Think New York rap is soft right now? Tru Life agrees. Tired of what he felt was excessive dick-riding, 26-year-old Robert Rosado, who grew up on NYC's Lower East Side, scolded the Big Apple on last year's 9th Wonder–produced "The New New York." "We lost our soul and were being flagrant," says the Puerto Rican rapper. "The whole city was running around trying to be Bloods and Crips, and trying to act like Dirty South niggas.

Although dissing your own city may seem counterintuitive, Tru had little to lose; to that point, he was best known for an infamous spot on the Beef (2003) DVD recounting a studio raid on Mobb Deep's crew. After losing his deal with Loud, Tru was back thuggin' in the Alfred E. Smith projects, where he had already been shot three times (and pronounced dead once). That's when Snoop Dogg called and seemed ready to sign the hungry rapper. However, in the two-year lag after their first conversation, a desperate Tru aired out Snoop (and others) on a street DVD.

With the help of DJ Green Lantern, Tru eventually signed with Jay-Z's Roc La Familia Records in August 2005, but once again a past moment of on-camera indiscretion caused trouble. "The press and the streets started saying I was talking about Jim Jones [on "The New New York"], and I guess it went to his head," scoffs Tru. "So ‘Jenny' Jones starts calling up all these different rappers or their lawyers and telling them that I dissed them on this DVD, and that he has it and wants money."

Fortunately, Tru spoke directly to Snoop to preempt any possible controversy, and-in a twist of irony, given his NYC fixation-the Doggfather will co–executive produce, along with President Carter, Tru's upcoming debut. Of course, drama is never far. "Fuck Cam'ron. He's a bitch," says Tru while playing with his two chunky Roc-A-Fella chains. "They're the pink banging bunnies, and I'm the motherfucking bandana smacker." Still think New York's soft?