WEBVTT - #38 - DJ Drama & Generation Now 0:00:03.960 --> 0:00:06.960 Yes, welcome, Welcome to the show, ladies and gentlemen. Man, 0:00:08.440 --> 0:00:13.080 it is about that time, Episode number thirty eight, the 0:00:13.080 --> 0:00:16.520 Blue Leg Heap Podcast is officially here. Flew to everybody 0:00:16.560 --> 0:00:18.760 who's locked in. Man, we got a dope episode today. 0:00:18.800 --> 0:00:20.799 I actually got to hit Atlanta for about a week. 0:00:21.079 --> 0:00:22.520 Had to go out there to shoot a music video 0:00:22.520 --> 0:00:26.599 for my artist Alexis, and while I was there, got 0:00:26.600 --> 0:00:30.120 to record some really dope interviews. This one was definitely 0:00:30.160 --> 0:00:34.440 the dopest. Got to tap in with all the Generation Now, 0:00:34.800 --> 0:00:38.320 which is DJ Drama's label, Don Cannon's label, the Homie 0:00:38.360 --> 0:00:41.320 Lakes label, So got to tap in with some legends 0:00:41.320 --> 0:00:43.840 and really just dive into the whole entire mixtape era. 0:00:46.560 --> 0:00:49.560 You know, just a lot of history with Don Cannon 0:00:49.600 --> 0:00:53.920 and DJ Drama that impacted so much of our culture 0:00:54.400 --> 0:00:57.080 here in hip hop. And I was really excited to 0:00:57.120 --> 0:00:59.680 talk to these guys. Got a shout out to our sponsors, 0:00:59.680 --> 0:01:03.160 man time shot to odd Socks, hit up odd Socksofficial 0:01:03.200 --> 0:01:07.240 dot com, keyword, bootleg keV right now and save twenty percent. 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Also, 0:02:08.240 --> 0:02:12.920 go to VAPINCBD dot com, our other sponsor, vapincbd dot 0:02:12.960 --> 0:02:16.320 com and use the keyword bootleg keV for twenty percent 0:02:16.360 --> 0:02:20.480 off all vapin products. Whatever CBD they got on that thing, 0:02:20.800 --> 0:02:22.799 you can get for twenty percent off by using the 0:02:22.840 --> 0:02:27.240 keyword bootleg keV at checkout. So go do that and 0:02:27.480 --> 0:02:30.760 let's get into episode number thirty eight with Djdrama, Don Cannon, 0:02:30.800 --> 0:02:34.640 and Lake aka Generation Now right here inside the Bootleg 0:02:34.680 --> 0:02:41.400 cap Podcast Yo Bootle cav podcast, Very special episode, all 0:02:41.440 --> 0:02:43.360 three of these guys in the same place doing an interview. 0:02:43.360 --> 0:02:50.000 You guys ever done an interview altogether? No Generation Now Man, 0:02:50.360 --> 0:02:54.560 Don Cannon, DJ Drama, the Homielake. Appreciate you guys for 0:02:54.639 --> 0:02:56.880 pulling up man, well, I pulled up on y'all. Actually 0:02:56.919 --> 0:03:00.360 so appreciate you. Yeah, listen, man, like here, I've been 0:03:00.360 --> 0:03:02.040 obviously wanted to talk to John for a long time, 0:03:03.400 --> 0:03:04.920 but I think it's so dope to have all three 0:03:04.960 --> 0:03:06.760 of you guys here. I heard that this is the 0:03:06.760 --> 0:03:08.280 first time you've been in the studio for a long 0:03:08.320 --> 0:03:15.320 time since March. Damn you feel very special. Yeah, damn special. 0:03:16.440 --> 0:03:18.480 And I had to I had to come out for guests. 0:03:18.800 --> 0:03:21.480 I appreciate that, man, I would get goost most of 0:03:21.520 --> 0:03:23.760 the time so much. I got so much ship. I 0:03:23.800 --> 0:03:25.680 want to like dive in with you guys on because 0:03:25.760 --> 0:03:28.160 I know you've been a lot of people don't know 0:03:29.120 --> 0:03:31.200 you're kind of the man behind the scenes that people 0:03:31.200 --> 0:03:33.600 probably know the least. So kind of break down who 0:03:33.639 --> 0:03:38.480 you are, what you do? Damn to start. They know 0:03:38.560 --> 0:03:40.600 these guys, these guys are you know, Yeah, no, they 0:03:40.640 --> 0:03:42.080 do what they do. I mean, and I like it 0:03:42.080 --> 0:03:45.840 that way. I don't even know how to describe it. Man. 0:03:46.000 --> 0:03:47.640 I feel like I'm just like the third piece of 0:03:47.640 --> 0:03:50.600 the puzzle. You know. It kind of makes the makes 0:03:50.840 --> 0:03:53.800 the wheels turned behind the scenes, you know. M hm. 0:03:54.960 --> 0:03:57.240 We'd like to describe it as like cannons the music 0:03:57.320 --> 0:03:59.560 drums facing on the business. So we'll just put it 0:03:59.600 --> 0:04:02.360 that way. So you handle the business to an extent 0:04:03.480 --> 0:04:06.720 of your history, break down a little bit. You just 0:04:06.720 --> 0:04:10.120 went to a nice, real quick rundown. Started off managing people. 0:04:10.280 --> 0:04:14.440 Uh used to work with Freeway, work with the state 0:04:14.480 --> 0:04:18.200 property guys for many work with Valentino, worked with Druma, 0:04:19.000 --> 0:04:21.359 work with Mace. Actually that's what I started with. Oh 0:04:21.400 --> 0:04:24.960 you started with Mace? What years? This is the Welcome 0:04:25.000 --> 0:04:28.120 Back era? Okay, okay, So that's the first person. Was 0:04:28.120 --> 0:04:30.400 that the Opportunity Waity Welcome So that was was that 0:04:30.480 --> 0:04:33.120 the album where he had the Brewers had on the cover. 0:04:33.160 --> 0:04:38.080 That is the hat the Brewers had cover. Yeah, so 0:04:38.520 --> 0:04:41.599 you know, been around, uh, been working with these guys 0:04:41.600 --> 0:04:43.440 ever since. We actually all went to school together. Where 0:04:43.480 --> 0:04:44.840 they want to Clark, I want the More House, which 0:04:44.880 --> 0:04:47.440 is like right now, right right right, Yeah. And if 0:04:47.480 --> 0:04:50.120 I've ever been to a nightclub, the DJ dramas DJ AT, 0:04:50.279 --> 0:04:59.200 he's there passing out shots two strange women, nonetheless with 0:04:59.200 --> 0:05:01.640 a blunt in his hand. For sure. No, I mean 0:05:01.720 --> 0:05:04.680 you guys have obviously, you know, done something special with 0:05:04.760 --> 0:05:09.560 Generation now. I feel like, you know, Dram, like you 0:05:09.680 --> 0:05:14.320 being who you are and being a DJ, and and 0:05:16.240 --> 0:05:19.960 like successfully and we're not just talking about successfully doing 0:05:19.960 --> 0:05:23.440 the label shit, Like we're talking about like Uzzi's one 0:05:23.480 --> 0:05:26.640 of the biggest fucking artists in the last decade. Jack 0:05:26.680 --> 0:05:29.840 Harlowe's superstar right now. So like, not only are you 0:05:29.880 --> 0:05:32.039 like doing your thing because you know, with your connections, 0:05:32.080 --> 0:05:34.400 you could do your thing with whoever is on your roster, 0:05:34.760 --> 0:05:41.960 but to like really really be like a prominent source 0:05:42.000 --> 0:05:46.640 of new talent in the music industry, it's just impressive, man, Like, 0:05:46.920 --> 0:05:49.520 you guys have built something really special. No, I appreciate that. 0:05:50.200 --> 0:05:54.840 It's very rewarding, Like you know, like just to think 0:05:54.880 --> 0:05:57.960 about my career and the successes I've had as a DJ, 0:05:58.360 --> 0:06:02.000 and you know we've had as a coming up as 0:06:02.000 --> 0:06:04.760 the affiliates and and you know, putting things together and 0:06:04.839 --> 0:06:07.840 projects and and doing it and just really elevating and 0:06:08.279 --> 0:06:12.359 you know, in some senses it feels like reinvention, you know. 0:06:12.400 --> 0:06:14.800 And and just even somebody brought it up today, like, 0:06:14.839 --> 0:06:17.800 you know, like or I put a tweet up that 0:06:17.839 --> 0:06:20.359 I just found on on Twitter and this guy said, 0:06:21.680 --> 0:06:24.360 he said, DJ Drama really went from t I to 0:06:24.480 --> 0:06:27.680 g Z to Uzzi to Jack Carlow. That's crazy, you know, 0:06:27.720 --> 0:06:30.200 And I was like, you know, it was it was 0:06:30.520 --> 0:06:32.720 it was like the highest praise for me. How it felt, 0:06:32.800 --> 0:06:35.560 you know. I mean, ship dude, I tweeted earlier or 0:06:35.640 --> 0:06:39.160 later last year, You're the greatest of all time. Yeah, 0:06:39.279 --> 0:06:41.479 I appreciate that. I forgot about that you did. That 0:06:41.560 --> 0:06:43.640 was that was an interesting conbo. Yeah, I was watching 0:06:43.680 --> 0:06:46.839 that that that versus and I was like, yo, like 0:06:47.640 --> 0:06:50.240 Dramas got his hands all over this entire Like like 0:06:50.520 --> 0:06:54.279 Atlanta is arguably the most important city in like it's 0:06:54.320 --> 0:06:57.640 New York obviously for sure, but like Atlanta is where 0:06:57.680 --> 0:07:02.680 everything is, the culture starts and everyone else follows. Atlanta 0:07:02.680 --> 0:07:05.120 and it's been like that for fifteen years, I'd say 0:07:05.160 --> 0:07:08.240 even maybe twenty maybe twenty, right, I feel like Atlanta's 0:07:08.240 --> 0:07:11.840 had the most dominant run in hip hop over and 0:07:12.400 --> 0:07:14.480 like I just don't feel like anyone has ever had 0:07:14.600 --> 0:07:19.920 more moments and influence and just has been a part 0:07:19.920 --> 0:07:22.600 of more history than you. Good looking and by the way, 0:07:22.880 --> 0:07:26.960 amazing DJ as well. I appreciate that. Yeah, we try 0:07:27.000 --> 0:07:30.040 to cover all grounds, all capacity, and you know, it's 0:07:30.080 --> 0:07:33.920 just like it really is because you know, I love 0:07:33.960 --> 0:07:35.800 this shit, like I've been doing it for so long, 0:07:35.880 --> 0:07:40.600 and you know, just just to I and we try 0:07:40.640 --> 0:07:44.040 not to get comfortable on what we've accomplished already. And 0:07:44.080 --> 0:07:48.000 then you know, just like being able to navigate and 0:07:48.120 --> 0:07:51.640 you know, being a DJ, it's like because we play 0:07:51.760 --> 0:07:54.480 music and we've been able to navigate through hip hop 0:07:54.520 --> 0:07:56.640 through a lot of times. It's like, you know, that 0:07:56.720 --> 0:07:59.120 keeps me on a cusp and keeps me like really 0:07:59.160 --> 0:08:01.040 addicted to new shit like at all times, you know 0:08:01.080 --> 0:08:05.080 what I'm saying. So so yeah, I mean it's my 0:08:05.080 --> 0:08:07.880 my my DJ hat is has been very helpful and 0:08:08.000 --> 0:08:10.920 you know, the career as an executive and you know, 0:08:11.400 --> 0:08:13.920 finding and you know, helping new talent and you know, 0:08:14.160 --> 0:08:16.200 turn it into what we did. And of course you know, 0:08:16.320 --> 0:08:17.920 s litt hit records are in your own right, you 0:08:17.960 --> 0:08:21.960 know for sure. And then you guys, I'm curious too 0:08:21.960 --> 0:08:23.800 because I was when I was just talking with Seddi Hendricks, 0:08:23.800 --> 0:08:26.679 And what I appreciate about Generation now is you guys 0:08:26.720 --> 0:08:31.080 truly like every artist really is getting it out the mud. 0:08:31.440 --> 0:08:34.000 Like it's not like there's not a fucking magic switch 0:08:34.040 --> 0:08:36.640 to hit. Like people really think Jack harl is a 0:08:36.640 --> 0:08:38.959 new artist, but if you've been tapped in, like he's 0:08:39.000 --> 0:08:41.480 been doing his thing with y'all for like three years 0:08:41.520 --> 0:08:43.920 and you know, and the same thing with Seddi. Like 0:08:44.760 --> 0:08:46.840 I think that like the work is what kind of 0:08:47.360 --> 0:08:50.600 you know, I feel like you guys are very conscious 0:08:50.679 --> 0:08:53.720 of the work, like and making sure like, hey, look, 0:08:54.120 --> 0:08:56.959 it's not as much because you guys could probably sign whoever, 0:08:57.920 --> 0:09:00.439 you know what I'm saying, But you guys definitely take 0:09:00.480 --> 0:09:05.200 the long way, like someone like Jack Harlowe, who this 0:09:05.520 --> 0:09:07.600 is not like he had a buzzing single and you 0:09:07.640 --> 0:09:11.040 guys grabbed him up and then just you know, through 0:09:11.040 --> 0:09:13.920 some gasoline on the fire. You guys built the fucking 0:09:13.960 --> 0:09:17.720 fire from the from the jump, So talk about that, 0:09:17.760 --> 0:09:21.440 like just your guys is like talent process, Like what 0:09:21.600 --> 0:09:22.920 is it you got to see in an artist to 0:09:22.960 --> 0:09:25.280 want to bring them over the generation now? And the 0:09:25.280 --> 0:09:27.080 same thing to be said about UZI too. By the way, 0:09:27.600 --> 0:09:33.600 you see an artist conviction? Uh? Inspired artists? A lot 0:09:33.640 --> 0:09:35.400 of artists come to you. They're not inspired, you know 0:09:35.440 --> 0:09:38.400 what I mean, they just don't have a vision. Uh, 0:09:38.559 --> 0:09:40.920 they just want to wrap and I you know I 0:09:41.000 --> 0:09:43.880 personally just you know me and drawn work, and so 0:09:44.000 --> 0:09:46.120 long we've known it. You know what we've known when 0:09:46.120 --> 0:09:48.719 we've seen people with conviction. The people that used to 0:09:48.800 --> 0:09:52.000 be at you know five three two. Glen Iris was 0:09:52.080 --> 0:09:54.599 like his house that was the hub for all this, 0:09:54.840 --> 0:09:57.720 you know what I was at. And we usedtill just 0:09:57.760 --> 0:10:00.120 watch so many people, like we watched David Banner to 0:10:00.160 --> 0:10:01.839 come in a white van and be like, Yo, I'm 0:10:01.840 --> 0:10:03.959 not leaving it so I get against the girls. Or 0:10:04.360 --> 0:10:06.800 you know, Paul Wall came down here and we used 0:10:06.840 --> 0:10:09.240 to do used to LATEX New York parties and he 0:10:09.280 --> 0:10:10.760 used to be like rapping. You know what I'm saying. 0:10:11.040 --> 0:10:13.560 Certain people you just they eyes just tell it all 0:10:13.600 --> 0:10:16.240 for them, you know. And I think that's what happened. 0:10:16.280 --> 0:10:18.360 A lot of artists like Jack came in that was 0:10:18.440 --> 0:10:20.920 the eyes, you know, Uzzi even SETI like a lot 0:10:20.920 --> 0:10:23.920 of the artists you just know, you know, it's that 0:10:24.080 --> 0:10:27.080 feeling like, oh, they're gonna do whatever it takes to 0:10:27.120 --> 0:10:28.439 get there, you know what I mean. Yeah, I think 0:10:28.440 --> 0:10:30.679 there's they all have that in common. Like that's one 0:10:30.720 --> 0:10:34.120 thing I could say about definitely the three of them, 0:10:34.320 --> 0:10:37.160 you know, and when it comes to generation now on 0:10:37.160 --> 0:10:39.800 the label, when I think about Uzzi, Jack and SETI 0:10:39.920 --> 0:10:44.720 like their passion and they're like, I'm I'm gonna get there, 0:10:44.880 --> 0:10:48.280 Like all three of them have have that instinctively and 0:10:48.360 --> 0:10:52.240 like to a thousandth degree. Yeah, I saw something on Twitter. 0:10:52.240 --> 0:10:54.679 It's like you can't want it more than your management 0:10:54.760 --> 0:10:57.959 or your label wants. Just then you're wasting everyone's time. 0:10:57.960 --> 0:10:59.680 And I feel like a lot of artists like you'll 0:10:59.720 --> 0:11:03.680 meet that her fire and you know, sh it just 0:11:03.760 --> 0:11:06.600 doesn't work out. And it's and it's really like they're 0:11:06.600 --> 0:11:08.800 a lyrics lacking in that they're doing music because they 0:11:08.800 --> 0:11:10.640 can not because they like they want to, you know 0:11:10.679 --> 0:11:14.800 what I mean. Absolutely, absolutely take me back to seven Man, 0:11:14.840 --> 0:11:18.200 because listen, I got a drama. I gotta thank you 0:11:18.320 --> 0:11:22.000 and and and you can because I made so much 0:11:22.040 --> 0:11:25.720 money selling gangster grill mixed cases from the time I 0:11:25.800 --> 0:11:29.040 was sixteen. That's where the name mister Thanksgiving came from, 0:11:29.080 --> 0:11:32.000 because I used to go on all the message boards, 0:11:32.480 --> 0:11:35.400 download all the tapes, go on mix unit dot com, 0:11:35.400 --> 0:11:37.880 steal the artwork fire. I had the fucking printer at 0:11:37.920 --> 0:11:41.240 the crib, friend, go to the office, maskt the jewel cases. 0:11:41.520 --> 0:11:43.160 That's a good old day. How much how much you 0:11:43.160 --> 0:11:46.360 think you made, dude? Every weekend? I was at least 0:11:46.559 --> 0:11:48.320 I mean I was like seventeen, man, I got the 0:11:48.320 --> 0:11:50.240 Swap Meet. I had my little space at the swap mean, 0:11:50.280 --> 0:11:52.080 I was probably making like a rack of weekend. So 0:11:52.120 --> 0:11:55.400 that's great. It's five bucks a tape, five for twenty. Yeah, 0:11:55.400 --> 0:11:56.880 it was. It was drama. It was you and the 0:11:56.960 --> 0:12:00.559 Southern Smoke Ship. It is that ship so small. June 0:12:00.559 --> 0:12:03.400 the radio of course as well. But yeah, you know, 0:12:03.760 --> 0:12:06.760 the mixtape era was so special and it was like 0:12:07.559 --> 0:12:10.640 it was just there was just something about it that 0:12:10.640 --> 0:12:14.360 that I don't know if we'll ever get back. But 0:12:14.600 --> 0:12:17.760 you know, you obviously your biggest mixtape PJ of all time. 0:12:18.400 --> 0:12:21.280 But when you got arrested. I remember buying the I 0:12:21.320 --> 0:12:24.560 bought a free drama shirt off of a mixed unit. 0:12:24.760 --> 0:12:26.520 First time I ever met you, I was wearing it actually, 0:12:27.360 --> 0:12:30.200 So when we met, wasn't it like right after the 0:12:30.400 --> 0:12:33.040 It was the same. It was seven, right, I was 0:12:33.160 --> 0:12:34.840 a scrub in Phoenix. Yeah, I was. I was working 0:12:34.880 --> 0:12:36.160 at the radio. So maybe it was a year. It 0:12:36.200 --> 0:12:38.640 might have been my second album, promo run or something. 0:12:38.679 --> 0:12:42.000 I don't remember. It's probably six it was. It was no, 0:12:42.040 --> 0:12:45.679 it was after, Yeah, it was like right after or 0:12:45.679 --> 0:12:47.480 maybe it was like super Bowl was out there or something. 0:12:47.520 --> 0:12:49.320 That's what it was. It was the super Bowl because 0:12:49.360 --> 0:12:51.200 I remember that. It was like a couple of years, 0:12:51.640 --> 0:12:54.920 maybe right after that. But yeah, man, like that moment 0:12:54.960 --> 0:12:57.720 when you got you got raided and you got arrested, 0:12:57.760 --> 0:13:00.320 you got arrested, You didn't get arrested. Were you around it? Nah? 0:13:01.240 --> 0:13:04.120 It was crazy. Though. I was on my way to 0:13:04.160 --> 0:13:06.080 the studio. I was in the car with Freeway. We 0:13:06.080 --> 0:13:07.920 were actually on our way there. And mind you, we 0:13:07.920 --> 0:13:12.240 weren't just like we were. We've been friends since college, 0:13:12.240 --> 0:13:15.120 but it's not like we saw Lake every day. So right, 0:13:15.200 --> 0:13:17.840 put let's put that in perspective, right, so this is 0:13:17.840 --> 0:13:19.680 the day that I was actually about to come over there. 0:13:19.720 --> 0:13:21.199 It so happened to be coming over there. Yeah, we're 0:13:21.200 --> 0:13:22.520 gonna pull up. I don't know if we were working 0:13:22.520 --> 0:13:24.560 on a mixtape or working on something, but we're gonna 0:13:24.559 --> 0:13:27.199 stop over there. And uh, I remember Mace was there 0:13:27.200 --> 0:13:30.199 the night before. I brought Mace over there. The night 0:13:30.200 --> 0:13:33.160 before we had actually took pictures to do a mixtape 0:13:33.160 --> 0:13:39.400 that they were Wow that never came out Mace and Drama. Yeah. Yeah, 0:13:39.480 --> 0:13:42.640 And uh we drove by and we saw that ship. 0:13:42.760 --> 0:13:46.080 We kept going and uh, honestly, we thought it was 0:13:46.080 --> 0:13:49.400 happening to the studio that was next door, because it 0:13:49.440 --> 0:13:52.600 was a studio literally next door to Drum Studio, And uh, 0:13:52.760 --> 0:13:54.560 we thought I was getting ready. We was like, man, 0:13:54.559 --> 0:13:56.640 we're just gonna keep it moving, you know. Wow, we 0:13:56.640 --> 0:13:59.000 were right and too cool at the time either. Yeah. 0:13:59.040 --> 0:14:00.719 I feel like that's one of those historical moments. It 0:14:00.840 --> 0:14:04.080 kind of changed so much in in in you know, 0:14:04.080 --> 0:14:06.320 the hip hop culture, man, and it kind of was 0:14:06.360 --> 0:14:10.520 like the the beginning of the end of the mixtape era. Yeah, 0:14:10.600 --> 0:14:12.839 of the as how we know it for sure, as 0:14:12.880 --> 0:14:14.400 we know it where you could just pull up, I 0:14:14.440 --> 0:14:17.520 mean and obviously you know, things were changing. It's interesting 0:14:17.600 --> 0:14:20.000 looking back on it because, like you know, everything literally 0:14:20.040 --> 0:14:23.000 went digital appt Yeah, after that, it was straight to 0:14:22.520 --> 0:14:26.000 the z share link and you had to download, and 0:14:26.000 --> 0:14:28.520 then that Pith came along and then I also feel 0:14:28.560 --> 0:14:32.480 like after that the change really came and like how 0:14:32.760 --> 0:14:35.680 artists were put in mixtapes out because you know, you 0:14:35.720 --> 0:14:37.640 got to think about right after that, that's when like 0:14:37.960 --> 0:14:41.960 Wiz and Cole and Kendrick and Drake and it was 0:14:42.000 --> 0:14:44.640 all original music, but they were still like mixtape forms. 0:14:44.680 --> 0:14:46.960 So yeah, they were still technically mixtapes and kind against 0:14:46.960 --> 0:14:49.280 their deals. Yeah, like that was like I feel like 0:14:49.360 --> 0:14:51.280 what happened with you guys kind of kicked off that 0:14:51.320 --> 0:14:54.400 whole era of almost like it was the mixtape era 0:14:54.520 --> 0:14:58.160 and then the blog erag the blogs became the new mixtapes. Yeah, 0:14:58.160 --> 0:15:02.600 so when you get arrested, you get raided, Like, what's 0:15:02.680 --> 0:15:05.440 the thought process, man? And did you have any idea 0:15:05.440 --> 0:15:07.840 that that could be that that could happen? Nah? I 0:15:07.960 --> 0:15:10.160 really didn't. Never in a million years would have thought that. 0:15:10.200 --> 0:15:13.440 I mean one, because we were like we felt like 0:15:13.640 --> 0:15:15.440 darlings of the industry in a lot of ways, like 0:15:15.520 --> 0:15:18.640 we were hot, like I was on fire, you know 0:15:18.680 --> 0:15:22.240 what I'm saying, And like, you know, we were also 0:15:23.080 --> 0:15:26.600 in bed with so so much of the music industry 0:15:26.640 --> 0:15:28.920 with all the labels, not only for me in DJs, 0:15:28.960 --> 0:15:32.240 but then you know from labels were paying for gangster 0:15:32.320 --> 0:15:34.360 grills and you know, I had an album deal at 0:15:34.360 --> 0:15:38.640 Atlantic at the time. So when it all went down, 0:15:38.640 --> 0:15:40.960 it was like, yeah, our minds were blown, like I 0:15:41.040 --> 0:15:42.880 in a million years. Never like we said, I thought 0:15:42.880 --> 0:15:45.360 they were coming for the studio next door on some shit. 0:15:45.440 --> 0:15:47.000 I didn't think they was coming to get me. And 0:15:47.040 --> 0:15:49.680 even when it we first like went through the motions, 0:15:50.200 --> 0:15:53.600 I didn't comprehend it, you know. And it's so weird 0:15:53.640 --> 0:15:59.160 because there's so many like different theories or or reasons 0:15:59.200 --> 0:16:00.920 how and why it happened, you know what I mean. 0:16:00.960 --> 0:16:04.280 But it regardless, it changed the whole game, and like 0:16:04.360 --> 0:16:06.840 it literally changed the game overnight, you know what I'm saying. 0:16:06.840 --> 0:16:10.120 And the mixtape game was totally different after that, and 0:16:10.320 --> 0:16:12.160 you know it, you know, it was the top of 0:16:12.160 --> 0:16:14.000 the food change. So a lot of niggas was doing 0:16:14.000 --> 0:16:16.080 what we were doing with like yo, if they go 0:16:16.080 --> 0:16:18.400 get drama and them, like I remember, they got like 0:16:18.440 --> 0:16:22.920 big Mike and they got they got some yeah, but 0:16:22.960 --> 0:16:25.600 not like that, no one. I don't feel like anyone's situation. 0:16:25.680 --> 0:16:28.280 They made an example of you guys because yeah, like 0:16:28.320 --> 0:16:30.800 it was just it was crazy. So but I mean, 0:16:30.880 --> 0:16:35.440 and you know, it also made us more famous than ever, 0:16:35.640 --> 0:16:38.160 you know, so it was like it's it kind of 0:16:38.200 --> 0:16:42.680 set up for the first Gangster Girls album and yeah, 0:16:42.720 --> 0:16:44.720 so I mean, you know, looking back on and it's like, 0:16:44.880 --> 0:16:47.840 who knows how shit would have played out in our 0:16:47.880 --> 0:16:51.240 careers if that may not have happened. But but you know, 0:16:51.320 --> 0:16:54.000 another part of it too, was like I felt a 0:16:54.000 --> 0:16:56.080 lot of guilt at first when that shit happened because 0:16:56.080 --> 0:16:58.640 I felt like, damn this ship, like this here's a 0:16:58.680 --> 0:17:01.600 culture that I like grew up up like loving and 0:17:01.680 --> 0:17:03.920 like you know, you're the guy reason why Yeah, I'm like, damn, 0:17:03.960 --> 0:17:06.440 this shit's gonna die on my shoulders. Like I felt 0:17:06.520 --> 0:17:08.480 terrible for for a minute, you know what I'm saying. 0:17:08.520 --> 0:17:10.679 So I remember even when I like first did Against 0:17:10.720 --> 0:17:12.600 Grills or like when I did the tape when me 0:17:12.640 --> 0:17:15.000 and Wayne did Dedication three, it was like I can't 0:17:15.080 --> 0:17:17.160 let this ship down on you know, on my dime. 0:17:17.280 --> 0:17:19.159 Like you know, I'm letting all the guys who came 0:17:19.200 --> 0:17:22.840 before me down so to see where quote unquote mixtapes 0:17:22.880 --> 0:17:25.320 are now today or just even because I feel like 0:17:25.359 --> 0:17:27.439 they really it was a phoenix that arose from now, 0:17:27.480 --> 0:17:30.240 Like if you look at it now, in whatever form, 0:17:30.280 --> 0:17:32.720 mixtapes are bigger business than they ever were, you know 0:17:32.760 --> 0:17:35.000 what I'm saying. Yeah, now they're they're monit. They're fully 0:17:35.000 --> 0:17:38.760 monitored artist favorite. You feel what I'm saying. So you know, 0:17:39.560 --> 0:17:41.520 I do miss like the energy of like you know, 0:17:41.640 --> 0:17:45.359 it was re mixes in the freestyles and ship yeah, 0:17:45.520 --> 0:17:47.919 and and it was it was just different. And now 0:17:47.960 --> 0:17:50.920 it's like even when people drop mixtapes to a certain degree, 0:17:51.240 --> 0:17:56.159 unless you get all your your everything cleared, like it's just, 0:17:56.280 --> 0:17:58.160 you know, with all due respect to the mixtape sites, 0:17:58.200 --> 0:18:01.639 is everyone wants to on all the DSPs. Like I 0:18:01.680 --> 0:18:04.760 don't even I still haven't even like tapped in with 0:18:04.800 --> 0:18:08.479 the Wayne tape because I'm just I'm not downloading. I'm like, 0:18:08.520 --> 0:18:10.800 you know, like because it's not on the DSP. I 0:18:10.880 --> 0:18:12.240 wanted to be. And at a time when we were 0:18:12.280 --> 0:18:15.960 doing it, it it was like everyone there would there were 0:18:16.000 --> 0:18:18.560 no DSPs, so it was like you everyone had to 0:18:18.640 --> 0:18:21.840 have whatever gangster grills. Yeah, so back then, right, give 0:18:21.880 --> 0:18:23.760 me the process, So you do a gangst the grills. 0:18:24.000 --> 0:18:26.439 And for people who don't kind of understand like how 0:18:26.520 --> 0:18:29.160 tapes circulated back then and kind of what you got, 0:18:29.240 --> 0:18:32.440 like you were actually like were you wholesaling tapes out 0:18:32.520 --> 0:18:35.400 from your headquarters? Yep? Yeah, was whole selling them out 0:18:35.400 --> 0:18:37.960 from the headquarters. And then we was we had a 0:18:37.960 --> 0:18:42.400 whole system shot a man Jason Brown. We would uh 0:18:42.760 --> 0:18:45.280 wholesale them out from the studio. Then you know, also 0:18:46.480 --> 0:18:48.400 the mixtape sites would do what they do, and then 0:18:48.480 --> 0:18:51.159 who knows what the bootleggers was doing, so they you know, 0:18:51.680 --> 0:18:53.600 from canals, so like a mixed unit was like a 0:18:53.600 --> 0:18:56.840 big site, right, would stuff straight from you? Yeah? They would, 0:18:59.320 --> 0:19:03.840 uh huh yep yeah, because I always wondered, like it's 0:19:04.080 --> 0:19:05.800 you know, the whole idea of a mixtape is kind 0:19:05.800 --> 0:19:08.359 of bootleg anyway, right, but then you would kind of 0:19:08.400 --> 0:19:10.680 know when you'd get like the official joint because it'd 0:19:10.720 --> 0:19:12.800 have like the back black riding on it and on 0:19:12.880 --> 0:19:15.440 the CD. Right yeah, or how you kind of know 0:19:15.640 --> 0:19:19.119 you know what I'm saying, right, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, right, 0:19:19.280 --> 0:19:21.040 yeah for sure. So you guys, would you guys just 0:19:21.119 --> 0:19:23.960 kind of had your own little distribution system. We was 0:19:24.320 --> 0:19:27.840 we was killing shit. That crazy crazy. It was like 0:19:28.600 --> 0:19:30.760 what was your like a like a wholesale Like if 0:19:30.840 --> 0:19:33.040 if if somebody like what were you selling your tapes 0:19:33.080 --> 0:19:36.720 were hold like it was light like two dollars. It 0:19:36.760 --> 0:19:40.240 would vary from like two dollars to four dollars depending 0:19:40.320 --> 0:19:43.000 on where you know, where the market was. That's crazy. Yeah, 0:19:43.640 --> 0:19:45.200 and yeah, I mean that's shit. I know how cheap 0:19:45.240 --> 0:19:47.680 it is, especially you know you guys probably had twenty 0:19:47.720 --> 0:19:50.000 five CD burners going. Yeah, and it'll probably costs us 0:19:50.119 --> 0:19:53.480 like thirty cents of CD or something like that. Trying 0:19:53.480 --> 0:19:55.480 to think of the costs. Man used to go in 0:19:55.600 --> 0:19:58.119 that back room in terms of be back there putting 0:19:58.160 --> 0:20:01.679 the CDs together like New Jackson bro just like Wag 0:20:01.760 --> 0:20:05.520 and enjoyed something many boxes Field oh Man used to 0:20:05.560 --> 0:20:07.040 be able to go back there. I remember I used 0:20:07.080 --> 0:20:08.720 to go back there whenever I needed all of it. 0:20:08.760 --> 0:20:10.360 I just go back there and get the twenty five 0:20:10.440 --> 0:20:12.960 hottest new mixtapes because he was doing they was doing 0:20:13.040 --> 0:20:15.600 one every other week between them three between him since 0:20:15.640 --> 0:20:18.240 and Cannon. Yeah, there was one coming out every week. 0:20:18.320 --> 0:20:20.320 So you go over there you got applies tape and 0:20:20.800 --> 0:20:23.760 every genre from you know, you got a Joe Budden mixtape, 0:20:23.800 --> 0:20:27.080 you got Killing Mike. Would you? Would you guys wholesale 0:20:27.119 --> 0:20:30.480