DX: You produced tracks for Kam, Mac Mall, posthumous 2Pac production. Do you want to be the type of producer that does joints for upcoming or established acts?
Big Hutch: Right now, I’m working a lot of independent stuff right now, ‘cause that’s the climate. Other camps, to me, do what they do. They don’t look to broaden their horizons. My focus is my label, my group – West World and Above The Law. That’s my priorities. I’d love to work with a Mary J Blige. I make music that’s a little bit broader than Hip Hop at times. I’d like to do what Timbaland does.

DX: From the west, its only Above The Law and Boo-Ya T.R.I.B.E. that’s still together from the ‘80s throughout. You mentioned messages. What’s the message now, as OG’s?
Big Hutch: Fresh Out The Pen is me. Just me. It’s where I see life, where I’m tryin’ to get to, and what type of man I’d like to evolve to continue to be versus what I was. With the new Above The Law record, which is gonna be raw, cutthroat, global-musically-influenced, we’re gonna try to do things on a wider span of music. Lyrically, from a G’s perspective is you have to talk as a person who’s been through something that’s continuing to be a part of the struggle. Our group is Hip Hop, about fightin’ the man, comin’ up, stayin’ up. It’s about, if you win, celebrate, but not everyday’s a celebration.

With me being incarcerated, K-Os being incarcerated, we’ve got a lot to tell people. You want to stay family, stay faith, stay focused, you want to be a stand-up guy at the end, or in the midst of it all. For us, we want to continue to do it. We don’t believe in retirement, we don’t believe in none of that. This is a business for us. We got a whole lot to say. To me, there’s no balance in the game. People say, “Oh, what are dudes gonna say when they’re this old?” We are the people you need to be listening to, ‘cause Hip Hop needs guidance! When I was 19 years old, I didn’t have other rappers to listen to, ‘cause guess what? They was all my age. You should feel fortunate. One thing I can tell you, which every other rapper can’t… the rapper sitting up there talkin’ ‘bout how much weight he pushed, he did this, he did that, nine times out of 10, he don’t have a federal number on his back, he ain’t on parole – I am.

When I talk about being a street hustler, I really was a street hustler. I ain’t lookin’ at Bobo down the street and lyin’ about his life through me. [Laughs] That’s too much like CB4 to me, no disrespect to anybody who does it. My whole thing is… if you gonna listen to them jibber jabber, you might as well listen to the Gs tell you how to get somewhere. This “as we go along” shit, you can only go with them so long. You should buy veteran rap music, so you can see where to get to. There’s no guide, no map.

DX: To be real, these days a lot of rappers are going into the penitentiary, but not many are coming out.
Big Hutch: Exactly. Mmm hmm.

DX: As a nephew of Willie Hutch, through DJ Paul and Juicy J (“Stay Fly”/ “International Players Anthem” and 9th Wonder (“Dreamchasers”), he’s become one of the most sampled artists in Hip Hop as of late. How’s that with you?
Big Hutch: It’s a beautiful thing. My dad, he was a writer, and he co-wrote a lot of the stuff, and wrote at Motown as well. For me, it’s an honor. Thank you. I’m glad that people realize that he was great, and he had a lot of stuff that was real. For a period of time, my uncle was really reigning in the ‘70s, a real player, it’s just that people don’t know it ‘cause people don’t know about the times of music. I’ve noticed that a lot of people who do records now look over a lot of heavy cats from that era. And he’s one of the hitters.

DX: It’s a shame that he’s no longer here. What was his reaction to you upholding the family business?
Big Hutch: He loved it. It was great. My uncle and my father always taught me to express myself how I express myself – not to worry about what people were doing around me. They liked the fact that I was different, that I was integrating music and melody into what I was doing.

DX: As a mentor for Crooked I, you’ve had time away from each other, but what do you think of this student of your school and how he’s gone on to underground stardom?
Big Hutch: Man! I really hope that he makes a record, man. I’m tired of seeing the mixtapes; I’m tired of hearing about it, I need to see this dude really, really get out there and let ‘em know he is the truth, ya dig? That’s what I’m bangin’ for. If there was one young guy that’s deserving of it, it’d be him. When I worked with him at Death Row, his work ethic is vicious. His focus is real for-real. That’s the only thing I wish. When cats do mixtapes, it’s great for advertisement, but it doesn’t do nothing for a real career. He deserves the shot. I don’t cosign for nobody, but that was one of my franchise players.