Whats the damn deal? Its your boy Sean Price out in the A.T.L at Patchwerk recordings studios.   Holding it down for 787 Austin Tex.  I'm here with Bankhead's own Ghetto Vision & Arista artist T.I.   This is another one of those hot Down-South.com interviews you're used to.  We talked about everything from the beef with Jagged Edge and Mystikal, His group the Pimp Squad and his plans as the "King of the South".

Here's an interview we did with T.I. back in fall 2001 after the release of his album "I'm Serious"

I saying I'm dead serious about what I'm doing. I'm really taking the game serious.  A lot of niggas is really bulshitting & playing with it.  I ain't gonna finger fuck it, I'm gonna ride it on out.

Three and a half mics is a pretty good review for a first album. How did you feel about receiving that in The Source?

You know its clearly worth more than that to me, but everybody is entitled to their opinion and when you decide to get in this industry you kind of agree to open yourself to any scrutany and criticism.  Its constructive, its all good.  I want to know what they feel about it and what the people feel about, cuz the people mean more than any magazine.  Nine out of ten they aint gonna relate to what I'm saying, because I aint realy make it for them.

You had a track on the Shaft soundtrack with Beanie Sigel how did that come about?

Just as simple as geting in touch with his people.  He wanted to do it, I wanted to do it.  We got it done.

What other features have you done?

I got signed on the verse I did with P.A. " MY Life Your Entertainment".   The next thing I did after that was the Co-Ed remix "Role With Me" The Shaft soundtrack was next.  I'm on a song on Jazzie Phae's album with him and Six Dudes called "Clap Your Hands".  For real, most of the stuff I've been doing is on the low.  I did a song with Jim Crow that will be on their album once they sign with a major.  I just did a remix for a girl name Latrel on Babyface's new label called "Nasty Girl" produced by the Neptunes.

How did You hook up with Ghetto Vision and how long have you been on the label?

Two years.  I met my manager Jason Geter... at the time I met him, he was working up here at Patchwerk Recordings.  If you ain't heard of Patchwerk its a recording studio where everybody independent, including major records.  If you don't have your own studio, you use Patchwerk.  He just used his connections from up here and kinda linked me with him.  It was as simple as him calling up here one night and P.A. was up here and they were working on their album "My Life Your Entertainment"   He was just telling them I got the new cat nobody heard yet, he is hotter than a lot of niggas.  They basicaly took it in one ear and out the other like another new rapper.  They was like, bring him let me see, so that night we was up here, so upon introduction it was basicaly.  "How are you doing, can you rap on this track." Im like, "nigga please where's the booth."  I was hungry than a muthafucka, still am.  I think they were a little suprised.  They said they liked it but they had to let one more person hear it.  That one more person was the third member of the group K.P., he was also V.P. of A&R at La Face.  L.A Reid had given him his own label deal with Ghetto Vision.  He was working on the Young Bloods album and he was looking for another act and I was it.

How did you get the title " King of the South"?

Really man, it was just conversation.  Somebody who had peeped in on one of my sessions was like "Thats the hardest thing since OutKast came out, you sound like your trying to be the King of the South".  I was like that had a nice ring to it.  I don't think its anybody in my arena that can outbust me, that can come with a harder sixteen.  It just went from that.   Its been taken the wrong way by some people.  I want to take this opportunity to say I dont mean no disrespect to any of the veterans and I don't care what you feel about me shawty, I'm gonna love yall anyway.  I grew up listening to yall.  I want to tell Scarface, Pimp C, Bun B.. anybody. Outkast, even though I done already spoke with them.  It aint nothing like that, I dont't want nobody to think I'm shitting on them.  I'm not trying to take them for granted or disregard what they have done for the south.  I dont want to be misconstrued or misinterpreted, but right now I feel the standards need to be raised.  Niggas is playing with this shit, it aint as many niggas putting their heart in it as niggas back then.  Its really alot of bullshit coming out right now.  Like I said I'm trying to raise the standards.  That statement is made for anybody who felt I was disrespecting niggas from the south, by calling my self the "King Of The South" Its just my opinion.  Its a bold statement, but at the same time this is where I'm trying to be.  This is a goal I am setting for my self, if you build it they will come.  I'm just taking the first step.   I got a lot of work to do to up hold the title.  At the time I done got on the radio, a nigga got on the radio saying he was the real "King Of The South".   It was no real big deal, but my homeboys and folks in the streets was like who is this nigga.  So you know I'm buck about mine.  Chris Luva Luva (Ludacris) and Pone Daddy was on the radio at the time.  It just happened to be one of Chris Luva Luva's homeboys.  So I called up there and they was like thats such and such, Infamous 2-0, Chriss Luva Luva's partner.  So I was like, have him call up there, let the people decide.  We did, he bust, I bust.  They voted and I'm still the "King Of The South".

Whats up with that Jaged Edge beef I heard about on HOT 97.5?

(Laugh) To make a long story short.  It was a big mis-understanding.  Somebody had... I'm trying to see how to remain civil about the whole thing and I dont know how to say it, I ain't to good at this beating around the bush shit.  One of the members of Jagged Edge found out I was keeping aquaintance with one of his old lady friends.  I dont know if he didnt like it or if he was just calling expressing his feelings to her, but my name came up and I didnt take to kindly to it.  It just felt like alot of salt dropping.  Things have been resolved since then.  It was never a problem with Jagged Edge, it was just with one member.  Luckily for the both of us the bond was just so strong.  Real nigas recognize a real nigga.  We was able to squash that shit with out nothing harmful or hateful happening.  I will take this time to say the radio approach was not all the way gangsta on my behalf, I kinda put the nigga out there on the radio.  That was my emotions getting the best of me!  That wasn't all the way right and I done told him that.  Just as he done told me, that him putting my name in the situation wasn't all the way right.

On your single you had a line "Niggas want to know what my goal is." What is your goal?

My goal like I said is to raise the standards for the south.  Just to make sure that everybody thats doing this is taking this shit serious.  Like I said its an insult right now when there's niggas like Trick Daddy, 8-Ball, and MJG who been goddamn, really been scrapping their knuckles really grinding hard homes and muthafuckas think they can waltz up in here sounding any old kinda way doing what the want.  Claiming other niggas cities and ain't really from these niggas cities.  You know, exagerating thier slangs calling they self rapping when really they insulting us.  Like for intstance I'm from Atlanta, Bankhead west side to be exact.  I'm sitting in my living room I'm watching Rap City In The Basement I see a nigga say "I represent ATL" and this nigga making us look stupid than a muthafucka and a nigga who aint from Atlanta is going to be like thats what them niggas are like.  I'm here to say nah, even Tigger be looking at the nigga like damn folk.  I'm just trying to raise the standards, so if nothing else a nigga wont look at the T.V. and say the south slow.  I feel like I can go up to Brooklyn, Queens and Philly and bust with the best of them.  I'm talking bout for real, I really feel like that.  I work on that, thats what I pattern myself after.  Thats the top notch goal, I'm fiending for that spot.

What features do you have on the album?

Neptunes of course, Too-Short, Jazzie Phae, and my homeboys Pimp Squad they on "Heavy Chevys"

What Producers did you work with?

Craig Luv, Dj Toomp of course, thats who brung me in this shit.  Jazzie Phae, I did one "Grand Royal" the last song on the album.  P.A., Brian Kidd out of Baltimore he got some hot shit and the Neptunes.

How long did you work on the album?

I recorded like 55 songs, I just picked the best ones.  My whole thing was I dont care how long it takes for the album to come out... until it come out I'm gonna be working.  I come up with songs everyday and it will piss me off if I hold it on my chest.

Whats the next single going to be?

Oddly enough "Pussy Pumper #1". Its going to be "Pantie Pumper #1" or "Whats Your Name" on the radio.

Where did you shoot the video for "I'm Serious"?

Bankhead, from one end to the next.  The 310 that was on Cheschire Bridge that was in Buckhead.  We took it from Bankhead to Buckhead.  The Jamaican scene was in Big Oak trailer park right off of Bankhead.

Whats the most important thing you have learned from this game?

There is no honor among thieves.  Dont look for loyalty cause you wont find it.   You don't find that shit, you kind of stumble upon it.  It kind of falls in your lap.  The muthafuckas you least expect will be the real muthafuckas.  The ones you have the highest expectaions for will be the ones that disapoint you every time.   The muthafuckas that smile in your face will have all the negative shit to say behind your back, shit man I could go on and on.

In the Source magazine you said you did a song with Mystikal and did not get paid how did that come about?

What happened was, he was down here and he wanted a beat from P.A.  I was working on my album and I was considered to some, as one of P.A.'s artist as far as their production deal. Since K.P was in P.A. and also C.E.O of Ghetto Vision it was all linked together.   Niggas kind of linked me with a lot of muthafuckas, they was like "he is in the Attic Crew he is in the Dungeon Family", but really I'm my own muthafucka.   I'm cool with all these cats.  But anyway he was getting a beat from P.A. and I was considered one of P.A's artist so I fell thru.  I fell thru for real just being a fan of Mystikal.  I done listened to his shit since "Boot Camp Click" since "Here I Go".  It was a blessing to me, I felt privileged just to be in the same field.  When I came in to this shit I came into this shit as a fan.   I hate to say it, but thats the wrong way to come in to this shit.  Cuz like I said there is no honor among thieves.  Ain't nobody gonna say that shit is cool as hell.  Shawty really likes the music, niggas have they own agenda.  I ain't mad, I can't get mad, I got to blame myself, you live and learn, trial and error is the best way to learn.  So anyway I'm in there with Mystikal, so I had a verse, of course you know I'm gonna bring some shit with me.  I spit two verses. He choose and he was like nah do that one.  He was like jokingly.  If you ever met Mystical he is a barrel of money.  The nigga has a laugh a minute, the nigga is a funny muthafucka.   Anyway he jumped and he said "You young muthafuckas I can't stand yall, Yall just want to come in here bustin.  I tell you what, if I can come with another verse you just gonna have to come up off it."  You know we all laughed about it and the verses were recording and it needed a hook and the verse that I spit I said, "come see about me". So I was like call it "Come See About Me" and I layed the hook down.  It's dirty ball pimpin, like I said, once again I ain't mad at Mystikal.  If I seen Mystikal right now It aint nothing but love.  Its dirty ball out there and I probably wouldn't know that till this day if a muthafucka wouldnt have shown me early on.  So I'm glad a muthafucka showed me then, cause now I know.

What advice do you give to somebody else coming up in this game?

Stay down pimpin, thats as plain as I can put it.  If you don't understand that, you don't understand english.  Stay down shawty, fuck what anybody else think.  If you think you got a shot, if you think your raw, if you think you can actually compete with the muthafuckas you're seeing on T.V. go for it.  Don't be bullshitting half ass, don't be subject to that shit, thats the worse thing in the world to have to hear... some bullshit on the radio over and over again.  Like I said I can respect a niggas hustle, I aint no hater.  If a nigga ask me, I can only give my opinion.  If a nigga want to know how I feel, I'm gonna tell him, I ain't know hater.  I aint never gonna say that nigga should've never sold that many records.  All I can say is I don't like it, but stay down, perfect your craft, watch your self.  I know a majority of the niggas getting in the game is coming from the dope game and coming from the streets.  You're gonna have to chose one day.  Its not gonna be as easy as getting a record deal and I got to stop selling dope, your gonna have to show some type of sacrifice. 

by: SP © Down-South.com