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What up Nakia Shine ? What’s happenin’
with u Rap Hustlaz ?
Just in the studio workin’ on Kin
Folks, which is my next release. Then Nakia Shine’s solo
album. We been supporting the Yo Gotti album this past Summer,
and it’s done really well for us. We just in the lab tryin’
2 come out hard for the ‘04. I’m really tryin 2 get
about 3 or 4 albums out on my label for ‘04 man.
Is Rap Hustlaz a label or production company
?
Rap Hustlaz is a label and a production
company. We put out the Skinny Pimp “The Pimp and The Hustla”
joint. U know, The TVs. U know, turn ya tv’s on. We put
that out in ‘02. We put out the Gangsta Blac and Skinny
Pimp album, “The Mayor and The Pimp.” We put that
out in ‘02. We came back and dropped the Yo Gotti album
in ‘03. We’re a label and we’re distributed
nationally thru TVT. We’re not signed as artist, we have
a distribution deal. We’ve produced for different artist,
such as : Juvenile, Lil Jon, Lil Flip, 8 Ball, Jersey Mone (from
the Ruff Ryder camp). We’ve done production for the Dark
Angel soundtrack. We’ve done a lot of things over the past
3 years. We signed with Universal Music Publishing. As far as
production, we’re definitely solidified down here. We’re
establishing our sound, and bringing a new sound 2 Memphis. We
bringing something new 2 the table.
We’ve been hearing a lot about how
hot Yo Gotti is down South. Just how deep is your involvement
in his project ?
He had an album out before, called “Self
Explanitory.” He sold like 3,000 records. Then we got with
him, cause I saw the potential in the young dude. Cause he’s
a great artist. U know what I’m sayin’ ? I pretty
much took him 2 the next level. I produced or co-produced every
song on the album, and I was featured on 5 tracks. That album
was definitely a Nakia Shine / Rap Hustlaz production. I’d
like 2 think that I’m one of the key ingredients in it being
as successful as it’s been. Not just from a production standpoint,
but marketing as well. We cross marketed him with the Skinny Pimp
record that we came out with. And gave him his first video appearance
in the “TVs” joint, u know, that we did with Skinny
Pimp. I was able 2 get him a lot of radio. I put a dvd in with
his cd. That was my idea. I just feel like that was my project.
U know what I’m sayin’ ? I’m glad for the success
that we’ve had, and I think that he’s gonna be a rising
star. I think it’s also laid a foundation for Rap Hustlaz.
OK, so yall handle ya own marketing ?
Yeah, all the marketing is done by Rap
Hustlaz and myself. We ain’t one of these labels that wait
on hand outs. We grind for ours. We’re young entrepreneurs
that recognize voids and try 2 fill them. Though we’re not
yet platinum or gold, we’re definitely in route 2 that.
We’re an up and coming label. We’ve sold over 100,000
records in the last year. That’s something 2 be reckoned
with. We’ve definitely made an impact in our marketplace
outta Memphis. We just tryin’ 2 get our shine. There’s
more going on out here than just one national act. There’s
more going on than just that. A lot of folks don’t know
that. Make sure u print that, so that folks can see that. We got
Yo Gotti, Kin Folks, Nakia Shine, Rap Hustlaz. There’s a
lot more poppin’ off in Memphis than just one national act.
We’re bout 2 do the same thang that Atlanta’s doin’
. Memphis is on the verge. I just wanna be a label known for something
else comin’ outta Memphis than just that one national act.
OK ! Give us some history on Rap Hustlaz
before we get outta here.
I had a label called Diamond Cut Entertainment.
My guy Andre Stevens, who started the label with me , had a label
called Loot Chase. We started with the idea that 1+1 makes 3.
And if we got together, we could make a bigger impact. I started
going 2 New York sellin’ tracks. I locked in a publishing
deal from there. I took the money and started my label. I came
back 2 Memphis and signed up all the unsigned acts that were bubbling
out here. Which included : Yo Gotti, Skinny Pimp, Gangsta Blac,
and other individuals that I worked with. Criminal Maine, I put
his last album out - “Playtime’s Over.” That’s
how I got my start. I took my money and reinvested it in my artist
and my city.
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