Freekey Zekey: Diplomatic Immunity

Freekey Zekey is definitely a rider. From supporting his Dipset homies to surviving a three-year bid, he knows what its like to struggle. Now that hes free, the Dipset Records president is moving forward and not looking back. As a matter of fact, hes looking toward the sky.

He inked a new deal with Asylum for the creation of Dipset South and the former hypeman, known for his funny skits on Camrons album, is working on a mixtape and a solo LP. He wants everyone to know that hes back for the first time and that his life can be an example of what its like to fall and get back up.

Hiphopdx: Whats the first thing you did when you got out of jail?

Freekey Zekey: The first thing I did was just look up; look at the sky on the other side of the gate like, Im free.

Hiphopdx: How did you stay out of trouble when you were locked up?

Freekey Zekey: Sometimes there was no choice but to handle your business. Trouble came to you, but I could just say I beat the cases when I did get in trouble.

Hiphopdx: Did a lot of people recognize you and if they did, did they show love?

Freekey Zekey: Since I cut my braidseverybody knew me for having wild hair and being real big. I lost a lot of weight when I got into jail, due to toning myself up. That did not work, everybody knows Diplomats. No matter what you do, you can put on a big Jason mask and they gonna look at your eyes like stop playing Z, take that off. But yeah, a lot of people recognized me and that was a good thing and a bad thing.

Hiphopdx: That makes sense. Can you elaborate a little?

Freekey Zekey: The good thing was, they showed love and I saw how our movement was prospering because there was a lot of people following our movement. The bad thing is male groupies

Hiphopdx: In jailaw man [laughing].

Freekey Zekey: Thats the worst thing to have in life, a male groupie in jail.

Hiphopdx: What was that like? Would people try to come up to you and rap or be down with Dipset?

Freekey Zekey: Aw man, they was acting like I had the studio in my jail locker, like they could walk all the way to my cell, drop some beats, get in the booth, and spit something.

Hiphopdx: Too funnyYoure the president of Diplomats Records so, what was it like still trying to run a company while you were away?

Freekey Zekey: Once you in that business mind, it doesnt matter where you at. Youre always on that level of thought of how can I better my situation so being locked up physically wasnt the same as being locked up mentally. I was able to talk to people. I still had my office managershe answered my collect calls, so it was basically even though I was in jail, I was doing my thing from there.

Hiphopdx: Things are different now that youre out. Camron and Jim Jones have their beef going on with Jay-Z so, whats your position in relation to that?

Freekey Zekey: Im out doing my music. I just signed a multi-million dollar deal with Asylum so, thats what I gotta work on. I really have nothing to worry about with those two. They can smash anything. Theyre warriors, so Im not really worried about that but at the same time, they are my brothers. Its just like if you were my sister and a dude hit you, Im not gonna be like dont worry, he short, you can handle that. Im gonna put in my work. But if I get there and its a little dude Im gonna be like beat this ni--a a--and watch you beat his a-- but if anything go down, Im there. Thats how I translate that into that situation.

Hiphopdx: Speaking of the deal that you inked with Asylum, how did you end up hooking that up?

Freekey Zekey: It had a lot to do with my self because of the fact that when I was in jailright before I went in, Diplomat Records was just beginning to start going to its peak. We really werent off the ground. We were just taking off. When I fell, we took off. Juelz came out, it was Clock Work, Cam was Suck it or Not. Now, Jim is Ballin so, to watch that escalate, that was all good but, in the meantime, I had to do what I had to do for myself. I mean, anytime I called it was nothing, I had the world for me but at the same time, I wanted to show myself and my record label that I got something too. So, I started everything from in jail. I started myspace, I started doing a lot of radio interviews, a lot of magazines, and a whole slew of things that got me in the limelight because out of sight, out of mind. So, for the whole three years, I always was in something, it was always Freekey Zekey like, jumping out the bushes on em, but what really sealed the deal was I surprised Cam, Jim, and Juelz, from jail. I threw my own, Welcome Home Freekey party from in jail in North Carolina and it was a fire hazard. I couldnt get into my own party. And from there, Joey IE, and my dude Tom, they seen the energy, they seen the hunger, they seen the fire; they was like wow, he can make 150,000 from in jail throwing a party so, theres no way in hell we gonna let something like that go. They also heard my rhymes, so with that plus my energy, they couldnt help themselves, plus, we ballin.

Hiphopdx: Your album is coming out in the spring. Is it going to be dropped on your new label? Its called Dipset South, right?

Freekey Zekey: Yeah, my new label is Dipset South but no, its not. Its gonna be on Diplomat Records/Asylum. This is just another entity because once I pop its gonna be crazy. Me, Joey, and my dude T, called TM. We gonna sit down and formulate that.

Hiphopdx: Is Dipset South going to be focusing on southern artists?

Freekey Zekey: Dipset South is just where my record company is gonna be based. I dont want people to get misconstrued with the word. I dont want people to feel like only southern artists can be there. Its just that as our label is growing so much, we just have to be spreading our self out. It could be somebody from Canada on Dipset South. The name is just because of the base.

Hiphopdx: I want to go back and talk about your album a little bit. Youre really known for being a hypeman and doing funny skits on Cams albums so, what can people expect from your album musically?

Freekey Zekey: Its very well rounded. I was coming out with an album called Stop Callin at the end of 2003 but it got pushed back because of my incarceration. It was called Stop Callin because it had a whole slew of funny skits. Thats what I likeI like to enjoy my music. I like to have smiling faces when people listen to me. The album got pushed back due to my incarceration, like I said. So, when I went to jail, I just buckled down and started to write so, what came out of that was everything. I was talking about battered women, I was talking about people without a father, I was talking about my life experience in the street and what happened to me, and just talking about life in general, so its a well rounded album.

Hiphopdx: Are you working on anything other than music? If so, what do you have coming up?

Freekey Zekey: Yes I do. Its going to be dealing with real estate. Im trying to buy the world up.

Hiphopdx: Whats your myspace?

Freekey Zekey: Its www.myspace.com/you spell it like F-r-e-e-k-e-y Z-e-k-e-y. [myspace.com/FreekeyZekey.]

Hiphopdx: Ok cool. I was wondering how your name was really spelled. Ive seen your name spelled so many different ways.

Freekey Zekey: You? I seen it spelled allone time it aint even have no Es. But the reason why its symbolic, the word Freekey is like it aint just about this dude that likes to have girls sit on his face and he puts them I pretzels, nah...well, of course it is like that [laughing], but my whole thing is, its spelled F-r-e-e-k-e-y because its really Free Key. Thats what we got to start our business and we never looked back since.

Hiphopdx: Just to touch on your album again, whos working on it? Do you have any well-known producers or any big collabos?

Freekey Zekey: Well, not yet. I just did about seven songs. Actually, my mixtape should be coming out first so Im just running around and doing songs and getting beats from in the hood right now but when I do my album, theres not limit to where Im going to go. Im not going to say who exactly right now because I honestly dont know because it can be anybody, but my album will be serious.

Hiphopdx: Is there anything you want to add?

Freekey Zekey: This is another thing I wanted to address. This is an old case. Everybody was like ni- -as is rich now, why you hustling. This case was dated back in 1999 when everything was looking peachy, but it was really a rotten apple. So, I had to hit the highway then. I just went on the run. But, when you down, realize you gotta stay up no matter what the situation is, B. Its a lot of things that go on, a lot of pitfalls, a lot of potholes. You just gotta know how to run over them and keep it moving. Life is what you make it no matter where you at. Look at me. Im the perfect example.