Evil Pimp
Interview by Scott Bejda
Continued from Murder Dog vol 16 #1
What’s going on with the Krucifix Klan?
The Krucifix Klan has changed a little bit. It started off with Crazy
Mane, Playa Rob, and Evil Pimp and then we brought Drama Queen. Now there
is only two original members, Playa Rob and Evil Pimp, but we brought
in Lady Dead and Monsta Face. There was all some beef between the two
lady members which are Drama Queen and Lady Dead.
What happened between them?
I went and dropped a verse to a song and went home. While I was at home
Lady Dead went and dropped a verse and she dissed Drama Queen. I let
Drama Queen hear it and she responded with a verse herself. I’m cool
with both of them though. That was some PMS shit that went on between
two females. It was all comedy to me because I didn’t even know what
they were beefin’ about.
When you started getting all of that attention did any major labels take
notice of what you were doing?
We got a call from two labels. We got one call from TVT; they told us
to send in some stuff and they hit us back saying the owner loved the
shit. The more and more we kept hearing about Lil’ Jon not getting paid
and seeing that they had a lot of artists on the label who weren’t getting
that promotional money, we figured it would be best not to fuck with
them. We didn’t want to sit on the shelf and not even come out. Then
Sony hollered at us and they wanted to test out the water with us. They
were going to give us a piece of shit contract, so if we flopped they
wouldn’t lose much money. They offered us a slave-ass deal. To be real
with you, I could’ve worked a 12 dollar an hour job for a year and I
would’ve made more than what they offered us. They didn’t offer to give
us nothing to where we could go up in the studio and cut fresh new tracks
or anything.
It’s good you didn’t get too quick to jump on a major deal. A lot
of people lose their heads at a time like that.
I don’t want to come out unless a label puts at least a couple hundred
thousand behind us. That way if I do flop I’ll know it’s not because
there wasn’t money behind us; it was because I suck. I told the owner
of the label not to sign that, and if he did he would be left with a
label without an artist.
With the talent that you have you could easily make the MTV type of shit
with the ring tones, but instead you still keep it hard, and evil gangsta.
Why have you stayed true to your craft when so many others sell out?
The ring tones are cool if you want to have a shorter career. I’m trying
to have a longer career like an ICP or a Tech N9ne to where they don’t
need none of that shit to sell albums. I got a song called “Shawty What
it Do”, which is still hard but I can do that ring tone music, but to
me it makes a lot more sense to have a career rather than just a hit.
When people go out and buy a Lil’ Wayne or a 50 Cent that they ain’t
buying those because they are fans of those artists, they’re buying the
CD’s because they came out with one song that they liked. Then you got
artists like Tech N9ne who doesn’t need to put a song like that out because
his core followers are going to get his album regardless. I try to make
every song on my CD’s sound similar but unique. I use the same formula
throughout the entire album, that way if you like one song you will like
the majority of the album. That’s why people download, because they know
that there will be one or two songs on the CD that they like. My shit
will give you a whole album of hot shit. That’s why I chose to stay with
that same sound, because I know my fans like that kind of music. They
don’t want to hear ten different niggaz with beats on it. You have to
have your own sound that makes you unique.
I hear what you’re saying. Tech N9ne fans want that original Tech sound
and the same thing with Esham or Spice-1 or any artist.
That’s why back in the day Three 6 albums and DJ Squeaky stuff was so
hot, because they stayed true to their sound. Not everyone is going to
like your sound but the people that do like it will always buy your albums.
Are you still working with Slaughter House Records?
Technically I am still signed with them because I have a contract, but
I am starting up my own label, Gangsta Ro Productions. On my label I
brought Lady Dead, Playa Rob and the rest of the Krucifix Klan. I still
owe Slaughter House some more CD’s. What happened with them was when
we dropped my last album, “Da Bad Guy Returns”, it had the potential
to be a hit because track after track was some of the best stuff that
I have done. We started getting pre-orders coming in and we hired someone
to take all of the orders. They ended up taking a lot of the money and
I had to come out of my pocket to refund a lot of those fans that wasn’t
getting their CD’s. Love was busy doing other things because he is into
real estate and a bunch of other shit.
Are you and Herbie Love still cool?
Oh yeah, I just talked to him the other day. It was just time for me
to do my own thang. He is still my nigga till the world blows because
he helped me a lot. Without him I wouldn’t be where I am at right now.
I thank him from the bottom of my heart. We had some creative differences
also but no matter what we are still cool. There ain’t no beef and he
is still my nigga and hopefully someday we can come back together and
build something even bigger.
Other than the music, what have you been up to?
I have been doing the family thing. I just had a little baby boy. Now
that he is getting a little older it’s time to get back in the studio.
Plus on top of that I am off probation in January. After I’m off paper
I am moving back to Memphis.
What were you on probation for?
I had assault with a deadly weapon because I was carrying a loaded firearm.
I got into a situation with a dude I dissed on one of my past albums.
We got into it at the club and I was drunk, one thing led to another
and the next thing you know I had the whole SWAT team on my ass. Shit
was crazy! It feels good to get off that paper though because you ain’t
gotta pay these punk ass fines no more. I had a ten o’clock curfew for
a year. I was pretty much on house arrest.
Aside from having to put up with authority, what is a day in the life
of Evil Pimp like?
To be honest with you, I wake up at noon because I don’t have no job.
I am 100% invested in this Rap game. My days mainly consist of spending
as much time as I can with my kids. Being a father is the most important
thing to me, and then the music comes after that. I don’t even start
working on my music until they are tucked in because they come first.
I want to be the father to them that I didn’t have growing up.
That’s a beautiful thing, because a lot of men aren’t there for their
kids.
True. I hate dead beat dads with a passion. I wish I could adopt every
boy that don’t have a father. If I don’t raise my boys then the streets
will raise them. That is why I keep my head on straight! A lot of times
I’m making phone calls trying to set up interviews and shows with the
phone in one hand and my son in the other arm.
