DMX Says Jay-Z's new position is putting a strain on their relationship

Rapper and actor DMX is preparing to release his new album, Here We Go Again, later this summer, but things are a little different at his label, Def Jam Records, as his friend Jay-Z is now the head honcho. During a recent interview with allhiphop.com, DMX was asked what it was like to have Jay-Z as a boss. He said, "I don't have a boss. I don't have a boss. I honestly have to say, that whoever or whatever entity gave him that position, it's putting a strain on our relationship. We have a good relationship. It's a mutual respect. We came up together. We done had battles and got over it. We did songs together! We rocked together! And for them to put -- it's like they're pitting us against each other."


DMX continued, "'Here, I'ma put him against him, and we'll see what happens. Either way, we win.' It's hard, man, but it's nothing that I'll let him do to influence my project. Nor do I think there's anything that he would do, out of the respect that we have for each other, to influence my project. We're both artists. He's cool as s**t. We have that respect for each other. And when we say 'What's up?' and 'How you been?', it's real."

The rapper added, "About 15 years ago, we was rockin' together on the pool table -- goin' hard! So it's like, it's real s**t! But the fact that they set it up like that, then make me the first major project -- I don't like the way they did that. But I'm not gonna change what I do. And I'm not gonna let anybody interfere with what I do."

DMX's latest single is "Give Em What Ya Want."