Like many of the reigning kings of late 90’s Southern rap, B.G.’s career has been in a bit of limbo. Like his Hot Boy brother Juvenile, BG’s reach was never as far as when he had the Cash Money Records tattoos out and the label on the album. The three Koch releases since found cult fans, but lacked one-tenth of the punch of his “Bling Bling” bolstered Chopper City In The Ghetto seven years earlier.
With a potential G-Unit record contract on the table, B.G. is looking to raise the stakes again. He’s reunited with father-figure producer, Mannie Fresh. B.G. has also been active in upholding fallen No Limit star, Souljah Slim’s legacy. Even in touching on issues such as Hurricane Katrina and his sobriety, BG carries himself more seriously than. Going into the mixtape, “The Heart of the Streets Volume 2”, get an inside look as AllHipHop.com and B.G. have a very real discussion on the future, the past, and the Almighty.
AllHipHop.com: Let’s cut to the chase – are you really signing to G-Unit?
B.G.: I could be. But fo’ real, I got several offers on my plate.
AllHipHop.com: Like?
B.G.: Sony, G-Unit of course, a couple others. I ain’t trying to jinx nothin’. Just looking for the best deal for me and my team.
AllHipHop.com: If you do sign to G-Unit, will you drop something like all the other artists on the roster? That was 50’s promise to the people?
B.G.: I’m dropping somethin’ regardless. That’s just me. I make music for the world, feel me? So no matter what I chose, my album will get to the people. G-Unit or no G-Unit.
AllHipHop.com: With G-Unit being a prospect, how did you feel when Lil’ Wayne was allegedly sporting G-Unot shirts?
B.G.: You know it was crazy man, like my peoples was calling my phone and s**t. That was a little after the story was out there that I may sign to them, you feel me? And I didn’t even believe it at first. ‘Cause to me, that’s that young stuff. Then I got the emailed pictures, and then I decided I had to do what I had to do.
AllHipHop.com: Was that how the Lil’ Wayne diss record came to pass?
BG: Yeah, I ain’t no b*tch ass n***a, you feel me? For me not to finally step up and say something would have made me look like a b*tch. I wasn’t going to say nothing at first when this thing first started. I know that he felt like he had to be loyal to his team and I can respect that. But
what I was going through with Baby was basically between me and Baby. I ain’t holding no one accountable for his action, that’s why I focused on him only. Wayne needed to be chastised. You got to do that sometimes. Discipline the child so they know better next time.
AllHipHop.com: Speaking of Baby and Cash Money, how’s Turk? Do you still keep in touch?
B.G.: Turk is family, man. He gets everything he need from me. Phone calls, visits, whatever. We still family ain’t nothing changed because I ain’t with Cash Money anymore. Being down don’t stop relationships, people do. I ain’t no bail-out n***a. if my fam going through it, then I’m going through it.
AllHipHop.com: Leaving Cash Money was a major step for you. Do you think Juvenile set an example by finally succeeding without Cash Money? Did it make it any easier for you to make you move?
B.G.: It was something to see. When you with these, big labels man. They’ll make you believe that without them behind you, ain’t nothing go ever come to pass, you feel me? It was like being trapped on a sinking ship. You know it’s going down [for you anyway], but you got that feeling of being stuck and not being able to move. Then a n***a was getting high, so that only made the feeling and situation worse. But just like with everything, you get to that point where it’s either do or die. Getting clean was that first step, once s**t ain’t cloudy no more, you see a whole everything.
AllHipHop.com: You’ve been clean for two and a half years now right?
B.G.: Yeah! In July of ‘06, it’ll be three years.
AllHipHop.com: with that being said, when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, after seeing all the devastation, did that desire to use nip at you?
B.G.: Hell Naw! I won’t say that seeing all that I saw ain’t effect me, ‘cause it did. That’s my home and my roots right there. I had the means to move me and my people feel me? We packed up, and now I’m in Detroit doing what needs to be done for my label and my family. I ain’t using, that was a decision I made a while ago because I never want to be where I was. You know what it feels like to read an old magazine article and see that hey wrote about you noddin’ – or how you looked or presented yourself? I don’t want that for me or for nobody else. When Katrina hit, I did the only thing I could do, I prayed.
AllHipHop.com: Do you feel like since you’re an artist from New Orleans that people expected for you to do more then the average for the survivors?
B.G.: [Pause, long sigh] Yeah man, I felt like, like there were people looking at me expecting me to do something. I ain’t no broke dude, but at the same time, my money doesn’t stretch so far as I can bring back a whole city feel me. With all that I gave, I still wish I could do more. I lost people close to me; I ain’t trying to be part of a story because I lived it. It still break a n***a down just to think of it. Just the thoughts and the sights brings a n***a to tears…the world saw a lot but it was so much that ya’ll didn’t see that like, burned to my memory. I don’t think people understand – that was our 9/11. People went to bed with their version of everything and then you woke up to nothing. I pray everyday that everybody that made it out, makes a way.
AllHipHop.com: You sound like this is really hard to talk about…
B.G.: It’s more than hard to talk about it – it’s that vision that comes back every time you speak it. ‘Cause in a way, it’s like through the story your reliving it. Knowing that this horrible thing took place and it may have been prevented man… [pauses] all I can keep doing is saying the serenity prayer; I say it every morning, afternoon and evening. That’s how I get through this. God and my music are my therapy.
AllHipHop.com: It’s working if your single with Mannie Fresh is any indication, how did that reunion happen?
B.G.: Man, me and Fresh been family. He raised me in the studio. We been trying to do somethangs, but our schedules at the time didn’t allow for us to do what we wanted to do. I made it clear when I left Cash Money, that my issues were with, who they were with and nobody else. I can’t hold everybody accountable for one man’s actions. We realized that we had time at the same time. We made it happen. Can’t nobody do a beat like Fresh. He puts you into the beat, feel me? It’s like he makes you, your own little theme music. When he do something for you, you know it’s for you and not just some Sh*t. My new album is gonna let everyone know where BG been, and where he is now.