BigLonline.com: What’s up Digga, how are you doing?

Digga: Everything’s good. I can’t complain.

BigLonline.com: You have an album coming up called "The Cryptogram" when is this supposed to hit stores?

Digga: Yeah. It will be out soon. It’s done but I’m working on getting the right distributor.


BigLonline.com: Could you tell us something about that project? Who’s on there, what made you decide to start the project?

Digga: Well, I wanted to just put some material out there because people are not to familiar with my work and me. This project basically started being an album of unreleased material I produced with artist like Cam’ Ron, 50 cent, Jay-Z, Lloyd Banks, Camp lo, etc. But now with the current climant of the industry, I feel like consumers deserve more. The fans hear music from these artists all the time so older material might not be that relevant to the common fan. At the same time I feel like the fans should hear my work as a collection to show my versatility. That’s how I came up with the title “The cryptogram”. The artists on the album are pieces to a puzzle and when you put it together you will be able to see me and my music connecting everyone together.


BigLonline.com: In the past you've been working with big names like Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez, Ghostface Killah and 50 Cent, who are you working with right now, or who are you hoping to work with?

Digga: The easiest way to answer this question is by saying everybody. Because we are in the days of pro tools, artist can work on your stuff without you. But I am getting great feedback from different camps like shady, rocafella and grand hustle. Hopefully, I will be able to do some stuff with Jadakiss, Nas and Ludacris this year. That’s my goal.


BigLonline.com: You were around 13 when you started producing, how did you get into that?

Digga: My uncle who was in a rap group back in the days influenced me. He gave me a pair of turntables and a drum machine. It was a natural progression for me to start producing. I wanted to be a rapper but I needed beats. Once I got a 4-track recorder for Christmas, I started producing my own songs.

BigLonline.com: If you had to pick one, which one of your productions is your favorite?

Digga: Its a tie between a song named “D.Rugs” off of Cam’s first album and “Losing Weight featuring Cam’Ron and Prodigy.


BigLonline.com: What’s going on with Six Figga Entertainment right now? Are there any signed artists that we need to be aware of in the future?

Digga: Six Figga is a company I started more than 10 years ago. My dream is to be able to have a label that concentrates on artist development. Right now I’m working with a group called Fab Nickel from New York and an artist named Thonio from ATL. Anyone that knows me will tell you how much I stress preparation. Anyone I’m involved with will have integrity and a real love for what they do.

BigLonline.com: So if people would want to check those artists out, where could they do that?

Digga:

Fab Nickel: http://www.myspace.com/fabnickelonourownent
Thonio: http://www.myspace.com/thonio23


BigLonline.com: In the very early 90's you were in a group called "Caged Fury" with rappers Cam’ Ron and Mase, what happened with that? Did you ever release any material?

Digga: Actually, the members of Caged Fury were Me, Cam and Bloodshed. No, I haven’t released any of that material, but I do have it. As soon I can get the right label situation, I’ll release it for the fans.


BigLonline.com: Most Big L fans probably know you from "Children Of The Corn" days, could you tell us how Children Of The Corn came together as a group?

Digga: Big L created the whole COC concept. Basically, it was a collective of MCs that had a relationship with Big L. While Big L was working on his debut album, Cam, Mase, Bloodshed and others were doing performances, radio shows, etc. As the buzz and popularity grew, Mase and Mcgruff got record deals. Eventually me, Cam and bloodshed got a deal on Freeze/priority records and using the name C.O.C.


BigLonline.com: Do you own the material by "Children Of The Corn"?

Digga: Yes.


BigLonline.com: Are their any plans of a second Children Of The Corn cd, if there is even enough material left, that you know of?

Digga: No. That’s it.


BigLonline.com: When you were in the studio recording songs for Children of The Corn, how did it go down? Were all of you in the studio working on the tracks? What were those sessions like?

Digga: My man Ray Rock at Headquarters Studio recorded a lot of the songs. We were very serious because we had to pay by the hour for the studio (Laughs). Most of the time I would make the track in the studio and Cam and Blood would come up with concepts. After that, Mase or Big L would hear the joints and jump on it.

BigLonline.com: What’s your personal favorite COC track?

Digga: "The Corn" The feeling of that song is incredible.

BigLonline.com: Looking back at it now, do you think of Children Of The Corn as a close family, or just a bunch of people uniting to break through eventually?

Digga: Well, I think back then we had a real love for it. We all wanted record deals to display our talent. Me, Cam and Blood were the closest because we worked together as a group. I don’t think we were as close a Wu-tang but I think we all knew what we had when we got together as a unit. But to answer the question straight, no were not a close family.

BigLonline.com: How is your relationship with Cam'Ron & Ma$e today?

Digga: I don't really have a relationship with either of them. I haven't seen Cam in 3 years and I haven't seen or spoke to Mase in 7 years.


BigLonline.com: Now, there have been a lot of discussions about who the true members of Children Of The Corn were. Were you considered a member or were you just paid for the beats (if paid at all), and was McGruff a ‘real’ member?

Digga: There was not secret about me being a member. I was signed as a member to freeze/priority records. A lot of people don’t know that Me, Cam’ Ron and Bloodshed were professionally known as COC as a group. The song “American Dream” was released as our single through Freeze. Everyone that appeared on that song was considered to be a member of COC. You can compare it to G unit. Everyone rolling with 50 Cent was considered to be a G Unit member. But the members who were on the G Unit album were 50, Lloyd, Buck and Yayo.


BigLonline.com: A lot of those discussions have been sparked by the poor cover of the remastered version, that did not even have Bloodshed and McGruff on there… was that a bootleg?

Digga: No. That wasn’t a bootleg. It was just decided that cover would look better without using bad photos. Also, the original cover wasn’t visible enough.


BigLonline.com: Now you're from Harlem, did you and Big L grow up together? Or did you meet along the way, both making music?

Digga: No. We didn’t grow up together as friends. He lived 6 blocks from me though. He was the first one around the neighborhood who was signed to a major label.


BigLonline.com: Were you and L still around each other at the time of his death, or did the relationship water down throughout the years?

Digga: We were about to start working on some stuff. I gave him some tracks before he got killed. Around that time, I was working on Cam’s album S.D.E. L and me were actually just starting to develop a relationship outside of everyone else musically. Cam was running around doing him but I always wanted to continue doing the COC stuff. Everyone was out for themselves at that point though. I do feel like a lot people didn’t reach back out to L after he got dropped from Columbia.

BigLonline.com: How did you experience the breaking up of Children Of The Corn? Did it happen suddenly, or did you see it coming? What do you think were the reasons?

Digga: I wouldn't call it a breakup because we were never together long enough. Once we got signed, everyone clicked up with the people they were closest to. We were all still cool with each other but we were trying to take advantage of our own opportunity.


BigLonline.com: Do you have a story about Big L, you think the fans might enjoy?

Digga: No.. nothing interesting.


BigLonline.com: What's your favorite moment in your career?

Digga: I think the first time we heard "American Dream" on the Radio. We actually won 5 nights straight on a segment called "battle of the beats" on 98.7 in New York.


BigLonline.com: What else is in store for you in the future, are you planning to do something besides making music?

Digga: I have a custom home building company called Branch Signature Homes. We build custom homes in the Atlanta area that range from $400,00 to over 1 million. I created music for the love of it right now. I’m trying to get Six Figga to the level where we have a loyal fanbase that recognizes and appreciates the quality of music we deliver.

BigLonline.com: I’ve heard that you were involved in making the Diplomats Movement, any truth to that?

Digga: Yes. I am a co-founder with Cam not Jimmy. Anyone who knows the history on me will tell you that. Me and Cam formed the group in 1998. I created the logo and image you see today. When me and Cam had a disagreement around 2000, he decided to continue the movement with Rocafella Records.

BigLonline.com: What do you think of the current state of Hip Hop?

Digga: Is that a serious question? Hip Hop is in bad sharp from a music standpoint. From a finiancal stand point, it couldn’t be better. Hip Hop is based on opportunity right now. The business structure created by these Artist/CEO determine who gets signed. I remember when artist use to get made at A&Rs at record labels because they weren’t signing so called “real artist”. But now rappers are the ones signing their friends who clearing don’t have the talent.

BigLonline.com: Thanks for doing the interview, do you have any last words?

Digga: Thanks to everbody at BigLOnline.com. Rest in peace to Big L and Derek “Bloodshed” Armshed Thanks to everyone for the support and look out for Fab Nickel and Thonio coming soon.


Digga Myspace
http://www.myspace.com/sixfiggaentertainment

Six Figga Ent. - Website
http://www.sixfigga.com