 Kurupt | Project Pat  |
Sure. In terms of your legal situation, you’re clear now?
Yeah, man, that’s out my head so I’m looking forward to the future, man. You know, I’m not looking behind me. I feel like I got some great material that’s behind the scenes. A lot of top-secret stuff. I’m fixin’ to get rid of this soon. Fixin’ to put this on out there.
When we first spoke, the day your debut album dropped, you were talking a lot about how you wanted to bring a more conscious, kind of a more serious, weighty perspective. Not that you were preaching on the album, but there were records on there—like “Get This Paper” in particular—that focused on issues you felt needed to be discussed. Is that something you’re hoping to continue on the album, bringing as much substance as possible? Or is this gonna be a little more of a D-Boy album?
Nah, it’s going to be more substance, man, because what had happened was, it messed my head up, I was riding through this project called Roger Wiliams, and this kid had asked me, “Why you rap about crack so much, Richy?” And it just messed my head up to the point where I couldn’t get mad at the little cat. I was just like, I could tell he seen something real dealing with crack. So I was just like, Man, for the kids like that, I’d rather change my topic. If I know kids like that are listening to me.
Sure.
But not fully. I’m going to keep it real and rap about the shit I’ve seen, but I’m not going to glorify it. I’m going to tell the truth about it, tell both sides of the story, man. You just see the good part, but I’m going to show you the bad part, too.
So as a rapper, as Rich Boy, you feel a level of responsibility.
Yeah, you know the kids make me feel responsible. I didn’t ever feel responsible until a kid actually asked me myself. I heard it from the horse’s mouth, you know what I mean? I was like, Man! It just blows me.
Are you in the game to make the music or to make the money?
I feel like, man, if I do the right thing, I feel good about receiving money. Like if I sell my soul for this shit, I ain’t never going to be happy with the money.
I know you have a production background. Do you think that you would just be making music whether you were a rapper or not?
Yeah, that’s what I was doing before I met Polow. Before I met anybody in the game, I was just doing it because it was there. It was fun.
What do you like best about being a rapper?
It’s being able to say what’s on my mind at the time and expressing exactly how I feel. And once I play it back, I could remember exactly how I felt when I said it. It’s like almost making a photograph book. A verse is like a picture in my photograph book. I can go back to them and be like, “Yeah, I remember that time I wrote this.” I’m trying to get rid of my lust and do what’s necessary to success. Anything, you gotta get rid of that lust, so you can get that focus. Whether it be sipping syrup or whatever. I put the syrup down, I’m just focused.
I didn’t know you were drinking syrup like that.
Yeah, I was drinking syrup for about eight years, and it just caught up with me one night. I thought I was going to die, the way it hit me. But I was just like, “Man, I can’t be feeling like this and trying to get money in the hospital.” It ain’t gonna add up if I’ve got 10 million dollars and I’m in the hospital. I can’t even do nothing with it.
Did you end up in the hospital?
Nah. And I ain’t going to keep going ’til the point where I do either. It’s just that it cramped me up about eight hours one night. I just ain’t sipped it since.
Damn. When was this?
Umm...it was before I started to put this album together, man. As a matter of fact, it was like my wakeup call.
So you’ve been off of it for about how long?
I’ve been off of it for probably six months now.
Cool. Congratulations.
Ah, man, I appreciate it. Everybody got to have it, whether it’s the syrup or whatever interferes with what they want to do. I used to say, I’m gonna hit this shit until the day I die. That’s how I used to think. Until it hit, man. I was like, Oh, shit, I don’t know if this is how I want to go.
So you’re trying to just regain your focus and go hard rather than get distracted?
Yeah, man, you know when people come into this rap game, I know a lot of cats want the fame and the women and the cars. But if you come into this game, you come into this game to get money and be focused man and get out. It’s like in high school, you squared away from this shit.
Are you at all concerned about being the best rapper ever or the best rapper alive? Do you care?
I can guarantee you this: When I leave out the game, when I stop, I’m gonna be top 10, man. And I put this on everything. I’m gonna be top 10. I’m coming with God, above anything. So, I just know how the story goes. I’m coming. So if people ain’t ready, they need to get ready. It’s going to be serious.
Press play to listen to Rich Boy's "It's Over"
Press play to watch the video for Rich Boy's "Throw Some D's" feat. Polow Da Don from his 2007 self-entitled debut
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