As Pusha T week comes to an end tomorrow, My Name Is My Name‘s final first-week sales tally will probably hover somewhere around 80,000, which will be a remarkable achievement for the Virgina rapper, who most industry folks didn’t think was marketable enough to have an album on shelves. While its not the triple-digit number some of hip-hop’s rising (and lasting) stars have achieved so far in this tumultuous 2013, its a statement. When it comes to it, nothing eclipses putting good bars on good beats (no pun intended). When all the flash goes away, and the fancy marketing schemes become the norm, one will still have to be able to rap, to have a place in this game. With a barcode as an album art and a Don Cannon beat as a lead single backdrop, there’s no speculation that Pusha T understands this concept better than others.

In what turned into a lengthy sit-down with Pusha T, The Source got a chance to hear one-half of The Clipse’s thoughts on his album, the game right now, and what it means to work with Kanye West for 3 years straight, leading up to the release of his debut album. There’s more to come, but for now, watch Part 1 of our exclusive interview with the man of the hour.