Juvenile has reunited with Cash Money Records after a bitter split and is set to release his fifth solo album on December 23rd, Juve The Great. This is his first official release since the 2001 effort, Project English. While promoting his first single, “In My Life” featuring Mannie Fresh, Chronic caught up with Juvenile to discuss his new album and reuniting with Cash Money.
Chronicmagazine.com: “Talk about your new album. I know it comes out December 23rd, but what type of things will people hear on it?”
Juvenile: “I touch on some tough issues. I’ve got a straight flow kick, a straight hip-hop kick, a gangsta kick. It’s just Juve.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “Any guest appearances?”
Juvenile: “Really only UTP and a couple of cats from New Orleans named Soulja Slim. That’s basically it.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “Any big name producers?”
Juvenile: “Yeah. I got Cool and Dre from the Terror Squad, cats from G-Unit – Sha Money – some new cats from Houston [who] worked with Beyoncé on a lot of stuff. I branched out.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “Did you do any producing?”
Juvenile: “Yeah. I had to.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “How many cuts did you produce?”
Juvenile: “I produced three, but of the three that I produced only one of them made it.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “Have you produced anything for other people lately?”
Juvenile: “Yeah. I did a track on Mystikal’s last album. I’m also trying to do a track with Ludacris. Every time I see him, he asks me for something. I’ve done a lot of UTP projects.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “Would you ever want to totally focus on that one day?”
Juvenile: “I want to do both. I want to have my cake and eat it too.’
Chronicmagazine.com: “Do you have any favorite tracks?”
Juvenile: “I don’t know. I like everything to be honest with you. I’m not a hard person to please. As long as the beat is right and the rap is right, it’s right for Juve.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “Do you write from the beat or do you come into the studio with your songs?”
Juvenile: “Most of the time, the beat, [unless I have] an idea in my head.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “Hip-hop is so cyclical. Do you attempt to make music in accordance with a current trend or simply make music from the heart and hope that people take to it?”
Juvenile: “That’s what I do. You got it damn right. I put what’s going in the music industry aside and I just do me.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “What type of things would you like to see change in the industry?”
Juvenile: “I don’t think I would change things in the industry. I bring things to the industry.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “Like what?”
Juvenile: “Like me. My sound and the way I say things.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “You said you didn’t have anything to do with last album, 600 Degreez. It was put together by other people (who allegedly stole songs) and put on the internet. How do you get around things like that in the industry?”
Juvenile: “You don’t get around it, you just move on.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “You were originally with Cash Money. You, lets say took a break, and now you’re back. What did you learn from that experience?”
Juvenile: “There wasn’t anything to learn. I just needed to keep my business straight. Really I didn’t learn shit from it.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “Do you think the relationship is stronger?”
Juvenile: “As far as me having a personal relationship with them, there never really was one. When I came into Cash Money, I already had my own way of doing things.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “Talk about your other businesses.”
Juvenile: “I’ve been on the business side of the industry. I run UTP Records.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “What type of challenges do you face running a businss and being an artist? Does your focus on the business ever interfere with your creativity?”
Juvenile: “It’s not hard. Life is what you make it…It’s easy to me. It’s something that I love doing.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “Is that mindset how you think you’ve been able to get around a lot of the speculation surrounding [the Cash Money split]?”
Juvenile: “I try to think forward on matters. I think in the future when I make a decision. I don’t let what people say affect what I’m doing. I just do me.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from this business?”
Juvenile: “Owning music. It’s nothing better than owning music; being able to make your own decisions on your career.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “What’s next for you?”
Juvenile: “I’m doing a promotional tour…Everywhere on the west coast, then I’m moving across the country.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “Talk about your new album. I know it comes out December 23rd, but what type of things will people hear on it?”
Juvenile: “I touch on some tough issues. I’ve got a straight flow kick, a straight hip-hop kick, a gangsta kick. It’s just Juve.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “Any guest appearances?”
Juvenile: “Really only UTP and a couple of cats from New Orleans named Soulja Slim. That’s basically it.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “Any big name producers?”
Juvenile: “Yeah. I got Cool and Dre from the Terror Squad, cats from G-Unit – Sha Money – some new cats from Houston [who] worked with Beyoncé on a lot of stuff. I branched out.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “Did you do any producing?”
Juvenile: “Yeah. I had to.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “How many cuts did you produce?”
Juvenile: “I produced three, but of the three that I produced only one of them made it.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “Have you produced anything for other people lately?”
Juvenile: “Yeah. I did a track on Mystikal’s last album. I’m also trying to do a track with Ludacris. Every time I see him, he asks me for something. I’ve done a lot of UTP projects.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “Would you ever want to totally focus on that one day?”
Juvenile: “I want to do both. I want to have my cake and eat it too.’
Chronicmagazine.com: “Do you have any favorite tracks?”
Juvenile: “I don’t know. I like everything to be honest with you. I’m not a hard person to please. As long as the beat is right and the rap is right, it’s right for Juve.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “Do you write from the beat or do you come into the studio with your songs?”
Juvenile: “Most of the time, the beat, [unless I have] an idea in my head.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “Hip-hop is so cyclical. Do you attempt to make music in accordance with a current trend or simply make music from the heart and hope that people take to it?”
Juvenile: “That’s what I do. You got it damn right. I put what’s going in the music industry aside and I just do me.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “What type of things would you like to see change in the industry?”
Juvenile: “I don’t think I would change things in the industry. I bring things to the industry.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “Like what?”
Juvenile: “Like me. My sound and the way I say things.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “You said you didn’t have anything to do with last album, 600 Degreez. It was put together by other people (who allegedly stole songs) and put on the internet. How do you get around things like that in the industry?”
Juvenile: “You don’t get around it, you just move on.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “You were originally with Cash Money. You, lets say took a break, and now you’re back. What did you learn from that experience?”
Juvenile: “There wasn’t anything to learn. I just needed to keep my business straight. Really I didn’t learn shit from it.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “Do you think the relationship is stronger?”
Juvenile: “As far as me having a personal relationship with them, there never really was one. When I came into Cash Money, I already had my own way of doing things.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “Talk about your other businesses.”
Juvenile: “I’ve been on the business side of the industry. I run UTP Records.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “What type of challenges do you face running a businss and being an artist? Does your focus on the business ever interfere with your creativity?”
Juvenile: “It’s not hard. Life is what you make it…It’s easy to me. It’s something that I love doing.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “Is that mindset how you think you’ve been able to get around a lot of the speculation surrounding [the Cash Money split]?”
Juvenile: “I try to think forward on matters. I think in the future when I make a decision. I don’t let what people say affect what I’m doing. I just do me.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from this business?”
Juvenile: “Owning music. It’s nothing better than owning music; being able to make your own decisions on your career.”
Chronicmagazine.com: “What’s next for you?”
Juvenile: “I’m doing a promotional tour…Everywhere on the west coast, then I’m moving across the country.”