RTNY: What’s going on, Noyd?

NOYD: Everything is good, I’m on the road coming from Boston. Prodigy and I just did a show and killed it! We’re working on the album, trying to make it pop.

RTNY: What’s the fan response been like since releasing your album?

NOYD: A lot of people like the album. Some people are just getting to see the video. They just started playing the video for “Things Done Changed” on BET.

RTNY: Are you satisfied with the promotion and the overall project?

NOYD: I definitely like the project, but…there definitely could have been a lot more promotion for this one. With my label Noyd Inc. being distributed by Koch, it’s not like they’re going to go all out. A lot of money is coming out of my pocket.

RTNY: So you’re actually doing a lot of promotion on your own?

NOYD: Right, a lot of stuff is limited. It’s not like at a major label where there’s millions of dollars. So I just pay for the most important stuff. It definitely hurts a little bit on that end, but at the same time instead of me owing someone a million dollars, I’ll make a lot more money on the back end. And this situation actually gets my label lifted off the ground and then I’ll be looking to put out other artists. So this is definitely a learning experience.

RTNY: Do you think labels are going to stop giving artists millions of dollars for promotion and just start being distributors?

NOYD: I think so because people aren’t really selling records like that anymore. And at the same time, you’re still going to have those artists that can make their own buzz without a record company. Once artists do that, record companies usually jump on the bandwagon after that because they think it’s less work for them. So deals wil still be out there, but I think a lot of artists will do independent deals. With the internet, there’s a lot more access to get to your fans, so a lot people are going to be doing things on their own.

RTNY: Right. Today is seems like if you don’t have that number one ringtone, it’s hard for labels to pay attention to you. How do you feel about that?

NOYD: Yeah, that’s where the game is at right now. And it started with a lot of artists putting out wack albums. People were buying albums and they only liked three or four songs off of a 15 track album. So that’s where I think the whole ringtone thing picked up.

RTNY: So, is that why hip-hop fans should check out Illustrious, are you trying to bring great albums back?

NOYD: No, doubt. Like I said, the music was always good. I had “Shoot ‘Em Up Bang Bang” and “Air It Out” on my last album, which a lot of people liked. But it was just my luck when my label folded and got sued by Interscope. When your company goes down, you can forget about it. Even though a lot of people know me from the verse, a lot of people know me from holding it down and they know that my album didn’t get pushed because I didn’t have a label. I know a lot of people respect me and they respect my album Illustrious-which is in stores right now.

RTNY: With those problems you just mentioned, and you being incarcerated during your last album, do you feel as though you’ve cheated the fans?

NOYD: It was just bad timing. I don’t think I cheated anyone, it was just a bad situation. I definitely want to thank the people that have supported me from the beginning. And hopefully I’ll make it up to them with the Illustrious album.

RTNY: What songs on the album do you want fans to pay close attention to?

NOYD: Definitely the single, “Things Done Changed”-that’s a definite hip-hop song. Another one is “Money Talks”-which is a song you perform and the people go crazy. And also “Ghetto” featuring Joell Ortiz, that song represents where I’m from and where I’m going. So I want fans to pay attention to those joints.

RTNY: What’s the next single from the album?

NOYD: We’re going to go with “Money Talks”. And we just remixed one of the songs called, “So Much Trouble” with Capone & Nore. We’re going to leak both of songs and let the fans choose. Whichever one catches fire is the one we’re going to promote.

RTNY: How did the initial relationship between you and Mobb Deep start?

NOYD: Oh, me and Hav go back, way before rap. Our parents are actually close friends. I met P through Havoc and he’s like family. So we’re family way before this rap shit.

RTNY: So what’s P’s mind-frame right now before being locked up, what’s the atmosphere like between family and friends?

NOYD: Everyone has a family now so we’re not really around each other like we use to be. Now the music is more like work, before it was a situation where it was more like a party. But now it likes after the parties for promoting albums, we trying to make it back to the families and kids. So it’s kind of different now.

RTNY: Where does Mobb Deep stand pending P’s incarceration?

NOYD: Mobb Deep is going to be all good. Infamous Mobb and me are still out…

RTNY: As a collective, are you guys going to be dropping any new material?

NOYD: We’re definitely going to put down something and hold it down for P while he’s in there. I got with Havoc and Alchemist, and we talked about what we’re going to do. We’re going to hold it down and get back together and hit ya’ll in the head with some of that infamous again!

RTNY: How was his going away party?

NOYD: That shit was crazy. That was a good night at B.B.Kings.

RTNY: Before we end, is there anything you’d like to say to the fans?

NOYD: I want to thank everyone for their support. Go checkout the new album, Illustrious. And if you want to get at me, hit me up on myspace at www.myspace.com/therealbignoyd.

RTNY: Thanks for your time, we appreciate the interview.

NOYD: No, problem. Thanks.

For more info on Noyd visit:
www.myspace.com/therealbignoyd