Phife Diggy Got Something to Say

SYM · Post by **SYM** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 12:36 pm

http://www.okayplayer.com/interviews/la ... 0031610149

damn! good to hear he's doing alright now. can't wait to see the documentary, rapaport be damned.

SYM · Post by **SYM** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 12:37 pm

Phife Diggy Got Something to Say
Posted on 03/16/2010
[Editorגs note: OKP was lucky enough to get a chance to talk with Phife Dawg, hot off the heels of a huge Phife Dawg benefit that went down at Brooklynגs The Knitting Factory featuring KRS-One, Jay Electronica, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and many more. It was the first time since his transplant that he performed live on stage. The event was to raise awareness about Diabetes, and it was truly epic. Stay tuned for our own Okayplayer TV episode which documents the night.]

In 2008, when Phife Dawg was wheeled into a surgery room for a kidney transplant, he may or may not have had that proverbial moment when his whole life flashed before his eyes. If he did, he might have seen a rough section of Jamaica Queens from which a trio of rappers/DJs known as A Tribe Called Quest would go on to rewrite Hip-Hop history. He might have seen the rise and fall: The Grammys, the world tours, the instinctive travels, the Sprite commercials, the platinum plaques, the feuds, and that album with the white cover that marked the break-up. But Phife had revived himself before that hospital bed. So, the Songs in the Key of Phife LP and the Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest documentary produced by actor Michael Rapaport, to be released, are all products of a reborn Phife. He tells us how he came to that one moment when he decided that it wasnגt over.

OKP: I wanted to say, just from the stuff Iגve been reading, youגre a real strong dude. I was really glad to see the event that you threw on the 20th at Knitting Factory take place. It was a really special thing to see that you were out there raising awareness for diabetes. Tell us your story.]

Phife: I became diabetic in May of 1990. Itגs hereditary. My moms is diabetic but even growing up seeing her having to take insulin shots and things of that nature, I didnגt take heed because I was still waking up to a glass of Quik, you know what Iגm saying? Oreo cookies for breakfast, just stupid shit. It didnגt make it any better that we were on the road performing, eating KFC, McDonalds, shit like that and I was going hard when we was younger. I found out I was diabetic the month after the first album came out, so I thought my career was gonna be derailed from then, but I stayed with it. I stayed touring. We did Low End. We did Midnight, Beats, Rhymes, The Love Movement, all of that but I wasnגt always taking care of myself and it finally caught up to me when we broke up.

After we broke up, thatגs when everything started to come into play in a negative fashion. I had a bump on the back of my neck and I just thought, you know, it was a regular bump. I went to get it checked because I wanted to make sure it wasnגt cancerous or anything like that. Thatגs when they [doctors] told me my kidneys was bad due to diabetes. This was like October ג99. They told me I probably need to start dialysis in like a month or two. I was shook but I didnגt end up starting dialysis until May 2004.

I went for the Super Bowl in Houston. Thatגs when the whole Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson thing unfolded. That weekend my homeboy called me and said, גYour doctor called the crib and said that you gotta start dialysis next month.ג So that made it a bittersweet Super Bowl weekend because I went out there to host a party. Anyway, I go back home, I visit my doctor. My mom slides in, and by the way it took me like a month or two to even reveal this shit to my mom because the one thing I hate is seeing women cry, so it took me a while to tell her. I finally told her and she flew down and went to the appointment with me. They basically told me that I had to go in for the surgery to get a catheter placed in my abdomen.

I started the actual dialysis in April. The procedure is called peritoneal dialysis. Thatגs when you do the dialysis to yourself at home. I chose that in the beginning because it suited my lifestyle as far as still going on the road doing shows with the group or by myself. I just had to lug all this damn medicine with me and it was ridiculous.

From ג04 to the end of ג06 or early ג07, I was doing it myself, but it wasnגt working out for me. Itגs like 3000 milliliters, four bags a day, every four hours, so if I started at 6am, my last bag was at 6pm. I couldnגt really go too many places or too far because I had to worry about going back to do my medicine, so I was staying in the house. I went through a slight depression. Ask anybody on dialysis like that, they just pretty much want their life back. Being that Iגm pretty much in the house all day, all night, I was on my own with this shit, not realizing other people go through this shit. I just wanted my life back.

The procedure was this: I drained and then I filled back up in order to clean my kidneys like itגs the actual machine filtering my kidneys. Youגre supposed to drain and then fill. Next session. Drain and then fill. Drain/fill. Drain/fill. That went on for 24 hours. But I was filling more than I was draining, so my feet would be swollen. I wear a size nine. I ended up having to wear a size ten and a half or one of those slip-ons. That could be bad for your heart. It got to the point when it really started affecting my heart. Thatגs when I really got shook.

I went to the hospital Thanksgiving ג06. It had to be the worst Thanksgiving of my life. I couldnגt even eat because I couldnגt hold down no food. My appetite was rotten. It was just the worst Thanksgiving ever.

I was in the hospital for like two weeks and we just moved from our old house to a new house out here in California. The new house became a blessing in disguise. The old house was the last time I did dialysis on my own in the house and that was what I needed to get away from. That last visit at the hospital, they ended up saying that I was gonna start my hemodialysis which is when you go to the clinic three times a week. My days were Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Three days a week and they do it for you. That was the biggest blessing ever. I think that was what actually saved me from things being worse.

Okay so now Iגm driving myself to the clinic and getting out of the house a certain amount of hours per day. Initially I didnגt want to be amongst other people having this stuff done, but that ended up being what I needed because they inspired me to get myself right. You got some old people in there and you know the elderly people, theyגre the ones with the knowledge and the wisdom that sometimes you need to take heed to, if not all the time. Iגm walking in the clinic and theyגre looking at me like dude what are you doing here? Youגre too young for this, you know what Iגm saying? I really sat down and listened to what they had to say and it made a lot of sense.

I was on my grind with it then. I started losing the weight because Iגm only 5ג3 and my weight was like 190, an unhealthy weight. I canגt even stand looking at my marriage pictures since I was so big because of the medicine. I started losing the weight rapidly, but thatגs when Hip Hop Honors had called me and said they wanted to honor Tribe. I didnגt wanna do it because people were gonna be like, גYo, this nigga Phife. Yo, thatגs not a good look.ג What they failed to realize was I was feeling much better than what they saw that I looked like, you know what Iגm saying? Because even though I looked normal when I was bigger, I felt rotten. I felt horrible and it was the complete opposite.

I ended up doing the Hip Hop Honors because of Fab Five Freddy. He really stuck his neck out for us to be there, especially me because he knew that I wasnגt doing well at the time, but he really wanted me to be there to enjoy us being honored. So I couldnגt say no to that and I went. Thatגs when all the rumors started.

It was all over the place. Wendy Williams talking shit. Other people. My father, my brother, and my moms, they still in New York. They listen to the radio and so they was calling me telling me what was being said. I didnגt really sweat it because I canגt really knock them for what they donגt know. Wendyגs been doing that for years so I didnגt really sweat it like that.

We went on the Rock the Bells Tour in ג08. Iגm doing much better and Iגm just waiting for my transplant. My wife wanted to get tested, but I was so much bigger than her at the time so the doctors was like that would never work, so she didnגt. My father got tested. He couldnגt do it because he had his own issues. One of my best friends, he was gonna do it. Physically, he was okay and he was a match, but mentally it was a whole new ball game for him because heגs never been under the knife like that before. He was shook, which is understandable, because thatגs a normal reaction for somebody whoגs never been under the knife. So now Iגm worried where am I gonna get this kidney because personally Iגm not built to ask anybody for no kidney because Iגm looking at it like what if their kids need it.

My wife came home one day and was like, גBoo,ג and I was like, גWhatגs wrong?ג and she was like, גIגm a match?ג Iגm like, גYouגre a match? What are you talking about?ג She was like, גI got tested and Iגm a match.ג So there we were in the house bawling like little kids.

OKP: Wow.

Phife: So she ended up giving me her kidney in September ג08, she actually enabled me to do this, you know what Iגm saying? To get back in the studio, do what I love to do. Matter fact, I didnגt even wanna rhyme anymore, I just wanted to produce and put artists out and stuff like that. But then I went to New York in June, caught the bug again, came back home started writing like on the Blackberry 24/7 just writing rhymes, getting beats, because I was already making beats and so thatגs how I got into it again. I felt like this could really set the table for my artists so thatגs why Iגm on it again. I had no choice but to do it because I felt like my life was a blessing.

OKP: Damn. Thatגs crazy, man, like really, really inspirational. Iגm on the verge of tears.

Phife: Na, be cool man.

OKP: That shit is crazy like for real man, youגre a soldier. Iגm glad you shared this.

Phife: I believe in hearing it from the horseגs mouth.

OKP: Yeah, definitely. So how do you feel presently? You feel strong? You feel good?

Phife: Yeah man, I been working hard. I hired a trainer. Iגve been working out, playing basketball like I used to, trying to keep in shape because when I go on this road, Iגm going hard. I really canגt complain. I had the best year of my life since the transplant . All of my sports teams did good. Like I never really been through it like that. Aside from the Knicks, all my teams did pretty well. Right now my Tarheels are getting their ass beat like crazy. Theyגll be all right because they got a nice little class coming next year, but itגs crazy right now, but the Yankees did their thing, the Jets almost made the Super Bowl, the Tarheels won, the Lakers won. I canגt complain. I was happy all year.

By the way Iגm working on my own sports talk show, sports/music talk show, working on a pilot for that and I think Imma call it גThe Fanalystג. Iגm also working on a clothing line - well Iגm in a partnership for this clothing line called King Duce and itגs also a record label that Iגm partnering with. Iגm gonna be head of urban music as well of head of urban wear.

Iגm still basketball recruiting for a prep school in Connecticut and I coach an AAU team out here in Oakland. They just started back so Iגm about to start going to practice when I get back from overseas the end of next month.

OKP: When is Songs in the Key of Phife coming out?

Phife: Iגm not sure because I been out of the game for at least eight, nine years now. I wanted to record the whole album and then go shop it. I wanna go in there with at least five full songs and maybe five snippets. Iגm still in the process of recording right now. I got like at least forty, fifty songs but now I just want to pick the top fifteen and throw in three bonus cuts. In a perfect world like Keri Hilson would say, I wouldnגt mind it coming out sometime between August and November.

OKP: Whoגs doing the production for the most part?

Phife: Well I have my production company. Itגs called Riddim Kids. Itגs myself, itגs DJ Rasta Roots and itגs my man Stat Box. Heגs about to be 22 tomorrow. Heגs from out here in San Jose, California, and heגs a beast on the beats. Iגm not just talking Hip-Hop. Iגm talking alternative. He can do a beat for Lady Ga-Ga, a beat for Pink, and then come back and bless Ghostface and myself with a track. Heגs well rounded, heגs young, heגs hungry, and Iגm letting him get his grind on so he can learn his business. So he did about six, seven tracks. My man in Toronto, he did about six tracks. I did about three. I got a track from this kid named Oh No, banging track. Ali Shaheed gave me one and my man Illmind gave me one. So far we doing it big.

OKP: Thatגs a diverse palette right there.

Phife: Yeah, Iגm still waiting for a track from DJ Scratch and Rico Wade and a couple of other people, but if they donגt make the album, Iגm about to start the next one as well as a compilation with all my artists.

OKP: Wow, that sounds like itגs coming from all directions. Do you have any major artist collaborations that we should look out for?

Phife: Well actually weגre doing this one track that Iגm trying to get Big Boi from Outkast on as well as Cee-lo on the hook. He can do a verse for me as well because heגs a beast on both ends of the spectrum as you know. Iגm looking forward to this track with KRS-One as well. So far so good. Imma also holla at some dude named Q-tip see whatגs good and we gonna get it poppin like that.

OKP: You have any idea what you gonna put out as a first single?

Phife: Yeah I do. I do have an idea. Itגs this one joint called גSole Menג and it features one of my artists. Heגs actually the same person we call Stat Box. Stat Box is his production name. He did the track and heגs featured. Itגs basically our ode to loving sneakers.

OKP: You mentioned Q-tip. Youגre probably tired of this question, but is there ever gonna be another Tribe album? People who have grown up on a Tribe always want that update every now and then. They wanna hear from the horseגs mouth.

Phife: Itגs not that Iגm tired of that question being asked because you have to expect that when people have grown up on you, Iגm tired of it not being answered. Just real talk. I donגt know how to answer it, so Iגll answer it from a Phife Dawg perspective. I would love to do a Tribe album. I think it would be dope. I think the climateגs right, but I honestly donגt think itגs gonna pop off, you know what Iגm saying? But maybe it will because we do have a documentary coming out which is being filmed by Michael Rapaport, executive produced by Nas Escobar so maybe we can piggy back off of that and get some things done. I think with the documentary coming out, the demand might be kind of high for us to come out with something brand new. But Iגm not sure thatגs gonna happen. Just getting all three together in one place, youגre better off pulling out your own teeth. You never know though. Knock on wood, keep your fingers crossed, whatever you wanna do, weגll see what happens.

OKP: I hear you on that. The documentary is exciting. Is it gonna be a whole timeline of the Tribeגs history? Did you have new interviews?

Phife: Itגs a little bit of everything. The good, the bad, the ugly. Itגs gonna be some things that youגre looking forward to seeing. Itגs gonna be some things where youגre gonna be like, גWord it went down like that?ג Itגs just bugged out, man. I couldnגt even look at the trailer when Rapaport was showing it to me because when I was going in for my surgery, Rapaport was right there filming. I couldnגt even watch that part of it. Itגs on yגall. Yגall tell me what yגall see. But itגs crazy. Thereגs some good times. Thereגs some bad times. Youגre gonna see it all.

cenzi · Post by **cenzi** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 4:04 pm

OKP: You mentioned Q-tip. Youגre probably tired of this question, but is there ever gonna be another Tribe album? People who have grown up on a Tribe always want that update every now and then. They wanna hear from the horseגs mouth.

Phife: Itגs not that Iגm tired of that question being asked because you have to expect that when people have grown up on you, Iגm tired of it not being answered. Just real talk. I donגt know how to answer it, so Iגll answer it from a Phife Dawg perspective. I would love to do a Tribe album.

I wish Guru was as eloquent and not so faggish when he's asked about Gansgtarr.

Damn good interview though.

Website · Post by **Random Sample** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 4:43 pm

He was looking pretty bad when I saw him at rock the bells in 08. It was actually sad to see.

Glad to hear he was doing well.

Sumthin_Funky · Post by **Sumthin_Funky** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:59 pm

Damn good news! Really looking forward to that documentary.

stype_ones · Post by **stype_ones** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:51 pm

So glad to see that he is doing well.

stype_ones · Post by **stype_ones** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:59 pm

In case heads did not peep this youtube channel.

http://www.youtube.com/user/ATribeCQuestMovie

Cash Rulz · Post by **Cash Rulz** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 12:13 am

cenzi wrote:
OKP: You mentioned Q-tip. Youגre probably tired of this question, but is there ever gonna be another Tribe album? People who have grown up on a Tribe always want that update every now and then. They wanna hear from the horseגs mouth.

Phife: Itגs not that Iגm tired of that question being asked because you have to expect that when people have grown up on you, Iגm tired of it not being answered. Just real talk. I donגt know how to answer it, so Iגll answer it from a Phife Dawg perspective. I would love to do a Tribe album.
I wish Guru was as eloquent and not so faggish when he's asked about Gansgtarr.

Damn good interview though.

THIS...

RAZAH CUTZ · Post by **RAZAH CUTZ** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 2:32 am

dopeness....

this is gettin blogged....

YouTube · Post by **Philaflava** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:02 am

Random Sample wrote:He was looking pretty bad when I saw him at rock the bells in 08. It was actually sad to see.

Glad to hear he was doing well.

The Afronaut · Post by **The Afronaut** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 10:24 am

Glad Phife's doing good....that documentary looks like its going to be dope.

Thun · Post by **Thun** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 11:55 am

So he got the transplant and it was a success? Dope. Props to the funky diabetic, seems like he's been through a lot, I hope he stays healthy as long as possible.

God - if you're reading this thread, feel perfectly free to take the life of Waka Clocka Fame and any blogger who acts as his unofficial street team in exchange for Phife staying alive and healthy. Thanks.

Website · Post by **Random Sample** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 12:10 pm

Thun wrote:God - if you're reading this thread, feel perfectly free to take the life of Waka Clocka Fame and any blogger who acts as his unofficial street team in exchange for Phife staying alive and healthy. Thanks.

Mindbender Futurama · Thu Mar 18, 2010 12:15 pm

as a lifelong Stevie Wonder and Tribe Called Quest fan, I highly anticipate Phife's solo. Glad he ain't changed the amazing title. And most importantly, great to hear he is healthy again.

one last Tribe album might just be what hip hop needs. these kids nowadays have no idea how good this culture's beats rhymes and life was in the days of Low End Theory.

God approves of this post.

and God's Son is the Executive Director of the Rapaport doc?

Galvatron78 · Post by **Galvatron78** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:56 pm

Diabetes is no joke man, glad to hear he's doing better.

clark bent · Post by **clark bent** » Sat Mar 20, 2010 1:23 am

whens the first time you heard a funky diabetic

livestrong · Post by **livestrong** » Sat Mar 20, 2010 10:16 am

Philaflava wrote:
Random Sample wrote:He was looking pretty bad when I saw him at rock the bells in 08. It was actually sad to see.

Glad to hear he was doing well.

i was gonna say

vermillion · Post by **vermillion** » Sat Mar 20, 2010 1:28 pm

Real inspirational. All I been listening to is Tribe lately, so this interview came at a good time. Looking forward to his solo and the documentary.

Phife Diggy Got Something to Say

Phife Diggy Got Something to Say

i was gonna say that