E.D.I. Mean sat down for an exclusive interview with VladTV, where he opened up about his new album, "The Hope Dealer," which he said was two years in the making. He also spoke about life in the streets, which he says is "a little bit better, but it's a lot worse." He then explains that when he was younger he had "old heads" that would get at him when he was going off path, but says that the current generation is left to fend for themselves. 

When asked about Jermaine Dupri saying that Chris Brown is going to be bigger than Tupac, E.D.I. Mean says Tupac is the benchmark. He adds that he's not taking the statement personally, and says that Chris Brown and other talented artists don't need to die early to become legendary.