from RADIO SHIT to STREET SHIT
Words by Kimeko Langham (of the Hole Magazine)Southern artists are as viable as ever and contrary to popular belief there is some serious rhyming going on down here. It is time to let people know true rhymers do sprout up from the red dirt of America's most southern states. Everything that's southern ain't crunk. And just because the projects look a little more livable down here doesn't mean that life in the South ain't real. Bitches still trick. Thugs still kill other niggas, smoke herb and sell dope. And everyday some child's Daddy walks out on him and leaves his Mama to be both mother and father.
LA and New York does not have a lock on poverty, desperation, despair or a damn dictionary for that matter. It's the same shitty ass story with a southern twist. Fortunately, the South's appeal is unmistakably growing out of control. Just consider the gold certified albums of 8 Ball & MJG, Lil Wayne, and Trick Daddy. And of course Lil Jon, T.I., Ludacris, and Outkast have shown that southern artists can reach platinum and even multi-platinum status while gaining national stardom. Ruben Studdard, Trina, Monica, Ciara, Three 6 Mafia, Luke, and Master P, are only a few of the southern artists that have done their thing in music.But even though some have made it from the Dirty Dirty are the A&Rs paying attention or are they only checking for those who have already broken through? Tha Hole caught up with a group of guys that we like to refer to as "THE BAD BOYS OF TENNESSEE". Each one of these rappers is determined to make you think of more than country music when you think of Tennessee. With thousands of cds sold and a solid street buzz why is the big prize eluding these southern superstars from Nashville, Chattanooga and Knoxville? We sat down with Tee Reezy, Q-Ball, Crisis, and Black Folks and discussed what it's like to be in the rap game in Tennessee. Let's talk about some TRUE SHIT.Does being in the country music capital have an affect on you?
All: No!Tee Reezy: It's a whole other side of Nashville that we are trying to bring to light and let 'em know what's happening down here. Young Buck helped a lot. Like he said, there are a million other Young Bucks.How has Tennessee been influential in your music?
B-Lo of Black Folk: In this part of the South you see things that the other part of the country doesn't get to see. There's a whole other level of racism. We get to see it from the bottom. When we speak we speak the truth. We make you think things that you wouldn't normally think of coming from somewhere else.Do you feel like you need to educate people about what actually goes on in Tennessee?
B-Lo: I wouldn't say educate them but you'll be able to tell it through our pain and through what we say in our lyrics hopefully if we're doing our job.What kind of impact do you think that G-Unit South and Bad Boy South labels can make?
Crisis: See, what they gonna do is sign a lot of cheese ball ass niggas. Niggas that are halfway real. They talk about guns. They talk about it like they choppers but they in love with a .38. They gonna find them kind of niggas and niggas like us are just gonna be sitting back like damn, what are we doing wrong. Maybe we the fake ass niggas you know what I'm saying.Q-Ball: Well to me G-Unit South, Bad Boy South, Def Jam South and all that are signing artists who are already in the game. They go get T.I. and 8 Ball & MJG. They don't come get the hungry cats.
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