Yesterday we had a chance to talk to Sean P of the YoungBloodz about the group's latest album Ev'rybody Know Me, working with Mannie Fresh and Scott Storch, his storied New Money supergroup with Bubba Sparxxx (and, as it turns out, Timbo), and of course, the Falcons. Click more to read the whole thing.
On the advance of the album some of the songs were different than the version that was actually put out. What changed?
When you’re making an album you make a hundred songs. And all of them just can’t make it, you try to see which one is gonna ride a little better and fit a little better.
So it wasn’t label politics at all?
It’s never label. Where we’re at in our career, now you know we control a lot of our own stuff, so it’s never label. It’s just some things that we feared might not fit the album.
There was a collaboration on there with TI and P$C that was pretty hot, but neither artist ended up on the album at all.
Actually that wasn’t a song for a Youngbloodz album, the song we did together was probably for their album, a compilation or something they did. But it was never for a Youngbloodz album.
You also had the Mannie Fresh beat that eventually ended up as “I’m Fresh” on Bun B’s album - what happened to that?
Now that’s that business. I don’t know what happened. I guess it was paying time, you know what I mean? It wasn’t nothing with Youngbloodz, me and Mannie Fresh, we got a great relationship. But I understand the business too. And there’s times, you’re looking for the money and it ain’t got to you, and somebody else is getting ready to give you that check right then, you gotta keep it moving. And I understand that, I told Bun B too, it ain’t no problem with me, man, we’re all family.
So then he just stepped in with the new beat?
Yeah he did the new beat for us. What’s good about it is that we actually happen to be a part of Bun B’s album too, as far as the hook. He took the hook and the beat with him. Which is good for us too. That’s Bun B man, a legend in the South. Anything he needs, that’s what it is.
How was it like working with people like Scott Storch and Mannie instead of just ATL producers?
It’s crazy. You finally get a chance in your career to step out and work with some of the big names that also want to work with you. Mannie Fresh has been putting it down for a long time in the south, we’ve been dancing and jumping around to Mannie Fresh beats for a long time. And Scott Scorch came out to be a hot producer. It’s only right to work with the top notch.
You guys were around before crunk went big on a national level and now you’re still here - do you think the sound is ever going to be as successful as when it first broke to the rest of the country?
Crunk is not music. Crunk is a feeling that you have when you’re listening to music. So that’s the thing. People get it twisted and want to label it something like, this is crunk music, this is gangsta. Music is music, and the feeling that you get from music is the feeling that you get. Crunk’s been around a long time, before Lil’ Jon and before us. We’ve always been crunk, it didn’t just happen in 2003 when they made a certain kind of beat and a certain kind of hook. Crunk’s been around a long time. It’s a feeling that you get. Even when Jeezy’s performing or T.I.’s performing, the crowd gets crunk. They’re not doing crunk music, but the crowd gets crunk, it’s the feeling that they get from the performance.
But what about that specific style that you and Lil’ Jon took national in 2003 - you guys are still playing a similar style. “Presidential” sounds like it could have been a hit three years ago - do you think that there’s a shelf-life for that style?
It’s gonna always be around. Everybody always wants to have a good time at the club. Crunk music ain’t never going anywhere. I’m gonna stay crunk. Everytime - you can come to Atlanta Monday through Sunday and its gonna be crunk. We don’t stop, we keep it going. And another thing, don’t nobody else tell us what music’s gonna be around. What, the east coast supposed to tell us how long our music’s gonna be around? Is the west coast supposed to tell us how long our music’s gonna be around?
So you guys are in Atlanta at the moment?
Yeah.
Just promoting right now?
We’re always on the road. We haven’t stopped being on the road since 1998. We never stop. Always working man. But we got a couple days off, relaxing a little bit, in the studio, just shooting our second single “Chop Chop” video.
What’s it gonna look like?
We took it back to the “Presidential” just a little bit, let you know we’re still doing it presidential, that’s the whole movement. We still got our little Secret Service ladies driving us around. We actually go to a chop shop, the scene is like a chop shop scene and we also shot a half and half video for “Itz Good” with T-Boz and Mr. Collipark.
How was it like working with T-Boz?
Ah man it’s wonderful. She’s the queen of Atlanta, been around a long time, got several fans out there. So it was only right to work with T-Boz if we wanted to work with a female. You got the new T-Boz’s out there - Ciaras and all that, Olivias. We had to go dig and grab the originator of all this.
What’s your take on the whole snap music scene?
I’m loving it. That’s the new version of crunk. Like everybody’s saying “crunk this, crunk that.” That’s the new version of Atlanta. We always crunk, we always party. Crunk is just basically partying, having a good time. It’s not a certain type of music, so we always crunk in Atlanta, it’s gonna keep coming. I’m loving the whole snap movement. It keep Atlanta on the map, it keep Atlanta busy, it keep people talking about Atlanta, it keep people coming to Atlanta and enjoying they self at the clubs and seeing how we do.
I’ve heard a few things about you doing various other projects - do you feel a certain pressure to become a solo artist?
There’s really no pressure, it’s something that I have to do though. The streets is waiting, and I can’t leave them waiting too long. Youngbloodz gonna always be here, we Youngbloodz, we gonna be here. When I do my solo album, I still represent Youngbloodz. They’re waiting for it and I gotta get it out there, and when I get it out there its gonna be on a super big level. It’s gonna take care of my family and every-body.
Are you already working on that?
I’m always working man. I got plenty of material already, but I’m always working. Every day gets better.
Do you have any producers or collaborations slated up for that yet?
Not yet, but I got em on the list.
Are you gonna end up doing the solo record with Dipset?
Well I haven’t landed that yet, I haven’t got to that point yet. I still have to go through my record label, Jive, you know they have first refusal or whatever. I don’t know if Jive is actually ready to do that yet. But I got so many things on the table right now, that I just gotta see what direction I wanna go in. But my homies Dipset, Cam, Jim Jones, all them boys, Juelz, they’re my homies, I’d love to work with them.
A while back there was some talk that you were going to join Boyz N Da Hood as well.
Yeah actually I was supposed to be one of the original members of the first Boyz N Da Hood. And still to this day, I got a spot in there somewhere. I’ve just been so busy get-ting this Youngbloodz off and running, I really haven’t had the time to dedicate myself to anything else. So you know I’m still down with the homies, all the Boyz N Da Hood, they know I’m one of them, so we still ride.
I know this is old business, but whatever happened with New Money?
(sings) New Mon-ay! You dug deep.
There was that song on one of DJ Drama’s tapes, and then Bubba was talking about it for awhile in 2003 - but you guys never put out an album.
Nah we didn’t put out an album, we didn’t get a chance to. You got several major artists on several different major record labels, it just didn’t work out. It wasn’t with the group, it was actually with the heads of the labels, they couldn’t work out and come to some agreement. It leaves you in a messed up position man.
Timbaland seems like one of the big names you guys haven’t worked with, and you almost got the chance to work with him on New Money. Do you think he’s going to show up on your solo album at all?
Oh yeah, Tim man, that’s my dude. Actually he was a part of New Money, he was actually a group member. So we definitely got a nice relationship man, and I plan on working with all these cats on my solo man, my solo’s gonna be real mean.
What are you up to besides the solo stuff?
We did Scary Movie 4 man, we just had a little part in Scary Movie 4 that comes out in April. So we’re getting ready for that, trying to get into a little more acting.
How’re the restaurants going?
Everything’s going good, two Cuban restaurants, we co-own with my uncle and my aunt. They’ve been running Cuban restaurants like 14 years now. It was a great investment.
How often do you go in?
Actually I try to eat there as much as I can, but as far as the day to day, I don’t do that.
So your uncle runs the places and you guys finance?
Exactly, we do our music man. I’d mess up something if I try to run something else.
Do you have a favorite dish there?
Oh yeah man, it’s called Mariscos in Chipotle.
How come your uncle’s doing Cuban food, is his family from there?
His wife is Cuban - Lucy.
You’re sponsoring a basketball team too, right?
Yeah we have the little Youngbloodz around, we sponsor basketball teams, we give money to the football teams around the community.
You used to play?
Oh yeah I played basketball, baseball.
What’s your favorite to watch?
Football.
Falcons?
Oh man all day long, I don’t care what we doin.
What should they be doing in the off-season?
Get their mind together. You know, everybody we love the Falcons to death, they just need to get their mind together. I think we should close all the clubs during football season.