 Down-South:
What’s up Tela?
Tela: Nothing. What’s up with you?
Down-South: You got it. Okay now you grew up in South Memphis, which was
a really rough part of town.
Tela: Yeah it was considered to be the rough
part of Memphis, but it was like everyday normal living to me. In fact I didn’t know
I was poor until I reached about ten. But by that time my mom had moved on up. But I
didn’t know it was just fun.
 Down-South:
Let’s talk a little bit about your career. You first came to the world’s
attention through Suave Hose, which put out your first album Piece of my Mind. How did you
hook up with them?
Tela: I got down with Ball and G. I knew
ball and G from home. We were on a previous label together. They did their thing with
Houston and put it down with Suave House. They gave the word to the CEO there and he
brought me down to Houston and that was that. I was on the label from there.
Down-South: What was interesting about that first album and has been with
all of your albums is how you use guitar licks in your productions.
 Tela:
Yeah. I’m a Jimmy Hendrix fan. I dig Jimmy to the fullest I like the Doors… all
that 70s’ rock, I love. I’ve always been fascinated with it I guess it’s
the loud guitar riffs and the energy behind it that drew me to that. And rock is [Black]
music man. It not a white folks thang [it’s] a black folks thang. It’s really
music. It’s a good form of music. I just take from that and other forms of music
–soul, blues, jazz, even gospel –and add it to this thang called hip hop.
 Down-South:
Speaking of music I read in Rap Pages I believe that you have a musician in your family
background, is that true?
Tela: My grandfather played bass for B.B.
King for many years. My uncle played bass with Al Green and I had an Uncle-in-Law to play
organ a lot with him on a lot of my recording.
Down-South: Plus you play the drums I heard?
Tela: Yeah, but I couldn’t sit in with
no Stevie Wonder or nobody like that, but I can get some things across. I played
percussion all through High school and junior high.
Down-South:
Ok, I know you’ve been asked this a million times but why did you leave Suave House?
Tela: The business wasn’t right and the
money wasn’t right. Ya got to get the money. And they wasn’t giving up no money
so it was time to move man. I’m a definite believer in being loyal, but you should
get that loyalty in return. I was being loyal to the label, the company and to my brothers
in that company and they wasn’t being loyal to me. They didn’t appreciate what I
brought to the table so it was time to leave.
Down-South: How did you hook up with Rap-a-Lot?
Tela: During the midst of it all I got a
call from Lill J. He told me that he had heard about the situation and wanted to know if
everything was alright. He reached out to me and we got together and chopped it up and I
knew instantly that this was the place for me. I was assured that that our relationship
would be on the basis of we appreciate you just as much as you appreciate us and so far it
has been.
Down-South: One of the things that I like about you as an artist is that
every time you put out an album you always try to grow musically. You’re not afraid
to take a chance. Most artists are just content with doing the same thing over and over in
order to sell records.
Tela: Each time I do a record I want to
grow. If I do a million one time the next time I want to do two million. If I do two the
next time I want to do three. Every time I wanna grow. I feel like if you’re not
growing then you’re stagnant. And if you reached a point to where you sell like ten
million records or more you know it ain’t too much you can do after that. Once I have
accomplished that and am known for the work that I’ve done, then I’m done.
 Down-South:
Tell us about this new album Double Dose?
Tela: This is definitely my best work to
date. At one point I felt that I had did my best work. I had felt like it couldn’t
get no better than what I did. But, by sitting down and doing this record here, it has
brought out some things that I didn’t know about. That’s why I feel that this is
100% the best work I’ve did so far.
I just set out to have fun on this album. I just got some beats a just rhymed on them like
I used to do in 89.
Down-South: You’ve always been known for doing good street oriented
music yet at the same time it’s overtly violent, why is that?
Tela: I had a chance to get in them streets
and do thangs another way. And that life was definitely looking good to me because folks
was getting known by putting that shit out there. I could’ve a piece of that, but I
had a love for this music so I said that I was going to stay true to it. I stayed true to
it and my journey has had its ups and downs and stuff like that, but it definitely paying
off. But I wouldn’t change a thang. |
