B.G. has come a long way in his career. As everyone knows, he got his start with Cash Money Records alongside Lil Wayne on the album, “BGz: True Story.” From there, his career would take off, with him releasing six full length solo albums on the New Orleans-based label. To everyone’s surprise, trouble would soon follow, and he would defect from the label. While there were many reasons for his departure, the biggest was the misappropriation of millions of dollars belonging to him.
No one knew quite where he would end up. Not only was he a veteran starting his
career over from scratch, but he also had a nasty drug addiction hanging over his head that could ultimately cost him his life. After a great deal of thought, he would eventually put the drugs down and refocus on rebuilding his career. Of course, that would be no easy task. His first album with Koch Entertainment golf a mere 300,000 copies, which wasn’t even half of what he sold of the previous album. Stuck at a crossroad of what to do next on top of what he could have possible done wrong, he continued to move forward.
His true and core fan base would soon come around, and push him to the level of stardom he was used to. While many other artists have fallen off completely after attempting to branch out on their own, B.G. has proven with four albums to date on Koch Entertainment that he is here to stay. His fans love him, and because of that, he has made a full rebound. Not only are fans anticipating his upcoming album, “Heart Of Tha Streets Volume 2”, but the streets are buzzing about his possible future workings with none other than G-Unit.
We had a chance to sit down and talk with B.G. about many things, including his relocation to the Motor City, his upcoming album, his possibly move to G-Unit, and his beef with Lil Wayne. Yes, there’s a mist of trouble in the air, and he aims to clear it up with the killer track, “Triggerman”. This hot boy is definitely on fire, and he has no plan of burning out anytime soon. He’s got his Chopper City army, and by the sounds of things, they aren’t taking any prisoners. Come along, as B.G. gives you an intricate look into his world.
James Johnson: First off, good looking out for today’s talk man. How are you this morning?
B.G.: I’m good man. I’m good. I’m feeling real good this morning, and I don’t know what it is. It’s snowing outside, but I feel good.
James Johnson: Man, I’m glad you mention the snow, because that brings me to you being in Detroit. I know that with everything that happened with Hurricane Katrina, you and your family had to shift around, but what made you pick Detroit, as opposed to simply relocating to another part of Louisiana?
B.G.: Well honestly, I came to Detroit about three years ago, and it’s been like my second home ever since. I went back home, and to Houston and Atlanta, and see all the faces, and see that we can’t do the same things, it’s out of place. I came this way because it was like peace of mind. Trying to refocus.
James Johnson: I know it’s only been a few months now since it all happened, but would you say that you and your family have fully recovered yet?
B.G.: Oh no. No. The government ain’t even fully recovered, so how am I going to be fully recovered? The reality ain’t even set in yet. Everyday I wake up, I’m wishing that I can go down to the project store and get something to eat, or whatever. I make the best of the situation though.
James Johnson: Did everything as far as Chopper City offices and whatnot move to Detroit as well?
B.G.: Well I still have my office and studio in New Orleans, and we also have an office here, so I’m running my business out of Detroit right now. I still have the New Orleans base though.
James Johnson: It’s been a few years not since you started the company. What has been the hardest part about running the label, and doing everything yourself?
B.G.: Really and truly, it’s like now, you know at first, when I was under Cash Money, I was never exposed to the different side, and everything that goes behind putting out a record. Anybody can go in the studio and make a song. That’s the easy part. But actually coming up with a hit, and putting it out, you know, and knowing what you have to do with it. I’ve had so many people coming to me, saying they can make my label do this and that, and make us go platinum and all that, when they really don’t understand that it’s not that easy. I learned that it’s eighty percent business, and twenty percent talent. If you got both, then you’re definitely going to win. If you business is right, then things go good. When I formed my label, I surrounded myself with people that had my best interest at heart. It’s a whole different ballgame. I still play the artist position, but I oversee everything since it’s my career. But I have people in different positions doing different things.
James Johnson: Well you’ve undoubtedly shown the world that you have both the talent and the business sense. You’re like one of the biggest examples of how an artist can leave a big label, start fresh, and make it back to the top. A lot of people can’t rise again. You maintained your core audience, and you sell the same or more every time you drop and album.
B.G.: You know what. You’re right about that, and that was the hardest part. Getting people to accept me without Cash Money, and showing people that cash Money did not make me, but I helped make them, was hard. You automatically know that B.G. was that nigga. When I left, a lot of people doubted me. They thought I couldn’t maintain on my own and hold my own weight. Especially the CEOs. They thought B.G. was through. I battled the addiction and whatever. But everybody go through things. I had to look in the mirror, and make a choice. Either I can be a junkie, or be a superstar. But I can’t be both. I put that [drugs] down, and I picked up the pen. When I was with Cash Money, I was selling platinum. When I left, I still didn’t understand marketing and promotions, this, that, and the other. But I still was putting up good numbers. The three-hundred thousand I was selling, those were people that followed me and knew my music.
James Johnson: I think a lot has to do with the fact that you are independent, and as far as promo, you’re not going to reach the same people you reach with a major label. While you’re reaching that core audience, there’s still a bunch of other people that don’t know you’re out there.
B.G.: Yea, and when I dropped my first album with Koch, I still couldn’t understand. My last album had sold a million records, but this time, I sold three hundred thousand. I wondered what I was doing wrong, but it’s because I was independent. I made the best of it, and I did what I could do. I still get respected as a platinum artist. Just imagine if I was with Interscope or something? The whole world knows that it could easily be three million.
James Johnson: I know you’ve been killing the mixtape circuit though man. You’ve got like a gang of mixtapes on Mixtapeone.com. What made you get into that initially?
B.G.: You know, I got a label now. I have artists of my own, so it ain’t just about me no more. I’m already major. I’m trying to build an empire. I’m trying to turn Chopper City into what I helped turn Cash Money into. That’s our outlet to the streets. The streets already know what to expect from me. I’m on a lot of their songs, but I let them handle it and do their thing. There’ll never be another Hot Boys, but I got a group called The Chopper City Boys. They are like the new millennium Hot Boys. Everything that was wrong before, I do the total opposite.
James Johnson: I’m glad that you say there will never be another Hot Boys. I honestly see the Hot Boys in Boyz N Da Hood, and a lot of people have said it besides me. Do you see that?
B.G.: I mean, I don’t brag and boast about who I am, what I did, my street credentials, and so forth. Niggas that know me already know that my reputation speak for itself. It’s like, a lot of these groups that come and blow, I mean, I ain’t going to say I been there and done that. But these artists come to me and say “I came up on your shit”. In the south, everybody know Scarface is legendary. When people come to me with the respect level that they have for him, and our leaders, its cool. People have respect for me do it before though.
James Johnson: There’s been a lot of rumor as of lately about you possibly going over to G-Unit. Can you shed some light on that for us?
B.G.: I mean, I’m a business man. That’s definitely in the air. I’ve been talking to a lot of people. I got a lot of different offers on the table. But me and Young Buck are real good friends. He was around in the Cash Money days. You know, in the beginning of it all. Me and him kept a real close bond. We talked about this, like, a year or so ago. He came to me and was talking about it. But who knows. Maybe, and maybe not. I ain’t tripping As long as the business is right, I’m good. You know I’m like a lawyer nigga now. I got Chopper City Records, and I got a whole label, so either way it goes, or whichever route I take, it’s B.G. and Chopper City.
