"Niggas don't wanna fight no more; they blast now, son,"
he assures, adjusting his cream Pelle Pelle
sweatsuit strings. And Bleek should know firsthand, growing up
as a shorty on the rugged streets of Brooklyn-
first in Brownsville, then in the infamous Marcy Projects, where he met his mentor, Jay-Z.
"Cats think I just got on 'cause I knew Jay,"
he says, no weaving through mid-town traffic. "Hell no! I had
to battle this kid from Marcy for mine in '94,
in front of Jay, Clark Kent, and T-Strong. Bleek got his name
from two sources: his baby sis, who couldn't
pronounce Malik, and the flossed-out atmosphere of the
city Graceland made famous.

He admits that he feels the
pressure to perform like Jay, but Bleek ain't sweatin' it.
"It's pressure but, [slowly rhyming]
I'm a hard rock / And it's the hard days / I live a similar life
to Jigga / Except I'm hard to knock."
He explains further, "I'm not trying to be like [Jay], I'm trying
to be bigger than [Jay]." However, Bleek
still feels he has to improve before his impending solo Roc-A-Fella release.
"Last year this time, I wasn't ready mentally or physically,
[but now] anytime I write something,
I feel I could do it better." That drive for constant elevation
is strong, but whenever you strive to shine, there are
always the demons that pray for your downfall.
"There's mad animosity against me, but I love everybody in my 'hood."

Instilled with an invaluable lesson
from his mother- "Never hate"- Bleek just advises his would-be
detractors," Just don't show me hate.
You got to get up, get out, and get something, like me."