Legendz

If rap stops today, he’s still doing his thang, but fortunately for us rap’s not going anywhere - and neither is Young Buck. Set aside his temper as you set aside the controversies surrounding the VIBE Awards incident and the club incident from November 2006. Set aside the back-and-forth with The Game and Lil’ Wayne, and even DJ Khaled. Set aside the recent speculations, rumors and truths between Young Buck and the G-Unit, and in particular, 50 Cent. And please, set aside the constant urge to box him in the east/south demographic because you cannot justify to yourself that rappers with southern accents can be lyrical with their slurred speech and southern swag. Scratch that itch once and for all - and get over it. And as you do, you’re likely to see Young Buck for the talents he actually possesses (musically), without the media hype and the controversy. Nobodysmiling caught up with the rapper to discuss his upcoming album, Product of the South, the massive expectations placed on G-Unit, and the one thing you don’t know about Buck.

Nobodysmiling.com : How’s it going?

Young Buck : I’m good I’m good, what’s good with you?

Nobodysmiling.com : All’s well. How’s the 2008 treating you so far?

Young Buck : Straight. Still doing shows and touring my Buck the World album, and really getting the world ready for my April 1st release, Product of the South.

Nobodysmiling.com : Why don’t you tell us a bit more about that?

Young Buck : You know, I think the world know by now. I signed the Outlawz, Tupac’s group, as well as C-BO from the west coast. And I got my own group, 615, and a solo artist that goes by the name of Sosa. So you know, I’m just focused on they album; it’s pretty much a brand new label, brand new music. It’s pretty much me. I took my label to Sony/Red and are pretty much gaining up for April 1st release, Product of the South. A lot of hot producers, a lot of features on this record; you’re gonna get Young Jeezy, Plies, Devin the Dude and more…

Nobodysmiling.com : Who’s on the production?

Young Buck: Production-wise you got Beethoven, Drummer Boy, Sha Money XL, K-Salaam…just a gang of good producers as well as in-house producers that go by the name of Bar None. So at the end of the day, it’s a totally different feel of the music that you’ve gotten from Young Buck and G-Unit albums. It’s more my direction with the music.

Nobodysmiling.com : And what direction is that?

Young Buck : Well, my direction pretty much…I speak the ghetto gospel. There’s the club records and records for the ladies but I’m best when I’m speaking on the struggle. That’s where I pretty much come from. I think everybody’s dealing with the struggle somewhere…I like to touch base on that as well as pretty much anything that’s dealing with the reality of real life. The same feelings you got from Tupac Shakur on the Outlaws track is the same feel you get pretty much from my music.

Nobodysmiling.com : Interestingly enough, you’re compared to Pac in terms of the emotion expressed in your music. Is music your therapy?

Young Buck : At the end of the day, music is my everything. It’s my way to express my feelings and my views towards my life and towards the issues of life in general. As far as dealing with the f&*^%$ up president that we now got and everything [laughing]. Music in a sense marks time but I try to make my music as real as possible. I feel that the artists we love the most are the artists that involve real life experiences and real life issues in their music. That’s why we know Eminem got a daughter named Hailie; 50’s been shot 9 times…so I was focused on that from day one. To pretty much put my life and put out what’s really going on in my eyesight. I happen to be a child of the ghetto so my views are the struggles of what the ghetto got to offer as well…people that’s not from that environment I can almost educate on what goes on in it.

Nobodysmiling.com : Did you ever feel pressured to fit into the east coast swagger being that you were part of G-Unit?

Young Buck : No, not at all. I think I’ve really adapted a whole lyrical system to my flow being surrounded by east coast artists, period. I’m born and raised in the south but I’ve been to New York and just the east coast, period. They relate to me on the strength of, for one, the things I think I speak on, period, is no different than what’s going on in their environment. The east coast is built off lyrics; they want to actually hear artists actually talk about things. Talk about more things than just rapping. That’s what I follow and I think they pick up on that and there aren’t a lot of southern artists that do that. A lot of times it’s always the music that makes a lot of southern artists. But dealing with Young Buck, I make the music in a sense – I would say.

Nobodysmiling.com : Buck the World. Critics are stating that there were too many guest appearances and that overshadowed you somewhat. Some were also complaining about 50 being the only G-Unit artist on the album; thoughts?

Young Buck : At the end of the day, when I go in and make an album I’m not really considering or thinking about tape sales or any of that in my mind-frame; I’m actually just going in and trying to create an album that a fan can listen to from top to bottom. When it comes to creating that album, there are levels of music that I feel another artist can bring to the table so I’m always open to working with a lot of other artists. At the end of the day, I agree when I say that the album has a lot of features on it but as far as overshadowing me, I really wouldn’t say any of the artists overshadow me; honestly I feel like it’s one of the best albums put out. It’s one of the most slept on albums…

It’s just about growing with me. I feel like I get no younger, nobody gets younger in life, you only get older. The older I get, the wiser I become. It’s just about growing with the music. G-Unit as a whole has become so much so quickly, that a lot of people put a lot of expectations on us, which is good. If we don’t meet the standards that they actually look for, then they look for the criticisms in whatever we do. So it’s just about feeling content with my music and what makes me feel good ;cause I gotta be feeling good about being on the stage and performing…hoping and keeping my fingers crossed that they appreciate what I do; and it’s been working. You’re always gonna have those ones that say ‘Hey, you should have been this way, you could have been this way’ but it is what it is so f*&^ with me and if you can’t then get ready for the April 1st project, and hopefully you’ll f&^* with that.

Nobodysmiling.com : OK. At the same time, the album sold over 140,000 in its first week. So the fans and the critics are having different opinions. Why do you think that is?

Young Buck : I think a lot of people feel like I ain’t getting what I deserve from G-Unit and Interscope, period. Honestly. I think a lot of people feel like video-wise, if we was to speak from that end, it should be a bigger budget for Buck…things of that nature. And I think Interscope has had a difficult time with just trying to figure out a way to market me. I’m a southern artist but I’m all over the place. For a lot of southern artists, it’s easy to market their music. Pretty much you follow the direction to wherever their flame is burning; and you throw gasoline on it to let that artist burn. But for me, my flow is for the west coast, the east coast, the south, period. So I think it’s been really difficult for Interscope to actually apply pressure to one particular market with me. And then just the whole generals with the economy…when I dropped my last album, we’re dealing with a lot of different things whether it’s the Internet or people not buying records as they was before. I think I’m in one of the best places…like you said my first week sold over 140, 000 records. And the second week following, I damn nearly did the same thing. People love to get good music but we have ups and downs too. That’s actually the name of my next single. You’re about to hear it soon; it’s crazy.

Nobodysmiling.com : That’s great. What did it mean to you on a personal level to debut at #1 on R&B and Hip-Hop charts?

Young Buck : I mean it means everything. Anytime you debut and anytime you’re #1 at anything, it shows that you’re on your job. So for me to do that, it lets me know that I’m on my job and let’s keep going. So there’s never an ending for Young Buck. I’m not comfortable even when I’m #1 ‘cause I want to stay #1. It’s easy to become #2 so I never get comfortable. I have no problem with competing. My whole thing is just about getting in the game and working my muscle from my individual standpoint and my executive standpoint.

Nobodysmiling.com : Over a year ago, you had an encounter with DJ Will from World Famous Superfriends, after which, Core DJs decided not to support radio play of your singles. How has that affected the promotion of your album?

Young Buck : I ain’t gonna lie to you, hell yeah that affected me. At the end of the day, the issue itself made a lot of DJs have to choose whether they should play my records or not. A lot of DJs had to make the decision of ‘OK, am I gonna support this DJ and understand it in the way that I’m hearing it went down or am I gonna continue to go ahead and play this record regardless of what I’m hearing went down?’ So that much right there affected me but at the end of the day it worked itself out; we got passed it – shout-out to Tony Mill over there at the Core DJs; matter of fact, to all DJs out here because I really think it made me stronger as a person. It opened up my eyes to a lot of different issues. At the end of the day, I think a lot of DJs understood the situation a little bit better. And for those that weren’t playing my records are playing my records a little bit more on the strength of understanding the way I handled it, which I handled it like a grown man. I can accept when I’m wrong.

Nobodysmiling.com : Do you regret what you did?

Young Buck : No, not at all. I don’t want to try to start a fight; it’s already been put out. There’s nothing for me to regret. At the end of the day what is done is in the past. The way the situation went down, it wasn’t the way the media was giving it. And me and my man was able to sit down like men, work it out, and move on; and that’s where I’m at now.

Nobodysmiling.com : Tell me something that people don’t know about you.

Young Buck : I work 24 hours a day; Monday through Sunday, straight up and down. I’m a real hard worker. A lot of people think Buck parties and smokes all damn day long. At least 15 hours out of a 24-hour day are dedicated to my job. And my job is music whether it’s recording in the studio or being here with you…

Nobodysmiling.com : How did you become so successful?

Young Buck : Simple – 4 letters. PUSH. Pray Until Something Happens.

Nobodysmiling.com : Time to go. Update us quickly on your clothing line.

Young Buck : Thanks for holding it down. My clothing line is titled David Brown Clothing; it’ll be in stores soon. You can go to , check out a couple of pieces of my gear. It’ll also give you a link to my watch – it’s called TenAKey Timepiece and it’ll be in stores also. We got the female line of the watches so we didn’t forget about you baby. Hold it down as much as you can.

Nobodysmiling.com : Thank you.

YUNG STIXX

Buck is a ugly muthafucka...(no homo)

TheBankman

lmao ^^^^ nothing to do with the interview but funny

Rep

Good read mayn, Buck be holdin' it down fo' real.

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g-unit4life

jklgjlkjlk

Jethro_1.1

no homo ? lmao

DemonicSinn

LOL...I like Buck but damn the nigga use the phrase "at the end of the day" a hundred times in every interview

shakey1987

Buck's a good artist. He has good lyrics. I hope dat he can stick with da unit

upperrq

oh ty gibson im with u

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DannyBoy316

Homey please keep ya homoness anonymous.....

Not just 4 me...but 4 all of us!

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~~$$$COMING SOON 2 A HOOD NEAR U!$$$~~

Dr.Tre

i dont no why he is comparin himself to tupac he needs to stop that