Dipset’s young gunner, J.R. Writer, isn’t running from anyone, not even a street soldier commissioned by Def Jam President/CEO Jay-Z. Once his name started getting thrown around in the midst of the Roc-A-Fella/Dipset lyrical feud “the Writer of Writers” linked with big homie Cam’ron for his definitive response record, “You’re Done;” Writer uses Jay-Z’s own intro to the ‘Roc-La Familia’ album to refute Tru Life’s tough claims, challenge his ability to sell units, echo Cam’ron’s gay jokes about Jay-Z, and diss Memphis Bleek in the process.

This may be a first for post Jay-Z/Nas rap beef: one and done; J.R. sees tit-for-tat dissing as time wasted if Jay’s not throwing jabs next to that Tru dude. He releases ‘Writer’s Block IV’ Feb 13 and has his sights on an Asylum/Diplomat Records backed sophomore album to follow up his little noticed summer debut, ‘History in the Making.’ And now that Freekey Zekey, the missing link in the Set’s front line, is home, it’s full speed ahead. Writer recently shared time with NBS to discuss his homie’s homecoming, the beef, why Koch wasn’t a good fit for him, and why the messenger, not hip hop, is dead..


*************.com : What bothers you the most about this guy who claims to know so much about Cam and Jim’s moves?

J.R. Writer : He doesn’t really know much about Cam. I mean, he used to be Jim son; that’s how he knows anything about Jim, but he doesn’t know Cam. He never chilled with us at all; he don’t fuck with us at all. We ain’t never fuck with him.

*************.com : OK.

J.R. Writer : We don’t fuck with ah…ya know…losers. Only reason we would even respond to him is-not cause he’s lyrically inclined or nice, cause he’s not-but only cause Hov is co-signing. You feel me?

*************.com : Oh, OK.

J.R. Writer : Without him co-signing he would be nothing. You feel me?

*************.com : So you feel like he just put this soldier out and put the battery in this guy’s back.

J.R. Writer : Yeah, he’s using as a dummy and that’s how we gon treat em: [like] a crash dummy…until he step up and stand up for himself.

*************.com : He has hinted that him and Jim used to run together.

J.R. Writer : Well he used to run around behind Jim. And he used to be Jim son. He wanted to be down with the set; I remember three/four years ago hen was down at the Diplomat office when we was located at Def Jam, and he had on a bathrobe with shoes on looking stupid, tryna get a deal.

*************.com : Yeah? Wow.

J.R. Writer : And you see what happened; he got shot down- turned down.

*************.com : Word.

J.R. Writer : But it is what is.

*************.com : He mentions your name a few times on his mixtape obviously. He says your album flopped. Are you disappointed personally in the lack of real attention and heavy sales for you debut?

J.R. Writer : Nah, not at all. I mean, I’m getting independent money, first of all. And second of all, we ain’t even push that project as hard. And a lot of them records was old, first of all. And he will never get a release date. And that’s the only thing he could even say about me. That’s why he fucked up; he’s in some deep shit cause now what he’s gonna say? I just put out a response today. Yesterday they played it on the radio. Now what is he gon do?

*************.com : Word.

J.R. Writer : That’s it. He’s done. I got the joint-I’ma send you the joint. Once you hear it you gon understand where I’m coming from. It’s over. The joint is called “You’re Done.” And it’s over. The only person that can even really stand up for em and come back and hold him down is Hov. Until he do that it’s over. I don’t even wanna hear no more silly diss records from him cause he just want attention; he’s a fuckin pest. We need pest control around here man.

*************.com : I hear that.

J.R. Writer : We got bigger things going on; nothing stops my money. I got my mixtape ‘Writer’s Block IV’ coming out February 13. We getting money. You feel me?

*************.com : Yes sir.

J.R. Writer : My new single is picking up buzz- it’s called “Get Em.” My lil brother produced it- he’s only seventeen. And, you know, we working over here. Nothing stops. My new album, called “Write Away,” that’s coming out this summer, that’s crazy as well.

*************.com : What are you gonna do to ensure that this album gets a heavier push than your first album? Is it going to be on Asylum or is it gonna be a Koch release?

J.R. Writer : It’s most likely gonna be on Asylum cause I really like the feeling over there; I really like how they moving. They really on top of they shit. We gon see how it pan out.

*************.com : OK.

J.R. Writer : Either way I’ma be on top of my project. Before I wasn’t really on top of it and I ain’t have as much support, I felt, from the label, but it’s all goody. We had another situation: Dipset/Asylum. So we gon see how this work out.

*************.com : Yes sir. Do you think your album was overshadowed at all by you being in a clique with so many big names? I mean, from Cam, Jim , Juelz-

J.R. Writer : Nah, not at all; not at all; not at all. The spotlight was on me. Everybody was supporting me, as far as the Set. I was really the only one coming out at the time, so I don't think in was overshadowed by anything, but I just felt like if we-if me and Koch woulda pushed it even harder, to a certain extent it woulda popped off bigger. But it's all good. It is what it is. We move on, get more money, get new money, get new deals and shit man.

*************.com : And keep progressing - I hear that. If you could, in one word, how would you describe your experience on Koch?

J.R. Writer : Um…fast. Quick. It was quick. It wasn’t really…my experience on Koch…

*************.com : Kind of in and out- you don’t feel like they gave you the attention-

J.R. Writer : In and out-just in and out. I ain’t really get the feeling like they really knew-no disrespect to them-they really knew about music cause it’s a lot of old people over there-no disrespect again. It’s a lot of old people over there and I don’t get that feeling like ni**as is really in tune to the street.

*************.com : Speaking of the streets, mixtapes have been a heavy promo tool for the set and for yourself, so what do you think is gonna happen with the DJ Drama thing? How is that gonna effect you guys?

J.R. Writer : It’s gonna effect us big time, but we just-we play our cards smart man. He’s gotta be smart about some things man; it’s all about being smart.

*************.com : What do you mean exactly? As far as the mixtape hustle?

J.R. Writer : Yeah, exactly. As far as the mixtape hustle you gotta be smart about things. Man, it’s hard to explain that one baby (Laughs). That shit right there’s a fucked up situation.

*************.com : Word. Do you have any concern? I mean you guys are pretty big-

J.R. Writer : Yeah, we big on the mixtape circuit, so we definitely playing our cards smart over here.

*************.com : Word; to make sure they don’t run up in your offices.

J.R. Writer : Nah, we already-we already like ten steps ahead of them.

*************.com : OK. J.R., what comes to your mind when you hear the phrase “hip hop culture?”

J.R. Writer : What comes to mind? You know, the hip hop music-where it came from. Feel me?

*************.com : Word. And how important do you think honesty is for young rappers coming up? I hear a lot of young rappers, going to school and doing this writing thing, and I feel like a lot of people falsify things in their raps. Do you think honesty has kind of been swept under the rug when it comes to going into the booth?

J.R. Writer : I think a lot of rappers do that. I think a lot-a lot-most rappers do that. I don’t do that; I just-I rap about what I been through, what my friends and family done been through and what I see. If not, then I’m not rapping about it. I’m not gon rap about the moons and the stars and saying I’m landing on the moon if I ain’t land on the moon or I ain’t know nobody or see something like that.

*************.com : Right.

J.R. Writer : But I think it’s a lot of that going on.

*************.com : Word. Do you think that will ever stop or if people keep buying into it then rappers are gonna continue to do it?

J.R. Writer : I don’t really think it’ll stop because I think that’s just how some rapper start out: they start rapping about things they want and things that they see in the streets or TV or things they really working for.

*************.com : OK. That what’s up. I notice you don’t really jump into the beefs unless somebody says your name, but Nas and Jay-Z have mentioned Cam and Jim in this whole “Hip Hop is Dead” movement. Do you feel in any way that hip hop has really declined?

J.R. Writer : No. I think he’s dead. Hip hop ain’t dead, I think he’s dead; his music is dead. Where’s he coming from with that? Hip hop been-I feel like hip hop is getting bigger and bigger. That “Hip Hop is Dead” shit didn’t phase me at all. I ain’t a Nas fan at all, so I don’t really fuck with that kid anyways. That’s “Hip Hop” shit went right over my head.

*************.com : Not even a Nas fan back in the day? ‘Illmatic?’

J.R. Writer : Oh yeah! Illmatic. But he hasn’t been Illmatic for years now brova.

*************.com : I understand.

J.R. Writer : I don’t know who he is now.

*************.com : OK. How has Freekey’s return to the scene affected you? Me and him spoke a couple of weeks back. What’s you guys’ relationship like?

J.R. Writer : That’s my ni**a! Before he was even locked up that’s been my ni**a. He really put the bug in Cam ear to really sign me. That’s like my brother. It’s a big look; my man driving around in a S550, buying houses-he’s doing it up. That’s how you supposed to do it.

*************.com : Just living life. He sounded so refreshed to be out of there and back on the scene.

J.R. Writer : I’m happy he’s out man. He went in for the Set.

*************.com : Word up. Do you feel like his return is really gonna help your next album when it comes out? Is he gonna be really hands on?

J.R. Writer : Yeah! That’s how we work; of course he gon be on my album. I’ma be on his-that’s how we all work. You know the Set-we always on each other albums. It’s never nothing like ni**as don’t like each other at all. It’s a family.

*************.com : Of course-keep it tight. Are you and Hell Rell still going to do the ‘Double Trouble’ joint?

J.R. Writer : It’s pretty much wrapped up. We just waiting for-soon as he put out his solo album-we gon get that out the way, and then we gon come with that ‘Double Trouble;’ cause it wouldn’t make any sense for us to put out the ‘Double Trouble’ and he ain’t come out with the solo yet.

*************.com : Right, so people get familiar with him first off.

J.R. Writer : Yeah.

*************.com : OK. You sad your younger brother produced the new single, “Get Em.” Did he just have joints and you heard it or did he produce that specifically for this?

J.R. Writer : He been producing for me-he produced a couple joints on my mixtape and he did the intro for ‘Writer’s Block III,’ Writer’s Block II.’ He had a couple joints on my mixtape coming out February 13, and he did the single. He got some joints on my album. He did some shits for Duke new album coming out too-he been working; know what I’m saying? It runs in the fam; I got another lil brother that raps as well. He raps on my album, ‘History in the Making,’ that’s in stores right now. He’s on my mixtapes-like all my mixtapes.

*************.com : And what are there names?

J.R. Writer : My lil brother that’s a producer, they call him Spectacular and my other lil brother that raps, they call him Fred Money.

*************.com : OK. I’m sure you’re making sure everything’s cool with the business side of things. I know family and business can get kind of crazy.

J.R. Writer : Nah, never with me brova. These my lil brothers. This my fam-fam. I make sure my family right. It’s never no shiesty shit going on over here. It’s all good and dandy baby.

*************.com : Aight. That’s what’s up. You want to say anything to the people before we get out of here?

J.R. Writer : Basically, tune in; it’s gon be a lot more coming from me; a lot more crack coming out this kitchen. And ‘Writer’s Block IV’ coming out February 13. My new album, called ‘Write Away,’ coming this summer. Look out man. It’s going down!

*************.com : Word up, sir. I appreciate your time good brother.

J.R. Writer : Sure. I appreciate this man.

J.R. Writer : Well he used to run around behind Jim. And he used to be Jim son. He wanted to be down with the set; I remember three/four years ago hen was down at the Diplomat office when we was located at Def Jam, and he had on a bathrobe with shoes on looking stupid, tryna get a deal.

lmao ... who the fuck wears bathrobes outside