 Kurupt | Project Pat  |
I can guarantee you this: When I leave out the game, I’m gonna be top 10. I put that on everything.
Rich Boy is that rare breed of rapper able to make great records despite not being a great rapper. Or at least not a great wordsmith. Blessed with a unique accent, courtesy of his Mobile, Ala., roots, and the unparalleled ability to spit with a slur that sounds like it was carved in stone (his delivery is an oxymoron: a clipped, clearly enunciated drawl), Rich Boy, born Maurice Richards, has what every A&R looks for in a prospect: an amazing rap voice. And while it’s easy to chalk up the nonstop knock of his self-titled 2007 debut to sound rather than syntax (many credited the work of Polow Da Don, who co-produced Rich’s breakout single, “Throw Some D’s,” with carrying the project), to do so ignores the strengths of Rich Boy’s two recent mixtapes, Bigger Than the Mayor (2008) and Pacc Man (2009). Both were built without big name producers. Rich Boy may not rap riddles, but he does deliver. And having finally put a string of legal troubles stemming from a 2006 shooting in Mobile that left his brother in jail behind him, as well as kicked a syrup habit that was getting out of hand, Rich Boy, now 25, says he’s finally ready to deliver his sophomore album, Buried Alive (Zone 4/Interscope), later this year. How’s that sound?
VIBE: How are things going?
Rich Boy: I been good, you know what I’m saying? The recession’s hittin’ me a little bit out here, but you know, I’m gonna continue to do my thing. Fittin’ to drop this album. I think I'm due for September 8, so far. I’m hoping to serve up a couple of mixtapes with all the hot DJs and give the streets what they want, and then I’mma come for the charts, I’mma shoot for the charts, with the single that we’re fittin’ to put out.
Everybody was looking for the album last year. I guess you got caught up a little bit?
Yeah, yeah, man, I know, this situation had me slowed down—going back and forth in court, the lawsuit, I was going through all kinds of stuff.
What was the lawsuit about?
It was just a case I had caught back in ’06.
The thing with your brother?
Yeah, you know, and they want me, man…. And I’m just now wrapping all of that up. You know, so I’m ready to come out with an album now.
Okay.
Yeah, you know when you going through things like that, it’s really hard to keep things going.
I can imagine. You’re straight, though?
Yeah, everything’s good, man. I’m back in the game…I was just watching the playoffs thing about how I’m fittin’ to just come on.
What made you think about the playoffs?
Oh, you know that’s just a big event, and when I come out, it’s gotta be a big event like that. I’m just thinking playoffs…I’m shooting for the playoffs this year, man. I ain’t fixin’ to come with just trying to rap and collect a check. I’m coming to take over for real. I’m coming to just grab it.
Well, I know even up here in the office everybody liked the Bigger Than the Mayor tape that came out last year, so folks are definitely checking for more Rich Boy music.
Yeah, man, and what we doing now…. On this mixtape, we wanted to take like a Motown feel on this mixtape, a real vintage sound, you know what I’m saying? Like, when I was growing up in the ’80s, man. I got some good samples on this mixtape. I just want to put some good music out before the album drops because the album is so solid. We’re just making sure every move we make is the exact kind that we want, you know?
Is the album done?
Well…it’s about to come out the oven, I’m about to go back in one more time with Polow and see what he’s got cooked up because I’ve got a couple from him, but I think we gotta go back in one more time and see what we can do.
Ahh, so you are working with Polow? I was going to ask you because I think out in the world it was a bit unclear about exactly where you guys stood right now. Like, on the Bigger Than the Mayor tape, it seemed like you were taking more control of your music, producing more yourself and all of that.
The situation was…I’m gonna always do my own thing, no matter what. I’m supposed to be trying to build my own brand in order—because you never know where your life will lead you, or whatever, you got to always be your own name for yourself, you heard me? I ain’t trying to overshadow what we got going with Polow; I’m trying to have more than one situation going on. So you’re gonna continue to see me do the mixtapes ’til that bubbles up, and that’s where I start [doing stuff] out of my imagination, and then I go in with Polow and that’s how we do the album. As far as the streets, you know, that’s all me.
Okay. But everything’s straight with you and Polow? Everything’s straight with you and Zone 4?
Oh yeah, man. You know, like every family have conflicts of interests, but it’s up to a true family to continue to keep working, you know? So I feel like…you know, we just gonna make it happen, man, no matter what, because it ain’t that type of situation to me.
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