September 19, 2005 @ 10:59 am

Twista Gets His Grown & Sexy On

by: Kellye Whitney

Fans were moving almost as fast as Twista’s raps, and paper-invites had to make do when the fans ran out. Brews disappeared like ice cubes on hot pavement, and the thick crowd might have been the teeniest bit crabby as folks waited for their turn to try out Madden 06 from EA Sports. But when Twista arrived the energy flipped as sure and steady as a record on DJ V Dubb’s turntable. And I got a whole five minutes to ask Twista about his newfound swagger displayed on his latest single, “Girl Tonight.” There was the requisite bling. Diamonds flashing at wrist, ear and mouth, the white bandana he’s never without, the jersey, and gym shoes worn with a faintly old-school flair. But looking into the slanted, faintly sleepy hazel eyes I didn’t see a big-headed rapper. I didn’t even see the fun-loving spirit that peeked out later. Instead I got an almost shy vibe, which seemed accurate when I asked him to dip off to a nook so my old ass recording equipment could pick him up over the hubbub. “I don’t wanna get too far,” he said, when I pointed out an unoccupied corner. Two large bodyguards blocked any interlopers as I took my place, handheld recorder at the ready. I eased into it with an obvious first question: ‘What’s The Day After about?’ “It represents what happens after Kamikaze,” he said. “Kamikaze, I was more coming at it, you know. I’m hungry. I gotta achieve it by all means necessary. The Day After is like the swagger Twista. The platinum Twista. The glad that Chicago is doing big things right now, Twista. I’m really enjoying it.” Yeah. That works. I mean, the clubs love him, the ladies love him, and radio definitely loves him. He was blasting on multiple stations on my way to the party and on the Dan Ryan expressway coming home. It’s not like he hasn’t earned this rush of success. He’s been in the rap game since the early ‘90’s neglected Running Off At Da Mouth. My next question was about the ladies. Call me a square, but I gotta know why, and not just what. So I asked him what’s up with all that sexiness? The mainstream got their first taste with the Kanye-produced Jamie Foxx / Twista collabo “Slow Jamz.” “I’m getting’ a little older,” he explained. “I got some crazy ways of explaining stuff. When you’re a little boy you don’t even like girls. Then you get to that certain age you like, ‘Hey!’ and you all into it. Coming up as a rapper, I been rapping so long, for most of my career I always just thought about bringing my lyrics. ‘I’ma tear this Emcee up, and I’ma do this.’ He continues, “I’m gettin’ to that stage in my life, where I’m enjoying myself. I’ve got a few things. I’m going out. I’m seeing ladies, you know what I’m sayin’? I respect the ladies. I definitely respect the ladies, so don’t get it twisted when you hear the music. I don’t just be out here goin’ crazy. People gotta understand what our art form represents and how we get off some time. I know how to make the ladies go, ‘Hey!’… I definitely respect women a lot. I respect my mother a lot. So I put it down for the ladies for sure, and that’s why I do that type of stuff. Like I said, I’m getting older. That old man is coming up outta me.” He was so cute and cuddly, a tan-skinned, youthful hip hop bear with hands up singing ‘Hey!’ as he illustrated women’s reactions to his music. I had to laugh, and when he found out I was from Chicago, specifically a southern suburb, he didn’t hold it against me. Unlike other West-siders who might give me one of those pitying, patronizing sneers. Perhaps the fact that I held down a few barstools in the Bobcat Lounge on 79th and Racine gave me a lil’ street cred, who knows? But Twista definitely did not look broken up about being passed over for “Best Rap Solo Performance” and “Best Rap/Sung Collaboration” at this year’s Grammys. Even though one of his neighbors and fellow collaborators Kanye West picked up the actual prize, for me, the real test of success is in endurance. Johnny-come-lately’s would have you believe Twista’s new. But we - Chicago, Vibe, Atlantic Records, old-school rappers and fans with crates of albums and hidden stashes of dusty underground mixtapes — know better. Since he was named the “World’s Fastest Rapper” by Guinness Book of World Records a decade ago, since last year’s Kamikaze, which received accolades and award nominations from everyone from Billboard to BET, since the 1997 classic Adrenaline Rush, Twista has graduated. No longer a well-respected underground phenomenon, now he’s platinum, literally. How many rappers do you know can fill a room with busty-bootylicious-strippers and DJs from all over Chicago and still remain calm, cool and collected? Not many. But that must be a privilege of age, maturity, and quite possibly the chilling weight of all the bling. The Day After hits stores October 4. (Watch Video / Listen to Audio of Twista’s “Girl Tonight.”) Read more vibe.com online exclusives.

Article tags: Twista, Kanye West, Jamie Foxx, Chicago 

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