[Si] TV

The road to the riches has been a bumpy one for rapper Tru-Life. The Roc-a-fella recording artist has had his share of drama-ranging from hip-hop beefs with Mobb Deep and Cam'Ron, but in 2008 the Puerto Rock MC is focusing on the positive. With his debut album, Breathing Ain't Enough, on deck Tru took the time to catch up with Si Entertainment.

Si Ent.: You had a hood banger last year with your single "Get That Paper," but we didn't get any album how come?
Tru-Life: That was a single off of my mixtape, that wasn't for my album. It had that commercial appeal where you can play it on the radio and in the clubs. So we just gave that to whichever DJs we knew and they played it. I never really dropped a single honestly; we never put no money behind any of my records. We never worked the single, we never worked radio.

Si Ent.: In that song you had a line about the "Chicken Noodle Soup" song where you expressed your frustration with rap's current climate.
TL: "Killin my brain all day writin' rhymes on the stoop/ turn the radio on and all you hear is ‘Chicken Noodle Soup.'" That's just how I felt at the time. It's crazy what's on the radio. I'm sitting here breakin' my brain tryin' to be creative and over thinking my records and all this simple-minded s**t is winning. That's how I felt.

Si Ent.: But you are in the business of selling records so how do you walk that line and keep your integrity?
TL: I don't really care about selling 10 million records or even a million records. Honestly without even selling one record I've been able to buy my family a home, I got health insurance, my kids are going to private school; I live a decent life. I go on tour and I go all over the world without even having a video out. I only had two mixtapes out, so I'm living a blessed life.

Si Ent.: Is their any truth to this Roc compilation album that we been hearing about?
TL: I'm not sure. Me, Memphis Bleek and Uncle Murda did some records and they're hot. I don't know if that ends up happening [though]. There is power in numbers; n****s need to get together, people love movements. I'm not sure. I don't really know what's holdin' that back.

Si Ent.: Snoop Dogg has been real supportive of your career; you still working with him?
TL: Me and Snoop is all the way good. That's the big homie and he's always gonna be family. He has been there for me when no one else was. Everything is all good, as far as music we got about 10 records together.

Si Ent.: It's been about 2 ½ years since you did the "New New York" record. How do you feel the landscape of New York music has changed since then?
TL: I seen it start to change. Even as far as the gangs in the streets that start to change. Honestly I like Uncle Murda, he got some joints. Saigon is a no-brainer; I got love for all the new New York artists coming up. I'm not a hater. I like Joell Ortiz too.

Si Ent.: Where we at with this debut album? Your fans have been waiting a long time.
TL: You know it's been a lot of drama and a lot of politics involved. At the same time I'm my worst critic, I be over thinking so much just tryin' to put together that perfect album to help change the game. It's finding the right producers [and] finding the right chemistry.

Si Ent.: You're working with Polow Da Don, right?
TL: Yeah Polow Da Don is a very very talented producer. I was rockin' with him before he took off. He produced Ludacris' "Runaway Love" that featured Mary J. Bilge; that was actually my record [first]. So was the Fergie record, that was originally my record, but I guess Def Jam slept on it and he ended up puttin' it out because we couldn't keep ‘em. They all ended up being number ones. I been rockin' with Polow for a minute, we gonna get together and do things again.

Si Ent: Who you rockin with now in terms of production?
TL: I'm real heavy on my man Neo Da Matrix, I think Neo is the future. Just Blaze and a few others. But I don't care if I meet you in Myspace or the bodega, if you got heat, you got heat. I don't really care about big names. I want [people] to buy my album because I want them to get into me.

Si Ent.: You got a name for your album?
TL: I'm gonna call it Breathing Ain't Enough, because of all the trials and tribulations breathing ain't enough, I gotta put it down.