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4/13/2007 What’s up?  I’m feeling good.  Your debut album has been out for two weeks. Are you happy with how it’s been doing?    I’m excited about how it’s doing, especially for my first one. It’s crazy.  Did you ever get wrapped up in following the album sales?    It’s just about getting the music out there for me. It’s about giving the music to the people. I have to let the people know who I am before I can really worry about album sales.   Are you getting the reaction you wanted to from the fans?    I’m getting a great reaction from the fans. The people are surprised and I wanted them to be. I wanted them to get something that they wouldn’t expect.  After the success of “Throw Some D’s,” do you think your fans expected a full album like that?    That did really well and it gave me the opportunity for people to really hear my music. I felt like people got so stuck on “Throw Some D’s” that I was scared that was all they were going to check for. That’s why I was excited to put the album out because it was a chance for me to give them more than “Throw Some D’s” and show them what kind of artist I really am.  It took awhile for the song to break everywhere. At any point did you get frustrated?    No, I never got frustrated at all. It was a new sound and it was something different for the game. I knew it would take time.  When you recorded “Throw Some D’s,” did you know you had a hit?    No, I did not know I had a hit. I knew I had something different.   What made “Throw Some D’s” such a big hit?  I feel like it was just the natural chemistry between the track, me and Polow is what made it a hit. When we’re in the studio, if we’re excited, you’re going to hear it over the track. If we’re sad, you’re going to hear it over the track. It’s the chemistry.  Butta produced the original version of “Throw Some D’s” and Lil’ Jon produced the remix. How did that go down?    It’s crazy. One day I walked into the studio and I heard my beat remixed. Then Jim Jones wanted to get on it so I sent him the track. Then I ran into Nelly and he wanted to get on it with Murphy Lee. Everybody came together so quick on it. I was surprised.  Did Lil’ Jon work with Butta on it?    I think he made it from scratch. He made it off what he heard [on the original].  Are there any hard feelings between Butta and Lil’ Jon?  Nah. I think he was actually excited about it. It was more points for him as a producer.  You have a lot of big names on the remix. What does that mean to you?    It just shows that there’s something special about this project and it’s letting me know that it’s going to be all right as far as success on this album. So many people wanted to be a part of it that I just knew it was going to win.  What did you think of Kanye West’s video to “Throw Some D’s”?  I love the Kanye West remix. I wish I would have thought of that.  A million rappers freestyled on that beat. What does that mean to you?  It just lets me know that it’s great and that it was a success.  Ten years ago, the album Rich Boy probably would have gone platinum with “Throw Some D’s.” Is it impossible to go platinum today?    I don’t feel that it’s impossible. You just have to do different things and you have to be smart.  You have a lot of different sounds on the album. What type of artist do you want to be looked at as?    I want to be looked at as the type of artist that can do anything. If there’s something impossible, I want people to say, “I think Rich Boy can do that.”    What was it like working with Polow da Don on the album Rich Boy?  We started off recording in his apartment. Working with him is just like working with your brother. You get in so many arguments but somehow it gets done. We both had a lot of strong feelings on some things. We just made the album based on how we felt. I feel great because we really expressed ourselves 100% and we came up with something that we think is great.  Polow had more experience in the game when you both started working together. How important is he to your growth as an artist?    He’s real important. He’s like my coach. He’s coaching me through it. I had the talent when I met him but I didn’t actually know I had the talent. He brought it out of me and taught me how to apply the talent. Over time I worked at it and worked on taking it as far as I can.  You produced two tracks on Rich Boy. Are we going to see you producing more for yourself in the future?  Yeah. I’m going to definitely be doing more. You’re going to see me as a producer too. I know it takes experience to be great. I feel great at all the things I’ve been able to do so far.  The album got pushed back a few times. Did that ever get frustrating?   Yeah. There were a lot of different versions of the album but they’re all great. I just knew it was going to be something special because of how this whole thing came together.  You were rapping for six months before getting signed. Some artists rap for years without getting noticed. Why did you get your deal?    It was the talent I had. I felt like it was the true talent. That’s why I got signed so quickly.  You must feel lucky too.    Yeah. It makes me feel lucky but it also makes me feel blessed. It is a blessing, especially coming out of Alabama, the most overlooked state. It means a lot to other people too.  Do you think major labels will look more to Alabama for talent?    Yeah. I feel they will. They’re already doing it. I hear talk on the streets.  How’s the D-Boy’s album coming?    I’m working on that and a couple of other things. It’s real ghetto. It’s real slum. It’s not as diverse as my album, but it’s going to be great.  What’s the next move for Rich Boy?  I’m working on my follow-up album as we speak. I have a lot of tracks.  What advice would you offer to up-and-coming artists?  If all your material is great, don’t just focus on one song. And never burn your bridges.  What do you want to say to everybody?  I want to thank the people for supporting me. I realize that they’re the people who made me who I am and they’re the people who support me.

By Brian Kayser

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