two tapes. The reason I didn?t feel too uncomfortable about it is because of all the stuff I went through. I’m a vet in this game. I got experience and I’m real smart and I know what to do and what not to do and I knew to ride this one out.”

He is following up “Slow Jamz” with “Overnight Celebrity,” a single about a girl who Twista makes famous.

“It’s a baller song for the ladies; not really degrading them, just letting them know if you come kick it with a big boy like me, we can do some big things.”

Next up for Twista is a tour with T.I. He then hopes to jump on some other tours for the next year and a half before he takes a break.

He also hopes to release the Speedknot Mobstaz album by the end of this year, which he describes as “hard.”

“I got my buddies with me. When you get with your buddies, that?s when you get a little macho with it. We from the streets; it’s just the way we hang.”

Check out more on Twista in his Media Player.

And check out the music video for “Slow Jamz”:
Real Video
Windows Media






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