SUGA FREE  (February 2004) | Interview By: Westcoast2K

      

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WC2K: So what have you been doin since Street Gospel came out?

Suga Free: Man just Pimpin, cause Im keepin it pimpin all the time. Then going back and forth to prison. Watchin mothafuckaz gettin fucked up, everything you can imagine. Watchin my family and cousins goin to prison and shit like that. But the beautiful side as well, you know the money!! (Laughs)


WC2K: When is your new album droppin?

Suga Free: Its coming March 9th, finally.


WC2K: What can we expect on there?

Suga Free: Well its produced by Dj Quik. Saccs did a couple of tracks on it. Chingy and Morris Day is on the record. Then I got Clue Dog, Hi-C, Quik, and thats about it. I called it "The New Testament - The Truth", cause thats what you gonna get, nuthing but the truth. And yea, March 9th is the release date, after all this time, so mark your calenders!


WC2K: Are you planning to shot a video for the first single?

Suga Free: At this point I cant say, I cant say right now, but I dont think so.


WC2K: Was there a different vibe workin on your new album than on the first one?

Suga Free: Not really, except that after all these years we know each other in and out. We finished Street Gospel in about a month but it took us longer on this one, it took us alot longer you know. But I think its better than the first one, its alot more skill on it. Some real tight production from Quik and Saccs.


WC2K: Are you gonna change the game with this one and bring something new to the table?

Suga Free: Man you know what, I just did the best that I could do, and thats a plus to me cause you can expect nothing but the truth. And I believe its my best work yet, and it was so much fun recording it.



WC2K: Lets go back a little bit. Were you doing any kind of music before you worked on Street Gospel??

Suga Free: Yes I been rappin since I was like 13 or 14. But I never put anything out or nothing like that, at that time it was just a hobby, just something I liked to do.


WC2K: Did you always rap with the same style since you started?

Suga Free: Yeah, that was always my style since you know when. That was always my style, but over the years it changed a lil bit and got perfected. But its the same style, basically.


WC2K: And after that, how did you hook up with Dj Quik?

Suga Free: Through my boy Black Tone in Compton, he hooked it up. Me and Tone go way back, I knew him since 90 or 91. So he came down one day to the car shop. I spit some shit for him you know, beatin on the table. And we started workin immediately after that. We had a big party recording Street Gospel. If you're havin a party while recording, it will show in the music and I think its easy to see that we had a good time, cause we party all the way through. And we did it on The New Testament, too.



WC2K: I heard there is a "Konnektid" Part 2 compilation coming out, is that true?

Suga Free: Yes it is. Part 2 coming soon. We'll start workin on it probably soon.


WC2K: You gonna have someone doing it with you? Like on the first one with the late great Mausberg (RIP).

Suga Free: Yeah Yeah. We're lookin at that right now. We're gonna have Quik on it of course. But we gonna have some different people on it this time. You know, thats what time does, time shows us different things and steps, so we gonna take another step on that one.


WC2K: Mausberg was one of the biggest talents, do you ever talk about him and his music? I often wonder what it would be like if he was still here.

Suga Free: Yea man, we speak on him everyday when we're in or out the studio, because it hit us hard. We really miss him. He had so much talent, he would be one of the greatest. But its alotta stupid shit going on these streets out here, thats why I dont associate with alot of people you know I'm saying? Because I cant, I simply cant because I wanna live.



WC2K: If you compare todays Hip Hop to back in the days, are you happy where its going?

Suga Free: Everythings fine to me. Hip Hop is going where Hip Hop is going. I mean when you look at Jazz and Rock & Roll and all that, Hip Hop is still new. It can go any way. I just kick back, smoke and enjoy the show.


WC2K: There were talks about a Suga Free DVD a while ago, is that gonna happen one day?

Suga Free: Yeah thats gonna happen, definitely. We're workin on that right now. I have to get back in touch with my people to get more footage. I cant say when but its gonna be the right time. Or we might put it out together with the album.


WC2K: Are you guys planning to release like a Lost Tape CD with unreleased & lost tracks?

Suga Free: No! Hell nah man!! We dont follow that Lost Tape, Mixtape stuff and all that. We dont do that, we do our own thing. Aint no tapes lost, we got all our stuff.


WC2K: Dj Quik said that he quit rapping and is no longer making records. Do you ever talk to him about that?

Suga Free: Yeah, he mentioned it, but you know when you love something so much like that and you're a guy like him, its hard to believe. I really dont think so, that dude is so.....I think the best is yet to come out of him.


WC2K: And were you surprised when he told you? Cause it would be a sad day if you'd see someone like him retire.

Suga Free: Yeah I think so too. But was I surprised? Yeah, hell yeah. I was extremely shocked. I mean we're all human beings, and sometimes we feel certain things that shocks us from the people you love, the people right next to you. It would be a tremendous letdown if that was to occur. I mean we all wanna hear what Quik is doing and what he's thinking.


WC2K: Do you think there is a specific reason that he came to that conclusion?

Suga Free: You know what, I have no idea. You can only talk to that man...damn this joint is tight!! Im listening to Seal right now homie. I like Seal.


WC2K: If you work with someone like Quik who works hard, does that motivate you even more?

Suga Free: Oh Hell yeah, he's my tremendous motivation. You should see him when he's doing his thang, anywhere, not just in the studio. From him being so smart like that, you just wanna be around him and watch him.



WC2K: On the new album, did you pick the songs all by yourself?

Suga Free: Well I basically wrote the raps, and Quik came with the music, and we picked what we felt was good enough for the album. But Quik comes with the music and he'd be like 'Hey listen to this, check this shit out' or 'Free look I want you to rap over this or that here'. He produced the whole thing and Saccs did a few, and its 17 songs on there.


WC2K: If you had to compare the production on you're new album to one of the earlier albums You & Quik made, which one would it be? Or is it something completely new?

Suga Free: Nah the beats on my record are different than anything we've done before. But when you know Dj Quik's production, his style and all that, and you hear the album then you will know its him, you can tell cause it has his signature all over it.



WC2K: I remember when you said you wouldnt have any guest appearances on your new album, and now you said you got a few people on there. What made you change your mind?

Suga Free: You know what, I didnt change my mind. Thats just the way it happened. People that was there hearing the vibe and then it worked. But its only a few people on the record though, the majority is me. And last time I talked to you the album wasnt done, so things changed a lil bit.



WC2K: When you first got into the music business, were you doing it for the love of the music or the money?

Suga Free: For both, the love and the money, cause you cant survive in the business if you do if only for the love. Well for me, maybe I could cause I'm a pimp too, but it wouldnt be as much though. So I gotta stay up with both, the pimpin and the rappin. I mean to me they're both easy, but the pimp game can be kinda different sometimes cause theres alot of ups and downs for you if you're a pimp. So its 2 different things, but only pimps know.


WC2K: Does time change? If you were a new artist right now, would that change anything?

Suga Free: No, time doesnt change, Id still do it for both. I mean it does change certain things, but not something that you feel deeply cause thats something thats automatically with you.



WC2K: People know you as the pimp, but has Suga Free ever been in love?

Suga Free: No. Hell no!


WC2K: How do you find your hoes? Or do they come to you because you're a rapper?

Suga Free: You just know. They just follow your hands, when you're a pimp you got a certain eye and they just show up. Aint no thang for Suga Free. But the majority of the hoes know the hoe game and they know I know my pimp game, so they just roll with me and have a good time and be happy. And the music helps, its just something for us to do, I guess. But I got my first hoes when I wasnt even rapping.


WC2K: If you had to chose between rappin or pimpin what would it be?

Suga Free: Probably rappin, thats how I get the real paycheck, because pimpin is just so up and down you know.


WC2K: Considering that you were pimpin before rappin, do you think that people have more respect for you?

Suga Free: I dont know man, Im just comfortable being the type of human that I am, but I dont know about the other people.


WC2K: Nowadays theres alot of rappers talkin about how they pimps, does that bother you sometimes, knowing that its not true what they say?


Suga Free: No it dont bother me, because when they get out the studio they gotta go to the bathroom and look at theirself in the mirror, and see the truth. You cant hide from yourself. Everywhere you go, there you are. So it dont do nothing but make me stronger when they do that stuff, cause I know what and who I am you know what I mean? But it happened before and its gonna continue to happen, through eternity and I can't change that.


WC2K: Does your family and your friends understand your mentality on pimpin?

Suga Free: My mothers right here you wanna ask her? *Mommmmma, phone call! Come talk to Jay, he asked if its ok what I'm doing. Is it ok?*

Ms. Suga Free: Hello Jay. We, the family of Suga Free understand and respect what he does. I mean why not? You gonna put that on paper what Im saying?


WC2K: Yes, you gonna be famous!

Ms. Suga Free: Ohhh booooy I was born famous! (laughs). Thats what Im talkin about!



WC2K: Alright thanks for answering my question.

Ms. Suga Free: No problem, have a good day.

Suga Free: See man, that was my mother, live and direct! Aint nobody playing around here, this is real live shit homie!



WC2K: Aight Free, Ill let you go. Thanks for your time I appreciate it!

Suga Free: Much love, call me anytime Jay.