I had a lot of economy on this album. Almost every song is about a particular thing or condition, and I enjoy doing songs like that 'cause you don't waste anything. It sharpens you as a writer, even vocally. You make very clear decisions based on utility; it informs your application of style to a certain song. The songs I'm happiest with are very concentrated. I like to do things that have a purpose: a beginning, a middle, an end -- a continuum.

I'm slated to do an MTV show called Hip-Hop Nation with Funkmaster Flex. It's basically just the 2000 version of "Yo! MTV Raps." I'm doing this new Spike [Lee] movie. I play the leader of this group, I can't really talk about it. I play Jada Pinkett's brother. I think it's some of his best work. There's also another Black Star that we plan to record for my label, Good Tree.

There was a time when hip-hop was its own musical principle, aside from sampling. Like the entire Wild Style break is instrumental. Kurtis Blow's earliest stuff was studio musicians playing. Whodini had a real clear sound, things like "five minutes of funk," stuff that you could write really beautiful, lush string and horn arrangements around, stuff that was just music.