Being the go to producer for Irv Gotti during the Murder Inc.’s hostile takeover isn’t the only thing producer 7 Aurelius can brag about. He has produced hits for Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, LL Cool J, Diddy and more. You would think  with a resume like his we would hear from him more often, but 7 is more concerned with being a artist than indulging in fame.

7 talks with Jazzy F. for Hip Hop Weekly about the process of reuniting with Ja Rule for his PIL2 album.

Jazzy F.: You and Ja Rule have years of history together, how was getting back in the studio with him again for PIL2?

7: It was A Good Feeling. When you know the other guy is just as dope as you, that feeling like anything is possible sets in and you know its gonna be a great session.

Jazzy F.: You and Ja Rule have produced so many hit records together, did you feel any pressure to deliver the same results?

7: Not at all. Once we started working the chemistry kicks in and you realize why you had so much success to begin with. We made huge Records together and we trust each other in the studio so we never waste time pretending we like something if we don’t and it doesn’t make the cut if we don’t feel it. Its also important to stay in your lane. I do the beats and Rule does the rhymes…keep it simple.

Jazzy F.: Speaking of your many talents. Why is it that we haven’t seen an album from 7 Aurelius?

7: As long as the focus is the art why not. but for the most part I am just not into fame. its a lot of attention that always gets side tracked by things that have nothing to do with your work. But if i am going to be famous for something I want it to be for breaking new Acts , writing Great songs and developing creative projects that people feel and have a positive effect on culture.

Jazzy F.: How did you guys come to agreement on putting the finishing touches on the album considering Ja went off to prison before the release?

7: It was definitely a unique experience considering that the last time we worked together on the first Pain Is Love we had Irv ‘s Genius at the helm and Def Jam in full court press with money for what ever we needed. This time there was really no budget. It was basically Ja’s Manager Ron and Myself doing everything and then Ja and I would speak pretty much every day fine tuning everything and before we knew it the release date was here. Ron was a great partner he really held it down.

Jazzy F.: Lets talk about the concept behind PIL2. It seemed as if Ja took away the glitz and glamour away for this album. Why is that and what i the concept all about?

Seven: Basically the concept is about a man who goes to bed on top of the world and wakes up with the world on top of him. He takes a PIL ( Pain is Love ) and becomes the biggest selling Entertainer in the World. Then takes the second PIL and finds himself on the flip side of fame with no love , no mansions , no fanfare … the quintessential bad trip. It starts where the last album left off, then takes you on a ride into Ja’s world and what happens when he takes PIL2.

As for the mood of the album… A true artist lives honest through his work. it was a very real time in Ja’s life and this album reflects that. He hadn’t released an album in 7 or 8 years so there was a lot that he needed to address on a real level to his fans. It would have been wack to come out with a bunch of party jams like everything is cool when he was going to prison for 2 years in less than 60 days.The Album is very introspective and creative. I really respect Ja for being so candid and honest and I think his fans appreciate it. I was pretty surprised because ‘Real life Fantasy’ was the first record we worked on and as soon as he got on the mic he spit the first verse…’ Get high go to prison and evade taxes.. this is not what I envisioned when i started rapping’… I was pretty stunned but in a good way because that’s what a real artist does.. he addressed the elephant in the room straight away. He Later told me that he was ready to do his bid after recording PIL2. He got out of him what he needed to say to his fans and it transformed him. You can hear it on the album .. he’s just pukin’ it out.. purging like a detox.

Jazzy F.: Can we expect production from you on Ashanti’s upcoming album?

Seven: Not on this current album but we are talking about doing a whole project together in 2013. We both got a Grammy for her debut album and it would be a shame if we did not give the fans what they want and the fans want a Ashanti/ Seven Album. So… the ball is in her court.

Jazzy F.: What else can we expect from 7 in 2012?

Seven: Creating new brands in music and film is the main focus of my company 700 Hit Season. Leah Seigel is a phenomenal voice who served as a bit of a muse for 3 of the songs on PIL2 along with Jon Doe and Anita Louise. New Artist Paul Couture is next. One thing I learned from Irv is to find and break new talent and create your own lane. A lot of these A&R’s / music industry types don’t have the eye for finding the artists who have the ‘It’ factor. I get a lot of people who shadow my deals and try to steal acts before and sometimes even after I sign them. I just have a Seventh Sense when it comes to finding the Great talent. We Have the Team and the Vision. 700 Hit Season & Mpire. That’s the future…That’s the focus. +700.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 12th, 2012 at 9:36 pm and is filed under Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.