At this point we consider you a veteran now. How does it feel to be deep in the game?
It’s a blessing. It’s a blessing man to have longevity and be here and still be able to make music. For the fans to still be receptive to it. I appreciate the fans that have grown with me and been patient with me through this whole rollercoaster career. I’m thankful for it.

What growth have you seen in yourself?
For me, all around the board. As a person, as a man, as a father, as an artist, more as a businessman, everything for me has elevated. That just came from me taking time to work on myself and find out what was important for me and what I wanted to do. It’s aligning my vision more and more each day.

I remember when Starvation 4 dropped in November that was supposed to be the last one. How did we get to 5?
Apart of me felt unsatisfied with ending the series the way that I did. I think Starvation 4 was a dope project but it wasn’t what Starvation represented. I think the fans were a bit upset and in my mind to call it something else other than Starvation 4 might have been a lot better being that I was in LA I was trying different things as an artist. So for me it was important that I would bring back that element that I gave in every other project that I have given. I was like let me go back to my strength and the fact that I’m growing, let me use that as a display and give a powerful project.

When people jump into Starvation 5, you notice the features are slim, just Rick Ross, Fabolous, Bruno Mali. Did you want it to be a straight Ace Hood release?
Absolutely, just to shake any type of stigma people tried to give me in the past that I thought was funny. I create my own hits. I create my own records and right my own records. All this music comes from the heart. For the most part I never needed anyone to accompany me on a record for it to be a hit or for it to be successful. I wanted to show that part of me as an artist and as a creative. They really respect it this time around. I wanted to keep it slim and really just rock with the people I have relationships with. Ross has always supported me in my career, that’s my homie. Fab, that’s my nigga man and we established a great relationship. We been hanging out a lot so it was only right to get him on. Then I got my young boy, my artist that I’m working with, Bruno Mali, he on the “King Kong” record. I wanted to keep it slim man but just have a few of my favorites at the same time.

When we talking about the sound of Starvation 5, I took a look at the production you have. Did you have any morale with any producers or was it what sounded good at the moment?
I was looking for a certain sound and just so happen my engineer introduced me to a guy from the UK named Scott Styles. Scott Styles is new and you going to hear a lot more from him. He will be a heavy hitter in the game in the near future. A lot of the newer cats I wanted to work with, people I haven’t worked with in the past that always had dope production but Scott Styles was the new cat. When I heard his sound I was like this is perfect for the Starvation series. This is perfect for where I am in my life. I can like tell stories and put some powerful shit together on these records. I got him and Mekanics, I been working with him since the top of my career so it was dope to work with him on the project. It’s a lot of newer cats to see what they have not as much as the vets in the game, which is cool, but these younger cats have visions and I’m glad to give that life.