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Memphis, Tennessee has been one of the most slept on regions in the world of hip hop for quite some time now. Following the lead of local legends such as 36 Mafia and Project Pat, Lil Wyte is ready to take his shot at stardom and elevate his hometown to the next level. Coming off the strength of a hit TV show and a smash single, Lil Wyte is ready to takeover the industry one city at time. He recently sat down to talk with hhnlive.com’s Derek Phifer about “Adventures In Hollyhood,” his new album, staying true to the game, and much more.

Lil Wyte: What up? What’s goin’ on?

Derek: Chillin man, chillin. What’s good?

Lil Wyte: Nuttin, nuttin, nuttin. Just kickin it.

Derek: You still out in Hollywood or are you back in Memphis doing your thing?

Lil Wyte: Nah, I’m back in the good old M-Town baby.

Derek: So I was watching 3-6’s show on MTV and I saw the episode in which you wrote Talkin’ Ain’t Walkin’. Did it really take Computer chasing you and sitting outside the studio door for you to finally sit down and put that song together?

Lil Wyte: Nah man, ya boys got it, it’s entertainment man. It did look good though. It was funny as hell.

Derek: Oh, so that was scripted?

Lil Wyte: The chasin part was scripted. The argument and all that fightin shit was real. The drink in the face, which was really the only thing that was really my kind of spur of the moment idea. They told him, “look, Wyte’s gonna get you back sometime tonight. We don’t know when, just whenever he does it, whatever you do, chase that ass and try to catch him if you can. Whatever happens happens.” That motherfucka ain’t finna catch me. I took off through that house, I hit them steps boy, and I was gone. I used to jump fences boy, I used to run from them police and rottweilers and shit. That’s a big dude. If he’d got a hold of me, there’s no telling what the cameras might’ve saw. I wasn’t finna let that happen. They already got me looking like a fool. I wasn’t finna get my ass kicked on MTV (laughing). Fuck that, no way. I’ll go in there and record that song, like shiiit.

Derek: Did you expect the song to get the reception that it did?

Lil Wyte: Uhh, I didn’t expect it, but I was hoping it would, if that makes sense. I wanted it to do great and it did superb. It went real good. Everywhere I’ve been the past 2 months, I can’t go nowhere. I could actually go to the grocery store around my house and do a little shoppin here and there by myself, uh uh, not no more. I’m rollin with some big dudes now know what I’m sayin? I gotta keep my big dudes with me (laughing). Beat up the old women and shit. Me and my gal was out to eat one night and there was this 40 year old, 50 year old white lady that sat down at my table and started eating my French fries singin “whatcha starin at? I’m not a mirror.” I was like these women are bold as hell. They loved it though. They love the show. And the funniest thing is everytime I would bring it to music, it was great, but the show’s name was hilarious. I thought to myself, great, if that’s the way they wanna take it. They didn’t like the music, but they like the show shit. You know, whatever floats your boat. I can understand them not liking the music, a lot of people don’t like our music, but you know, o well.

Derek: So what’s the name of the new album?

Lil Wyte: The One And Only.

Derek: You got any guest appearances on that?

Lil Wyte: Nah. The only guest appearance that I really demanded, Paul and Juicy really wanted to focus on me on this album, just put nothing but me on this album and let the fans get a real taste of Lil Wyte this go around, but 1 major demand I said, I said look, I gotta have Project Pat on a couple of hooks man. That’s a given, because you know he been locked up for a few years when I first got down, and we never got a chance to work together. He’s always been one of my favorite artists you know, so when it came time to make this album Pat just happened to be down with the show. I was like “Pat I’m not letting you leave until we do some work.” He was like, “baby that’s a gimmie. With your work, we’ll rock this motherfucka.” So I had big brother Project Pat on the album and that’s all I really wanted you know. Paul and Juicy on a couple of hooks with me, but other than that I’m just strictly rippin that bitch.

Derek: Is 3-6 the only producers on the album?

Lil Wyte: Yes sir, 3-6 is the only producers and Lil Wyte’s the only rapper. It’s real serious. It’s a real serious album too. Like it ain’t no joke. It’s not to be played with.

Derek: You got quite a buzz going now, especially off of that show.

Lil Wyte: Yea, I was ready to drop the album before the show came out, but once the show came out it showed me that my fan base has grown. I’ve seen a lot more shit just from being out in L.A., hangin out with big dogs, and it’s just been real nice the past year.

Derek: Yea, it’s like I knew that I’d heard of you before, and then when I saw you that they said they were gonna bring out Lil Wyte I said, “I heard of that guy,” but I didn’t quite know who you were, because I’m up here in New York, so we don’t hear everything from down south. So after the show it was like I definitely know who you are. Everybody knows who you are, so it’s a good look.

Lil Wyte: Yea see, like last year I came to New York with 3-6 during the Stay Fly tour, and I got noticed by like 2 people in 2 days. 2 people that’s it ya know? I was up in New York this past week hollerin at the record company and doin interviews and shit, and I get noticed by like 2-4 people every block. That’s a lot of people. We be walkin and I get noticed by like 30, 40, 50 people by the time we made it back to the hotel. I was like oh ok, I see what’s goin on now. They were like “what you mean?” I was like last year I ain’t get noticed by nobody dog. People are recognizing me now. Especially up there in the NY.

Derek: Yea, it’s hard for the south artists to come up here unless you’ve been doin it for a few years with them major crossover hits. You know, they don’t really bring it up here.

Lil Wyte: That’s why I’m just happy to get a lot of love from up there you know. We got nothing but love.

Derek: That’s what they say, if you carry NY, you’re gonna go platinum.

Lil Wyte: I’m telling you, I feel like I got a lot of motherfuckas up there that fuck wit me this go around, so I’m prayin that NY gone fuck wit me. I met up with Serius Jones while I was up there. He said, “I heard some of your shit.” He actually threw me up in his freestyle at the little rap show he was at. He was like, “I gotta go and holla at my homie Lil Wyte and the 3-6 Mafia/ cause Serius wants an Oscar.” I appreciate that shit. I was like, “That’s the business fool” (laughing). That shit was cool though. I’m sittin there watchin this man’s fight club and he put me in his freestyle. That was sweet. He’s a real cool dude, a real genuine mothafucka.

Derek: Yea, he’s a part of the whole new New York movement. They trying to bring it back.

Lil Wyte: Yea and I respect his ass, I told him that. I ain’t got nothing but love for you (Serius Jones). We got the same publicist, Dove, so it was easy for me to hook up with him.

Derek: So what was the creative process like for you in making this album?

Lil Wyte: I just really worked man. I just got in there and kind of went with it. I ain’t really have to think about it really. Once I got them beats, once we figured out what tracks we were gonna use, we started getting hooks setup for em, I just went in there and went. It wasn’t no thinking about it, it wasn’t no process, it was get up and rap. That was all it was, get up, wake up the engineer, and we’d get in there and I’d already have a song laid out from the night before and just grinded out. We had the whole album done in like 3 weeks to a month. Doin like 3 songs a day and shit. I did 5 songs one night, woke up the next morning and was like “Paul and Juicy I can’t rap today. My voice is gone dog.” I’m talking about my voice was so gone I couldn’t even talk.

Derek: So is “The One And Only” going to be the quintessential rap album where you’ve got your street record, your club record, and then the love song for females, or did you try to separate it from the standard rap album?

Lil Wyte: Nah man. The One And Only lets you know that I’m the one and only Lil Wyte and this is what you finna get. Believe it or not, there’s a bunch of little imitators and shit, you know, around in the south and the surrounding areas and I had to let em know there’s only one Lil Wyte mothafucka. Don’t get it twisted. We got love for your props and trying to be me and shit, but nah fuck that shit. I’m the one and only. I went with a little bit more of an arrogant tip for that name. I’m not an arrogant dude, I’m real laid back and humble. I chill. I sit at home with my kids, that’s all I do know what I’m sayin. So, I had to actually show a little aggression on this album. The first two albums had a little aggression in it, but this CD really… you’d think I was bout 9ft tall and 400 pounds, 500 pounds.

Derek: Yea, you’re definitely coming up.

Lil Wyte: Yea, I’m tryin, I’m tryin. I’m getting there.

Derek: I know you’ve been in the game for a little while now and this is your 3rd album, but you’ve generated quite a buzz off the strength of your first single and your appearance on 3-6’s TV show. Are different artists trying to call you up to get you featured on their stuff?

Lil Wyte: Yea, you got folks here and there. I think everybody’s kind got the phone on standby. Like, let’s wait til the album comes out, make sure he don’t fuck it up. If he comes out and he fucks it up on his 3rd album I ain’t gonna call him, but if he does good, I’ll call. So needless to say, the phones are gonna start ringing in about 13 hours. Soon as Best Buy and all that shit opens up tomorrow the phones are gonna be goin crazy.

Derek: I’m definitely gonna go get one. I wasn’t sure if I was gonna go get one, but I was listening to some of the joints on your myspace page and I was like, I can actually listen to all of these. Most people you have to skip through here and there, but I was actually able to listen to all of them joints, so that’s what’s up right there.

Lil Wyte: I appreciate it man, I appreciate it. That’s all I want is for fans to give it a chance. Don’t just look at it and be like nah, another one of these guys. Fuck that, I been here for a while. I didn’t just appear out of nowhere so everybody that does pick it up and listen to it, I appreciate it.

Derek: Right now a lot of these rappers are coming with the same recycled material. Pretty much every song is exactly the same. What separates a Lil Wyte track from everybody else’s track?

Lil Wyte: It is exactly the difference of that shit that you’re talking about. There’s not a song on this album that sounds like anything else that’s on the radio right now. That’s kind of what we were goin for ya know? Every producer, every rapper, everybody and their momma knows that there’s a bunch of bullshit on the radio right now. It’s like you said, a lot of it’s starting to sound the same. One song will cut off, another one will come on and it’s the same tempo, it’s the same, it’s crazy. This album Paul and Juicy when it comes to the beats, to me, they cut back into they old shit. You know, the shit that got em here, but kept it upgraded and sounding quality, but it’s some real deep, dark, scary ass shit on this album.

Derek: So do you think that a lot of these dudes really are paying for radio play? Does that actually happen?

Lil Wyte: Come on man. You part of the hip hop game too. I ain’t even gotta answer that question. I can say it like this, if they’re not, there’s some really sad PDs (Program Directors) out here. I feel personally that the album got a bout 6 or 7 singles on it because there’s a certain script to this album. We didn’t go too overboard on the hooks, but they’re still raw know what I’m sayin? Instead of just talking about some buck ass shit, we kinda made it to where any of em can be a single damn near. We just kind of gave it that “Talkin’ Ain’t Walkin’” feel. A lot of the songs got the same energy. When Paul and Juicy make my albums they really do bring some other stuff out the bag because they know that I’ve got a different market and I got different fans. I got a lot of the same fans because anybody that listens to Lil Wyte listens to 3-6 Mafia 9 times out of 10. But I do have different fans. I either have straight up hood folks or straight up white folks. There are some in betweens in there, but that’s the majority.

Derek: I understand that you now officially have your own Sub-label, Wyte Records.

Lil Wyte: Yea man I’m working on it. It’s in paper, but I ain’t got nobody signed to it just yet. I been focusing on myself tryin to get my ass in before I get anybody else’s in you know.

Derek: So what’s it like trying to build a label while some people might still consider you an up and coming artist yourself?

Lil Wyte: Well that’s why I ain’t takin it too fast. I just kind of got it in paper work, that way there is paper work cause you never know what can happen tomorrow. So you wanna be prepared. I don’t really think it should be looked at as a problem or anything. I feel if you can do it, do it you know? Fuck how long you been in the game. You can be in the game 2 minutes, if you know how to make beats get your ass in that studio and make some beats. Don’t let nothin slip beside you; you never know if it can bring in extra money, or extra fans, or extra anything. Billionaires take risks you know what I’m sayin? My dad always told me that shit. Billionaires take risks. How come we ain’t rich then? “Cause I don’t take too many risks” (laughing).

Derek: So are you doing the producer thing as well, or do you strictly stay behind the mic?

Lil Wyte: I lay a couple of little tracks here and there on my little mpc, but I ain’t got real serious with it. But I got it, I definitely got. I’m just waitin to kind of let everything shoot off with my career and then hit em with a hard ass track. Then they can be like, “damn the boy makes beats too? Oh my gosh. Let’s holla at Lil Wyte.” It’s like I tell my homies, I’m sendin it to Paul and Juicy before I ever let anyone else listen to it. I wanna hear the critic side, the constructive criticism.

Derek: They seem pretty straight forward if their anything like they were on the show.

Lil Wyte: They will tell you what’s up. If you wanna know the answer to a question, if they know it, they’ll tell ya. They’re some pretty straightforward, real, business minded dudes. They’re real laid back cool, but fuckin piss em off boy. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde up in this mothafucka.

Derek: Is there anything that you can tell me about Lil Wyte that no one really knows right now?

Lil Wyte: Basically, I’m a laid back family man, so the guy that you hear on the music is the inner me. When I get in that booth, I guess the aggression and anger comes out from a childhood of gettin like 1 toy for Christmas or something, I don’t know what the fuck it is, but it’s something in there. It’s comin from somewhere. I don’t know where it is, I don’t know what it is, I don’t know if it’s the Mississippi River water. I think it might be something in the water. You never know what it is, but I’m not gonna question it, I’m gonna keep givin the fans what they want. You’ll never gonna hear about Lil Wyte pussyin out, or suckerin out, or sellin out.

Derek: So what’s your website so the people can hit up to check you out?

Lil Wyte:
There’s a link on there that takes you to my website. All of em can be found on my myspace. We deleted out all the extra music pages that weren’t me. We deleted em all out, so there’s only 1 page for Lil Wyte music, so there ain’t no denyin it, ain’t no confusing it or nothing like that.

Derek: Anything else that you want to say before we wrap up the interview?

Lil Wyte: Much love to everybody.

Derek: Aight, that’s what’s up. Good looking out for doing this man.

Lil Wyte: I appreciate you having me man.

Lyrical Menace

props.. lil old tho isnt it..

GodToYouKids22

i like dude....hes got talent....def lik that walkin talkin song

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Im The Sharpshooter, You The Nigga I Target Next

Cropped_Stunts

Thanks......

Jeezy Da Snowman

propz lil wyte is straight he's cool in person too

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