Over the years, the great state of Texas
has given us some of the most dynamic hip-hop the world has ever
known. It is the land that gave us legendary artists such as the
Geto Boys, UGK and, most recently, Lil Flip. Now, there are new
names to add to this impressive list of Lone Star State all stars.
This six-man unit out of Dallas who call themselves the Dirty
South Rydaz
are here to show and prove.
DG - What up pimpin’?
Tum Tum - Just that. Big pimping down
in Texas.
DG - Let us know who DSR is?
Tum Tum - D.S.R. is composed up of myself
Tum Tum, Lil Ronnie, Fat Bastard, Big Tuck, Addiction and Double
T. We got the region on lock like, man.
DG - When did you start ?
Tum Tum - Well G-Lo (George Lopez, CEO
of T-Town Music) heard some free styles from the boys and put
the group together. He was dealing with Swisha House and they
people, and we got in when he started his thing. We meet on a
Saturday and were recording by Tuesday. This was back in 2001
and it's been on ever since.
DG - How did you hook up with Swisha House?
G-Lo - I hooked up with O.G. Ron C back
in 1995 and he was doing mixtapes bringing them to Dallas trying
to move them. I had a coalition of about 30 stores back then I
was messing with. He was like I need to move these tapes. We hot
in Houston and trying to expand. I was like, cool, and he left
me 200 cd's to move. I flipped them and we was doing like 200
units a week. I was booking them shows here and up north and things
were going real good. We went to doing about 1000 plus cd's a
week. Sucka Free heard about what I was doingwith them, and we
hooked up. I was pushing Lil Flip’s music. The house started
breaking up, so I was doing Slim Thug, Chamillionare, ESG, Pimp
C., and a few more. Next thing you know, I was working f or everybody
in Houston. I'm doing distributing, marketing, promoting, booking
and all that. I said let me put me something together. I heard
these cats rapping and said yall need to bring me a cd. They put
one together, and the rest is history. We dropped a mixtape every
4 months starting back in 2001 and now we 18 volumes deep, with
5 full-length albums. People I was messing with showed us love
for all the stuff I was doing f or them and its been a wrap ever
since. Even now, I still mess with everybody I was working with
back then.
DG - How has the mixtape game been to
you, because I read that Lloyd Banks, of G-Unit, gave you (Tum
Tum) a shou t out in a recent magazine article?
Tum Tum - When people that I listen to
on an everyday basis give props, it feels good. I didn't know
it had got that far. Killer Mike, Ying Yang Twins, and David Banner
had called about me. Andre 3000, of Outkast, was feeling Fat Bastard
- so it's been good to us.
DG - What projects are out now?
Tum Tum - We got the Big Tuck, "Purple
Hulk," out now. Fat Bastard & Tum Tum - "Respect
I t Or Check It", Lil Ronnie - "Lil Ones World",
Double T - "Tha Pimp Man", The D.S.R. -"All Eyez
On Us", Addiction - "The Gold Tooth Rabbit," are
all out now. We got a lot of mixtapes out, so just look for us.
G-Lo - Now that the artists have built
a name for themselves, we're working on solo projects. They’re
putting out their own mixtapes now, so they can build a label
someday. I'm doing like Aftermath. They did Eminem and he started
Shady . 50 Cent came from that. Then he did G-Unit and so on.
D.S.R. artists are doing the thing now. I t's all about growing,
but at the same time, we coming back to the house to do it together.
Tum Tum - Most people would have tripped
about that, but that what makes him so cool. Be on the look out
for the Taliban G'z mixtape and album, too.
DG - How is the records industry to you?
G-Lo - We dropped the Big Tuck album,
October 2nd. We tried to hit billboard so we pressed up 25,000
units screwed and regular. We sold out within the first 2 or 3
weeks. We check sound scan and we got about 25,000 plus units
sold. The Neilson (the people over sound scan) calls all the dis
tributors and stores, and says, how is an underground artist selling
in LA, New York & Washington... We don't believe it. They
want to see proof that these units were sold. They took our scans
away ,and by the fourth week, we have 1000 scans. Now, we in litigation
with that situation. They don't understand that we do this on
a regular basis in the South. We grind for what we got. That's
why the industry looks for underground artists that have a big
name. That's an insult to us. When the majors talk to us about
a P&D deal, we've been doing that since day one! How you think
you find out about us? If you sign us, we want a label deal, so
we can get our music out our way. We did the footwork already.
We know how to get money. If we can't get a label deal, we don't
want it. And that's that. Talk to us with some real money involved
and we got something.
DG - What's up next for D.S.R.?
G-Lo - Right now, we’re working
on a lot of mixtapes. D.S.R. "The Album" is coming soon.
We're trying to do a movie. Wreck Shop doing a movie, and we got
some scenes in it. We involved in the Slim Thug movie - he working
on. Swisha House doing something and we getting in that. We are
going big for the New Year.
DG - I've known cats to do a mixtape and
hand it out for promotion. On the other hand yall make a lot of
money down your way with them. How is the mixtape market?
Tum Tum - You have a lot of good flows
coming on these tapes. Then you have a lot of garbage cats out.
We try to make ours better than the song we rapping over, or as
good as it. Some cats just try to make a quick buck and they don't
have any skills. If you take your time you can come up off this.
G-Lo - We really don't consider ours mixtapes.
A lot of people have about 5 freestyles and 15 original songs.
We do 20 to 30 freestyles on every tape. Every month we drop a
mix
tape without any originals. We flip tracks to our style. Tum Tum
has a mixtape that has been out for 2 years and is still on the
Gonzales top seller book every month. Now, name
me a mixtape that can stand up for over 6 weeks. We got it locked.
DG - Any final words for your fans?
Tum Tum - Check us out at www.ttownmusic.net,
www.bigtuck.com, www.tbgzup.com & look out for D.S.R. this
year. Much love!
G-Lo - We are trying to network with everybody.
We buy and sell music over the net and in our stores. Hit us at
www.ttownmusic.net and get everything you want from us and your
favorite southern artists. Thanks for the support.
www.ttownmusic.net
www.bigtuck.com
www.tbgzup.com
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