I recently had the chance to chop it up with the producer behind Ja Rule's single, Uh Oh, Minnesota.

Minnesota has been in the business for a while now and he has big plans for 2008.

He has two underground albums dropping this year and who knows what else is gonna come his way this year.

Profit: How long have you been in the game doing production?

Minnesota: I’ve been doing production now for about 10 plus years.

How’d you get started?

Well…I got an ASR 10 and I used to hang around Mercury Records. That’s how I really scored my first production with Gemini the Gifted One and Yak and spread out from there.

With the changes in Hip-hop, downloading for example, has that affected the producers pocketbook?

I can’t say because I pretty much been underground. I get a decent fee but it’s not like I been paid 200,000 for a beat. Know what I mean? That’s something I haven’t experienced.

Do you feel it’s better to stay underground then?

You get in where you fit in. I hope to be one of the great ones financially one day. I’m cool, I ain’t crying.

Who were some of your major influences?

Some people are made to do things and some people are born to do things. I was born to do music. The time I spent running around in the street was a waste of time. I was born to do music. Showbiz (Diggin’ In The Crates Crew) was the first producer that showed me how to listen to the records and stuff like that.

So you did the new Ja Rule joint, “Uh Oh” with Lil Wayne. How’d you get hooked up with them?

It was actually someone from the Bronx left a CD around down there, and they [Irv Gotti and Ja Rule] rocked on it. They didn’t even know whose beat it was. It was just one of them things where they was like, “lets just throw it out, whoever beat it is they gon come to us”.

I know Ja been down for a while ever since the infamous 50 and Ja Rule battle. Do you think that single will get him back in the game where he needs to be?

Yeah, to a certain extent. I’m down there working. I really think that he [Ja] needs to start from the ground up and probably stat with an underground feel. Then on his next album, go and shoot out some mainstream material.

You got any other tracks or singles that’s playing on the airwaves?

Not right now. I’m working with Irv Gotti’s new artist, News, and Dollbaby from Harlem, and I’m working with all acts coming out of the Inc. right now. Personally, I am working with me and Boss Money, me and Showbiz, we’re going to drop some underground classics. I’m looking to record three albums myself. I’m in my 30’s, I mean who gives a f*ck about age, it’s about making correct music.

Who are some artist’s that you would like to work with in the future?

Hov, definitely Hov. I really like the way he talks right now. There’s a lot of common sense in his lyrics. Scarface (Brad Jordan), you know truly classic people. I just like correct people. Beyonce, musically she’s got it you know. Basically the people who’s got it. Missy Elliot’s another one. Some old school artists. I would love to do Rakim’s whole album. I think me and Rakim would drop a f*cking bomb! I think I would be the producer to get that n*gga to work.

Have you holla’d at Rakim?

We know each other, I met the god [Rakim] years ago.

You got any words for the aspiring producers trying to make their stamp in the game?

Never quit before your dream comes to life. You can word that any way you want to word it. Don’t quit before your time. Don’t let the distractions in life make you quit before your time.

You got any last words for the readers?

Be on the lookout for my 2 underground albums I have doming out this year with DJ Premier and Showbiz. One is the ‘Diamond District’ and the other is ‘Unindicted Co-Conspirator’.
As far as words of advice, be a man. Be a man at the end of the day. There is a lot of incorrect s*it going on with black men and people in general. Just know who you are and be a f*cking man. That’s the best advice I can give.