|
"This Is The Way We Roll," "Like A
Pimp" (featuring David Banner), "Game Over,"
and "Sunshine." Those are just a few of the
hit songs by Houston rapper Lil' Flip. Flip, once considered
an underground legend, is now a major player in the hip-hop
game. His latest studio release I Need Mine hit's
stores this December.
Listen to Lil' Flip's "What
It Do" featuring Mannie
Fresh.
|
|
|
Do you pay attention to the things that are written
about you in the press?
Lil' Flip-I used to
pay attention to it. But now it's to the point of me being
a veteran and what not. I don't let it bother me because
at the end of the day when I came in this game I was taught
everybody is not going to like you off the top. The fans
that bought my album and support me... as long as I keep
doing what I've been doing that's all I care about.
The song "Sunshine" was such a huge hit for you. Was
there ever a time someone suggested that you put a more
well known female vocalist on the song like a Mya or a
Brandy or something?
Lil' Flip-Naw. People
don't come at me like that. It's the other way around.
Since I'm an artist that already has a name I feel like
I should help people who don't have a career or have the
money as those artists that you named to give them a chance.
At the end of the day sometimes those artists act high
sedidity. So I help them artists out every album.
A couple of weeks ago I interviewed Play
n Skillz. Can you describe your working relationship
with them?
Lil' Flip-Yeah they
produced like the majority of my album "You Gotta Feel
Me." Them some good dudes. They let me come to their studio
and damn near stay there. They let me just camp out and
do what I wanted to do. Them some good dudes.
What can you tell me about your new album?
Lil' Flip-It's a classic.
I ain't never said this about no album. Most people are
like, "Go get my album it's hot," but this album is a
classic because I stepped it up. It's more mature. As
far as production goes, I produced five tracks. I'm making
beats now or whatever. I've got a production team now
me and my homeboy or whatever. I got Nate Dogg on the
album this time around. MJG is on the album, of course
Zero, Lil Keke, Pokey, Yuk Mouth and Squad Up is on the
album and I got Lyfe on the album.
Which versions of your songs do you prefer? The regular
versions or the Chopped & Screwed versions?
Lil' Flip-I like…it
depends on the mood I'm in. If you catch me in the daytime,
it's all regular. Late night, relax time, we can Chop
& Screw it ya dig?
Since you are such an established artists, do you
still feel like it's important for you to be out there
on the mix tape circuit?
Lil' Flip-Yeah yeah,
I feel like it's important but I switched my hustle with
the mix tape game. I'm cool with Kay Slay, I'm cool with
Whoo Kid, I'm cool with Green Lantern, I'm cool with every
DJ, DJ Flad, anytime they call for freestyles I give them
not one freestyle I give them two, I give them three.
So what I did now, now when I do my mix tapes I do them
all over original beats so I can actually put them in
stores. I have a mix tape I put out with me and Zero called
Kings of the South. It's in the stores right now for fans
who ain't got it. Its all original beats so that way I
don't have to worry about the RIAA trying to take money
cause I aint rapping on nobody else beats.
How do you feel now that Houston is pretty much the
Mecca of the rap industry. How do you feel about that?
Lil' Flip-Actually,
happy. Basically, happy that attention is on Houston and
everybody is respecting us and showing us support and
what not because we have been working for a long time
selling records and everything on our own so to see that
now we actually have help and support I'm happy.
What are your feelings about Houston being in the World
Series?
Lil' Flip- Man I'm
mad right now because they lost last night. Shit, they
lost 3 times in a row. I'm happy they made it though.
We have a couple of championships with the Rockets so
it would have been nice to have a World Series since it
doesn't look like we are going to get a Super Bowl ring
ever.
A lot of people evacuated from New Orleans to Houston
following Hurricane Katrina. Have you noticed anything
different about the city?
Lil' Flip- Not really.
As far as the traffic you see all the license plates and
more traffic. I have a group called Squad Up they stay
in Houston now or whatever because of the situation that
went down but ain't nothing changed to me.
Do you ever get on the Internet and check out any of the
Lil' Flip fan sites? I was surprised there are
a lot of them.
Lil' Flip-When I first
got my deal I used to be on there everyday like that.
I just looked on there recently probably a few months
ago. I don't pay attention to it a lot because you have
people that show you love and people that hate. If you
pay attention to that a lot it will mess up your thinking.
If you try to please the people that are hating on you,
you mess around and get the people who liked what you
were doing they fuck around and get mad. It's a Catch
22. On the Internet fans were like, "I wish Lil Flip would
rap fast again like he used to," cause when I first came
out I used to rap fast on a couple of tracks; so on this
album I have a couple of tracks where I rap fast for the
fans.
Is your record company Clover Records?
Lil' Flip- Clover
G Records. G stands for God.
The clover is kind of like your symbol. Where did that
clover stuff come from?
Lil' Flip- The neighborhood
I stay in is called Cloverland, and I'm born in March
so it all kind of goes in .
Are there any songs on the album that people should be
especially checking for?
Lil' Flip- Yeah, yeah.
"Take You There" featuring Nate Dogg and "Cant You
Tell" featuring Squad Up. I also have this song called
"Real Hip-Hop." It's me paying homage to all
the old hip-hop greats.
|
|
