NYOIL took hip-hop by storm with the November ’06 release of his controversial video for “Y’all Should All Get Lynched,” a song calling for the death of all rappers who sell and represent negativity. Although the video was banned by YouTube after less than two days and thousands of views, it left NYOIL a media favorite and new hip-hop spokesman.

With the release of “Hood Treason,” and with it the continuation of the war against negativity in hip-hop that began with the video, NYOIL aims to disprove hip-hop’s belief that positive and soft are synonymous. And if one thing’s certain from hearing him speak, the Staten Island MC is just getting started.  

We had a chance to ask NYOIL a couple questions recently, and here’s what he had to say:

What is your personal definition of hip-hop?

I try to avoid defining something like that. It implies ownership. I don’t own hip hop I’m just a part of it. One face of it. I represent a particular aspect of it. But at the end of the day I do think it is a culture. I used to say it was a time period because i felt it was a particular space in time when we were on something in particular. But the fact of the matter is that it is more of a culture … or a cultural thing. Maybe even a cultural symbiont attaching itself to pre-existing cultures and enhancing them or transforming them.

If you had to pick your top 5 MCs of all time, who would they be?

Rakim, Slick Rick, Kool Moe D, Melle Mel, Run

Your new album is titled “Hood Treason.” What is hood treason? Where does it take place? And who does it affect?

HoodTREASON is selling out the neighborhoods we come from. People are born and raised in these hoods and know what it is to strive, to survive, and to come out of these conditions. So when they make it out and violate the hood, it is treason. It doesn’t end at Rappers and Drug Dealers. It goes as far as the corporate employee and the entrepreneur who comes from this hood and turns his back on it and the people in it.

HoodTREASON affects us all, and what people fail to realize is that you cannot turn a blind eye to a thing and think that will make it go away. The fact of the matter is … HoodTREASON is like a mold behind your walls growing regardless, and eventually you are forced to abandon your home. With no resale value!! Because you allowed a small problem, probably a leak or a drip, to become an issue so large that it cannot be fixed.

“Hood Treason” seems to be part analysis of modern day hip-hop and part celebration of old-school hip-hop. How would you classify your music in light of both?

I would say I take up where hip hop left off before it got co-opted into becoming all this bullshit that it is now. I am trying to bridge the creativity of the golden age along with the swagg of today … with a little bit of maturity mixed in.

“Hood Treason” claims to be “the warm up album.” What are you warming up to? Where do you intend to go with the follow up?

I may do the actual album next. But I am conflicted as to if I should do the “Experimental Album” because i would like to experiment with a few different things on the next album: Introduce some new sounds and techniques to the music; open eyes to some new things before I do the actual album. I think if I do the actual album first it will be too ‘out there’ for people to grasp. I need to warm them up to it.

I had to warm them up to my style of hip hop and what I am about with this first album. People think it is about ‘I’m real hip hop, you’re fake’ … naah, it is about ‘This is my style of this music.’ Now if you feel your style is fake, or that I am saying it is, then maybe you should look at yourself and the music you listen to. Because thinking that way is a reflection of how you see yourself and what you love.

Following your explosion on to the hip-hop scene with the “Y’all Should All Get Lynched” video, you became a media favorite. Following this initial success, what fueled your decision to stay independent instead of signing a major deal?

Control. If I can be successful on my own, or if I do decide to work with a larger company in some investment capacity or develop some sort of musical product to sell to them, then I have proven to this potentially larger entity my ability to run my business effectively, and that I know how to market and manage my products efficiently and profitably. Now that is IF I chose to do that. Or i can be an example to my people and the youth and developer something that can open opportunity for a new generation of MC’s and Producers, and people throughout the business.

How do you feel about YouTube’s decision to ban that video? Do you feel it was warranted in any way?

I felt great about it. They martyred me! I think it would have blown up just as well, but I think it validated my position when they did that. I can’t really say if I think it is warranted. But the fact is that I am the leader of a movement that people would hate to see take over. They don’t want to see strong black men stand up and take their rightful place in the international community. I can’t say why – I don’t care – cause i am going to do what is within my rights as a human being to make it happen.

The media seems to have labeled you as the spokesman for a movement toward positivity and change in hip-hop, despite the fact that this movement has been underway for sometime now. Why do you think they chose you? What sets you apart from the countless number of real hip-hoppers the media seems to ignore?

Because I stood up in a way that the others wouldn’t. I spoke the loudest and the hardest, and this world respects that. I understand that so I am going to do my best to represent that role that I have been given and honor the responsibilities I have been given

You’re a rapper, producer, poet, photographer, graf writer, videographer and motivational speaker, among other things. Why is it important to do so many different things and market yourself in so many different ways? What plans do you have to expand this into the future?

Time is going to tell that better than i could express it. I can say that my company is called PEMg – Petroleum Empire Music Group. Keyword is EMPIRE. I am building an empire. The difference between a kingdom and an empire is that a kingdom is ruled by one individual. An empire is a group of kingdoms.

I am trying to help develop many kingdoms under one banner under one flag with one mission. Hence being multi-talented and developing these talents to create business opportunities that others can step in and take advantage of is vital. Soon you will hear about PETours and PEFilms, amongst many other things. We are about creating growth.

Do you have any plans to tour or perform in the near future?

People are still trying to tap into who I am and how to access me. So as soon as I can, I am hitting the road. I am looking to go on tour under my own company PETours by end of September, early October.

Aside from being a rapper, what are your interests? Do you have a family? Hobbies? Other job or hustle?

I have a lot of interests that will be glaringly obvious as my business interests develop. My main interest is living life. I want to see and do things that money has made impossible for me. I want to climb mountains and hang glide and re-gentrify my communities and open local business; go back to school, travel, learn to Samba … I just want to live son. This is a one time life and I don’t want to look back on a life of trying to be fucking cool … and wish I did some of the things I was too cool to do.

If hip-hop was a person, and you could ask him or her one question, what would it be?

How can I best serve you?