* * * Trick Daddy NEW interview * * *

[Elano]

As one of the first people in Hip Hop to bring the spotlight to Florida, how do you feel about the current crop of artists?
Trick Daddy: I feel like they’re representing, but my main concern is if we’ll be able to feed our kids off of it. Will we be able to pay our bills two or three years from now? That’s the only part that confuses me. But, we are representing because that’s what we do. It’s the water—I think it’s something in the water. We’ve been making music and we’ve been doing this, but now it’s at a point where they’re playing our music in various areas. They’re actually listening to what we have to say.

When you say you’re worried, are you talking about just the artistic quality, or people being able to go to the next level and actually be owners?
TD: Right, with the label thing it gets kind of confusing. Don’t get it twisted because it [only] takes $150 to start a label. But, do you have artists? Do you know what you’re doing? Is you’re music sufficient enough to represent this state? I don’t think everybody should be allowed to…I don’t think everybody should be in a position where they can make music. I don’t agree with or listen to all of the music coming out of Florida. It just so happens that we’ve got a lot of big acts out here now. You got [me], Rick Ross, Trina, The Dunk Ryders, Blood Raw, Ball Greezy, Bizzle, Flo Rida, C-Ride, Ace and [DJ] Khaled are doing their thing. Plus you’ve got several other artists out of the state of Florida doing their thing now too.
It’s our time, and we need to get together and stick together. We have to stick together and represent our state and our city. We can’t let them force our hands to the point where we’re dissing each other on records or making little sneak diss records. A lot of dudes won’t even admit they’re dissing you on the sly. I’m gonna do whatever I gotta do to represent the state of Florida, even with the local acts.
I don’t know why the word local gets so much bad press. If you ain’t local, then you ain’t shit! Just ‘cause you’re from the town, now you’re supposed to be local because you’re from Miami? No, this the same shit you’ve been listening to. If you’re between the ages of 15 and 35 up to 40, then Trick raised you. With the exception of feeding and bathing you, I pretty much raised you. You can’t tell me you didn’t listen to my music. If you liked rap music before Trick, then ‘Pac raised you, because that’s who raised me. 2Pac, Scarface, Ice Cube, AZ—those people raised me, and I’ve been a music fanatic all my life. So I’ll do whatever I have to do.

If you take all that into account, is there any more you can do?
TD: When I do features and shows, I charge a Florida price. If you’re from Miami then you get the Miami price, because the closer you are the cheaper the price. A lot of people are intimidated by a feature from Trick. Put it this way: I would rather somebody get on my track and represent and give me my money’s worth, as opposed to getting somebody I had high expectations of and they fumble. If I come to you and say I want to do a song with you, that means that I’m a fan, okay? What we have to remember as entertainers is that without fans we’re not shit.
Without radio we wouldn’t have big records, and without producers we wouldn’t have our sound. People have to know all this is one. I do music for my fans. I’ve kept my fans for so long because I don’t let them down. If you get Trick to feature on your song, you’ll get your money’s worth. A lot of people are intimidated and afraid of hearing, “Man you put Trick on your song. You shouldn’t have did that…that’s Trick’s song now.” You need to do your part. If I outdid you on a song, that’s what I do. I just represent for my fans.

I want to backtrack, because you mentioned 2Pac, who was the only other person to use the word “thug” as much as you do. How did he influence you?
TD: I only listen to rap music that I can relate to. It just so happens that 2Pac and I had a similar upbringing. First of all, we’re the great-grand babies of slaves. We’re both black males who were incarcerated at a young age with no right to vote or carry firearms. A lot of other rights of ours were taken away also. But, the main thing that me and 2Pac have in common is that his music is believable. He could put you there. There’s a song on each one of my albums that someone has personally came to me and told me touched their hearts. “Thug Holiday,” “Children Hold On” and “America” are all for the strugglers. I don’t boast and brag about the houses and the cars because everybody ain’t got that. My music is for the bases, the jail cells and the ghettos. I make music for the convicted felons. I cry for them, and that’s why 2Pac was such a huge influence on my life—let alone my career.

Is it hard to strike a balance between your fans who want more songs like “America” and “Ain’t No Santa” and the people who want singles like “In The Wind?”
TD: On all my big records from “Let’s Go,” “Take It to the House,” “I’m A Thug” to “Nann Nigga,” I don’t think people actually understood what I said. Sometimes it ain’t what you do, but how you do it. You have to listen to my records. When I say, “You don’t know nann nigga,” that’s a nigga record, and the white folks loved it. I spelled Amerikkka with three K’s and they loved it. On “I’m A Thug” I’m basically telling them, “This is how I am and if you don’t like it, fuck you.” They loved it. On “Let’s Go” I’m telling them, “If you think you’re badder than me, I will fuck you up. You can go get whoever you wanna get.” And guess what? People loved that too because of how I said it.
Thanks to K.C. and a lot of the people who kept it real with me as far as clearing samples. I could’ve had tons and tons of those. I have more hits in me now. My album that’s coming out now Finally Famous: Born a Thug, Die a Thug will give you the same treatment. I’m not gonna sugarcoat nothing, because I don’t know how to do that. I go through the front door; the backdoor is for exit only.

Speaking of exits, would you like to comment on what happened at Slip-N-Slide?
TD: As far as me not being on Slip-N-Slide Records anymore, that was a sore growing on my foot that I healed. I put Neosporin on it and I can walk now. I’m tired of being a crutch. I’ve held you hand long enough. C’mon, stand up and walk on your own. Pay homage and show me the love. Know that people have always thought and will continue to think that I am Slip-N-Slide. Me, Trina and Rick Ross grew our careers together.
A lot of people think Ross is a new artist. No, Ross is an artist that was held back for many years. He woke up one day and said, “If I want this I gotta go get it on my own.” I don’t want anybody to take credit for Rick Ross’ career except Poe Boy Entertainment, Rick Ross and E-Class. Trina was supposed to be one of my artists. Can’t nobody take credit for Trina’s career but me.
Coming up, the more money I started getting, the more the head of my household started getting jittery. The offers went from coming every nine months to coming every 12 months. Then the offers only started coming every year-and-a-half. I’ve got too many features, too much respect with radio and in the ‘hood for my career to be postponed for any reason. I won’t let that happen to my artists.

It definitely sounds like it was more than just the business aspect of the relationship.
TD: It was more than just the business aspect of why I’m not over there anymore. I’m grown. I want to pick up my own spoon, stick it in my plate and feed myself. It’s certain things that puzzle me. When you never call me and say, “I love you, man. Thanks, man.” It’s crazy that I’ve sold a lot of records and made a lot of money for the company. I paid a lot of bills and [my sales] bought a lot of houses and cars for the people who work at and own these companies. It’s funny that our kids never played with crayons together. It’s funny that my kid can walk past your kid and not even know him.

You were doing things a label head would do long before you introduced this Dunk Ryders joint venture with Cash Money. As someone who was only on his second album, what did you see in Trina that made you confident about giving her a verse on “Nann Nigga?”
TD: She was out here in the streets with me. She’s from my era and I grew up with her. We grew up with drug dealers as our role models. People from the ghetto grow up wanting to be drug dealers and wanting to marry drug dealers. Women wanted them and the men wanted to be that. All we knew was to hustle and get that quick money. Trina is the finest, prettiest young things that I knew from growing up as a child.
One of the top three women rappers that I respect the utmost and love is Mia X, Mama Mia was the number one of all time. The next two were Lil Kim and Foxy Brown. I loved their music for the same reason I loved ‘Pac—it was believable. So, I wanted to create something that all women could get on her level. That’s where “Da Baddest Bitch” comes from.

Were you performing that role with anyone else on the label. There was a lot of talent under the Slip-N-Slide umbrella?
TD: Slip-N-Slide had a lot of artists J-Shin, The Lost Tribe, Society, Trina, Money Mark & CO, Don Yute—and I don’t want to insult anybody by forgetting them. We were all a family, but the head of our household let us stray off and separate. If you live in my house—my car is my house, my clothes, my company and my home—all that is my house. The number one rule in my house is that all of us get along. All of us are equal. If you don’t run your house that way, you don’t have control of nothing and they won’t respect you as a parent.

Let’s talk about the new house you’ve built. You have a joint venture with Cash Money for your Dunk Ryders label, right?
TD: I’ve got a joint venture with Cash Money for the first group off of my new label. I don’t want everybody to think I’m signed to Cash Money. If they get that money right, then I will be screaming, “Cash Money!” As of right now, it’s Dunk Ryders till I die. I have investors now and I have a business partner. I have rich friends that believe in Trick and know that I am out of my situation at Slip-N-Slide. My friends are willing to sacrifice their time, money and music to keep this Miami shit going for a long, long time.

Can you explain how you and Cash Money came together to make it happen?
TD: I’ve always respected Cash Money. They started out around the same time as No Limit and Slip-N-Slide. We were the labels, along with J. Prince over at Rap-A-Lot. He motivated me so much, ‘cause he was putting out so many groups. And I never knew how much money J. Prince made, but I knew how much notoriety he had. They respected him so much at BET and MTV and these magazines because he was such a gutter nigga. I always wanted to be that nigga.

So when we hear Dunk Ryders does that consist of Gold Ru$h, Fella, Iceberg, Bad Guy and Baby Girl?
TD: No. The Dunk Ryders are Iceberg, Fella and my little brother Soup who’s incarcerated right now. He’s doing a federal sentence ‘cause some old snitch ass nigga set him up behind some petty shit that they should’ve went to prison for. Instead of going in for the rest of their life, they set up my little brother. Bad Guy is one of my artists, Gold Ru$h is one of my artists and a producer who’s also on my label.

How long has this been in the works?
TD: Dunk Ryders Records? About the last two years. I just got the studio gutted out and we doing everything right. We ain’t on that flashy shit. The dress code is all black, so it ain’t no sense coming around with no reds, blues or pinks. You do that shit when you’re with your family.

The word on the street is that you’re headed to Def Jam? Are you at least leaning that way?
TD: I’ve got a lot of respect for Def Jam. Def Jam put out a lot of artists and they’ve had a lot of success in the music game. I’m leaning toward putting my shit out on my own. I want my masters. I want my ringtone money. I want my publishing. I want to be able to feature and do what I want to do. I’ve been in the game long enough.
As far as one of my artists signed to my label, it’s a strong possibility that one of them could have a deal through Def Jam—whatever I think is better for them. It’s very important that people know my artists' opinions has a lot to do with the decisions I make. I’m not the type of person who will do you any kind of way once I’ve got paperwork on you. I want you to be happy and content with it. If it doesn’t work, I want you to say, “We fucked up.” If it does work remember we did it together, God damn it.

Obviously there will be something coming in the next few weeks about your status and this Finally Famous album. What can you tell us right now?
TD: My fans will be impressed. On [Back By Thug Demand] I did a lot of samples that I couldn’t get clearance with. I ain’t going for that sucka shit no more. I’m not into sending somebody my record and getting them to feature on it only to find that their manager or label doesn’t want to clear them. They want to hold you up telling you not to release it until a certain date. I’m not fucking with nobody like that anymore. It’s basically the same Trick album. I’ve got something for the club, something for the women and everything is strictly for the thugs. You’ll have to listen to it.

In addition to the thugs, you seem to be the only person who directly addresses the Geechie folks.
TD: Right, they act like they forget where they come from. I still eat my greens with my ham. I still pour hot sauce on all my food, and rice is the number one side dish with every meal I cook. If you’re from the south then you’ve got Geechie in you. I eat my pork and I love my pork chops, bacon, hog maws and pig feet.

I read somewhere that there are some corporations trying to buy and take the land from them in parts of South Carolina and Georgia. Do you think the Geechie folks will become a lost culture?
TD: Nah, it’s not gonna work. Real Geechie folks ain’t leaving the country. There are certain parts of Florida you’ve never heard of where they go catch their food and kill it. They can try to come in there and fuck with them Geechie folk if they want to. It won’t be no Rosewood shit or no Mississippi Burning. They got AK’s these days.

Since you named your label after them, you’re obviously a fan of dunks. Now that Florida’s blowing up, do you think you have any competition?
TD: Hey, I am the don dada of the Dunk Ryders. Let’s get that clear first. I am the don dada of the Dunk Ryders, so if they pull up alongside of me, they better mind. I will spank they ass. I don’t park; I land because my shit be flying. The color of my car is candy, ganja green.

You’re also one of the few Hip Hop artists to regularly call in to ESPN Radio and talk sports with them. What the hell is going on with Jason Taylor?
TD: [Laughs] You know he’s made People magazine’s "100 Most Beautiful [People]" list two years in a row. He’s been on Dancing with the Stars, and he was already used to wearing those tight pants, so he’s ready to get into acting, man. Jason Taylor’s done a lot for the Dolphins but he’s ready to move on. I love JT for everything he’s done for the kids and the community. He has a beautiful wife, who is Zach Thomas’ sister. She carries herself like a lady, unlike a lot of these athlete’s wives. A lot of these athlete’s wives are out here off-sides.

Jason Taylor is a real humble and lovable person. If someone is mad at JT then they’ve got to have a real beef with him. He’s a grown man. He played for us for a lot of years and gave us outstanding play from someone of that size at the position he plays. If he wants to act, then I support him 100%. I was mad when Ricky [Williams] wanted to take that weed break, but I ain’t mad at him no more.

Now that you’ve made me feel all bad, we gotta switch to basketball. Would you rather the Heat get Rose or Beasly with that number two pick?
TD: Well, I’m feeling Rose. I’d take either one of them, though. I’d take Beasly if I had to. We’re gonna have to pick up a big man to help [Shawn] Marion out in the middle, and then I’m ready to roll. I think the Miami Hurricanes will be the biggest turnaround in NCAA Football history. As you can see the baseball team is already number one in the nation. My Florida Marlins are in first place now. It’s our time, man.
We’ve got the bluest water, the prettiest women, the greenest grass, and the prettiest colors and in a minute we’ll have a championship in every major sport down here. Let’s see what my city gone do. I love my city more than I love anything else in the world.

That’s some serious civic pride. What do you love so much about Miami?
TD: We have every culture and ethnic background—Haitians, Jamaicans, Guyanese, Chinese, Cubans and Columbians. We have somebody from every country, and our neighborhood supports anything possible. We have fresh fish—yellow tail, snapper, you name it. And, we get crunk. Ain’t no city like my city, and that’s why they compare it to a lot of states. When you come to Miami, kick back and enjoy the sun. Remember where you’re from, where you’re at and to respect me, and then I won’t mind you sitting next to me courtside at the Heat game.

I hear you’re pretty active in charity work down there too.
TD: Trick love the kids. Every year I make sure 1,500-2,000 kids get their school supplies. I remember growing up in the projects and some things we didn’t get were shoes, clothes and supplies. I want to make sure they at least get their school supplies. Every Christmas I get them their toys, because childhood is supposed to consist of fond memories not growing pains. Growing pains are for grown folks. Kids are supposed to have pictures. I don’t have a picture of myself any younger than 13-years-old.
So we take them out there and get the clowns, play games and do giveaways if you bring home good grades. I take special care of those ones that make A’s and B’s on their report cards. If you’re making A’s and B’s, then that means your momma is doing something right. It doesn’t mean you’re smarter than the other kids. I commend those parents raising their children right.

Now you came up with in a big family too, right?
TD: Yeah it was 11 of us. Counting my momma it was 12 of us in a three bedroom. If you got home late there was no more covers—that’s what we called our blankets and quilts, covers. So if you came in the house too late you had to get your ass on that floor. The bed was already full.

How do you apply all that when you’re parenting?
TD: Man, I sit back sometimes and people will say, “What’s on your mind? You’re smiling so you’re up to something.” I’m just so grateful, you know? Sometimes I just want to scream, but I don’t want anybody to think that I’m crazy. So instead of doing that, I just continue to do good and be a help. I want to continue to motivate ‘em so they know the difference between struggling and making it. Either way it goes you’re gonna have to make it, but there’s a way to make the struggle a little bit lighter on yourself.
I teach the kids to stop always wanting something. Instead of always wanting something go for the things you need. I tell my friends, “You don’t need a new car because this nigga has a new car. Your car is paid for and that boy is making payments. If you go get a new car and try to compete with him, you’ll be out of your house in a minute.”

And I’m guessing you can apply that to being the head of a label too?
TD: The problem with a lot of these bosses is that they don’t know how to pay their workers. If I can’t afford two steaks, we can definitely get two burgers. It doesn’t make sense for me to be eating a Porterhouse and you have a goddamn kid’s meal from Burger King. I don’t rock like that.

hhdx