Estelle & Travis of Gym Class Heroes explain everything from their musical influences, how they connected for the tour they are on, and then new Gym Class Heroes album.

For this issue, we’re talking to the people who inspire us, who give us something to talk about every issue. You, of course, do that, but also, by pushing the things we love to the masses, you’ve become almost like an ambassador for us.

Yeah, I just think about when Jay-Z would be like, “I do this for my culture, I do this for the hood.” I’m doing it for that. I’m doing it for where I came from being the only dude in my class that dressed in a certain way, and then finding there’s other people who think like me too, they just weren’t in my school. And I think that’s what the FADER kids are made of, people who were different or wanted something better than what was the norm. But I had to come to the realization, it wasn’t just the search for something different, but something better, a better solution. I never forget that. I just don’t want people to think that because I’m big I’m not into the same things I was into that made me big. For y’all to put me on the cover, it’s kinda dope. It feels like I’m on the right path.

Ye’ talks more about where he’s at in his career, his album 808’s & Heartbreak and much more at Fader.

Luda talks about his new album, Theater Of The Mind.

In the documentary, there’s mention that Jay-Z stole the beat for “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” from you and Cam, that Kanye agreed to give the beat to you guys. What’s the story behind that?

Jim Jones: Kanye came to our studio session at Sony, and he was playing some beats back when we were all signed to Rocafella. Cam was about to come out with Come Home With Me, so we told Kanye we wanted to buy the song “H to the Izzo.” It was an understanding we had between us and Kanye because we were all under the same label. So then, I’ll never forget it, we’re at Cam’s house and this hip-hop award show comes on [BET Awards, 2001], and Cam and I are watching it on his couch, and we’re like, “Next year we’re gonna be up there.” So they announce that Jay-Z is about to perform his new single off The Blueprint, and the dude comes out with the “H to the Izzo” beat. Cam and I look at each other like, Oh, we’re going to kill Kanye. Oh my God, when we catch this nigga,we’re going to do something terrible to him. And that’s how Cam ended up getting the “Down and Out” beat. Kanye gave it to him free of charge as payback.

Check out the rest of the interview at Complex.

Hit the jump to see part 2.

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Nardwuar the Human Serviette interviews Common in Vancouver BC, Canada. Canadians, some at least are very interesting people. Hah.

Q-Tip’s favorite 3 rappers of all time are Rakim, Slick Rick & Notorious B.I.G. This is a snippet from the AllThatsFab interview.

Seeing that almost everything in the music business is digital now, no album is invincible… they all leak around 10 days before their release date, how do you feel about your album being leaked?

My album was leaked about 3 days before street, which is an amazing amount of time if you consider that most people get hit a week or two before the slated release date. And still even though that was the case, we had a worldwide first week of about 9,000 albums sold. I have gotten a big push from digital download but I am not sure if I am going to completely convert the method of delivery in the music to an electronic one but I do take more notice of it. The downloading never cut too far into any of the work that I did, if anything it helped a lot during the first 2 albums that I ever did.

Check out the rest of it at MusicOnPlay.

The Legendary Pete Rock- half of the super rap duo- Pete Rock and CL Smooth stopped by the Round Table Show. Besides producing widely acclaimed albums like Mecca and the Soul Brother- Pete address the rumors about Diddy and Biggie beat jacking the smash hit Juicy from him. It happens to everybody, doesn’t it? Check out this exclusive interview, part 1 is above and then part 2 is after the jump.

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