YoungBloodz: Presidential Moves

The YoungBloodz are not just your average business men -- No. They are quickly becoming a business within themselves. With a gold plaque on their walls from their sophomore opus, Drankin' Patnaz, which featured the smash hit "Damn!" produced by Lil Jon, combined with being co-owners of two popular Cuban Restaurants in Atlanta and having their own production company, the sky is the limit for this ATL duo.

Though they have been on three different labels in less than ten years, they have continued to improve their record sales each time. Going from over 300,000 records sold on their 1999 Laface Records debut, Against Da Grain, to over 700,000 sold on their sophomore release, Drankin' Patnaz, on Arista released in 2003.

Now, the duo -- who consist of J-Bo and Sean Paul -- are on Jive Records. Though one might think that they would consider their new album, Ev'ryBody Know Me, to be a disappointment if it didn't go platinum, in actuality they value their loyal fans more than a plaque. As Sean Paul puts it: "I don't really give a f--- about the numbers. I got loyal fans and at the end of the day that's what's more important to me. Platinum is something you wear around your neck."

The YoungBloodz are back, and contrary to what their group name may conjure up, J-Bo and Sean Paul are making grown man moves. With a lead single entitled "Presidential", you gotta know they are moving toward that kind of mind state.

Read on and find out what a night out on the town with the YoungBloodz consists of, and why there is a strong possibility that they may package two solo albums together like Outkast in the near future. For the record, Ballerstatus.com gives a damn and gives a f---!

Ballerstatus.com: What have you guys been up to the last two years since your last LP, Drankin Patnaz, dropped?

Sean Paul: We been grinding man. We got a couple things jumping off. We co-owners of two restaurants: one called Mojito and one called Babalu's -- [both] Cuban restaurants. My uncle has been in the restaurant business for years, so we invested in it. We been doing that, getting that jumping. We got a production company called G.M.C. Production with a hot new producer out of Alabama. We got a group called G.M.C. with Mr. Mo from Jim Crow and a dude name Been Hated from Alabama. They are up next to bat. We just been putting our sh-- together, building an enterprise man.

Ballerstatus.com: Can you tell me about your new record label situation at Jive as supposed to your old label Arista?

Sean Paul: Yeah, you know it's just another day at the office for me. You still got to meet new people; that's the only bad thing about it. You have to go in there and learn they system and learn the people that didn't know you from the other label. There were so many people that were at Arista, and a lot of them moved over [to Jive] and lot of them moved on to. There's a lot of straight Jive people, so we just getting to know everybody man.

Ballerstatus.com: Aight, get into this new album, Ev'rybody Know Me. What are you trying to do with it?

Sean Paul: Yeah, you know what it is. We keep it YoungBloodz everyday. We don't go into the studio and be like "We going to make this kind of album." I mean, we just let the music do its thing. As soon as the beat come on and however it come out, that's what it is. We got a lot of people on this album: Scott Storch, Mannie Fresh, Daz Dillinger. We got Lil Scrappy on there, we got Jazze Pha on there...so that's the different thing about this album. We went out and got a couple of people that really f--- with the YoungBloodz.

Ballerstatus.com: What's your favorite tracks on this new album?

J-Bo: One of them is "Chop Chop," produced by Scott Storch. "That's me" produced by my home boy Sanchez from Atlanta, Young Buck is on that. Jazze Pha [did one], that's called "Play Your Position." Daz Dillinger did a track. Really man, this album has a lot of songs. It's more variety [this time] like 36 flavors. You got all your flavors all in one album right here. I like the whole album; I don't really have any favorites.

Ballerstatus.com: I heard that the album was originally gonna be called Another Level, but you recently changed the title to Ev'rybody Know Me. Why did you guys decide to change it?

Sean Paul: Yeah, it was supposed to call it Another Level, but I just felt like Ev'rybody Know Me fitted better because everybody on [the album]. And they been f---ing with the YoungBloodz for a long time. So, just to let everybody know, Ev'ryBody Know Me. Even though we kick it on a more underground level -- don't get it twisted -- all these n----s know me out here.

Ballerstatus.com: You guys have never gone platinum, but yet the title is Ev'ryBody Knows Me. I was just wondering why do you feel everybody knows you?

Sean Paul: Everybody know what it is. Like they been seeing me since 98'; that's real talk. I been signed since '98. My first album came out in '98-'99, so I been in it for a long time. The platinum status really, that's just the people that go to the store. Everybody don't buy records. We been on three different record labels. Every time we drop an album, we haven't been worked properly, you know what I mean?

Ballerstatus.com: On the lead single "Presidential," you make a reference to President George Bush, like he's big, major -- it's a play on words. But, I wanted to know what you really think about him as the President of the United States?

Sean Paul: I don't f--- with George Bush. Personally, I don't f--- with him and I don't care for him. But, what we talking about on our sh--, we talking about that presidential -- staying on that presidential and being presidential like George Bush. Staying on that George Bush.

J-Bo: George Bush, I give a middle finger to, but our song we stepping our game up. Everybody do it big, doing it major, [but] we doing it Presidential style. This is our third album, so we doing bigger and better things -- we got restaurants, a record label, a production company. The whole George Bush, that part is about smoking a left hand cigarette if you know what I mean -- that Kush. The streets called it George Bush. We was going to name it "George Bush," but you know how that political stuff is. He would have been looking for us, so we just named it "Presidential" and it really fits better than George Bush because we doing bigger and better things this time.

Ballerstatus.com: Why do you mention him on the hook if you said you don't f--- with him?

Sean Paul: But I'm not talking about George Bush, I'm talking about that George Bush. [I'm talking about] that Kush we smoking.

Ballerstatus.com: Oh, you talking about weed (marijuana)?

Sean Paul: Yeah, see you got to listen to the hook. It say "What we ride, big rims/ What we drinking, that Patron / what we smoking that Kush, presidential sh--, George Bush."

Ballerstatus.com: Why do the streets call marijuana "George Bush" in Atlanta?

J-Bo: Really they don't. We started something new with that. We call it Kush. Kush is that "Presidential", that highest grade of that [marijuana]. So, that's the new name -- George Bush, instead of saying Kush.

Ballerstatus.com: You just put me on to something new. You guys is always thinking of new slang. I like on "Damn!" how you said you were drinking on a "cold billy." What were you talking about?

Sean Paul: You know, Billy Dee Williams used to be the spokesman for Colt 45 back in the day. That's what we used to drink on, the Billy D's. That's what we used to call them.

Ballerstatus.com: On your new album you got a track called "Grown Man." Were your speaking about a car?

Sean Paul: Yeah! Down in the South, we buy old schools and we like to trick em out, you know what I mean? When you trick 'em out, you got to start with the engine first. You got to make that bitch eat up the concrete, so that's what we talking about. We got a grown man under the hood. We don't want to wait for none of that sh--; we got some grown folk sh-- up here.

Ballerstatus.com: Why is there such a big fascination with cars in the South?

Sean Paul: It just go back in the day man, from them old pimp movies. Everybody had the big Cadillacs and it just go on. Down south, that's what we like to do. An old school better than a new car to us.

Ballerstatus.com: The last time Ballerstatus.com tried to interview you, the people at your label, Jive, said that we would have to reschedule because you guys had a long night before. What does a long night with the YoungBloodz consist of?

Sean Paul: A long night man, I'm gonna tell ya...we get some Swissair cigarettos and put some of that George Bush in there. Then, we got to go to the liquor store and buy a couple bottles of Patron Silver and that's a night of the YoungBloodz. It's over after that.

J-Bo: A late night with the YoungBloodz consists of smoking that left hand cigarette, if you know what I mean? [We drink] bottles of Patron and just have a good time -- just drinking, hanging out with the fellas. We just kicking it man; we ain't doing too much no more. All the clubs start getting kind of old, so we pretty much just be chilling out, smoke our cigarettes, and drink Patron. We keep the bottles popping all night long.

Ballerstatus.com: Primarily drinking and smoking, no clubbing or dancing?

Sean Paul: I mean, we go to the booty club. That's where we get in on at. That's where you get your bottles at and have a good time -- look at a little ass shake and then take your ass home.

Ballerstatus.com: What's going to be the next single off the album?

Sean Paul: We trying to get that together now man. I feel like we got a couple of them on there. I'm just trying to see what direction I want to go with because we got all kind of different sh--. Like we got something for the grown folks and we got something for the streets. We got Jazze Pha and you know that's a hit anyway on one of the song's called "Play Your Position." we also got something talking to the women and we got one with Mr. Collipark. I think there is a lot of questions as to why [Mr. Collipark's] beats sound alike -- the David Banner ("Play") and the (Ying Yang Twins) "Wait" song -- but Mr. Collipark call it his intimate club music; that's his new movement. We got one of those beats from him, but we put T-Boz from TLC on there.

J-Bo: I would say "Ev'rybody Know Me" because that's the self--itled track of the album. That song is a good club song, ride out song, and like I said we doing bigger and better things. We doing Presidential stuff on "Presidential." I think "Ev'rybody Know Me" would fit because, "We make big Money, We drive big cars, everybody know me, it's like I'm a superstar."

Ballerstatus.com: You guys got a lot of possible singles on there, so you still trying to pick one?

Sean Paul: Yeah man, it's f---ing with us. Actuality, it's great to be in that position -- when you got a lot songs to choose from. But, I want to make a power move this time. I might throw out the Scott Storch one ("Chop Chop") if I get the backing behind the whole Scott Storch team. It will be a winner. That's something new for Scott Storch to f--- with ni--as like us from the A-Town.

Ballerstatus.com: Were you disappointed that your last album didn't go platinum even though you had a huge single in "Damn!"?

J-Bo: No, I wasn't disappointed. Actually, I was excited. You know, that was my first gold album and it sold 700,000 plus. For one song to take it that far -- "Damn!" sold all them records. Off one single the album went gold, so I felt good about it. This album, I feel even better because we got a lot of bigger stuff on there for the ladies and the guys. All the songs you can relate to, it's 50/50, the guys can relate to it and the ladies. I think we really going to do good with it.

Ballerstatus.com: Would you be disappointed if you didn't got platinum this time around?

Sean Paul: don't really give a f--- about the numbers. I got loyal fans and at the end of the day that's what's more important to me. Platinum is something you wear around your neck. I could work any day. Folks will call me to come do some shows, that's why I eat here. I don't even care about [the platinum sales]. I really don't give a f---, as long as I have 700,000 like my last album sold like 700,000 plus records, almost platinum. Another thing I want to explain is that the reason why Young Bloodz haven't touch platinum yet is because every time we drop an album we on a new label, so the people that we're working our albums at first, they f--- around and have to look for a new job. So, they can't work the project no more.

Ballerstatus.com: Why does Atlanta seem the have the rap game in a choke hold with so many successful rappers coming out the ATL the last couple of years? Guy's like T.I. and Young Jeezy, the list goes on.

Sean Paul: It's just the hunger we got down there; it's the unity we got. A lot of people don't do it like us. A lot people don't kick it with the folks we kick it with. You see the people on TV today, but those were homies from around the way before they got on television in Atlanta. We all stay together. Atlanta is just off the chain, even when you come to visit you want to go to the club, you want to have a good time, you want to bounce around, and that's what we do. We bring it gangsta and bounce a little bit.

J-Bo: A night in Atlanta in the club, you can catch Jagged Edge, Jermaine Durpri, Young Bloodz, Ludacris, David Banner, Ying Yang Twins, Lil Jon; you can catch all of us in the club hanging out together with no problems. [We] pass each other bottles like "Here a bottle on me," just having a good time. That's southern hospitality.

Ballerstatus.com: The YoungBloodz seem to be well liked. I never heard about anybody dissing you or people saying anything negative about your personalities? Have you experienced any jealousy that comes with being in the industry?

J-Bo: I mean, you got haters out there; there was a lot of people that said Young Bloodz ain't coming back and this and that. So, we showing them right now. See, haters is what keep us going. Without the haters, I don't think we would be here. The more you hate on me, the more I'm going to stack my bread, the more I'm going to do this, the more I'm going to do that. That's my motivation -- the haters. That's what motivates me to be a better rapper, producer, and entrepreneur.

Ballerstatus.com: Do you guys ever think of changing your name because you guys are getting older?

Sean Paul: See, the YoungBloodz is not referred to the age. It's not talking about how old we are, it's basically a Southern thing. When your uncle says "Hey young blood, go get me something to eat, go get me some cigarettes young blood," and out of our squad me and [J-Bo] are still the Young Bloodz of our crew. I'm always gonna be a Young Blood. We young G's man, young G's.

Ballerstatus.com: Anything that you want to add?

J-Bo: I produce too. I'm working on a solo album. Sean Paul working on a solo album. He's working on his, and I'm working on mine. We also got mixtapes we working on. We got G.M.C. the group, a production company we were working on, and our own label. So, we just working man.

Ballerstatus.com: So, the YoungBloodz are working on solo albums as well?

J-Bo: Yeah, Yeah, we might try to do it like Outkast did -- put it on a double CD. We working on that and lots of other things like movies, clothing line, everything!

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