SUGA FREE (March 2005) | Interview By:  Nima

      Dubcnn.com had the opportunity to chop it up with Hip Hops funniest pimp Suga Free to talk about his upcoming record, Chingy, guest appearances, hoes, the rap game and much more! Make sure to check it out and send feedback too: nima@dubcnn.com






Huge thanks to Suga Free for taking time out to answer the questions fans wanted to know and to Ted for arranging it! (Interview was done by phone on October 29th 2003)

Questions Asked By : Nima

Suga Free Gave Dubcnn.com A Shoutout! Check That Here

Full Interview In Audio : Here
 

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dubcnn.com: You're from Pomona. Did you get involved in the Gangsta Life growin up or was Pimpin' your first option?

Gangbangin' was... That was what we were around first, you know before we even found ourselves. We was just gangbangin' and fuckin' up, shit like that. It was cool, while it was cool, it was cool when we were youngsters, you know what I mean?


dubcnn.com: What was the very first album you were heard on?

Quiks, I believe! No you know what, it was mine, my record just came straight out, I think! Or hold on, maybe we recorded If U Stay Ready first, I don't know. I really can't remember off hand but I don't even think they heard me come!


dubcnn.com: Can you tell us about the making of the song "Why U Bullshittin"?

Yeah! I remember, it was funny! The song was funny. And we just happened to say the same shit twice while we were in the studio, you know, we'd say "like a muuufucka" twice, "like a muuufucka!!" *laughs* And I just said "Why U Buuullshittin?" you know what I mean? We ran it twice, and we recorded it probably at two different locations.


dubcnn.com: How much did Street Gospel sell?

How much it sold? All of them! *laughs*


dubcnn.com: I know, that record is hard to find nowadays!

Yeah, you know, we did pretty good.


dubcnn.com: Were you happy with the commercial success of the record?

Yeah, I was!


dubcnn.com: What made you start rapping in your remarkable off beat way?

Oh, just to let people know I could play with time! *laughs* Just showin' them that I could play with time real real good, you know? Make it knock! I always remember the one and the two when I'm rappin', the kick and the clap, I keep that in mind! What sounds off beat sometimes, could be brought up, sped up in a cool way! I mean you just have to know your ones and your twos you know what I mean?


dubcnn.com: Did you expect your career to go the way it went?

Yeah, yeah, I mean I knew I couldn't loose! With Quik producin' it! And you know, me talkin' about the shit that I'm talkin' the way I'm talkin' about it, you can't loose! You can't loose like that, never.


dubcnn.com: What's the biggest thing you've accomplished in your career as of yet?

My biggest accomplishment that I've done in my career? Watchin' me accomplish the accomplishments! *laughs*


dubcnn.com: For a while, you worked alot with Snoop Dogg and Dogghouse Records. However, lately this has not been the case. Any particular reason?

I'm just doin' my thang, I'm just doin' Suga Free right now, I'm not really thinkin' about nothin' else. We are cool and all that, but I'm doin' me!


dubcnn.com: Is Snoop Dogg as much of a pimp as he claims to be?

Yes he is!


dubcnn.com: Will the song Swallow Me be on your album?

I'm not sure.


dubcnn.com: Who's on it?

I don't know, I'm not really familiar about that.


dubcnn.com: What about the track Pimps Playas Hustlas with Mausberg?

Uhh, we still in the makin' of puttin' it together, finishin' it at the last minute you know what I mean? I really can't say right now.


dubcnn.com: How hard did Mausbergs death hit you?

Man! I was just gettin' out of prison... Yeah, they killed him like two weeks before I got out, so yeah I took that real personal, you know? And that's why even right now to this day man, I'm movin' like a lil mouse, you know what I mean? Because I don't for one minute forget who I am, and I put myself in situations that I know I can get out of. I never bury myself, with nothin'.


dubcnn.com: Where in the game do you think he would have been right now?

He'd be right here with me! Right here with me, doin' it big with his own fanbase!


dubcnn.com: That's beautiful.

You know!


dubcnn.com: You hooked up with Big Saccs on the Konnektid Project and the album was tight, and I hear ya'll are gonna start working on Vol. 2 soon! Can you tell us about that project?

Konnektid Part 2! Yeah, that's gonna be off the hook! That's just gonna be some small off the chain ass shit, comin' from us! And you know, again it's gonna be some bomb ass lyrical rap style pomona shit, and we just gonna do what we do best, do the best that I can do.


dubcnn.com: Who's all gonna be appearing on it?

I don't know yet, there could be a number of people. But DJ Quik and Big Saccs are gonna do most if not all of the production.


dubcnn.com: What was the deal with that Pomona Pimpin album?

There was no deal. Two thumbs down for that record right there!


dubcnn.com: Yeah man, I was hyped to hear some new Suga Free, but I was kinda dissapointed...

Ay ay man, listen to that Pomona Pimpin' shit, and listen to my new record and you be the judge. I put my heart in this! It's how I really feel, I turn this shit on and off like hot and cold water man! You know what I mean?


dubcnn.com: But why did it come out if it wasn't good??

You know what? People will put your name on something, man, just to get a few extra heads to come in their club you know what I'm talkin' about? Two thumbs down for that.


dubcnn.com: Now let's talk about your new album, "The New Testament". When did you start recording for it?

I started recording this a looong time ago man! I just pieced that up, piece by piece by piece by piece and I finished it by the middle of the year and got it out the way!


dubcnn.com: I heard it got pushed back to February... How come?

Uhm, you know, political reasons I guess. I wanna hear everybody elses shit first! I wanna hear all they shit so I eat all they ass up! I'm not worried about Westside Connection, I'm not worried about nobody! Jay-Z or none of them motherfuckers I'm Suga Free! Motherfuckers got to learn not to fuck with me! That style is unique right there! Ain't nobody fuckin wit that, you know what I'm talkin' about? I'm not worried about nobody! I'm just as anxious as any other fan out there waitin' on my shit to come out! I'm waitin' on my shit to come out! I'm waitin' so I can just sit back and laugh at all these muthafuckin playa haters! Laugh, giggle my fuckin' ass off! Walk around in the streets in Pomona in front of my momma house turnin' pink and shit cause I'm laughin' so hard! Get escorted to Pomona's hospital because my fuckin' chipples is startin' to pop up with laughter


dubcnn.com: I can't wait for it man!

Yeah, me neither man.. We need that around right now! But it ain't time, it ain't time!! You can't just put out no Suga Free record you know what I mean? You gotta lick your index finger and point up in the sky and see which way the wind is blowin', tuck your heels three times, and fall on your knees and pray to the pimp god with all your glory and wait for a outcome and react on it. Oh boy!


dubcnn.com: How did you come up with that name?

It just felt right, I liked it.


dubcnn.com: You released your first single Angry Enough and it's been getting alot of spins. Are you going to shoot a video for it?

Right now, I don't think so. I don't think so man, we just gone keep on movin' now, it's all timin', we just waitin' on the right time to hit!


dubcnn.com: We heard you're going to remix the track with ODB! When can we hear that?

Ah I don't know, ODB is crazy! I don't know, I think when we gonna do that song is pretty soon, I'll problably fly to New York to do that song. My management been talkin' to his management, and I guess they figured two crazy motherfuckers get together on a song and blow up!


dubcnn.com: You hooked up with Big Saccs again, how was the work with him on this album?

It's bomb man! Saccs, it's like me and him know that we finna make some shit that's gonna be knockin'! I was thinkin about Saccs yesterday, you know? Trip how we vibe and.. I be like "gimme, gimme one!!" "you want one?" "gimme one!" "you want one!" "yea gimme one!" and yeah made a song called "High Heels", and its real fly! Yeah ace in the hole man! Saccs is my dog man, thats my pigeon raisi'n patna! (Note: The three Saccs produced tracks are "High Heels", "Get Loose" and "Hustla Meets The Pimp (ft. Hi-C)")


dubcnn.com: How many tracks did DJ Quik handle on the album?

Yeah, Quik produced the whole rest.


dubcnn.com: How does The New Testament compare to your old album?

It doesn't compare! It's like night and day! I mean you got songs like I'd Rather Give U My Bitch, Fly For Life, On My Way, If U Stay Ready, Why U Bullshittin, and you know I didn't make this record to compete wit that one, but I FUCKED it up really really bad on this record man, I got down! My same shit, more skillfull, I did alotta good shit, I'm eager and anxious to see what everybody thinks about it.


dubcnn.com: Who do you have on your album as far as guest appearances?

Chingy is on my record. Me and Chingy got DOWN man and then on that song too, again that musical style that's just in us, we get in the studio and shit goes over, and muthafuckas are gonna be able to tell, that song right there is like not really normal rap, it's like singy song fly shit!


dubcnn.com: Yeah I was asked to ask you how the hell Chingy ended up on your album!?

I don't know, cause I had my hoes in front of the studio, trackin' money, and that's probalby why they stopped by there!


dubcnn.com: Hahaha, but what I meant was, Chingy is considered Pop, and for him to get on a album with Suga Free was kinda surprising!

Yeah well when I was in the studio workin' with Chingy he didn't sound like a pop artist, you know what I mean? I was real real cool wit him, he wanted to get with one of the girls, and you know, different little things like that, so it was cool, and it was a good vibe meetin' Chingy! He look like Quik! *laughs* He do, man! But that was a super vibe! We recorded that on Hollywood Blvd. You know I was like "Who is this, who the fuck is that over there?" Quik knew him I guess, and I'm countin' money on the table, my Puerto Rican bitch at the time, she was bringin' so much money in that muthafucka I was poppin' rubber bands! So I was loosenin' my belt in that muthafucka right? And I didn't know who no Chanky was.. I heard Chanky Chanky man who the fuck is Chanky?? But then he started bustin' and I was like "Ohh, that's Chanky ass!" And then I was like "Ok this nigga got on MY song, and just ripped it! But nigga you can't just walk up on the studio like that, let me show you.." and it all came out on record! *laughs* It's a fly ass song, when people hear it they gonna be like "Oh my god!" I know they are! They gonna be like "Damn dude!"


dubcnn.com: That's hot I'll be on the lookout for that one! So who else is on there except for Chingy?

Uhh lemme see I got Chingy, Morris Day, Quik, Clue Dogg, Hi-C (Note: Later on in the interview Free will add that Kokane is also on the album) and that's it. I got too much shit to say, I'm not gonna clog my record up with a whole bunch of cats because they gonna get in the way of what the fuck I got to say! Man I don't want too many muthafuckas on my show! Like "featuring" and they be all highlighted in yellow all over your damn CD shit there could be a picture or somethin you know what I mean? Back in the day you bought Al Green it was just Al Green, it wasn't featuring Bobby Bomack, Bobby Blublan, you know what I'm sayin? It wasn't all them muthafuckas YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYIN?? I believe they buy you for YOU. You know what I'm talkin' about??


dubcnn.com: I do!

Whatever happened to that man? Okay man, okay, I love you too homie, but that don't mean I need you on my shit! And that's just some real shit! I mean I didn't ask to get on your shit! That's real, no offense I love E-40, Bone Thugs N Harmony man allllll them muthafuckas man, but I got to do that shit real quick man! So can't nobody say shit, I mean I'm not equipped to deal with none of that in the first place.


dubcnn.com: Are you happy with your deal at Laneway/Bungalo?

Yeah man I'm extremely happy with my deal at Laneway!


dubcnn.com: Are you positive that they are going to have the right promotion to push you?

Yeah, oh yeah! 100%. I'm behind mine, that's my family!


dubcnn.com: That's good to hear! How important are commercial acclaim and record sales for you?

Oh real important! I just released a single called "Don't Fight The Pimpin'" and they put it on a new video game, some big video game that's comin' out, and it has 7 million pre-sales!


dubcnn.com: Yeah, it's called True Crime: Streets Of LA!

Yeah, True Crime! So I go by that lil shit like that, like these dudes want me to do a song to jump on there, bam, and then I hear about them numbers and I'm like "Fuck! 7 fuckin million! Pre-sales!" Unbelievable.


dubcnn.com: After this album, what's the next thing for Suga Free?

The Konnektid project!


dubcnn.com: I'm waitin' on that too.. I hope it's as good as Volume 1.. Altho that one had Mausberg so it will be hard..

Yeah, yeah, we all miss Mausberg, we love him, I think about it everyday.


dubcnn.com: Are you going to make a DVD?

Yes! Yeah man we in the middle of it right now, actually we gettin' started makin' the DVD, I already intro'd it and all that shit, so we finna get crackin' wit that! As a matter of fact you just reminded me of something! I need to call them DVD muthafuckas!


dubcnn.com: Fortress DVD?

Yeah I need to call them man! Load up the cameras!


dubcnn.com: They put up good DVDs, they just put out a hot WC DVD!

Dub C's shit hot? Lemme tell you how the Suga Free DVD gone be, I'ma take these muthafuckas to the cracks,surfaces of this game!


dubcnn.com: Have you ever worked with Above The Law or do you intend to?

I don't mind! That would be some real live stuff right there.


dubcnn.com: Would you hook up with Kokane on some more tracks? Ya'll sound sick together!

Yeah man Kokane is tight, we'll be workin' together alot! Oh yeah Kokane is on my record too I forgot to tell you! He's on there.


dubcnn.com: You've been making tons of guest appearances on different albums, how much do you charge?

For guest appearances? It depends on who it is, anywhere from 10 thousand, 15 thousand, you know shit like that. But I'm tryna do like Michael Jackson or Mariah Carey or somebody you know what I mean? Give me 50 Gs just to THINK about it. And another 50 when we get up out the studio. I want it like that!


dubcnn.com: What do you think of the current state of rap?

I think it's ok. I mean I don't think it's FUCKED up or I don't think its excellent, you know what I mean? I'm just in it, and it's payin' me.


dubcnn.com: You know DJ Quik doesn't sound too happy about it..

Cause Quik is really a fan, his music is personal, and naturally someone like that will want to sprinkle all his musical peers with the knowledge that he holds, cause he's such a great artist.


dubcnn.com: But it seems as if the only way to sell is to "sell out" yourself.. what do you think?

Well you know what? I guess I don't think about sellin' then! Because I'm just gonna talk about what I do, and I like the life! And just because I make records don't mean nothin'.. I mean that ain't shit! Anybody can do that shit!


dubcnn.com: What was the song you enjoyed the most making or being on?

I'd Rather Give U My Bitch, Why U Bullshittin', alotta songs.. That song I did wit Snoop where I said "Make a pimp wanna jump baack", that was fun!


dubcnn.com: I liked your little appearance in that Eastsidaz movie!

Oh yeah! I was just gettin' ready to turn myself in too! I was goin' to court. I said fuck that man, I want these muthafuckas to remember my black ass while I'm doin' these lil two years, or 16, 18 months whatever the fuck it was, you know?


dubcnn.com: How is life in jail?

Uhm, life in prison is fucked up! But you adapt, and you make it cool. That's like some whole other shit you know what I'm sayin'? I been in this shit since I was 14, juvenile hall, camps, CYA, I've been to about 7 or 6 different prisons, so.. I'm gonna save you alotta details.


dubcnn.com: If you could make one wish that would be fullfilled no matter what.. What would it be?

My wish has already came true.. Pimp! My dreams came true. I couldn't ask for no more, I mean growin' up around rats, roaches, and crackheads, shermheads and shit like that. I can't complain about nothin' man!


dubcnn.com: As a last question.. How much does it cost to perm your hair like that?

40 dollars! *laughs* It's called Flat Iron, it's called Press and Flat Iron, I don't perm my hair no more. I used to!


dubcnn.com: Alright man, we've come to the end of the interviews, thanks for answering all of the questions (and making me laugh), keep doin' your thang and best of luck for the new record!

Fo sho man, thanks for interviewin' me and lettin' me say what I wanna say!