Slim The Mobster on Signing With Dr. Dre, 'War Music' Mixtape, Meeting Eminem

Slim The Mobster knows about second chances.

After spending twenty odd years toughing it out on the streets of Los Angeles and Texas, the street minded rapper met Dr. Dre outside of recording studio and eventually become the Doc's protege. VIBE sat down with Slim for the whole story on how he turned his hustle into a record deal with one of rap's greatest composers.

 

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VIBE: I was just talking to Sha Money and he was really praising your upcoming debut mixtape War Music (11/8) . Can you tell us a little about that?

Slim The Mobster: War Music is my first release so far as the mixtape scene—I just been knocking that out quietly and doing my best to get that situated. We’re trying to make sure that we get something big. I’ll let the music do the talking.

You have some big features considering this is your first tape.

Yea, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Prodigy from Mobb Deep—of course my home girl on a track called “Fuck You.” Mostly all the people that’s on my project are people that I’m around on a daily basis.

I noticed you really pride yourself in making music from the heart.

Mostly all my music is that way—sometimes it might be interpreted in a different way, but it’s really not to condone what’s going on its just to gain awareness of it. You listen to my music I’ve never told anybody to do anything it’s more of an entertainment thing and I feel like some people would get that—like when you’re a parent that’s who you’re supposed to look up to—no one is bigger in my house.

You’re just giving your perspective, like this is the world through [Slim’s] eyes?

I can only give you my point of view, I can’t speak about certain issues because I don’t know about them—that’s gonna probably be on the next album.

So for the fans who don’t know who you are, what do you think they can take from this release?

They’ll get a better understanding of who I am and not that [my music] is all about violence because I got some songs like “South Central Blues” and it’s like I’m telling people to be better than me—everybody out here is saying they’re the best. Not me.

We know that you’ve been down with Dr. Dre for a couple of years now but for the new cats can you explain how you linked up with him and got signed to Aftermath.

I went to the studio with a CD in like 2008 and left my number on a lottery ticket and he called me back and I been with him ever since.

So was that just a spur of the moment thing? You found out where Dre was going to be and you were just like ‘I’m going for it’ ?

I didn’t know if he was going to be there, I just knew that’s where he worked. It just worked with my timing and he was pulling up.

Were you were able to put your CD in his hand and not his manager or whoever?

Nah it wasn’t his man, I gave it to his security  (shout out to the Mayor). But Dre was actually right there, he was in his car but I didn’t want to walk up on him so I gave it to his security and literally like 10 minutes at the most, he called me back.

Do you remember the first thing he said to you?

Yeah, he told me he liked my music and he wanted to talk to me.

So after that initial call what came next on your journey to Aftermath?

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