SLIM THUG (February 2007) | Interview By: Nima

       Dubcnn sat down to speak with Slim Thug just in time to discuss his upcoming projects. In this interview we get the latest information on the Boss Hogg Outlawz album which hits the streets at the end of February as well as his next solo album "Boss Of All Bosses" scheduled for an April release. We find out the finer details on both projects, talk about how he felt his last album "Already Platinum" faired, discuss his "hustle" in detail, talk about the artists he has come up amongst, get his thoughts on the recent DJ Drama & DJ Cannon RIAA arrests as well as much more in this exclusive interview.


As always we have both the transcript and the audio for you to check and please feel free to send any feedback regarding the interview to: nima@dubcnn.com

 

Interview was done by phone in January 2007

Questions Asked By : Nima

Slim Thug Gave Dubcnn.com A Shoutout! Check That Here

Full Interview In Audio : Here

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Dubcnn: We got Slim Thug right here on dubcnn.com. Why don't you start off by introducing yourself to everybody and letting them know what's going on with you!

What up it's ya boy Slim Thugga the boss of all bosses! Representing Boss Hogg Outlawz, the label. We're working on this new "Serve & Collect" album it's coming February 27th. We got that about to drop, and I'm about to drop my second solo "Boss Of All Bosses" in April, April 24th, so we're grinding down here, Texas!


Dubcnn: Tell us about your group Boss Hogg Outlawz and the record that's dropping.

It's really like, these are my people who've been putting it down with me on the underground for the longest, since we've been grinding out here, since I've been doing my thing independent. They're all signed to Interscope/Geffen, but we're still able to do independent shit. We're putting something out through Koch, going through that system, just to keep the streets the fed. The "Serve & Collect" album is really the blueprint for what we're finna do for these next few years, them putting out solo projects and shit like that. We wanted to give people a sample of them!


Dubcnn: That was my next question, how come you chose to go through Koch Records instead of going through Geffen?

Independent is good money, so... why not? *laughs* I'ma use Geffen/Interscope for their marketing to promote me and make me big, and at the same time use Koch to promote my other shit independently. That way, if Slim Thug is huge, and he's still putting out independent shit, on a huge level, shit it's more money for me. Cause when you're independent, you get more paper.


Dubcnn: Go ahead and introduce the members of Boss Hogg Outlawz real quick so people can know!

Alright we got Chris Ward, PJ, Killa Kyleon, Sir Daily, Rob Smallz and Young Black. That's the whole Boss Hogg Outlawz label, everybody on the label. Rob Smallz is an R&B singer, everybody got their different styles and shit, so it's gonna be a real big record man. We got the "Recognize A Playa" single that's out on the radio, that shit's taking off already, it's been added all across the country, so we just started promoting and it's gonna be a good look!


Dubcnn: The Boss Hogg Outlawz been around for a long time, how do you think this record is going to be different from the all the other shit we heard?

Cause it's real, it's a real album! We did the "Boyz N Blue" shit a while back, but this is everybody. We just put one independent record out "Boyz N Blue", the rest was mixtapes, so it's time to do something else! Time to put it back in their face and we're just really trying to set this shit so we can put everybody's solos out.


Dubcnn: So when is it dropping again?

On February 27th.


Dubcnn: Who handled the production on it?

It's a dude named Mister Lee, he's the one who did "3 Kings" for me, he did the Paul Wall "Break'em Off" record, he did a lot of shit right now. He did a lot of the production, then we got this other cat by the name of T.A., he's signed to Jeezy's label, he's got a lot of shit. Then we got G Up Productions, young cats out of H-Town who got some fire, gangsta shit.


Dubcnn: Is it just ya'll or are there any guest appearances on it?

Nah it's just us, it's so many of us that we didn't wanna take away from that. I wanted to get everybody a solo song on the album. It ain't like I just did this record just to put my name on the album. I'm involved with this record, I did at least 12 records on here with these artists. So it's going to be nice!


Dubcnn: How does it feel to see your old Swisha House label mates like Chamillionaire, Paul Wall & Mike Jones, as well as yourself, finally blowing up after all these years of hard work?

Man it's a blessing! We've been grinding for a minute! Me, everybody, Paul, Cham, everybody you named, we've been doing this shit since '98! And it finally get recognition for it and to make it look good as Houston movement, cause it ain't just one dude shining, but for everybody to be shining, and for it to be a movement, it's a blessing man! We just gotta keep the shit going! Everybody you just named is about to drop a record too, so it's going to be real good for us! H-Town is going to come out hard this year, an then we got UGK coming, so it's gonna be good for Texas!


Dubcnn: Why did Swisha House artists like Big Pic and Lil Mario diss you?

That shit is dumb man, really, it just got to the point where it was a nigga-mentality. This is what it was: I was with Swisha House, and I was getting more attention than they was. It started out as Swisha House, but when we would go do a show, the venue would say "Slim Thug & Swisha House", without me telling them to put that out there, but that's what the people did. So people got emotional about that shit, instead of just sticking around and getting their paper. That's what happens sometimes, but fuck it!


Dubcnn: How's your relationship with Lil Flip right now?

I mean we ain't never no relation.. We ain't cool or nothing but I ain't tripping on him, I ain't trying to diss him or nothing, I ain't worried about Lil Flip, I ain't got no problem with him. I'm just trying to get this money.


Dubcnn: You were balling before you had a major deal, what was your key to success?

Hustle, man, you gotta hustle. It's a million ways to get paid man, instead of just trying to take advantage of one way. You gotta take advantage of as many as you can, I was doing a lot. I was rapping, I had CD Stores, real estate, all that shit, you gotta do more than one thang to keep the paper coming.


Dubcnn: Looking back, are you satisfied with the success of "Already Platinum"?

Nah, I ain't satisfied, cause I wanted it to be platinum! But the shit ain't go right for a lot of different reasons, shit got bootlegged, wasn't promoted properly, with the Pharrell shit. It was a lot of shit, but I don't cry over no shit, I'm still getting money, it was just a lesson learnt!


Dubcnn: So what are you going to do differently for "Boss Of All Bosses"?

I just listen to the feedback! People are like "We don't want to hear you with Pharrell!" So I ain't with Pharrell on this one. I might do one record, cause it's a lot of people who did like that, me being with P, and I like working with P, he's a cool dude, very talented. So it's like, I really enjoyed fuckin' with the dude, but if the people don't wanna hear that, then I'ma give the people what they want! You gotta serve & collect, like I say. If they wanna hear that shit, you gotta give it to them! Whatever they want!


Dubcnn: So when can we expect your new solo to drop?

I'ma be out April 24th, "Boss Of All Bosses", I'm finna drop a single like next month sometime, so be on the lookout for it.


Dubcnn: How far along are you with the record?

Oh man, I've been working, I done did damn near 60 something songs, so it's like, I'm done with the muthafucka really! I did a record with DJ Toomp the other day, I got a record from Mister Lee and one with Mannie Fresh, so we're just trying to pick which one to go with for right now.


Dubcnn: What kind of guest appearances can we expect on the record?

I got Rick Ross on my shit, I'ma have T.I. on my shit, Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Chamillionaire, Young Jeezy, Boyz N Blue, my whole click. That type of shit. I got something with Cee-Lo.


Dubcnn: If it ain't broke don't fix it!

It ain't broke, don't fix it mayne! *laughs* Real talk!


Dubcnn: You've released a number of Mixtapes, both solo and with a group, do you have an exact number?

Oh man, I don't have no idea! It's been a minute, we've been doing this shit for years, my nigga, since '98!


Dubcnn: Yeah cause I was kind of going through the archives and shit, and I was like "Damn, I bet he don't even know how many mixtapes he's had out!"

Hell nah I don't man! I did so many of them muthafuckas it's like crazy!


Dubcnn: He put out Boss Basics with Drama and Cannon, what does he think about what happened to them? Does he feel their arrest will hurt the Mixtape scene?

I think it's going to scare a lot of people. That was a good plan from the RIAA, cause what they did, they just shook up the stores and the consumers. It ain't really about the dudes who make mix CD's. I mean they're going to be scared too, but the fucked up part is that the best buyers and the people who buying the shit are scared now. So yeah it's going to have an effect, they did a good job scaring the mixtape unit.


Dubcnn: When can we expect Killa Kyleon to drop an album?

Later on this year man! We're going to put this record out, we should be dropping later on this fall! October or some shit like that! He's working on some shit now, he just played me like three records, that shit is crazy!


Dubcnn: The West and the South were the first spots where the independent game was really popping. Who do you listen to from the West?

Oh everybody, I'm a big fan of the West. Really, the first muthafuckas that made me wanna rap was N.W.A and Eazy-E, and Snoop. I remember seeing Snoop come up, that shit just amazed me! Seeing the nigga on Arsenio Hall. Even the new cats, I like Game's shit, everybody man, E-40 is my nigga, all that!


Dubcnn: Are there any upcoming collaborations we can expect?

Ain't no telling man, it's about what beat I get and who I hear on that muthafucka. But I definitely would do a record with anybody I named. Real talk. I definitely would love to work with them, it's just about finding a record to get them on.


Dubcnn: The South been popping for a while now, what do you think ya'll have to do so the buzz doesn't die out?

Stay grinding man, you just gotta stay grinding and consistent with good music, man. Do us, and don't try to do nobody else! Just do what we do and make the music that we like. That's what it is!


Dubcnn: Alright man, I think we pretty much covered everything we had to cover, is there anything else you'd like to let everybody know?

We got the MySpace page, myspace.com/slimthug, we got the myspace.com/bosshoggoutlawz, so just log on to that and they're going to keep you up to date on everything!