HOT BOYS
Interview By Black Dog Bone
From Murder Dog Vol. 6 #4
Do you think each of the Hot Boys have different Rap styles?
Lil Wayne: Yeah, we all have individual Rap styles, we're all different. Then we compete against each other, that's what makes the albums so tight. Every song we do, from verse to verse, we all try to be better than each other. That's what makes everything we do so tight. We already tight, and we get it tighter and tighter. Each of us got their own individual style. Juvey got a off the push flow, Turk got his own flow, I got my own flow and BG got his shoot-em-up-bang-bang, duck-down flow.
What kind of things do you rap about?
Lil Wayne: I talk about street shit. I talk about the street, I talk about what I live. I might jump into some shiny shit, I might "Bling Bling" every now and then, but then I go right back head punchin guerrilla shit. That's all I know.
What's the meaning of a Hot Boy?
Lil Wayne: All you gotta do is listen to the first single "We On Fire" and that's gonna give you the definition of a Hot Boy.
Juvenile, can you break down the meaning of Hot Boys? What's behind the name?
Juvenile: That's some shit's bigger than us. That shit was goin on before we was put together as the Hot Boys. That's some niggaz that was about they business. We just took it to another level, representing them over the wax. But the Hot Boys represent muthafuckas that get their shine, take care of their personal business. We like the jewelry, we like the flashy cars, the flashy clothes. We like bein in the lime light and we love them ho's. At the same time we'll put a bitch in her place if she get outta line. That's what we bout.
The new Hot Boys album is called Guerrilla Warfare. What does that mean to you?
BG: Guerrilla Warfare means all out war, survival of the fittest.
Turk: Like all the imitators out there, all the perpetrators and shit, just callin themselves whatever they wanna be. We just tryin to put aside all the bullshit--Guerrilla Warfare, all out war. If you can't stand up in the battle field then you ain't gonna make it. We're lettin a nigga know we gonna stand up there, we gonna survive.
What do you mean by all the bullshit?
Turk: Got a lotta imitators, wannabe-ers, niggaz runnin around with fake titles and shit. We puttin it into all out war, things are gonna change.
BG: We're guerrillas in the jungle. Now picture four guerrillas with guns in their hands, you know they already dogged from bein in the jungle when they come down to the fields, it ain't gonna be nothing but trouble.
You say a lot of people are biting your style, what are you gonna do about that?
Turk: They're gonna do what they do, but they can't do it like we do it. We're the originators, and they know that. We bout to let the world know that, they can't do it like we do it.
How did the Hot Boys come together?
BG: All four of us came together in the label as solo artists. All of us bein from Uptown, and Uptown is where Hot Boys originated. We just collaborated as a group through Baby and Slim and Mannie Fresh. We Hot Boys and we gonna represent the Hot Boys and do this thing.
Lil Wayne, in the beginning you were part of The BG's?
Lil Wayne: When I was about 10-11 years old I was with BG, we was The BG's and we had an album out called True Stories.
What happened then? You left The BG's?
Lil Wayne: Something happened with my family, they took me away from it. Then I got with Baby and Slim and they put me in the Hot Boys. The original BG's was me and BG, it was just me and him. I'm still a BG.
All of you grew up in Uptown?
Juv: We some ol' Uptown-ass niggaz.
What part of New Orleans is Uptown?
Juv: That's a lotta area, all the wards--like the 17th Ward, 11th Ward, 12th Ward--all that's Uptown.
All different people live in Uptown?
Juv: Ain't too much different people, our lifestyles different. I ain't tryin to disrespect my Downtown folks, cause they come to our shit and they support us too. We can't talk about something that we don't know, we didn't grow up in Downtown. I ain't gonna tell you nothing about Downtown. Mannie Fresh on the other hand, he from Downtown, he represent them to the fullest.
Is Downtown the part where the tourists go?
Juv: Hell no! They'll steal your car, you'll get your head busted just like it'll happen Uptown. The French Quarter, the tourist area, that's like the middle of the city, that's the separation point. Once you cross Martin Luther King, right next to the Super Dome, you Uptown.
What's the main difference between Uptown and Downtown?
Juv: Fuck, we bein heard more than Downtown. All the big events, all the block parties and shit, we have more of them Uptown than they have Downtown. A lotta shit like Bounce music and Rap music originated Uptown. Most of the stars are from Uptown. 75% of New Orleans rappers are from Uptown.
I wonder why that is?
Juv: It's just like how it was for the South, they ain't got their chance yet. Somebody out there gonna spark that muthafucka up.
Bounce Music started Uptown?
Juv: I am Bounce Music, man, don't got no further. I'm the inventor, still the holder, I made that shit and it's all gravy. Leave it right there.
You invented Bounce Music?
Juv: I invented the shit, man, that's what I'm sayin. If somebody try take my chair, tell 'em to come check me.
I know your song "Bounce For The Juvenile" was one of the first Bounce songs.
Juv: It wasn't the first one on the radio, I was the first one on the streets with this shit in this city. I wasn't the first one to put it on wax, but I was the first one to actually sayin "bounce for this or bounce for that" in the clubs and shit, on the mic freestylin.
How old were you back then?
Juv: Thirteen.
You had an album out on Warlock, I saw that they rereleased it.
Juv: We ain't gonna talk about Warlock either. Fuck Warlock. I want my money. We gonna talk about Cash Money/Universal, we ain't gonna get on the Warlock shit.
Your solo album did really well and your single "Ha" is a big hit. Did you expect it to be so big?
Juv: Shit, bein with Cash Money--fuckin right! I had it easy, boss. The lord blessed Cash Money with the best producer in the world, Mannie Fresh. It ain't hard to make a hit over here.
I don't think you knew that "Ha" would take off like it did.
Juv: I was sure about that. I was sure about that when we first did that muthafucka.
Who selected that song to be the first single?
Juv: Slim selected it to be the single, but when I did the muthafucka I really wanted it to be the single.
How's your album doing now?
Juv: Right at double platinum, man.
How do you feel about that?
Juv: It's all gravy. I mean two is good, but three and four is better. I ain't never satisfied, man, I'm greedy.
What are we gonna get with this Hot Boys album?
Juv: They ain't gonna have another Rap group that could compare to us. We got four different styles all crammed into on album and we competin, which means we try four times as hard as we do as solo artists. And it's gonna be like that on Wayne's album right after that, cause Wayne's tryin to top all the other shit that came out by himself. The Hot Boys album is a steppin stone for us as a group. We still try to achieve our shit as solo artists too, we're tryin to be successful on both sides. Like you got a lotta artists that're good as a group only.
There's a lot of competition within the group, is that what you're saying?
Juv: Fuckin right. It ain't no secret. We all tryin to fuck over each other. But guess what, it's all gravy cause when the album drops the fans won't know that. The fans gonna be like "them muthafuckas ball". We compete with each other outta love, that don't do nothing but make us tight as a whole. If you don't have no competition goin on inside your clique then you gonna get fucked over by the other muthafuckas in the industry. They don't even count to us right now.
BG, how's your solo album doing? How do you feel about your album?
BG: I feel good about my album. My album debuted at number 2 on Billboard, you know, number 9 on the Top 200 chart. Just about gold right now, if it ain't already reached gold by now. My second single "Blink Blink", the video just went up a week or so ago, and that bout to send that muthafucka platinum plus, so it's all gravy.
What do you expect for the Hot Boys new album?
BG: That thang 5 million off top. The Hot Boys album is the best album to come from the South in years. It's the best group album to come through this Hip Hop industry since the NWA legendary days. We the Gangsta-est, street-est, ghetto-est group in the industry right now. We can't be faded. I feel like this album gonna separate the men from the boys in this industry.
People are going to know what's real.
BG: They gonna know what's real. It's gonna separate the men from the boys in this industry period. That's gonna let the other muthafuckas know that we ain't bullshittin period. We ain't askin for nothing, we comin and we takin.
Which songs on the album are your favorites?
BG: The whole album is a favorite to people. My favorite song on the album is called "Get Out Tha Way" and that muthafucka's jammin. I really can't pick, cause the whole album 1 through 17 is just a hit. Every song on there gonna be a single. My favorite song, I just couldn't say, man. My solo song's a hit, Wayne's solo song's a hit, Juvey's solo song, Turk's solo song, the whole album --all our songs as a group are just tight, man. It's the shit. We need 5 nutts on that Hot Boys too. I saw y'all gave me 5 nutts on my album, I appreciate that too. I earned that.
When you did the album did you record a lot of extra songs and just pick 17?
BG: After we finished the album they got some overseers over at Universal that see if some of the songs are too violent or not. You know a couple of songs got pulled from my album that I had to do over, but you know it's all gravy.
Did any of those songs end up on this album?
BG: No, I'm usin 'em on my next solo project that's comin out in December.
Juv: Naw, they're gonna be on my album. I took them muthafuckas already. They gonna be on Juvey's album.
You're already working on another BG album? Who else is coming up with albums on Cash Money?
BG: Lil Wayne comin out in August. The Big Tymers is comin out after Lil Wayne, then Juvenile's next solo project comin out, then I'm comin back out with a solo project. Then The Hot Boys comin back out again. The Turk probably comin out with a solo project. We're just rotatin around here.
How does Mannie Fresh keep up making all those beats?
BG: He's a genius, man. I can't even much explain. He's just a beat machine.
Who decides which songs go on the albums?
BG: When I make an album I might do like 22 songs and Baby and Slim decide what they want on there.
Have you been touring a lot?
BG: We're touring right now.
Where are you right now?
BG: We're at home right now. Then we're leaving tonight, goin to Alabama.
What kind of response have you been getting from people?
BG: When we hit the stage they react like we the Backstreet Boys. They just show us mad love. They be excited. And we give 'em that same love and excitement, that same energy they give us. We put a lot into our shows as far as performing. That's what it is, entertainment. We don't just stand up there and rap, we entertain the people.
I've never seen you perform. Who comes on stage first?
BG: We come as a whole. The Intro will come on to let 'em know we about to approach the stage. Baby and Mannie Fresh go out there and the crowd be buckin. Then one of Juvenile's songs will come on. Then one of my songs will come on. A song Wayne's one'll come on, then a song Turk on'll come on. Just keep switchin around. Go back to my album, go back to Juvenile--our show be like that, mixed up.
Have you been mainly touring the South, or do you go to LA, the Midwest and all over?
BG: We ain't done no show in LA or New York in a minute, but we'll be back there.
Wayne, I heard you're working on a solo album?
Lil Wayne: Yeah, my album's finished. All it gotta do is be pressed up and sent out. The album's name is The Black Attack, it'll be out soon.
Turk, are you working on an album too?
Turk: Yeah, I'm workin on mine, Untamed Guerrilla. It's in the works right now.
You're the last Hot Boy?
Lil Wayne: We're a whole. There ain't no first or last.
I mean you were the last to join the Hot Boys.
Turk: No, we all joined at the same time. I was the last to come to the record company, but not to the group. I was the last to come to Cash Money Records.
People are wondering if Cash Money is planning to sign any new artists?
BG: It's all about us right now. When we didn't have no deal and we was strugglin and hustlin tryin to get to where we at right now, we didn't have no muthafucka that was tryin to get with us. It was all about No Limit and Puff Daddy and them this and Death Row this. Ain't nobody wanna fuck with us when we was puttin in work, so we don't need to fuck with nobody now. We can hold our own weight with the seven people we've got.
Seven is enough for you right now.
BG: It's enough for the rest of our time in the business. We got all four of us solo artists, then we got our group the Hot Boys. Then we'll form groups amongst each other, like Turk and Juvenile will be the NOLA Boys. Then we got all us, the Cash Money Millionaires. Got the Blues Brothers. We don't need nobody.
Interview By Black Dog Bone
From Murder Dog Vol. 6 #4
Do you think each of the Hot Boys have different Rap styles?
Lil Wayne: Yeah, we all have individual Rap styles, we're all different. Then we compete against each other, that's what makes the albums so tight. Every song we do, from verse to verse, we all try to be better than each other. That's what makes everything we do so tight. We already tight, and we get it tighter and tighter. Each of us got their own individual style. Juvey got a off the push flow, Turk got his own flow, I got my own flow and BG got his shoot-em-up-bang-bang, duck-down flow.
What kind of things do you rap about?
Lil Wayne: I talk about street shit. I talk about the street, I talk about what I live. I might jump into some shiny shit, I might "Bling Bling" every now and then, but then I go right back head punchin guerrilla shit. That's all I know.
What's the meaning of a Hot Boy?
Lil Wayne: All you gotta do is listen to the first single "We On Fire" and that's gonna give you the definition of a Hot Boy.
Juvenile, can you break down the meaning of Hot Boys? What's behind the name?
Juvenile: That's some shit's bigger than us. That shit was goin on before we was put together as the Hot Boys. That's some niggaz that was about they business. We just took it to another level, representing them over the wax. But the Hot Boys represent muthafuckas that get their shine, take care of their personal business. We like the jewelry, we like the flashy cars, the flashy clothes. We like bein in the lime light and we love them ho's. At the same time we'll put a bitch in her place if she get outta line. That's what we bout.
The new Hot Boys album is called Guerrilla Warfare. What does that mean to you?
BG: Guerrilla Warfare means all out war, survival of the fittest.
Turk: Like all the imitators out there, all the perpetrators and shit, just callin themselves whatever they wanna be. We just tryin to put aside all the bullshit--Guerrilla Warfare, all out war. If you can't stand up in the battle field then you ain't gonna make it. We're lettin a nigga know we gonna stand up there, we gonna survive.
What do you mean by all the bullshit?
Turk: Got a lotta imitators, wannabe-ers, niggaz runnin around with fake titles and shit. We puttin it into all out war, things are gonna change.
BG: We're guerrillas in the jungle. Now picture four guerrillas with guns in their hands, you know they already dogged from bein in the jungle when they come down to the fields, it ain't gonna be nothing but trouble.
You say a lot of people are biting your style, what are you gonna do about that?
Turk: They're gonna do what they do, but they can't do it like we do it. We're the originators, and they know that. We bout to let the world know that, they can't do it like we do it.
How did the Hot Boys come together?
BG: All four of us came together in the label as solo artists. All of us bein from Uptown, and Uptown is where Hot Boys originated. We just collaborated as a group through Baby and Slim and Mannie Fresh. We Hot Boys and we gonna represent the Hot Boys and do this thing.
Lil Wayne, in the beginning you were part of The BG's?
Lil Wayne: When I was about 10-11 years old I was with BG, we was The BG's and we had an album out called True Stories.
What happened then? You left The BG's?
Lil Wayne: Something happened with my family, they took me away from it. Then I got with Baby and Slim and they put me in the Hot Boys. The original BG's was me and BG, it was just me and him. I'm still a BG.
All of you grew up in Uptown?
Juv: We some ol' Uptown-ass niggaz.
What part of New Orleans is Uptown?
Juv: That's a lotta area, all the wards--like the 17th Ward, 11th Ward, 12th Ward--all that's Uptown.
All different people live in Uptown?
Juv: Ain't too much different people, our lifestyles different. I ain't tryin to disrespect my Downtown folks, cause they come to our shit and they support us too. We can't talk about something that we don't know, we didn't grow up in Downtown. I ain't gonna tell you nothing about Downtown. Mannie Fresh on the other hand, he from Downtown, he represent them to the fullest.
Is Downtown the part where the tourists go?
Juv: Hell no! They'll steal your car, you'll get your head busted just like it'll happen Uptown. The French Quarter, the tourist area, that's like the middle of the city, that's the separation point. Once you cross Martin Luther King, right next to the Super Dome, you Uptown.
What's the main difference between Uptown and Downtown?
Juv: Fuck, we bein heard more than Downtown. All the big events, all the block parties and shit, we have more of them Uptown than they have Downtown. A lotta shit like Bounce music and Rap music originated Uptown. Most of the stars are from Uptown. 75% of New Orleans rappers are from Uptown.
I wonder why that is?
Juv: It's just like how it was for the South, they ain't got their chance yet. Somebody out there gonna spark that muthafucka up.
Bounce Music started Uptown?
Juv: I am Bounce Music, man, don't got no further. I'm the inventor, still the holder, I made that shit and it's all gravy. Leave it right there.
You invented Bounce Music?
Juv: I invented the shit, man, that's what I'm sayin. If somebody try take my chair, tell 'em to come check me.
I know your song "Bounce For The Juvenile" was one of the first Bounce songs.
Juv: It wasn't the first one on the radio, I was the first one on the streets with this shit in this city. I wasn't the first one to put it on wax, but I was the first one to actually sayin "bounce for this or bounce for that" in the clubs and shit, on the mic freestylin.
How old were you back then?
Juv: Thirteen.
You had an album out on Warlock, I saw that they rereleased it.
Juv: We ain't gonna talk about Warlock either. Fuck Warlock. I want my money. We gonna talk about Cash Money/Universal, we ain't gonna get on the Warlock shit.
Your solo album did really well and your single "Ha" is a big hit. Did you expect it to be so big?
Juv: Shit, bein with Cash Money--fuckin right! I had it easy, boss. The lord blessed Cash Money with the best producer in the world, Mannie Fresh. It ain't hard to make a hit over here.
I don't think you knew that "Ha" would take off like it did.
Juv: I was sure about that. I was sure about that when we first did that muthafucka.
Who selected that song to be the first single?
Juv: Slim selected it to be the single, but when I did the muthafucka I really wanted it to be the single.
How's your album doing now?
Juv: Right at double platinum, man.
How do you feel about that?
Juv: It's all gravy. I mean two is good, but three and four is better. I ain't never satisfied, man, I'm greedy.
What are we gonna get with this Hot Boys album?
Juv: They ain't gonna have another Rap group that could compare to us. We got four different styles all crammed into on album and we competin, which means we try four times as hard as we do as solo artists. And it's gonna be like that on Wayne's album right after that, cause Wayne's tryin to top all the other shit that came out by himself. The Hot Boys album is a steppin stone for us as a group. We still try to achieve our shit as solo artists too, we're tryin to be successful on both sides. Like you got a lotta artists that're good as a group only.
There's a lot of competition within the group, is that what you're saying?
Juv: Fuckin right. It ain't no secret. We all tryin to fuck over each other. But guess what, it's all gravy cause when the album drops the fans won't know that. The fans gonna be like "them muthafuckas ball". We compete with each other outta love, that don't do nothing but make us tight as a whole. If you don't have no competition goin on inside your clique then you gonna get fucked over by the other muthafuckas in the industry. They don't even count to us right now.
BG, how's your solo album doing? How do you feel about your album?
BG: I feel good about my album. My album debuted at number 2 on Billboard, you know, number 9 on the Top 200 chart. Just about gold right now, if it ain't already reached gold by now. My second single "Blink Blink", the video just went up a week or so ago, and that bout to send that muthafucka platinum plus, so it's all gravy.
What do you expect for the Hot Boys new album?
BG: That thang 5 million off top. The Hot Boys album is the best album to come from the South in years. It's the best group album to come through this Hip Hop industry since the NWA legendary days. We the Gangsta-est, street-est, ghetto-est group in the industry right now. We can't be faded. I feel like this album gonna separate the men from the boys in this industry.
People are going to know what's real.
BG: They gonna know what's real. It's gonna separate the men from the boys in this industry period. That's gonna let the other muthafuckas know that we ain't bullshittin period. We ain't askin for nothing, we comin and we takin.
Which songs on the album are your favorites?
BG: The whole album is a favorite to people. My favorite song on the album is called "Get Out Tha Way" and that muthafucka's jammin. I really can't pick, cause the whole album 1 through 17 is just a hit. Every song on there gonna be a single. My favorite song, I just couldn't say, man. My solo song's a hit, Wayne's solo song's a hit, Juvey's solo song, Turk's solo song, the whole album --all our songs as a group are just tight, man. It's the shit. We need 5 nutts on that Hot Boys too. I saw y'all gave me 5 nutts on my album, I appreciate that too. I earned that.
When you did the album did you record a lot of extra songs and just pick 17?
BG: After we finished the album they got some overseers over at Universal that see if some of the songs are too violent or not. You know a couple of songs got pulled from my album that I had to do over, but you know it's all gravy.
Did any of those songs end up on this album?
BG: No, I'm usin 'em on my next solo project that's comin out in December.
Juv: Naw, they're gonna be on my album. I took them muthafuckas already. They gonna be on Juvey's album.
You're already working on another BG album? Who else is coming up with albums on Cash Money?
BG: Lil Wayne comin out in August. The Big Tymers is comin out after Lil Wayne, then Juvenile's next solo project comin out, then I'm comin back out with a solo project. Then The Hot Boys comin back out again. The Turk probably comin out with a solo project. We're just rotatin around here.
How does Mannie Fresh keep up making all those beats?
BG: He's a genius, man. I can't even much explain. He's just a beat machine.
Who decides which songs go on the albums?
BG: When I make an album I might do like 22 songs and Baby and Slim decide what they want on there.
Have you been touring a lot?
BG: We're touring right now.
Where are you right now?
BG: We're at home right now. Then we're leaving tonight, goin to Alabama.
What kind of response have you been getting from people?
BG: When we hit the stage they react like we the Backstreet Boys. They just show us mad love. They be excited. And we give 'em that same love and excitement, that same energy they give us. We put a lot into our shows as far as performing. That's what it is, entertainment. We don't just stand up there and rap, we entertain the people.
I've never seen you perform. Who comes on stage first?
BG: We come as a whole. The Intro will come on to let 'em know we about to approach the stage. Baby and Mannie Fresh go out there and the crowd be buckin. Then one of Juvenile's songs will come on. Then one of my songs will come on. A song Wayne's one'll come on, then a song Turk on'll come on. Just keep switchin around. Go back to my album, go back to Juvenile--our show be like that, mixed up.
Have you been mainly touring the South, or do you go to LA, the Midwest and all over?
BG: We ain't done no show in LA or New York in a minute, but we'll be back there.
Wayne, I heard you're working on a solo album?
Lil Wayne: Yeah, my album's finished. All it gotta do is be pressed up and sent out. The album's name is The Black Attack, it'll be out soon.
Turk, are you working on an album too?
Turk: Yeah, I'm workin on mine, Untamed Guerrilla. It's in the works right now.
You're the last Hot Boy?
Lil Wayne: We're a whole. There ain't no first or last.
I mean you were the last to join the Hot Boys.
Turk: No, we all joined at the same time. I was the last to come to the record company, but not to the group. I was the last to come to Cash Money Records.
People are wondering if Cash Money is planning to sign any new artists?
BG: It's all about us right now. When we didn't have no deal and we was strugglin and hustlin tryin to get to where we at right now, we didn't have no muthafucka that was tryin to get with us. It was all about No Limit and Puff Daddy and them this and Death Row this. Ain't nobody wanna fuck with us when we was puttin in work, so we don't need to fuck with nobody now. We can hold our own weight with the seven people we've got.
Seven is enough for you right now.
BG: It's enough for the rest of our time in the business. We got all four of us solo artists, then we got our group the Hot Boys. Then we'll form groups amongst each other, like Turk and Juvenile will be the NOLA Boys. Then we got all us, the Cash Money Millionaires. Got the Blues Brothers. We don't need nobody.
