Trife Diesel aka Trife Da God (Theodore Unit/TMF) - [Project Leader Interview]

Trife Diesel fka Trife Da God or just simply Trife is a name eminent within the Wu-Tang circuit as well as anyone that is a fan or has heard any of the albums of Ghostface Killah. Prior to an appearance on Ghostface’s classic album Supreme Clientele in 2000 and going on to feature on all of Ghost’s albums to date, Trife has been making music with his partners Krymelife and Tommy Whispers as TMF, later forming a super group in 2004 known as Theodore Unit with the likes of Ghost, Cappadonna, Solomon Childs, Shawn Wigs and more that resulted with the release of the album 718. In November 2005, Trife teamed up with Ghostface to release a duet album Put It on the Line with Ghostface, packaged with a DVD of him, Ghost, Theodore Unit and Wu-Tang members in concert. He has in addition recorded with many artists outside of Wu-Tang, such as Bone Crusher, Saigon, Jae Millz, Tragedy Khadafi, Black Thought, Nate Dogg, just to name a few.

Born Theo Bailey in Stapleton, Staten Island, New York, this lyrical wordsmith have created a buzz that has spawned fans from all over the world who have been anticipating a solo project from him for a while now. Giving back to the fans, Trife teamed up early around June to release a free mixtapes for fans to download entitled "Project Pope” before then releasing his long awaited début appropriately titled “Better Late Than Never” on the 21st of June and features the likes of Ghostface, T.M.F., Freeway and Royce Da 5'9. With this release Trife goes all out and shows why his name will be in the game for a long time. In addition to promoting his album, touring with Ghost, Method Man and Redman, Trife sat down with Wu-International to answer some of the questions fans have to ask him in regards to his album, groups, history and much more. Enjoy!!

I like to say thanks first and foremost for taking the time to answer these questions, highly appreciated, and will also point out that nothing will be altered, edited or changed when this is published online.

Wu-International: Hello Trife, how are you?
Trife Diesel: I'm doing great! Just grinding and promoting the album right now.

Wu-International: On various projects you have been mainly known as Trife Da God and on your début album as Trife Diesel, any reason for the change?
Trife Diesel: I just felt you already met Trife Da God in the past and now it's time for you to meet Mr. Diesel cause I'm a new person right now. What you're getting on this album is a more enhanced version of Trife.

Wu-International: So are both names just nick names or alter ego with different personas as you have in say Kool Keith as Dr. Octagon or RZA as Bobby Digital?
Trife Diesel: You can say that but I'm not on some superhero, Peter Parker type shit. It's just an evolution of me growing into a man transforming my craft and taking it to another level.

Wu-International: God in hip-hop is normally used by emcees with ties with the 5% nation, is that where “Da God” comes from or is there any other reason you use it?
Trife Diesel: I studied the lessons at a time but that's not where the term Da God came from. And I'm not trying to disrespect the culture of the 5% nation either by using the phrase. My niggas just started calling me that and it sounded very strong at the time so I ran with that.

Wu-International: Any other nicks or aliases that you use that we do not know of?
Trife Diesel: Sometime people call me New York's Backbone! Most of my alias's come from my rhymes. I might say something in one of my verses that stands out and my niggas will just call me that.

Wu-International: Lets get into your new album for now, how are you feeling about it?
Trife Diesel: I feel good about the album. You can say that it's my first release but I feel that "Put It On The Line" was my debut cause most of the songs on that project I crafted. But with this album you'll really see the growth and maturity in my lyrics. This was built with my heart and soul so when you listen to it you'll really know who I am as a person as well as an artist.

Wu-International: “Better Late Than Never” is self-explanatory as far as title goes, why would you say it has taken you so long to come out with a solo project haven been in the game for a while now?
Trife Diesel: Its a lot of things that prevented the album from coming sooner. It was matter of me stepping up and doing what was right for me at this point and time in my life. I couldn't just sit back and wait for something to happen I had to make it happen. I was just expecting more instead of doing more for myself as far as my career was concerned.

Wu-International: Especially as you work closely with Ghostface, some fans think you should have come out around the time of “Put It in the Line” or Theodore Unit’s project as the buzz was high then, what do you say in regards to that?
Trife Diesel: In regards to that I feel that they're right but who's to say at that time in my life you would've gotten an ill album like the one your getting now. Everything happens for a reason and in a way I kind of regret taking so long in between times but when you listen to the album you'll get a sense in why I took so long. You can't rush perfection. This music right here is timeless whether you got it then, now or later.

Wu-International: “Raw Footage” was the title we had listed on this site some time back, is this the same album with a new name or a totally different album?
Trife Diesel: Nah this is a totally a different album. Raw Footage was a title that I had for an album that never came out. The tracks for that album you might have gotten them on mixtapes without you not even knowing.

Wu-International: So what is the main difference between a Trife solo project and that of Theodore Unit, or your duo with Ghost on “Put It in the Line” as far as concepts, topics and anything else?
Trife Diesel: See with those album's they were basically sculptured around my music. I'm always recording new material so we took my songs and a few of Ghost's songs that didn't make some of his album's and meshed them together to create Theodore Unit album. This album right here is totally me and my thoughts. I did it the way I wanted to do it. I picked out the beats and formatted it to what was best.

Wu-International: Was that album meant to come out as “718: Stapleton to Somalia” via Fast life/Koch but it was changed and released to “Put It On The Line” instead on Starks Enterprise, what caused the delay and change?
Trife Diesel: That "Put It On The Line" album dealt with a lot of politics being that Ghost was already on a major label. So we have to go through a few different obstacles to get it out there so no legal issues would come back to bite us in the ass. That's the whole background on that right there. See the fans don't ever really know what goes on behind the scenes they just get the finish product.

Wu-International: Which are your favourite songs off the new album right now and why?
Trife Diesel: They are all my favourites cause each one tells a different epic tale. But one of my true favourites is the self titled opening track produced by blunt cause the feel of the song is so soulful. That's the joint that screams success for me cause it just measures up the whole beauty of my struggles and my triumphs!

Wu-International: Are you content with the album and is there any thing you would have done differently?
Trife Diesel: Yeah I can say I'm 100% content with the album cause I took my time with it. When you listen to it doesn't sound like it was just thrown together. I sat down and picked the orders of the songs and made sure each song complimented the last one. And by doing this album myself I learned there's a lot of steps you have to take when putting a full length album together.

Wu-International: You have a song on the album with Royce 5’9, how did that come about?
Trife Diesel: That song came about through my man Dj Flatline. He said he had a song that he wanted me to jump on with Royce. He sent me the track with his vocals and I just took it from there. I wrote the hook on it and I put my verse to it and it came out the way it did. I don't even think Royce heard the song yet. I've been trying to reach out to him though!

Wu-International: Prior to the release of the album you put out a free mixtape, project pope? Why did you put it out for free when you could have easily sold it as well?
Trife Diesel: Yeah I put out "The Project Pope" mixtape for free because I felt since I've been away so long I wanted to come back and give the fans something on the arm. It's like my gift to the world, a token of my thanks. Plus I just wanted as many people as possible to download it.

Wu-International: Why Project Pope?
Trife Diesel: I called it that because the Pope is like a messenger who spreads the good word. so in a sense I am like a messenger but I'm a messenger for the projects who's spreading that real hip hop music to the people. Plus it was a catchy title that I felt I should run with you feel me!

Wu-International: Fans were glad to see TMF members featured all over your project, a TMF album is way overdue, when can fans expect something collectively between you, Hawk and kryme?
Trife Diesel: You can expect something real soon from us as a group. That's one of the projects I am working on right now as we speak so keep a look out for that right there.

Wu-International: why has it also taken this long for TMF to put out anything considering you have been all been in the game for sometime now?
Trife Diesel: I can't really say why I just know that it's time for us to give the fans what they want and if that's what they want so be it.

Wu-International: We interviewed Kryme some years back and he told us the meaning of TMF, we assume it means the same and also different for every member, can you please tell us your own meaning of TMF and what each member bring to the group?
Trife Diesel: It's basically the same thing. There's nothing too complicated about the meaning. We're just a big family that has been true to each other since day one and we will continue to do the same.

Wu-International: Thanks, fans would easily label you as the leader of the group?
Trife Diesel: There is no leader in the group. We might go through different situations and that certain member might be the captain on the task at hand, but there is no leader!

Wu-International: Theodore made some noise a couple of years back, we know that’s Ghost’s baby, but will they ever be a follow up to the first project and is the group line-up still the same?
Trife Diesel: The line up is still the same. I would like to give the fans another Theodore album but truthfully it's up to Ghost so whenever he's ready that's when I guess it will happen.

Wu-International: Solo artist, TMF, Theodore Unit, any other groups you are part of or putting together apart from those mentioned?
Trife Diesel: No that's it right now. I already got enough on my plate right now. I'm just trying to focus on my career and taking it to the next level.

Wu-International: “Cocaine trafficking” is still constantly played to this day on my iPod, great lyrics, hooks, beat, and crazy chemistry between you and ghost, how do you approach writing a song, what is your creative process like?
Trife Diesel: When I write sometimes I already do have a specific topic and all I need is the right music to compliment what I'm trying to say. Other times or should I say most of the times the beat just takes you there. You might won't have shit to say until that banging beat just comes on and your pen just starts to run ramped and those are the songs that tend to be my favourites. It's like starting a task thinking that it can't be done and at the end it just comes out to be a masterpiece.

Wu-International: You paint very graphic pictures with your lyrics, are songs like “cocaine trafficking” and “drugs ain't mine” based off experiences of your hustles and if so what’s your advice to cats on the streets?
Trife Diesel: My advice for cats on the street is to find you another hustle cause the drug game is not what it used to be. There's only two ways out of that game and that's in jail or six feet under.

Wu-International: what would you say is the most rewarding aspect of being Trife?
Trife Diesel: Just being a great father!

Wu-International: So what’s next on the menu for Trife?
Trife Diesel: What's next? Just promoting my album to the fullest extent and releasing more good music in the years to come. Be on the lookout for me on tour. I should be sliding through a city near you very soon so be in tune.

Wu-International: Thanks very much for your time Trife, it is highly appreciated, best wishes on your endeavours, anything else you might want to add that we missed? Last words for the fans, shout outs etc?
Trife Diesel: I would like to thank you for your time and I would like to thank all the people who supported me from day one. Shout out to the whole Staten Island and everybody that's on they grind doing what they have to survive and feed they family. The wait is over Better Late Than Never haters!





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