Interview with JT Money by Djeneba Doukoure

Is this new JT Money album very different from the last one or is it along the same lines?

It's definitely different. How it's different? I guess it's just the next level. I never stay in the same--I keep goin. That's what I'm gonna keep tryin to do anyway. It's the same quality. It's that A+. What's different is that I gave all that game, now I'm makin 'em think about it. Like damn, do I grow up now or do I try to stay a kid and stay wild? Or do I face reality and suck it up? That's like the whole theme to Blood, Sweat And Years. It's like been there, done that, now try to get beyond that.

You see the world differently now?

Just livin life every day, I see it to what it is. Back then I couldn't see it, I was just caught up in it. Right now I got the opportunity to get around the world and actually see it. Step from the outside and look at it. Now I can tell about it. Before when I was writin I was just caught up with then. Now I'm more in control, I control my own destiny.

Do you think we're gonna get that JT Money/Poison Clan vibe that we're used to?

I still put it down. Back then I was wild, but now it's more national pimpin goin on. "Bitchizer" changed to "J Baby". I can still straighten out my brothers about the game itself. I think this album is gonna be like my sophomore Poison Clan album. It's gonna be just like that. That album was kinda big back then. I think this album is like that one. It's a good album. I just wish I coulda put more on it. I had some more songs. But with my deal, I gave 12 songs and that's that. I wanted to give 'em more, but I guess it'll come out on the next one.

Who did you work with on the production this time?

Dallas, my man. Tricky, the one who's doin the new single "Hi-Lo". I did one with Sam Sneed. I did one with me and Dallas, he co-produced it with me--"Father To Son". I used some cats outta Miami, a couple of my homeboys when I was down there. Called The NATO, but it's like Cool & Dre and this other young cat named Red. They're fire too, they're up and comin. Look out for them brothers, they on fire. I worked with someone named Rondelle, he's signed to my homeboy Big Gyp from Goodie Mob. He did the title cut, "Blood, Sweat And Years". I let some other people get on and do their thing.

How did you come up with the title, Blood, Sweat And Years?

It just came to me one day. They kept askin for the title for like two months. I was like, I ain't got it yet, I ain't got it yet. I was gonna call it The Hand That Flushed The Toilet. But we decided not to. We went with Blood, Sweat And Years.

Your last album came out about a year ago. What have you been doing? Writing songs? Touring? Or just being with your family?

Shit, everything you just said. I'm always thinkin of a song or writin down something I just thought of in my head. I stopped hittin the road while I was recordin the album. Cause normally I'm just out. Doin shows, tryin to sell the album, or promotin. That's what I do for a livin. But in the last few months while we was recordin, I was just sittin at home with the fam.

How did you first start doing music?

Me and my homies, in school we used to just kick it, freestyles and raps. There was a contest, they was givin away some money. Rap, dance, comedy, whatever you could do. My homeboy Deb (Debonair at the time) and me, we started the original Poison Clan. It was two of us. We got up there and we won the contest. Mr. Mix from 2 Live Crew, he was in the house that night. That kinda opened the door for us. He stepped to us, "Y'all wanna make a record?" We're like "Hell yeah."

How old were you at that time?

Bout seventeen.

I always wondered why you and Debonair parted?

I never knew to this day really why. He just wanted to do what he wanted to do. Maybe he felt like he wasn't doin the typa music that he wanted to do. Cause remember when he went and did Home Team with his brother, they did "Pick It Up Pick It Up", when I was doin "Shake Whatcha Mama Gave Ya". But we were always tight, we still tight.

What's he doing now?

We're gonna do an album. I went and talked to him a coupla months ago. Like right when I get this out we're gonna put this thang down. He's just waitin. He's still doin his music, but he ain't did no deals or nothing. He might be waitin on his boy, might be waitin till I come back to the hood.

Are we gonna get another Poison Clan album?

Oh yeah, I'm gonna do it. I just got these obligations right now, I'm tryin to fill 'em. It's like ain't nobody wanna start without J. I need to get it goin. Everybody waitin on J. That's my next move.

Who influenced you at the beginning, when you were starting to rap?

It was a lotta East Coast things goin on back then. I liked Kane and Kool G Rap, stuff like that. I was listenin to those cats. Then when NWA came out I was startin to rap by then, but I was into those cats. Geto Boys. I was into all that.

Who was your favorite rapper back then?

Maybe Rakim. Maybe Kool G. Maybe Deb--Debonair was bad to me. That was my homeboy. I thought he was super raw. There was a lotta cats back then that I thought was tight. That's the way the game was back then, cats was spittin the word in the music. The story done changed these days.

You were so original. When Miami was flooded with Bass music, here comes Poison Clan talking about something totally different--gangsta life, pimpin.what put you in that direction?

That was the real street. Record companies in Miami, they concentrated on--it's like tourism. We're gonna sell our party. It's like we're known for our burgers, but we got this chicken over there too. That's where I came in. I was the other side. Everything was "shake it shake it, party party." Cat's was sleepin on us too. When they talked about Miami, "That Booty shit." I was the one to step up to the plate with something real. That's where I come into the game as far as Miami.

Didn't you feel that you needed to do Bass music to get through the door? You took a risk and did it your way.

Bass is something I knew how to do. I grew up in it and I didn't just hate it. I could make one of those records. But me, I'm a true artist for real. I make records. I'm a creator, I create songs. I don't just write verses. I set the whole mood, the tempo and everything. I gotta separate myself from the rappers. Cause I know rappers, I know producers who made rappers, I know the game. I separate myself. I can do all that. But it ain't about just a beat. You get the hottest producer, but before I put my song on his beat it's just a beat to me. Ain't no disrespect. Just like you might think my rhyme's just a rhyme, you think your beat's hard.

You're saying that the beat wouldn't be anything until you put your song and your concept on it.

Right. Another artist could rap on it and they might not compliment the beat. The pattern, the flow, the delivery, the character. I don't trip on that. I'm like, Gimme some hot music, we're gonna make a hot record outta it. I'm not gonna let it go unheated.

When you pick out beats what do you go for? Do you look for certain producers or do you listen to any beat?

I listen to all beats. I'm not into the name thing. Some people do quality work and they're good period. I'd always give 'em a shout, I would always hear 'em. But I'm not chasin 'em down, I gotta have one of those beats! Hell no. I'm lookin for the fresh thing. What my ears haven't heard yet. What I haven't even thought of yet.

As far as Poison Clan, Debonair was on the first album and the rest was mainly you. Who were those other people on the CD's?

Just my homeboys. Cats who be around. I was tryin to put 'em on, see if anybody blow up from that, that was their opportunity. I always give somebody a chance to shine. I don't worry about all that, I can't even hate on anybody. I'ma do what I'ma do anyway.

Why didn't you go by JT Money back then? Why did you keep the name Poison Clan?

I never wanted to go solo. I was tryin to keep JT Money free. Even back then. It's just they had to have it. I wanted to get to the top with Poison Clan, not JT Money solo. I still got myself. But they wanted a piece of it, they had to have JT Money.

How did the name Poison Clan come about?

Poison cause we dope and dope is poison. We used to say that back in the day. But no, we got over five deadly venoms. Actually we used that name in that contest when we first started. We didn't have no group name, we was just homeboys. When we was goin up there to rhyme we just said, Call us Poison Clan. And we kept that thing.

Before that talent contest you were probably already serious about the music?

That was like my first time getting up in a club. I had done a school talent show or something. Rhymin was like an exercise for us. It was our hobby. You just kickin it, talkin junk, whatever, and next thing somebody just bustin. We just had a cycle goin. We was rhymin just like slap box. All us thought we was good, everybody thought they were better than everybody else.

At that time was there a lot of Gangsta Rap happening?

Not when we started. It was finna start, it was just goin down. When we did our first album I was just rhymin from the shorty standpoint. We was everyday juveniles, wild, knuckleheads. We wrote about our lives. I guess that was sorta Gangsta, but all the other cats was like, That's just like us, that's us, we wild too. The next year I'm like, OK I know what they want. Everybody's tough guys, they just wanna hear some Gangsta stories. Tell 'em the real.

I think when you came out with Poison Clan it opened up a lotta people's minds to doing Gangsta Rap.

I guess, they'd never admit it though.

You'd be surprised. A lot of rappers I talk to say they were influenced by you.

I have to say I never heard it. But I know I was there a long time before some cats.

You've been doing this for about eleven years now, starting back with Poison Clan. Do you think you got the props you deserve?

My credibility speaks for itself, so I guess I got the props. Far as the national spotlight, that wasn't there, but I really wasn't lookin for that. I'm happy where I'm at right now. I think the whole eleven years was worth it, it's all good.

When you first started with Poison Clan, what was going on in Miami?

When we first started it was a whole different time. The Rap game wasn't near to the level that it is now. I was down there close to the beginning, when the Bass music in Miami came into play. In the beginning it was just New York and then LA and so on. It started spreadin to Miami. I came up in the trenches. Back then the attitude, the whole game was different. Right now everybody's in touch, ain't nobody outta touch really. With the mass multi media and everything.

How did the Bass music start developing in Miami?

I don't know, I just grew up in it. We always liked bass, deep bottom in the music. I guess when we started makin records we made records with bass in 'em. But far as that fast tempo, that was just Luke. That was Luke's thing, that's the side he represented. But the Bass game was just deep bass, the low end, the bottom part. Fast or slow, it don't really matter.

Didn't it also have a lot to do with the clubs?

Definitely. The club scene, the party scene, that was the vibe of Miami as well. There's always something to do.

Is the atmosphere still the same or has it changed in Miami?

It's kinda the same, but it's actually a lot different There was a whole lot to do back then, now you have to kinda find something to do. Before it was goin down, every night of the week it was something happening. Right now you can't have nothin, cause the game done messed it up. People too scared to open up.

Poison Clan was signed to Luke Records. How did that deal fall apart?

After he did the bankruptcy thing I just went about my business. I was doin my thing whatever. But right now I don't have a drop of animosity or hate towards Luke. He's alright. I was in his movie. I did a cameo in there. If I'm in town I come through and holler. Far as business, I knew what I knew and he do what he do. We might do something, but it's gonna be on my terms.

Are all the Poison Clan albums still in print?

Lil' Joe has all the catalog. I'm workin on tryin to get that back. It's available, cause I been seein it in stores. But if they wanna hit me, JT Money, I got everything. I'll give it to 'em.

Who is Lil' Joe?

He's the one who finagled Luke outta all his catalog. He's got everything.

Did you make any money from Poison Clan?

Yeah, shit I ain't never had no job. I was livin pretty good. But I made a lotta money from shows. That's why I'm so used to bein out on the road. We didn't make no money from records. We just made records so we could do shows. Even with all that it's still litigation's and shit about the money from way back in the day. We're still goin through that. It's gonna come down to something.

What made you move to Atlanta?

Business. The work was good for me. When I did my deal I wanted to be close to people who I'm dealin with. That's why I went to Atlanta.

Do you miss your home town?

Definitely. I go down there every other week. It's like I'm still livin in two places. I just reside in Atlanta and work there, cause that's where the label's at.

Your new album was made in Atlanta?

Half of it I did in Miami. I went down to Miami for about a month and I did some songs, then I came back to Atlanta and finished it up.

I'd like you to talk a little about all the Poison Clan albums. Start with the first Poison Clan album.

2 Low Life Muthas. That was the beginnin. I was out there with my dogs. We were out on the road, hangin with 2 Live Crew. All the hype was goin down then. We was ridin in the midst of all that. I just turned 18.

That album sold pretty good for you?

About 100,000 units. Not bad for a debut.

You like that album?

At the time I did. Right now I can still vibe to it. It's like a memory, like a period in time.

What about the second album, Poisonous Mentality?

The second one, that was when I was just sure of myself. JT Money--oh you don't know? This is me, I'm here now. I thought I knew what they wanted. This what you wanted? Let me give y'all that. The second album I had to show and prove. I knew I was getting stuck at the time, but I didn't know what to do. I didn't have no sense of the game, cause this is where I came in. I wasn't taught nothing. I just had to go in and bump my ass. I was rhymin, I was getting paid for rhymin, but now I'm tryin to figure out the best way to capitalize. I wasn't fit to cut off my source of heat. So I just kept on makin records.

Debonair was gone by that time?

Yeah, he was gone.

But on the second album you did more what you wanted to do?

On the first one a man gave us eleven beats and we wrote eleven songs. Me and Debs collaborated on 'em. They were tryin to tell us how to say our shit back then, I'm like I don't rhyme like that! If you listen, I sound different on every song on that album.

Then what about your third album?

Ruff Town Behavior. That was just a follow up from that Poisonous Mentality. Keepin it goin. That was my real sophomore album. Still ridin high on the JT Money/Poison Clan thing. Didn't even know how it is, I thought I was ridin high back then. We still was doin nothing. But I was comfortable. I was eatin, I was livin, and doin what I like to do. Same thing I'm doin today. I ain't doin nothing no different, but I handle the business a little tighter.

What happened after that?

Then we was not dealin with the Luke situation no more. I did Strait Zoo-ism with Represent/Warlock. It was a whole 'nother city, it was never home. We was just tryin to put out another record, do some more shows.

What do you think of that Strait Zoo-ism album with Warlock?

It was a waste. I actually thought it was kinda good at the time. There's still a couple songs on there. I could kick back right now and think, This is wasted, they didn't even hear this. That's what I always think, They think this is hot? Let me play you some of my old shit, shoot you hard. But I don't never say nothing. I be chillin like, Y'all just don't know. But the ones who knowin, they know for real.

After that we didn't hear from you for a while.

I was getting my head right. I was still doin shows. Still able to eat, still didn't have to work no slave labor. But I was just getting right. I had a run in or two with them folks about my paperwork. They violatin me and slippin that bullshit. I was tryin to get to that major thing, cause at that time the game was startin to get major. '94, '95, '96, they started getting a lotta TV and radio. That's when Pac and Biggie was just comin up kinda. They was getting the multi media. I was like, Fuck this local shit down hear in Miami, I gotta get where the money at. That's when I went up to Atlanta. '98. And I got me a deal and so forth. And I'm here today. Miami couldn't offer me nothing. Everything down there was Luke. Everybody else was just leaves that fell off the Luke tree.

When you went to Atlanta you met Dallas Austin?

I knew Tony Mercedes already, I was dealin with Tony Mercedes. He had got me a deal with La Face. I had another violation bout some probation, I got messed up for 6 to 9 months. La Face dropped me. Then when I got out, that's when I met with Dallas. He had heard the record before he met me and he wanted to do something. Let's do it.

Do you ever think of re-recording some of those old Poison Clan songs?

I plan on doing some of them. I'm a redo it and I'ma do only the hits. I'm gonna do it. Some of that old Funk stuff, certain songs where I thought I was spittin game, I'm gonna touch up on them.

The mainstream crowd didn't know about JT Money from Poison Clan.

I'm lookin at that crowd, cats who was 6 or 7 years old when I was doin this. I'm like, Shit y'all remember this? I gotta redo some of that shit.

Were you happy with the last album, how it did and everything?

Not at all. I thought it was gonna be bigger than that. I like what it did to my regular fans and I was introduced to a few new ones. That was cool, but I think we sold too many singles. I don't like that shit, that's why I ain't sellin no singles this year. A lotta people who bought the single didn't know JT Money, and they're lookin at me as some new cat. They're thinkin I might be just like the other new cat who gave 'em one good song and then a bullshit album. But I don't give a bullshit album, that's what I'm tellin these people. I'll keep doin what I'm doin and they'll catch up when they catch up. We're gonna keep rollin. I think this one is gonna do better, cause they're gonna have to get that single off of the album. Then when they get a chance to hear the album--I hate to have to do that, but we gotta break 'em in that way.

BG
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