Young Jeezy
Interview by Niki Gatewood
You’ve said, “I’ve never put a boundary or limitation on my goals.” With this mentality, how do you balance striving to accomplish more, with taking the time to truly appreciate the life that your hard work has earned?
I’ve always believed that one goal gets you ready for the next, you know what I’m saying. In the streets, just coming from where I came from, there were so many goals to 
get [you] to a certain level. When I actually got into music, you know what I mean, it was a whole ‘nother set of goals. It was like starting over from the beginning. But, you got to work your way back up the ladder [just] as you did like when you was in the neighborhood, or in the city, or whatever. I just feel like every day you should have a new goal; because, if you don’t, what are you really doing?
With that being said, how do you maintain that hustler’s ambition? How do you want to accomplish more, but appreciate what you’ve established so far?
Shit, I appreciate my freedom, baby. This music has got me free! I appreciate my freedom. I appreciate the fact that I’ve been able to care of a few of my homies that’s been down since the beginning. I can give them jobs, and opportunities, and put them in positions of power. I love what I do, you know what I mean. I love to spread the word. I love my culture; so, to me that’s the biggest fruit of my labor. I just love getting love [by] doing something that I love to do. This is something that I was chosen to do. So, that within itself is better than enjoying any vacation, or kicking back, or buying another car. We’re going to do that anyway; ya feel me.
Right now, you sound like a real ass man. That’s what’s up.
Yeah.
Are you humble? If so, how do you integrate humility into your lifestyle?
I think I’m one of the most humble people. For one, I started from humble beginnings. Two, I was kinda brought up that way. I’m going to respect anybody until they disrespect me, you know what ‘m saying. It was taught in the household. We didn’t have much, but did have respect [for one another]. With me now, as far as what I do, I think I’m one of the most humble people to do it. I never get caught up in the fame part about it. Every day is a constant grind for me. So, I don’t sit back and go, ‘I’m famous; I can go to the mall and hang out.’ You know, the shit that people do to try to capitalize off they fame. That ain’t the game I play. Coming from where I came from, I was always taught to respect yourself and to do your thing, and make sure that everybody is straight.
Some people believe that you’ve hit a lyrical plateau. In an interview that you did with Jenny Boom Boom you addressed this topic. You assert, “It’s my fourth album; so, I had to show growth, quite naturally. And everybody know that I ain’t standing on the corner no more. So, I ain’t want to go that route. I had to go kinda worldly; the world is my trap.
Which tracks from “Thug Motivation 103: Hustlerz Ambition” best demonstrate your growth and the different aspects of your personality?
I have this joint, “I Like Standing Up.” It’s crazy! And definitely, “Shake Life” is one of those records, “Real Is How You Feel,” I mean it’s just records that reflect life. At some point in this game people think that it ain’t reality no more. I still deal with issues that are really reality-based. I probably deal with the same issues that the average cat, running around in the streets deals with. Because, before Rap, I know that everybody is real, and that everybody is going to eat. It’s a little tricky; it’s like you gotta play both sides of the fence. So, when I write my music, I just try to be as real as I can possibly be. I think that it’s a difference between being lyrical, and a difference between being honest. I know a lot of cats who love and respect B.I.G. Well, they like him because he was dope. He was lyrical; he was all that. Like, when it came to putting words and punch lines together, that was your guy. But, then you take somebody like Pac, you know, seven, ten years later, his words are still relevant, because he was being honest. He was himself. When you ain’t honest with yourself you can’t be honest with anybody else.
I beg to differ with anybody who said that Pac hit a lyrical plateau. If anything he was before his time.
That’s how I feel, a lot of the cats are just catching up to me. A lot of the cats that I started rapping for are 30 plus now. But, they understand everything that I’m going through. So, that average seventeen-year-old, to him, he might not understand my reality. When I was seventeen, the shit that Pac was rapping about did not make sense to me. But you best believe, that every day that I listen to this shit now, every word makes every bit of sense; because, I’m in that position now. So, I understand that demons he was fighting and the things that he was going through, because I go through that.
That’s one thing that I’ve really come to love about Hip-Hop. Tracks are time capsules. Today a song may not appeal to you, but years later you may rediscover that same track and it’ll be monumental. You having the ability to share your words with the world is truly powerful.
Yeah, through music we speak the universal language. It’s like, if you aren’t saying nothing, what are you really saying? Anything can sound good—a song sounds good. If you think of an R&B singer like—you know, I ain’t good with relationships because I haven’t been in a lot of ‘em—but you must know that there is someone out there that can identify with those situations, from front to back. So, when you listen to them, if you’re going through that shit, you just really feel it. So, with me it’s just real life. I don’t go around trying to out-rap the next man. I go around saying, okay, this is real to me; I’m going to speak on this subject. It might not be relevant to you at this point in time, but maybe one day, when you get by yourself and you listen to this song, you might go, ‘Damn, he was being real about it. It makes sense now.’ Just like I listen to music now, I really can’t get into the music [that’s out] now, unless I write, because it doesn’t apply to my day. So, I can listen to the old Cash Money, or the first Snoop album, or the Me Against the World, Pac album, or the All Eyez on Me, or the Makaveli [The Don Killuminati: The Seven Day Theory], or the Ready to Die; because, I understand what they was going through at that point in time.
In the past, you have worked with Scarface. In an interview that he did with AllHipHop.com, he named you as one of his favorite Southern MCs. Have you communicated with him since he’s been released? When can we get ‘Face, Jeezy, and Gibbs on a track?
Man, that’s not even a problem. Scarface is like one of my homies, you know what I mean. I used to call and talk to ‘Face for like 30-45 minutes [and] just be on the phone chopping it up. Not even about music, but about life. He has got a lot of wisdom and a lot of knowledge. You know, he’s been around the game for a long time. I’ve always had a lot of respect for ‘Face! And Gibbs love him; so, that shouldn’t be a problem at all.
From you “Everything” is one of my favorite tracks. It made me start to look at Boosie as an MC and not just a party rapper. Since he’s been locked up have you reached out to him?
Of course, you know, me and mama Boosie have been back and forth. She’s spoken with me a few times and stuff. Boosie is going to be alright, man. The Big Homie got him upstairs; he’s going to be cool. I went through a lot of these situations with my people and for some strange reason they just seem to work out, you feel me. You can’t keep a good man down.
Earlier you spoke on this, but I want you to go more into detail, as an MC what’s the most important thing that’s associated with your craft? Why do you continue to do it; why’s important for you to be an MC?
I do it because I think this is the only thing—I feel like I was—I don’t even want to say blessed; I think that’s the wrong word. On this earth, I don’t think that there’s any other thing I was put here to do. Because, I wouldn’t have gone through all the trails, and all the things that I have lost to get here, to understand, that I have a position of power now, and I got to play that. A lot of cats might just say things to rhyme; but, you best know that every word I spit, I put some thought into it. Whatever phrase, whatever syllable it was, I have put some type of thought into it. Your words can affect anybody; so, I’m not going to say a bunch of bullshit to get no money. That ain’t me. As far as an MC is concerned, I just feel I was chosen by my people to lead. I’m a born leader. When I was on the block I was a born leader. When the older cats came to me and asked me for advice, I always had something to tell them. It was always based on something that was logical. I feel like that’s the position I’m in now. There’s a lot of crazy things going on in the world and I happen to be one of the people who understand it, and I’m able to articulate it. So, that’s how I feel. I’m Jeezy every day; it’s nothing. I don’t turn it on and turn it off for magazine articles, or videos, or whatever. I mean, that’s just me. Sometimes I can be an asshole, or sometimes I can just be the best nigga that you ever met.
Right now, you got me smiling. Recently, it’s been reported that President Obama’s approval rating has plummeted. What are your thoughts of his time in office in respect to the situations he’s inherited, the different circumstances that he’s encountered, and on which issues would you like for him to focus more of his concern?
To be honest with you, and I know that this is crazy, but I’m going to put it in layman’s terms. It’s like going to be a manager at a Wal-Mart [when] it’s already on its first bankruptcy, and you’re trying to bring it back. I feel like he did a lot in his power to help. Looking at the circumstances, it wasn’t really a win/win for him in the first place. But, I appreciate that he’s tried everything that he can possibly try without making himself look crazy, and taking us [The United States] all the way under. We as Americans like power and we as Americans like to handle our business. With that being said, I think that a lot of people got a new respect for him with his efforts as far as [coordinating] the mission that [killed] Osama bin Laden. President Obama went and got somebody like, bin Laden. We’ve been looking for him for years, because he did something to us. You know how we go, retaliation is a must. So, as far as the people are concerned, I’m going to go back to that Wal-Mart analogy. If you’ve got employees and they believe in your cause, and you pay them right then they’ll be down. So, I think that once the money comes back around, he’ll be great. At this point it’s a money thing. You can believe in somebody, but if they aren’t helping you get any paper—it’s a money thing! It’s like being in the hood. The big homie that runs the ‘hood will have all the respect in the world when he’s feeding everybody. He makes sure everything is straight, and that everybody is eating, and when you go to jail he’ll get you out, all those types of things that matter to us. I just think that right now if [President Obama] can get the financial situation straight, I think that he’ll probably be one of the best who ever done it.
I want to talk to you about C.T.E. and the community; how has it affected the local community and the global community?
As far as the local community, I can give you countless things that I have done for the community, as far as Christmas and back-to-school giveaways; but, I don’t really do it for the publicity. To be honest with you, I’ve had C.T.E. for the last twelve years, ten years. And even before I had a major deal, or any video, we were always renting out the local gymnasiums in the ‘hood, and spending countless amounts of money on giving the kids, you know, bikes and clothes, and things like that for Christmas. In Atlanta, I have made my way through neighborhoods, and knocked door to door and delivered gifts for kids. I’ve been there, when a lot of kids have been in the hospital, in comas, and nobody else could get them to talk. And I went and sat down and talked to them for hours and hours. Like, I’ve done all that, but I don’t do that for publicity. So, that’s probably why you wouldn’t hear about that. But to me, I think that if you change one child’s life that you can change the world. That’s just how I feel. I got a little homie now—he was in a coma—he was off the chain before. And I never knew him before the coma, by the way. But, after speaking to him, he was in a coma and he came back around. He told me that he remembered certain things that I said [to him while he was comatose]. Now, he’s one of the best kids that I know. He’s in school and he’s working. He stays on my line. He calls me about clothes and stuff like that. I try to keep him straight. To me, if Pac, or somebody would have did that for me then I think I would be a college graduate. I would probably be a doctor right now. We’d probably be talking about some surgeries right now, you feel me.
In the past, you’ve described your childhood as “empty.” In what ways are you working to reinforce your relationship with your son? And what are some things that you want him to learn from you?
First of all, he should learn that he don’t have to do nothing I did; that’s why I done it. You know what I mean, it was all really for him. At the end of the day, when we talk I let him know that you’ll have to think of some way, because that ain’t for you. As far as I’m concerned, I try to be straight-up. I’m always gonna be his father, but I want him to come talk to me like he does with his friends. In most single-parent homes it’s different; you always feel like you can talk to your friends. So, I just try to always keep an open lane for me and him to converse about any and everything. It doesn’t matter what it is, even if it’s something [that he did] that was wrong. He calls me all the time. He’ll be like, ‘Dad, I did this.’ I’ll be like, “Why did you do that.” He’ll be like, ‘I know I was tripping.’ So, if you know you was tripping then why you gonna do it. Are you gonna trick yourself?” ‘Nah, nah, nah, I got it. I know I can handle it now.’I try to tell him, that being a teenager there’s nothing that he’s been through that I ain’t been through. I don’t care what it is, top to bottom, left to right, whatever it is, you come to me about it and I got you. I got that understanding. I’ve been a young black man before and I know how hard it is in this world. And it’s definitely harder now than it was when I was growing up. In this new age, they don’t have any morals, they don’t have any rules, or any limitations; so, it’s difficult for them. Back then the economy is nowhere like it is now, so it’s different.
What’s been the most rewarding thing about being a father?
I got a little me. And at the same time, he’s witty like I was; he’s ambitious. I just like to hear him talk about his goals, and the things that he wants to accomplish. I just like to hear that. That gets me riled up to hear my little man talking about what he thinks he can do. That’s what I tell him, ‘Don’t think you can do it; just know you can do it! And at the end of the day, if you set your mind to it, it’s possible.’ Every time that there is a possibility, there is a way, you just got to get to it.
I really enjoyed this interview; your insight is refreshing and unexpected. Until the next time, what do you want to share with Murder Dog and the world?
September 20th, TM: 103 is out! You know, let’s get ready to do it all again. This is going to be a special time, man. This time, I think I got what the world is looking for. I’ve been listening to the things that’s been coming out, I get it. I think that what they’re looking for I got it.
