Pusha T recently sat with The Source to discuss his debut album My Name is My Name release July 16. He also talks the importance of keeping up with the times, the lack of purity in rap, and making, what he says, is the best rap album of the year.

You recently released the visuals for “Numbers on the Boards”, what was the inspiration behind the video and the story you wanted to tell?

I was basically out in Paris and I was out there shooting. To me making videos is a thought job because they can make you or break you in my opinion. I feel like you have to give people different textures. Shooting in Paris and giving it that look and bringing my aesthetic to a place like Paris is different. I felt like people would see me in a different place, in a different setting, than seeing me in the hood or in an average hood environment. It puts me much more into my performance than what it ordinarily would be.

Do you have any other videos that you feel “made” you?

Oh hell yeah. I believe the “Exodus” video was something that I felt really spoke to the people. The “Exodus” video really showed people and really drove home that we don’t have to shoot videos a certain way. There was a reality and an ability to reach out and touch those faces. I believe everyone in that video is a star. The authenticity of it is what spoke volumes.

Do you feel the video for “Numbers on the Boards” gives your audience the right feel and visuals for My Name is My Name?

100%. To me, what happens is, people are getting a lot of acclaim in rap right now for doing nothing. I want people to love my music. I want people to love my lyricism. I want people to love my beats. I want people to love all of that. This is bare bones. I would much rather keep it bare bones and focus on me as an artist. I feel like when you really strip down all the other accolades, like magazine covers and all these other awards for artists, people will have a different outlook on their favorite rappers. I’m pure with this. I’m so pure with this. I want to take rap back to its purest form.

Why do you think these rappers, who aren’t putting in as much foot work, are getting all the acclaim?

Oh, I don’t know. There are so many different outlets that for people to put light on them. If you look at social media, you can get caught up in personalities. You can get caught up in twitter and Instagram. You can get caught up in so much. Lets chip all that away. Lets strip away all that. There’s so many things to create hype on. When you take away all the hype and you focus on the lyricism and the production, you get down to the pure form of rap.

So, with media playing a major part in these personalities, what lead you to invest in Mass Appeal, another media outlet?

I’m a business man. I really am. This music game has never been nice to me in no way, shape,form, or fashion. I’m also the owner of a clothing line. I’m all about investing in avenues that you can gain from. One thing that people might not know about me is I’m in love with Hip-Hop and the Hip-Hop culture. As horrible as the game has been at times, I still have this undying love. It’s like a love that cheats on you all the time and you can’t leave them. I personally look at it like me investing in something that highlights what I love and that’s the Hip-Hop culture. It’s all about me being forward and embracing the digital age. You can’t not embrace the digital age. I never plan on getting stuck in the times.

With that being said, its about time we got a debut album from you and “Numbers on the Boards” was a great foot forward. When it comes to the album, what is your interpretation?

My Name is My Name is giving you Pusha T in his rawest form. I’m the guy that’s out here on my renegade s**t. Ain’t no rapper more renegade than me. There is nobody doing the things I’m doing. Nobody is taking the risks I’m taking. Nobody’s using artists like Future or Cassidy the way I am. Nobody’s having stellar verses from Kendrick Lamar. You know who he is and his capacity and what he does, but the. He gets into my world and he shines. He shines on my subject matter. This is going to be the best rap album of the year! I don’t know what everyone else is doing and I don’t need to hear it. I just know we’re not cut from the same cloth. I feel like they don’t know what’s really going on in the streets like me, therefore they can’t win.

Seems like your sophomore album, King Push, has a lot to compete with.

It’s my proclamation. It’s my proclamation to how I’m feeling right now. What Im feeling right now and what I can bring to the game, it’s my time. It’s funny because Fab said something to me the other day about how he feels like a recurring junior or sophomore, you know what I mean? It really struck a nerve when he said that to me cause it made me think, “Damn, how long do we gotta be in this before we get to step up?” And be what it is when you’re already one of those guys in that position. I feel like my next album will be my time to claim that. I feel like that now. I’m not paying homage to nothing. I appreciate what’s been done before but this is a changing of the gods.

-Geneva Perezcastaneda (@geevabeba)