Published: Friday - June 29, 2007
Words by Charles "CZA" Sweet II
Lil Wyte (Photo: Lil Wyte)
Memphis, Tennessee is a city known extensively for its diversified background. Here you will find everything and anything from old school "juke joints" to archaeological museums; vineyards to plantations. Located here also is the legendary Graceland, home to one of music most recognizable faces and sounds, Elvis Presley. The scene here is of a relaxed tone for the most part, especially for the tourist. Underneath that is the subculture, where many underground artists thrive in a manner that would rival that of a commercial artist with ease. One such example is Three 6 Mafia. Known throughout the South for years, they slowly expanded their reach, until the movie "Hustle & Flow" -- where they could no longer be ignored -- and as a result, they were awarded an Academy Award for their efforts.
During this unrestrained movement, they acquired an artist called Lil Wyte who, despite his name, was determined not to be categorized as "another white rapper." Lil Wyte sits down with BallerStatus.com and talks about what he's been through up to this point, his new album The One And Only , and more. The only question left begs to be asked, "Do they still doubt him?"
BallerStatus.com: For the people who may not be too familiar with the name Lil Wyte, go ahead and give us a little background information on you.
Lil Wyte: I'm a Memphis artist, white, (laughs) (note: Lil Wyte specifically asked me to put white in a bold font because he wanted to make sure that everyone knew he was Caucasian.) I blow it out the frame. Been in the game... well I started rapping when I was about 15. I'll be 25 this year, so that's damn near 10 years. I've been doing it professionally, you know, tracking it in the studio for about eight years. Grew up in a small hood in Memphis, Three 6 lived around the corner. They were the biggest thing in our city -- still are, and you know, I loved their music a lot. That's really what made me start rapping; just knowing that someone around the corner is doing the same thing that I am. And now I'm with them. That's crazy, you know? To grow up listening to them, and now I get checks in the mail from them.
We started out independent, and we still are independent. They are known for playing both sides of the field. They'll have an independent joint dropping, then, two weeks later, they'll have a mainstream joint dropping. Everybody gets paid. Just being over there is astronomical to me. It's just the fact that I had Juicy [J] and [DJ] Paul wanting MY material. Then everything started going uphill because everything was going good. Nowadays it's real different. Everywhere I go I get recognized and it's like I'll be somewhere and someone will come up saying "Yo, say what's up to Juicy J and Paul for me!" (mock exasperated sigh) "All right, fool, I'll tell them." Just having the ability to call Paul and say "Young Chris from Chicago told me to call you and say 'what's up.'" Paul will be like, "Whatever man, I'm busy! Find something to do!" I wouldn't trade having that ability for the world.
BallerStatus.com: If you weren't rapping, what do you think you'd be doing?
Lil Wyte: If I wasn't rapping; I'd probably have my own auto body shop. Sounds kind of weird don't it? Probably some West Coast Customs type of sh--. I took auto body when I was in school, and it was something I really got a feel for -- I really liked doing it. I mean, 'cause all you do all day is sit around cars and make them look clean. But, you know, rap pays way better than that does and it would've taken too long for me to get my own shop. I wasn't about to sit around and work in somebody else's shop. I can't do a nine to five. I tried working in warehouses, restaurants, all kinds of sh--. Can't do it. Let me take that back; I could do it if I had to... I got kids, I will do it. As long as Paul and Juicy are answering the phone, I'm super good. Everybody wants to be a rapper -- including Computer. (note: referring to an episode of MTV's "Hollyhood" where Three 6 Mafia personal assistant Computer came up with a chorus idea.) What's funny about that is they made the song real. "I'm Not a Mirror" is all over the internet right now. Computer's not on it, Lil' Jon is. He's getting all crunk on it, (imitating Lil' Jon) "WHAT YOU STARING AT?" I ain't even heard it yet.
BallerStatus.com: What was your mindset going into your first album, Doubt Me Now?
Lil Wyte: I was broke. I was broke and I had a daughter. Not only that, I love rap. I knew that, concerning Paul and Juicy, I had to give it my all 'cause they don't accept bullsh-- or anything up in that studio. They'll tell you to rewrite your life in a heartbeat if it ain't right. With them, it's like the saying, "They cast a big shadow." You're trying to fill in some big ass shoes and these shoes got diamonds on them. You've got to have the whole set to wear with them, know what I'm saying? My mindset was that I was real hungry. Not the rapper's dictionary meaning of hungry. Like I literally haven't been eating correctly. You can feel the same energy on this album too. It's not like I'm HUNGRY, hungry because your boy's pockets are sitting nice, but I had to get back to that same mood. With this one, I was talking about the things I've seen and done and kicking it. Big Boy sh--, you know? I don't concentrate on subjects, I just touch them. You listen to my music, you'll hear a little bit of everything in a song about weed.
BallerStatus.com: Do you feel like the attitude about white rappers will ever relent?
Lil Wyte: No, I don't. The reason why I say that is because times have changed. You got white artists out here selling 10 million records, man. I might say it joking around; I call myself "Three 6's favorite cracker." I joke around by saying it, but it's the truth though. I don't look at myself as being a white rapper anymore. I did when I first came into the game 'cause that's all I heard. "Oh, he's a hard-ass white rapper." Now, its like, "You a hard-ass rapper, one of the hardest I've heard in a long time!" We could even be talking about a fireman. Every field has people who do more than others, and those that one might not even think about be the best contributor. It's all a hustle. You got the good, the people in between, the mediocre people, and the ones that suck, barely hanging on, but pride won't let them let go. I feel like I'm one of the better, and I wouldn't be here if I didn't feel like that. If you don't wake up every morning like "I'm a hard motherf---er boy," you'll start forgetting it. And then you'll wake up and have a whack-ass album one day. Like, "Oh, sh--, I'm whack."
BallerStatus.com: Is this album going to be executively produced by DJ Paul and Juicy J or are there going to be other producers working with you?
Lil Wyte: They produced the whole album. This is the resurgence of that classic Three 6 sound. There's this track called "Get High," a weed song, and I don't know, there's something about the echo Paul used that kind of reminds me of that earlier, super-hard stuff; Mystic Stylez stuff. Juicy uses a lot of strings; people don't know that. He uses a lot of live strings and it sounds damn good. If you listen, you can hear it, but most people don't know it's there.
BallerStatus.com: Sum up what your new album, The One And Only , is saying overall to the listener.
Lil Wyte: I'm back. Better than ever and you better watch your ass. All whack rappers get off the motherf---in' floor; all haters go to your rooms and make your beds. Grown men are talking. I'm 25, and I am done with this bullsh--. I got a kid that's fixing to be six, so I am done chit-chatting.
BallerStatus.com: Are there any features on the album?
Lil Wyte: Project Pat. We kind of stuck with just me, considering the first two albums didn't do the numbers we wanted them to. Paul and Juicy were like, "Go in there, concentrate on you, and give the fans as much Lil Wyte as we can give them." I want to go diamond; I want a Michael Jackson plaque. It can happen, it's hard to do nowadays in rap because you got your internet and iPod and bootleggers and all that. I wish I could go back in time to like, '88 and drop this album. (laughs) Right around the time, LL [Cool J] was dropping; back when rock music sold 20 million records. That's why Gene Simmons from KISS is still rich to this day. Probably a hundred million records.
BallerStatus.com: Is there anything you want to tell your fans?
Lil Wyte: Keep watching me. Don't give up on me; I haven't given up on anybody. Much love to everybody out there. Check out my joint, "I Got That Candy." It's rotating good in the South, near the M.
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