On the arrival into Atlantic Records to interview the Florida rapper, Plies, the television in their lobby spotlights the growing tensions after the Sean Bell verdict sent shivers down the spines of black New Yorkers everywhere. The mind behind the “100 Years” record has served as the voice of the unheard since he first dropped “Tell Dem Krackers Dat” back in 1999.

After the success of his debut album The Real Testament, Plies was able to utilize his name to continue to bring awareness to the hood. But as they say, “with great power comes great responsibility,” and Plies – the man – fell under scrutiny via his YouTube casting call for his Bust It Baby reality show.

The Ft. Myers, Florida self-proclaimed “goon” sits down with HipHopDX for an introspective look at how his career affects his messages, if his reality show is a good or bad look for black women nationwide and why, if you have enough money, you can buy your community service hours.

HipHopDX: What’s up with you, man?
Plies: What’s good with it, man?

DX: Can’t call it, can’t call it… The first question I have for you is – are you still doing the prison tour?
P: Yeah, actually I partnered up with Don Diva and we’re trying to iron out a few things that ended up coming to bite us. For me, initially, we had all the cities lined up, but where I’m from in Florida, the Coleman Federal Correction Facility pulled out on me last minute. A lot of others pulled out, as well.

DX: Why did they drop out like that?
P: A lot of the reasons were because of the music I make. The content of my music was an issue. So, for me, it was about getting in there to talk to those folks, man. It’s a real important issue to me and I had to re-shift what it was that we’re trying to do. Don Diva was fortunate enough to catch whiff of what I was trying to do and they’re trying to help recreate the wheel with this project.

DX: But I don’t really get it, man… They said that it was the music that made them not want to associate themselves with you, but the things you talk about in your music, go on in their prisons…
P: Yeah, I think that that was the main reason of doing the tour. For me, to be able to be a part of a country that I personally thought I had the opportunity to express what I feel emotionally and what I go through in my life was only right. I never told anyone to burn a prison down, you know? I just gave you my opinion on how, some times, the system can be unjust and unfair to people. I thought it was my God given right as an American to say that. I’m willing to continue to fight the good fight to get my word across to the people though.

DX: That’s understandable. The people also are showing a lot of love to your state, man. Florida is really on it right now with yourself, Rick Ross, DJ Khaled and others doing their thing.
P: It’s good, bro. For me, I met [Rick] Ross and [DJ] Khaled at the end. When I first got signed to Slip-N-Slide, it was probably like a year to a year and the half before I physically met Trina or Trick [Daddy].

DX: You were trying to do your thing with the mixtapes on the low, right?
P: Right. I didn’t want to come to an established label as if I was thirsty for a deal, you know. I didn’t want to use what they worked hard to get to just let it be handed to me without having anything to bring to the table. So, my brother and I just went out for like the first year and a half, before I actually met Trick and Trina, to put in the work and put worth and value into what I was doing. I wanted to get my feet up under me, as opposed to just working for a hand out.

DX: You’ve branched out a little bit too, man… Could you talk a little bit about the Bust It Baby reality TV show?
P: Yeah, man… I haven’t really started that, yet. But I hear a lot of the negative comments about what people perceive to be black women embarrassing themselves and the culture.

DX: It started a lot of shit…
P: It’s part of our culture. In my opinion, our culture is the most stereotyped that I’ve ever been a part of. It’s hard being where I’m from. I remember someone saying to me, a while ago, “I don’t know what’s worst – to fail or to succeed.” For Black America, another black man is not supposed to capitalize off our ignorance. If white America does it, then we’re like, it’s cool, it’s funny. We have no problem with white America when they see how the trappers throw candy paint and rims on they car and now when you go to a dealership, you see the same thing on those cars in the lot. They’re just newer cars with candy paint, rims and TVs. It’s cool for White America to capitalize on our stupidity – whether it’s a liquor store or things of that nature. But our own people never wants to see us capitalize off our true roots. So, I expect the backlash. Whether I make a record like “100 Years” or do this reality TV show, I expect the criticism. Continued on page 2 »