DX: Now despite a general sales decline in music, Trill did very well in 2005, without much radio or video love for that matter. Now that Asylum has found radio and video success with Boosie, Webbie and Shawty Lo, how do you think II Trill will market differently than before?
BB: Well I don’t want it to market too differently. I like the way we connect with the people, and I like the way we getting the music and the message across. So as long as we stay true to what we do and what we’ve been doing, I don’t see why we can’t benefit from [everyone’s success] incredibly. But at the end of the day, we still gotta get out her and touch people, greet people, take pictures, shake hands, answer questions. Interact with people on MySpace, and television, and Facebook, none of that replaces hand-to-hand contact with the fan-base. That’s something that I continue to do, not only during album time, but on a daily basis. I’ve never been ashamed to touch my people; I don’t have a big wall of security around me where people can’t walk up to me and shake my hand and ask me something. Ive always been accessible to people and I think that’s the way it should be as an artist.

DX: Yeah, you’re somebody who has always kept it real in this industry. What's the secret? What motivates you to always be accessible, and be yourself no matter the circumstances?
BB: I remember where I came from. And the people from where I came from will never let me forget where I came from. So no matter where I go, I know I’m representing P.A.T. and if I’m not representin’ Port Arthur, Texas to the fullest they gonna definitely let me know when I come home. And I go home. I’m back in the hood and back on the corner, I’m not just from Port Arthur, you can catch me in Port Arthur. So when I go back home I’m standing on the corner or you can catch me in the barber shop or the projects in the city…I gotta be able to walk through with my head held high because nobody else in that small town is in a position to represent them, so it really falls on me. It fell on me and Pimp. Now that Pimp is gone, it really falls all on me. I'm like a one man band, as far as the city is concerned. And I’m dedicated to makin' sure we’re represented right.

DX: You were also vocal about the syrup epidemic recently, after the passing of Pimp C. And just within the past couple weeks Lil Wayne has started to talk publicly about his addiction to it…with that being said, how do you look at a hit from your catalog like "Sippin' on Some Sizzurp" nearly 10 years later?
BB: I mean, if everyone judged themselves at 28 on what they said or did at 18 I don’t think anybody would be happy with themselves. You get older, you learn different things, you go through life experiences. If people close to me hadn’t passed away from syrup, maybe I wouldn’t feel the same way. It’s the same thing like you may be happy to have a gun in the house till maybe one day one of the kids or a family member gets a hold of that gun and shoots themselves, then you probably gonna have a different mentality about guns in the house. Everything comes with life. People change at their own rate. This is my change that I’m dealin' with. And keep in mind I had already stopped sippin' syrup. I didn’t just stop after Pimp passed. I had already made a conscious decision that I was tired of wakin' up with my stomach all twisted up. I grew older.

As far as Wayne is concerned, people can't look at my statements and expect Wayne to move off of what I say. He’s a grown man and everybody’s gotta do what they do in their own time and own speed. People have been dying from cocaine for years; doesn’t stop people from using cocaine. People have been dying from driving drunk for years and unfortunately that doesn’t stop people from driving drunk. So everybody just has to [stop their addiction] at their own pace. I kinda wish people would leave the kid alone. They're putting too much pressure on him, and you can't make anybody do anything. And if the media really wants to see Lil Wayne put his cup down, then I think they need to give him some room and time to personally figure it out for himself. You can't force people into a corner. People need to give that kid some room to figure it out for himself.

DX: You might be right on that one…now you talk about all of the personal changes you’ve gone through…so with this new chapter of life beginning, what’s next for you?
BB: Like I said, it’s still UGK for life. I’m gonna make sure people know Pimp C was here and remind them of what his contribution to the game was and remind them of what the game is lacking now that he’s not here…and just take this movement as far as I can take it. I’m here as long as the people want me here to represent. I look at the Chuck D’s and the Willie D’s of the world…the LL’s and the Ice Cube’s…these people are still impactful. These people were already making records and were already who they were when I came in the game. So why would I think with my little 15 years that my run is over when these dudes are workin' on 25? Public Enemy will be eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in a minute. That’s gangsta. That’s what I’m working for.