DX: I want to backtrack, because you mentioned 2Pac, who was the only other person to use the word “thug” as much as you do. How did he influence you?
TD: I only listen to rap music that I can relate to. It just so happens that 2Pac and I had a similar upbringing. First of all, we’re the great-grand babies of slaves. We’re both black males who were incarcerated at a young age with no right to vote or carry firearms. A lot of other rights of ours were taken away also. But, the main thing that me and 2Pac have in common is that his music is believable. He could put you there. There’s a song on each one of my albums that someone has personally came to me and told me touched their hearts. “Thug Holiday,” “Children Hold On” and “America” are all for the strugglers. I don’t boast and brag about the houses and the cars because everybody ain’t got that. My music is for the bases, the jail cells and the ghettos. I make music for the convicted felons. I cry for them, and that’s why 2Pac was such a huge influence on my life—let alone my career.

DX: Is it hard to strike a balance between your fans who want more songs like “America” and “Ain’t No Santa” and the people who want singles like “In The Wind?”
TD: On all my big records from “Let’s Go,” “Take It to the House,” “I’m A Thug” to “Nann Nigga,” I don’t think people actually understood what I said. Sometimes it ain’t what you do, but how you do it. You have to listen to my records. When I say, “You don’t know nann nigga,” that’s a nigga record, and the white folks loved it. I spelled Amerikkka with three K’s and they loved it. On “I’m A Thug” I’m basically telling them, “This is how I am and if you don’t like it, fuck you.” They loved it. On “Let’s Go” I’m telling them, “If you think you’re badder than me, I will fuck you up. You can go get whoever you wanna get.” And guess what? People loved that too because of how I said it.

Thanks to K.C. and a lot of the people who kept it real with me as far as clearing samples. I could’ve had tons and tons of those. I have more hits in me now. My album that’s coming out now Finally Famous: Born a Thug, Die a Thug will give you the same treatment. I’m not gonna sugarcoat nothing, because I don’t know how to do that. I go through the front door; the backdoor is for exit only.

DX: Speaking of exits, would you like to comment on what happened at Slip-N-Slide?
TD: As far as me not being on Slip-N-Slide Records anymore, that was a sore growing on my foot that I healed. I put Neosporin on it and I can walk now. I’m tired of being a crutch. I’ve held you hand long enough. C’mon, stand up and walk on your own. Pay homage and show me the love. Know that people have always thought and will continue to think that I am Slip-N-Slide. Me, Trina and Rick Ross grew our careers together.

A lot of people think Ross is a new artist. No, Ross is an artist that was held back for many years. He woke up one day and said, “If I want this I gotta go get it on my own.” I don’t want anybody to take credit for Rick Ross’ career except Poe Boy Entertainment, Rick Ross and E-Class. Trina was supposed to be one of my artists. Can’t nobody take credit for Trina’s career but me.

Coming up, the more money I started getting, the more the head of my household started getting jittery. The offers went from coming every nine months to coming every 12 months. Then the offers only started coming every year-and-a-half. I’ve got too many features, too much respect with radio and in the ‘hood for my career to be postponed for any reason. I won’t let that happen to my artists.

DX: It definitely sounds like it was more than just the business aspect of the relationship.
TD: It was more than just the business aspect of why I’m not over there anymore. I’m grown. I want to pick up my own spoon, stick it in my plate and feed myself. It’s certain things that puzzle me. When you never call me and say, “I love you, man. Thanks, man.” It’s crazy that I’ve sold a lot of records and made a lot of money for the company. I paid a lot of bills and [my sales] bought a lot of houses and cars for the people who work at and own these companies. It’s funny that our kids never played with crayons together. It’s funny that my kid can walk past your kid and not even know him.

DX: You were doing things a label head would do long before you introduced this Dunk Ryders joint venture with Cash Money. As someone who was only on his second album, what did you see in Trina that made you confident about giving her a verse on “Nann Nigga?”
TD: She was out here in the streets with me. She’s from my era and I grew up with her. We grew up with drug dealers as our role models. People from the ghetto grow up wanting to be drug dealers and wanting to marry drug dealers. Women wanted them and the men wanted to be that. All we knew was to hustle and get that quick money. Trina is the finest, prettiest young things that I knew from growing up as a child. Continued on page 3 »