Philly's been getting a lot of attention lately. Is it because of the Meek Mill and Beanie Sigel beef? Probably, but that shouldn't be the only reason to pay attention to the city.

Oschino Vasquez, one of the original members of State Property, had a promising career before splitting with the group and was unfortunately in and out of prison for the last few years. In 2016, Oschino put out his mixtape, Appetizer 6, and is currently working on the follow-up, Appetizer 7. Fans of the rapper didn't get to see him spit in the 2016 BET Hip Hop Awards cypher, where former group mates Peedi Crakk, Omillio Sparks, Freeway and Beanie Sigel were in attendance. Oschino was noticeably absent but he had his reasons.

While driving through the hood in Philly with the top down, the "Just Ain't Me" rapper took the time to chop it up with XXL about his absence from the cypher, his thoughts on the beef between Meek and Beans, spitters to look out for in Philly, his upcoming project and more.

XXL: There's been a lot of beef in hip-hop lately, more than usual. It seems like it boils down to loyalty. Back in the day hip-hop was all about loyalty. Do you think loyalty is a thing of the past in the hip-hop industry?

Oschino Vasquez: Nah, I can’t say that’s a thing of the past. Loyalty will never be a thing of the past. Each individual is different, so I don't think it’s a thing of the past. It’s just that a lot of stuff is different; rap changed.

So you think loyalty still exists in hip-hop?

To a certain extent because there’s a lot of people trying to get over on people. The reason why I say it’s not a thing of the past is because at any time it can change. I’m pretty sure there’s some teams that still loyal, but there ain’t many teams out here at all, period.

Was the situation between Meek Mill and Beanie Sigel handled accordingly? Beanie was kind of caught off guard with his family at the Bad Boy Reunion show. We understand the beef between Beanie and Meek's people runs deep, past the diss tracks and into the streets. Should it have been handled differently?

I mean…first of all I think it’s Beans’ fault, personally. Because at the end of the day Beans don’t even know Meek at all, you know what I’m saying? He don’t even know him, so for him to jump in Meek and The Game’s beef is just like, What is you doin’? You supposed to carry yourself a different type of way. Game even added me on Instagram and I’m not thinking it’s involving beef.

Game did what he was supposed to do; he sparked things [up]. His album was coming out, he got a song with Drake, Future’s Drake’s man. Who else is next to diss? The next nigga he can rely on Meek, he already went through it with 50 Cent, so Meek was the target. He was probably like, let me diss this nigga to get shit poppin’ and it worked. So, I think he was smart for doing it, you know what I mean?

So, for niggas to start taking it serious, I think that was the mistake. They should have just left it off like, Aight, you smart nigga.

Do you think Beanie and Meek will be able to squash the beef and move past it?

I think it’s squashed now. At the end of the day a nigga punch me out like that I ain’t going on no muthafuckin’ interview talking about that shit. That right there says a lot in my eyes, because you shouldn’t be hung up on it no more. Meek ain’t punch you. Some people do anything for the limelight, they ain’t got no honor. That’s why I’m about to take over Philly and show niggas how they supposed to do it.

So you think the beef is squashed and it’s not that serious?

Yeah, it’s not that serious. I don't think nothing gon’ happen up out of it and I hope it don’t, because they get into the rap game to leave the streets alone. That’s the whole point, to leave the streets alone. I hope it don’t go no further, but you never know.

It seemed as if the beef in Philly was at an all time high. What's the climate in the city now?

The climate cool. I mean, first of all, Meek don’t really be in Philly and Beans…you know I never see him. They don’t be outside, I don't really see nobody, you know what I mean? It’s not like it's a big thing in Philly. Philly already Philly.

What's the current Philly hip-hop scene like?

Basically it’s like Meek Mill, of course still, AR-Ab, me and PnB Rock. That’s like the four people that have a name in Philly. But, as far as the streets, it’s me, AR-Ab too, he just didn't put out as much stuff as me yet. I was talking to him last night and he said, “You inspired me to get full,” so that’s my brother. I got a song with me, Meek and AR-Ab from 2008. I was fucking with them before people knew them.

What about Lil Uzi Vert? Do you listen to him?

I don’t really listen to him because he came out while I was in jail, so I didn’t really get a chance to check him out. My son likes him, so he sells a lot, but I don't know any of his records. But he’s from Philly and he made it out, so I applaud that.

What's Meek's role in Philly now? He's been involved in a lot of beefs. Does Philly still embrace him like they used to?

Some people love him, he got a lot of fans. It depends what age. If you ask someone my age, they may not like him. You ask a younger person, they like him. A lot of people in Philly feel like he didn’t put nobody on.

He had his own reasons for doing that and he don't owe nobody nothing. If a man want something, a man gotta go get it. You can’t expect another man to put you on, he don't have to.

What's Beanie's position in Philly?

You gotta understand, State Property was out so long ago that some of the kids in their ‘20s don’t even remember us like that. So, a lot of the kids that know me, they know me from now because I’m putting out music now. As far as Beans, he was a legend. Before this shit went down, he was a legend.

I had my personal problem with him, but he was still a legend. I don’t like him because I know him and I know what type of person he is. But to other people he was a legend. You can’t be a legend and do certain shit, there’s certain shit that can make you not a legend anymore. Right now he’s on the fence. Some people love him and some people hate him. A lot of fans are mad at me because I told the truth about Beans, but I tell the truth all the time, that’s what I do.

Do you think he kind of tarnished his reputation as a legend by getting involved as in The Game and Meek Mill beef?

First of all, for you to go up there and talk bad about a younger person from your city that’s doing it, for you to get in between a beef when you act like you cool with him [Meek Mill] then you diss him and act like you wrote his shit, when I helped you write your shit [The Jadakiss diss], it’s just like, What the fuck is you doin’?

Game is a millionaire, Meek is a millionaire, two millionaires arguing. Why you in it? Is it gonna benefit you? How? Trying to get the limelight again. If you trying to get the limelight that’s not the way you do it, you do it with the music.

What is your role in the city?

I got out of prison two years ago and I wasn’t even gonna rap no more. But, I tried to get a job and couldn’t get a job. I was like, What the fuck?

I didn’t want to rap because there were no records stores and I didn’t know how to sell my music. I didn’t know the computer at all. Even when I had Facebook I never ran it, my man Brick Nice ran it, who do Future’s videos. He used to run my stuff. I had to learn all that stuff.

The Internet opened my eyes that, Wow, there’s millions of fans in Australia, London. I was like, Oh shit. So, it was a blessing that I didn’t get that job. There’s no looking back now. I’ll be shooting my video in Miami. I got my second single coming with Dave East and my artist Keith Hart. That shit heavy.

You said you didn't do the 2016 BET Hip Hop Awards cypher because you have to stand for something. What was it that you were standing for?

I had to separate myself from that State Property shit because everyone in State Property look at Beans as a leader. I can’t have no nigga that’s a sucka to be a leader and be affiliated with me.

I’ma get to the cypher on my own shit with the music. Because at the end of the day we can argue and beef but when’s the music coming?

You mentioned there's a lot of talent in Philly. Why do you think it's so hard for up and coming rappers in Philly to get recognition? Is there something they should do more or less of in your opinion?

I’m not really sure why…because they ain’t that many major record labels. Everybody raps now, so it’s saturated with rappers. A lot of people in Philly feel they don’t have a chance of making it so they give up because you got every day life to deal with.

Which new artists should we look out for coming out of Philly?

Butterknife, NH, a girl name Raine. Keith Hart. He does the best hook, does it in 10 minutes. Shit is crazy to me. He’s from Jersey. Mike Larry has a song on the radio
called “Such and Such.” Celebrity, we call him Celeb for short. And these are some people that can really rap. Those are them names to look forward to. But I’m coming fast. With the Internet, it’s coming fast.

Let’s get to you. You got Appetizer 7 coming, right? And you have a track with Dave East. How did ya’ll link?

Yeah, I got Appetizer 7 coming out in two weeks. His manager used to live with me. I didn’t even know my man Wayno was managing because I was in jail. I came out and I was just trying to find out what was going on. Shit changed so fast, the Internet took all the way over. That shit saved my life, I would’ve never known I had fans in Australia and London and shit like that. When you in Philly you start thinking small, it made me think worldwide.

This shit is real. No record deal, no nothing, it’s just me.

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