Let's take this from the start. How'd you get into doing music?

Torch: That shit is in me. I used to look at all my uncles doing that shit. And, you know, I never though I'd be doing it, but somehow, someway, I just fell into and started writin' my lil' shit...and somebody fucked up and told me I was nice.

How's everything looking for you guys. What's the current situation?

Torch: Aw, man. The shit is lookin' [good]. Def jam finally cut the bag, Ross done took niggas out the cage. It's all good. Deeper Than Rap coming April 21. America's Most Wanted [is] coming. Gunplay's shit is dropping after that, and my solo shit is dropping after that. It's about to be a big year for the boys.

Now that you're on inside of the game, is it everything that you thought it was going to be?

Torch: I mean, it's some parts that is, but it's a lot of parts that's definitely not what I thought it was going to be. The most stressful thing is the little things, but it's just som much it that sometimes it becomes overwhelming. But I wouldn't want to do anything else.

You're a New York dude. For the past few years, we've heard cats scream, "Bringing New York back," but nothing's really popped off. In your words, what's it going to take?

Torch: Man, it takes substance. Everybody that was saying [Bring New York back], they was doing the same shit. New York is lacking an identity; they just followers right now. You gotta be versatile in order to bring New York back. And I ain't even really trying to bring New York back. I'm just trying to get in minds that New York is hot again. It's not even cool to say you're from New York no more.

Okay. With you being from NY and going down to Miami and coming back, you're doing things in reverse of cats going down to Miami to get it popping.

Torch: Basically. There's a difference in the whole situation. Before, it was the South coming to New York to get on. Now, I'm the New York nigga that had to go down south to get on. It ain't no way to get on in New York! It's like New York City is just a whole bunch of crabs in a bucket, and nobody can really get to the top. The only people that's coming out is the same faces for the past decade. Ain't nobody new to look forward to - and that's me, Torch.

There's this inside joke regarding how New York City is the largest city in the U.S., yet rappers can't even sell records in their own city. What do you have to say about that?

Torch: See, the whole thing about New York - this is what determines where you're hot at. If you're hot in New York, you're going to be hot everywhere. We might can't sell records here, but that's just because you have to get hot here first, so everybody always has the music. This is the no. 1 bootlegging population in America. If you're not hot in New York, - I don't care where you're hot at - you're really not accepted across the globe. Soulja Boy and all them niggas - they had to "Superman" that shit in New York. We might not sell records, but we still determine what's the hottest shit.

Let's get into a pretty hot topic right now. We've heard everyone else's view, but not so much from someone who's next to the man. So what's your thoughts on the whole "Rick Ross the C.O." thing?

Torch: First off, man, I ain't never known him for that. [We] never had that kind of conversation. And I ain't gon' judge that man off of that type of shit. As far as I'm concerned, that's not even a topic. That niggas [is] a real nigga. Street nigga.

Okay. I respect that answer there. How do you feel about everyone throwing their two cents in? Torch: I mean, that's what niggas do. Haters hate Bitches bitch. Real niggas gon' be real niggas. So, at the end of the day, I applaud all the attention. If you paying attention to me, that means I'm on. I love niggas putting they two cents in. I want them to put more than two cents in. Put your whole fuckin' pocket in. $14.95 when the album comes out. Put that shit in there, too. Listen to what we talkin' about. If you don't think that's the best shit on the shelves on that day, put more than two cents in. And I'll give you two cents back, as a matter of fact. With the 50 Cent/G-Unit thing, what can we expect from the Triple C's?

Gunplay:...It's all entertainment. I said what I had to say, man. It's only entertainment. You can expect good music from Triple C's. I ain't get involved with it that much. I expressed my real feelings a couple of times in past couple of interviews I been doing. [But then] I just said, "You know what? This shit ain't gon' get me nothin' but a [jail sentence], 'cause I'ma blow one of these niggas' heads off." I don't even want to take it to a whole 'nother level like that. It's entertainment.

Did y'all listen to the diss tracks?

Torch: Naw, I don't listen to gay music. G's don't speak. I'm good, man. Fuck them niggas. I ain't endorsin' internet threats.

I've seen the vid for "Yams" recently. How'd that song come about?

Gunplay: Yams, man! We was on the grind. just comin' in from Tampa. We was in the studio or whatever, and it just popped out of no where. I don't what the fuck made me think of that shit. Them yams is whatever you sellin', man. That 'Yams" is on America's Most Wanted. That's the hottest single in the South right now. New York just caught on to it.

Talking about your about music, some of your songs go into the drug aspect of life, right?

Torch: I go deeper. Every aspect you wanna name. That's a given, especially if you from the 'hoodd, from the struggle. Everybody can talk about drugs and guns all day, but then, I hit you with that "Dear Mama" talk, too, that makes people feel it. That Scarface "Mind Playin' Tricks" on a vibe that everybody need in they life. You gotta vibe with me. I take you through many changes and chapters in my life. It's not just one channel that you'll never get off. You might end up on Sportscenter fuckin' with me.

But what made you want to venture down that drug road?

Torch: Well, you know, I was from a broken household, so it's not even like I really had a choice. That's how I used to help my moms pay the bills. It's not even like I wanted to go down that route. I was just tellin' my side of the story, and what made me do, 'cause I don't think anyone talkin' that drug talk is tellin' muthafuckas to do it. They just sayin', "This is what I do."

You're a father, right?

Torch: Oh, yeah. I definitely got a little boy.

What steps are taking to solidify his future so that he doesn't have to go through what you went through?

Torch: My boy already got his college fund set up, man. And that's the best thing about it. I gave him an opportunity. Nobody ever gave me an opportunity, a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. I probably wouldn't have made half the mistakes I made.

What are you looking to get from this music game?

Torch: I'm just trying to bring originality to my music. I want them to know that Torch makes good music. I ain't trying to get famous for beefin'. I ain't trying to get famous for anything else except good music. I want niggas to respect my music. If I happen to make a couple of dollars off that, so be it.

So when it's all said and done, man, how do you want to be remembered?

Torch: I want to be remembered kinda like as a person that spoke they mind and ain't let the game change them. They changed the game. I don't let people control my movements. I do what the fuck I want to do, say what I want to say. And I just want to be remembered as the muthafucka that kept it real all the time.

Any last words?

Torch: Yeah. I want them to check out DeeperThanRap.com - that's Ross's website. And my MySpace page, myspace.com/specialystset1.