Lyfe Jennings Stays Out Of Trouble, Prepares New Album

Lyfe Jennings has had a hell of a few years. After his meteoric rise to fame off the strength of collaborations with Nas, Raekwon and Rick Ross, Jennings has struggled through getting in trouble with the law for the past half-decade, resulting in his most recent incarceration in 2010 after an altercation with his baby's mother.

Regardless of his past, though, Jennings has been out of prison for over a year and has been making a case for his return to the limelight after appearing on Wale's track "Bricks," from his recent album The Gifted. Lyfe quickly followed that up with a single of his own, titled "Boomerang," which chronicles the what-goes-around-comes-around saga of relationships he's worked through.

Last week, Lyfe swung by the XXL offices to chop it up about his new album, his ongoing feud with singer K. Michelle and how he's learning to stay out of trouble.

Speaking on "Boomerang," Lyfe admitted, "That's got like a personal experience. I went through some stuff not just with one lady but I went through it a couple times." The track, which features the refrain, "They say karma is a bitch, and I say I agree with it," details the regret a man feels for wronging someone in his past. "You do things to hurt hearts and when it comes back on you, you kind of feel, 'Well, this is what this person must have felt,'" Lyfe explained.

Lyfe then went on to speak about the place where his music comes from, saying, "Young ladies. Sometimes they'll be so clueless. A lot of the time [they] have the answers, [they] just need it confirmed from a male standpoint." He continued, "I'm not gonna be talking about meaningless stuff, I don't even have conversations about meaningless stuff. I'm irritated by that. I think just who I am transcends into the music."

When asked about his most recent jail stint, and about his multiple run-ins with the law, Jennings maintained that he's doing his best to stay out of trouble. "I just stay out them folks way man. I try not to leave the house. I don't leave the house with any pistols," he said. "I don't have any pistols at all period. I've just come to the conclusion, I always think bottom line/end result."

Still, Jennings' time in prison did result in one silver lining—becoming close friends with Southern rapper Lil Boosie. The pair even went on to become pen pals. "Shout out to Lil Boosie, definitely want to keep the homie name out there. We used to pen each other in the joint", said Lyfe.

Check out the video for "Boomerang" above, and keep an eye out for Lyfe's fifth studio album, due out this Fall.