1. NE L LY PAGE 34 WHAT DO YOU THINK IS YOUR BIGGEST CONTRIBUTION TO THE CONTEMPORARY MUSIC INDUSTRY? USE THEM ALL AS INSPIRATION. I HOPE THERE ARE SOME KIDS OUT THERE WATCHING ME AND I PRAY I’M OPENING THE SAME DOORS THAT OPENED FOR ME. YOU JUST HOPE THE CYCLE CONTINUES. IN 2004 YOU RELEASED A DUET WITH TIM MCGRAW THAT WAS GROUND-BREAKING FOR TWO ARTISTS FROM DIFFERENT GENRES OF MUSIC TO DO A COLLABORATION. WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON CROSS-GENRE COLLABORATIONS? I JUST DON’T LIKE IT WHEN PEOPLE ARE SCARED TO TRY AND DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO; IT’S LIKE A HANDICAP OF THEIR CREATIVITY. AND I LIKE TO SAY THAT I AM “MUSICALLY FREE”. AND WHEN I SAY THAT, WHAT I MEAN BY THAT; I FEEL THAT I CAN MAKE A HIT RECORD WITH ANYONE. AS LONG AS I AM CREATIVE AND DON’T COMPRISE THAT IT WON’T LOOK ODD WHEN I DO IT. IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE A STRETCH WHEN I DO IT NOW BECAUSE PEOPLE KNOW WHAT I DO. I’M NOT SCARED, AS LONG AS THE S**T IS RIGHT. WITH YOUR NEW ALBUM RELEASE 5.0, IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE EVOLVED DURING THE YEARS TO THIS POINT? WHEN YOUR “MUSICALLY FREE”, NOTHING SEEMS LIKE A CHALLENGE FOR YOU. WITH MY COLLABORATIONS WITH N’SYNC, CHRISTINA AGUILERA AND OTHER ARTISTS FROM DIFFERENT GENRES, NOTHING SEEMS IMPROBABLE, IT’S NOT LIKE I’M GOING INTO AN ALBUM TRYING TO SHOCK PEOPLE; I DON’T THINK I CAN SHOCK PEOPLE ANYMORE. THE SHOCK WILL BE WHEN THE ALBUM DOESN’T SUCCEED. “HOT IN HERRE” I’VE DONE MY FAIR SHARE. BUT I TAKE INSPIRATION FROM DJ HAMMER ALOT OF THE TIME. BACK IN THE DAY WHEN DJ HAMMER WAS FIRST STARTING OUT, MANY PEOPLE DISSED HIM SAYING THAT HE WAS TOO COMERICAL, JUST BECAUSE HE HAD A PEPSI CONTRACT; HE HAD A CARTOON. HE WAS ALSO WORKING ON A CEREAL DEAL; ALL THE THINGS YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE TODAY. YOU KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING? SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE DOORS I WALKED THROUGH TO GET TO WHERE I AM TODAY. AND SO HAVE A LOT OF BROTHERS. SO WHEN DOORS GET OPENED FOR ME, THEY GO BACK TO THE DOORS OTHERS HAVE OPENED FOR ME, THE PUFFS, THE DR DRES – EVERYONE THAT MADE MONEY OUTSIDE OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY. I CONTINUED