The funniest thing about that entire Rick Ross correctional officer-as-a-first-job fiasco was that the interviewer who confronted Ross claimed that it was Trick Daddy who outed him, when in actuality, Trick hadn't said anything of the sort. The interviewer knew, however, that by involving Trick Daddy's name, Ross would be forced to acknowledge a question that to most seemed ill-timed, if not completely ridiculous. Today, Trick harbors no ill will toward Ross, who made it a point to diss him in the interview for what would eventually only be confirmed as the truth, but is also looking to amend the image of Miami rap as a whole. Trick's new album Finally Famous is about to drop September 15th and the outstanding leadoff single, "This The Shit That I Live," has seemingly already gotten lost in the daily onslaught of new music leaks. We caught up with Trick recently and took the opportunity to ask him about it, whether or not he still "loves the kids" and also why he would even put out an album without "thug" in the title. Download the single "This The Shit That I Live" below and read the interview after the jump.
Download: Trick Daddy, "This The Shit That I Live"
So lets get right to it, why would you name your album Finally Famous?
Because I’m the boss now. I believe a lot of doors, a lot of opportunities, I was held back from, a lot, even things that I didn’t know of. For example, somebody wants to get a Trick Daddy feature. Atlantic Records could say no to Def Jam, “No, because you wouldn’t do a Jeezy feature that we tried to do...” That’s just one example of things that happen, let alone if someone is trying to contact me and they’re still not aware that I’m not signed to Slip-N-Slide. And it’s not necessarily Ted, you know what I’m saying? But you have people that answer phones and—everybody in this business has other things, bigger and better things on their minds. So now I put Finally Famous because there is no shortcut. I don’t have to censor my music, I don’t have to deal with the politics—well, I’m still dealing with it a little bit now, but people are getting to know how to contact me, how to book me. Now they’re aware that Trick Daddy is not this nigga that’s hard to deal with. My numbers are usually simple and respectable, and I will tear a feature in half, as well as a stage. So I’m Finally Famous now. I’m a man now, I’m an artist, I’m a producer as well, so I’ll get that real money.
So it's more about being in control than actually being famous?
For me being the CEO. For me being the president. And I know the game has changed, but the true Trick fans and the young, new Trick fans, they want to hear me. They want to hear the real. That’s what I represent.
It’s funny that you say that because I heard the one single, “This the Shit I Live,” and it’s incredible, but I had to get it from a PR person. Do you have relationships with DJ’s?
I don’t know, man. It’s a lot of politics. I’m slow to reach out to a lot of DJs because like I said, these DJs want to be CEOs, and A&Rs and program directors, and they have to know that, first of all, hometown must support hometown. So when you get somebody that’s from Atlanta, from Miami, or from North Carolina, from New York, and he has a good record, that guy could never cross that border until hometown supports. They should be embarrassed if that record blows or goes out the woods before they get their hands on it. The other politics part when you’re dealing with the DJs, there are a lot of DJs that have their cliques and I don’t knock that. But a Trick Daddy record—I’m sure that a lot of my records have got the parties crunk for them before and I’m sure a lot of the true, real DJs do appreciate my music, and that’s all I’m asking for.
So let me ask you this, how do you feel about the new wave of Miami artists, because at one time, you alone were the face of Miami.
I appreciate the fact that you’re able to ask me a question like that, but now it’s time for us to get together and make money. A lot of the sneak dissing and undercover hating stuff—Miami niggas need to get together and act like Miami niggas. We’re trendsetters, we’re leaders. We ain’t followers, we ain’t ass-kissers. We got our own slang, we got our own things, so let’s do it. And a lot of niggas need to order their shirts bigger and wear man jeans, and step up their game. They don’t necessarily need to rep a certain colored flag, just rep this city that me and Luke and Pitbull and Betty Wright and KC—the Disco Ricks, and Uncle Als and everybody before us, that we built, along with the niggas that have died and went to prison and struggled, along with the dope game as well. They have to represent. They have to remember what we come from.
What’s your relationship with Luke today?
I have a relationship. I pay homage to all OGs, man. It would be disrespectful for me to not pay homage and respect, to stay in contact with them on all levels, especially when they’re from my hometown.
Everybody knows that “Trick love the kids,” but when you talk to kids today, what kind of things do you tell them?
First of all, a lot of kids don’t have nothing to do. The inner-city programs are not like they used to be—I don’t know if they gave out the summer lunches this year like they did when I was a kid—and you know, stuff like that. Now kids’ [attitudes] are, “I’ma have fun today.” It’s sad because a lot of it is based on all these reality [TV] shows, so I tell the kids right now, “Don’t live your lives like the reality shows.” People act accordingly, especially when the camera is on them. A lot of things you want, you can’t have, and a lot of dreams, most of them don’t come true—if it wasn’t for bad luck, you wouldn’t have none. I tell the kids the real shit that their mom and dad ain’t gonna tell them. But, me giving my child a condom, it would be just like me saying it’s okay to have sex, so I don’t agree to none of that when it comes to even the topic that they talked about on Oprah this week, where one doctor was saying that it was safe for your kid to masturbate. A ten-year-old girl—how is it safe for her to masturbate, like, are you crazy? Don’t remind them about sexually transmitted diseases—remind them of being a kid so they won’t spend time thinking about this old folk shit. Kids should stay kids, and you should get grown folk shit figured out once you’re grown folk.
For sure. Anything else you want to say?
Yea, fuck the other side! That’s all.
