A long time ago, it seemed like the only respectable professions were being a doctor, lawyer, police officer, or a firefighter. While these are still very important positions, and play a major role in the lives of individuals, they've taken a back seat to the world of entertainment.

If you ask any kid growing up now, odds are they'll tell you they want to be the next Lloyd Banks, rather than Colin Powell. The glamour and glitz lifestyle that  privileged people of today's society live, is something that common folk can only dream of. But what happens when you get a chance to make that dream a reality, only for it to turn back into a dream again? Staten Island native, Jojo Pellegrino is living proof of being almost famous.

After being affiliated with Violator back at the turn of the century, many thought Jojo Pellegrino was destined for great things; including himself.

After all, having relationships with the likes of LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, and Mobb Deep could only solidify his situation even more right? Wrong. With everything going in his favor, Mr. Pellegrino got caught up in the nature of the beast.

His debut album was shelved and he was subsequently dropped from the label. Not even his sharp and classic freestyle on BET's Rap City " The Basement" could help him garner another distribution deal.

Now after a hiatus from the Hip-Hop scene, Jojo emerges to tell the world how things fell apart, and just how he plans to put them back together again.
  

How did you first get into Hip-Hop?

I always liked it as a young kid. I must have been around like 10 years old, or something like that. Like I'd stay in the car and listen to the radio, just flipping through the stations; because I didn't want to get out of the car to go shopping with my mother. So I would always go to the Hip-Hop stations, and zone-out, and just try to understand what they were talking about. And I knew from right there, that I wanted to do that.

A lot of people remember you from being associated with Violator. What ever happened with that situation?

Loud Records is who [was] distributing Violator at the time, so I was on Violator Records,  not the management. But they were managing [my] career, and I was distributed through Loud Records. And Loud Records was folding at the time, like Steve Rifkin was closing company.

So naturally when that happened, Mobb Deep and me were the two acts affiliated with Loud and Violator; and neither one of us had a home or distribution. Of course [we] both felt safe under the wing of Chris Lighty, and I understood that Chris' immediate responsibility was to get Mobb Deep new distribution, because they weren't new artists.

These are guys that have had money spent on them, and have made money back; and they were on their fourth album. So Chris Lighty had to concentrate on getting them a new situation. And that's around the same time when Mobb Deep was really doing a lot of independent things on the street, and fighting for their careers, to keep it popping. And Chris would tell me things like; "ya good! ya good, ya gonna be aright!" But meanwhile, things weren't alright.

There's no bad blood, and I love Chris Lighty. But I just felt like [he] had so many responsibilities around the world, and I was wondering if I was really going to ever pop off. Not to mention the fact; but at the same time I was getting [Pauses] I don't want to say neglected. But I was putting my work in and getting a buzz on the street, and that's something that a lot of these other artists don't do.  Like the little things. Stuff like being on tons of shows, and giving mixtape DJ's original freestyles, and I was on the Grand Theft Auto soundtrack.

I won the Battle Of The Streets , where I went against three of my favorite rappers, and won against all of them. Basically just doing whatever I could to get my record popping. Then I start to see Bubba Sparxxx posters up at the Violator office. Me and [Bubba] are cool, I don't have nothing against him. But you're over here neglecting my project, and I understand the politics of him being down with Timbaland and Missy Elliot. But it wasn't going to go down like that. I needed to be somewhere with my poster on the wall. Know what I mean? So that's what happened with the Violator situation.             

Did you ever try and release any of the material you made at your time with Violator?

Believe it or not I didn't try and release any of the material. And I'm happy that I didn't have to recoup any of the money that was spent on the project. Because the cost to make [that] album was over $1,000,000.00. So thank God I didn't owe that back; and I ended up just becoming a write-off when Loud Records folded.

So that was a beautiful thing. I respected the fact that it wasn't a 100% all my music, even though I wrote every rhyme and picked every beat, and dudes pay a lot of money for that stuff. So I was just like, "f**k it, and move on." You know how that is. So after that, I did the Hitman For Hire CD which is about 95% original music, with a couple freestyles on there, and it was hosted by my man Kay Slay. And we put that out right after 50 [Cent] has his mixtape out. Now that I think of it; I had the idea of putting out a mixtape before rappers really put mixtapes of themselves out!

A lot of dudes were thinking about it, but they weren't doing it.  So I put mine out, and we got good reviews at the time. But we couldn't keep the momentum going, I didn't have the dollars to do it. And that's basically when 50 [Cent] came through and took the number one spot. It was an exciting time but, it was also a struggle for me, man. I was trying to find a new home. A lot of [these] dudes out here know I got what it takes, and [they] know what's up. But they would rather hate, or just see me make it on my own. But it's all-good, because that's what I'm doing right now, and it's more rewarding.  

During your time out of the spotlight, were you still making music?

Hip-Hop is my life! Everyday I make music, and I write music. I'm a studio WHORE! Know what I mean? What I wasn't doing for the last few years was actively shopping for a deal, or keeping up with a lot of the DJ's. It's like when a DJ asks you for something, and you don't do it, it's like; "come on man you gotta be responsible." There was just a lot of sh*t going on.

Like my manager ended up getting hit with a life jail sentence, and a lot of other things were happening. But another thing was that I was uninspired by music. I don't mean to sound like a hater, but whoever is reading this is probably uninspired as well. Like back in the days, I had posters with Nas, Redman, Biggie, and all these dope lyricist on my wall. All I had to do is wake up, and look at my wall and be like; "DAMN!" Now I can't picture any rappers I'd want to hang on my wall right now. I wasn't inspired for the last four years.

No disrespect to crunk music, I love it, and they deserve that spot, it was only natural for it to happen. But I like to hear mind-boggling concept sh*t; that's the type of dude I am. There's no explanation to why JoJo Pellegrino doesn't have his spot out there right now. You can say I'm cocky, or whatever. But all I do is RAP! I sacrificed everything I had for this; like friends and relationships. Just to focus on this one thing, and I deserve it.      

Was it frustrating sitting on the sidelines, while you watched other artists gain success?

You wanna know what? It wasn't frustrating, because I've made a lot of relationships in this game. And I knew at anytime, I could walk back in the door. But I just sat around doing my own thing, like pumping out mixtapes and stuff like that. So frustrated? Nah. It's frustrating when you go to labels with your music, and they don't see your vision. I had to go through that stage in my life. But now in all honesty, it's nothing.   

So what does the "Present-Jojo" know that the "Past-Jojo" didn't?

[Pauses] That's a strange question because the whole "politically correct" thing is... [Long Pause] I've learned that this is a BUSINESS! I'm not talking about Chris Lighty, and the whole Violator staff. I'm very thankful for [them] making me who I was. But people in the music industry tend to be type-fake.

Before I had a naive attitude, when I should have been more about business. And I learned that it's not good to burn bridges. But the main thing that I can say I've learned; (Because I don't give a f**k, I burn bridges all the time. I'm gonna sit there and talk to some f**kin f **got. So I don't burn bridges, I blow them up). But the main thing I've learned is that the streets is a stepping-stone. So if you don't put yourself out there personally, then you're not doing your job. So I learned to put the kid that my mother raised into every single record. You understand what I'm saying? Just to put myself into every single record.  And that goes for EVERYTHING! 

Do you think there's any real reason why a lot of labels still won't take a chance white MC's?

Well if you can spit, you can spit. That's really the bottom line. Because Eminem is not a "hood rapper." And [his] spitting is undeniable. Most of the white rappers aren't proud to be white rappers. They're trying to be something else. From the way they dress, look, and act. That's why there's only a few of them out there that are really special. But as for underground, there's a million of them I respect. But with the way marketing is, it seems like if black people buy it, then it's cool. And then the white people will follow.

Like 15 years ago, if 50 Cent was sitting at a restaurant a block away from my house, people would be like; "what the f**k?" "Who is this f**king guy?" Now things are different. Like I got one of my friends, a white dude from my neighborhood, but I don't want to say his name. [Laughs] He'll be like; "yo Jo why ain't you in the game?" He's always talking that "white boy sh*t." But as soon has he meets Raekwon in the street, he'll be like; "yo Rae got some sh*t, God!" [Laughing] It's all about marketing.

Marketing is the key. As far as all these white dudes that can spit, it's like they don't even get respect from [their] own kind; and that's kind of strange too. Like white kids hate white rappers. I always got love from white kids, Irish kids or whatever. But mostly white kids are quick to sh*t on each other. It's as if they're like; "yo we got beef with him!" "He's white, and he raps just like us!" SHUT THE F**K UP! You know what I mean?

[Laughing] Yeah, I hear you on that.

It's like white boys in the game treat each other like sh*t, and I've heard a lot of stories. Do you think Eminem would ever sign me? Yes or no?

To be honest, I'm not sure.

Every time I've seen him, we've clicked. We're a lot alike in the sense; that we like to clown around. But why wouldn't he sign me? Like look at that show they had, The White Rapper Show. That show was a joke! And it could've been serious. It could've been artists like me, Necro, Ill Bill, and this cat named Iron Solomon. Have you heard of him yet?

Yeah, I saw him destroying some dude in a battle on You Tube. [Laughing]

YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING!! With someone like that; why would I hate on him? He's proud to be who he is. He's not forcing it, he looks like what he is, and he's not trying to portray something he's not. And I respect that. I'm me all the time, that's why I get love and respect.  

With all your setbacks, how have you still managed to remain positive and create music?

Really, I can do anything, but I don't do nothing else. My heart is not with anything, else and learned that the hard way. I've tried other "things", and I'd be a waste of skin and bones if I did that. This is what I do. So I maintain by keep going, and I don't give a f**k. I don't care how whack Hip-Hop is, or who's talking sh*t. I keep going everyday because that's what I do and I want to succeed at it.

There's a lot more to it than just getting a Ferrari. So one day I can tell my father that he doesn't have to work anymore, and take care of my mother to the fullest. And the funny thing is they don't even want that stuff from me, they just want to see me happy. So that's what inspires me, and that's why I do it everyday.      

I definitely hear what you're saying on that. But I just want to go back just a little bit. Earlier you said you beat some of your favorite rappers in a street battle?

Oh it was called Battle Of The Streets. It was a show that DJ Clue had, and it's not an actual battle where MC's battle MC's. It's like he would play a record by one artist, and he would play another record by a different artist. And the people of New York would call up the show and vote on it. And if you won three nights in a row, then you went into this hall of fame that only Jay-Z was in at the time.

So I went up against some real dope MC's, like Capone -N- Noreaga had a dope record at the time. And I went against Foxy Brown, and beat that too. And mind you; these were all records that popped off, and mine didn't. But the last record that I beat, I don't want to talk about it. Because he's one of my favorite MC's, and I was shocked that I beat him. [Laughs]

[Laughing] So you're not going to tell me who the mystery MC is huh?

Nah, you're going to have to do your own research on that one. The next time we talk, you'll be like; "I did my research and that MC is..." [Laughing]