It seems to many that the Texas trio known as TMI Boyz jumped onto the scene from out of the blue. In very little time they managed to top the Billboard Rap Singles Sales Chart with thers song “Swervin’,” and they were #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales Chart with their song featuring rap veteran Mannie Fresh called “I’m Fresh.” Their music can be heard on both BET, and MTV 2. Even though their careers are off to an impressive start, Dudella, Huskey and Sayeed are not sitting idly back kicking their feet up. They are working very hard to increase their buzz.
The TMI Boyz recently completed a fifty city tour in just under sixty days. Less then a week after finishing such a demanding tour, they hopped right back on the road. Despite their crazy schedule, they made time for a sit down with AllHipHop.com to talk about their new album, appropriately titled Grindin for a Purpose, and their careers in general.
AllHipHop.com: Can you tell me a little about yourself, and how first started rapping?
Dudella: I got started just by just being in the studio. I got on the mic and started rapping.
Husky: Pops brought me a karaoke machine and a mic.
Sayeed: When I was younger, I was always infatuated with trouble. Trouble always found me, like it was my best f###### friend. So I started using rap and poetry as tools to ease my feelings about what I was going through.
AllHipHop.com: How did you meet the other group members?
Sayeed: I met before ??? Husky before I realized we was actually cousins. I didn’t know that until 2004, but I had been hearing about him since ’99. He started runnin with my little brother, and I met him at a freestyle session.
Dudella: As far as TMI Boyz, we been going for three years. At first, me and Sayeed was in a group, and Husky was doin’ his own thing. We was doing a mixtape when we met Husky, then we formed a group.
Husky: I was doin my own thing. I been knowin Sayeed since 2003. We was going to the same studio. One day I was in there droppin a song and they heard it, and they liked it.
AllHipHop.com: How did you come up with the name of the album?
Sayeed: The name of the album is Grindin For A Purpose. Every walk of life, everybody grinds for a purpose. It was just a universal statement about how we feel.
Dudella: It comes out in January, and that’s why we on the road, getting that large fan base. We got a mixtape out now and we sold like 1,000 copies in the last month. That don’t even count the sales just grindin out of the trunk. We just tryin to get the buzz right.
AllHipHop.com: What can fans expect from the album?
Husky: It’s not your normal Texas album, but we do got songs that stick to our Texas roots. It’s not no ringtone music, no ABC type music. It will take you through a whole bunch of different moods.
Sayeed: Our album is an emotional roller coaster. It’s a raw adrenaline rush. It’s a mixture of real music. When I say real music, it’s more [for] people that work 9-5, that struggle with bills, then people thats out there selling drugs. That’s who we make music for, people with real lives.
Dudella: The fans are gonna hear everything. We got songs that you can tell it’s Houston music. We got stuff for the street, the block, we take it to the club, we take it to the bedroom.
AllHipHop.com: What do you hope fans will think once they hear the album?
Husky: The critics are gonna be in shock. I know the fans gonna think its “A breath of fresh air.” They gonna be like “Now that’s what I’m talkin about.”
Dudella: That we some real rappers. That we on some real s###.
Sayeed: I know the fans are gonna be like “Now thats wzup.”
AllHipHop.com: Given that screw music started in Texas, and “snap” music is so popular right now, did yall feel any pressure to conform to a certain style of music?
Sayeed: Nah, we went and did us. That’s how trends are set and legends are born. They do whatever they feel like doing.
Husky: For me, I just go into the studio and do whatever I’m in the mood to do. I can do pop, snap, and the typical Texas sound. I don’t have to conform to a certain sound. It’s to many people out there tryin’ to do what sells. You gotta set yourself apart from the industry. I mean everybody want to be like Jeezy. I feel like if you be yourself, you gonna sell yourself.
AllHipHop.com: Can ya’ll tell me what it was like working with Mannie Fresh?
Dudella: Fresh a cool dude, and he really looked out. He did the track , got on the hook, and got in the video.
Sayeed: He needs his own TV show. He is a true character. He has integrity and a sense of humor. He deserves everything that he has. Man, it was an honor to work with Mannie Fresh.
AllHipHop.com: Can you tell me who influenced you musically?
Husky: Biggie man. I always been a Biggie fan. Since the Ready to Die album. I see a lot of myself in him. He loved the ladies and the ladies loved him. I also like Rick Ross, Hawk, and Grandaddy Souf.
Sayeed: Biggie changed the way that people wrote their raps. Biggie made it aight to be black, fat and ugly, and he did it so effortlessly. I got alot of respect for him
AllHipHop.com: Is their anything your fans would be surprised that you listen to?
Sayeed: Alternative and rock. Hip-Hop can be redundant, you’ve heard it all before. If you listen to what other artists do all day, how you gonna do you?
AllHipHop.com: What do you think about the fact that some people think yall just kinda popped onto the scene?
Husky: I don’t take it as an insult. Honestly, we kinda did. We was just grindin and grindin. If people don’t let you in the door, sometimes you gotta kick that m########### down.
Sayeed: I got mixed emotions. If a veteran said that, said “Man they just popped up”, then we must be doing something right. Comin from other people, its hatin, they just hatin. That just adds fuel to the fire. Haters should have learned by now that they wasting their time.
AllHipHop.com: As I’m sure you already know, Hip-Hop has been coming under a lot of attack about some of its lyrical content. As an artist, how do you feel about that?
Sayeed: I snicker. Then I bust out laughing. Hip-Hop has always been under attack. Man, we attack each other. It’s nothing.
AllHipHop.com: Any last words that you want to leave with your fans.
Sayeed: I f##### love them. I love my fans to death.
Dudella: Get money, and get that mixtape, the name of the mixtape is also “Grindin For A Purpose.” Man u gotta feel that, u gotta buy it just cuz of the title. Oh, and check out the myspace page at www.myspace.com/tmimuzic2
Husky: I really appreciate the support. As far as Texas go, we could stay on the map if we all stick together. That’s just not true of Texas, but for everywhere. Everybody gotta stick together and stop hatin. It’s too much money out there to be made.
Check out the TMI Boyz MySpace Page at www.myspace.com/tmimuzic2