U.G. Digital Mag: With Young N Thuggin 2, I thought it was cool that you went back and revisited a lot of songs, like “Bout Whatever” from Guerrilla Warfare. Why was that important for you?
Young Turk: When I dropped the first one, I had a gun charge in New Orleans. I was on probation and I had to stay seven months. I beat that charge, but by that time, Hot Boys was breaking up. Juvie had left, B.G. had left, and I was working on my solo album. You notice Juvie wasn’t on Young N Thuggin. When my time came, everything was falling apart. When I got locked up, I never really had time to promote it. People was supporting though, but I felt like if I went back, it would kinda catch people up. Since I been home, I dropped five mixtape. Even though I was rapping the new style, people wasn’t feeling it. When I did it, I remade some of the songs, and man, Birdman called and asked me to send him the song “It’s In Me”. I know it was a good project man. That’s why you see us supporting each other.
U.G. Digital Mag: I think it was definitely a hot project. It was good music, but what also made it successful was that everybody supported each other. We do a lot of anniversary posts, and we posted a clip of “It’s In Me” for the 15th anniversary, and you saw everybody in that video. Everybody helped each other.
Young Turk: Right. So on this Young N Thuggin 2, I’m just grown up. It’s a lifestyle. The acronym is “Taking Hardship using God’s Gift In spite of Negativity”. I injected so much of my life, from the heroine and cocaine addiction to pimpin murder on police to 8 years, 8 months, and 16 days in penitentiary to coming home. I’m just trying to make a better life for my kids man. That’s what it’s about. I look at my fans as friends. I make music for them and for my family. I’ll no longer do no selfish acts. I stay focused and keep on living.
U.G. Digital Mag: It’s a lot of people who see what you’re doing and they love it. You’re showing that it can be done. What, for you is the biggest change since being out before?
Young Turk: You got social media, and music not selling the same way. It’s about connecting with your supporters. Those with the closest connections are the ones really doing it. Without that connection and support, you’re nothing. I can be at home or wherever, and interact with people. A lot of artists only have like pages. I used to feel like it was too personal. Now, I engage my people man. I want that connection and get to know people, and allow them to get to know me instead of that they hear in the streets. I want the people to be inspired by real life.
U.G. Digital Mag: That’s what people love man. They want that engagement. You have a lot of artists who don’t want to interact, but the interaction helps.
Young Turk: You have to man. It’s not even about the money. I may even talk about what I used to do. I watch lockdown. People ask me why I watch it, but it’s because I don’t want to go back. It helps me stay away from certain people. Some of my friends still do the same things and go to the same places. I don’t look down on them, but I know if I frequent those places, I’ll eventually get back into what I used to do. My mom used to say you have to change your people, and I have done that. You have to get your priorities in order. If you don’t have that, or have structure, you’ll fall apart. It’s bigger than music. It’s real life. I don’t want to fake the funk. I’m rapping about what I can have, and try to inspire people to keep pushing.
U.G. Digital Mag: You’ve been doing shows and on tour. Talk about that and what else you have coming up?
Young Turk: I get out in the streets man. Wherever the hood at. I want the people that got the mindset I used to have. I want them to see I used to be where they at. I used to be strung out on heroine and cocaine. I want to give that message to the people. A lot of people forget those who get them where they are. I love the underdog. I can relate to those people and they relate to me. I can’t relate to Hollywood. It give me a headache man. Now I want the Hollywood money, but I just keep pushing. I have an audience of people looking to me for help. They always need encouragement.