Published: Monday - February 5, 2007
Words by Jay Casteel
Three 6 Mafia (Photo: Hypnotized Minds)
The Academy Award winning group, Three 6 Mafia, may have shot to stardom over the past year, but they've actually been around for 10 plus years. The Memphis, Tennessee natives have been underground staples in the South for years, racking up underground anthems such as "Sippin' On Sizzurp" and "Tear The Club Up," but it wasn't until last years' monster hit "Stay Fly" and their Oscar winning single "It's Hard Out Here For Pimp" that the group really became household names.
As the group -- who have been cut to a duo now, consisting of Juicy J and DJ Paul -- prepare for their new comedy reality series on MTV called "Adventures In HollyHood," BallerStatus caught up with them to find out a little more about the show, how their Oscar win has affected them and the struggles of the past.
One thing that stood out about the duo was that they were still very humble about their success and stressed the point that they have not and will not change no matter how big they get. To them, everyday and every successful venture they have are blessings.
BallerStatus.com: You guys have the reality series with MTV coming up, so talk about that a little.
Juicy J: It's a comedy man. This is Mafia every day real life man. It's funny as hell. It's about us... you know we won the Oscar, so we moved out here to California. Right now, we're trying to capitalize off writing songs for other movies.
DJ Paul: Man, we're just working with a lot of different artists and everything. Everybody come through L.A. -- a lot of people shoot their videos out here, there's award shows... So, when they come out there, we work with them, either on our album or their album, don't matter.
BallerStatus.com: You mentioned moving to L.A. after winning the Oscar, so what's it like living in L.A. for you guys right now?
Juicy J: We didn't move, we just kinda... we still live in Memphis too, but we got a spot out here as well. We just kinda came out here.
BallerStatus.com: its called "Adventures In HollyHood," so how do you Memphis boys fit into the whole Hollywood scene?
Juicy J: It's great man. You just gotta get out here and mingle man. Mingle with these beautiful women, mingle with these producers and these studios man. It's very expensive out here, and this rent is due. Rent is due all the time, so you know...
DJ Paul: Them bills is coming man. They coming.
Juicy J: Bills don't stop coming out there man. It's all good if you work hard at what you do. We musicians man. We can write all kinds of music and we shouldn't have no problem keeping them bills paid, right?
DJ Paul: There's a lot of drinking and partying going on in L.A., so that's what we do. That's what I do.
BallerStatus.com: How did you guys hook up with MTV for the show?
Juicy J: We just got a camera and followed ourselves around Memphis every day up in the clubs. MTV was already interested in us doing something with them in the first place, so when they our everyday life in the studio in Memphis, they thought that was hilarious and funny. They was like, "Let's do it. You guys got a goal. You guys got something people will probably be interested in looking at on TV." So, it was cool.
BallerStatus.com: So, when is it coming on?
DJ Paul: March 14th.
BallerStatus.com: I know you guys are now a duo, but will Crunchy Black be in the show?
Juicy J: Nah, just us.
DJ Paul: It's more than us. It's us, Project Pat and two assistants. Five people make the show.
BallerStatus.com: Can you guys touch upon his departure from the group?
DJ Paul: He wanted to go solo. He just wanted to go solo, so he did. We wish him luck. He got an underground CD out called On My Own that's in stores now.
BallerStatus.com: You guys are still cool though right? No animosity?
DJ Paul: Nah, nah. None of that. Three 6 Mafia does not condone animosity of battling of none of that.
Juicy J: We ain't into that, but if somebody come to us with some animosity, then we'll deal with it. But as far as us trying to talk about people, we don't do none of that. You don't make money from that, you know? You gotta keep it positive. There's so much bad stuff going on right now about rappers this and rappers that, somebody gotta keep it positive man. There's too much money to be made.
DJ Paul: There's too many girls out here to be fighting with dudes.
BallerStatus.com: Back to the show, can you guys give us a little sneak peak as to some of the things you guys get into on the show?
DJ Paul: The cameras are following us. We just doing meetings... a lot of sh-- man. We kicking it at the house, partying when we done with meetings. We out here chasing money. That's what the whole show is really about -- chasing money, chasing that paper. It's in L.A., but we do a lil bit in Memphis.
BallerStatus.com: Last year, with the Oscar win, you have become household names. How have your lives changed since that award?
Juicy J: Man, it's been lovely. It's been a blessing, you know? You go from being underground, to all of the sudden, you're an overnight success. Everybody know you're name now. Right now, we're just trying to stay out of trouble more. Back in the day, we might be at a bar somewhere, acting a fool -- which you still do -- but now you gotta stay out of trouble because everybody's looking to find dirt on you. These paparazzi out here ain't no joke. So, you just gotta pace yourself. There's a time for play and a time for work.
It's crazy though man. We made history. Who would ever think that Three 6 Mafia make history? That shocked me. Like, we won and they were like, "You made history." Like I was like, "Man, we made history!" I never thought our names would go down in history like this. That's a blessing.
BallerStatus.com: You guys have always made money independently and widely known throughout the hip-hop industry, so how does the indie fame compare to this new mainstream fame you have?
Juicy J: Man, we still got independent stuff getting ready to come out. You gotta keep doing the same thing. That's one thing that keeps you focused as long as it's something that's positive. We just keep doing the same stuff we been doing -- keep putting out this independent stuff, still doing the same kinda beats and music. This is really what got us here -- us being us.
DJ Paul: The major fame helped push the underground to a new level.
BallerStatus.com: "Stay Fly" was a huge hit, why do you think it became the monster hit it did?
DJ Paul: It was a good song, a good collaboration...
Juicy J: The time was right.
DJ Paul: Yep, the time was right. It was different. It had that DJ spin on the hook, and nobody never did that before. It caught people off guard. It was a different record for Three 6 Mafia, we make dark kinda records man. Like, "Sippin' On Sizzurp," that scared them at first because it was slow compared to "Tear The Club Up" or "Who Run It." We make all kind of records. We like to catch em off guard man.
BallerStatus.com: Talk about "Hard Out Here For A Pimp" -- the song that got you the Oscar. Why was it that song that got you... that mainstream acceptance in Hollywood?
Juicy J: We wrote the song for the movie, and that was it.
DJ Paul: When you got a song for a movie, and you can listen to it and it pretty much describes the movie, its goes with each other, you know what I mean?
BallerStatus.com: With more than a decade in the game, talk about coming up and the struggles you went through to get where you're at today?
Juicy J: Man, it's tough. When you pushing underground CDs and tapes and trying to get to that certain point and it don't happen after five years, you really gotta have that faith. You gotta keep the faith man, because one day you'll get to that certain point you're trying to get to.
It's not easy, it's a grind, but I'm glad we went through it because it helps you develop, grow and save your money... some people, some people don't. But you go through so much -- the ups and downs -- and we still stay focused because we know what its like on the other side of things. Some people blow up at a young age and they blow all their money, don't pay their taxes and they be right back home with mom. But when you get a lil bit here and a lil bit there and you grind all the way up the latter, you know how to save and put some back for that rainy day and conduct business. It was a growing process. It was good it happened and it was meant to happen that way.
Now, our independent success is even bigger now. Being that we've been in the business we know how to read over contracts, we know about how the business works, so you can't do us dirty.
BallerStatus.com: So, you guys just shot the video for "Doe Boy Fresh," tell us a little about that.
DJ Paul: It's our new single featuring Chamillionaire. The concept of the video, people -- old, young, whatever -- can walk into a picture booth and put their money in there and become DJ Paul, Juicy J or Chamillionaire. When they look in the mirror they will reflect as us, but when anyone else looks at them, they see them as who they really is. They feel that they are us. It gives them a chance to live the life of Three 6 Mafia.
BallerStatus.com: This is off your new album?
DJ Paul: Yea, new single from the new Three 6 Mafia album, Last 2 Walk, dropping in April. It's dope. It's the same Three 6 Mafia flavor. If it ain't broke, we ain't really trying to fix it. It's that gangsta sh--, we ain't changed. We got Chamillionaire, Lyfe Jennings, Paul Wall, Lil Keke and a few other folks.
Editorials & Columns Soulstice From France Blog #3: Day 4 Embarking on a 9-show winter tour in Europe, one of my goals was just making it through the tour without getting sick. ... full story
Digg It
Del.icio.us
