OBIE TRICE RECALLS ISSUES WITH INTERSCOPE, "BODYING" EMINEM ON COLLABORATIONS

Obie Trice gives some insight as to why he left Shady Records, and why he feels he's bested Eminem many times.

As the release of his third solo album, Bottoms Up, drew nearer, Obie Trice began hinting at the reasons behind his departure from Shady Records.

In a recent interview with GlobalGrind.com, the Detroit native spoke a bit more candidly on thematter.

"It was just issues with me," explained Obie, neglecting to point fingers. "I missed the Big Boy show out there in LA. And Jimmy [Iovine] had a real problem with that, but it wasn’t just that, though. I was younger, so things were happening that were different."

Obie also recalled when his Akon-assisted single "Snitch" was unable to gain traction, at least in part due to outside circumstances. "I had the Akon single out. MTV wouldn’t play the record because they had the Snitch campaign going on, and things of that sort. And BET wouldn’t play the record because Eminem missed the BET Awards three years in a row. Just a lot of backlash we caught that didn’t have anything to do with us, and we thought things should change about that, that they should have worked the record even harder. There were just a lot of things going on,

But shout out to Jimmy Iovine: he gave me an opportunity."

Additionally, Trice, who maintains a working and personal relationship with Eminem, wasn't shy to express his belief that he bested his mentor on numerous occasions. "I body him all the time! I feel like every song we did I bodied him. That's how I feel! That's how I go into records."

OBIE TRICE SPEAKS ON LEAVING SHADY RECORDS IN 2008, EMINEM & DR. DRE'S ROLE ON "BOTTOMS UP"

Exclusive: The Detroit-bred emcee admits that his behavior upset the Interscope Records brass in the 2000s, and how he and Eminem maintain their business relationship these days.

“Obie Trice, real name no gimmicks.” Those were the infamous six words Trice uttered at the beginning of Eminem’s celebrated "Without Me" music video. As dated as Osama Bin Laden dancing in a cave may now seem, people may have the same cognition about Obie. With a decade separating then-and-now and four years after Obie Trice left Shady Records, it’s been a half-decade since Em’s former labelmate dropped an album; almost an eternity in today’s Hip Hop media sphere.

With the long passage of time in the chronicles of music release, one thing has remained the same, the relationship between Obie Trice, Eminem and Interscope Records.

“Those are still my people over there at Interscope and Shady, that’s family for life,” Obie Trice said. “I talk to Em almost every week so we still friends, still business partners and nothing’s really changed.”

Ironically, the heydays of Obie Trice may have been his most vulnerable. Trice opened up, explaining that his youth may have affected his future music endeavors. 

“I was young, fresh out the hood, jumped into this music thing,” he said. “It was a little overwhelming for me, I didn’t seize the moment when I should’ve so I had to move on and that’s just how things go.”

OBIE TRICE DELAYS "BOTTOMS UP" TO APRIL

Obie Trice has revealed that his upcoming album Bottoms Up will include at least two songs that feature Eminem. Speaking with XXLMag.com, the Detroit, Michigan native explained that not only does Em appear on the LP, but both Em and Dr. Dre contribute production.

“It could be more [than two Eminem-featured songs],” said Obie, naming “No Turning Back” as one of the tracks. “I think it’s a great album. […] I’m older, I’m real excited.”

Obie will release Bottoms Up on his own imprint Black Market Entertainment in January 2012.

[August 24]

UPDATE: Obie Trice has revealed the cover art for his upcoming album Bottoms Up, releasing February 28th.