WordofSouth.com: What’s going on Juicy J?
Juicy J: Man, been working on this solo project that I got coming out June 16th called “Hustle Till I Die,” and it’s a banger. It’s straight jamming and it’s straight gangsta.
WordofSouth.com: It’s been almost seven years since your debut, “Chronicles of the Juice Man.” Why such a long gap in between albums for you?
Juicy J: Well you know we been doing the Three 6 Mafia stuff and the TV show and all that. I always try to keep something in the streets because I think the mixtapes and the independent music and all that, there’s money in everything. There’s money in the movies, there’s money in the major stuff, the major labels, but there’s just as much money in the independent game. I just try to keep something in the streets because these days you gotta keep something in these people’s faces because they’ll forget about you. Then you can make some money on the side. Independent, you know is straight cheese. Its straight cheese right now.
WordofSouth.com: Why the decision to make another solo album?
Juicy J: To keep my name out there, keep the Hypnotize Mindz movement going, and to stay in these people’s faces. Like I said, these days’ people will forget about you. Mainly to make some money on the side. If anybody know about that independent game, it’s love. There’s so much money in the music man. We’ve always put out independent music and we’ve been doing since we’ve started and never stopped.
WordofSouth.com: With digital sales making so much of an impact now. For an independent project, would you see as much money digitally as to say selling a CD on the streets?
Juicy J: When you doing it independently, whether you put it out yourself or have a distributor to distribute the CD. You get the digital sales and the ringtones. You still independent and you don’t have to go through the major labels and be a joint venture. If you sell 100,000 ringtones independently online, then you keep that. If you sell 100,000 digital downloads, that’s all you. You ain’t gotta pay a major labels. Major labels do a lot of joint ventures and there’s a lot of costs on top of that. If you put your money into it, you get the benefits.
WordofSouth.com: After your first solo album, did you really see yourself doing a second one?
Juicy J: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. I am going to make a 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and keep it rolling. We will put out a new Three 6 Mafia album, wait 6-7-8 months, drop some solo albums, and wait another 6-7-8 months, and drop another Three 6 Mafia album or Project Pat album. You got to get it while the gettin’ it is good man.
WordofSouth.com: Who do you have featured on the album?
Juicy J: I got Project Pat, Gucci Mane, Webbie, Gorilla Zoe, and I got this up and coming Memphis named V Slash.
WordofSouth.com: What is the mood for this current album?
Juicy J: Man, I’m just trying to sell 100, 000 copies and go to the bank. That’s the mood I’m trying to do. It’s some of the original Three 6 Mafia stuff. Straight gangsta music, gutter music, and hustling music. I grew up in the hood, so I’m talking about hustling man. Everything.
WordofSouth.com: A track with alchemist leaked. How did that song come about? Could that be on the album?
Juicy J: We did that song, uh, shoot, a while ago. He just called and we did it. He called us up and we knocked it out. It’s jamming too. When I heard it I had to think for a second because it was so long since I heard it. We record so much music every day. It’s not on the album though.
WordofSouth.com: What is the lead single for this album? Did you shoot any videos for the album?
Juicy J: The single I got out right now is called “Ugh Ugh Ugh” with Webbie and Project Pat. I also shot some straight home stuff. I wanted it to look like a straight home video. I wanted it to be straight gutter. I got a YouTube channel that you can hit me up on YouTube - juicyjcomic's Channel and you can see the video on there.
WordofSouth.com: Some of your fans from my forum wanted to know if it’s really you responding to the messages on your YouTube channel.
Juicy J: Yeah, tell them to send me a message and I’ll talk to ‘em. I can’t talk to everybody, but I try to get to as much people as I can. If you go to my YouTube channel you can see me in there working on songs and doing the music. I know a lot of fans wanna know how to make a beat and how do you come up with the hooks and stuff like that. I invite the fans into the studio.
WordofSouth.com: You are a CEO as well as a producer working on other projects. Did you just shut everything else down to focus on your project?
Juicy J: Naw man. I’m working 24-7 around the clock. I’m working hard man. I’m doing this solo and working on a Three Mafia album. Also working on a Project Pat album that’s coming out. I did mixtapes with DJ Scream and the Trap-A-Holics. I’m just working man. You gotta stay busy these days. If you want to make it, you got to stay busy.
WordofSouth.com: Are mixtapes something that you and the label are looking to do more of in the future?
Juicy J: Oh yeah man. I’m a do something with all the DJ’s. Big name DJ’s and the DJ’s that’s up and coming.
WordofSouth.com: Tell me more about the new artist V Slash that you mentioned earlier. What’s his story and how did you find him?
Juicy J: I was in Memphis and riding with my brother Pat. He was telling me about a new upcoming artist from North Memphis and the section that I grew up at named V Slash. He told me I had to listen to his CD and I listened to it and I was blown away. That shit was hard. So I’m just trying to do something I’ve never did before which is helping out some people from Memphis that aint even signed to me. I’m just trying to help them out and get on they feet. They doing what we did back in the day, so I’m just trying to help they dreams. I’m just showing any kind of love and it’s about time. It was way overdue, but I’m reaching back and I’m giving these youngsters that’s coming up a chance at this rap game. V Slash is off the chain. He’s hard, hardcore, and I’m talking about gangsta, straight gangsta. There’s a bunch of talented rappers in Memphis man that don’t get a chance to be heard or nothing like that. If I can help them out then I am definitely going to do that. I am definitely going to do that. They aint even got to sign with me. Back in the day when I worked with a bunch of artists in Memphis, they were signed to me. But, I’m doing something different, I’m messing with people that’s got talent and are good. They deal on their own, but I’m helping them out and shed some love.
WordofSouth.com: A lot of people have criticized you for not doing that, so why the sudden change to do so now?
Juicy J: Man, you know what. I just wanted to try something different. I do a lot of different things. I do my stuff different and I’ve never tried to be like nobody else. I love to surprise people and I love to do surprises. I love to shock people. Like, Boom! In your face. The time is now way overdue, but the time is now. Honestly, real talk with you. I ain’t got the money to sign nobody, but I’m a help them out. Back in the day we tried to sign everybody we could in Memphis. I aint gonna lie to you, running a record company is a headache. It is a headache, so man I’m just out here to break some bread with these youngsters out here man. There’s so many producers, rappers, singers, tap dancers, and comedians here. There’s a lot of talent and it’s time to put this city on the map. It’s time for Memphis rappers to stick together. Hopefully one day we will, but I’m working with these youngsters man. All these young rappers coming up is the future. What’s back in the day is old. It’s a new sound and it’s time to help the youngsters.
WordofSouth.com: Reaching out to the new and younger artists out in Memphis is definitely setting an example to other established artists.
Juicy J: Yeah and they not even signed to me and I’m letting it be known. It’s all good. If you help somebody out you will get blessed. Aint nothing wrong with helping out. People help me out. It’s time for me to return the favor.
WordofSouth.com: What’s the latest with the labels roster?
Juicy J: The only people that are on Hypnotized Mindz are Project Pat and Lil Wyte. Them the only two artists we have left.
WordofSouth.com: What happened with Frayser Boy and some of the others?
Juicy J: It is what it is. I still got love for all the artists like Frayser Boy and whoever was signed to us. I still got love to all of them and wish them the best, but right now it’s at the point where it’s all we got. The only person that got an album coming out on Hypnotized Mindz is Project Pat and Lil Wyte.
WordofSouth.com: Are you currently working on a new Three 6 Mafia album?
Juicy J: It’s close to being finished. We got the songs and we got like 2-3 songs that we are trying to pick through as far as a single. These days you gotta put out two singles. These young kids wanna hear more than one song. That’s why mixtapes are important.
WordofSouth.com: From a CEO perspective, what exactly went wrong with the “Last 2 Walk” project?
Juicy J: Sony hired a bunch of new people over there and everyone wasn’t on the same page. We sold some records off the album. We sold a million ringtones and digital downloads, but there was a lot of tension then. It’s all good now. They got rid of a lot of people and I think as of now, everybody is on the same page. Back then there was a lot going on. We had the TV show; won an Oscar, doing different shows, going to Europe, and just so much was going on. It’s all good man. We still straight, we good, we got money, and we good. It’s still a blessing to still be in the game and be able to help people out and keep it moving.
WordofSouth.com: Has the label pressured you guys to change your style up and make tracks that are going with the current trend in music?
Juicy J: You always gonna have that at record companies. Record companies are always gonna do that. They look at it like they need to make money. If you investing you gotta make your money. You always gonna have somebody that gonna try to make you try this or that. I’m a businessman, so I try to at least meet them halfway. Sit down with them and talk to them to try and get on the same page. I listen to their ideas and they listen to our ideas and we try to come together on some things. If we sit down and fight, then nobody gonna make no money. I think it’s best to sit down and just hear them out and see what they gotta say. They gonna have to hear me out and hear what I have to say. Meet halfway on the project because both of us gotta get paid off of it. It’s just a business move and that’s what we do, is do business. We been doing this for years. We been with Sony for over ten years. We had a record deal with Sony in 96, so it is what it is. It’s a blessing to even be in the building. A lot of people don’t get chances like that. Sometimes you come out with an album and that second album don’t do too good and you outta here. A lot of artists can’t say that they’ve been with a record label for over ten years. Especially with rap music being up and down right now.
WordofSouth.com: Last question…the fans want to know, what happened to the posse cuts on the independent releases?
Juicy J: Really mane, there ain’t no more posse. Like I said, we only got two artists left, so there ain’t no posse. It was a good run and fun back in the day, but there aint no more posse. But like I said, you never know man. I do a lot a lot of surprises and we always surprise the fans with something.
WordofSouth.com: Anything else that you want to mention?
Juicy J: Everybody go get the album, it’s jamming. It’s hard and it’s what the fans been saying they been missing like the underground CD’s we did from back in the day. Straight gutter, straight gutter, no mainstream, straight gutter.
Source: wordofsouth.com
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