While promoting his new film “Black Nativity,” The Source Magazine discussed a range of other topics with Tyrese. Of course, we had to ask about “Fast & Furious 7,” but we also talked music, as TGT was a big deal this year and the renaissance man also gave us a preview of his double album “Black Rose,” which he says is his final solo project and will be accompanied by a book and a 7-part documentary.
How is “Fast & Furious 7″ going?
Tyrese: It’s good, you know Jason Statham is with us now, and Dwayne just finished his other movie and he’s back, Vin, Paul Walker, Ludacris, you know, all of us. We’re back. It’s happening, we’re shooting in Atlanta actually, and it’s just been crazy.
“Fast & Furious 7″ Director James Wan is known for his horror. Do you think this installment is going to be a little scarier?
Tyrese: No. And James is smart enough to not include horror in “Fast 7.” Yeah, I don’t think he would do that.
If you look at ”Fast & Furious 7″ Director James Wan’s credits you see “Saw,” “Saw II,” “Saw III,” “Insidious,” etc.!
Tyrese: I know! I know! But the thing is like I said he’s shooting a great movie and it has nothing to do with anything scary, I think there’s a blueprint and a formula that’s in place and he’s picked up the pieces well. He’s rolling.
Let’s talk TGT! The tour is a big smash. Can you tell me about getting together with Ginuwine and Tank and just working on “Three Kings,” which dropped in August?
Tyrese: Well first of all, I love G and Tank, those are my brothers, my family and to be honest, to this day, we’re all just still in a weird way, we are all still in disbelief that it went from an idea that we had, we started it, then it went away because we were all still signed when we first came up with the idea to do TGT and so the politics got in the way, so then for us to get back together and end up with a deal at Atlantic Records, now we’re shooting music videos and really have an album out, we’re all still in disbelief and we’re all still cool, we’re not like, the egos are not out of control…And to be honest I actually feel bad about the fact that I’m doing all these movies because I would be on the road touring with them right now, since the album is out, but I think with all the people having these moments with the music, proposing, making love, asking for forgiveness, and just all of the things that a special album does, it creates in people’s houses, in their cars, we are going to tour at the top of the year and I feel like we’ve given people enough time to really fall in love with the album, so they’ll look forward to seeing us do the songs live.
I’d also like to talk about “Black Rose” the double album you’re working on, and book. Can you give us a preview, is there an expected release date for it?
Tyrese: Well schedule wise I’m still trying to come off of the high of TGT musically because now when I’m working on my “Black Rose” album I have to sing every song by myself and I’m used to being one of three now. And so I have to kind of fix my mind to get back into that zone. It’s a double album, so I’m doing the r&b and then I’m rhyming again on my Black-Ty side of the album because there’s just a bunch of things that I refuse to sing about, but I still want to talk about. And then there’s a book called “Black Rose” and then there’s a 7 part documentary called “Black Rose”.
I was watching “A Black Rose That Grew Through Concrete,” on your web site.
Tyrese: That was the start of it, but yeah so this is my last solo album. I’m done…There’s a “Black Rose” universe that’s going to give my supporters and fans from the beginning, all that they need. They’re going to have a double album with a lot of songs and I’m going to take my time with it because it’s my last one. They’re going to have a book and I don’t know, this is going to be a long book, it’s going to be a book that you’re not going to be able to put this book down. It’s my third book and then there’s a seven part documentary that I’m also doing. It’s going to be, yeah, I got to get out of there, I got to be done, and I have an independent label and I’m telling everybody this is it for me.
In terms of the book, is it all pretty much biographical?
Tyrese: Yeah, it’s raw. It’s going to be uncomfortably raw, this book.
The Source is celebrating it’s 25th anniversary this year can you give us a shout out or reflect on The Source and its influence on you?
Tyrese: You know what? The Source to me is like – and this is a random ass analogy – but The Source to me is like mayonnaise and mustard for a sandwich. You don’t know about a sandwich unless you know mustard and mayonnaise, that’s what The Source is to Hip Hop. The Source and Hip Hop is in the same breath, period. I don’t really know it in any other way. Every aspect of Hip Hop that I’ve been introduced to has happened through The Source, I’m mad that The Source Awards are gone, but I understand why they’re gone. But yeah, The Source, the most consistent form of information of Hip Hop. I mean 25 years, I’m 34 so what I know of Hip Hop I’ve learned it through The Source and I love that. I just hope they stay around.
Fox Searchlight’s “Black Nativity” hits theaters on November 27 and you can read Part 1 of our interview with Tyrese here.