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1/12/2006 Call him O.G., legend, thug or entrepreneur. Call him recovering junkie, traitor, married to street life. How about survivor? This is a man whose world was completely turned upside down by one of the biggest societal tragedies and natural disasters in the history of the United States of America. We now have something to add to the list of hardships and hurdles encountered along the road of life walked by Christopher Dorsey. Could you fill his shoes, dealing with lost family members at an early age? Could you, not only survive the harsh ghetto reality of New Orleans' wards, let alone make a name for yourself akin to 'Heart of the Streets?' Do you have the talent, energy and drive to drop 15 albums by the age of 25, help to build from the ground up a multi-million dollar empire then, despite your loyalty but in light of your honor, walk away? And as your independent arms reach out and you begin to grasp for new ground and reclaim your name, carving a place for your new company, could you lose your heart, your home and your way of life? I don't mean to pull your G-card but… I truly doubt it. Amazingly, of all things B.G. is positive and realistic, hurt by various sources but not emotional, and definitely optimistic for the future. It's grind time baby! Let the 504 native show you how it's done, the right way. Call him what you will but know this: many will forever call him hero. B.G. what's the deal man? Everything's good on my end, just chilling like a real nigga's supposed to you know? I hear you homey. For all the fools that don't know, fill us in on who you are and why you are a legend? My rap sheet speaks for itself. C'mon man, you wouldn't think I was one with all the work I've put in, credibility I got in the game, and the ups and downs I've had to overcome? Definitely. In this New Year, what are some of the personal goals you have for 2006? My personal goal for 2006… is to stay out of jail. That's the main one, cuz if I'm in jail I can't get no money. And if I can't get no money then fuck… you heard me? My goals are just to turn Chopper City into what I helped turn Cash Money into and just do me and make a way for my niggas and help rebuild my city. My plans, goals and dreams get bigger everyday. How's your family doing? They're good, everything's good. Our prayers consistently go out to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. We know the government didn't act accordingly and appropriately with preventing and assisting in the situation. From your standpoint, can you give us an update on what's being done in the rebuilding process of New Orleans? They're rebuilding the rich part of town. The hood still looks the same way it looked the day after the hurricane hit. Fuck, it is what it is. I get disgusted when I speak on it. Is there a way for the readers to contribute to helping the situation? Yeah, Yeah it is. There's a million and one ways. I'm trying to put something together where the proceeds go straight to the hood. When I do something it gotta be right, it gotta be big I can't half-step with it. It's all I know. The Heart of the Streets Volume 2, I Am What I Am to be released early 2006. What's going on with that? Man, that's the continuation of Volume 1. I'm giving the streets what they want and expect from me. The "Heart of the streets" title, people come up to me and say 'I know what that means.' People embrace me with that and tell me I got the right to call myself that. Anybody who has 10 of my previous albums, or any Hot Boys albums, they already know how I'm coming, aint nothing changed. So you have 15 albums and how old are you? I'm 25. You're a bona fide legend on the strength of that. I also wanted to ask what's going on with Chopper City Records? Chopper City Records is good. I'm in a nice position right now, a very good position and I've been doing my independent thing now for the past 2-3 years and I've been building, grinding and stackin'. I've been climbing the stairs and now I'm on the porch and I got the keys to like five doors and all of 'em are six-figure doors. Really I'm content right now and I haven't decided what door I'ma go in and I'm playing it how I wanna play it. At the end of the day I'ma make the right decision of what's best for me and my label as a whole, so I'm not in a rush. I'm situated so they gotta dance to my music. What does an individual have to be prepared for when getting their independent hustle on as opposed to signing with a major? He gotta be ready to grind, be ready to work. Really and truly to me, independence is the key. I've been on top. I been there. So I know what it's like. Both worlds are cool, but the independent goal is to set yourself up for the majors and make 'em dance to your music. I made my mark in the game with Cash Money and made the whole world respect my music, respect what I do and respect me as B.G. When you do the independent thing, people respect you even more. Do you consider yourself a pioneer in the game of rap? If people wanna say that then I aint gonna correct 'em. I aint the type a nigga to be big-headed, I just do what I do. When Scarface took his hat off to me, it couldn't get no better than that. Scarface, Bun B, I consider them pioneers. I come behind them. I been in the game just as long, but I never looked at it like that. When people like that have as much respect for me as they do, then I'm cool wit' it. Cash Money Records will always be in the background of your career because it's an empire that you helped build from the block to the billboard. How do you feel about that? Really and truly, I would have never thought in a million years it would have ended up like that. We were the most family oriented, but that just let me know how powerful money is for real. Money fucked Baby up, and I'm more hurt than anything. I was 12 years old when my daddy got killed and that nigga took me under his wing and raised me. I was loyal. I got his name tattooed on me, my name tatted on him, I christened his son and he christened mine. But it is what it is, I gotta deal with it. Are you still cool with Mannie Fresh and Juvenile? Oh yeah, cuz, they aint got my money. They got them too. Do you have plans on making any more music with them? Oh yeah, Mannie Fresh produced my 1st single off of Heart of the Streets Volume 2., called 'Move Around.' That's what's up, we're looking forward to that. Now at some point was there supposed to be reconciliation with Cash Money? Were you planning on doing a Hot Boys album? I wouldn't mind. I'd love to do it as long as Baby ain't have no parts of it. I think everybody in the world has heard 'Triggaman' by now and it's self-explanatory. I need to hear it from you, what was the motivation behind you making that song? Last year, it was 'I Miss My Dogs' and when I first heard that song, that motherfucker brought tears to my eyes, cuz shawty came from the heart wit' that one. I was surprised it made his album because of how real and true it was, especially with what we were going through. But a couple of months ago, I picked up a magazine and he was on the cover. I'm reading the article and they're asking him about the Hot Boys and he made a statement in the magazine like 'Fuck everybody who left Cash Money I don't respect none of 'em.' I was like whoa, cuz that's a strong statement. I'm one of the ones who left. So you saying fuck me? Really and truly, fuck me, fuck you back. You basically said fuck everybody who left, fuck all of us. I don't know how they gonna take it but me being the type of nigga I am, no- uh uh. We done had concerts together, I went on stage with him, he came on stage with me. Me and shawty had a cool relationship until I read that article. You were always like the older brother. Exactly. Man, that was my lil'… he wanted to be like… basically, no disrespect but… Baby raised me and I raised him. It is what it is. Young Black Entrepreneurs is one of my favorite songs. Is there a message that you and Mobb Deep were trying to send when you made that track? Really, Prodigy reached out and we was in New York, he was like 'I got this song that I want B.G. to get on.' I was like, 'damn Mobb Deep wan' fuck wit' me? C'mon let's go.' So once we got in the studio, we connected and vibed and was kickin' it, he already had the concept down, and once I heard it I did what I do on it… Killed it. That motherfucker was hot. Got plans on working with Mobb Deep anytime soon? Most definitely. Are the rumors true of you forming an alliance and becoming apart of the G-Unit fold? We talk. You know, it's most definitely an option. If everything works out and we can get the paper work right, you know I aint trippin'. If he reaches out, makes the situation right and let's me do me. It aint no secret as to what I'm doing. I'd love to link with them. Buck's my dog, if it happen or doesn't happen that's gonna be my nigga for life. Is Young Buck on the new album? We got a lotta tracks together but I'm not going to use 'em on this upcoming album, they'll be on the next album. My next three albums are lined up already. You been in the studio grindin'? I'm telling you… after this Heart of the Streets Vol.2, then I'ma drop The Comeback Kid, then after that I got a real good feeling that all the hard times and struggling will be over so after that, I might name it Let the Good Times Roll. I got it all mapped out. You always had a real strong swagger about you, and your flow is type bluesy. What would you attribute that to? At the end of the day I'm just B.G. It just come out, it's all real with me. I do it the only way I know how and the voice speaks for itself. Some niggas, you hear 'em on a record, then you hear 'em in person and it's two different people. Anytime you hear me, it's the same. Cuz I'ma be my fucking self. Would you consider yourself someone who freestyles, a battle rapper or someone who makes songs? I can do all that, I can freestyle, I can smash a nigga if I want to and I can do songs. People be using the terms crossover and mainstream, I don't believe in none of that. I just be myself and make the game crossover to me. Whatever song I did that hit the other side, I aint do it for them, I did it cuz that's what I was feeling. I just do me, you either respect it or check it. What are some of the necessities that you gotta have with you when in the recording studio? A pack of Newports and my closest niggas and the vibe. I go in there and let the track talk to me. What's the mood like in the studio when you're making a hit song? It's something about that beat. It all starts with the beat, the drum pad. Once you got that down, then the bassline. You can make anything a hit, you just gotta ride that motherfucker right. Anybody can get on a song and rap, but you gotta ride that bitch a certain way. Are there any new artists that you're riding to right now? I listen to a little bit of everything. Right now in my changer I got Lil' Kim, one of the hottest albums out this year to me, Young Jeezy, believe it or not Lil' Wayne, Get Rich or Die Tryin' soundtrack, Juelz Santana, that Urban Legend, my shit and that Bun B. What about producers? Really and truly, you know how you got the $50,000, $100,000 producers? I respect 'em and get beats from 'em, fucks wit' 'em, but they got some hungry niggas in the basement that's just as hot as them niggas. I be tryin' to give them a shot. I got a lot of different producers on the album, Mannie Fresh, Paul Wall, but I worked with some producers you aint ever heard of and you gonna hear the track and be like 'damn who that?' If I didn't put any credits on the album you wouldn't know who was who. I might hear a beat going for twenty stacks, then hear a beat that hit harder than that going for two stacks. I'ma give two two-stack homey a shot and maybe in a minute, he'll be getting' his twenty. Is there anything other than rap that you listen to? I got Jamie Foxx in my CD changer, Mary J. Blige; I'm a R. Kelly fan. I get jazzy when it's time to get jazzy. With Volume 2, what can fans expect from the new album? They can expect B.G. to be B.G. I got a little older and wiser; I'm picking up where I left off on the last album, which was supposed to be a double album. I decided to break it down and bless the streets twice with this one. I'ma make a statement with this one. That heart of the streets shit means a lot to me. Once I'm certified with this one, I'ma go into the next stage of my life. I'm just sticking to my roots. If I get outside of myself and go start living like a star and letting money get to me then I'm not going to be grounded. I keep myself grounded. I can't see it any other way. A lot of niggas in the game can't handle the fame and the money. I see niggas who wasn't shit a few years ago, and now they don't want motherfuckers even touching 'em. They be on some hoe shit and I don't respect that.

By Brandon Edwards

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