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Hip-Hop has probably gone through more changes than any other musical genre. It’s been political, sexual, crime-related, conscious, etc. Now as it takes on its new personality, (in the form of dancing/feel good music), many people can stand up and take credit for another metamorphoses.

There’s no question that Atlanta based Lil’ Jon is the king of crunk, but even a king needs help to maintain his kingdom, and make sure everything remains in order. So it’s quite easy to consider the YoungBloodz part of the round table, or better yet Sean Paul, (not to be confused with the dancehall reggae star).

Even though, they bare the same qualities: They’re both light skinned, have braids, talk with heavy accents, and know how to make you dance.

But Sean Paul Joseph has always been an individual in his own right, letting his swagger and lyricism do the talking for him.

Stepping into the solo world for the first time, this one half of the YoungBloodz plans do a lot more than just simply make your fingers snap.



When did you first know you had a good chance at pursuing Hip-Hop from a career standpoint?

It was all from my mother, man. She put me in the studio back when I was twelve years old, so that’s when I first knew that I wanted to do this sh*t. I was having meetings with people back then when I was 12-13 years old, but at that time, the country wasn’t ready for the youth like that. And the youth weren’t really for the people like that either; know what I’m saying. So they never gave a n***a a chance, back then. Know what I mean.

How did you first hook up with DJ Khaled and Cool and Dre for your song "Everywhere We Go"?

I always wanted to f**k with those cats, because they are some cool dudes. Then I heard that they were fans of the Dungeon Fami ly and the YoungBloodz. So after that, we got along really good. I felt like I could make some history with them, because they’re hot producers. So when I got down to Miami we got in the studio, and we worked on two songs. And both of them came out crazy man. Me, Khaled, and Fat Joe was in the studio. And we just chopped it up man; they’re some really cool cats.

So I told Khaled; “Yo, Khaled go ahead and put your crazy voice on there, and let them know what you got for them” “And let them know we’re out here doing this thing, man!” So then Khaled jumped on that thing, and Cool and Dre did the beat. And from there, we was just rocking man.

What can people expect to hear from your solo projects?

Well if I’m putting out a mixtape, I’ll probably get a little grimier than usual. But when it comes to albums, you know its all bout sales, know what I mean. So with an album you can’t really have a lot of hard sh*t on there, because girls don’t like all that hard sh*t. They don’t want to hear all that hard sh*t all the time. Know what I mean.

Did you work with the same people on your upcoming projects?

We got an independent producer from out of Alaska, and he’s been down here for two years now. And he’s crazy on beats! He’s the new n***a that’s fixin’ to be hot in a minute. But he’s a crazy producer man, and n***as just got to give him a chance. They got to get out of all those names all the time.

N***as always trying to get a name-brand-ass beat instead of f**king with some real n***as that are in the studio, and got some heat. But also I f**ked with Scott Storch, Jr. Reid, and I also got something with Gucci Mane on there, and Bobby Valentino, it’s a little sexy-ass song. I went out there and grabbed a couple of people, but not too many because I still want folks to focus on Sean P so I didn’t want a whole lot of people on my album.

Yeah, that’s the problem these days people over flood their projects with too many guest spots.

Exactly, and that’s what I didn’t want for my projects.

What are the names of your projects that are coming up?

One of the mixtapes I did is called Hood Anthems, and it’s crazy! I got some cats from the West coast on there, the Bay Area. And I’m working on one right now called Back To The Streets. And that’s what we’re doing right now, n***as are gonna hear Sean P again. I’m back my n***a! “I’M BACK TO GOD DAMN CLAIM MY SPACE N***A!!” [Laughing]


[Laughing] I can dig that… So how was it like working with all those different people? Would you say that experience brought out the best in you?

Yeah it did, but also I ain’t no dick-riding n***a at the end of the day, know what I’m saying.

So I’m either hard to work with, or easy to work with. If you got a n***a in the studio, and you think I’m gonna jump around because of what his name is, or whoever the f**k he is, that ain’t me know what I’m saying. I want to work with somebody that’s going to bring something to the table.

Lets make a God damn song! Lets make a hit record! I just don’t want no mothaf**kin’ beat just to rap on, know what I’m saying. If that’s the case, then I can get one of my homies. I want to come out here and make a Goddamn hit. So like I said, I can be the easiest cat to work with, or the hardest cat to work with, know what I’m saying. And when mothaf**kas be showing out, and trying to prove what they got and all that sh*t, I don’t f**k with n***as like that.

I tend to sit there in the studio, and don’t even look at them n***as, like they’re not even there. I don’t even hear these mothaf**kas no more. So I just like to mess with humble cats, I’m not with that whole star-struck-ass-sh*t. Know what I mean?

I definitely hear what you’re saying on that subject… But did you feel a little nervous since you’re venturing out into the solo realm?

I don’t feel any pressure because it’s a different world these days. Like you got these quick little songs which is cool, because everybody is making money, and that’s what I like. But there’s a lot to compete against, especially with me being at my age, and the age where rap is today. Like mothaf**kas is 18-19 years old, and I’m mothf**kin’ 28 years old, I’m a grown-ass man.

So basically what I got to do is get on these young cats, and hopefully they still respect me from back in the day, like enough for them to listen to me. So I just gotta get back in these young cats ears so they can hear the real, and let them know that all that bullsh*t is just bullsh*t.

Was there any particular reason why you wanted to give the solo route a shot?

Even with the YoungBloodz I always been Sean Paul, and I always wanted to do a Sean Paul album, just to f**k with the different personalities. Like J-Bo is different dude, and Sean Paul is a different dude, and when we come together we make the YoungBloodz and we make good music together. But I wanted folks to see my side, and what I bring to the YoungBloodz. Instead of just listening to a YoungBloodz album, and hearing two cats.

I wanted them to see my side, and what I’m bringing to the YoungBloodz. And they can see what side J-Bo is bringing, so they can understand us as individuals. I’m Sean Paul man, I’m back to the streets, that’s me man.


What do you say to the people that think Southern artists rely more on beats and hooks rather than real lyricism?

For us it’s just different, it’s not about lyrics all the time, and it ain’t about the beat all the time. I’m not going to lie to you my dawg, I don’t wan to hear mothaf**ckas just rapping all day know what I’m saying?

You’re going to make me God damn bored than a mothaf**ka. Sometime it takes a quick little gimmicky song for you to be like; “Hell yeah, that sh*t was so simple!” “I’ve been in the mothaf**kin’ studio all night trying to think up some sh*t, and this mothaf**ka came with this simple-ass-sh*t!”

So I like some simple sh*t, because it makes the groove a little better, and it can make a long drive a little better. But sometimes you do want to hear what a n***a is talking about to see if he got some knowledge and sense, and to make sure he ain’t a ignorant-ass-n***a. I’m on both sides.

Down South they say we’re making some gimmicky sh*t, but they’re some n***as down here who can really spit, and you can’t discredit that. That’s what the radio is playing, we can’t be trippin’ on what they’re playing. That’s what the people want to hear, and that’s what they’re requesting. I don’t give a f**k if it’s simple or not, whatever the people request, that’s what they want. It ain’t all about what we want all the time, what we want don’t sell all the albums. That’s what the streets are requesting, so how can we be mad at that?

Do you feel that’s the reason why Atlanta has been ahead of the pack lately?

I just feel like people forgot to have fun. Like down here you can still go to the club, and get your girl and do your dance and whatever. Even back in the day up North, when they were rapping, they were also break dancing too. And mothaf**kas forgot to have in this music. Instead of being the hardest n***a, and the illest n***a, n***as just forgot how to have a good time. So I feel like down South we’re just having a good time, and I think that’s why we’re on top right now.

Throughout your career do you think you’ve been under the radar? Or do you feel as if you’re well known to the Hip-Hop community?

Let me tell you man, mothaf**kas that f**k with me; f**k with me. I just ain’t been in the right system yet, and I ain’t had the right representation yet. So now I think I got all the right things I need to put me in the places I need to be in. That’s why mothaf**kas ain’t heard from Sean Paul. I don’t do all that sh*t, I don’t want to be on everybody’s mothaf**kin’ TV show, or in everybody’s mothaf**kin’ magazine. I just want the real to recognize the real, and that’s what it is. I ain’t that type of n***a.

The fame is cool, but I’d rather sit back and get that money and just be cool. I ain’t trying to be better than the next n***a, I just want my music and my art to get heard. And now since the label is f**kin’ with me on a solo level, it’s up to them to put that machine behind me, and let these mothaf**kas know who Sean Paul is.



SOURCE-SIXSHOT

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