In his own taj mahal studios, on the far eastside of Chicago, Richard Allen White, better known as F.U.J.I. da' Hollow Filla, 26, contemplates taking over the music business. "I'm out to put Chicago on the map, even with the superstars we do have in the industry, we still have the worst hip-hop market, maybe in the world." With bonafide heatmakers like Grammy award winners in Common, Kanye West, and platinum selling artists like Twista, Do or Die, and Crucial Conflict, you would have to wonder, how is there any truth to this statement. "Personally I believe that if we were in a market anywhere else, most artists here would have been on, fell off, and got right back on again," he says. "Chicago is the hardest place to get on, because we DO NOT support our own, everyone else makes a killing off us with sells, but when it comes down to buying from our own its rare, hopefully we can change that."What he means by we is, his own record label, Crushin Em Records, Owned mostly by longtime DJ/Producer, JustDink, and business partner Aron Cook. "We are here to raise the bar for what is to come out of Chicago next," says Aron. "If they hot, they got to come through Crushin Em." With artists like Chi-Blizz (Power 92), and Payroll (Legion Records, Vibes top 50 Myspace MCs), recording there after only 3 months in business, they just might be right, and with F.U.J.I. putting together his debut album, "The Mating Season," scheduled for a 3rd or 4th Quarter release in 2008, Chicago may finally be able to get behind one of their own."The Mating Season is for the ladies man," says FUJI. "Women, and white folks are the only ones buying albums, so it's only right that someone did something just for the ladies for a change." "With Don Imus, every rapper calling women bitches and hoes, and the constant degrading of women period, I just wanted to give the ladies a breath of fresh air, ya'll can relax." He says inspired by 2PACs "keep ur head up," and L.L. Cool J, he's hoping songs such as "Nite Cap," and "Here We Are" can bring the love to hip-hop, and remain timeless for what love did for soul music in the 70s."I want these songs played 30+ years from now, not just for the next 6 months, and I believe the quality of the music will allow for it to do just that," he says.With the support from his city, FUJI believes now is the time. With label artists such as Nocka, Showtime, NATO, & Muddy Banks, Crushin Em may have the city on lock for years to come with all the artists clocking in from 26 years of age on down. "Just stay tuned, this is not a race, it's a marathon, we'll see you at the finish line."
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