Th last time HipHopDX caught up with Brooklyn-born rapper Nino Bless [click to read], he had just made the move from being an all around industry dude to full fledged rapper. With a heavy co-sign from Kool G Rap [click to read], he was preparing to drop his debut mixtape Untold Scriptures. After a busy 2008, Nino actually plans for 2009 to be his big year.
Nino explained these days are different from the past because he is focusing on his own craft and trying to master his skills.
“I might help a few other artists, like Grafh might call me up once in a blue [moon], but for the most part, it’s just me and my people. I have people now to do my own promo stuff, but I am still very involved in all my own stuff. I am a hands-on dude,” the promoter-turned-rapper said.
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Having largely established himself as a lyricist in 2008, Nino says his skills are scrutinized even more as he jumps on tracks with everyone from the Slaughterhouse crew: Joe Budden, Crooked I, Joell Ortiz and Royce Da 5’ 9’’, as well as Styles P and Saigon.
Nino said he definitely feels the pressure.
“When you do these posse cut records, especially with artists that are sharp lyrically, you definitely have to stay on your game. I am pretty familiar with these, it’s a thrill, but you gotta step up on your game.”
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Nino is not the only one who understands this. He revealed how Joe Budden related to him the same feelings. “Joe was like, ‘People don’t realize how hard this is, even with rappers who are known for doing this, you kinda gotta bring your A game because anything less that your A game, it’s not going to be good enough.’”
Being friends with both Budden and Saigon, Nino was literally caught in between the two during a recent feud on record.
“It was really tough for me, because at the time I was talking to both of them, seriously. I would be on the phone with Joe, and Sai would be on the other line, not just once, or even twice, like multiple times, and vice versa.” By being in the middle, Nino saw how the beef almost never blew up.
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“The beef was actually squashed two weeks ago shortly after Sai released his second diss [“Pushin Buddens”] [click to listen]. Shit was kept quiet, and I pretty much had it set up to where I was getting Joe and Saigon on a song. Everything was set up until certain things were said and the shit took off again,” said Nino.
As for the battle itself he believes, “They are both grown men about it, but its personal when they go at you so hard so long and after a while, they can say things lyrically that can get under your skin. I’m sure every one has their breaking point, when you think it’s more than just meaningless words.”
Despite all the negativity Nino saw some positive in the battle. If anything each rapper showed the world how vicious they can be. “They are both beast and I think after this battle both of them might have scared away anybody who was thinking of going at them lyrically. Well, Joe been had that rep already, but I think Saigon in a sense just earned his,” he said.
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The beef controversy kept coming for Nino last year as a couple stray shots fired on a few songs led to a rumored song feud with Termanology [click to read].
Nino cleared the issue up saying, “It is not a sparring match to me, I said a line on ‘Slaughterhouse Remix’ which can be interpreted either way, and I cleared that up. He actually called me and we spoke about it and everything was done but then ‘Hate in Ya Blood’ came out, I said a line about Statik, because Statik, when the whole Slaughterhouse crew was there [the Shade 45 radio station] except for me, he took my verse off then he said, ‘Oops record skipped.’ So when he took my verse off ‘Slaughterhouse’ I didn’t get emotional, I was just like, ‘Wow that lets me know you’re not fucking with me.’”
Many people thought ‘Hate in Ya Blood’ was shots at Statik and Termanology, but Nino explained the meaning. “The whole ‘Hate in Ya Blood’ is just me going in on some rhyming shit it is not a diss at anybody. I even say it is not a diss to Statik after the line, but I’m not going to sit here and be told by somebody that they don’t fuck with me live on air and not respond. So if you don’t fuck with me, I don’t fuck with you.”
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Overall these days, Nino wants to get over the controversy and drama and just make music. Lucky for him, 2009 looks to be a big year for the New York emcee, with three projects expected to drop before May. The projects range from a Madlib-inspired mixtape, a collection of unreleased tracks, and the retail released Untold Scriptures II.
“The Madlib project is called The Nomads, it’s coming out March 10th. Madlib is so far left and I really wanted to do something that was outside the box for me.” Other miscellaneous cuts can be found on a mixtape titled Gun In My Backpack, but the big project Untold Scriptures II, drops in early May. Nino said expects to see a new side of him as 2009 goes on.
“I got everyone that was on Untold Scriptures [click to listen] back but I got a couple surprises on that project. It is a lot of work but I am just trying to stay active.”
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